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This talk of first guitars has me finally getting around to transforming my very first, an sx butterscotch tele-clone I'm thinking I'm gonna fill in the bridge route and paint it freehand with acrylics and then give it a 1 pickup/1 knob set-up. I dunno yet entirely where it's gonna go. I've got a few coats of primer on it though.
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Feb 24, 2023 03:40
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Bought and installed locking tuners for my new strat and it’s incredible how much more useable the whammy bar is when the guitar stays in tune. Still loving this guitar otherwise, sat down the last week or two and used my new guitar energy to learn to play most of Jessica and focus specifically on hammer ons and pull offs which I’ve always just kinda done the bare minimum for and can really tell the difference in note clarity now that I’m focusing.
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Feb 24, 2023 04:55
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Does anyone have any experience or recommendations for a bridge pickup in a Tele that’s suited for hard rock/metal/punk? I have a Squier contemporary Tele with the rail humbucker in the bridge. Love the guitar but find the pickups a bit boomy and muddy so want to swap them out for something better. I believe they are pretty hot to begin with so something of a similar level would be good. I’m not playing black metal or anything so doesn’t need to be extremely hot, just kinda mid to hot. I guess worth noting the neck is a normal size humbucker so whatever I choose for the bridge would need to pair with something of that style. If they made a Tele style JB that would probably be perfect but they don’t. However SD and Dimarzio have a bunch of options but I find it really hard to get an idea of what they would be like from their website.
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Feb 24, 2023 05:32
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Have you tried adjusting the pickup height?
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Feb 24, 2023 05:33
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Dang It Bhabhi! posted:Have you tried adjusting the pickup height? Not on this guitar. Lower it for less bass?
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Feb 24, 2023 06:39
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Lower the side that the lower strings are on a bit then see how it sounds. If it's less bassy but still a bit too much so, give the screw another turn or so to lower it a bit more. The lower the magnets are from the strings, the less powerful of an "imprint" the strings apply to the magnetic field of the pickup.
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Feb 24, 2023 07:13
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I have a dimarzio super distortion rail in my tele and it’s fine. I’ve tried a Seymour Duncan hot rail and hated it, it’s so obnoxiously high output it can’t really do much except one sound.
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Feb 24, 2023 13:17
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Is there an actual reason Epiphone doesn’t do many Les Paul Specials or Jrs.? I’d seriously consider one if they weren’t all 4000 dollar Gibson student guitars. I see Epiphone did a few at some point, I know some people make some good knockoffs it just seems like a model they should have? Specifically in Blue without Beato on the headstock. Edit: oh wait, is there no way to intonate them? NM I guess. TheMightyBoops fucked around with this message at 16:02 on Feb 24, 2023 |
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Feb 24, 2023 15:56
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TheMightyBoops posted:Is there an actual reason Epiphone doesn’t do many Les Paul Specials or Jrs.? I’d seriously consider one if they weren’t all 4000 dollar Gibson student guitars. I see Epiphone did a few at some point, I know some people make some good knockoffs it just seems like a model they should have? Intonation is overrated, but you'll get "good enough" with the lightning bolt bridge. if it bothers you that much there are replacements with individual saddles available from around $15 and up on Amazon
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Feb 24, 2023 16:21
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Intonation is for cowards and horn players. If any UK goons are going to the Guitar Show this weekend I'll be on the Hiwatt/Park stand. I'm the one without hair.
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Feb 24, 2023 17:08
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ah gently caress that led me to google the weight of les paul specials and find out that they're actually really light. i'm in trouble now
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Feb 24, 2023 17:38
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landgrabber posted:ah gently caress that led me to google the weight of les paul specials and find out that they're actually really light. 
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Feb 24, 2023 17:43
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darkwasthenight posted:Intonation is for cowards and horn players. Looked at it but think it's a no from me, Crossrail is closed and apparently is need to take a taxi for the last leg? Would have liked to see Hooky.
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Feb 24, 2023 18:18
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massive spider posted:I have a dimarzio super distortion rail in my tele and it’s fine. I’ve tried a Seymour Duncan hot rail and hated it, it’s so obnoxiously high output it can’t really do much except one sound. This is good to know! A bunch of Reddit people seemed to think the hot rails was the way to go. Maybe the tone zone t is the way? What don’t you like about the distortion t? Edit: sorry should have added that I did lower the pickups a bit and it got better but also sounds weaker which I guess makes sense. I need to do a comparison with my RG to ensure they are roughly similar volumes.
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Feb 24, 2023 18:58
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Red_Fred posted:If they made a Tele style JB that would probably be perfect but they don’t. However SD and Dimarzio have a bunch of options but I find it really hard to get an idea of what they would be like from their website. massive spider posted:I have a dimarzio super distortion rail in my tele and it’s fine. I’ve tried a Seymour Duncan hot rail and hated it, it’s so obnoxiously high output it can’t really do much except one sound. I put a Chopper T (dimarzio rail pickup like the Super Distortion, but lower output) in a tele a month or two back and I dig it. A bit less trebly than a typical Tele bridge pickup, but still nice and clear, definitely not boomy and muddy. The higher output Super Distortion T or Tone Zone might be a bit better for metal, but you could probably pull it off with a Chopper. (Bonus points to Dimarzio for the color options, got mine with a mint green cover to match my mint green pickguard.)
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Feb 24, 2023 18:59
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The tele transformation in slow progress A before picture from when I was rewiring/crowning it forever ago  rough primer coating, filling in screw holes and the neck cavity with wood scraps I had from a different project  I have no idea what I'm doing but how else do you learn, eh Good Soldier Svejk fucked around with this message at 19:33 on Feb 24, 2023 |
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Feb 24, 2023 19:29
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Red_Fred posted:This is good to know! A bunch of Reddit people seemed to think the hot rails was the way to go. Maybe the tone zone t is the way? What don’t you like about the distortion t? If you want a lower or medium output Tele bridge bucker, have you tried a lil59 or pearly gates?
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Feb 24, 2023 20:27
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I remember the dude from Unsane having a 59 in the bridge of his Tele into a rat or D+ into two fender twins. They are heavy as poo poo and it sounds great to me.
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Feb 24, 2023 22:15
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I was watching a Gary Moore bideo and I suddenly became concerned with sustain. I mean vibrato too.
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Feb 24, 2023 22:23
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makes cool blues faces too
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Feb 24, 2023 22:30
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Sweaty IT Nerd posted:I was watching a Gary Moore bideo and I suddenly became concerned with sustain. Did you fall down a rabbit hole because every video about the Marshall pedal reissues mentions him using a Guv'nor Speaking of: Marshall has reissued the Guv'nor, Bluesbreaker, Drivemaster, and Shredmaster pedals - they're kind of expensive but honestly they sound sick. Want a Guv'nor for JCM in a box+Heartwork tones and I think of the bluesy mild overdrive sounds I like the Bluesbreaker the best. I'm sure there are cheaper versions of the same circuits out there.
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Feb 24, 2023 22:35
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I ordered a philosopher stone right away. I think that King of Kings from Joyo is meant to rip off the Guv
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Feb 24, 2023 22:57
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Sweaty IT Nerd posted:I ordered a philosopher stone right away. ?? Surely the King of Kings is mean to be a clone of a King of Tone, but with the switches on the face of the pedal instead of inside?
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Feb 24, 2023 23:18
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When I choogled it seemed like the king of tone was a guv rip off edit: I am ready to be wrong and love corrections.
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Feb 24, 2023 23:46
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KoT is supposedly based on the blues breaker circuit.
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Feb 24, 2023 23:55
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I've had a breakthrough!  A few months back I posted about how the Sentient and Nazgul sounded really weak and bad with my new (to me) RG655M compared with my Contemporary Tele. Well...turns out the pickups on the Tele were probably a tad high and the RG pickups were ridiculously low, like >5mm! I've spent some time tweaking them (used the Sketchy Setups for each as starting points/how-to) and now they both sound way better between pickups, strings and between the two guitars! Thanks thread! I mean, I'll probably still swap out the pickups on the Squier as I'm sure some Dimarzio or SD would be better but it's not as urgent now.
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Feb 24, 2023 23:58
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Baron von Eevl posted:KoT is supposedly based on the blues breaker circuit. Whoops
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Feb 25, 2023 00:01
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If anyone wins the lottery, i'd like to put in a request for a Blackbeard guitar:    Just stunning guitars https://www.chitarrebarbanera.it/ Lungboy fucked around with this message at 01:18 on Feb 25, 2023 |
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Feb 25, 2023 01:15
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That T-body is sexy
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Feb 25, 2023 01:32
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darkwasthenight posted:Intonation is for cowards and horn players. that cannot be something that came out of kalamazoo. please tell me they didn't design and release a 12 string guitar with a wrap-around bridge e: it wouldn't even be kalamazoo at that point anyway would it
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Feb 25, 2023 04:16
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all bridges should be wrap around
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Feb 25, 2023 07:33
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Red_Fred posted:This is good to know! A bunch of Reddit people seemed to think the hot rails was the way to go. Maybe the tone zone t is the way? What don’t you like about the distortion t? I’m gonna level with you it’s been years since I switched the pickups and I can’t recall if what I actually have in the tele is a super distortion or a tone zone. Either way I said it’s fine just because, it does the job and with pickups it’s so subjective that I hesitate to say “its amazing and will be just what you need!” Ive never honestly had a holy poo poo amazing experience from a pick up swap really, I just have strong (negative) feelings about the hot rails because it’s so limited. If I want more gain to hit an amp harder I’d buy an overdrive pedal.
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Feb 25, 2023 15:05
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DOPE FIEND KILLA G posted:all bridges should be wrap around I like having the strings behind the bridge to support my hand a little when not palm muting on my jazzmaster. So comfy.
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Feb 25, 2023 20:47
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My fret leveling attempt worked!!! Was a bit scared going in, this is a full custom guitar and lmao if I gently caress it up, but I’d grabbed the Fret Kisser plus polishing kit from StewMac and it was pretty easy! Took about 30 minutes total; I didn’t do the best crowning or polishing job, it comes to a point but the edges on either side are a little hard, not as rounded as I’d like, and it’s just the tiniest bit grainy on a few spots, but it now plays fine again at 11th fret, no dead notes anymore! Not sure I’m going to attempt the M80M as that’s got at least 5 bad ones above 14 or so and I want to sell the guitar, but at least I can handle individual frets now!
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Feb 25, 2023 21:15
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Here's my first Harley Benton, the basic ST20CA-LH (sorry for the mess on the bed): I'm pretty happy for less than $200 shipped; the body finish looks great and it doesn't sound appreciably worse than my Squier Classic Vibe 60s. The matte/satin neck finish is noticeably bare-bones compared to the pretty nice gloss finish on the Squier, but it's not like it's unplayably bad, just slightly rougher to the touch. The frets on the bottom side of the neck are a little bit sharp, but likewise, that's not so bad that I'm in a great big hurry to learn fret filing. I also haven't become super fastidious about the humidity I store my guitars in, the weather here has been whipsawing back and forth between dry and very wet, and the guitar just came halfway around the world. Similarly, the nut isn't terrible???:  Seems like there were a few little slivers of plastic debris around the nut slots from the factory or QC, and it isn't glossed in at the edges like on the Squier, but it seems resonant enough. I am mainly playing through modelers and headphones, so maybe I'd hear different if I tried it with a tube amp or a big speaker cab? Once again, good enough so far that I'm not chomping at the bit to learn nut replacement yet. It doesn't stay in tune super great so far, but part of that may be me banging it around in the gig bag it came with to transport it. I've got the Music Nomad setup kit that was suggested earlier in the thread on the way, so I'll follow their instructions and see where that gets me. One thing I do want to do pretty quickly is replace the tuners:  What's my best bet for locking tuners in this style? The ones it came with are kind of crappy, seems like they need an 8th of a turn or so before they actually engage and start to stretch the string. Ultimately, I bought this both to have a backup/travel instrument, and to learn to work on and upgrade guitars. So yeah, I'm going to end up throwing a lot of money at a cheap guitar, and all the little work I mentioned like fret filing and nut replacement will probably happen at some point, but the learning experience and satisfying my DIY urges will be well worth it. I also grabbed this mini Fender amp for $35 to keep in the gig bag and practice with during downtime at work:  It's surprisingly decent for clean tones and a little bit of crunch, but sounds terrible if you turn the gain knob past 5, at least with single coils. It's loud enough to fill the 20x10 shipping container we use for an office at my job, and I can still hear it with multiple cooling fans and a big diesel generator going in the background. It takes a 9V battery, but I bought a 9V power supply to go with it, so no idea about battery life. I'm still in the beginner stages in the Justin Guitar curriculum, so really I need to practice more than I need to buy new gear. One thing that's helped is keeping my fingernails short and being sure to fret chords with just my fingertips - I was fat-finger obstructing open strings in the A chord for a couple weeks, and that was really holding me up. Now I'm starting to feel confident with the D, A, and E chords. Between that and committing to learning left-handed, which I didn't even know was an option when I first attempted to learn 20 years ago, I actually feel like I can make progress! I've got usable practice setups both at home and at work, and the latter I can take with me when I travel, so here's hoping I can really make a go of it this year.
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Feb 27, 2023 06:06
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istewart posted:
I've got Gotohs on multiple guitars and like them. Eyeballing it makes these seem like they might fit without having to redrill or anything but look at the measurement diagram and double check. The same website has multiple button sizes, different versions of Gotohs, etc. https://www.philadelphialuthiertool...onfigured-sets/
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Feb 27, 2023 13:43
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istewart posted:I also grabbed this mini Fender amp for $35 to keep in the gig bag and practice with during downtime at work: Cute! Is that handle purely cosmetic? Looks like you wouldn't be able to get your fingers under there.
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Feb 27, 2023 13:56
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The biggest tuning issue I've had with literally every cheap strat I've owned is the string trees. That could actually be the cause of the tuners not "tuning" until an eighth turn - the string is binding on them. https://graphtech.com/products/tusq-xl-sleek-string-trees I bought some staggered height locking tuners from gfs a while back that have been pretty great. They say you don't need a string tree with them, but I really didn't find that to be the case. I just figure the staggered heights if nothing else will reduce the tension on the string trees and help the string slide through.
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Feb 27, 2023 14:04
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Modern-style tuners held in via a nut on the front are usually 10mm. It is unlikely a strat-style guitar would come with smaller holes unless it had vintage push-fit bushings, but it might be good to measure to be sure. The Graphtech string trees are good, although not chrome. I've also used Gotoh RG15/RG30 barrel string retainers on a guitar, and they seem fine and look a bit more traditional on a headstock.
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Feb 27, 2023 15:04
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Baron von Eevl posted:The biggest tuning issue I've had with literally every cheap strat I've owned is the string trees. That could actually be the cause of the tuners not "tuning" until an eighth turn - the string is binding on them. Whoah some locking tuners I won’t feel bad about paying for.
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Feb 27, 2023 15:20
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