Soledad

New board on the way. I'd outgrown my previous mini-board due to the arrival of a Boss comp/sust pedal. This one will have one spare bay - I really don't expect to outgrow this as I tend to use a few, quite selectively (I'm sure I said that when I built the last one. Just some odd bits mdf and supermarket softwood lying around. The black insert will take a rocker switch, as my power supply is unswitched - I may have a click issue turning on (even a loud one!) but worth a go for convenience and could always mess with a capacitor across the switch (IIRC). Finish is PanzerGrau - same colour the Germans did their tanks - had a rattle can lying about (been used for some outside table legs, not an actual tank). Waiting on arrival 50mm velcro hook and the switch. Order of pedals may be (input > output) TC tuner > Boss chorus > TC Hall of Fame > Boss comp/sust > Fender Santa Anna drive > out. Supply is an Amoon btw - 8 x 9v out (enough for me) and been great - silent, robust, reliable. I rate it. I'll probably start with that order and see. Will do pic when finished.

Definitely worth a try from what you're saying - the wound sound is warm ringy and they balance nicely with the trebles. In many respects they are quite like electric strings except the 3rd is wound which I've found sounds far nicer and intonation is better (the plain 3rds on electric sets are famously tricky intonation-wise). Will definitely work with mag p'ups, 100% I did find I had to back off quite a bit on the basses as tension is lower than my usual 11' or 12s phophor bronze, but the volume is fine. Just a technique adjustment. They also do 11s in these but I note the bottom E is only a .46 (on the 10s it's a .45). I'll probably try some 11s next time just for a tads more tension. I really love these strings and think the fact they call them gypsy jazz is a shame, it probably puts loads of people off if that isn't your style. Do try them, and maybe report back?

Someone said 'turn 'em down'.... Back to the OP, and Fender valve combos as the case in point. They are truly brilliant things for the magic Fender sound, for shedfulls of headroom, as a pedal platform... But when you want to drive the valves into that soft clip only valves can truly do, you have to crank them up. Ask any guitar forum, you'll get pretty much the same: attenuators, pre-amp drivers and / or overdrive sim pedals. I share this issue and empathise. There's a good valve amp guy near me, I intend to ask him when next over there.

It's worth exploring 2 widely used open tunings: DADF#AD - basically an E Maj open tuning but a whole tone down. I think Joni Mitchell used that quite a bit. The other obvious is DADGAD and Tony McManus is an exponent - he has some vids on Youtube and explains the whole thing very well. I've personally found some care in choice of strings / gauges is important as dropping a whole tone on the low E (for example) it can easily become sloppy. I suspect the devotees have guitars set aside and set-up for the above tunings. I recommend Tony McManus 'Introduction to DADGAD' on YT (YT prevents me from embedding that vid here, but it's easy to find). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl9q6dFOpA4

Similar issue with my Super Champ which has a pair of 6V6 output valves. Rated 12 - 15 watts (my last Genz head was rated 900, into 4ohms mind). Boy these are loud, easily gigable especially these days with small backlines and PA. So, just too loud to drive in comfort. Maybe a change of exhaust would help??! I asked here about swapping the 8ohm Greenback for a 16ohm (a 3dB cut) but apparently that is a very bad idea in valve amps ( @Dad3353 told me). Check google and it is a universal challenge talked about everywhere. Best solution I've read about is the attenuators you can buy that will soak a lot of the power away. Some even have stepped values and I recon I'd need to drop mine to effective say 4 watts, which is a lot. I don't understand how these are OK given they alter the load the output sees and must surely alter impedance as they convert some of the power to heat. Also they are not cheap, I've seen decent ones around £150 which is a lot to just dump some power. Also, the view generally is they affect sound. Basically - it's a very common problem and I don't see a good way round it. The best of the not great options seems to be the attenuator. I suspect we're all stuck with it as power valves only come in (I think) 4 flavours> EL84; EL34: 6V6; 6L6. So far as I know paired OP valves are going to come out around 15 or 40 watts (6V6 15; 6L6 40, similar with the ELs). There are 5 watt valve amps around - often pricey and running (I believe ) a single OP valve and some switchy gubbins to get the push-pull... see how technical I got there And to think when I found my Super Champ I very nearly bought a Hot Rod (2 x 12s, 40 watts!!). It's clear to me now why these fabulous valve combos like the Hot Rod are so cheap - cos they are almost unusably loud.

Hi & welcome.

Was looking for a certain something on my acoustic (Furch OM31SR) and not too happy with the sound of the 'standard' phosphor-bronze basses. So I decided to try a set of these, noting the silver coated basses and the very light gauge. As I was hoping, the basses sound bright in a warm way - very like the silver-wound silks on my flamenco which I like a lot. Think I'm going to enjoy these strings a lot. Not for everyone of course and if you're happy with the more normal phosphor bronze 11s or 12s then stick with them. These give a little less volume (suits me), a more mellow sound overall, and make you want to go charging up and down the neck a lot... they are 'nippy'! I play mainly fingerstyle on the acoustic and they suit well but work very well with a pick too. You have to back off on the power a bit, given they are light gauge. I think they would be a really interesting option if you have hand issues of any kind. Definitely worth investigating, around £12 a set, Amazon (via the D'Addario store) next day. I used to support Strings Direct but their prices are absolute top, and then they hit you £4 for post - which is a mickey-take as they use Hermes/Evri and it takes 4 days to get to you and cost them maybe £1.50. Rant over. D'Addario EJ83L strings - give em a go!!

Same, I only remember Whole of the Moon, but I will check Fisherman's Blues. And I have to mention, a truly stellar rendition of 'Whole of the Moon' covered by The Staves. This one's live from Edinburgh, saw them on that tour at Brixton. This is amazing!

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!

Interesting board @Chiliwailer - has a kind of freeform jazz feel to it

I may possibly fancy a crack at something. I do furniture anyway so have wood stocks, machines, hand tools etc. But was thinking about body woods. I have an ash Tele (swamp, US build) and like the weight / balance but also it has a ring that the alders don't have (to my ears). I note Fender have stopped swamp ash on normal production due to limited supply and quality. They are using roasted pine as an option I believe. I have an amazing board of ash (not swamp) and I know it'll be heavier but it's a possible. But the one I'm wondering about is western red cedar - I can get thick boards, quite wide ( 1 centre joint likely) and it seems it would tick some boxes: light, quite snappy tonally (used on some fine acoustics), a little soft but a decent thin finish would be OK I think. Anyone used or using w r cedar, or even Euro cedar for bodies? I'm thinking maybe a Nashville Tele 3 p'up. I'd probably buy a finished neck.

Loving this build and really interested to hear how it sounds @Dolando - where did you get the bearing guided router cutter you used on the table for body? Looks deep enough to do a Tele body etc. I have an inclination to knock something up

tbh I don't know. Sounds scooped to me, and a bit phased. Someone will be along.

Board update - there was a gap at the end needed filling. @Chiliwailer came good with a Fender Santa Ana Drive pedal. That's it now I reckon. This sounds lush - Tele through the board into Champ valve combo (which is crazy clean, hence the drive pedal). Lights up lovely too - tasty blue LEDs on the drive EQ. Like the nightmare before Christmas.

I flat refuse to name just 3, so why am I here? Was just watching a YT of Knopfler talking about Strats (cf Les Pauls) and he says "I'm trying to make the guitar speak". For me that's it - some players speak, sing... like from the street to the balcony. Many others play notes in succession - patterns, 'licks'. There be habits to be got right there. Sometimes a very lot of notes really quick. I do not give one single sh*t how many notes. Someone good once said 'knowing what notes NOT to play - that really matters'. Might have been Miles Davis, talking about the importance of space around notes. Hear (in your head) a worthwhile expressive statement, a sentence worth saying, the one-liner that stops the room... and play just that with real expression. That's a big ask but it'll do for me.