The Guitar Pron Thread

[DougO 5,238]

4 hours ago, Goredho said:

2020 reducing us to strap pr0n is heartbreaking.

Even strap-on pron is welcome these difficult times.

Edited July 16, 2020 by DougO

[Chad Fuck 17,433]

2 hours ago, tbone_ said:

Team plain black nylon strap here. I kind of just want the strap to disappear.
 

This was my go-to for my LP Custom from the late 80s-early 90s.  Then I went through a big 50s phase and have been using one of these for like 20 years now:

But since I have a vintage Mustang, I'm thinking real hard about moving to this vintage trunk mat style:

May have to get it just because and swap them out.

[Goredho 17,247]

Someone needs to make the @NowThis layup.

[Deej 76,311]

I don't even want to think about @NowThis's guitar face. 

[topochico 1,048]

I don't even want to think about [mention=3609]NowThis[/mention]'s guitar face. 

[Chad Fuck 17,433]

8 minutes ago, topochico said:

Yeah.  It'd fit.  

 

[noharleyyet 2,828]

6 hours ago, Chad Fuck said:

This is a silver sparkle racer for my silver sparkle Dano that I use for open tunings. I had no idea it would be so matchy-matchy, but I kind of dig it.


So the Couches are vinyl and they have a ton of cool options (I’m looking at the Mustang trunk mat material), but the Souldier is a better strap. More comfortable and doesn’t seem to slip as much as the back side is seat belt material.

Anyhow, those are my latest gear purchases for sharing.

Has that boutique vibe going....which is good. 

[DougO 5,238]

I don't know if anybody else here listens to the everybodylovesguitar.com interviews on facebook, youtube channel or from their website. They are good, long interviews even though most of them are with people I don't know about, not really name guys. Anyway, a few days ago the interview was with Hadden Sayers. I remembered that name from seeing his trio at a local little shithole club many years ago. He was pretty good, but I never followed him after that, he put out several indy/self released albums and played with a few interesting people, lots of Austin connections.

I usually photographed any band that was worth a shit back in those days, which was like 15 years ago. In this interview he talked about his main guitar, a 57 Stratocaster he got back in the 80s before he had much or any success. I looked back in my ancient archives and damn sure he was playing the same 57 strat. I had no idea back then. I was probably thinking he needed to get a new guitar. This is it 15 years ago, looks pretty much the same now, all real wear.

When he first got it it came with some bastardized funky weird shit installed, so he found a set of old 1960 strat pickups, closest he could find to same era, and put them on with new gold pickguard. Probably worth a couple of bucks now.

 

Edited July 16, 2020 by DougO

[Foggy Notion 1,202]

2 hours ago, topochico said:

I got really bored during quarantine and decided to pick up a project. Rescued this guy and have spent some time getting it back to it’s 80’s greatness. I’m starting a Jem and the Holograms cover band if anyone is interested.

 

 

 

How does this bass sound? And while we’re discussing straps, that is the perfect strap for this guitar.

And a little known fact: The voice of Jem was performed by Britta Phillips, who is the bass player for Luna.

 

[AnotherUTFan 9,614]

I got really bored during quarantine and decided to pick up a project. Rescued this guy and have spent some time getting it back to it’s 80’s greatness. I’m starting a Jem and the Holograms cover band if anyone is interested.
 
 
 

More info on this badass bass please. When we're all back together again I'm planning to form a bass and keyboard driven New Wave-ish band. I may play bass. This would be incredible.

[topochico 1,048]

50 minutes ago, Foggy Notion said:

How does this bass sound? And while we’re discussing straps, that is the perfect strap for this guitar.

And a little known fact: The voice of Jem was performed by Britta Phillips, who is the bass player for Luna.

 

 

It actually sounds really good. Passive pickups with two volume knobs and the master tone is a push pull to split the coils. I am still playing around with different combinations. Neck at 10 with the tone rolled back sounds great as does splitting the coils and running both PUPS and the tone pushed up a bit. It can be "P-ish" but isn't 100% there and sorta Jazz with the split coils, but really it has it's own thing going. 
The neck is thin and fast, which I guess should be expected from an 80's product. It is super lightweight and balances unexpectedly well. The biggest issue is the headless aspect. I keep going to the 2nd fret expecting it to be the 1st fret because my visual references are off. I bought it on a whim and expected it to be a toy, but I actually really like it. 

 

Edited July 17, 2020 by topochico

[Chad Fuck 17,433]

Checkerboard is the perfect 80s strap. Off the wall!

[jimmyjazz 45,327]

I like to assemble my own straps, usually from Warmoth, but sometimes AllParts or Guitar Fetish.  I feel I get the same quality as Fender Custom Shop or Gibson straps at less than half the price.

[Napoleon 8,586]

GUITAR PORN

[Goredho 17,247]

Gorgeous top.

[Chad Fuck 17,433]

I like to assemble my own straps, usually from Warmoth, but sometimes AllParts or Guitar Fetish.  I feel I get the same quality as Fender Custom Shop or Gibson straps at less than half the price.

If you’d have said “Tandy Leather” or “Etsy” for those of us not living in the 1970s, I might have believed you.

[tbone_ 14,016]

Tandy Leather. I miss the 70s.

 

[hullabelew 3,698]

When I was in 9th grade..., I get asked to join a band to play in a high school assembly with a soph, jr and sr.  Kickass band, all original songs.  4 of them.  Highway Loner, Band Among Bands, I Need Your Love, were 3 of the titles.  Armageddon was our name.  I got the gig because I had a guitar.  "You gotta a guitar?"  Yep...  "You're in the band".  

Anyway, my dad made his own saddle cinches so I had the great idea to turn one in to a  guitar strap.  Now, imagine one of these, draped over my shoulder......  It was a good idea in theory....and I've seen it done since.....but not when said player is 5'3", 105 lbs.   Just a TAD wide...and the buckles were heavy AF.  

Found this dude who actually makes them in guitar strap width.  Where-the-fuck was he in 1977.

 

Edited July 17, 2020 by hullabelew

[Goredho 17,247]

@hullabelew, your post made me remember my first band in 9th grade.  We named the band "Sigma".  My older brother -- let's call him Chet -- started calling us "Smegma" at school after we put out posters for our first backyard concert.  His name stuck amongst our core group of 3-4 fans, so we decided to rename ourselves "Rakket".  As in "Stop that dammed racket!" but cooler, like "Dokken!"  We had an eclectic set list that reflected our various musical influences.  Our concerts would end with a fantastic medley of Twisted Sister's "We're Not Going To Take It", Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law" and John Cougar Mellencamp's "Jack & Diane."

Ahh, the 80s...

Edited July 17, 2020 by Goredho

[Deej 76,311]

[hullabelew 3,698]

Great stuff @Goredho.  These were our PA speakers.  I miss that padded look but don't miss lugging those things around.  

Edited July 17, 2020 by hullabelew

[Goredho 17,247]

9 minutes ago, hullabelew said:

Great stuff @Goredho.  These were our PA speakers.  I miss that padded look but don't miss lugging those things around.  

Looks like those would keep you in shape or put you in the hospital, one of the two.

[Chad Fuck 17,433]

Tandy Leather. I miss the 70s.
 

It smelled like leather and heaving breasted Indian maidens painted on black velvet.

[Chad Fuck 17,433]

When I was in 9th grade..., I get asked to join a band to play in a high school assembly with a soph, jr and sr.  Kickass band, all original songs.  4 of them.  Highway Loner, Band Among Bands, I Need Your Love, were 3 of the titles.  Armageddon was our name.  I got the gig because I had a guitar.  "You gotta a guitar?"  Yep...  "You're in the band".  
Anyway, my dad made his own saddle cinches so I had the great idea to turn one in to a  guitar strap.  Now, imagine one of these, draped over my shoulder......  It was a good idea in theory....and I've seen it done since.....but not when said player is 5'3", 105 lbs.   Just a TAD wide...and the buckles were heavy AF.  

Found this dude who actually makes them in guitar strap width.  Where-the-fuck was he in 1977.

 

That is awesome! My Dad had a saddle cinch strap that was mustard yellow. Very 70s.

[tbone_ 14,016]

I mean who doesn’t follow Breaking The Law with Jack and Diane?

 

And fuck yes on the saddle cinches and the padded Kustoms.

 

You know you have to use a curly q cord when playing padded speakers right?

[Goredho 17,247]

 

7 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

I mean who doesn’t follow Breaking The Law with Jack and Diane?

Little ditty, 'bout breakin' the law-aw...

[jimmyjazz 45,327]

My first band was "The Brother Rick Industrial Waste Band", named after a dickhead church camp counselor.  We signed up to play the HS talent show our senior year.  I was the "singer" and played keys, my buddy Mike was on guitar (capable, not great), our bass player was pretty damn good (went on to major in music), and our drummer was phenomenal (pulled a full ride to Eastman before finding God and coming back home to a state university and a life of Christian rock, dammit).

We were gonna play "Keep On Loving You" by REO Speedwagon and something by Styx, I think.  The night before we got together to rehearse, and after about 30 minutes of working through the REO tune, we all just sort of looked at each other and said "this sucks, let's pick something else".

We landed on "Working Man" and "Fly By Night" as a Rush tribute.  We were pretty decent.  We received scores of 10, 10, and 0 (yes that's a zero), because Mary Ellen Boyd is a bitch and didn't like Rush.  Came in second.  We were school heroes for about a week.

Edited July 17, 2020 by jimmyjazz

[tbone_ 14,016]

Freshman year in HS our band name alternated between the Jet Sex Rebels and Fury.

 

Our first show was in a buddies basement where we played Paranoid with two guitar players and no singer.

 

[tbone_ 14,016]

And fuck Mary Ellen Boyd. She’s probably a Karen now.

 

+1 on Brother Rick Industrial Waste Band. Great name.

[noharleyyet 2,828]

8th or 9th Grade talent show, quiet kid I barely knew played Memphis solo instrumental on a Jaguar. Tore it up...girls squealing & sliding out of their seats. Turns out he'd been playing and singing in bars across the Oklahoma border for dough for the past year. Great guy, helluva musician. 

RIP Kelly 

 

[DougO 5,238]

My only band and my only gig we won a company Christmas party talent show, and it was in front of several hundred people, big company. We were also the only entry. I never got my cut of the $75 prize.

[Goredho 17,247]

[Chad Fuck 17,433]

My first public performance was singing "The Ballad of New Orleans" with my little brother backed by my Dad's band.  Would've been about 1982 in a tractor barn dance somewhere in east Texas.  I was in 2nd grade.  

My first talent show was 7th grade, and my buddy Zac was playing my Dad's Strat, and I had just bought my (used) LP Custom.  We went very big.  Stairway to Heaven on two guitars.  Then right at the solo, the Strat volume shorted out, so I'm out there doing the solo by myself with no rhythm.  Naked as the eyes of a clown.  But we powered through.  I'll see him at band practice on Sunday.  

[jimmyjazz 45,327]

1 hour ago, tbone_ said:

And fuck Mary Ellen Boyd. She’s probably a Karen now.

I think her wife's name is actually "Karen".

[Deej 76,311]

1 hour ago, DougO said:

My only band and my only gig we won a company Christmas party talent show, and it was in front of several hundred people, big company. We were also the only entry. I never got my cut of the $75 prize.

That's more than you'd make playing a bar in Austin.

[jimmyjazz 45,327]

1 hour ago, Deej said:

That's more than you'd make playing a bar in Austin.

Every time . . . I mean *EVERY* time . . . we played Electric Lounge, probably dozens of shows ranging from Tuesday openers to Saturday headlining gigs, they paid us $32, total.  The whole band.  Every.  Single.  Time.  We weren't touring and all had jobs, so we didn't care, and it turned into a running joke, but still . . .

[noharleyyet 2,828]

Teen Center in Chillicothe, TX....Saturday Night Dance... 25 bucks. Yea buddy., the reason we were paid so much was because there were 5 of us.

Truth be told, we would've paid them. 

[tbone_ 14,016]

Every time . . . I mean *EVERY* time . . . we played Electric Lounge, probably dozens of shows ranging from Tuesday openers to Saturday headlining gigs, they paid us $32, total.  The whole band.  Every.  Single.  Time.  We weren't touring and all had jobs, so we didn't care, and it turned into a running joke, but still . . .

Holy shit. We get $150 from the bar for our little duo and routinely make $100-$200 in tips on top of that. Every Friday night.

[AnotherUTFan 9,614]

Holy shit. We get $150 from the bar for our little duo and routinely make $100-$200 in tips on top of that. Every Friday night.

Can I borrow 20 bucks until my brother gets straight?

[BoomMF 1,398]

My band in high school did one gig not in a garage and it was at the talent show. We ended up having our time ended by what seemed like an army of assistant principals after we ended our scheduled song with Another Brick in the Wall, pt 2, which was not approved, obviously. By the time they knew what was up the audience was singing along with the chorus.

 

We were banned from performing in any future talent shows, which kinda sucked because I was a junior with one more shot at the big time next year.

 

We stole the idea from a Pearl Jam bootleg. It made us musical gods for the rest of the year. It was badass. Thank you, Eddie.

 

 

[Chad Fuck 17,433]

Holy shit. We get $150 from the bar for our little duo and routinely make $100-$200 in tips on top of that. Every Friday night.

We play a 2-3 times a quarter (not too much work for us - it’s for fun, and we don’t burn out our venues on us) and get somewhere between $500-$1200 per gig, depending on the circumstances. Five guys. We’ve played a couple weddings for $1500-$2k, but we’ve only done them for people who knew the band in some way. We don’t really like weddings.

Most of our gigs are within 1hr drive of Dallas. Rural folks seem to be willing to pay more. We played one gig at Adairs and had a lot of fun, but we only made like $40 all in. Three of the guys came in from Cedar Creek Lake for that. So usually only private gigs in Dallas. We don’t advertise, it’s all word of mouth. I’ve been told we’re cheap as good party bands in Dallas can get $2k on up depending on how flashy their stage production is (ours is just above zero - I haul enough gear as it is without light racks and smoke machines). But we’re fine with what we’re doing now and as long as it’s more fun than burden, I’m game. I already have a job, this is a hobby.

[tbone_ 14,016]

I have always heard private gigs pay more than bars. What I posted above is the only paying gig I’ve ever had so it’s my only frame of reference. Frankly I’ve been really surprised at what we make there. But it’s just a hobby for us too.

[Chad Fuck 17,433]

4 hours ago, tbone_ said:

I have always heard private gigs pay more than bars. What I posted above is the only paying gig I’ve ever had so it’s my only frame of reference. Frankly I’ve been really surprised at what we make there. But it’s just a hobby for us too.

You still doing the outdoor gigs in during the Covid, right?  

 

[dcbc 14,357]

First gig in high school was at a this girl's house.  Her parents were out of town.  We played everything from Little Feet to Soul Hat to the Dead to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and an original or two.  We pretty much were ignored, but it was fun.  I don't think I played in any sort of organized sort of way in front of people after that until I was in my 40s and the music teacher at my kids' elementary school asked a bunch of us who played to play for about 500 people in an old 1,800 seat municipal auditorium.  That was a ton of fun and we've done it several times since then.  But we really nailed it that first time.  Nothing like getting to crank both channels of a tweed Victoria bassman because only the singer was mic'd. 

Edited July 18, 2020 by dcbc

[tbone_ 14,016]

You still doing the outdoor gigs in during the Covid, right?     

 

Yea. It’s a pretty unique venue. Outside and wide open behind us. Typically gets a slight breeze due to how it’s oriented. Big patio with tables spread far apart. So everyone is able to keep pretty well socially distanced. Surprisingly comfortable temp in the evening given it is summer in Phoenix.  

I’m pretty socially isolated otherwise. Feels like a pretty small risk given its impact on maintaining my sanity. Very thankful the owner wants us to keep going.

 

From the 4th of July. That’s the moon in that pic btw.

 

[Goredho 17,247]

I'm really falling in love with my Eastman T486.  Can't recommend it enough.  I think its every bit as good as a high end ES-335.  I did wind up replacing the neck pickup, a SD Jazz, with a SD Seth Lover and now I like all the pickup mixes.

Here's a first piece I've recorded with it that shows a lot of its tonal qualities across a lot of different styles.  Outside of the drums, all sounds were made with the Eastman running through a Line 6 Helix. 

 

 

[jimmyjazz 45,327]

Nice.  I get an Alex Lifeson vibe out of the hollowbody tone.  I like it better when it thickens up and goes into the lower register, it's just a shade brittle on the top end, but yeah, that's easy 335 class tone.  Nice job.

[DougO 5,238]

Very nicely done, Goredho. Nice looking axe.

[Goredho 17,247]

5 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Nice.  I get an Alex Lifeson vibe out of the hollowbody tone.  I like it better when it thickens up and goes into the lower register, it's just a shade brittle on the top end, but yeah, that's easy 335 class tone.  Nice job.

Thanks, appreciate it.  Am still playing with tone a bit. 

I think Alex Lifeson is criminally underrated.

[Deej 76,311]

4 hours ago, Goredho said:

I'm really falling in love with my Eastman T486. 

 

So, another month before your next NGD?