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Viewing 40 posts - 2,361 through 2,400 (of 3,677 total)
  • Guitarists of Singletrack…
  • Edukator
    Free Member

    That’s high slung like George harrison in Hambourg in 61 or Tom Morello. I prefer a bit lower so I can get my thumb over the top of the neck easier.

    andrewreay
    Full Member

    Bit of a help request from a non-guitarist…

    Hey all, the size of this thread is a bit intimidating! And can’t find what I want, so here goes…

    My daughter has been learning electric for the past 2.5 years. She just got her first ‘proper’ guitar, second hand from a decent music shop last week.

    It was cheap because the lacquer / shell / case has some cracks. But (apparently) the guitar plays fine and there are no other issues with it.

    It’s a Mexican Fender Strat in a light blue / turquoise that my daughter loves.

    Is it possible to re-cover the body in a lacquer of the same colour. Or repair the cracks? The worst crack runs from the join with the neck to the other side of the body, about 2″ long.

    Any help / recommendations appreciated.

    TIA

    robvalentine
    Full Member

    Any pictures? Refinishing a guitar professionally will cost a lot of Money (first google hit says £450 for Poly guitar finish (it’s a bastard to strip), to the point that it’s probably cheaper to buy a new body.

    There are others on here who are probably more knowledgeable.

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    Superficial
    Free Member

    Cracks in the lacquer around the neck pocket are relatively common, even (inexcusably) on some new guitars. Usually they’re not 2″ long, though. You can take the neck off the guitar by undoing the 3-4 bolts on the back and inspecting the neck pocket. You need to ideally take the strings off but definitely loosen them beforehand. Make sure the wood of the body isn’t damaged. If it is, speak to the shop about getting your money back.

    You can strip the existing finish off, but it is HARD and I wouldn’t really recommend it unless you have a particular reason to want to.

    You can read about my experiences of that here: https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/my-lockdown-project-complete-guitar-content

    Assuming the wood is OK, you can spray over the existing lacquer fairly easily, and a poly coat is fairly easy to achieve with rattle-cans.

    The other option would be to buy a finished guitar body. Then just bolt all the pieces from one guitar to the other which is a quick job on a Strat. You’d have to solder the output jack on again but aside from that it’s just using a screwdriver. The only compatibility thing to worry about (as far as I’m aware) is the bridge which will come in 2 or 6-bolt variants. You want the body to match the bridge you have.

    https://reverb.com/uk/item/50642701-new-strat-stratocaster-style-guitar-body-in-miami-blue

    simondbarnes
    Full Member

    That’s high slung like George harrison in Hambourg in 61 or Tom Morello. I prefer a bit lower so I can get my thumb over the top of the neck easier.

    I will try various positions. I can’t get my thumb over the top of the neck full stop so it won’t make any difference there 🙂

    Superficial
    Free Member

    I can’t get my thumb over the top of the neck full stop

    Bet you can 😛

    I spent years believing that my hands weren’t big enough or flexible enough to do a thumb-over. But I was totally wrong – for me at least it was just a question of getting the hang of it and now it’s how I play all the time.

    Having said that, I’m now trying to force myself to go back to playing with the thumb at the back of the neck for faster licks.

    andrewreay
    Full Member

    Cheers robvalentine and Superficial. Daughter has the guitar at school so can’t do pictures just now.

    Really appreciate the help. I guessed it wasn’t an easy fix, hence we got a ‘deal’ on the guitar. But I’ll take a bit more of a look to check that it’s not damaged beyond the lacquer.

    Thanks again.

    BoardinBob
    Full Member

    Folk will pay £10k for this, so I wouldn’t worry about some cracked lacquer if it’s purely cosmetic, and I absolutely wouldn’t bother getting it refinished

    Superficial
    Free Member

    I just re-read your post @andrewreay and as long as the wood is fine, one option is to do absolutely nothing. The lacquer is just cosmetic* so if it’s not bothering your daughter then you can just leave it alone. You can fill various dings with nail polish too and I suppose that might stop any cracks from propagating (sometimes chunks of the finish can come off in chunks).

    *Some people think the type/thickness of lacquer affects the tone, but this is contentious. If it does, it’s very unlikely to be of the magnitude that you/your daughter will notice.

    tall_martin
    Full Member

    I sanded my bass guitar body down aged 16 and gave up because it was so difficult. I filled the dents with plastic wood, put it back together and played it like that for 20 years.

    I finished stripping it and resprayed it with nitro guitar paint. Total cost -£50 ish. Total time- weeks off and on faffing about and redoing things that went badly.

    I think I wiped several hundred off the resale value buy refinishing it. It’s not a problem as I’m unlikely to sell it after owning it well over half my life.

    My band mates thought it looked better as a partially sanded mess!

    After all that work I put a decent dent it the front about a month after finishing it.

    Given the time again I’d leave it and put the time into learning to play better!

    eddiebaby
    Free Member

    Locking tuners arrived yesterday but couldn’t fit them as I’ve had to do three extra shifts due to staff covid cases.
    However today has seen me topload the Tele for no noticiblwcdifference In sound or feel.
    The saddles are now higher, not certain if I like the feel of that on the heel of my hand or not. I’ll give it a month or so before I make any decisions on whether to change back.
    Took the opportunity to swap the Strat pickups back to the passive originals and I restrung the JTV59 and recharged the batteries.
    All ready for jam night on Thursday.

    Superficial
    Free Member

    What’s everyone’s playing / practise routine?

    I always want to improve my playing. For no real reason other than I like learning and seeing an improvement in myself. I’ve been trying to push myself to do some semi-structured practise but keen to hear what other people are doing. I often sit down and learn songs / licks but usually I’ll get distracted and just start noodling away over a four-chord loop. I’m definitely getting better at improv, timing, and moving up and down the fretboard this way, but not sure if it’s the most productive thing overall.

    I watch a lot of guitarists on Youtube (E.g. Paul Davids, Rhet Schull and my new favourite Eric Haugen) and I think all of them have their own lesson courses on Patreon. Does anyone have any experiences of these? Are they worth it? Are there better ways?

    What’s your practice routine?

    IdleJon
    Full Member

    What’s everyone’s playing / practise routine?

    No real routine here. I’ll pick a guitar up every day – probably several times – and maybe noodle around for a while. How much actual practice will depend on whether I’m just waiting for the kettle to boil or watching the whole of the Milan-San Remo with guitar in lap! If I’m fiddling for more than about 20 minutes, I’ll start practising whatever I’m working on at that moment. (Currently, percussive fingerstyle, and flatpicked folk tunes in Open D, and noodly blues riffs in the same key.). I want to learn some proper classical stuff this year, and maybe buy my first ever electric guitar, which will need an alteration in thinking.

    Edukator
    Free Member

    There’s usually a tune or tunes I’m working on and that gets played first. Currently Echo Beach and Between the Wars. Then there are things I want to keep up to scratch because I’m likely to use them (but that hasn’t been a factor in the last two years). Sometimes I turn on the radio or a TV music channel and play to whatever comes up. Or Youtube.

    simondbarnes
    Full Member

    What’s everyone’s playing / practise routine?

    Open Chromebook, click YouTube, ooo there’s a guitar lesson for a song I like, I’ll try and learn it.
    Problem is, I usually spot a lesson for another song I want to learn before I’ve got very far with the previous one. The upshot of this is that I know lots of song intros and not much else!

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    I’ve just started a similar discussion with my guitar teacher. It’s performing a piece of music that’s my target and riffing on the guitar is just one aspect of it.
    I know that when I go for a bike ride, or a windsurfing session, there’s a completeness to it, not just a bit of aimless noodling, and therefore a sense of satisfaction. And crap technique (as long as it isn’t so crap as to stop the session) doesn’t mean that the ride wasn’t satisfying. And carpentry: I’d rather finish a piece that’s maybe got a couple of rough bits on the inside than just do lots of perfect dovetail joints that never get incorporated into anything finished.
    So, whether we focus on recording some multi layered pieces, maybe my own stuff, or simply look at the balance between my voice (“er, you really need to be doing that in a different key John” or “why do you need to be so loud, you’ve left yourself nowhere to go”) and the guitar bit; well I think I’ll be getting something more out of it. And the fear of somebody saying “well give us a tune then” or “what are you doing there? It’s been 2 years and I’ve never heard you play more than a few notes” might be less

    I might point out that I tested positive yesterday and spent the whole day bingeing on Let It Be and McCartney 321 so that may have given me delusional ambition.

    eddiebaby
    Free Member

    Well the day has finally come. After loving Strats for decades I now find myself picking up the Tele first and I think if I had to get rid of one it would be the Strat.
    Simple yet versatile and doesn’t flatter your failings.
    It’s basically the singlespeed of guitar.

    simondbarnes
    Full Member

    Well the day has finally come. After loving Strats for decades I now find myself picking up the Tele first and I think if I had to get rid of one it would be the Strat.
    Simple yet versatile and doesn’t flatter your failings.
    It’s basically the singlespeed of guitar.

    My new (old) Tele is lovely but if I had to choose just one of my guitars to keep it would be the Jap Strat I got from @chipps last year. It really is lovely to play. I’m going to have to get some lessons one day as quite frankly it is wasted on me!

    https://youtube.com/shorts/IhEQOQ6eUZE?feature=share

    chipps
    Full Member

    It’s basically the singlespeed of guitar.

    Surely that would be a single pickup Esquire/Les Paul Jr? If you’ve got two pickups, it’s surely the Brompton of the guitar world, or the fixie with a flip flop hub… 😉

    I’ve recently moved my homemade, single Filtertron, Cabronita to the front of the rack. It’s a fun guitar (I went with a MASSIVE untapering neck) and for once, I actually use the volume and tone controls to get different sounds out of it. I used to have a Japanese, Edwards Les Paul Jr copy and loved it, but found I only ever played Clash songs on it… I’ve never fancied an Esquire for some reason (too much ‘honesty’ with the single coil, perhaps…), but a single P90 guitar really appeals…

    eddiebaby
    Free Member

    @Chipps Good point. 😁

    chipps
    Full Member

    I’ve always lusted after an early 60s, white SG Junior – but purely (and randomly) due to Jake E Lee playing one in Ozzy’s ‘Shot in the Dark’ video… Now there’s a throwback.

    https://youtu.be/crltUo_ZFbU

    Superficial
    Free Member

    It’s basically the singlespeed of guitar.

    Surely that would be a single pickup Esquire/Les Paul Jr?

    Yeah, the singlespeed of the guitar world would have to be something that’s highly specific and nerfed for 99% of people. Esquire makes sense IMHO.

    A Strat is a good trail bike. Just kinda good for everything and on the right terrain it’s perfect.

    A Tele is a steel hardtail. A bit niche, a bit more traditional and simpler, but cool and a riot in use. Can be forced to do a bit of everything but it will struggle in some situations.

    Dunno what a Les Paul would be? A DH bike? Great for what it’s for but I wouldn’t use it for everything.

    Edukator
    Free Member

    Dunno what a Les Paul would be?

    An all-steel Raleigh “racer” with a non-indexed Huret derailleur, the gear lever being the G-string machine head.

    eddiebaby
    Free Member

    Rickenbacker 330 12 string. Lovely, but only ever used at L’Eroica.

    andrewreay
    Full Member

    Thanks @Superficial and apologies for the delayed reply!

    iffoverload
    Free Member

    The neverending search for sofware amp and pedal sims led me to these guys.
    not heard of them before and not seen them mentioned here.

    http://www.kuassa.com

    I have to say I think thier stuff sounds pretty good and I really like the simple interface.

    free demos versions available and a couple of freebies too.

    have fun

    Scapegoat
    Full Member

    Help me choose a Big Muff?

    After a couple of years away from playing my old six string and moving to the dark side by learning the bass I’ve had a bit of a renaissance. I scored an American Performer Strat on the ‘Bay and am having great fun but I’m now feeding my pedal cravings. I’ve got a few Boss pedals (DS3, SD1 and a CS3 plus a digital delay) but I’ve got a hankering for a Big Muff. Now , I wanna play Gilmouresque lead, and so of course I’m looking at a Rams Head reissue. The fly in the ointment is that for the extra cost of a round of drinks I could get a Deluxe Big Muff. Reviews and demos suggest that the Rams Head is the sort of sound I’m after…. Smooth, full, balanced, with scooped mids and articulate attack. But. The Deluxe has a mids control plus a couple of extra options which would make it pretty versatile. Is the Deluxe as versatile as the reviews suggest?

    For the record I’m playing the chain direct into the clean side of a Peavey Bandit Silver Stripe. So far I’ve got it sounding pretty good with Boss style Distortion or Overdrive but that fuzz edge is missing.

    iffoverload
    Free Member

    check out this blog if you have not seen it already.

    Big Muff

    try the EMG’s set nice and low if you are using them i think it helps with the sustain and smooth sound, they are high output so no issues driving stuff

    eddiebaby
    Free Member

    try the EMG’s set nice and low if you are using them i think it helps with the sustain and smooth sound, they are high output so no issues driving stuff

    I did this with my EMGs. More than enough power and they do sound more Stratty that way. In the end I have swapped back to passive pickups, but am loathe to give up the actives completely just yet.

    Scapegoat
    Full Member

    Wow, that blog is a rabbit-hole! I’ve decided I’ll get the Deluxe. A couple of demos show that it does all I want it to, and gives endless other possibilities for playing around. I can justify the twenty quid premium in my own head…..

    I’m still enjoying the pups on the Performer so far, so no intentions of swapping them for EMGs just yet. 😀

    Interestingly learning the bass has really accelerated my fretboard knowledge and playing speed, especially for rhythm playing. I also discovered that learning complex and fast bass lines has improved my tenacity to analyse and learn solos on the guitar. Whereas before I would get halfway through some of the longer stuff, lose patience and give up, I’ve somehow gained the Will to stick at it.

    eddiebaby
    Free Member

    If you want the want the Mooer E-Lady flanger to go alongside it then I have one I’m selling cheap as I like the modulation pedals in the Kemper.

    Scapegoat
    Full Member

    Messaged you @eddiebaby

    eddiebaby
    Free Member

    Replied.

    eddiebaby
    Free Member

    If you want to read old music mags then this site has loads you can browse.
    http://www.muzines.co.uk/

    Superficial
    Free Member

    Does anyone hold any opinions on 7.25″ (Fender) necks? In my continuing search for the ‘One’ (a Jazzmaster of some description), I am going to have a look at a Vintera 60’s model (not the modified one). It looks great except possibly the traditional bridge (easily/cheaply swappable) and the 7.25″ fretboard radius. I’m not a shreddy kind of player, but I think I want a guitar that will do a bit of everything.

    I don’t think I’ve ever played a 7.25″ guitar, let alone owned one, but it’s entirely possible I’ve done both over the years without realising.

    hopkinsgm
    Full Member

    If you want to read old music mags then this site has loads you can browse.
    http://www.muzines.co.uk/

    Wow – a few titles there that take me back a bit..>!

    racefaceec90
    Full Member

    i just ordered my first harley benton guitar one of these (and a gig bag for the grand sum of £348 inc delivery to uk) https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_fusion_iii_hsh_roasted_fbb.htm

    eta 9-12 weeks but i have wanted to get one of these for a long time (i didn’t have any way of buying online until now).

    if it’s anything like as good as people say about them (and harley benton guitars in general) i will be well happy (well i will be anyhoo as new guitar day).

    9-12 weeks plenty of time to start learning some guthrie govan,steve vai stuff (not).

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    That looks rather nice. I bought one of their £200 PRS copies a couple of years back and it’s still spot on. OK, I changed the hummy P90s for noiseless, graphite nut and locking tuners but yours won’t need those mods, it’s up a level!

    Edukator
    Free Member

    That Harley Benton ticks boxes that even up market Fenders don’t have: stainless frets and a graphite nut. I’ve got the most basic Tele they do, the “standard series”, the neck in particular is much better than you’d expect at the price or even five times the price.

    eddiebaby
    Free Member

    Excellent call. Looking forward to seeing pics of it.

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