GUITAR MEGATHREAD: Dan Erlewine is your huckleberry

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Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Over the weekend I have caught some sort of plague and it has urged me to immediately get back into guitar. I haven't played for about 10 years and back then I wasn't good, so it's all up from here! Bear with my numerous questions...

I have a franken-strat that I assembled back then but have barely touched. It will need new strings obviously, but what else?
There is a master luthier just down the road from me who can do a tune up, is that best?
What brand/model of strings are good now? I think I was using 10 gauge back then, is that still good?

I have an Orange AD-15 which I will never part with. Will that need some sort of tune up/service too?

Given I now live in an apartment I will need a load box with a headphone out to be able to crank said angry fruit amp. I can get the Two Note Torpedo Captor, Mesa Boogie Cab Clone or Universal Audio Ox (but I'm not spending that $$$$$). Leaning towards the Captor, is that OK?

I've seen some chat about the Line 6 Helix and it looks like we finally might have decent digital amp solutions that don't cost the earth. Would the above load box, a Helix (probably LT model) and my existing pedals all be able to work together? This is probably a future thing if I actually want to ply long term.

Tell me what else has changed in the guitar world in the last 10 years?

# ¿ Apr 26, 2022 08:54

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 08:58

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Good Soldier Svejk posted:

Welcome back! Let me try to take this in order but definitely don't just take my advice. Get multiple opinions.

Strings: If you're not keen on changing them often, definitely go with a coated string. I'm a huge fan of D�Addario NYXL though lots of folks love and swear by elixir polywebs as well. 10s are probably still the default for a lot of brands though slinkys have made the .9s super popular and if you don't explicitly need the heavier gauge you may find it easier on your fingers to get back in by using a .9 set or a mixed heavy/light set.

Luthier: If it's been a decade in disuse, a luthier will definitely be able to get it back up to playing speed for you. May not be explicitly necessary but if they're around and affordable and you're serious, they'll probably do the best job. But a guitar shop could probably do all the stuff you need, too, and most likely sooner for less money. Apart from a general set-up, if the fretboard is not maple it'll probably need a good oiling, the electronics hit with some deoxit, and the whole thing cleaned up (e.g., if the frets are tarnished or gashed up, they'll need to be leveled and shined and so on - though if they are wrecked at that point you will want to go the luthier route)

I'm completely out of my depth on the analog amp so... I'll leave that to the other goons to answer.

Helix: If you're wanting to run everything through the orange you could probably get away with a Helix Stomp XL rather than an LT, since you won't need the amp modeling functionality. The stomp is basically just a self-contained pedal board at the point. Though if you want to play around with tons of sound options, the LT and some FRFR speakers is a lot of fun (that's the set-up I run)

Thanks for the response.

I�ll go with the NYXL as I can get them locally and take it in to that luthier. Sounds like he�ll just charge me what it costs and plus that guitar was an amateur assembly job at the time so may have always needed a little work.

Hopefully some amp experts can post on that part.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2022 21:05

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Related to my post from the other page I have found there are a bewildering array of options when it comes to headphone playing with backing tracks/Spotify! I live in an apartment and have no plans of playing with people any time soon(if ever!) Hopefully someone can offer some advice.

I haven�t really touched guitar for 10 years so I�m reluctant to jump on a Helix LT before I decide if I�ll really commit. But that seems like the best longer term option.

Getting a load box for my Orange AD15 seems good but locks me into that amp which is only single channel. Also load boxes are pretty $$$ for the limited options of sounds I�ll have with that amp. Longer term I�ll probably get one but not sure it�s my best bet right now.

Getting an audio interface for my computer and some software seems like a good stop gap option. Should be cheaper than the two above but heaps of options for sounds/effects. Any downsides? Obviously complexity.

TLDR: help me choose how to play with headphones (and backing tracks/Spotify) after a 10 year break!

# ¿ Apr 28, 2022 22:30

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Any hard case brands to avoid? Need to get one for my franken-strat.

# ¿ Apr 29, 2022 05:28

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

I'm back with my next round of annoying questions! :shobon:

- I picked up the NUX Mighty Plug instead of the Fender as it was less than half the price and no one had the Fender in stock. Anyone used one? Seems pretty neat but I need to crank the gate for any of the distorted amps otherwise there is heaps of noise, not sure if that's normal.

- Do people still use tabs? I found all my old tab books which was cool. I used to use Guitar Pro a lot back in the day, is that still a go-to app for tabs? The goal is to play to actual tracks but need to learn all the parts first.

- Is there any specific thing to know about power supplies for pedals? I discovered that I guess I got rid of them all when I tried to use my tuner pedal. I've only got three pedals currently so don't need anything major.

Here is my ugly and dirty franken-strat:

Why yes, that is grime and scratches on a terrible veneer.

# ¿ Apr 30, 2022 07:21

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Huxley posted:

I promise everyone here understands it, we're just giving you poo poo.

However, I am not giving you poo poo but instead this hard-learned advice from experience

Be real real loving careful with this line of thinking. If school says you need A guitar and AN amp, and you already own those things in any shape or form ... I'm not your parent and I'm not going to tell you what to do. But I'm 40 and I've done it, so I would say the two most important things you can do for yourself right now are 1) practice, and 2) don't take on any (more) consumer debt and especially not for guitar gear. I'm not trying to get in an argument or back and forth over this, but I'm right and anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong. You have what you need for school, that's all you need. If you have to finance it, you can't afford it yet. Make a budget and start saving toward a goal. If you can save $100 a month and you need $600, put $50 into the gear account and $50 into a savings account and wait a year for it.

"Good credit" in your 20s is a trap. Respect it like you'd respect a rattlesnake or a loaded gun.

This is good advice.

# ¿ May 1, 2022 23:42

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Why did you guys choose the Stomp over the LT?

# ¿ May 2, 2022 02:59

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Red_Fred posted:

I'm back with my next round of annoying questions!

- I picked up the NUX Mighty Plug instead of the Fender as it was less than half the price and no one had the Fender in stock. Anyone used one? Seems pretty neat but I need to crank the gate for any of the distorted amps otherwise there is heaps of noise, not sure if that's normal.

- Do people still use tabs? I found all my old tab books which was cool. I used to use Guitar Pro a lot back in the day, is that still a go-to app for tabs? The goal is to play to actual tracks but need to learn all the parts first.

- Is there any specific thing to know about power supplies for pedals? I discovered that I guess I got rid of them all when I tried to use my tuner pedal. I've only got three pedals currently so don't need anything major.

Here is my ugly and dirty franken-strat:

Why yes, that is grime and scratches on a terrible veneer.

My luthier tells me the neck on this guy is hosed. Truss rod won�t move. Any suggestions on where I can get a replacement?

# ¿ May 3, 2022 08:15

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

duodenum posted:

It would be easier and cheaper to go check out a few Squier Affinity or Bullet strats, pick one with good frets on a good neck, and move your pickguard to the new guitar. I have a bullet that I got used from Amazon warehouse for $100 or so (pre COVID) and the neck is a fantastic slim c with very good frets. I may have gotten lucky, but I�ve heard that cheap guitars like this have become quite good recently, and their biggest problem (the electronics) is what you�d swap out anyway.

nitsuga posted:

You'll want to make sure it's got a standard (or pretty close) neck pocket. Warmoth has a good diagram of the dimensions here: https://warmoth.com/guitar-body-neck-pockets

As for the neck, I'll just rattle off a few. https://guitarfetish.com (cheap but decent enough), https://stratosphereparts.com/ (sells the not broken parts from broken guitars), and https://warmoth.com/index.php/ (expensive but very high quality).

Instead of throwing you in the weeds with these, I'll pick out a few recommendations:

1. https://stratosphereparts.com/new-wd-licensed-by-fender-21-fret-neck-for-stratocaster-fat-d-shape-snfdr/ (A little curvier at 10", which I prefer generally)
2. https://stratosphereparts.com/new-mighty-mite-fender-licensed-stratocaster-strat-neck-maple-22-fret-mm2902-m/ (To keep the maple look)
3. https://stratosphereparts.com/fender-squier-classic-vibe-70s-strat-neck-stratocaster-guitar-parts/ (A Squier CV pull, hard to go wrong, but it does have a glossy finish)

Your luthier might be able to help source one too, and depending on your skill level, I might recommend enlisting them in getting a new neck installed. Lord knows I screwed my first up royally.

Thanks guys. I�m hoping he can help source/recommend one.

# ¿ May 3, 2022 20:23

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Red_Fred posted:

Thanks guys. I�m hoping he can help source/recommend one.

Ok so the luthier reckons it�s not worth it to try and fix this guy. If I import a random neck I�m looking at like $500+ with no guarantee it would be ok. Or he can make me a new one for $1k.

Either way I�d be dropping �new guitar� money into something not amazing. I don�t have a huge amount of sentimentality for it.

Are there any brands to avoid? From what I�ve been reading it sounds like the quality of Asian made guitars have come leaps and bounds in the last 10 years.

# ¿ May 4, 2022 02:43

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

nitsuga posted:

Ah, I didn't know you weren't in the USA. But yeah, hard not to agree that you should cut your losses with those numbers. Before you trash the thing, I'd definitely snag those pickups though. Even if you sit on them for years and years, one day you'll be glad you did.

Anyway, the standard advice around these parts is to get a Squier Classic Vibe something. Now their prices have gone up and they were already more expensive overseas, but they really do seem to click with me. There are no shortage of options though. Epiphone, Gretsch, Ibanez, and Yamaha all make pretty good starter guitars. My advice would be to go one up from the base models if you can afford it. In general, it really does get you a nicer instrument, and in a lot of cases one that doesn't need anything beyond a basic setup. Shopping your secondhand market is also not a bad idea, but I'm not sure how much of one you have.

Yeah not in the US so it makes it all a bit harder. There are a couple of secondhand places I can check but I feel I�ll need to get my knowledge up a bit more to ensure I�m not buying crap.

How are LTD and Jackson these days? I have some weird desire to get some kind of shred machine (but no Floyd Rose thank you!) not that I can shred.

And yeah I�m keeping those pickups for sure.

# ¿ May 4, 2022 03:39

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

I was sort of thinking pointy strat with humbuckers kinda look but both of those guitars look sweet. Is the Flying V a nightmare to play seated?

# ¿ May 4, 2022 04:00

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Anyone rate low end Schecters? There are some nice ones of them. A little above the LTD and Jackson equivalents though.

# ¿ May 4, 2022 05:44

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Good Soldier Svejk posted:

hot drat, the schecter pt has gone up $100 since I bought one last year
what is with instrument prices

That�s a good point. Have used guitars gone up like with everything else over the last two years?

All the used stuff locally seems pretty close to new which tips me towards buying new even though I�d prefer used.

# ¿ May 6, 2022 03:15

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

widefault posted:

I didn't go out looking for another Strat, but this one is gunmetal and has the big headstock

Squier Vintage Modified HSS, ~2012, with a rosewood fretboard, which apparently makes people pay a shitload used for them? Guitar, Gator nylon/foam case, Snark tuner, and a Levy's strap for $152. Fretboard needs a little oil, and it kind of needs a setup, but like most of the modern Squiers it is one damned nice guitar.

I also managed to snag one of the Firefly "GD90" Les Pauls, a gold top with two P90s, in their last drop. BUT as usual it took them a week to actually ship, so I won't see it until Wednesday.

Hey Squier buddy :hf:

I just bought this home today...

Tired about 9 different guitars from four different shops today but settled on the Tele. Just ticked all the boxes.

Also, when did mini pedals become a thing? The shop I got it from had a heap and they are adorable!

# ¿ May 7, 2022 09:08

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Spanish Manlove posted:

After thinking about it yeah we can always just PM an admin/mod to edit the thread if need be but that also raises a question of "Does anyone actually read big OPs in threads that aren't the PC building thread?"

Because if I remade the thread I'd just have a picture of a guitar then 10,000 characters of "buy a boss katana, squier CM/VM, wear earplugs, go to justin guitar for starter lessons" over and over again.

I�ve read this very OP a couple of times in the last few weeks, so yeah some weird people do read them.

# ¿ May 7, 2022 20:36

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

landgrabber posted:

the guitar's in your hands. if it's set up correctly, play the drat guitar

These are good words. GAS is truly a plague.

# ¿ May 8, 2022 00:27

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Dr. Faustus posted:

Played my first gig in something like 27 years tonight. All sorts of stuff went wrong with the PA, we were an hour late starting, and the band never quite gelled because of the PA/Monitor problems, except from time to time things came together perfectly. It was still a blast. There were so many people there. When we were good, we were really good. When we were bad, there were enough bandmates who are fast on their instruments to help mask that stuff, make it sound like we meant to do that. That's a skill every band needs.

Overall it was a good success. We got paid to rehearse, essentially, and we are invited back in July.

Band leader handed me a little roll of twenties and I stuffed em in my wallet without looking at them. Just checked and it's $100.oo.

The modeler rig is just a loving beast. I'll never go back. My stage volume was about 2, and it was plenty. We have a festival in June, and a couple irons in the fire. I'm going to take this week and binge-watch all the stuff I've been missing while preparing for tonight's show.

And I was so loving afraid all this week. Just anxiety levels I could not explain. We kicked off the first note and all that went away and I was back performing again. Coulda been better of course but for the prep time we had to learn the whole show I'm pleased with our progress. Unfortunately the lady was stuck working so I had no one there to be my groupie and to get pics for me. I'm hoping I can get some from around the band later.

Feels good, man. There is really nothing like it.

This rules. I�ve never played live and probably never will but could understand being filled with nerves.

# ¿ May 8, 2022 07:12

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

BizarroAzrael posted:

What's a good price for guitar lessons now BTW? I've found �30 per hour so far, �35 or so if I go for the one down the street instead of driving 10 mins.

Related: I�m keen to figure out how to find a good teacher! There seems to be heaps but not sure where to start�

# ¿ May 9, 2022 03:32

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

nitsuga posted:

I think finding the part will be pretty tricky. On-Stage has a part for something similar, but none are available: https://on-stage.com/products/view/10586

I think you might have to settle for a substitute like a nice rubber band or a scrunchy.

All the rubber stuff on mine is all cracked and falling off as well. Any ideas on what I can replace it with?

If not I might just get rid of this stand and just keep it in the case.

lament.cfg posted:

You forgot how much money needs to be spent on pedals (all of it), and how many fuzz pedals is enough (never enough)

Please tell me about fuzz�

# ¿ May 10, 2022 23:21

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

ColdPie posted:

The only guitars I don't play are the ones in their cases.

Guitar casket.

True but I only have one guitar�

luchadornado posted:

What's the next step up from Fender Mustang Micro? Assuming it's some sort of an amp-in-the-box pedal and a Cabzeus?

All this modeling poo poo is cool as hell of you haven't paid attention for 20 years.

It really is! I remember back in like 2002 or something getting some cheap Digitech multi fx thing and being blown away for a few months before I realised it sounded like poo poo. It�s awesome to see the technology has caught up.

# ¿ May 11, 2022 00:46

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Thumposaurus posted:

I took a micro fiber towel and sewed it into a tube and slipped it over the metal bits to replace the surgical type tubing on one older stand I have. I have a lot of nitrocellulose finished guitars and that surgical tubing will eat right through it.

This is a great idea! I have a bunch of micro fibre towels and my partner has a sewing machine.

Unrelated: what are thread favourite pedals power supplies? I didn�t really know this was a thing but sounds like it�s the best thing to do to avoid weird noise.

# ¿ May 11, 2022 08:09

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Kazinsal posted:

(the best drop D riff is Ratt - Lay It Down)

That�s a banger for sure

# ¿ May 11, 2022 08:31

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Kazinsal posted:

I definitely wish I had gotten one of the PRS knockoffs from Harley Benton instead of their active pickup Les Paul Custom knockoff. God that guitar is unplayable.

How so? I was kind of looking at those as I really like that ESP LP look for some reason.

# ¿ May 16, 2022 02:24

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Kazinsal posted:

The hardware isn�t good and needs to be completely replaced to keep any sort of stable tuning even though it�s a hardtail. The electronics are kind of crunchy and the selector noticeably pops when being used. Also the finish isn�t great and the neck is pretty rough.

The pickups are way too hot. Like, unpleasantly so. You�re not going to get any sort of clean tone out of the bridge and it makes the middle position less sparkly and more slightly overdriven. I suppose if you want to throw proper EMGs and a few hundred worth of parts into it you could have a fine ESP knockoff but at that point you should just save up for an ESP.

Is this the usual story with Harley Benton? I figured QC can�t be great at that price point.

# ¿ May 16, 2022 06:55

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

luchadornado posted:

Yep - I've got a LP-like with humbuckers and keep looking at telecasters for a 2nd.

I�m doing the literal opposite right now! I tuned my Tele down to drop B and now I need a new guitar as retuning is annoying you see� :homebrew:

# ¿ May 25, 2022 04:44

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Blotto_Otter posted:

I've got some time to kill while I sit through some boring sessions of an online continuing ed conference, so... anyone interested in hearing about some adventures in Telecaster modifications?

Backstory: I got into learning guitar back in January, after we got my daughter a 3-string acoustic for Christmas and realized I was more interested in figuring the thing out than she was. I picked up a green Squier Affinity Telecaster, specifically one of the older varieties (with the top-loading six-saddle bridge) rather than the newest iteration with the thru-body strings. (That part is relevant later). It's only been 4 or 5 months of practicing regularly, so I am very much a beginner and didn't really need to fiddle with the guitar, as it was working well enough for my extremely-limited skillset... but I also like tinkering with things, and the best hobbies are the ones that let me tinker with the hobby's tools.

Part 1 - This bridge already has twenty holes in it, three more holes isn't going to hurt it
Since I don't have a lot of experience handling a variety of guitars, I don't have much to compare my Tele against. I even bought it sight unseen, as I ordered it online while I was stuck at home for a week quarantining with a case of COVID. So, I could be that I just don't know any better, but it looks great, the neck and frets feel good in the hand and under the fingers, and I was happy with it, except for two annoyances: first, I couldn't lower the action on the low E and A strings, or back up the low E saddle to try and intonate it perfectly, without getting some buzzing from the bridge and saddles. If I raised the saddles up a bit, or unscrewed the intonation screw a bit (thus shortening the string and moving the saddle away from the bottom of the bridge), the buzzing would stop. When I eyeballed it, it looked like the string (which on the top-loading bridges, inserts just under the saddle intonation screw) was pressing against the bottom of the intonation screw.

Some googling revealed other top-loader Affinity Tele owners complaining of similar issues, and suggested that it was a problem that could occur because the design of the top-loading Affinity bridges meant that the string makes an S-shape as it goes under then over the saddles, which could mean the string is pressing up on the string as well as downward, depending on how the saddle is adjusted. (Here's a tweet with some pics of the bridge, though they're not at the ideal angle to see the string path under the saddle.) A theory was that the buzzing occurs if upward pressure from the string against the bottom of the saddle or intonation screw counteracts the downward pressure from the string where it breaks across the top of the saddle, causing the saddle to be somewhat loose against the bridge. The Internet's suggested fixes were: 1) adjust the action or intonation until it stops buzzing; or, 2) change out the whole bridge; or, 3) take a power drill to your bridge and turn it into a frankenstein 3-saddle style bridge.

I didn't like option 1. Sure, I could probably live with raising the action a bit, it wasn't that high... but I would always know that it could be better, if I just fiddled with it more. Option 2 initially seemed like the most straightforward tweak, but I ran into a problem: the top-loading Affinity Tele bridge is longer than a typical Tele bridge and has a different screw hole pattern than usual, and I just could not find a direct replacement that was the same dimensions. The best replacement seemed to be a popular Wilkinson 3-saddle bridge that allows for either string-thru-body or top-loading stringing, but it was shorter and with different mounting hole locations than the stock Affinity bridge, which would mean drilling new holes into the guitar body and leaving some of the old holes exposed. I don't feel confident in my woodworking abilities, so I was reluctant to start drilling into the wood body, and I also wasn't sure how I would like the aesthetics of exposed screw holes below the new bridge plate. So...

... on to option 3: buy some brass saddles and take a power drill to the old baseplate. Is it a good idea for a beginning guitarist and an amateur metalworker to take a power drill to an essential component of the only electric guitar they own? No, probably not. Did I even get the three new screw holes lined up evenly with each other? Also no. Did that matter? Nope! Did it all work out, and give me exactly the results I was hoping? Yep! I had to use longer intonation screws than usual (remember, the Affinity bridge plate is longer than most Tele bridge plates), and cannibalize some other intonation springs since the ones that came with the saddles weren't long enough... but once it was all on and strung up, I can lower the action all I want and back up that intonation screw all I want, and there's zero buzzing from the bridge now. Also, it looks cooler with the old-school brass saddles, and I used compensated saddles so it still intonates pretty well. To see how it looks, imagine this random dude's guitar, but in English racecar green:
https://twitter.com/paulfiddle/status/952498583483355137

Part 2: Look, barely knowing how to play guitar hasn't stopped me, barely knowing how to solder isn't gonna stop me now

Okay, so earlier I hinted at the fact that I had two annoyances with my guitar. The second annoyance? I, uh, I didn't care for the tone of the bridge pickup at all. Boy, was it incredibly bright, harsh, and twangy when I first plugged it in and tried it out. I knew folks said the Telecaster bridge pickup was twangy, but Jesus. I could get it tolerable by bringing the tone knob down to a 2 or 3 out of 10, and bumping down the treble on the amp some, but... is it really supposed to sound that piercingly bright?

"Look, it sounds fine with the tone knob dialed way back," I thought. "It's not bad once you play with the amp's EQ!" I told myself. "You're still new to this, this is not impeding your learning, you should leave it alone", I argued with myself. Then I went online, ordered a complete new set of electronics (including new caps and a 4-way switch), and ordered a pair of Pretzel Pickups from Bootstrap Pickups.

Bootstrap's value was impossible to beat, given how much praise I'd seen for them. I expected a long wait, both based on their reputation and the warning on their website of "about 4-week lead times right now". I think it was closer to 7 weeks before it shipped. That's fine! I don't have a schedule, I ain't performing any time soon, the guitar works adequately as-is and I was too busy with work to tear the guitar apart until now, anyway. Then, Ryan at Bootstrap emailed that there was a mixup with the vendor for the base plates they use in their Tele pickups, and some with metric screw threading got mixed in with some with imperial screw threading, and so they might not have included the correct screws... but they were putting a new set of metric screws in the mail right away. Okay, good, the heads up and proactive service was appreciated!

So I got the replacement screws a few days later, tore the guitar apart, and started mounting the new bridge pickup to the bridge plate, and... I think something was wrong with the threads on the screws, such that they had been crushed, or stripped, or were cut too shallow. Once I started tightening the screws (in order to raise the pickup to the correct height)... they would pop back out from the pickup, as if the pickup was losing its grip on the screw threads as soon as any significant force was applied. This meant I couldn't tighten and raise the bridge pickup enough to work. This also happened on all four of the screws they sent, at all three screw holes on the bridge plate. poo poo. Okay, now what? Do I have any other screws to try?

... yes, yes I do! The spare intonation screws I got for the new brass saddles in part 1? Same diameter and threading, just too long. But that's not a problem - back to the garage to get the Dremel and cut those screws down to size. Once cut to the correct length, I used them to try mounting the bridge pickup again and... presto, nice and snug. Bridge pickup height is right where it should be now.

Also while doing this, I was ripping out the old electronics and pickups, mounting the new pots and switch into a new control plate, and soldering it all together. I have a little soldering experience, but not a lot, so it took me a while but I got there. (I used a parts kit plus 4-way switch wiring diagram from ToneShapers. Highly recommended, all good parts and a clear, easy-to-read wiring diagram.) I got it all put back together, strung it up, plugged it in, and... holy poo poo it all works.

Verdict? It sounds great. I can crank that tone knob up to 10 now and it still gets nice twangy, but it's not so harsh that I want to claw my ears out. I actually like using the bridge pickup now. The old neck pickup was okay, but I really like the new ones - clear and with a bit of chime. (In defense of the old pickups, I swapped pickups and electronics out at the same time. I didn't measure the old pots, but google suggests that Affinity Teles often come with 500k pots, and the new ones are 250k, so perhaps just changing the pots could have tamed that harshness I complained about.) Also, the new switch position gives a nice additional option with a bit of humbucking oomph.

If anyone actually stuck through this long post to the end, here's my final thoughts: guitars are cool, I suck at it but I'm enjoying learning how to play the instrument and learning how to tinker with it. I realize that not everyone may have the same results, but I am extremely pleased at how well things worked out after I decided to crack open my $220 guitar and go nuts. The 4-way switch mod, ToneShapers wiring kits and diagrams, and Bootstrap Pickups are all recommended, as long as you're not in a rush and willing to take on a DIY project at a slow pace.

This thread is great, this post was great.

I have my first lesson in 15+ years tonight. Kind of nervous!

# ¿ May 25, 2022 22:26

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

muike posted:

trying really hard to get along with my Helix LT. I'm not a tinkerer by nature but I love the form factor and usability. I am however frustrated it doesn't have a 5150 model, as far as i can tell, and that's honestly the #1 thing i want from it

Isn�t the PV Panama exactly that?

# ¿ May 26, 2022 05:37

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Can someone please link me to a video or article that explains tunings, scale length, string gauge and how those all interact with each other?

# ¿ May 26, 2022 07:56

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Siivola posted:

Sure! https://stringjoy.com/guitar-scale-length-explained/

# ¿ May 26, 2022 08:39

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Helianthus Annuus posted:

Jim Lill posted another video on the same theme as the others. This one is about how the cabinet geometry affects the tone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eeC1XyZxYs

I�m loving his videos.

All this talk of partscasters makes me want to buy another neck to fix my frakenstrat. Nervous about ensuring a random neck will fit though.

# ¿ May 27, 2022 06:19

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Drunk Driver Dad posted:

when are they going to add the boss katana model to the line 6 helix. that would be perfect for landgrabber

What are some thread favourite YouTube channels?

I really only watch Ola Englund currently, and I get he�s pretty childish and probably has bad opinions but I feel compelled to know if it will chug.

# ¿ May 28, 2022 23:32

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Thanks everyone! Hoping to avoid boring blues noodling wherever possible.

I really shouldn't sub to gear channels though or the GAS will become overwhelming. :negative:

# ¿ May 29, 2022 01:03

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Clayton Bigsby posted:

Just posting a follow up here. Found an "Angel of Deth" FS on the local auction site and was going to bid on it when I noticed the seller also had a plain black VMNT, allegedly completely unused. Messaged him with some questions and requests for pictures and, well, turns out the AoD one was Indonesian while this black one was a 2011 from the Un Sung factory in Korea. From what I've been able to find on these the korean ones are held in high regard while the Indonesian made version has more mixed reviews. Also, Dave supposedly used a bunch of Korean VMNTs on tour since he preferred their lighter weight to the US ones.

Well, Dean's not really a popular brand here in Sweden so the AoD went for 4800 SEK (around $480). A few minutes later I landed the winning bid on the black one for 4100 ($410). Seems like a heck of a deal considering what they tend to sell for internationally.

Got it home today and I honestly believe the seller wasn't exaggerating. It's absolutely flawless with no visible wear anywhere. Pickup covers have some discoloration but that's due to age. Original hardcase is in excellent condition, and a beastly leather strap was included (and a bag of Tortex .73mm picks of course). Plugged in a fresh 9V battery and tuned up and oh MAN does it sound sweet as all hell. Neck is wonderful as well. Really going to enjoy this thing and I feel like I got a lot for my $$$.

So that's my story.

It�s a good story OP. I also want a V at some point. More comfortable to play sitting down compared to an Explorer I found.

# ¿ May 30, 2022 23:03

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Hellblazer187 posted:

Just get guitarpro, I'm pretty sure you can tell it the key signature to fix that. You can download any non-official tab and then open it in guitarpro. I'd be surprised if the free alternatives don't have that option as well.

Yeah the UG web player interface is whack.

Yeah I shelled out for GP8 the other day, it�s way more than I need but has some great features.

I�ve been using .73 and .88 tortex picks forever and want to see what else is out there. What should I try?

I�ve got most of the standard tortex/gator sizes but there are like a billion other styles, materials etc.

# ¿ May 31, 2022 05:43

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

Hellblazer187 posted:

I use goplayalong, which let's you synch real audio to gp files. A few years ago when I was playing bass in a lovely cover band that software was crucial to me for learning songs quickly. It doesn't really work as an gp file editor, though, which is why I also have guitarpro

This looks neat but maybe Soundslice is better as that can connect to YouTube (and Spotify?)? I don�t really have music files anymore.

It�s weird this isn�t a feature in GP or at least a plug-in. I sort of manually do it myself but it�s clumsy and often not in sync.

# ¿ May 31, 2022 09:08

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

landgrabber posted:

currently i've decided to just learn smiths songs and butt my head up against those, because johnny marr is one of the few guitar heroes who i actually totally love and think is also a great melodist... if i had a little more of that in my style i wouldn't complain.

so it seems like that's a good place to focus to pick up some technique at the moment

I had to write five guitarists who inspire me for some list for my guitar teacher the other day and it was like four metal guys and Johnny Marr.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2022 00:45

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

BizarroAzrael posted:

Finished my Harley Benton Jazzmaster kit;

Here's the body before assembly so you can see the colour better:

Was fun, but I did have some issues;

Rubber inserts to go under the pickups not supplied

Pre-drilled holes for pickguard misaligned

Had to guess which cable to plug each pickup to

Didn't mention the neck and bridge pickups were different which could trip up some

I think I also need to make some intonation adjustments to the bridge saddles, but I can't seem to make much difference to the tone at the twelfth fret that way.

I think I'll do another when I've got an idea of what I want, but I won't be voting a headstock again.

That looks pretty nice. How well do the necks fit? That would be my major concern with one of those kits.

# ¿ Jun 3, 2022 03:05

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

NonzeroCircle posted:

10-17 is a huge stretch for sure but you can probably stretch further than you think between index and pinky.
I don't have particularly big hands but can play a "drop D" octave anywhere on the neck without any difficulty. At it's longest this is first fret on 6th string and sixth fret on the 5th string (assuming the bottom string is tuned a whole step down).
As with most guitar stuff, some of it is down to practice, some is down to mindset, and a hell of a lot of it is down to posture and wrist position.

Alternatively, could the lick be played with your left hand fretting on the 10th and either your right hand or pick tapping the higher notes?

Yeah I thought it could be tapping? Kinda similar to Steve Vai�s solo from Now You�re Gone.

# ¿ Jun 8, 2022 00:03

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 08:58

Red_Fred: Oct 21, 2010; Fallen Rib

800peepee51doodoo posted:

There's no tapping in the Tornado of Souls solo, its just big stupid stretches. Ben Eller does a full breakdown of the solo and this is that part (18:30 if it doesn't link right):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5WoxqThfwU&t=1110s

Corrected I stand. Love his videos, 80s hair metal is real good.

# ¿ Jun 8, 2022 01:33

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > No Music Discussion > Musician's Lounge > GUITAR MEGATHREAD: Dan Erlewine is your huckleberry

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