Let's see your guitars

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • phylodog

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,754
    113
    Arcadia
    I have a pedal board and no clue how to use it lol. I rushed out and bought some pedals based on a Youtube video to get an Adam Jones tone but the video didn't describe how to dial the tone in with those specific pedals, at least not down to a level my ignorant butt could understand. Doesn't help that I am still in the honeymoon phase with my Boss Waza Air headphone amp I'e had for 2.5 years. I can screw around with the effects and play along with my iTunes music as loud as I want to (almost :D) without bothering anyone in the house. It's pretty rare that no one else is here and even then, the cats and the dog don't know whether to :poop: or go :cool: if I turn the tube amp up past 3 lol.
    IxMPlaoh.jpg
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Leo

    phylodog

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,754
    113
    Arcadia
    Long story short, my latest acquisition was in desperate need of attention when I received it (this was no surprise) so I took it to someone I trusted based on past experience to have it refretted and I most certainly won't be taking anything back to him again. To say it was a half assed job, on my $5000+ guitar, would be giving far too much credit.

    So I called down to Guitar Works in Greenwood. Their luthier Deric Rush comes extremely highly recommended by someone who would know so I made the drive down there about a month ago and dropped it off. The frets were a disaster and the guitar had never had a ground wire installed. I tried to pull the bushing to drill a hole for one but it looked like I was causing the finish to crack so I stopped.

    Anyone who knows Deric will undoubtedly agree that he is a very intense and passionate person when it comes to his work. After an evaluation and discussion on what the guitar needed I left my new (to me) 79 Les Paul Custom Silverburst in his capable hands and tried to forget about it. Deric called me last Friday to update me and declare victory over the battle I'd given him. He said everything was as close to perfect as it gets but he wanted to let it settle over the weekend then verify that everything was stable before having me come pick it up (my kind of guy).

    Deric called again yesterday and said it was ready to go. I finished up early at work today and made the drive down to get it. Unfortunately I didn't get to see Deric but the guitar is absolutely, unbelievably amazing. The frets are perfect, the action is perfect, the electronics are perfect and this thing absolutely screams. I am one happy camper and cannot recommend Deric enough. If you have a guitar that you care about and it is in need of some TLC you will not be disappointed in his knowledge or commitment to perfection.
    mtSxOtJh.jpg
     

    ancjr

    1 Kings 18:17-18 KJV
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Aug 20, 2021
    14,066
    113
    Washington County
    Rewired and restrung my Harley Benton P bass... again.

    Switched from the little Chinese pots to the big custom taper CTS pots. Kept 250K value for the tone knob and went with a 500K on the Volume knob as per suggestion from Di Marzio for their Relentless Middle pickups. It definitely "extended" the upper register without getting overly bright.

    Went from Fender 9050M which I love on Jazz bass, but they aren't ideal for P.

    New strings are La Bella 760FL which feel downright flimsy after getting used to the 9050M's.

    Had to loosen the truss rod because there wasn't enough string tension to keep them from buzzing.

    Will know more after everything has time to settle in, including a fine tune of the truss rod and setting the intonation.

    I'm already thinking I should have gone with the larger gauge 760M, but bass strings are big money and these are expensive bass strings...
     

    Leo

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Mar 3, 2011
    9,734
    113
    Lafayette, IN
    Never tried the Light LaBellas. I am mostly a guitar player so I do like a lighter string. I run Fender Flatwounds, 45,65,80,100. (9050L) I know they are old school, but the Stainless lasts pretty much forever. Since you had to adjust your truss rod to compensate, those LaBellas must really be soft to play. You might end up really liking the Light strings after you get used to them. Most mods take a little bit to get perfect, sounds like you have it under control.
     

    ancjr

    1 Kings 18:17-18 KJV
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Aug 20, 2021
    14,066
    113
    Washington County
    Never tried the Light LaBellas. I am mostly a guitar player so I do like a lighter string. I run Fender Flatwounds, 45,65,80,100. (9050L) I know they are old school, but the Stainless lasts pretty much forever. Since you had to adjust your truss rod to compensate, those LaBellas must really be soft to play. You might end up really liking the Light strings after you get used to them. Most mods take a little bit to get perfect, sounds like you have it under control.

    I've tried GHS light and medium boomers, GHS Pressurewound light & medium, Daddario XL220, Dunlop Super bright medium, Fender 9050L & 9050M, EB Cobalt flats, Daddario Chromes...

    Definitely prefer a larger gauge string with low action. It's actually easier for me to play vs light gauge. I can get a better bite when both plucking and muting while also retaining intonation with fretting hand since the strings won't easily bend out of pitch. Now, when I play other basses or especially guitars, they feel delicate to me.

    It's a real sleeper with all the mods I've done.

    IMG_20220702_161005.jpg

    IMG_20220702_161014.jpg
     

    phylodog

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,754
    113
    Arcadia
    Installed what I think are the final details on my 79 Adam Jones clone/tribute/whatever build. Red Monkey strap, red strap washers, thumb bleeders, flipped the neck pickup and installed a set of 80's era Schaller tuners. I think this is as close as it's gonna get as far as a clone goes. It still has all of the original electronics other than the bridge pickup and it sounds too good to mess with.
    kgIw5UWh.jpg
     

    ancjr

    1 Kings 18:17-18 KJV
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Aug 20, 2021
    14,066
    113
    Washington County
    Got the strings settled in and intonated yesterday. This morning the new setup got its public debut at church. Definitely like the LaBella 760FL over the Fender 9050M on this bass. The 760FM would still be my choice next string change, but these sounded and played beautifully. Will be removing the frayed silks from the 9050M and installing the silkless strings on my Sire V5 where they are a better match. I think the mint green silks are a match for the roasted neck on the V5, but I can't stand them when they get frayed.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Leo

    Leo

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Mar 3, 2011
    9,734
    113
    Lafayette, IN
    Nice Stratocaster. You don't see many super Strats around with the Floyd Rose and locking nut. You also don't see many with a flame top. Even when I had some Ibanez metal oriented guitars, I never really used the bridge capability. Except for a couple of Gretsch guitars, I think I have blocked or decked all my other trem equipped guitars.

    if you like doing deep bends, a Floyd is hard to beat.
     

    Denny347

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    21   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    13,417
    149
    Napganistan
    Nice Stratocaster. You don't see many super Strats around with the Floyd Rose and locking nut. You also don't see many with a flame top. Even when I had some Ibanez metal oriented guitars, I never really used the bridge capability. Except for a couple of Gretsch guitars, I think I have blocked or decked all my other trem equipped guitars.

    if you like doing deep bends, a Floyd is hard to beat.
    Yeah, I wanted a second guitar and I found it on Facebook Marketplace from a local musician thinning out his collection. It's a Mexican Fender made in 2017. Being a HSS configuration WITH a Floyd Rose makes it extremely versatile. It plays fantastic. Toying with the idea of replacing the white pic guard with a Fender Tortoise Shell. It is a lot of guitar for $400 used. The Mexicans are almost identical to the US made.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Leo

    Snapdragon

    know-it-all tart
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    36   0   0
    Nov 5, 2013
    38,772
    77
    NW Indiana
    I haz a sad. Sold my beloved blue Yamaha APX700 today. My right shoulder is getting worse and worse, and it's just too big for me to play. I still have my Traveler and a couple low-end 3/4 size acoustics for when the shoulder is not bothering me as much (which is basically never).

    1661358246307.png

    1661358268496.png
     

    Snapdragon

    know-it-all tart
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    36   0   0
    Nov 5, 2013
    38,772
    77
    NW Indiana
    I can relate. I had my left shoulder replaced and it requires me to make adjustments to compensate for how my arm no longer wants to cooperate.
    I'm putting off replacement on my right. With me taking care of 89-yr-old Mom by myself, I just can't do it. Getting by on cortisone shots, but the weeks in between the shots are getting harder and harder to deal with.
     

    Denny347

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    21   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    13,417
    149
    Napganistan
    I purdied up my Strat with a tortoise shell pick guard. My Washburn is at Guitar Works in Greenwood getting professionally set up. It never had been in the 35 years I've owned it.

    XJt7ubm.jpg
     

    phylodog

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,754
    113
    Arcadia
    I purdied up my Strat with a tortoise shell pick guard. My Washburn is at Guitar Works in Greenwood getting professionally set up. It never had been in the 35 years I've owned it.

    XJt7ubm.jpg
    If Derek lays hands on it you won't recognize it when you get it back.
     

    Denny347

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    21   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    13,417
    149
    Napganistan
    If Derek lays hands on it you won't recognize it when you get it back.
    I'm soooooo excited to play it after he's done. The guitar deserves it. I'll likely drop off the Strat for him to go over it as well. I've got frets that need attention. I'm not a great guitar player as I'm still knocking the rust off and going back to learn more theory. However, it's so rewarding and something I can do into old age.
     

    ancjr

    1 Kings 18:17-18 KJV
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Aug 20, 2021
    14,066
    113
    Washington County
    I found a local guy that does great setup work at a bargain price. I've sent him all my basses, and they all come back better playing. Only thing my Sire needed was a little truss rod adjustment, and that was more preference than being out of spec. He commented that there were likely many people that gave up playing because they thought they had no talent or ability, just because of how poorly that inexpensive guitars and basses were set up.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Leo

    Leo

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Mar 3, 2011
    9,734
    113
    Lafayette, IN
    The wood on guitars does the biggest amount of shifting in the first year of use. They generally come from the factory playable, but not optimized. A good set up new and sometimes in a year and they are pretty stable. In excessive humidity swings, or changing to radically different string gauges you might need to revisit the truss rod or neck shim adjustment.

    Even the $175 Squier beginner guitars can be really good playing guitars when they are properly set up. It is worth the cost if you are not equipped to make the adjustments yourself.
     
    Top Bottom