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I've got a valvetronix, what do you want to know about it?
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Feb 15, 2015 18:05
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unlawfulsoup posted:Well, some clumsy oaf me knocked a guitar off its stand when chasing a gigantic jumping spider. Long story short, the guitar is generally fine, but the stupid switch tip broke off. It is an AL-2000 if that makes any difference. What is a a good replacement? I see lots of switches at places, but is there a brand/type worth getting over others? I can get a replacement from Rondo for like $3, but you guys probably know if something else is better. Is the switch itself broken or just the switch tip? The tip you can just get whatever you think looks good, it's just a piece of plastic so there aren't really going to be quality differences between brands. If you need a new switch then Switchcraft is probably the highest quality switch you are going to find, but cheaper ones work just as well and I can't really think of any brands to avoid.
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May 27, 2015 21:27
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Whats a good multi-guitar stand that can fit at least 7 guitars (six electric, one acoustic) and wont harm nitro finishes? I want to keep my guitars out so I feel more motivated to play them. Having to dig cases out of my closet each time kinda kills the desire to play.
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May 24, 2016 16:25
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TollTheHounds posted:I'm nearly there in my guitar fund to get a new one, so I'm now starting to look more seriously for that "special something" that calls to me to either use for alternate tunings or to make my standard and turn my SG into the alternate. I've got both a Gibson Les Paul and a Gibson Flying V and I can honestly say that I play the V a lot more. I really like both, but the V is lighter, the toggle switch is out of the way (I sometimes find myself hitting the toggle on Les Pauls when I play aggressively), and it has much better fret access. Playing in the classical position isn't really a pain as it mimics the position your guitar is in while playing standing up, and it helps with your posture because you can't lean over the guitar as much due to hooking the guitar around your leg, but it does take some time to get used to if you don't play in that position normally. The pickups are also pretty hot ceramics that can crunch with the best of them. I don't know what the prices on the used market are in Canada, but in the States a used Gibson V starts around $750 for one in good condition and you could pick up a used faded series for slightly less than that if you don't care about a gloss finish or case.
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Jun 15, 2016 17:10
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TollTheHounds posted:It's not as weird as I thought playing sitting down although if I don't put my left leg up I have to kind of squeeze the left horn with my legs to angle it up, really working those inner thighs - but still comfortable. The only downside is that I was hoping it would be perfect for standing up playing without having to hold the neck and it has the same problem my SG does, because the neck strap bolt ( already put a lock on it ) is on the back not on the "side" and the neck is so long, it just slides right down. I guess I'll just have to get used to holding the neck up while playing since even with my vinyl strap and wearing a beater ( so it's strap to skin directly ) it just won't stay upright. Nice pickup! Vs always need more love in these threads. One thing that can help with the neck dive is to get a wide strap. The width helps the strap grab onto your shoulder, doubly so if it's made from leather as the suede will add even more grip. That sucks about the switch  Is it actually broken or did they just forget to screw the tip on?
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Jul 4, 2016 20:31
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Shugojin posted:So there's a weird Ibanez/Jackson frankensteined body/neck on local cl with no hardware or electronics for $50 They exist, though they aren't the prettiest things out there. Guitar fetish makes a few and they're the cheapest option unless you want to scrounge ebay: Humbucker Rout adapter ring. Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Aug 5, 2016 |
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Aug 5, 2016 15:27
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I wish guitar body styles didn't have associations with specific genres. I know so many people who write off or refuse to try great guitars because they're not "metal enough" or "too country." It's kind of depressing sometimes
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Sep 20, 2016 21:11
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Yeah, Gibson made a few one-pickup Les Pauls a few years ago through their custom shop. I guess they got really popular because they released a cheaper "high power" version last year with dot inlays and no binding. The custom shop ones are pretty stunning though: 
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Apr 17, 2017 14:54
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Honestly, the pickguard screws and polepieces being rusty aren't going to affect anything so I wouldn't bother. That kind of rust is just cosmetic and won't change your tone or anything. Plus they're just going to rust. The saddles might not need it either, but it might be a good idea to clean them anyway in case they develop sharp points or something. If want to clean them, the rust on the polepieces will flake off easily if you scratch it with your nail or credit card. If it's really stubborn, take the covers off and sand them lightly with a high-grit sandpaper or wire brush. The saddles you'd have to remove and clean with a toothbrush and some hydrogen peroxide or similar solvent. The pickguard screws you can do the same as the saddles, but they're also so cheap you could just replace them to save some time.
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Dec 21, 2017 22:40
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Spatulater bro! posted:My newly acquired 2008 MIA strat has some high frets but no notable fret wear. Is it more likely that the frets moved over time, or that it came this way from the factory? It doesn't change anything either way (I need to have it leveled), but I'm curious. Could be either, really. There are so many variables that there's no way to know. I'm inclined to say it's more likely that the frets moved just due to my own experiences, but that shouldn't be taken as anything other than an anecdote.
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Dec 25, 2017 19:22
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Alvarez, Ibanez, ESP/LTD, and occasionally Fender (who sometimes even just bolt a strat neck onto an acoustic body) all make acoustics with slim necks. Most manufacturers stick with fatter necks to help combat the added string tension, but these should all be a good bet and will be well within your price range. Out of all the ones I've personally tried, the Ibanez have generally had the thinnest.
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Dec 29, 2017 07:20
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It could be a couple of things, the most likely culprit being a loose tuner screw. The tuner should have a small hex nut around the tuner post. Tighten it a little and see if that helps. It could also be that your action is too low or your nut cut too high, and the string is picking up some sympathetic vibrations when it hits the first fret. If that's the case, adjusting the truss rod or raising the bridge saddle a little bit will help alleviate the problem until you can figure out which one it is. Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 07:31 on Dec 30, 2017 |
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Dec 30, 2017 07:26
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Nah, they're bailing on NAMM because they're trying to save money to pay back their debt. I can't really fault them for that as it's a huge amount of money for floor space at a convention that's been drawing less people each year.
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Jan 10, 2018 22:47
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Yeah, I totally get the symbolic part of it, it just seems like Gibson is kinda trapped in a PR nightmare no matter what they decided to with NAMM. If they went, people would say it's a huge waste of money for a company in such debt and how out of touch they are going despite already revealing their 2018 range; and if they didn't go, well, we can already see the response there. I'm no Gibson apologist, but I can understand their decision. My hope is that this will lead to a restructuring with a focus on quality over quantity, but I wouldn't be surprised if that doesn't happen. Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 01:06 on Jan 11, 2018 |
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Jan 11, 2018 01:02
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This might be a super minority opinion, but I really wanted Fender to announce a modernized version of the MIM '72 Tele Custom at NAMM this year. Love the look and the sound, but the gloss neck, small radius, the too-low-value pots, and vintage fret wire always leave me a little disappointed. Change those, add a belly cut, and that would be a day one purchase for me.
Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 18:21 on Jan 26, 2018 |
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Jan 26, 2018 18:07
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its curtains for Kevin posted:Oh yeah; the 60hz hum in the strat doesn’t go away in the 2 and 4 position; isn’t a lack of reverse polarity pickups in the middle more common in older instruments? Yeah, reverse-wound middle pickups weren't installed even in Fenders until the late 70's or early 80's. Are you going to replace the bridge screw? You could take out or loosen the middle four screws and make it into a two-point trem if you can't find an easy replacement. Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 00:32 on Jan 27, 2018 |
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Jan 27, 2018 00:23
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its curtains for Kevin posted:Also drilled the holes for the bridge and stoppiece, installed a ground to the treble bridge Post, and went to autozone and got some 2000 grit and polish and buffed the lacquer on top. Smooth to the touch! This is looking really good so far! Is the tailpiece close enough to the bridge for a good break angle? It looks kind of far away to me, but maybe it's just the angle of the photo or you maybe you planned it that way.
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Jan 27, 2018 06:13
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its curtains for Kevin posted:I prefer to have a shallower angle because I dislike having to constantly lube up with graphite to avoid strings catching. The recommended distance is 2 inches, and I have it set at just past that at about 2 and a quarter. Ah, I see. I was curious because you could have top wrapped the strings to get the same effect, but if this works for you then more power to you. This is what I love about build threads, lots of cool little tweaks!
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Jan 27, 2018 19:05
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its curtains for Kevin posted:The only problem is that I don’t know where to start. Is the smaller pot a 250? You might already be aware of this, but you can't tell a pot's value by the physical size of it. Mini pots come in all kinds of values, even all the way up to 1 meg which my friend found out when he assembled a DIY LP Junior kit, so the easiest way to tell would be to take it out and look for the stamped or printed numbers next to the shaft. If they aren't there (like if the pots are super cheap), you'd need a multimeter to check the resistance.
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Jan 28, 2018 16:44
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its curtains for Kevin posted:I’m also shockingly happy with my jazz tone. This Filtertron is ultra fat in the neck with the tone rolled down. I don't have really anything to add to the already amazing critique, I just wanted to say that I really liked the tone you got. Are the pickups real filtertrons or are they underwound humbuckers? I'm pleasantly surprised you were able to get such a fat tone with filtertrons as I've always thought they were really bright and twangy. Maybe they're more versatile than I initially gave them credit for.
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Feb 5, 2018 19:24
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skooma512 posted:You can restring it yourself! All you need is strings, a peg winder with something to dig out the bridge pins, and more bridge pins in case you run into problems. If not, any store or shop will be able to do this for you for like 10 bucks plus the cost of strings. I'm gonna go off of what this guy says and say that you don't really need a string winder. It will help cut some time off of restringing it, but it's not a necessary purchase. You can push the bridge pins out with a spoon if you reach into the soundhole, and winding the strings by hand really doesn't take that long. That being said, if you're unsure of what to do you should take it to a shop. Even if you decide to string it yourself, you'll probably need some help choosing the right kind of string.
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Feb 17, 2018 19:01
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rio posted:What the gently caress is “resinwood”? They say it has a mahogany core which doesn’t seem to make sense since anything encased in resin isn’t going to matter. They could cover poo poo with resin and it’d sound the same as mahogany. Is it really just a name for a smaller piece of wood covered in normal resin or is there something else going on? You've got it, basically. The wood is there to act as an anchor point for the bolt-on neck and the resin allowed them to make quick, cheap, and durable finishes on what was then a student guitar.
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Mar 19, 2018 03:18
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Well, how cheap is cheap? An inexpensive new case is about $60 from a brand like Musicians Gear. Even though they're a budget brand, I've never had a bad experience with any of their products.
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Apr 22, 2018 04:49
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baka kaba posted:Just make sure that whatever you get, you remember what gauge they are. Acoustic sets are annoying, in that they get called "extra light" etc instead of just using the number. Just makes it harder to remember exactly what you're using imo This isn't entirely accurate. Acoustic string packs also list the gauge. It's not like a store employee is going to look at you slack-jawed of you say you want Martin acoustic tens or something.
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Apr 25, 2018 00:11
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Agent355 posted:Having a problem with my 4-5 year old guitar. Sometimes when I bump the volume knob with my hand while playing the sound will short out and I have to jiggle the knob to get it to come back at all. It will cut out almost entirely even if the knob isn't actually moved. Most likely is just a loose connection. Is the pot screwed on tightly? You shouldn't be able to jiggle it. If the pot itself is loose it could be making contact with the wood of the guitar, creating a short. Either way, bad connections are pretty easy to diagnose. Gently pull the wires soldered to the pot and if you can feel some give in the solder joint, it needs to be resoldered. While you're at it, you should also check the input jack. Occasionally, the force of inserting and removing the instrument cable or retightening the nut a lot can cause the jack to rotate in place, breaking the solder joints. This doesn't happen often, but it's good to check just in case.
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Apr 25, 2018 22:38
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Yeah, bare wire is a ground. Are your grounds all connected at the same joint?
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May 31, 2018 20:56
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magnificent7 posted:According to the wiring diagram, though, the ground goes to the volume pot, which is then wired to the sleeve ground. Seymour Duncan wiring diagrams don't include the master ground wire in them for whatever reason. It's the wire connected to the bridge (or trem claw) and it needs to be soldered to the other grounds. If you have a braided bridge ground wire, the braid will also have to be soldered to the back of the pot. This is probably a dumb question, but do all your grounds terminate at the same solder joint? In the diagram, it's this solder joint on the volume pot:  I would assume they already do if you're just following the wiring that was in there before, but occasionally I find myself mixing up some wires and soldering the ground to the wrong place.
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May 31, 2018 22:01
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magnificent7 posted:Here's the idiot response: everything sounded correct before I started doing any wiring. The original pickups, while crappy, sounded the way pickups normally sound. I haven't touched any of the other wires, haven't moved the pickups, so my thinking is, "hey everything is perfect except for the place where I messed with the two original wires." If you could post a picture that would help a lot. I'm having trouble visualizing exactly what you have going on.
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Jun 1, 2018 00:40
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There is a somewhat-common wiring scheme that puts pickups on a blend pot. Usually it's the second tone knob, but it can sometimes be the first. Players preference, I guess. When it's wired that way, you can get a couple more sounds out of your strat as you can dial in the neck or bridge pickup to get just the neck and bridge pickups together or all the way open for all three together. There are a couple of companies that make pre-wired harnesses for it, and one company based in New Zealand (I think) makes a solderless plug-and-play harness that works with all pickups. Your wiring sounds pretty funky from your description though. Even if the guitar has the wiring above, it shouldn't be selecting the middle pickup when you put it to either the 1 or 5 position. Edit: Whoops, corrected some wrong info. Half asleep when I wrote this and it made me way too overconfident in my half-remembered schematics. Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Jun 19, 2018 |
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Jun 19, 2018 14:18
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A new bridge came in the mail today and I am so PUMPED! I've been slowly acquiring the parts for my dream telecaster over the past couple of months and now it's all starting to come together. Dakota red standard body, a fat maple neck, three-brass-barrel bridge, witch-hat knobs, and a wide-range in the neck. Man, this thing is going to be sweet. The one thing that's stumbling me up is balancing the two pups. Has anyone wired a neck humbucker into a tele before? I've been doing my reading on wiring diagrams and it seems like everyone has a different way to go about it.
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Oct 15, 2018 21:18
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Whoops! I guess in my excitement I just slammed the post button without actually elaborating on anything. I'm going to be using the standard three way switch, one volume, one tone and I wanted to use some pots that I already have laying around, namely some 250k and 500k CTS. I've been thinking of using resistors to make the bridge pickup see a different pot value, but it seems like everyone and their mother has a different way of wiring them in. One avenue I've also been thinking about is getting a hotter bridge pickup (like a broadcaster pickup, something around 10k) so that I could just use the 500ks and wire it like a regular tele. What keeps me from that, though, is that it would be a lot nicer to spend eight cents on a resistor than sixty plus on a new pickup.
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Oct 16, 2018 15:37
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Baron von Eevl posted:Well, then the resistor would always be in the circuit. The idea with this was to only introduce it on position 2. Yeah it's a typical Tele 3-way switch My (admittedly limited) understanding is that you'd wire the resistor to the hot lead of the pickup at the switch and to the ground.
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Oct 18, 2018 05:26
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Gnumonic posted:Anyone have a good recommendation for custom pickguards? By "custom" I mean "from scratch based on a tracing" not just like a strat pickguard in a fancy color or pattern. I have two somewhat obscure guitars (A GJ2 Glendora and an Ibanez RT150) that I'd like to convert from HH/HSH to HSS, and there aren't any ready-to-buy pickguards that match them. Pickguardian and Terrapin are the two companies I often see recommended for custom pickguards. They have a thing where you can send them the original and they make a new one based off of that, and will work with you for any changes you want to add.
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Oct 24, 2018 14:19
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 Got a bunch of parts in the mail today for my telecaster build. Super excited to start on it, now I just have to wait for the body to arrive. It's gonna have a Jaguar neck pickup, milk paint finish, overwound tele bridge, CTS pots and switch, and a pretty cool control plate. I've always found the switch to be really annoying to grab on the bridge position on teles because of how close it gets to the knob, so having it angled like that should help a lot. Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 05:51 on Nov 8, 2018 |
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Nov 8, 2018 05:24
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What makes it a custom is the binding. That's it. They're the same body otherwise.
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Nov 17, 2018 01:39
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OSU_Matthew posted:Can anyone give me rough idea of how much it would cost to reset the neck on an old acoustic guitar? You should try reaching out to Chris Rice of Rice Custom Guitars for some advice, at least about the mold. He runs a custom guitar and repair shop with his dad out in the 'burbs of Chicago and they've managed to fix some stuff that was long considered a lost cause. I think Dan Erlewine even sent out some stuff to them when he couldn't fix it. Super nice and helpful, I had the pleasure of taking some lessons with him a couple of months back. Why I bring them up is because they managed to completely restore a 335 that had been totally submerged in the waters of Hurricane Katrina for weeks and left to dry in the case before the owner was able to get back into his house. So if anyone knows how to get mold out of a guitar, it's him.
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Dec 12, 2018 22:46
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That is definitely either a Harmony or one Harmony built under contract for another company. The headstock shape gives it away. They are cool guitars, and have a pretty good reputation as a players guitar, but are not worth a whole lot because they were mass manufactured during the guitar boom of the fifties and sixties. They were sold under different brand names through department stores like Sears, JC Penney, Macy's, etc., so it can be difficult to properly identify the model number as the same guitar would retail at a few different stores with different designations and model numbers. As far as cleaning it, naphtha will work well but it's highly toxic so you'd want to work with it in a well ventilated area. Professor Green's Instrument Polish is another product to check out. It's really more of a water-based soap that you gently scrub the surface of the instrument with. Edit: Are the strings really that high off the fretboard or are you lifting them out of the way? You might want to get the neck looked at too if not, it could be either extremely bowed or the dovetail/neck pocket has shifted. Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 17:51 on Dec 17, 2018 |
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Dec 17, 2018 17:46
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No, not without stripping the current finish. If you don't like the stickiness then you can dull it down with some 000 steel wool or a scotch brite pad.
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Dec 25, 2018 02:19
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Wax potting your pickups can help with that too, if they aren't already.
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Dec 25, 2018 07:17
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Kilometers Davis posted:Holy poo poo I hit my Strat with the micromesh and it feels like a luxury instrument now It's really a subjective thing whether or not you want to go to to the next grit. If it feels good to you now then you don't need to. Sanding it at a higher grit gets rid of any sanding marks the previous grit left behind and creates a smoother surface. It will also introduce some shine, but it can never go back to the original gloss, as that would require some wet-sanding or a new finish. Cleaning is pretty easy. Wash with soap and water if they're really gunked up, or spray clean with compressed air if it's pretty light.
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Jan 3, 2019 21:57
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I’ve only done it up to 2400 but I might go to 1500 later. It still feels just slightly tacky. Am I right assuming there’s no point in polishing it with the finer grits afterwards? I was thinking I should but then I realized it would probably only gloss it up again. Also what’s the best way to clean the pads?