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locking tuners are an option as they make string changes a breeze.
something like these for your strat https://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_schaller_locking_tuner_ch.htm
ah apologies.
actually the vintage tuners you have are great. there is a knack for doing them though but once learned it becomes second nature.
this guide might help.
Vintage tuners are great. Almost self-locking already. And especially if you're not using the trem, then they work brilliantly.
my guitar is on its way (should turn up sometime tomorrow 😀
apologies for all the updates about it it's just been a shit year so far (nightmare neighbours with criminal records who are still next door even though their tenancy has run out).
have never owned or tried a prs so doubly excited for sure (especially with 8 different tonal options).
Hope it arrives tomorrow for you! New guitar days are the best 🙂
My challenge for this week is to lean to play this smoothly (and more than once by sliding back up to the starting point). Will see how I get one! (unlikely to get much time to play much until Sunday though)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/o83ZlTHt9Hk
thanks @simondbarnes 🙂
good luck with learning your rhcp piece (John Frusciante definitely isn't the easiest of players to play their music that is for sure). you'll get there for sure though with the clips i have heard of yours 🙂
Thinking of getting another acoustic, but this time with a cut away at the neck. This looks nice on line but its not recognised as a dreadnought, any idea why? What would the difference between this and a cut away dreadnought be?
https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/martin-gpc-x2e-sitka-top-mahogany-hpl
Edit - Ignore me, ive just googled it.
New question - Recommend me a dreadnought cut away???
ah apologies i have not a clue about acoustic guitars (i bought a cheap fender dreadnaught from argos back in 2004 i think it was) that's as much as i have played one tbh.
fantastic news my prs has turned up 9it was delivered at 9:15 this morning which is fantastic in itself.
am bloody loving the guitar i have to say (only been playing it unplugged after giving it a quick clean).
everything feels nice on it/no damage that i can see etc and after a quick tune up cannot detect any fret buzz/choked notes etc people were def right about prs quality control that's for sure (and peach guitars checking it over before dispatch).
the guitar is def heavier than my harley benton fusion iii hss (as the body is mahogany) but not super heavy either. but most of all it just feels really nice to play and it resonates also when playing through neck/body.
will try and take some pics at some point but might not be for a while as i just want to play it lol.
(i just need fit the locking tuners to it as some point also).
i am now a junior member of the dentist club now ;-P
@blackflag.
If you're planning on spending that amount on an acoustic go and play lots of them.
There's so many things to consider; does it play how i want it to play?. Does it sound the way I want it to sound? Is it comfortable for me,? Don't rule out second hand either.
Good luck.
For the record I AM a dentist and I’ve never owned a PRS!🤣
Sure they’re great guitars but always seemed a bit AOR for my tastes....
( that said, I’ve always loved offsets for their connection to bands like sonic youth and dinosaur jr but seems like they’re mainstream now and strats are becoming the “edgy alternative” choice for some of the kids so guess I should accept I’m just old and mainstream now!)
Anyway, sold the vox I posted and this was delivered today.... Orange rocker 15. What a versatile & loud little amp!
Thst looks a sweet setup.
EDIT: just read that back and it seems a little wine infused and churlish Race face.
Bet your new guitar is actually lovely and hope you love the way it plays / sounds. There are some very good cheap guitar around but you can’t beat the joy of owning / playing a high quality instrument!
@ceepers no need to apologise at all 🙂 i have felt the same about prs guitars too in the past lol. but man i absolutely love it since playing it.
as i said on the fretboard forum about my prs now i just need to get some golf clubs and an audi (cannot afford either tbh).
No Audi or golf clubs here either.....
To be fair I’m atypical among my colleagues. Stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason for sure!
People, I feel this is safe space to share this information. After almost 3 decades
of full commitment to bass guitars I’ve had a couple of weeks of actually getting excited about playing these tiny six string instruments!
I’m not sure what to blame, maybe years of playing bass rather like a guitar (yes chords!) has won me over to the upsides of skinny low tension strings (and two bonus ones? Maybe those chordal leanings mean I’m no longer annoyed by that major third interruption to the perfect fourths?
Maybe our faux Les Paul feels more right because of the angled body making the string to body spacing much more like a bass and the pickups feeling like big thumbrests? Maybe it’s me saying “I can play this with my fingers and don’t need to stress about learning to use a pick!”? Maybe noodling on a soprano uke has got me used to much smaller instruments?
Maybe it’s that having written a LOT of songs in the last few years I’m appreciating more of what a guitar can do - and thinking it would be useful if I could do that on these forthcoming sessions?
I don’t know! What I do know is I appear to have talked myself into a need at work for a hollow body guitar, in addition to a Strat and an LP, to cover more of the bases when demoing our guitar cabs. Spent a while yesterday touring the guitar shops of Brighton and appear to be rather sold on getting a fully hollow but electric Gretsch. Help!
Welcome aboard.
I'm selling my bass as having 4 strings is way more difficult than 6, or so i found .
Finally got some guitar time in today.
Since we closed the papers I've been looking for extra work to to top up the bits of freelance I still have.
As a result I'm working at a huge local garden centre 4 days a week. Midweek is OK but the weekends are brutal with 28,000 steps a day and a lot of heavy bags of graceless, soil and fertiliser to shift and load for clients plus trolley moving, stock replenishing and order creating.
But god above I enjoy it. Meeting people and being useful takes me back to the good old days of Covid testing...
As I approach 70 this wipes me out frequently but on the other hand pays for new toys, and prevents the threat of daytime TV.
A couple of hours on the baritone this morning after the F1 finished.
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Picked up this MIM Fender Strat last weekend. Made in 2005, and has been sat under someones bed for the last 17 years. It still had the plastic film on the pickguard and trem cover!
I've rewired the pots to be right handed - Fender wire them left-handed, and they are like an on/off switch. Also changed the strings (still had the originals!) and setup action and pickup height.
Plays really nicely, although the vintage frets have taken some getting used to. The scale length also feels a bit alien, having spent 2 years playing a Gibson.
Blimey, thats pretty. Did you buy it to coordinate with the wall?
Thanks 🙂 Blue Agave according to the serial number. I've not seen many lefties in this colour, I'm thinking it could look good with a white pearloid pickguard...
Spent a while yesterday touring the guitar shops of Brighton and appear to be rather sold on getting a fully hollow but electric Gretsch. Help!
Just be careful with the Streamliner/Electromatic Gretsch models.
Quite a few had bridge/neck/pickup alignment issues. Pretty much ever single one in stock at PMT when I got mine (which went back).
The bridges were pinned, which made fixing the issue pretty involved.
Nice Strat 🙂
No guitar lesson for me today as my teacher is on holiday so I thought I'd try and work out how to combine 2 guitar parts on a video. Thought I may as well learn a new tune at the same time. Behold my one man band!
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pZIuDBCT6LU
“Just be careful with the Streamliner/Electromatic Gretsch models.”
All looked to be lining up well on this one (although this photo looks the opposite because the bridge pickup is a lot higher than the neck - needs winding down because it’s louder). Anyway, hopefully that’s my guitar buying flurry done for a while!
Anyway, hopefully that’s my guitar buying flurry done for a while!
Until next week 🤣
Why do I find this kind of picking so difficult? Keep hitting the wrong strings. Even this short snippet took many tries!
https://youtube.com/shorts/IMcJrj0j21I?feature=share
Simon - I found that a tricky thing to get right. Just when you think you have it another bum note appears. Took me a while to finally nail it. The only reason i finally got it, rather than my usual trick of throwing in the towel after 30 mins was someone at work said to me "people always over estimate what they can achieve in a day and under estimate what they can achieve in a year" That really stuck with me.
The only reason i finally got it, rather than my usual trick of throwing in the towel after 30 mins was someone at work said to me “people always over estimate what they can achieve in a day and under estimate what they can achieve in a year” That really stuck with me.
They sound like wise words. I do get frustrated too quickly but a lot of that is because my finger joints are pretty buggered so practice time is often limited by how long they hold out so I want things to click straight away!
Working to a metronome and slowing it right down, and then gradually speeding up, can do wonders with difficult parts!
“ Until next week 🤣”
I’m fine, we don’t need a company tele or double P90 or pointy EMG thing, do we? 🙈
I am getting better at starting slowly then working my way up to speed, worked really well when I was learning to play plug in baby. Sometimes I still try to learn stuff at full speed though 🤣
I think that you *definitely* need a company Tele!
Two bars without ****ing up now! I can't play it at all without staring at my picking hand 🤣
https://youtube.com/shorts/rVj228jI5k4?feature=share
All looked to be lining up well on this one (although this photo looks the opposite because the bridge pickup is a lot higher than the neck – needs winding down because it’s louder).
Git.
That's just gorgeous.
I’m fine, we don’t need a company tele or double P90 or pointy EMG thing, do we? 🙈
Yes, yes you do.
A Tele is a thing of beauty and amazingly versatile.
In fact, the only thing MORE versatile is an Ibanez RG550.
With the addition of those you've all bases covered in terms of neck shape, tone and feel. Something for everyone!
Anyway, sold the vox I posted and this was delivered today…. Orange rocker 15. What a versatile & loud little amp!
Yay, I love mine!
The clean channel is just amazing, try it with an OCD type pedal....gorgeous.
@rustyspanner yeah it’s the clean channel that’s blown me away so far. It’s got an almost vox like chime to my ears. I set it up with my vox ac10 running a stereo tape echo delay last weekend and the combo sounded gorgeous. It’s funny, I’ve always loved the oranges aesthetically but felt they were too “rock” for me but apparently this is perfect!
The dirty channel obviously does that tight bottom end rock sound really well, gives a nice meaty tone even with a single coil guitar. Took it to practice last week and it sounded great all round.
Not tried an ocd drive yet but you’ve maybe given me an excuse to try one now!
Innit?
I chose it after going to PMT in Salford on a slow weekday, turning it up and standing at the other end of the shop whilst a mate played through it and several competitors. No contest.
The dirty channel is lovely, but the clean is so complex it just blew me away.
'Chime' is a nice way to describe it.
What really made me love it is the fact it sounds just as good on the 'Bedroom' setting as it does on full power.
I bought an OCD on a whim and found it really suits the amp. I also use a bog standard Boss SD-1 (which sounds exactly like a Tubescreamer if you turn the tone down) and a Big Muff.
All gain pedals set to edge of breakup at 3/4 volume on the guitar.
You then have the option to use the dirty channel as well.
Almost an infinite variety of clean and filth just using pedal combos and the volume control.
For such a simple amp it has so many tones. And you really, really have to try hard to find a bad one.
I keep meaning to buy a Barefaced Cab to compliment the amp, but I find the volume on nearly full power more than sufficient for the situations I encounter.
I hope you have as much fun with yours as I've had with mine!
I am totally loving it so far. The clean channel really sounds great with pedals. I’ve got a tube screamer, a big muff and a rat clone on my board for my covers band and it sounds ace with all of them so far.
The consistency of the tone across the different power settings is a big plus for me too. The little vox I posted sounded great on full power but definitely lost some of its sparkle at the lower wattage settings whereas the Orange keeps a consistent tone from 1/2w up to 15w!
It’s plenty loud enough for the pub gigs we play too.
Can you tell I’m stoked with it?!!!!
“That’s just gorgeous.”
It’s soooo nice! I’m going to have to take the old Squier Strat home so I can get some time on six strings under my fingers because I want to get good at this guitaring!
“Yes, yes you do.
A Tele is a thing of beauty and amazingly versatile.
In fact, the only thing MORE versatile is an Ibanez RG550.
With the addition of those you’ve all bases covered in terms of neck shape, tone and feel. Something for everyone!”
So I’ve been looking into the myriad guitar options and yes, Tele is top of the list, then a Super Strat and then maybe a P90 SG.
However, a project borne of curiosity and YouTube potential is now coming back to me. A kit guitar with rear swappable pickup units so we can compare different pickups and positions in one platform. If we get two necks & bodies we can AB easily. If we get three then one body could have a trem and the other two fixed bridges. If we get some more necks we could compare different scale lengths. And obviously going forward we could compare different body and neck materials too.
Quite a bit of work but I’m sure I’m not the only person who wants to know how changing variables changes tone!
Hey, 👋 I’ve not posted on this thread or undead used STW for a long while but forced absence from bike use means I’m looking to invest some time in my guitar playing. I currently have a 20 year old Tanglewood acoustic, which despite the fact that it’s never going to be amazing plays fairly well. I used to have an Epiphone LP and Marshall a few years ago but stoped playing after blowing the transistors up. I have had a longtime longing for a Gibson Firebird in Tobacco Sunburst and Marshall setup. I like the look of the 20w Studio head and 2x12 cab, especially as you can reduce the power down for neighbourly practice. I’m actually fairly well blessed as far as this is concerned as I have a studio/home office at the end of the garden and a noisy pub next door so any loud music people assume is coming from them! Anyway, I saw the Anderson’s review of the 2019 Gibson Firebird and would snap one up in an instant but they’re not to be had for love or money. Apparently Gibson aren’t the best for logistics. This means I can put a deposit down with lead times quoted for between May this year, February 2024 or never! I am somewhat aware that Epiphone now have the ‘Inspired by Gibson’ range, and that they have a Firebird in Tobacco sunburst, but (1st world problem) it’s not a GIBSON! and for a once in a lifetime purchase I’m not sure if I should either wait for one to appear in the supply chain, risk second hand or go for the Epiphone. Does anyone have any experience of the ‘Inspired by…’ range and should I just stop being a drama queen and buy the Epiphone?
More importantly have you actually played a Firebird? They are long. Very long, and can be a bit neckdivey.
Great guitars and I too lust afer one, but like Explorers and Flying Vs it is really important to spend some time with one. Especially if you ever intend to play sitting down.
I'm still up for a V though, and I'd have no trouble with any of the inspired by range and the new Korina ones look and feel stunnjng.
I'm lucky that Andertons is my local shop.
And on that subject is anyone else off to see Steve Vai at their evening with him?
I’ve not actually played one, but read that the neck dive was typically due to the banjo tuners whereas the current crop come with normal tuners. We do have a HB Explorer in the house though so maybe I will compare the specs from one to the other. Having said all of that there really is no ‘why’ or practical reason to want a Firebird, it just looks awesome to my mind and an actual Gibson has been an ambition for a while. It’s just perverse that when I have the means to buy one, and they have the Tobacco in the range that they can’t be bought!
Having said all of that there really is no ‘why’ or practical reason to want a Firebird, it just looks awesome to my mind
Agreed. I actually slightly prefer the non reverse body shape, but I wouldn't kick either out of bed for farting.
Did you read the description? “There is light neck break” 😳
Sorry. Didn't see that anywhere on there.
I didn't see that anywhere either. It looks like a fair price for the studio model which is significantly different to the proper one. The proper one has a raised centre section, the specific pickups and the right neck. I've played one of the originals, a really playable guitar for such an odd shape, the neck was the nicest to my hands of any Gibson electric I've played (I'm not a Gibson fan apart from their acoustics.)
Aaah, I’ve just realised there are two studio ones on there, one in Gainsborough and the other in Germany it’s the latter with the neck issues, which seems superficial but given it’s a through design you wouldn’t want to take any chances. Plus as Edukator points out the studio differs in spec, mainly with full size humbuckers rather than the mini ones, and while the one in the UK looks in great condition it doesn’t have the raised middle section, white pick guard or hard case as the 2019 model. Picky I know but ‘I likes wot I likes’ and it’s this one