The Guitar Pron Thread

[Paul Wesley 3278]

dp

 

Edited May 15, 2018 by Paul Wesley

[Paul Wesley 3278]

1 hour ago, Grandioso said:

Perfectly reasonable question. My case for G&L:

1. First, I don't vouch for the Tribute stuff. I'm talking about the handmade guitars made by legit luthiers in Fullerton, California. It is totally a small scale mom and pop operation. Phyllis Fender, who is like a sweet old grandma, is literally still a chairperson. I don't think they publicize their staff much because they poach dudes from Fender. I know the dude that designed and builds a lot of the Dohenys was the manager of Jazzmasters at the Fender Custom Shop.

2. They are incredibly well constructed. I have put my ASAT Special through hell over the course of 11 years and I only had it serviced once to change out the saddle. And mind you, it was probably 10 years old already when I bought it! Now, the drawback to it being a tank is that many models are heavy. My semihollow 2015 Fender tele with a tummy cut feels like a feather in comparison.

3. Their necks feel so good. They are just fast enough without feeling like a dainty little thing.

4. They have so many customization options. I bet the Fender Custom Shop couldn't top them. And if you buy a custom guitar, you just pay whatever the dealer would sell it for. I.e., there's no charge just for "uh, yeah bro we need an extra $200 cause, uh, this is custom." There is a new Doheny for sale on Reverb right now with all the options I got on mine: painted headstock, rosewood fretboard, pearl dots, vibrato, quirkly pickguard. It is the exact same price as the one I had them make for me. And when they sent mine, they included a fancy black and silver packet captioned "Custom Build Specifications."

5. Leo's post CBS innovations are all G&L property. And there are fucking good ones. And even the dudes who inherited R&D kept improving on Leo's stuff. Read about their dual fulcrum vibrato. I have one on my Doheny and it's simply insane how good it feels and also keeps the guitar in tune. It stays in tune like a fixed bridge. Other good shit: Saddle lock bridge. So simple and effective. Fender would steal the design if they could. And I don't understand pickups very well beyond the fact that they are just primitive microphones, but G&L makes awesome ones - the MFDs and the Z-coils. 

6. Even the American ones are so reasonably priced. A handmade guitar that looks even better than most fenders? For $1,500 or so? Cannot be beat. This is the Classic Bluesboy and my favorite G&L. I don't have one (yet) but it's simply perfect. $1,599.00. And if you get a bunch of bells and whistles, you're not going to break $2,000 unless you get it made out of some kind of crazy wood. 

Bottom of the barrel Fanos are $1,900. Grosh's and Tom Anderson's are a little more. Suhrs start at $2,100. 

7. They don't have a ton of huge artists that play them (Jerry Cantrell, Jake Cinniger are two notable ones though) but they are a working man's guitar. Even if Keith Richards doesn't play a G&L, he definitely knows about them.

8. Just look at these:

9. Finally, I think G&L is a loyalty kinda culty thing. People who stumble on them LOVE them and become fanboys. My obsession all started with looking at a rack of telecasters and saying to the store clerk - "whoa, what is that?" The rest is history.

 

TLDR: G&L Rocks and we should all each buy a custom version of our own favorite model.

 

Hell of a post, G.  

[Paul Wesley 3278]

7 hours ago, AnotherUTFan said:

I commented that I like the N3's in my Tele, Paul said he couldn't get used to them. He has a better ear than me, must be annoying as fuck.

You're funny.  

Sadly, I've heard other people play them, and they sounded great.  I can't allow myself to come to the obvious conclusion.

[Grandioso 2592]

Went to Rockin Robin in Houston yesterday and fucked around with some pedals and amps. I did all my test driving with an old strat outfitted with Rio Grande pickups. Holy shit. They were fucking incredible. Now, I was playing in a sound proofed room with a cranked up Dr. Z, so that could have added a lot of the glory, but I think these pickups might be the real deal. Anyone use them? Compared them with factory fender pickups?

I know you have plenty of amazing hand-wound boutiques out there - Fralin, Lollar, Tom Holmes, etc. And then you have the big outfits like Seymour Duncan and DiMarzio. 

How much of a difference does a pickup upgrade make if your American factory Fender or whatnot is using their own V-Mod pickups that run $200 or so.

[tbone_ 14123]

I have some hand wound bill lawrences in a 98 era am std strat. It sounds so much better than another strat I have that's had various Fender branded pickups in it. Fwiw.

 

Who makes the rio grandes?

 

Also, which Dr z?

[Buzzrock 14920]

14 hours ago, DougO said:

If they ever put that Lake Placid blue one with the tortoise guard on the stupid deal they've probably got me.

I feel the same way about the Legacy. I'm itching for an excuse to get a SSS guitar.

[Grandioso 2592]

53 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

I have some hand wound bill lawrences in a 98 era am std strat. It sounds so much better than another strat I have that's had various Fender branded pickups in it. Fwiw.

 

Who makes the rio grandes?

 

Also, which Dr z?

Dude right here in Houston.

https://www.riograndepickups.com/history

And I can't remember what Dr. Z it was! I've actually been looking all over their site and at older models on reverb trying to find it. All I remember was that the tone knobs were weird and there were only like two of them. I'm going back today to return something and I'll report back. That fucker sounded great.

 

Edit: As far as the Rio Grandes, this is a pretty impressive customer list:

https://www.riograndepickups.com/artists

Edited May 15, 2018 by Grandioso

[Buzzrock 14920]

Is there a way to embed videos that aren't YouTube?

https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/c23e4d99b8adc4d56c86e48f663b05aa/5AFD9C5A/t50.2886-16/30032260_220652205152969_4635318195505332224_n.mp4

I have a new theory about John Mayer. I think that he followed in Robert Johnson's footsteps and sold his soul to the devil. It's not just his talent, which is off the charts, but it's the way that he seems to impress even himself when he's playing. He gets these looks of joy when he's playing around and not being "on stage" JM.

That's a PRS SS straight into a board, no amp no pedals. He's creeping up my GOAT list lately.

Link expired. New link:

 

Edited May 19, 2018 by Buzzrock

[jimmyjazz 45947]

I think Mayer is fantastic but I don't think his tone is where Stevie's was.  His hand strength just isn't there.

(I say this as a limp-wristed pansy whose tone could be be qualified as "beige".)

[Grandioso 2592]

3 minutes ago, Buzzrock said:

I have a new theory about John Mayer. I think that he followed in Robert Johnson's footsteps and sold his soul to the devil. It's not just his talent, which is off the charts, but it's the way that he seems to impress even himself when he's playing. He gets these looks of joy when he's playing around and not being "on stage" JM.

I think he just plays and plays and plays a fuckton more than anyone - on stage, in the studio, on his couch, lying in bed. I think I've told the story here about Hendrix making scrambled eggs at like 8am with his strat strapped on and playing riffs in between stirring the eggs around. Even the best musicians get worn out or start seeing performing as a chore/job. I think Mayer (like Hendrix) just doesn't have that fatigue. And he's probably constantly learning. I mean, who just jumps into the Grateful Dead with their insane list of songs? Only other fucker that pulled that off (and did it well) was Warren F'n Haynes.

I'd venture to say that Mayer's day, whether he's gigging or not, breaks down like this:

8-10 hours - any variety of playing live shows, practicing, learning new techniques, learning new songs, studio recording

2-3 hours - listening to music for ideas and inspiration, talking about music

1 hour - fuckin'

1 hour - meals

1 hour - Some TV or shit

8 hours - sleeping

 

[Buzzrock 14920]

17 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I think Mayer is fantastic but I don't think his tone is where Stevie's was.  His hand strength just isn't there.

(I say this as a limp-wristed pansy whose tone could be be qualified as "beige".)

Watch the way he's able to anchor his thumb on the low E while he moves the chord shapes around. That is fucking hard to do. The most extreme example is the Neon riff.

[Celery Man 20948]

4 hours ago, Grandioso said:

Dude right here in Houston.

https://www.riograndepickups.com/history

And I can't remember what Dr. Z it was! I've actually been looking all over their site and at older models on reverb trying to find it. All I remember was that the tone knobs were weird and there were only like two of them. I'm going back today to return something and I'll report back. That fucker sounded great.

 

Edit: As far as the Rio Grandes, this is a pretty impressive customer list:

https://www.riograndepickups.com/artists

Carmen Ghia?

[CTC2 2797]

I have such a disease.  After deciding to sell my SG Classic and one of my Tele's because I just had too many guitars, what did I do?  Bought another one.  

I was looking for a small cheap parlor guitar to practice with on the couch and use for travel and found a Recording King.  Before you laugh, it is a cheap Chinese made acoustic but...it has a solid spruce top, bone nut and saddle and while it does not sound like the Martin 0 sized guitar I played that made me want one, it does sound pretty good for $150.  I hate it when people try to suggest that a cheap guitar sounds as good as more expensive ones but for what I wanted it for, it sounds pretty good.  Here is a video of a guy playing the same one I bought.  

 

[Grandioso 2592]

Ok, I have much to report. First, the mystery Dr. Z that I was using as a pedal demo amp and blew my goddamn mind. Snapped a photo today:

Well, this thing is kind of a big fucking deal. This amp was the fourth collaboration between Dr. Z and Brad Paisley (DB = Doc and Brad). Production ended last year but it got a Guitar Player's Editor Pick and a Guitar Player "Hall of Fame" award.

It's a really original design, using EL84 output tubes and has a 5879 preamp tube like in the old Gibson amps (and in my Victoria Electro King /brag). Watch this demo for the tone options. That's what I was talking about when I remembered the weird knobs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=15&v=AY4YRy-NWXg

Read about it here.

http://drzamps.com/product/db4/

Oh, if you want to buy it, Rockin Robin will part with it for $2,199.00.

....And the other news is gonna have to wait until after 9pm because I got something going on.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Grandioso

[Gil Bang 25957]

I hope y'all will forgive me for this post that doesn't really fit what goes on here, but, here goes:

 

 

Frances Bean Cobain has settled her divorce with Isaiah Silva, and the major bone of contention -- Kurt Cobain's famous acoustic guitar -- goes to him.

TMZ has learned the former couple finally reached a property settlement agreement, 6 months after their divorce became final.

Our sources say, Frances decided she wanted Isaiah out of her life for good, and didn't want the mess of a trial to bog her down. What's more, she was only 1 year old when her dad committed suicide, so it's not like she had lots of memories about the 1959 Martin D-18E.

We're told she knows her decision may piss off lots of Nirvana fans, but it's her life and she wants to move on.

Frances actually did great in the divorce. We've learned she will not have to pay Isaiah a penny in spousal support -- he wanted $25k a month. He has to foot his own legal bills and she gets the house they bought.

The 25-year-old daughter of Kurt and Courtney Love is sober, has a boyfriend and is looking forward.

As for the guitar, it's super iconic because Kurt played it during Nirvana's famous "MTV Unplugged" set.

 

 

Edited May 16, 2018 by Gil Bang

[Gil Bang 25957]

makes me fucking sick.  That Martin belongs in the Smithsonian, not with some dipshit that never met Cobain. 

[BoomMF 1399]

Daughter seems like a shitty steward of his legacy.

[Gil Bang 25957]

Maybe Grohl will wave some cash in his face and get him to sell cheap. 

[Celery Man 20948]

Post fits.

 

[Grandioso 2592]

Ok, so I'm returning a pedal purchase at Rockin Robin and they're cool with giving me store credit. I look at their selection - nothing really appeals to me except for stuff that costs way more than what I was returning. But a bridge Rio Grande pickup was about the same price. Except they only have one and it's not one I'm interested in. BUT, they have plenty of Tele sets.

This is where my sickness completely takes over. I return my pedal, trade in a used one and suddenly I'm over 2/3rds of the way to the cost of a set. (And for some reason these cost like $50 less than what they sell on the Rio Grande website). Next thing I know I'm buying a set of Rio Grande's "Muy Grande" pickups for my tele. These were the same ones in the strat I was playing yesterday - hot and aggressive but not noisy. This is the only description on Rio Grande's website: "With a Muy Grande in both the bridge and the neck positions, there is not much more that can be done with all natural single coil pickups." That's a bold fuckin' statement.

Within 5 minutes I'm driving home to get my guitar because the tech says he's got time to do an install. Plugged in this evening and I am never fucking looking back. It was like I'd been living a lie. The thing just came alive with glorious tone and punch. This is what my guitar was always meant to sound like. I would play a fucking Squire with a set of these over an American Professional. A word of caution though - the Muy Grandes are a little less classic 50's Fendery than some of the other options. But the tradeoff is so worth it in my opinion. If you have a Strat, I'd put one at the bridge and one in the middle and then their "tallboy" at the neck. At any rate, I endorse thorough investigation of getting a set of these fuckers. 

Without further ado, pics:

Bridge comparison shot with removed factory pickup

Neck

The new setup. By the way, I also have a hot rodded wiring harness in there.

 

[Celery Man 20948]

tempting.

[tbone_ 14123]

Very interesting. I've been eyeing a set of Fralin Blues Specials for my tele.

Damn that dr z though.

[BoomMF 1399]

Spring cleaning time!

I set up the corner of my music room to be a cleaning/setup station.  I think I have everything I need to do a lot of damage, right down to the Big Bends Nut Sauce.

I'm trying out some of this stuff for the first time, but everything was purchased with the infallible strategy of reading a bunch of random amateur reviews.  What could go wrong? My first victim was the Les Paul Standard HP. Go big or go home.

I was most concerned that the Music Nomad FRINE fret polishing set did a good job of protecting the rosewood because I have a lot of rosewood that needs some tender loving.

Side note: The 2017 line of Gibson HP guitars are pound for pound the most beautiful line of guitars ever produced by man.  Google it.  The science holds up.

The whole operation took about 2 hours, but about an hour of that was waiting for the robotuner's battery to charge after dying halfway through.  So I YouTube'd while it charged because I'm not winding them by hand like a neanderthal.

Now I have to go watch a vid on how to change the strings on a Floyd Rose because I forgot how to do that shit.

[the idoit 165]

Grandioso, that was a fantastic post on G&L. That original line and the subsequent American made models far outclass almost everything Fender ever produced. NBAA, No Blasphemy At All. Leo always ran the show and remained at the top of his game throughout.

As for Rio Grande P/Ups, they’re the tits. I’m jealous of your “new” Tele. Great choice.

[Celery Man 20948]

Anyone familiar with Edwards Lutherie? I’ve never seen the shop before but noticed it on my way into work today, on Congress just north of Ben White.

[Deej 76787]

Stupid Deal of the Day:

D'Angelico Excel Series SS Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with Stopbar Tailpiece Surf Green

$799, was $1699.

 

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid?source=3GOA5A9A

 

 

[Grandioso 2592]

15 hours ago, tbone_ said:

Damn that dr z though.

It was a special amp, man. I'd tell you to go play it just for fun if you lived in Houston. But there are A LOT of Dr. Z models now and I'd venture to say a ton of them capture the sound they were going for with the DB4.

[tbone_ 14123]

I spent some YouTube time today checking out dr z's. They pretty much all sound the same to me, and by the same I mean awesome, except for the Therapy (which is more 6L6 fenderish).

No Dr z dealers in AZ, which is probably a good thing.

[dcbc 14484]

So, here's my mini elementary school gig with my partscaster.  Guitar sound was good.  Singer threw me off in each song, but I'm not too worried about it.  Guiltar/amp/effects sounded okay.

 

/note the 3rd grader killing it on drums.

 

Edited May 17, 2018 by dcbc

[DougO 5247]

On 5/15/2018 at 11:17 AM, Grandioso said:

Went to Rockin Robin in Houston yesterday and fucked around with some pedals and amps. I did all my test driving with an old strat outfitted with Rio Grande pickups. Holy shit. They were fucking incredible. Now, I was playing in a sound proofed room with a cranked up Dr. Z, so that could have added a lot of the glory, but I think these pickups might be the real deal. Anyone use them? Compared them with factory fender pickups?

I know you have plenty of amazing hand-wound boutiques out there - Fralin, Lollar, Tom Holmes, etc. And then you have the big outfits like Seymour Duncan and DiMarzio. 

How much of a difference does a pickup upgrade make if your American factory Fender or whatnot is using their own V-Mod pickups that run $200 or so.

 

I had a that friend years ago that was really tight with the Rockin' Robin guys and he brought a bunch of those pickups to the local shop to sell for them. They really are legit. They just don't have a big corporate brand name behind them for marketing.

[Deej 76787]

Check out Cavalier pickups. Rob makes great pups at a great price. He'll talk with you about what you're looking for and provide it. 

 

http://www.frettech.com/

[jimmyjazz 45947]

LOL at Dad Bod rockin' "Billie Jean" at the elementary school show.  CONTENT.

 

Good job!

[Equinox 95]

2 hours ago, dcbc said:

So, here's my mini elementary school gig with my partscaster.  Guitar sound was good.  Singer threw me off in each song, but I'm not too worried about it.  Guiltar/amp/effects sounded okay.

 

/note the 3rd grader killing it on drums.

 

School of Rock!

[Hamttx 419]

I’m surprised that I don’t see many “project” guitars in this thread? Though I admit I’m a brand name guy. I spend a lot of time buying cheap kits like Flying V and PRS knock offs to improve my understanding of how the instrument works. Learning how to solder properly,  buzz and noise suppression techniques, and which gauge of wire works best are all part of the learning curve.

I have even started winding my own pick ups because of an article in Guitar Player magazine that showed all of the readings that were pulled off of Eddies Frankenstein pick ups when he entered into an agreement to produce his own line. 

And even with my limited experience I have quickly realized just how easily my dumb ass can change a guitars sound by simply changing how I wind $30 worth of components. But getting a good ol Texas “crunch” sound from a $150 guitar kit is actually pretty satisfiying. So if you haven’t tried it, give it a go. Don’t bother with trying to produce a perfect finish (which is ok if that’s what you want). Just tinker with the electronics. I believe you will have a lot of fun without breaking the bank. Oh, and you will have to invest in some quality tuners. Every kit I have bought the tuners and nut were absolutely shit.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Hamttx
Not buts but nuts

[Chad Fuck 17681]

Seems like this one thread got started a long time ago at the old place about tinkering with parts guitars.  You remember that DougO?

[Buzzrock 14920]

Isaiah should have a login here. Willing to give up everything in the divorce in order to get the guitar. I ain’t mad at that.

[DougO 5247]

On 5/15/2018 at 9:24 PM, BoomMF said:

Daughter seems like a shitty steward of his legacy.

Takes after her mother.

[Celery Man 20948]

not polite to call someone a cunt like that

[Mileslong 4727]

It seems to me this thread started and soon after there was a huge argument about whether building your own guitar was putting it together with parts or having to cut it yourself from a block of wood.

I would like to revisit that argument right
now please

[Celery Man 20948]

the absolute beginning of this thread was me being drunk after a season opener against Rice.  And standing on a coffee table in my apartment taking a picture of some guitars.

[BoomMF 1399]

And THEN the arguing.

[Buzzrock 14920]

As with most things in my life, I prefer to pay someone else to do the work.

[heso 2794]

16 hours ago, Mileslong said:

It seems to me this thread started and soon after there was a huge argument about whether building your own guitar was putting it together with parts or having to cut it yourself from a block of wood.

I would like to revisit that argument right
now please

If the majority of the parts had previously been part of another guitar you’re not building, you’re reassembling. 

[Mileslong 4727]

I seem to remember someone saying you weren’t really making your own guitar unless you cut down a tree with an ax and then used that wood...

[DougO 5247]

17 hours ago, Mileslong said:

It seems to me this thread started and soon after there was a huge argument about whether building your own guitar was putting it together with parts or having to cut it yourself from a block of wood.

I would like to revisit that argument right
now please

I would prefer not to. I kinda like it here.

The whole thing was about the definition of the term "from scratch." I wasn't trying to bash the project. But it got taken that way. Then it turned into a flame war. We somehow got past it and became fellow guitards...at least until now.

Edited May 18, 2018 by DougO

[Mileslong 4727]

I would prefer not to. I kinda like it here.
The whole thing was about the definition of the term "from scratch." I wasn't trying to bash the project. But it got taken that way.

Lol, yes I remember there was name calling and much consternation among the participants...

[DougO 5247]

Guitardians of the Surly Galaxy.

[DougO 5247]

For the record, I love all you guys here, and all of your inferior non-vagified guitars.

[Deej 76787]

If you build a car from the ground up, do you need to machine all the parts yourself?

[AnotherUTFan 9740]

Ah the good old days.