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dfb wrote:I've just bought a Fender Stratocaster and I was wondering whether in your opinion it's the best make of guitar there is? Some say Gibson are the best but I beg to differ!
I'm a Fender bender and build custom made strats but I also have owned Gibsons and am currently building an custom SG. It's all about personal preference.
Bootlegger.
Bootlegger guitars.
DrewDruncan wrote:Tuners could be the problem, or it could be the tremolo bridge. I have to stick with hard-tail guitars because my picking hand always bumps the bridge on a whammy-bar guitar and messes up the tuning.
GFS, Stewmac and others have some good quality locking tuners for not a lot of cash. The Gotoh ones are pretty good I hear.
You could try blocking the bridge, like Clapton, by putting a little block of wood in behind the trem block, so it doesn't move. Friction and spring force will hold it in place. Play it like that for a while to see if it stays in tune better. If not, it is easy to remove. If it does help keep the guitar in tune, you might look into a Trem-Lock - a little gizmo that replaces one of the trem springs and lets you lock the position of the bridge.
Drew is correct, change your machine heads the cheap cast inlines that came with the guitat are probley slipping once you change them do a set up and a neck adjustment and your guitar will hold tune.
Regards,
Bootlegger.
Bootlegger guitars.
krisnowicki wrote:I have this guitar that I am trying to sell I need to know more about it . IT is a 92 les paul in nashville but is it a studio or custom or what ? Please any help would be appreciated. Also what kind of value are we talking about? I got this in deal with a guy because he had not paid me for studio time.
The model will usually be engraved on the truss rod cover.
Bootlegger.
nzlectric wrote:is roger gruppy still around?
Well at least he didn't call you Roger Grumpy 
Hope all is well with you in the new diggs bud!
Bootlegger.
Russell_Harding wrote:I woulden't go so far as to say he "invented" the rock and roll sound because chuck berry was around at the same time along with little richard,jerry lee lewis,buddy holly,link ray and a host of others.If I recall bo diddly had only one hit "hey bo diddly" i cant recall any others but chuck berry and little richard spearheaded the rock and roll movement and the rest jumped on the band wagon it could be argued that bill haley and the comets were the first published and public recorded artist with 'rock around the clock" I was a teenager when rock and roll first came out and I remember doing the "bop" at sock hops at the high school similar to back to the future movie and I remember bo diddly with his flying v and tremelo sound and all i can remember is his one song that hit the top of the charts if anyone can point out another feel free
He also did "who do you love" and " I'm sorry" those are the ones that rolled of the top of my head.
Bootlegger.
Zurf wrote:After however long, I am FINALLY getting the idea of barre chords! I was just playing through Wild World, which requires a lot of changes from G to F. I got to thinking, gosh there's a nice long pause before the G but none before the F, why don't I just play the F a couple frets up for the G when I've got the time to get in position and slide on down to the F when I need it nice and quick-like.
Yeah, that's right, I played a barre chord WHEN I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO just to make the song "easier." And it didn't sound as muddy as the Mississippi either (speaking of the Mississippi - I hope our Chordians in America's mid-west are avoiding complete disaster with the flooding).
Anyway, that had me pretty stoked (the barre chord use not the flooding, the flooding sucks). I may attempt a "B" just for the heck of it. Naaaaah. No need to get carried away.
- Zurf
Zurf,
Now learn them indifferent neck positions (example B at the 2rd fret position and 7th fret position) this will help you knowing different key positions instead of having to slide up and or down the neck.
Bootlegger.
NELA wrote:Boy's n girls I done got me a sick guitar. Last nite I got ready to practice for awhile and when I turned my amp on all I got was a loud buzzing. Never could get it to stop. Just around the corner from where I'm working is a guitar hospital so that is where I took it. On first glance the guitar doctor said I needed a new jack installed and recommended a complete set-up to make sure everything was cured. The doctor then wrote me a prescription for $65.00. Before I was out the door my guitar musta had a another seizure or something as I was called back into the emergency room and told that it appeared as though I played a lotta country chords as my frets 1 thru 5 showed a lotta wear and needed to be examined more closely with possibe surgery needed. I was then wrote another prescription for $85.00 and sent home. My guitar is expected to be in the hospital until next Tuesday. I don't want any of my Chordie friends to feel sorry for me BUT I sure do wish ya'll would say a prayer that the guitar doctor don't write me any more prescriptions.
Nela
Nela,
I'm guessing that you are either playing a tele or strat type guitar since you mentioned country music. New jack ? could just need to resolder due to a loose ground wire although a new $ 10.00 jack won't hurt. Set ups are always great when done right, make sure you tell the tech what strings you always use. He will set up your action and intonation to that gauge of strings any thicker or thinner gauge and your guitar intonation will be off (flat or sharp). If he (the tech) is recrowning the frets (all) $ 85.00 is not a bad price to pay, in the 70's & 80's I use to pay $ 40.00 to for a set up & fret crowning it was definately worth it my guitars played like butter. If it is just the five frets you can buy replacement necks from $90.00 to 149.00 .
Good luck,
Bootlegger.
cytania wrote:Ok here's another reason to check out a guitar at a shop. I've noticed that one of the key differences between a cheap guitar and 'the real thing' is the depth of the body. The distance between the front you play on and the back that rests on your belt.
A Squire Strat is thinner than a true Fender Stratocaster. The Joe Strummer telecaster (a 67 replica) is noticeably deeper than today's Fender teles. A top-flight Les Paul is much deeper (and heavier) than an Epiphone version.
This body depth is something you rarely see on 'spec' sheets of online stores. It is going to add sustain no matter what wood is used. But is that a good thing?
The chunky debate begins here ;-)
Cytania:
Your assumption in regards to the body depth or tummy cuts as they are called on the squire versus the standandard strat is correct. The squire strat (bullet) made in Malasyia usually measures out a a body thickness of 1.50 inches thick while the standard is 1.75 inches. With that said the tummy cuts changed every 10 years in thickness (50's 60's & 70's) I don't know the body spec as it is written or what is now. Go to www.edenhaus.com Bernie is a licensed Fender rep to make bodies & necks ( he is also a really great guy I live 10 minutes from his shop with traffic) you will see the differences in the cuts.
Bootlegger.
NELA wrote:Eppy3, when you get trhu playing be sure yoy disconnect the cable from your guitat to the amp. If left connected it will drain the battery very quickly.
Nela
Also good pull to you Nela cords left in anything that has an input and is ran by a battery, ie: active pickups, acouusric pickups with preamps and effects. The cord left plugged kills batteries.
Bootlegger.
Roger Guppy wrote:Hi EPPY3 and welcome to Chordie,
Many electro/acoustic guitars have a 9 volt battery housed in a cradle and will not work through an amp if it is flat, so before you take anything apart please check the battery.
Roger
Way to use the brain box Roger, good pull.
Bootlegger.
cytania wrote:Are you plagued by fuzz and static at present Montana? If you have a 50hz type hum it may be you have a classic single coil guitar.
With many amps geting a fuzzy 'breaking-up' sound is part of the desired effect. So that Vox Valvetronic will allow you to select an amp sound that is screaming and dirty if you want it. If however you are a really clean sound then you want a solid state or transistor amp such as a Roland.
Not certain what you want? Buy a Line6 Pocket Pod, hook it up to the hi-fi or headphones and play with all the amp models. When you find sounds you like note what amps/effects are involved, you can then find a real amp that matches.
Cytania,
Montana W is on this side of the pond 60 hz hum:)
Bootlegger.
06sc500 wrote:What does the fretboard radius of a guitar mean?
06sc500,
The fret board radius also corralates to the radius of how your bridge and or trem unit will be set up, Fender standard raduis is usually 9.5 deg. radius for the most part (alot of the older strats had the 7.5" radius) and the Gibson LP has a radius of 12 deg radius.. The t-o-m bridges can have the radius's changed but that involves buying new saddles and recutting the string grooves to change them, as a standard they are all 12 deg. radius. As mentioned by Cytania you either get what the guitar came with or you have a neck made to suit you preference. Their also necks with a combo radius they start off at 10 degree and end up at 16 deg.
Good Luck.
Bootlegger.
FiveO wrote:No I didn't Prime it, I assumed since it was only down to the bare wood in places that I would be OK to just spray the finish coat, esp since it was black , I wasn't too concerned about it not covering well. I had wet sanded it with 800 grit and had a nice smooth surface. I was going for a high gloss finish rather than the old faded worn from Gibson. It obviously reacted weird though, not actually bubbleing up but dried to a rough texture ?? I guess now I'll have to sand it all the way down to the wood and go at it again, maybe it'll be worth it. Thanks for your interest..... FiveO
Five-O,
If you sand down to bare wood do not use any sand paper heavier than a 220 grit and use a sanding block or a flat piece of wood to sand. It will give you an even surface with out any indentations or valleys after your done. Buy yourself a can of stewmac's water base grain filler and reseal the grain. Sand back the filler a bit than paint it with what color paint your going to use. If you do not use a grain filler/sealer the wood will soak up paint and or stain plus varnish (poly lacquer, nitro or hand rubbed oil finish, tru oil or tung oil, linseed ect, ect, ect) like a sponge. Make sure the paint your using is compatable with the finsh your going to use otherwise you will get more experience in finishing again.:)
Bootlegger.
StarrLady wrote:I tried sending an e-mail, but do not know if it went through so will put it here also.
Where do you live? I live in a little town called Phelan on the High Desert. It is about 10 miles West of Hesperia CA. Or if you are familiar with Wrightwood just below that. I am interested in starting a Band for Country Western Songs and have written a couple myself. I have been ask to do a charitableGig in November and need a lead guitarist who can sing and harmonize.
Let me know your location, maybe we can get together.
StarrLady
They are either at camp Pendelton, MCRD San Diego or Twenty nine palms.
Bootlegger.
(L.A. County, Ca.)
bedem wrote:Zach is an AMAZING guitarest...plays for OZZY... but will neva fill the boots of RANDY ROADES...Zacch will just neva live up yo Rhandy...=(
Truer words have not been spoken, there was only one Randy Rhoads.
Bootlegger.
gitaardocphil wrote:I have an old Gibson LP custom original 1968.
The serialnumber is referring to 1967.
I mailed Gibson, and the answer was that they started to re-make that LP Custom line end 1967, but on the market in 1968.
This story is useful because if you have an old guitar, and some parts are changed, like an EMG on an expensive Gibson, which you want to sell.
Even a very old and perfect sounding guitar with other tuners, other knobs, in fact any part can be realised. There is a guy called "the parts drawer"who has thousands of guitar parts, he expected a 300.000$ shipment.
So if you need a new part, that's the guy.
It's just INFORMATION, and it can be really hard to have a valuable guitar with replaced parts.
30-40 years ago guitar players wanted better stuff, and who could look in the future?
I searched for weeks, even months to find back my original 1968 humbuckers, and my daughter found them recently: a patent nr 2,737,842 (isn't that a PAF?) but the second is a DiMarzio, not in production before 1969-1970.
I hope this info can be useful for some of us. I looked so long on the most impossible site, until I found that guy.
Phil,
PAF stands for "patent applied for" back when Mr. Seth Lover designed the now famous humbuckers. Just a little history on "PAF's".
Bootlegger.
jaygordon75 wrote:Wow! That starts a never ending subject... Seems that all the companies make good pickups and have the marketing hype to prove it. Most people never seem to explore the sound capabilities that they've got, others become fanatical in the search for "That Tone"! Seems sorta silly to plug a high end guitar into a tiny transistor amp and expect magic tones, or to get a really cheap import guitar and expect a whole lot out of it. But once you get the guitar and amp then it's exciting to explore the different tonal possibilities. Eddie Van Halen tinkered (he was broke at the time) around with parts until he was able to come up the a guitar that did what he wanted...that became history.
At the Dallas Guitar Show I met a Gibson Rep who had a special Les Paul that allowed a quick change of Gibson's pickups. He also had a double bodied/double necked SG that had muliple pickup in it. He could add or switch to just about anything Gibson produces while you were listening thru headphones...he had an amp simulator and could go from mellow jazz to metal thrash...it gives one some really good ideas about what different pickups could do...
I have a strat with two pickguards one wired with humbuckers and the other with single coils. I have a connector plugs on the groung so I can just switch them out when I want to change the pickups. The only problem is that I have to loosen up the strings and unscrew 11 pick guard screws to change them lot of work.
Bootlegger.
Tibernius wrote:bootleger wrote:It's not that they don't sound right because of the low "k" value it is the out put of the pickups your talking volkeswagen beatle versus Mr Enzo Ferrari. The higher the "k" value the more output. Check out the GFS texas overwounds (I67 I believe) and or the 70's grey bottom also overwound (I66) I have a set of these. As you also mentioned they are affordable around $70.00 american.
Bootlegger.
So the K value is only for the power, but if the Neck and Middle pickups have the same value you don't get the same sound if you use both at once?
It was 5.2k, 5.2k, 5.3k on the stock ones and positions 2 and 4 didn't sound right. 
No you don't, that is because in the 2 & 4 position they are reverse wound so you get the hum cancelling effect. The output will still be 5.2k but the tone will be as you noticed different.
Bootlegger.
25Frankster wrote:I almost went with a PRS instead of an Epi Les Paul becuase I heard they were heavy, but after I strapped it on and played at the guitar store for awhile, I didn't think the weight was an issue--I love it. Now, if you're going to be playing 3 hour arena rock shows the weight might be a factor, but for normal sets I don't think it's an issue for most people. And I think you get a sustain out of a couple humbuckers and a 12 pound hunk of wood that you just can't get out of a strat.
I have a swamp ash strat type I made that weights in around 8 lbs and it sustains for days.
Bootlegger.
Tibernius wrote:Sorry for dragging this thread up again, but I need some more advice about strat pickups.
I've decided against the Kent Armstrong pickups for now. I don't think the rest of the guitar would be the same quality, so it seems a bit of a waste putting good pickups in it.
I've had a look and I'd be best off ordering some GFS pickups, even with the postage and Import VAT it's still cheaper than the other sets I've been looking at.
The main thing is I'm not sure which set of pickups to go with. Bootleger mentioned that the current pickups don't sound right because they were low K (5.3k, 5.2k, 5.2k), how many Ks should the pickups be?
I'd buy the "Boston Blues Alnico Texas Wound" set but the middle pickup is 5.5k and the neck is 5.2k, and it seems a little low. The other choice would be the "1960s Repro Overwound Alnico" set.
Any advice?
It's not that they don't sound right because of the low "k" value it is the out put of the pickups your talking volkeswagen beatle versus Mr Enzo Ferrari. The higher the "k" value the more output. Check out the GFS texas overwounds (I67 I believe) and or the 70's grey bottom also overwound (I66) I have a set of these. As you also mentioned they are affordable around $70.00 american.
Bootlegger.
Phil my friend,
EMG's Great pickups, passive pickups do not require a battery and can be wired with 500K (for humbuckers) or 250K pots (for single coil). The active pick ups require a 9-volt battery and are wired with 1K pots they are hotter pickups as mentioned in your original posting. All the manufactures you mentioned above make a good product it is just your preference on who you like better. Tone monsters are the ones that are usually changing the pickups on guitars because they are searching for that perfect tone that will kill for them or the original pickups are just dogs.
Bootlegger.
Phil,
Zakk Wylde is Ossy Osbourne's guitar player and also the guitar player for Black lable society.
Bootlegger.
The chilin is bad! he'll smoke with more seasoning and a quality electric axe.
Bootleger.
Roger Guppy wrote:From someone who is 15 and a few months (well 552 of them actually) I have to agree with NELA's comments.
So for you youngsters there is no need to post your e-mail address on the forum. Anyone wishing to contact you can do so through Chordie by clicking on the E-mail tag under your username without you having to make it public. This way your privacy is kept intact and you know who is contacting you without having to reveal your address.
Roger
Roger thank you for the pathway to comunication above. I recieved an email regarding this issue on email addresses and age and was trying to find a way to approach it you opened the door for me. Unfortunately in this world there are unscruplious people who will lie and decieve the younger generation henceforth the need for anominity. Roger's explaination how to connect with your generation is the way to proceed. Thank you Alan Sheeran for expressing you concerns and taking an intrest in protecting the youth on the chordie website. Rest assured that all the administrators on this website share my sentiments, we work to keep a clean family friendly website.
Bootlegger.
3CF wrote:Epiphone Les Paul Custom ; Has anyone played this guitar before? I am looking at purchasing this one soon and just looking for some feedback.
This Les Paul has a mahogany body and alder top. Body, neck, and headstock binding. 2 volume and 2 tone controls with a 3-way toggle switch. 2 humbucker pickups, gold hardware, set mahogany neck, and a rosewood fingerboard with block inlays. I prefer the classic look of the LP custom than that of the G-400. What’s the difference between two or three humbuckers? 3CF
I can say enough about Michael Kelly Guitars. WWW.michaelkelly.com.
Bootlegger.
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