Guitar Thread

[neonbrown]

I had a Harley Benton ES-335 knockoff for a few weeks. It was *fine*, there were no glaring flaws, but it was to me totally uninspiring. Maybe I just don't like a semi-hollow, or the pickups, or whatever, but it had a cheap feel to me that reminded me of playing my brother's Harmony Strat or other department-store level guitar. Like it was definitely sub-Squier, in my estimation. YMMV obviously, and lots of people seem to absolutely love theirs.

[Unkle Fleak]

I had a Harley Benton ES-335 knockoff for a few weeks. It was *fine*, there were no glaring flaws, but it was to me totally uninspiring. Maybe I just don't like a semi-hollow, or the pickups, or whatever, but it had a cheap feel to me that reminded me of playing my brother's Harmony Strat or other department-store level guitar. Like it was definitely sub-Squier, in my estimation. YMMV obviously, and lots of people seem to absolutely love theirs.

I think the issue with most semi hollow guitars is usually in the pickups. I find they are usually too dark and not hot enough.

Where in the case of my burst copy is the opposite. I got a dimebucker and it’s way way too bright and ice picky. Maple caps with a pickup that wound to be like 16k I’ve found are a bad combo.

I’m gonna switch um around I think. Throw the Gibson neck pickup in the bridge and put the dime in the neck. See what happens then

[MMongrel]

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Scoop up some beauty G&L's on the used market and you got a Fender and more. Regardless of model S or T. Headstock be damned. Even the Indonesian tribute models are quite well made.

[close]

I had a g&L it was the best guitar I ever had. I’m pretty sure mine was like a custom shop cause I got it in like 93 at an antique store in Marblehead the head like bursts and shit. It was the best guitar I ever had and for some reason I did not like the burgundy mist paint job so I gave it to My Friend and we were going to refinish it, but unfortunately, we never got to do it and it was stolen.

I’d do I do just about anything to get that Guitar back? I do even more to have my best friend still

I have a G&L Tele that's been my noise guitar for a while because the volume pot is a bit fucked but I really like it. I even stripped the neck pickup so it now has only a Dimarzio Chopper T in the bridge. A friend even did a cool pickguard for it from a steel shim plate. I need to play it more.

After playing so long I've been having a hard time to be motivated to play if I'm not writing or rehearsing for band stuff for what seems like years. But this week I've been inspired to just play at home, mostly some slow folk americana (you know the kind you hear on 4/5 documentaries nowadays) kind of stuff with some descents into fuzzy psych textures every once in a while. It's been super meditative. No pressure, just expressing how I feel at the time.

[Chickenparmesan]

Anyone got an “intermediate” tune to learn? Need some inspiration. Preferably standard tuning and not heavy metal

[Unkle Fleak]

Anyone got an “intermediate” tune to learn? Need some inspiration. Preferably standard tuning and not heavy metal

Wanna learn one of mine?

[Chickenparmesan]

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Anyone got an “intermediate” tune to learn? Need some inspiration. Preferably standard tuning and not heavy metal

[close]

Wanna learn one of mine?

Sure man send one. Been into some Ween lately, learned John Mayers “good love is on the way” riff tonight (no Mayer solos yet), and the occasional Joe Walsh or Jimmy page riff. If that gives you a little idea of what I’m into or skill level

[Unkle Fleak]

Wanna learn one of mine?
[/quote]
Sure man send one. Been into some Ween lately, learned John Mayers “good love is on the way” riff tonight (no Mayer solos yet), and the occasional Joe Walsh or Jimmy page riff. If that gives you a little idea of what I’m into or skill level
[/quote]

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Anyone got an “intermediate” tune to learn? Need some inspiration. Preferably standard tuning and not heavy metal

[close]

I learned this once to cover with my band. It was super fun. We didn’t end up playing it live. The Trouble is sick.

[close]

[Painted Baby]

I recall there being some love here for G&L. Unfortunately, it looks like they have shut down. There are rumors that Fender may acquire them but as of now they've ceased production RIP

[Willie]

G&L would have done better if they didn’t have that skin tag on the headstock.

[Unkle Fleak]

G&L would have done better if they didn’t have that skin tag on the headstock.

I was lucky mine was pre-skin tag. I should’ve kept that Guitar. I was so stupid. I had no idea what I had.

[Unkle Fleak]

Check out what I just got for 60 bucks.

It’s one hell of a crazy piece of guitar. Original Squier Hello Kitty. It’s got no electronics rn. I’m gonna soup this thing. Has a dope neck profile. I’m gonna spray over the stickers. Except the sin city cycles shit. That’s outta here.
What pickup should I rock? I was thinking a super distortion cuz they sick and the price ain’t bad.

[Mongo Lloyd]

I recall there being some love here for G&L. Unfortunately, it looks like they have shut down. There are rumors that Fender may acquire them but as of now they've ceased production RIP

G&L is excellent, but they have minor design elements that mildly irritate me. As a bassist, there is something about that rounded high mass bridge that I find to be an eyesore.

It’ll be a shame if they’re done.

[Painted Baby]

It’s one hell of a crazy piece of guitar. Original Squier Hello Kitty. It’s got no electronics rn. I’m gonna soup this thing. Has a dope neck profile. I’m gonna spray over the stickers. Except the sin city cycles shit. That’s outta here.
What pickup should I rock? I was thinking a super distortion cuz they sick and the price ain’t bad.

Super Distortion for sure. You have to keep it Dimarzio to keep it double cream to work with the pickguard gimmick and you can't go wrong with that pickup in H only. I know a builder who makes an A5 version of those if you're put off by ceramic. Those string through Squire Strats seem to be sleepers. I've seen a lot of them modded to Tom DeLonge specs. Not really my guy but I fuck with his volume control placement and the stripped down design.

You could do a rattle can nitro refinish so that it would relic pretty easy and show the pink and the stickers over time but I'm not sure how it would lay and cure over the stickers. This guy is a wizard when dealing with guitars in that shape. This is my kind of slow television.
 

I'm gonna make a bunch of DiMarzio style treble bleeds and degreased B type pots for volume swells and see if I can't get a side hustle going.

[Chalupa]

BLACK20 gets you 20% off on most gear at Cream City.
https://www.creamcitymusic.com/

The Les Paul Junior Double Cut is tempting, but I don’t have the space.

[Unkle Fleak]

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It’s one hell of a crazy piece of guitar. Original Squier Hello Kitty. It’s got no electronics rn. I’m gonna soup this thing. Has a dope neck profile. I’m gonna spray over the stickers. Except the sin city cycles shit. That’s outta here.
What pickup should I rock? I was thinking a super distortion cuz they sick and the price ain’t bad.

[close]

Super Distortion for sure. You have to keep it Dimarzio to keep it double cream to work with the pickguard gimmick and you can't go wrong with that pickup in H only. I know a builder who makes an A5 version of those if you're put off by ceramic. Those string through Squire Strats seem to be sleepers. I've seen a lot of them modded to Tom DeLonge specs. Not really my guy but I fuck with his volume control placement and the stripped down design.

You could do a rattle can nitro refinish so that it would relic pretty easy and show the pink and the stickers over time but I'm not sure how it would lay and cure over the stickers. This guy is a wizard when dealing with guitars in that shape. This is my kind of slow television.
 

I'm gonna make a bunch of DiMarzio style treble bleeds and degreased B type pots for volume swells and see if I can't get a side hustle going.

My childhood pickups fell into my lap. These belonged to my best friend and original musical partner. He passed at age 20. We learned guitar together completely on our own and we used to trade instruments back and forth just cuz. These got pulled out a lp custom knock from the 70s. It was Brett’s first guitar. We just jammed for a decade easily. Our Approach was identical to the skate experience. That’s how I know skating is art.  We knew nothing we took no lessons. We did it in the cut away from everyone else because it wasn’t cool. And we just learned from nothing to being in bands by sounding everything out. To us a while to be in tune. Then he passed away. It was fucking brutal. I loved him most of all people. My best friend and musical partner.


Also I just wanted to let pals know that this bridge is working out very good. Stable as fuck. I pull the guitar from the case when I get to the show, it’s still in.
 I finally broke a string. I was really kicking the shit out of the strings I was pissed. The security guard was an unprofessional fucking idiot. I flipped my wig when I saw him stopping dancers. He kicked 3 of the 20 people who was there out

But yeah. This set up is by far the most stable set up I’ve had. I wouldn’t record with it tho. It’s too noisy and it vibrates against your sustained notes around b12. I have to aggressively fight it with vibrato. It’s good practice but not in the studio. I’m using something else there.  Maybe hello kitty.

[Painted Baby]

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It’s one hell of a crazy piece of guitar. Original Squier Hello Kitty. It’s got no electronics rn. I’m gonna soup this thing. Has a dope neck profile. I’m gonna spray over the stickers. Except the sin city cycles shit. That’s outta here.
What pickup should I rock? I was thinking a super distortion cuz they sick and the price ain’t bad.

[close]

Super Distortion for sure. You have to keep it Dimarzio to keep it double cream to work with the pickguard gimmick and you can't go wrong with that pickup in H only. I know a builder who makes an A5 version of those if you're put off by ceramic. Those string through Squire Strats seem to be sleepers. I've seen a lot of them modded to Tom DeLonge specs. Not really my guy but I fuck with his volume control placement and the stripped down design.

You could do a rattle can nitro refinish so that it would relic pretty easy and show the pink and the stickers over time but I'm not sure how it would lay and cure over the stickers. This guy is a wizard when dealing with guitars in that shape. This is my kind of slow television.
 

I'm gonna make a bunch of DiMarzio style treble bleeds and degreased B type pots for volume swells and see if I can't get a side hustle going.

[close]

My childhood pickups fell into my lap. These belonged to my best friend and original musical partner. He passed at age 20. We learned guitar together completely on our own and we used to trade instruments back and forth just cuz. These got pulled out a lp custom knock from the 70s. It was Brett’s first guitar. We just jammed for a decade easily. Our Approach was identical to the skate experience. That’s how I know skating is art.  We knew nothing we took no lessons. We did it in the cut away from everyone else because it wasn’t cool. And we just learned from nothing to being in bands by sounding everything out. To us a while to be in tune. Then he passed away. It was fucking brutal. I loved him most of all people. My best friend and musical partner.


Also I just wanted to let pals know that this bridge is working out very good. Stable as fuck. I pull the guitar from the case when I get to the show, it’s still in.
 I finally broke a string. I was really kicking the shit out of the strings I was pissed. The security guard was an unprofessional fucking idiot. I flipped my wig when I saw him stopping dancers. He kicked 3 of the 20 people who was there out

But yeah. This set up is by far the most stable set up I’ve had. I wouldn’t record with it tho. It’s too noisy and it vibrates against your sustained notes around b12. I have to aggressively fight it with vibrato. It’s good practice but not in the studio. I’m using something else there.  Maybe hello kitty.

The classic aftermarket set. Double hex is probably a Super D and the ones with the adjustable screws are likely a DiMarzio PAF. It's kind of incredible to get something back from the beginning of it all. I had a Super Distortion and a Dimarzio PAF on a Yamaha Superflighter that my bandmate and 2nd guitar teacher gave to me. He carved the name of some girl he went out with at one time into the fretboard. I thought it was a pretty cool guitar even if it's rough state felt like stolen valor.

Good to hear the baby grand bridge is working. I have plans to do an LP Jr from PGK next. I had been looking at wraparounds that you could intonate and wondered how the fixed stagger on that one worked out. You could always stuff a piece of foam under the strings like all those shreddy dudes do? That usually stops the weird ringing that fucks up noise gates and such.

[Unkle Fleak]

My mother offered to split the difference on a custom 24 3/4 conversion neck for statocaster. warmoth

I can’t get the maple board on a mahogany neck tho I think.

What do pals prefer?

Light figured boards or
Dark rosewood?

[rukes]

Light figured fingerboards look better I think.

I feel they play really similar, and tonally I don't know if I can even tell the difference.

Go with what looks sick. I'd go maple.

[Unkle Fleak]

I agree. I’m probably going birdseye



My number one got locking tuners

I wish I could just get a Charlie Starr JR.

[Painted Baby]

Warmoth is the best. I've spent so many hours fooling around with their builder tool. 24.75 conversion necks are kind of brilliant too. I was thinking about doing a Soloist body with one. Just something light and simple and then throw a sparkly car finish on the body and call it done. True oil and wax* for the neck too so it stays kinda raw.

Fretboard wood is a whole other can of worms. I have one plain maple and I love it but I wish it was roasted. Can't have everything but the roasting brings out the figuring on even a plain piece of maple. If I didn't go with maple, I would do rosewood just because it's sorta rare now with the CITES restrictions messing up global distro. I like that it's still a standard option at Warmoth even if you don't really see if on Squires or Epiphones much anymore.

I'm surprised you can't do maple on mahogany as I don't see any mechanical reason why not but they're the ones building the thing so they must know something we don't. I hope your Strat turns out sweet @Unkle Fleak

*Edit: I said shellac because I derped out but that would be the wrong move

[Chalupa]

My mother offered to split the difference on a custom 24 3/4 conversion neck for statocaster. warmoth

I can’t get the maple board on a mahogany neck tho I think.

What do pals prefer?

Light figured boards or
Dark rosewood?

Rosewood if ebony isn’t an option. The maple fretboards on my strat and tele are sticky. The cleaning and conditioning oils say not to use on maple fretboards, and I don’t feel comfortable using steel wool. I’m thinking of getting the tele set up and then just wiping down the fretboard at the end of every session.

[Painted Baby]

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My mother offered to split the difference on a custom 24 3/4 conversion neck for statocaster. warmoth

I can’t get the maple board on a mahogany neck tho I think.

What do pals prefer?

Light figured boards or
Dark rosewood?

[close]

Rosewood if ebony isn’t an option. The maple fretboards on my strat and tele are sticky. The cleaning and conditioning oils say not to use on maple fretboards, and I don’t feel comfortable using steel wool. I’m thinking of getting the tele set up and then just wiping down the fretboard at the end of every session.

Naphtha is the trick for sticky finished maple. Any Zippo lighter fluid sold in the US will be what you need. I'm not sure of the composition in other markets. Definitely not steel wool although it would probably worst case scenario knock back some of the gloss which you'd bring back over time just by playing it.

[Benicio El Toro]

^^^^ also found in wd40 if you can't find the lighter fluid

[TorontoTrustFund]

If maple fretboards only feel sticky if you haven’t learned yet how little pressure it actually takes to fret a note

[ungzilla]

wow ok relax yngwie

[Unkle Fleak]

Someone still my guitar money

[Chalupa]

If maple fretboards only feel sticky if you haven’t learned yet how little pressure it actually takes to fret a note

I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I only wiped down the fretboards with a microfiber cloth during string changes for the past 3-4 years, compared to my guitars with rosewood fretboards which got cleaning solution and conditioner after every string change.

Thanks Painted Baby. Naphtha did the trick. I hit up Ace Hardware the day after Christmas. There was so much gunk on the fretboards, I had to wash the cloths. The guitars feel as good or possibly better than when I first got them.

Currently waiting on a PRS SE Santana I ordered from ProAudioStar. Sweetwater had it for sale, but I don’t want to support them. Alto Music, Cream City, and ProAudioStar have better deals and don’t bullshit you with marketing.

Someone still my guitar money

That sucks. I hope you find out who did it and get it back.

[Shapelessness]

name: Mr. Furley
(i need to get back to watching justin guitar youtube vids, im super rusty)

[Mongo Lloyd]

Figured I’d share my Fender Japan Swinger, since I took her out to clean and tune her. Quite a rare beast.

I gotta say though, I really don’t like owning black guitars as they trigger my ocd. You can see every single surface scratch, smudge etc.

[thanksgiving]

Figured I’d share my Fender Japan Swinger, since I took her out to clean and tune her. Quite a rare beast.

I gotta say though, I really don’t like owning black guitars as they trigger my ocd. You can see every single surface scratch, smudge etc.

I didn't know they ever reissued these! these were made because fender had a ton of back stock of old duo sonics and mustangs no-one wanted so they just hacked them up into this new short lived design.