New Gear Acquisitions

[mutantcolors]

You can talk shit on stop tails all you want, but that's what is comfortable to my right hand and has become an integral part to the way I play over the years.

[Jake]

That's kinda what he's saying, it seems. That many people prefer them because they're intimately used to them. Not that they're better.

Oh, and hell yes to maple over rosewood boards. It's so porous and fickle, not to mention over-harvested like a muhfukka. (Although I do really like ebony, which is even more ecologically dubious.)

[RacerX]

Better is in the eye (& hands & ears) of the beholder.

I have no use for Strats or vibrato tailpieces, so in my hands, hard tailed, non-Stratocaster guitars are superior, while Strats (and worse yet, vibrato-equipped Strats) are pathetic, useless weenie-machines.

[RacerX]

...and don't get even get me started on blocked vibrato tailpieces.

[AgentofOblivion]

Ah yes, I was speaking of my gear journey, but results may vary .  I don't like Gibson bridges because of the knife-edge that leads to more string breakages, the fact that the string usually also hits the back of the bridge between the stop bar and saddle (resulting in another place for the string to hang up and lead to tuning issues), and that the posts can bend under string tension, especially in hollow-bodies and give tuning problems.  When I think of shitty bridge design I usually mean in the realm of staying in tune, intonation adjustment options (which the Gibson does well), and string breaks. 

The old telecaster bridge is shitty for intonation reasons.  Every tremolo system aside from the DOUBLE locking floyd rose is bad for tuning in my opinion if you're doing dive bombs (though they're a pain in the ass!), but I don't mind my strat bridge, which isn't blocked but is tightened to the body and I don't use the tremolo.  I have to jack up the saddle height to get reasonable action, but at least it (mostly) stays in tune.  What don't you like about blocked tremolos?  If I were designing a bridge I'd have something that was a single piece with plenty of string contact and was pre-cut to be intonated properly and then had find adjustment screws similar to the Gibsons.  Then that whole block could be moved vertically on the sides, like the stop-bar of a Gibson.  Maybe even some anchors to ensure the posts don't bend?  I haven't found anything I don't like about my 6-saddle telecaster bridge yet--maybe the saddles are a bit wimpy.  But my overall point is someone probably has a great idea for a new bridge design but the companies are too busy making re-issues of their 1950's shit before anyone had the benefit of 60 years of context.  Nostalgia...

[RacerX]

[fallen]

My strat is also a 91 or 92.

With light strings the nut is ok. There are really easy to find roller nut retro-fit kits for these fenders that include a small plastic piece that fills in the extra space.

I have guitars with all kinds of bridges and wraparound is surprisingly the style I've had the least breakage on.

Strat trem bridges can break strings where they exit the block, usually the A or D depending upon intonation.

Gibson bridges can cause breakage but this can almost always be fixed by raising the stop to lessen the angle and remove any contact on the back of the bridge.

I need a tele so I can "test" that bridge too.

[jibberish]

I break strings on any guitar/ I don't play favorites.
but here is where I am at:

feel-wise, I grew up on a LP copy. there really is a lot of stupid stuff involving LP's, BUT, somehow that clusterfuck works great(beholder segment of my post)

tele is a wicked fast little beast. I can't say enough good about it except: classic fender, doesn't stay tuned for shit, and the bridge wastes my hand
both the schecter whammy and the hagstrom hardtail have most excellent hardware, fit and finish beyond Gibson and fender.

the whammy guitar is hard to play on a lot of songs, the strings are like "soft" and I pull the high e off the side of the fretboard all the time. also big attacks on chords are lame. regarding shredding and distorted wailing the whammy guitar is a riot.  but all-in-all, I have learned how to flex necks after watching king crimson videos where Adrian belew tries to snap his off and the mother trucker dude just owns his tele ever whicha way but loose.

so I could live without a whammy guitar, well, I am developing a style where it sounds like some Japanese instrument that pulls sharp when th string is plucked heh, and that needs a whammy. also, once set up, whammies are a dream to tune with the micro adjustments by the bridge. and they sit in tune solidly.

string thru , is amazing. I wonder why Gibson didn't try out a string thru LP.  I really like that tele and basic string thru hardtail schecters. they sound great and sustain great

lp sounds like shit thru fender 2 tube greta amp, hagstrom and the fender, even with its humbuckers, sounds great. active emg's in whammy are just loud, but actually kind of crappy sounding. I haven't run the emg's thru the tweaker yet. almost seems pointless. the pickup is already electrified, may as well send it thru the pedals/effects and the ss pa system.

edit: oh ya, regarding strats. I have played around with them many times. I just do not like them. and they don't stay in tune for shit either. my hand doesn't like Ibanez neck shape either,like too wide and flat or something

in the future I want to explore esp/prs/carvin and a couple other guitar brands, but no hurry, no real pressing need...

[mutantcolors]

Don't overlook B.C. Rich.

[dogfood]

Pristak had a B.C. Rich that had the most perfect neck/action I've ever felt, hands down perfect.  And, it had a tremolo.  And, it was a Korean built.  Go figure.

[mutantcolors]

The Korean neck throughs are ridiculous, and can easily be had for under $500. Pop in your magnets of choice and you are fucking rocking.

So my friend scored this. Neither of us could figure out why it was on the rack for $550. Def. not a fake. I'm guessing it's maybe from the 80s, it's got some real playing time wear to it, especially the back of the neck.

[fallen]

And, it was a Korean built.  Go figure.

Korean built is a bonus in my opinion. The quality is up there with Japan and USA and is better than USA in quite a few cases.

It's just a shame that companies that make guitars in both places make sure to spec their Korean guitars with lower quality wood, 3 piece bodies, and sometimes shit pickups and hardware.

GFS pickups are only $35 and they sound great. Gibson must be paying $2 a piece for the horrible pickups they put in Epiphone guitars.

[Metal and Beer]

That SG looks like a Faded series, so 550 is about market value if that's the case

I had a Telecaster that stayed in tune for YEARS

The Korean Epiphones (among others) are very good IMO. More recent Chinese ones, not so much. YMMV

[Jake]

Yeah, I've seen faded SGs for sale as low as $400 on CL. But at least that one looks like someone already did them the favor of replacing the pickups.

[jibberish]

hey M&B, was your tele special. like hi end or special tuners?  I have to tune mine every time I play and anything off the GC wall is always out of tune. back at work, our little xmas party band, the strat dude had the same problem. ask Damien how his strat stayed in tune the whole maybe month he had it.

I know generalizing is weak and almost always wrong, I should have said "from what I have seen"


ok, I will check out bc rich too. in fact I do want to check out a whammy mockingbird. someone suggested that when I said I wish I had a good whammy LP sort of guitar. completely forgot about that. or maybe just go for neil young's rig heh. 

[mutantcolors]

I'm pretty dang old certain it isn't a faded. Not out of the realm of possibility but up close, the thing really has some age to it. Oh hey...guess I could check the serial.

[Jake]

Yeah, that could be a SG Special. Just about the same thing as a faded, but with a hit of laquer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_SG_Special#Recent_models

[mutantcolors]

Up and running.

[VOLVO)))]

Do you still have that ridiculous bell brass snare?

[Jake]

An out of the blue NGD here. I can't say what I paid for this weird Vox SG type thingee (in case I want to sell it here someday), but it wasn't much. Especially for what a serious rock machine this thing is.

[VOLVO)))]

So, i got this here p90 "tele custom."


I have to order parts now :-(

Luckily, the neck is damn near unfinished, so that isn't an issue. It's got p90s, dont know the route, anyone got a source for replacement pickguards for these four control teles? Black on creme looks good, but I think I want something different.

Also, maybe some replacement p90s?

[mutantcolors]

It's cast steel and it's in those pics.

I need a modern piece of hardware to get the 14 mounted. Probably move the 16 to the left.

[Pissy]

So, i got this here p90 "tele custom."


I have to order parts now :-(

Luckily, the neck is damn near unfinished, so that isn't an issue. It's got p90s, dont know the route, anyone got a source for replacement pickguards for these four control teles? Black on creme looks good, but I think I want something different.

Also, maybe some replacement p90s?

Fender sells them.  But what would look really good would be a brown one on cream.  Likely would need to make one though.  And as long as you were doing that, I might be inclined to do the tooled leather one.  And then for something I can't imagine I hadn't seen before, but I'm unsure if the size would work for one of them customs:



If the funds are there, I'd recommend the Lollar P-90's.  Pretty damn kick ass.

[VOLVO)))]

Fuck it, I'm going to order some copper, cut the fucker out myself using the other as a template, then acid etch something into it.

or I'll just copper the existing pickguard, and etch it...


or something. fuck all, I hate getting things that I want to modify a lot. 

[Pissy]

I'm actually a fan of embracing that desire rather than squelching it.  Be honest though... brown on cream,  yes? 





Brown on cream....


yes.