Re: New Guitar Day

Tenement Funster wrote:

I agree with y'all about the great quality of many Chinese-made guitars. Since most of the "innards" of domestic-made electrics are coming out of the Orient anyway, and many of the woods used are either Asian or African, there's no reason they can't build to our specs and produce fine instruments. A lot of great companies are building their guitars in China, South Korea, and other countries thereabouts. It's a shame for our domestic manufacturers, but reality is that every consumer is looking for the most bang for their buck ... economic times have dictated that. The phrase "disposable income" is no longer a part of the modern vernacular.

When I bought my Epiphone Les Paul Custom a couple of years ago, I was initially shooting for a Gibson Studio so it would be somewhat affordable. When I plugged in the Epi and played it alongside it's Gibson counterpart, my ears could hear virtually no difference. The Epiphone ProBucker pickups are wired using the same components as the Gibson BurstBuckers (both coil-tapping) and sound almost identical to me. There are a few cosmetic differences, but they are inconsequential to the playability of the guitar. So with a price difference of well over $2,000 ... it was a no brainer.

I agree and I still cant understand why it came down to American businesses out sourcing jobs overseas but I suspect union wages and benefits had a lot to do with it, it would seem "American made" is a thing of the past as you pointed out even goods made in the U.S. contain components made overseas with China, India and Europe launching satellites and space probes they have proven they are capable and it wont be long before they walk on the moon and plant there flags "And the times they are a changing"

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: New Guitar Day

Russell, we're seeing the exact same pressures on "Made in Canada" ... the whole thing is consumer driven. A free market economy is the purest form of democracy there is. On a moment by moment basis, we consumers vote on our supplier of choice with our $$$. If we tell the market place that lower prices (regardless of country of origin) are more important than domestic production values, then they get the votes i.e., money.

Savvy consumers will go to the next level, to make sure the quality + price = best value. Or they may be motivated by more wholistic factors, like buying local, ethical sourcing, sustainable production practices, etc. Unfortunately, a great many consumers only look at the price tag, and don't bother to educate themselves about the quality issues. For most people today - dealing with limited disposable income - hard choices often have to be made, involving a compromise of some sort. Those consumers will almost always opt for a lower price at the expense of quality, because they cannot afford the better one.

So that's my "macro economic" rant. In short, each of us as consumers is responsible for the dwindling domestic manufacturing sector. However, we pretty much had limited options ... it's that simple.

Re: New Guitar Day

Oh well the world is going in the toilet lol on the bright side my new guitar arrived and it is everything I expected great looks but no coconuts but I knew that going in and my plan was to dump the pickups and put some hot buggers in and replace the neck with a Mighty Mite maple one the dimensions are the same so it will fit nicely also the tuners are kind of cheesy but there's a remedy for that as well I may just gut it and put new wiring along with the pickups all I really wanted was the body color and finish I figure its worth the $111.00 (with shipping) I paid and I can guarantee it will be screaming when I finish it smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: New Guitar Day

Ok a follow up I am ordering the Jeff Beck Fender hot pickups, Fender tuners and a maple neck total cost to update this puppy is $216.00 which includes free shipping I can use the existing wiring (I have the wiring diagram) that should complete the deal basically I will have a new strat without the name Fender on the headstock,  who cares lol

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: New Guitar Day

Yep, the new Beck's will make that thing sing. A guy near here put a set of Seymour-Duncan Blackouts in a Dean bass he had, and the improvement in sound was incredible.

Re: New Guitar Day

Tenement Funster wrote:

Yep, the new Beck's will make that thing sing. A guy near here put a set of Seymour-Duncan Blackouts in a Dean bass he had, and the improvement in sound was incredible.

I changed the strings to regular Slinkys I like the sustain and increase in volume I did some adjustments to the string height, intonation truss rod and removed a spring from the tremolo system and put some Guitar grease on the saddles and nut I will be happy when the new tuners and neck arrive the frets are too small for my tastes smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: New Guitar Day

This is one of the items I purchased the Fender locking tuners arrived yesterday. its a Wilkerson tremolo I have to widen the outside holes to mount the studs but that is easy this is one fine trem system.

http://www.guitarfetish.com/assets/images/products/tremsarms/D18_b.jpg

I went with these pickups over the Becks they should arrive tomorrow
https://guitarfetish.3dcartstores.com/T … _1970.html

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: New Guitar Day

The wiring harness was out of stock so I had to order the 250k pots,orange drop capacitor and selector switch I may also have to replace the existing wiring so in effect I am assembling a guitar to my specifications the list of parts include

maple neck
Fender locking tuners
Wilkerson tremolo
body
3 pickups (wiring diagram included)
new pots and wire
I orange drop capacitor

I can use the existing string trees and neck mounting screws back plate and chrome input cover but that's all I am going to video tape my progress and I have a friend who will assist me with the wiring so I don't mess it up the total cost of all the parts is in the $340 range but compared to the cost of a American built standard Stratocaster with my equipment ($1700.00) its a bargain it will be a fine instrument when completed smile
I decided to order three of these for the control knobs and today I mount the neck and tremolo still waiting for the last items a new 5 way switch and chrome jack input cover these are the control knobs I am getting
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Chrome-Bell … p_154.html

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: New Guitar Day

I decided to go with these they were less expensive and they look really cool so I purchased them I am still waiting on the 5 way switch and new chrome input cover but I did mount the tremolo and neck and as soon as the switch arrives I will wire the "innards" these are the chrome knobs I bought   http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Chrome-p … 65170.html

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: New Guitar Day

Nice touch Russell,and nice price too!

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman

Re: New Guitar Day

dino48 wrote:

Nice touch Russell,and nice price too!

Yeah I was happy with the price especially for such cool looking knobs smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: New Guitar Day

You're going to have that Rondo "Strat" tricked out in real style, Russell ... can't wait to see the finished product. When you say the frets are too small, are you speaking of the distance between them (i.e., the scale length) or the height / size of the fretwires themselves?

Re: New Guitar Day

Tenement Funster wrote:

You're going to have that Rondo "Strat" tricked out in real style, Russell ... can't wait to see the finished product. When you say the frets are too small, are you speaking of the distance between them (i.e., the scale length) or the height / size of the fretwires themselves?

It will be hot when its done, The frets feel like there not wide enough both ways there is nothing wrong with the neck except the crappy tuners actually its fast I just don't like it and I want a maple neck its  just a matter of taste someone else may find it fine smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: New Guitar Day

Finely finished just have to set the intonation I played it a little WOW! those True coil tex pickups are really hot and the Wilkerson Tremolo is everything and more I took a lot of photos of the construction and I have some original music to add to it right now I have a miserable head cold so it will be a few days before I can assemble everything  record and edit the video but it was really a worthwhile project I love this guitar smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: New Guitar Day

This is the finished guitar
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-r1WzCGj9Wac/UxeFAdD7vkI/AAAAAAAABAs/-HC0jVlfSEc/w717-h538-no/END+VIEW.JPG

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: New Guitar Day

This is how it got that way time and patience but its was worth all the work
https://plus.google.com/photos/11243624 … 4614692529

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: New Guitar Day

Great job russell, two thumbs up!

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman

Re: New Guitar Day

Thanks dino, I found out after I finished assembly the fun was just beginning I started putting it  together around noon and what I didn't know was there was a buzz on the 10th and 12th frets I checked the neck it was straight and true I adjusted the saddles to raise the string heights nothing seemed to work I took a wild shot I filed the 12th and 13th frets buzz gone! this let me lower the action to where I like it I am using regular Slinkys and the string height is about a credit card width from the bottom of the string to the frets I finshed everything about a half hour ago its 11:45 now long day but I am really pleased with the results those True coil Texas pickups are REALLY hot! love the tones I am using 250k pots instead of the 500k because there single coil and the treble would be way to much with the larger k pots it was a good day smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: New Guitar Day

That's a sweet looking weapon, Russell ... very nicely done. The "skinny" on the Wilkerson Trem's is that they hold tune well, and even outperform the stock trems on most Strat's. Do you get any "string ping" from the wounds strings moving on the bridge? Avoiding that ping was one of the things that drew me to the Stetsbar with the moving bridge, although they're a lot more $$$.

Atta boy, Russ ... nice job!

Re: New Guitar Day

Tenement Funster wrote:

That's a sweet looking weapon, Russell ... very nicely done. The "skinny" on the Wilkerson Trem's is that they hold tune well, and even outperform the stock trems on most Strat's. Do you get any "string ping" from the wounds strings moving on the bridge? Avoiding that ping was one of the things that drew me to the Stetsbar with the moving bridge, although they're a lot more $$$.

Atta boy, Russ ... nice job!

Thanks TF lot of work and time I don't notice any string ping it sure has some great sounding pickups this guitar is equal or better then any store Fender American or otherwise I ordered and received 5 sets of Hybrid strings from Sweetwater for $19.99 and free shipping I have some string changing to do on both strats and my Rondo LP each has its own unique sound and feel it just depends on what I want to play or record as to which one I will use this build was a learning lesson and a joy smile I forgot to mention I use Guitar grease on the saddles and nut it really helps!

"Growing old is not for sissies"