Larryz
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Posts posted by Larryz
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I treat all my fretboards the same and just use a guitar polish/cleaner/protector, when changing strings. I change 2 adjacent strings at a time which gives me enough room to clean and moisten the fretboard. I also use fret polishing paper to clean the frets while changing the strings. I have used Dunlop 65 for decades and about 3years ago I switched to Music Nomad The Guitar "One". I use the same product on all wood surfaces, and I like the Guitar One a little better for wipe off. Dunlop sells and recommends Lemon Oil for the fretboards which I have heard good things about.
I haven't had any problems with my rosewood and ebony fretboards drying out. It's probably due to keeping all my guitars in their cases when not in use. All of them are stored in the same room and closet which I keep the humidity between 35 and 55%. I do not take my guitars outside in hot or cold weather or rainy conditions. If I do have weather/temp concerns, I use my solid body or laminated top guitars. I think a lot of fretboard shrinkage and other wood issues depends a lot on humidity, temps and where you live...😎
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ERIC CLAPTON!!! 😎👍
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On electric solid and hollow body guitars, the pickups are the tone setters IMHO. Tone woods can make a tiny little bit of a tone difference on archtops, semi and hollow body electrics (solid vs laminate, maple vs spruce, etc.). I prefer passive 57 USA Gibson humbuckers with 2 volumes, 2 tones and a 3way. Tone woods make a big difference on acoustic guitars mostly on the tops (Cedar vs Spruce). I prefer ebony fretboards on both acoustic and electric guitars. Don't forget the clean amp settings with a touch of reverb LoL! 😎
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+1 Lokair, resting my hand on my Strat floating bridges make them unstable and cause the guitars to go out of tune at times. I solved the problem by lowering the bridges to lay flat on the body. It does not allow for upward bending but it allows full downward and divebombs while keeping the guitar in tune. I love the smooth flat Strat saddles as opposed to the screw adjustment saddles for resting my palm on the bridge. The same saddle/bridge feel is true for Telecasters without a tremolo, as I like having my picking hand resting over the bridge pup on a smooth saddle Strat style bridge instead of the 3 barrels...😎
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I'm not a fan of Fender vintage tuners and +1 I really like locking tuners. I can deal with standard tuners as that's what comes on most guitars...😎
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3,000' elevations and above had a lot of roof cave ins due to snow load. Flooding along the rivers down below in the Sacramento basin area. The Ski resorts will be staying open through June and July at 7,000' as this is a record snow season. I'm at 1,000' elevation and staying high and dry. We desperately needed all the rain and snow in northern California due to our drought years, so we can't really complain. 😎
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9 hours ago, DaveMcM said:
Disclaimer- I'm a keyboard player but decided to venture out of Keyboard Corner for this question. Thanks in advance for any help.
My brother still has the 1962 Gibson SG Junior that my parents gave to him for a Christmas present some 60ish years ago. He played it for about a year and it has lived in it's case ever since. Needless to say, it needs a little tenderly loving care. The output jack is a little funky but I can deal with that. Where I need some guidance is with the tuners. Several are very hard to turn. Before I replace the strings, I want to lube the tuners. The gears are covered but there is a little hole on the back of each cover above the worm gear. Is this where to add lubrication and if so, what is the best lubricant to use? Also, will it hurt this guitar to polish the frets and tailpiece? I also plan to oil the fretboard. He is not selling the guitar as it is very sentimental but he does want to make sure it stays in good condition.
I would take it to a tech with a great reputation for working on classic collector guitars. This guitar could be worth anywhere from $4 to $6,000. It would not be one to experiment at home with IMHO. Since your brother only played it for a year, I doubt it has any fret wear. A little clean up polish on the frets, lemon oil on the fretboard, and some new strings may be all it needs. +1 if the tuners do not work, the tech can replace them with new ones and save the originals in the case...good luck! 😎
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+1 Old Music Guy...As I get older, I find I do not like driving at night as much and I seldom exceed 70mph on the freeway. I too suffer from Panic Attack and my biggest fear these days on stage is forgetting a lead verse or losing my place in the tune. I limit my performances lately to open mic's as I only have two drinks and only have to remember 4 songs at a time LoL! I still play with my buds at private parties and backyard BBQ's. Since I play for free now, I don't worry if I screw up a little and have to bury a clam or two...😎👍
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My 1st concept is deciding on what kind of music you wish to play. Finding the right tone for Surf, Jazz, Old Rock and Roll, Old Country, Country Rock, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Blues, etc., can all be worth pursuing. I like being versatile so a clean backing guitar with a little reverb is all I really need for chords and lyrics. I prefer Fender amps and my Roland busking amp and can use Fender, Taylor, Gibson, Epiphone, Takamine, etc. guitars. If you are seeking the nirvana of tone, pick an artist that rocks your world Acoustic or Electric, and studying his/her gear would be a great place to start IMHO. 😎
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SG, I started surfing at the age of 13 and I can see the connection between your 1st paddle out and stage fright playing & singing in front of an audience. After a few years you get comfortable doing both. I stopped surfing at the age of 19 (except for one last trip out with my son when I was 40). Anyway the water in northern California is quite cold too and 1/2 wet suits are a must. It gets warmer as you head south. I also played in my little Ventures surf band through High School '64 through '69. My buddies and I still get together and play the old surf tunes now and then as we all live close by and are all the same ages (circa 73 years young). Later in life, playing in a gigging band with 4 others, took all the stage fright pressure off. Playing as a duo should work very well as you give each other confidence which me and my harmonica player did for a few years. Playing solo at gigs and open mic's brought back a little stage fright at first. The more you do it (surfing, guitars, singing, etc.,) in front of people, the easier it gets...I know you and your sister will do a great job. You can always hire a bass and/or drum player if you want to add a little combo to the mix now and then...😎👍
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@ Pinkfloydcramer, You might check into "short scale acoustic guitars". Most standard acoustic guitars are 25"+ scale length and most short scale acoustic guitars are 24" +. The shorter scale length guitar works great for those with smaller hands. There is less tension on the strings with less finger stretching making barre chords, bends, etc., easier. Not recommended for drop tuning due to less string tension. They can affect tone but no more than other factors like woods, bracing, body design, etc. Taylor, Martin, Yamaha and others make short scale and parlor guitars...good hunting! 😎
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Will do Caevan, thanks for the tuning! The 6th chord is my favorite, and I haven't tried tuning to it yet. +1 It gives me a Texas swing vibe. Hawaiian slack key is also something I would like to try using a slide on nylon strings. Very much the same tuning D G D G B D low to high. 😎👍
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I have a couple of made in the USA Taylor Nylon string guitars. One is a spruce top with Sapele back and sides (NS 34 Ce) and the other is a Cedar top with Rosewood back and sides (NS 74 Ce). I really like playing them from time to time when I get the urge. Seems like everything I play comes out in a Latin vibe though LoL! The fretboards are not as wide as classical guitars and Taylor put them out for players that want the nylon sound without having to deal with playing on wider fretboards. I like playing them plugged in with a little reverb. The amplified sounds are very sweet, and I seldom play them acoustically.
I read quite a few reviews before purchasing them and recall one guy saying the more expensive (NS 74 Ce) one sounded kind of dull to him when he tried it out at the guitar store unplugged. When I got mine, I understood where he was coming from. After playing them for a month or two, I got better at making them sing the more I played, and they no longer sounded dull at all. When plugged in they sing even better under my old fingers. You do have to play them a little differently than steel strings by lifting fingers instead of sliding fingers to avoid squeak. I run polished D'Addario EJ46LP strings which cuts down a lot on string squeak. When bending notes, the strings bend very easy but there is some delay for the bend to occur (latency?). Learning to tie the strings on was a little tricky at first. I like using a hybrid pick and fingers style and have even used a slide just for the fun of it, nothing serious. It takes about a week for new strings to stretch in so having two guitars is a great way to go if you're going to be playing out every week (it lets one keep stretching while at home). Anyway, I find playing nylon string guitars to be a lot of fun.
Ps. I was born on Friday the 13th, so it's a lucky day for me WP LoL! 😎👍
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SurferGirl, re; your 1st solo setup, I'm reminded of an acronym I read on this site a couple of years ago from a posted article. It goes T R A I N
1. Tune
2. Relief
3. Action
4. Intonation
5. Noodle
Then start again from the top. It helps to keep this order in mind when making adjustments...+1 on keeping your Grandpa in mind too! 😎👍
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+1 I'm sure the Jeff Beck tribute will be a success and look forward to making a donation for a DVD if it is offered...😎
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"Ground Control to Major Tom...commencing countdown engines on..." 🚀
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Here's the best of the Firebirds IMHO...😎
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Rest in Peace Gary Rossington...
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I gave up the hunting and fishing I had done all my life, as I don't like killing, cleaning and skinning wild or even domestic game for food. I still like my hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, fillet minion, chicken, turkey, fish, etc., all wrapped up nicely at the grocery store. I'm pretty sure most guitar players in the USA eat meat. I'm not knocking Kirk Hammett and the other vegans and vegetarian guitar players out there, but I don't think it has anything to do with playing the guitar. As a cab driver once said "what's the fastest way to Carnage Hall? Practice"...😎
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Rest in Peace David Lindley...
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Thanks ImmR! I really like those Burritos... I have heard of them before but now I must listen more! 😎
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I wish my wife would do that, otherwise I wind up with about 13 guitars LoL!😎
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3 hours ago, Old Music Guy said:
Thanks for explaining that. I had no idea what it was. All I knew from looking the EMGs up was that it was a presence control.
One problem for me using active pups is that the guitar has a Floyd Rose bridge. It would be impractical with actives because I have no place to put a battery. The only spot available is in the back cavity, and the only place a battery would fit would end up blocking the trem mechanism. I would have room in the front rout, but that would entail removing the pickguard every time I needed to replace a battery. Floyd Rose users know this is a very bad option.
OMG, in my post above I noted having 3 Strats with the battery under the spring plate cover so I do not have to remove the pickguard to replace the battery. It did involve routing out a flat spot so that the battery laid flat and removing the middle tremolo spring. The whammy works just fine with 2 instead of 3 springs. However, if you're a stickler for tone like Eric Johnson, you can go another route (pun intended) and keep all 3 springs. Check out the Eric Clapton Strat with the blocked tremolo. The routing under the spring plate cover is done so that the battery is laying up on it's side on one side of the cavity. Very cool if you're a super talented router as it fits under the spring plate cover on one side with no trace that it's there...
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I have the EMG David Gilmore drop-in in one of my Strats. It comes with a 3 single coils stock looking set-up on the surface but has something special under the hood. The two tone knobs are not tones but an EXG and an SPC pot. It is not cheap as WP points out above (i.e. around $300 bucks). But it is one of the fastest and best ways to make any Strat (MIM, MIA, Squire, etc.) sound like a more expensive Strat...I like EMG drop-ins and have 3 setups. I had them routed under the Spring plate so I can change batteries without having to remove the pickguard like the stock setup. I saved my stock loaded pickguards and can put all 3 back to stock in no time flat (less than 20minutes each) if I decide to sell the guitars someday. 😎
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ACOUSTIC NECK LOVE
in Guitar Forum
Posted
OMGuy, Winter and Summer are the seasons I have to pay attention to. Running the Heater and running the AC (and evaporative cooler) can change the humidity and dry out the air. I keep a temp/humidity gauge in my music room. I too like to keep a couple of guitars handy to grab and play but I lay them flat on two stands and flip flip flip they come out of the case when I need them. I'm trying to do better and put all 13 in the rotation concentrating on which ones need a string change getting the attention 1st. If the humidity is above 55 or below 35, I bring out the solid body electrics and leave the acoustics and more expensive archtop and hollow body models in the closet. I'm very lucky to have the temps and humidity in the zone fall and spring where I'm at. Having a humidifier that can do the whole room is a great idea. When temps are hot in the summer and cold in the winter, I pay more attention to the rotation as I keep them all tuned at 440 and can tell when the necks tighten and loosen. So far (knock on wood) I haven't had any fretboard shrinkage...😎