Guitar: tips tricks mods rigs - Q&A or just share info

a reply to: MystikMushroom

Unscrew the recessed chrome socket surround and lift it out. If it’s like a Fender, you'll find another nut just like the one on top. Using two spanners (and being careful with the connecting wires to the socket), hold one nut steady and tighten the other. That should hold it.

• Fender American Standard Stratocaster, white, 1998.
  
• Fender Highway One Stratocaster, Sixtieth Anniversary model, ‘Blackie’ colour scheme, pretty beat up.
  
• Squier Strat, natural sunburst, raised action and heavy strings for slide playing. Usually in open G tuning.
  
• Ibanez 430S II, black, more or less retired.
  
• Larrivée OM-01 acoustic, a plain-faced beauty.
  
• Fender dreadnought acoustic, usually in open G or DADGAD tuning these days.
  
• Marshall MG50dfx and an old Marshall Valvestate.
  
• Boss GT-8 with MXR Phase 100 and other bits and pieces looped through at need.

originally posted by: Astyanax
a reply to: MystikMushroom

Unscrew the recessed chrome socket surround and lift it out. If it’s like a Fender, you'll find another nut just like the one on top. Using two spanners (and being careful with the connecting wires to the socket), hold one nut steady and tighten the other. That should hold it.

• Fender American Standard Stratocaster, white, 1998.
  
• Fender Highway One Stratocaster, Sixtieth Anniversary model, ‘Blackie’ colour scheme, pretty beat up.
  
• Squier Strat, natural sunburst, raised action and heavy strings for slide playing. Usually in open G tuning.
  
• Ibanez 430S II, black, more or less retired.
  
• Larrivée OM-01 acoustic, a plain-faced beauty.
  
• Fender dreadnought acoustic, usually in open G or DADGAD tuning these days.
  
• Marshall MG50dfx and an old Marshall Valvestate.
  
• Boss GT-8 with MXR Phase 100 and other bits and pieces looped through at need.

Sounds like a pretty nice set up there. I like the way strats sound, but I was never fully comfortable playing them for some reason. That is unfortunate considering what a big SRV fan I am. I am not sure how it happened, but any acoustics I purchased must have been the migratory kind as I haven't seen any of them in a while... I used to keep an acoustic around for casual strumming on the patio.

Good thought on the backing nut on the jack plate. If the backing nut fell away the front nut would probably just draw the jack up to tension on the jack plate and then loosen up again when it was moved around. The last Fender jackplate I worked on had a single nut and a star lockwasher, but that was also a very lightweight and fragile part from China. The US jacks are much beefier and I believe they have the double nut arrangement.

Where to start?

Guitars I had and got rid of and now regret:
1968 LP standard tobacco sunburst with dimarzio pups.
1979 American standard strat (also TS)

Favorite guitar ever and was stolen was a Fender Duosonic.
Being a small guy I've never found another guitar that fit my hand so well.

I still have LP standard, SG standard, SG junior, Mexi=strat, Akerfeldt PRS that has sustain for days, Epiphone LP that I converted to using the top 6 strings of a 7 string set by enlarging the bridge and nut cut outs. Takamine acoustic.

I had an amp collection I dumped after getting a carvin 12" combo.
I did love my musicman 60 in it's prime and had a hognose way back which was damn good for a transistor amp.

Playing bass for the last 20 years though and my current favorite is a Spector Euro model.
I have 5 other basses for whatever reasons and a collection of maybe 50 microphones including some nice Telefunken, Neumann, Mojave, AKG, Sennheiser and Shures.

Can any of ya'll help me out here? If I wanted a new low-priced electric, what would you go for?

-strat
-tele
-les paul

?

I've played my old Peavy strat to death, and I'm kind of thinking it's probably warped to hell and the neck is cracking. I still have that Peavy Raptor 15w amp, and I found some huge amp down by a dumpster a while back that I've kept around (taking up space). I can't remember the name of the amp, but it's a solid $300 amp when I looked it up. Who says you can't find good stuff at the dumpster?

Dunno, I probably shouldn't get a new guitar considering I don't play the ghetto electric I have and the nice acoustic...lol.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

If I wanted a new low-priced electric, what would you go for?

A high-priced electric. Buying cheap musical instruments is a false economy. Music is art. Art is a luxury. Treat it as such, and it will reward you accordingly. Treat it like a skinflint and it will leave you.

Even a beginner (sorry, especially a beginner) deserves the best instrument they can possibly afford.

But you seem to be asking about what style of electric to buy. Different guitars sound different and do different things well.

Stratocasters offer the widest range of basic tones and are robust and easy to care for. You can play any music with a Strat, even jazz. They're my favourite guitars.

Les Pauls have a characteristic though versatile tone, and since they are frighteningly expensive you should probably only buy one if you must have that sound and no other. What they do best is that thick, creamy, soaring sound that is now standard in rock, especially blues-rock, but was originally invented by Eric Clapton and perfected by Jeff Beck and producer George Martin on a track called 'Because We've Ended as Lovers'.

In terms of playability LPs are not particularly well designed (unlike the Strat, which is like an extension of the human body) and very heavy besides. Gibsons do have one advantage over a Strat, though: separate volume controls for each pickup. Watch 'What Is and What Will Never Be' on Led Zeppelin's DVD How the West Was Won to see how Jimmy Page sets the controls so that he can toggle between a warm, clean sound on the front pickup and the Hammer of the Gods on the back pickup. You can't do that with a Strat or a Tele.

A Telecaster is mandatory for country and country-rock, because guitarists in those styles traditionally play them. The classic modern country guitar sound comes from a Tele, particularly from the rear pickup. Sometimes the Tele will be a G&L ASAT, a kind of super-Tele designed by Leo Fender.

Gretsches are the go-to marque for rockabilly. Big Gretsch semis have a bit of overlap with Telecasters since some quiff-rockers favour Teles and the king of country players, Chet Atkins, was one of many Nashville pickers to favour a Gretsch. I am saving up for one of the new centre-block Gretsches, not just because I like rockabilly guitar but for the sound.

The Gibson ES-335 is the monarch of electric guitars -- as versatile in its way as a Strat but with a commanding sound and luxurious feel. Costs a small fortune, but if any guitar can be called the gold standard, it is the dot-neck ES-335.

A personal favourite of mine is the Gibson SG, but only because I had a really nice one growing up.

a reply to: Astyanax

I hear ya...I have a really nice acoustic, but it's damn hard to play because of the pressure you have to use to press the strings to the finger board.

I ought to dig out my Uke, I bought a real one in Hawaii ...I had to go to an actual music store to find one, as I didn't want a cheap touristy piece of crap.

I kind of like this one because it's designed for cramped spaces ... and it just looks friggin' weird! Also, I can plug my headphones into it, apparently and not wake the upstairs neighbors.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
Can any of ya'll help me out here? If I wanted a new low-priced electric, what would you go for?

-strat
-tele
-les paul

?

I've played my old Peavy strat to death, and I'm kind of thinking it's probably warped to hell and the neck is cracking. I still have that Peavy Raptor 15w amp, and I found some huge amp down by a dumpster a while back that I've kept around (taking up space). I can't remember the name of the amp, but it's a solid $300 amp when I looked it up. Who says you can't find good stuff at the dumpster?

Dunno, I probably shouldn't get a new guitar considering I don't play the ghetto electric I have and the nice acoustic...lol.

Everyone can make recommendations based on what they like, but in the end it is how the guitar feels in 'your' hands that matters the most.

If high string tension is something you aren't comfortable with I would avoid guitars like the strat. The scale length is longer and has more string tension. Go for a shorter scale length and it will play easier. Regardless of the brand or style of guitar, you want to get the most for your money. Establish your price point first, then start looking in that range.

There are some great deals out there if you look hard enough, but it has to feel right to you. I would suggest heading to a music store with a good selection of guitars and get a feel for the brands and styles that fit you best.

Here is one I saw recently that I liked alot. For the money, this is one of the best deals I have seen in a while... It has nice electronics and some kick ass pups and a floyd trem. And I very nice see through finish too... The next level up has better electronics and full neck thru as opposed to set-thru as this one has.

link

(I hope posting that link was not a violation of T&C's)

a reply to: Astyanax

Nice bringing up Jeff Beck's blow by blow (we've ended as lovers)
One of the top 10 guitar albums of all time.
SG's are the most reasonably priced Gibsons and seem to fit about any style of playing.
IF Mystik is looking for a reasonably priced guitar that's decent check Craig's list for used Schecters.
For under $500 you probably won't find better guitars.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

Trying tuning down your guitar a whole step.
It will make the string tension less and easier to push the strings down.
Buy a capo, then you can still play the same songs just moved 2 frets up.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

With an acoustic you are pretty limited with the adjustments you can make. Depending on the relief in the neck you might be able to cut the nut and saddle grooves deeper. If you are not 100% confident with your skills, I would leave that to a professional. Even if you can cut the grooves, it will only offer a small adjustment in string height but it might be enough to make a difference.

a reply to: Vroomfondel

I really like that guitar. Clean black...

I mainly just want something to sit around and mess with. I used to be halfway decent when I played every day many years ago. Alas, all the callouses on my fingers are long gone

Okay, does THIS seem like a good deal? $279 instead of $999 ...

I think it looks badass...and it's see-through!

Oh, I had to re-arrange some stuff anyway today and looked at the guitar amp I rescued from the dumpster. It turns out it's a Pyle Pro PPG860A:




It works and everything. It's frigging huge though and takes up a ton of space. I've had to save it again a few times from my girl trying to throw it back out. If nothing else, I probably could hook it up to my DJ deck as a ghetto PA system.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

I would be leery of any instrument with an acrylic body. It just won't resonate like wood does and the tones can vary widely even between instruments from the same production run. There are some reasonably priced ESP LTD's and non American made Fenders as well as Epiphone's that are really good bang for the buck as well.

ETA upon looking a little harder, the LTD's aren't as inexpensive as I remember them. there are these though in a similar price range as the BC Rich

www.americanmusical.com...

www.americanmusical.com...

a reply to: peter vlar

It's been so long since I've played...but I always remember being jealous of my friends that had les paul guitars. I can't remember why though.

When I was in Jr. High a bunch of us used to bring our guitars to school every day, one of the teachers would let us sit in their class room and play. One kid had a telecaster and I thought it was pretty awesome, as no one else had one.

Anything has to be better than the Peavy Raptor 1 I have in the basement. I've seen cracks on the neck the last time I took it out, and there's a buzzing on the frets...I jammed some paper under the string up by the head...the guides or whatever
the strings pass through before the actual neck/fingerboard. It's covered in stupid late 90's teenage stickers (im 33 now lol) and as I said, the 1/4" jack always falls out.

I don't think it was even a $200 guitar by itself when my folks bought it for Christmas LOL.

Now that I'm all grown up, why not have a semi-decent guitar to pick up and pluck around on now and then?

I can use my Apogee Duet to plug the electric guitar into my computer and record...and use my software to apply effects too.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

I have a really nice acoustic, but it's damn hard to play because of the pressure you have to use to press the strings to the finger board.

This should never be the case on a good guitar. It shouldn’t even be the case on an average guitar. And you can fix it.

Asktheanimals:
Trying tuning down your guitar a whole step.
It will make the string tension less and easier to push the strings down.
Buy a capo, then you can still play the same songs just moved 2 frets up.

This works up to a point, but it is palliating the symptoms, not curing the problem.

Moreover, a too-high action causes the strings to stretch too far when you fret them. You cannot play notes more than three or four frets up the nut without pushing them out of tune.

What you need to do is reduce the gap between the strings and the fingerboard.

Vroomfondel
With an acoustic you are pretty limited with the adjustments you can make. Depending on the relief in the neck you might be able to cut the nut and saddle grooves deeper. If you are not 100% confident with your skills, I would leave that to a professional.

This directly addresses the problem but may not cure it.

If your guitar’s strings are too high above the fingerboard, there are three possible reasons.

1. The bridge and/or nut are too high.
   
   
2. The neck has acquired a bow in it.
   
   
3. The soundboard of the guitar (that is, the top of the body) has warped and risen, lifting the bridge with it.

A visual check will tell you which it is. It may be a combination of any two, or all three factors.

As Vroomfondel (great name btw) says, you can cut the bridge and nut grooves deeper. This will work if (1) above is the cause of your difficulty. However, it can’t cope with gross neck and body distortions and if you saw down too far you will cause fret rattle and choking, effectively destroying the playability of the guitar (though you can always have the nut and bridge rebuilt by a professional).

Too-shallow nut grooves are rare on expensive guitars. Do a visual check; the strings should sit firmly in the groove, though the sixth (bass) string could be partly exposed. There should be no lateral play in the groove, which should terminate a minute distance above the fingerboard of the instrument.

On the bridge side, I would recommend planing down the entire saddle (at the bottom) rather than cutting grooves in it. This way, you can always put a shim under the bridge if you need to raise it again.

But I very much doubt that the bridge and the nut are your problem. Not if it’s a good guitar that you paid a lot for.

More likely, the bridge or soundboard have become warped through improper storage. My heart sank when I heard you keep your guitars in the basement. Excessive or insufficient humidity and regular changes in temperature both cause wood to warp. If you store your guitars in cases, that’s even worse. Guitars should be kept out in the open as much as possible, or at least taken out, aired and tuned every day. Better yet, they need to be played every day. And when storage is necessary, they should be kept where temperature and humidity are moderate and relatively constant.

But fear not. There is still a lot you (or a repairman) can do to fix your axe.

If your problem is (2), it is easily solved for a quality steel-string guitar. A bowed neck, if it is not too absurdly concave or convex, can be brought back into correct trim by adjusting the truss rod (as you probably know, that’s a steel rod that sits inside the neck). Its tension can be adjusted with a screw or nut, which will be found either beneath a plate on the headstock or else inside the guitar, accessible through the soundhole. However, if you need to make more than a three-quarter turn to fix the action, take the guitar to a pro. Too much tightening can snap the neck.

I have no idea what one does with classical guitars, which normally lack truss rods.

Finally, (3), the hardest problem. Variations in humidity can cause the top of a guitar to swell outward or (more rarely) cave inwards. Reducing the height of the bridge can help but it is not a good solution, especially if the top has risen quite far. Again, you can check this visually — though unless you’re playing a top-of-the-market guitar and even then, you’re sure to find a slight amount of convexity in the soundboard. The thing is to keep it from getting out of hand.

Fixing a swollen top is a job for a professional luthier. Basically, what he’ll do is put your guitar in a wood press and keep it there until it resumes its intended shape. Don’t try this at home.

If it’s a good guitar the manufacturer should be happy to help you restore it. Not sure about Gibson, but definitely the others. I had a problem with my Larrivée (admittedly a fairly exotic one) and wrote to the company. I got a lot of help and advice and even an offer of free repair (which I couldn’t take up because it would have involved shipping the guitar about 10,000 miles), not from Jean Larrivée himself but from one of his sons. I was thoroughly impressed.

This may help: how to set up a guitar

a reply to: peter vlar

I would be leery of any instrument with an acrylic body.

Nothing wrong with Dan Armstrong guitars...

a reply to: Astyanax

It's always been that way, straight from the factory. It was like that when I bought it, and as long as your an experienced player -- it doesn't pose any problem. My guitar teacher made it sing and kind of shrugged when I said it was hard for me to play.

Maybe it's the type of acoustic, it's a folk-style...

a reply to: MystikMushroom

Okay, that’s a bit different.

Do you have trouble with any other guitars?

originally posted by: Astyanax
a reply to: peter vlar

I would be leery of any instrument with an acrylic body.

Nothing wrong with Dan Armstrong guitars...

Certainly there are going to be exceptions and like style of music one plays, it really comes down to personal preference. As a bass player, I wouldn't go near an acrylic bodied instrument to save my life. I'll stick with my Ernie Ball Musicman. Again, it's a personal preference though. I should have made the point not to just order one online because off the price if you haven't played it first as opposed to dismissing the notion entirely.