The Guitar Pron Thread

[Tall Dark And Texan 29]

My eye appreciates a white telecaster with black binding. Not sure what's going on with the fret markers here, but the body and binding are the focal point here.

Also, is there something wrong with me for wanting a hardtail Strat?

[Celery Man 21078]

I would want a hardtail strat if my strat didn't stay in tune.  My trem is "decked" or whatever, which I think was as simple as screwing the trem hook a bit further in.  Are you after tuning stability or a bit more sustain?

[jimmyjazz 46998]

Hardtail Strats are great.  If you're never selling the guitar and you don't use tremolo, there's no point not going that direction.  Fewer buyers on resale, though.

[noharleyyet 2863]

Relic'd Nash hardtail

[tbone_ 14416]

I just had mine set up as a hard tail (I guess that’s called decked maybe). But the bridge is stationary. I never use the tremolo bar. Stays in tune great.

[BoomMF 1401]

Relic'd Nash hardtail

Well, hello there.

Team anything but Fender's prehistoric trem system. I don't even like looking at the bent or stamped steel saddles the base model comes with. At least give me the Deluxe saddles to church up the trem system I will never use.

[DougO 5263]

12 hours ago, Celery Man said:

 

 

almost forgot

 

 

 

This kind of tortoise look is what I am really looking for in a strat pickguard. But damn it's hard to find. Even cooler would be the light brown that is virtually nonexistent for some reason, except in blank material.

I suck at cutting precision stuff, though. I tried it once with clear and it was a mess. So I don't see that as a viable option, as much as I would love a custom made one-off thing.

And I now realize that I hate the squared corners around the humbucker slot of the pickguard I ordered.

[jimmyjazz 46998]

I have access to a laser cutter, I can cut just about anything.  The owner charges us for outside work/hobby stuff, but I doubt it would be more than $30 to you if you can provide a blank and a shape.

[DougO 5263]

That would be pretty dang cool, but I really don't know what direction to go now. I may end up doing some kind of doodle on the old white one now, but I'm not in any big hurry, really. That hunk of tortoise I like is $28 and I think it's one ply, might need to be stuck on another ply of something. I might get a piece of that stuff and check it out, but I have a lot of other back-burner projects I haven't gotten around to also, that I usually never end up doing.

 

 

[DougO 5263]

Heck, I just bought a bottle of yellow paint for my crankbait lure theme guitar that has been stalled forever. I have abandoned the airbrush thing and want to try the main colors with a small, cheap detail gun. I still need another green before give it another try.

 

[DougO 5263]

And I have to learn to use a detail gun and hope I don't suck at it as much as I did with airbrush, which was a pain.

I also bought a set of tube acrylics and some brushes a couple of weeks ago and want to learn to do that kinda thing. I used to do a lot of drawing, but hardly any painting. I liked working with the art markers on my first guitar design project , but the alcohol based markers really aren't compatible with clear coats without getting blasted away, doing weird stuff, or just fading. There's always something...

Edited July 6, 2018 by DougO

[BoomMF 1401]

Have you tried Iwata airbrushes and compressor by chance? When I started airbrushing it was with a cheap kit off eBay. The performance wasn't consistent and created as many do-overs and it did marginal successes. Moving to a quality airbrush, even an entry level Iwata, like an Eclipse, immediately made a difference. Less flow issues and better control.

You can make a cheap compressor do good work so long as it's stable and can manage the condensate.

/endderail

[jimmyjazz 46998]

Anyway, the offer stands.  I'm wondering what the best way to approach such a project might be.  I'm thinking I could order a couple of ultracheap stock Strat & Tele pickguards and digitize the periphery and cutouts somehow.  Getting the thru-holes for screws in the right spot might actually be the hardest part.  At any rate, once I have a DXF or similar file of the end product it would be trivial to cut out pickguards for anyone.  I might even get the owner to let me do it for free (except materials of course).

[DougO 5263]

14 minutes ago, BoomMF said:

Have you tried Iwata airbrushes and compressor by chance? When I started airbrushing it was with a cheap kit off eBay. The performance wasn't consistent and created as many do-overs and it did marginal successes. Moving to a quality airbrush, even an entry level Iwata, like an Eclipse, immediately made a difference. Less flow issues and better control.

You can make a cheap compressor do good work so long as it's stable and can manage the condensate.

/endderail

 

I was using the air tank fed by a larger compressor so that the motor never ran while spraying. I put a regulator on it so that air control wasn't much of a problem. But I started out with the wrong type of paint and it didn't stick worth a crap by the time I got halfway the feel of it. And I can only work outside, I don't even have a garage, so wind, dust and humidity were a huge problem. I was also using siphon type brushes, when gravity fed would probably have been much easier to work with.

And in the end I figured out that the colors on the overall body would probably be done much better and easier with a detail gun made for shooting a larger area.

I still would like to return to it, but conditions have to be right. And I just feel more comfortable with something in my hand applying a design directly to the surface.

Edited July 6, 2018 by DougO

[DougO 5263]

11 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Anyway, the offer stands.  I'm wondering what the best way to approach such a project might be.  I'm thinking I could order a couple of ultracheap stock Strat & Tele pickguards and digitize the periphery and cutouts somehow.  Getting the thru-holes for screws in the right spot might actually be the hardest part.  At any rate, once I have a DXF or similar file of the end product it would be trivial to cut out pickguards for anyone.  I might even get the owner to let me do it for free (except materials of course).

I might take you up on it, that would be awesome. I'm going to keep looking for a good source. I could even send you the exact pickguard it would be replacing so you would have the precise hole configuration right there.

[BoomMF 1401]

Airbrushing outside is asking for pain. I used a homemade hood like this:

https://makezine.com/2015/08/08/build-an-easy-and-cheap-tabletop-spray-booth/

Cheap to make and works really well.

[DougO 5263]

3 minutes ago, BoomMF said:

Airbrushing outside is asking for pain. I used a homemade hood like this:

https://makezine.com/2015/08/08/build-an-easy-and-cheap-tabletop-spray-booth/

Cheap to make and works really well.

That would be good. The problem then is that I have a major space problem inside, at least until I figure out a way to move a lot more junk out of here.

[DougO 5263]

This is as far as I got where I left off a couple of years ago (damn how time flies). I was actually kinda digging it as a background and got all into the subtle dark striping. But it was full of flaws, drips and crud, which I cold have lived with to a point, but the stuff was flaking off so easily after it dried.  I figured I needed to reset.

 

[BoomMF 1401]

I watched a Gibson artist lay a sunburst, like watched it happen right in front of me, and I still don't know how they do it.

[Deej 77680]

When you finish that thing, it need a diving lip and a couple of treble hooks.

[DougO 5263]

 

If I hadn't shot my wad on new guitars already, this would be mighty damn tempting.

 

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/PRS/SE-Custom-Hollow-Body-Electric-Guitar.gc

 

 

[DougO 5263]

The one used at GC even has birds. Beautiful guitar, lovely tone. I don't have anything hollow-ish.

[Celery Man 21078]

Those are cool and everything, but if you want a hollowbody you need a Gibson or a Gretsch.

[Bogeywon 2546]

10 hours ago, Celery Man said:

Those are cool and everything, but if you want a hollowbody you need a Gibson or a Gretsch.

Disagree I think PRS is right up there... I’m the leader of the PRS mafia tho 😎

[Bogeywon 2546]

12 hours ago, DougO said:

 

If I hadn't shot my wad on new guitars already, this would be mighty damn tempting.

 

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/PRS/SE-Custom-Hollow-Body-Electric-Guitar.gc

 

 

Do it next year! Beautiful guitars 

[tigol 2470]

11 hours ago, Celery Man said:

Those are cool and everything, but if you want a hollowbody you need a Gibson or a Gretsch.

What about Harmony?

https://reverb.com/p/harmony-rocket-h54-red-burst-1965

[noharleyyet 2863]

12 hours ago, DougO said:

The one used at GC even has birds. Beautiful guitar, lovely tone. I don't have anything hollow-ish.

...a lot of candy for a nickel. 

[noharleyyet 2863]

I'd call this relic job sterile Paisley...

[Bogeywon 2546]

the back of the neck headstock and the 12th fret with the inlay work on my PRS Vine 

[Celery Man 21078]

21 minutes ago, tigol said:

What about Harmony?

https://reverb.com/p/harmony-rocket-h54-red-burst-1965

Harmony guitars are really cool, but vary widely in playability.  They are becoming more collectible.  Harmony, Kay, Silvertone - these are the "Sears" or "Department Store Guitars" of the mid twentieth century (because they were sold in department stores - Harmony was owned by Sears, I think Silvertone may have been a subsidiary brand).  Student model guitars at a time before there was massive and fairly quality production of guitars coming out of Asia with Epiphone, Fender, etc on the headstock.  In "That Thing You Do" (which is such a great movie and really accurate in terms of the gear they use and how they look when they're playing it), at the beginning of the movie they are playing Harmony guitars (probably, could be Kay or some other brand), and when their song begins to chart there's a scene where they get upgraded to.. a Rickenbacker and a Fender Jaguar.  Jack White is a famous proponent of Harmony type guitars.  I recorded an album in a studio that was also being used by Trail of Dead and they had a bunch of weird Harmony guitars lying around.

Ironically though (since they are "student" models), I wouldn't recommend one for someone trying to learn how to play.  They're not consistent, particularly well made, or made out of quality materials.  But they are cool af.

[Deej 77680]

43 minutes ago, noharleyyet said:

I'd call this relic job sterile Paisley...

Not a fan of the look, but apparently they're quite the player.

[Celery Man 21078]

Thinking about 1960s student models, and guitar prices (Fenders were expensive AF back then compared to now in inflation adjusted dollars), this is an interesting article about the cost of guitars (and quality of guitars available) over time

https://reverb.com/news/guitaronomics-have-guitars-become-more-expensive-over-time

[Celery Man 21078]

Paisley is a badass and I really need a g bender or b bender Tele.  I've posted this before, but it's awesome and I want to do this.

 

i'm certain that, if only I had a g bender tele, I could sound just like that.

Edited July 7, 2018 by Celery Man

[noharleyyet 2863]

Quote

Paisley is a badass

That he is....

[noharleyyet 2863]

44 minutes ago, Bogeywon said:

the back of the neck headstock and the 12th fret with the inlay work on my PRS Vine 

...dat neck! I'd plexi both sides of the case & hang it sideways. 

[jimmyjazz 46998]

Goodness.  I watched that Brad Paisley video and I don't think I ever once thought "hey, I wonder if I could do that?"  It was 100% "holy shit how does he do that?"

The guy is so many leagues above almost every guitarist out there it's sickening.

[Chad Fuck 18104]

Silvertone was Sears’s House label. They rebranded instruments from many manufacturers over time including Valco, Kay, and most famously Danelectro. Harmony was in his same category. They are generally have cool looks but terrible quality. Fools gold of guitars.

[noharleyyet 2863]

34 minutes ago, Chad Fuck said:

Silvertone was Sears’s House label. They rebranded instruments from many manufacturers over time including Valco, Kay, and most famously Danelectro. Harmony was in his same category. They are generally have cool looks but terrible quality. Fools gold of guitars.
 

I recall the Roebuck's amps as having a necessary cheap to loud ratio for my first cheap cheap guitar. Had no idea about tone in those days. Turn it up...

[tigol 2470]

1 hour ago, Celery Man said:

Harmony guitars are really cool, but vary widely in playability.  They are becoming more collectible.  Harmony, Kay, Silvertone - these are the "Sears" or "Department Store Guitars" of the mid twentieth century (because they were sold in department stores - Harmony was owned by Sears, I think Silvertone may have been a subsidiary brand).  Student model guitars at a time before there was massive and fairly quality production of guitars coming out of Asia with Epiphone, Fender, etc on the headstock.  In "That Thing You Do" (which is such a great movie and really accurate in terms of the gear they use and how they look when they're playing it), at the beginning of the movie they are playing Harmony guitars (probably, could be Kay or some other brand), and when their song begins to chart there's a scene where they get upgraded to.. a Rickenbacker and a Fender Jaguar.  Jack White is a famous proponent of Harmony type guitars.  I recorded an album in a studio that was also being used by Trail of Dead and they had a bunch of weird Harmony guitars lying around.

Ironically though (since they are "student" models), I wouldn't recommend one for someone trying to learn how to play.  They're not consistent, particularly well made, or made out of quality materials.  But they are cool af.

Thanks!  This is where it caught my eye...

 

[Anton Chigurh 3334]

Thanks!  This is where it caught my eye...
 

She actually switched to a Tele (and now a Jaguar), because the Harmony was fragile and wouldn’t stay in tune! No way the Harmony would last while on tour.

[DougO 5263]

3 hours ago, Bogeywon said:

Do it next year! Beautiful guitars 

They discontinued that particular style and changed it a few years ago. I don't care for the newer version. I will be keeping an eye out for one of these on the used market.

[DougO 5263]

I was at GC today and picked up a Yamaha acoustic made in China out of curiosity, and it sounded better than any guitar in the room. I was amazed. $200 price tag, used but minty, had some nice wood and fancy stuff on it. I was tempted to buy it even though I rarely touch an acoustic.

[DougO 5263]

My next guitar will probably be back to the ghetto cheap junk variety. I have an idea in my head that I want an Epi Les Paul Jr like you see in pawn shops for $60 or so fairly often, just find one with a good neck that's ugly enough to bastardize. Maybe strip it down, put a vintagey  kind of finish on it and set it up for open G for Keith Richards style playing. I even wondered about maybe carving it into a double-cutaway if it's do-able.

Edited July 7, 2018 by DougO

[noharleyyet 2863]

Stopped by our small gear shop this morning and doodled a pair of these....ordered and on the way. Guess the Deluxe will be an amended NGD....

 

[Buzzrock 15118]

I recall the Roebuck's amps as having a necessary cheap to loud ratio for my first cheap cheap guitar. Had no idea about tone in those days. Turn it up...

Cheap To Loud Ratio would be a good title for an album.

My first amp was a T-Power, and it had that ratio.

[Buzzrock 15118]

I was at GC today and picked up a Yamaha acoustic made in China out of curiosity, and it sounded better than any guitar in the room. I was amazed. $200 price tag, used but minty, had some nice wood and fancy stuff on it. I was tempted to buy it even though I rarely touch an acoustic.

I still have my entry level Yamaha acoustic I got in ‘87. Very solid for so cheap and so old.

[Grandioso 2592]

ASATurday pron

 

 

 

[Mojo Hand 4580]

Damn, I like this Gretsch for $320:  https://slickdeals.net/f/11776383-gretsch-g2655t-streamliner-double-cut-electric-guitar-w-bigsby-b50-vibrato-tailpiece-320-free-s-h

[DougO 5263]

I found some old flame maple veneer in my Dad's workshop. It's dried up and water damaged but most of it can be salvaged. There's enough of a good sheet to do a whole strat pickguard, possible option. It's really thin, like cheap posterboard.

 

I think I'll start really small and try to make a truss rod cover for my SG faded, which has just a black blank one that annoys me. I need a ply of something to stick it on that's the right thickness. I think that would look great on a small pickguard, like a black Les Paul or something.

[Paul Wesley 3313]

dp

Edited July 8, 2018 by Paul Wesley