wraub

The BTB models have good materials and are well made, but can be heavy. The long upper horn aids balance, but visually looks odd, imo. Definitely be sure to try it out if possible while sitting and standing, see how it fits and hangs on a strap. Being active, there's a small upkeep involved, and active basses have their own sound. I have 2 active Ibanez 5 string basses, which mainly are used for recording and home use these days, as I gave up on batteries in live instruments a while ago. They're great for others, but I usually want simple and good sounding and playing in a live context. As for others, of course all companies have levels in produce spec and pricing, but in general Yamaha instruments are well made and can sound great, but have their own design things. Again, be sure to try for fit as well as function. Try as many as you can of all types. it's really the best way to know. Have fun. One thing about playing on a 5 string bass is that you can play a lot of things going across the fingerboard rather than up and down the fingerboard, which may be a good thing if you have a hand issue.

I have been exploring cheap pedals lately, looking for something fun... I've been enjoying a Kmise Vintage Overdrive pedal recently, super cheap but surprisingly not terrible. Definitely worth a try for a different flavor.

....yet another master gone. RIP

I'm still happy with my Katana...lots of versatility, and mine pretty much lives on the .5 watt setting, which is plenty loud in my room.

The budget for replacement gear might have broken the BBC.

I saw The Monkees in reruns as a kid, then rediscovered Mike Nesmith after getting a set of Velvet Hammer pickups for my P Bass. The VH pickups were made by Red Rhodes, who was Mike Nesmith's pedal steel guitar player (and friend) for many years. Lots of great stories online about their long musical relationship, and about Mr Nesmith getting Mr Rhodes high on weed, and the years of amusement that followed. Mike Nesmith was really quite a songwriter, and a skilled musician as well.Sounds like a fun guy, too.

Me too! That was a scary month or so... As for the new ones? The two on the right in this pic- Both good, but the one in the middle is very, very good. Oh No! Someone got a case of the skinny strings! It's okay, I got a drum set, too.

My thoughts exactly. Between guitars and basses I think I'm at 11, no plans for more but then these last two were unplanned also. We'll see. And, congrats! The wife and I are at around 32 I think.

Whenever you see it, you'll know it's mine. I like it very much... it's the guitar I have always wanted.

Me too! That was a scary month or so... As for the new ones? The two on the right in this pic- Both good, but the one in the middle is very, very good.

My company is mandating vax for in office employees, but not for wfh. Related to the health question, I recently went through a brain tumor scare. When given the all clear, I bought two new guitars. No regrets.

Truth, x2. I actually realized the other day that I could really keep this guitar and one other, keep the P and J basses, and sell off the rest. I really don't need them atm, I really only play one or two these days. I mentioned this to the wife, and was told to keep them all. "You already have them, and they look good together on your wall." I think I may have to keep her around, too.

Thanks!

It is better in person, definitely. The body is not shiny, it's very matte, and the hardware is aged brass, so overall it works well visually, imo. Someone on another forum described it as "earth and water". I also like that it doesn't look like another guitar, really. Brown ash Strats are pretty common, and parchment, gold, and black seem by far to be the most seen pickguards. This one is totally unique, and I like it a lot. I forgot to mention the hardware- the tuners are star-back Grovers, and the bridge is a vintage Fender vibrato that's all brass. The tuners were gold plated at some time, but they and the bridge have worn to a nice patina. I don't use the vibrato much on a Strat, so it's just a bridge to me, but it looks cool and adds a nice weight and solidity.I think it's also adding to the warm and chimy sound of the guitar. I'm pretty sure the pickups are the budget alnico ones common online, but they sound pretty sweet. This guitar is actually inspiring me to become a better guitar player. I have books and am using them, and I'm looking for good online instruction, and searching through YT videos. There sure seems to be a lot of mostly useless clickbait, and it's difficult there to find the good stuff. I'm still looking. That said, this guitar is my jammy. It's well weighted, well balanced, and sounds and plays great imo. It feels good too, broken in and inviting. It's really the only guitar I need, at least for now. It is the guitar I've always wanted.

I could see cream, parchment, mint, gold, black, and quite a few different colors working here, but the blue/cream with the brown just works well in an unconventional way, imo. Options exist for reasons.

Thanks all! It is ash, and that's a big part of why I wanted it, because of the ash situation in the future. I've always wanted an ash Strat, so the ash and the single pic in the listing was enough to grab me. I actually drove 18 miles each way in rush hour traffic to get it. I like it a lot. The Grover tuners and the brass Fender USA vibrato were a bonus. And, I think it's pretty good looking too.

...I bought two guitars in the same week. Never would have even guessed that it was a thing I would do, but... yeah. Here's the newest arrival- I like it. More to come.

Thanks, all. It's really a lot of fun, lightweight and eminently playable. It is not great to most, but to me it's a freaking blast to play and it sounds great, too. The fact it was so cheap to me is a nice bonus. I really can't believe I waited so long to get another, and I like this one better then the last one I had.

...and, on a related note- [video:youtube]

The serial number dates to 2019, according to info online. It's my first "real" Strat in quite a while, as I've been playing a Delonge Strat for years, but I wanted the real thing again. This one fits the bill perfectly. It has a one-piece maple neck w/ a skunk stripe, and it's my first maple neck guitar ever. I like it very much so far, nice feel and decent frets and nut, and as a bonus the neck appears to be quartersawn with nice straight grain lines running the length of the neck. The guitar weighs 6 lbs 8 ozs and balances perfectly. I think it may have the original strings on it, and they play fine, but today I'll be doing a full deep clean on the guitar and changing to one of the sets I have on hand. The stock pickups have staggered magnets and sound exactly how I want a Strat to sound, every setting of the 5 way switch is usable and all sound really good. I see no reason to mess with the pickups at all, even the heights seem right. The tuners look kinda cheap and feel a little stiff, the basic trapezoids, but I'm hoping they wear in a bit. If not, I have others. Overall, the guitar looks pretty much brand new and doesn't seem to have been played much. The finish on the neck feels nice and looks really thin. Issues? The hardware seems like it's made just well enough to be acceptable, and there was a finish flaw on the back of the neck that a few minutes with an abrasive pad took care of. Minor issues, to be sure, and overall, it's really pretty good. Also, the seller had lost the vibrato bar, so that needs replacing, but I got a good price. So, it's light, plays well, feels great and sounds really good, looks okay, and cost not a lot. I had intended to go nuts modding it, but I'm leaving it as is and I'll play it until something breaks...then I'll likely fix that and continue. Leo did it right, It's great cheap fun. Now, I guess I need to look for another Strat to mod... Oh, well. Pics-

Recently acquired an old MIJ Boss CE-3 in really good condition... works well, and so far I like it. Also have been playing a lot of guitar lately, so also using an odd mix of pedals there..nothing fancy, mostly cheap, but fun.

I'm still here, but I've been on the guitar side lately, talking about new guitar gear. Been playing a lot of guitar lately, and also have a full drum set now and really enjoying playing that too. Don't worry though, still playing bass and enjoying new pickups and sonic flavors. Lots of fun still to be had in this new strange world, but please be careful out there.

I'd bet The Celebrity would offer maybe the best opportunities available to see Vai as up close as possible. Should be a great show.

Lately I've been exploring older pedals new to me- atm I have been enjoying a Boss CE-3, which online opinions say is 'too bright" but gets me close enough to JC-120 territory to mind much, especially considering EQ options and live use realities- Also enjoying an old Zealux delay pedal, precursor to the Caline/Joyo models, and pretty darn good imo. Lots of useful settings, and it can do this cool repeat "dance" where playing with the Repeat and Time controls can be pretty amazing for Radiohead-type effects, smeary semi-tuned and a little messy if you wanna. Cheap and worth a search imo. Also, a Kmise Vintage Overdrive, a super-cheap pedal that can sound surprisingly good.

I have not been compensated for my opinions on this guitar. I freely admit that Firefly has some notable QC issues on record that are available online with a little research, and I will acknowledge the obvious issues of MIC construction. I got mine from offerup, met the seller in a grocery store parking lot. No affiliation, connection, or contact at all with any rep, agent or person with any connection to Firefly....or Gotoh, for that matter. I will say that mine is surprisingly good, and offered lots of potential for mods. Mine also has some minor finish issues- color on binding, random "spots" on the finish- and, personally speaking, I think the Firefly logo is as sad and homely as a logo can be and I have dealt with that. Meanwhile, I have a light, well balanced guitar that plays well and sounds really good for not a lot of money. I bought the guitar hoping the bones would be okay to mod, and I am satisfied. Frankly speaking, looking at retail prices, between the pickups and the tailpiece there are about $750 worth of "upgrades" to the original Firefly FFLP i bought, but I did get the pickups for free. I currently have about $200 into this guitar, and I have no complaints.