Leaderboard

Well family stuff and domestic 'projects' largely clear and so I'm back to the build I'm not quite at the final furlong stage, but certainly getting closer to it. Next jobs were to finish the rough carving on the back and getting ready to sort the control chamber hatch. For the carve at the back, because it's curved, I am mainly using the larger of the two round-bottomed Ibex thumb planes and also the gooseneck card scraper: Don't let anyone tell you the Ibex planes are toys - they really are precision planes: Those curly shavings are rock maple and ebony! I used a bottom bearing rebate router bit to follow the chamber and mark the outer edge of the rebate - but the curve of the back makes it difficult to get an even depth of cut and so the rebate was cut to final depth using carpenters mallet and some sharp chisels. Done, ready to create the paper template and cut the hatch:

It's a Takeharu MR-302, made in Japan by the Suzuki people, in the Gitane Jazz style, similar to those of Maccaferri and Aria at the time (mid '70s...). Quite well reputed; I've seen them for sale at 300€, 800€ and 1200€, so a wide range of values. It should have a piezo pick-up under the bridge, with an o/p through the lower strap button/jack socket. Not a style that appeals to me, but some folk love 'em, so... Hope this helps.

Was ever one man so indelibly associated with a specific guitar? Probably in that regard, Brian May and the Quo boys are the only ones that come close? Hendrix is a good example. He was associated with a few guitars, but I'll always picture him with an inverted Start. This image in particular in in my mind, as this photo was in a poster on my bedroom wall for years: Although my Strat is a 94 American Standard, actually left handed, and lack the big headstick of the CBS era, this is the reason it's a three-tone burst and a rosewood board. Of course, eventually I do want to have an actual Hendrix replica Strat. Either a Partscaster (most likely), or a black CIJ 68RI if ever a deal came up, or even a Squier Classic Vibe if they saw sense and did a 68 model.... Just like Black Beauty, Jimi's reputed favourite, and one of two (rumour has it three - that there was another white 68 other than the Woodstock guitar) he had towards the end of his life. I did once get to play this.... That is the actual Black Angel, Jimi's custom lefty Flying Vee. Now, ti might just have been my imagination, but never have I lifted a guitar with as much mojo as was seeping out of that one, and I normally don't even like Vees.... A spiritual experience. I wish I'd had the change o plug it in, but even playing it unplugged was such a rush. Particularly special as a left handed player, given most of my guitar heroes' instruments would be upside down for me. (Including, ironically, Dick Dale's).

I was just thinking about how some guitarists and bassist get known for using one particular guitar and how odd it is to see them with a different model. This came about after I saw a meme over on Basschat which showed Freddy Mercury with a white Tele and Brian May with a black Tele. It occurred to me that I don't remember ever seeing Brian with a guitar other than his Red Special. Are there any other guitarists you associate with a particular guitar (not just a model, but a specific guitar)? I was doing a bit of googling and discovered that Brian has occasionally used replicas of the RS.

I had a weird one tonight. I had my amp on and noticed voices. I couldn't work out where they were coming from. Eventually, I realised the sound was coming from the amp. I then worked out that the guitar was picking up a TV or radio signal. Bizarre.

I've handled many's a Tanglewood in the last thirty odd years. There's a good reason they are (or were at least) to biggest selling acoustic brand in the UK. Vintage also make some very nice acoustics. Hear good things about Harley Benton's offerings in that vein, but not had a chance to try one.

Yes, I think that's fair. Not all left handers are fully on the left end of the spectrum - there are those for whom it is natural to play a guitar right handed. I'm like that with scissors, oddly enough - but very definitely not guitar.

If I may, could I add a corollary, to at least try a 'righty' instrument first. I'm 'righty'; my first guitars were. When a younger brother (a full-fat 'lefty' ...) picked mine up, he became, very quickly, very much better than I with it. No preconceptions (we knew no better back then, early '60s...); he just made it his own way of playing. We are all different; there is no rule. I'm a drummer, and started playing a 'righty' kit. After a coupe of years, I tried the experiment of turning it around to 'lefty' (hi-hat on my right etc...) and never looked back. All my kits are set up as 'lefty' since then; I made a career of playing that way round. There is no rule. I needn't go into notions of 'lefty' saxophones or pianos etc. Try it, try it all, and go with whatever fits you best, from all points of view. Just my tuppence-worth.

I wonder how you would go about stringing it... Stagg S-FS285S Guitar : Amazon.co.uk: Musical Instruments & DJ

Steve Jones and his legendary ivory white LP Custom: http://img.wennermedia.com/920-width/rs-136459-e03d576a3be5ca7cf841357d5e452e4ee019ab33.jpg (widely considered the "Bollocks" guitar, though the LP he actually played on the album was a black Custom - a 58, I think - with p90s!) Joe Strummer and his '66 Tele Dick Dale and The BeasT:

On the P90 front, however… https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/191216352622008--epiphone-sg-special-p-90-sparkling-burgundy

Personally I'm astonished how good 'budget' guitars are now, compared with what I had to try to learn on many years ago. I have good experience of Tanglewood acoustics (got one for £130 a while ago for a friend). Yamaha make some excellent acoustics. There are plenty more but these are 2 makers I know first-hand. As you know, there is a lot of choice 2nd hand - and an alarming number of instruments 'as new'... not played! Then there's my library principle - if you buy well and choose good ones, you sell it on later for the same, maybe a little less (maybe more as in the case of my recent 2 Fenders). So I buy 2nd hand and consider the only real cost to be a potential loss on sale - the capital is not the true cost. On electrics the same applies - lots of really good 'budget' guitars around. I see people selling bundles of gtr, practice amp, stand, cables, tuner etc (Ebay, FB etc) - could be a good place to start. No personal experience but I hear good things of Harley Benton for example. Enjoy!

Is that what's meant by 'air guitar'..?

This may sound a bit strange, but I was also suffering with the same problem. Although I play electric too, sometimes I just want to pick up and strum for 5 mins rather than getting out cables and extension leads. I ended up changing the strings from the loud, bright bronze strings to heavyish electric strings and putting a jumper inside the cavity. Didn't change the feel as much as I thought, but really brought the volume down by quite a bit. I ended up keeping one acoustic strung this way as I play mostly through a preamp into the PA where I have almost unlimited volume, and it cuts the feeback down. But I suppose, acoustic guitar is one of those instruments that you learn the dynamics of playing both quietly and loudly purely with changes in technique and how hard you hit the strings. I haven't worked out this part yet though!!

No, peanuts were phased out as currency in the late '70s (Jimmy Carter scotched it...). A small practice amp for electric guitar..? So many options, from the Vox Amplug and similar (plugs into the guitar to feed headphones, so no speaker, from £13 upwards, Thomann...) up to any 5w amp with battery power (£15, Thomann...), or Fender Mini-Twin (£42, Thomann...). There an enormous range of small amps with headphone sockets. Have a look through the Thomann range, or visit your local music shop, maybe..?

Jonathan from Feline Guitars in Croydon does some of the best fret jobs in the country. He's not cheap but a decent fret job on stainless steel frets will last a lifetime for anyone not touring and playing every night. A good fret job takes a lot of time to do well.

Yep, ML1 Pro Modern... photo doesn't really do the flame justice. It's really nice. Fit and finish are as good as anything I've owned. The spec is excellent... I haven't played it for long as it still has nickel strings on, but there are a couple of sets of Ernie Ball Stainless steel slinkys on their way to me. Reasons I bought it... it's essentially the guitar I wanted as a kid, 30 years ago... Mahogany body, flame maple top, strat-ish shape, maple through neck, ebony fingerboard, minimal fret markers, two humbuckers... I was looking for a new guitar with stainless steel frets and thought "what the hell... I can return it if it's disappointing." I had been looking at Strandbergs, but they're a bit spendy. Korean guitars have really come on in the last few years and we're definitely at the point we were with Japanese guitars in the early 90s. Part of it is that they've been making them for so long, part of it is that their economy has strengthened to the point that you cannot build cheap guitars there any more.

A shout out for the remaining dealers in Denmark Street. They're slowly being edged out - a crying shame London is very close now to losing Tin Pan Alley. Recently visited looking at US Strats (for a friend). Saw a mint 'pro' (2016) in No Toms on Denmark Street. Ticketed at £1295. After a multi-stage haggle, walked out with it at £1000. That's a proper good deal, great service, nice crowd. Feel like you belong when you go browsing in Denmark Street. Sad days losing the real shops, I mean the specialists, independents. The big chains are just commodity supermarkets and that's about all we'll have left soon. Well, there is Richards in Stratford u Avon, but in my experience he's a bit of a nutter

Cheltenham's lost its two main guitar-led music shops. Soundhouse closed down its branch here in the early 00s to focus on its Gloucester store. Aroundaboutsound on the Lower High Street died a slow death, finally succumbing to the impact of Covid. Two other music instrument stores, both on the same street, also disappeared several years ago; Millennium Music and one mainly specialising in pianos and acoustic instruments. Then again Chelt's been one of the worst hit towns in the UK viz shop closures. Across the rest of Gloucestershire we've got 4 guitar shops left but it remains to be seen if they can survive the current energy crisis.