Guitar Megathread - learn-share-talk-lessons-tips-fun

[rollerball]

See it now. Why would they use them?



Did a little research. Good news is the locking knob version which are staggered cost $50 in chrome. Looking at the holes it should be a straight swap.



https://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and...ne_Tuners.html

When it comes to taking screws in and out of wood how many times can this realistically be done before the softer wood starts deteriorating and the screw starts getting looser? Obviously not some exact number, but for instance could I dis-attach and reattach a guitar neck over and over before the screws lose their hold?

[Dominik]

When it comes to taking screws in and out of wood how many times can this realistically be done before the softer wood starts deteriorating and the screw starts getting looser? Obviously not some exact number, but for instance could I dis-attach and reattach a guitar neck over and over before the screws lose their hold?

Every now and then is fine. Even though it's more stable without moisture roasted maple is more brittle. I always put a small amount of beeswax on the screws and never force them. If a screw is tight back out a little and try again. Most important thing is a pilot hole is drilled first which of course has been done already and you'd be using the same screws. Many guitarists have cracked headstocks over the years forcing a small screw in without drilling a proper size pilot hole.

re: taking the neck on and off again the best approach is having a tech who knows what they're doing install threaded inserts. That way metal neck screws go into threaded metal inserts. That would be a great option for travel. Just remove the neck and pack it separately in a padded bag or suitcase. Taking it off occasionally is fine.

Anyway after what you told me that would be my first mod with an AZ. Remove the old tuners and put those $50 ones in. I'm fine with using a tool for the nut and bridge. I don't want to lock strings at the post with one.

[rollerball]

Every now and then is fine. Even though it's more stable without moisture roasted maple is more brittle. I always put a small amount of beeswax on the screws and never force them. If a screw is tight back out a little and try again. Most important thing is a pilot hole is drilled first which of course has been done already and you'd be using the same screws. Many guitarists have cracked headstocks over the years forcing a small screw in without drilling a proper size pilot hole.

re: taking the neck on and off again the best approach is having a tech who knows what they're doing install threaded inserts. That way metal neck screws go into threaded metal inserts. That would be a great option for travel. Just remove the neck and pack it separately in a padded bag or suitcase. Taking it off occasionally is fine.

Anyway after what you told me that would be my first mod with an AZ. Remove the old tuners and put those $50 ones in. I'm fine with using a tool for the nut and bridge. I don't want to lock strings at the post with one.

Ah very informative. Especially the stuff about the beeswax. Metal threaded inserts just seem to make a lot more sense.

I'm also an idiot about those gotoh locking tuners - the hold in the back confused me because the allen wrench fit right in but instead you're supposed to use a penny on the other side of the tuning head and unlock it. Then you thread the string back in and start tuning it up and it locks itself.

[bob2589]

CEO is stubborn so no stainless steel frets, roasted maple, etc.

Jump to 11:50 and you'll get a better picture of the lunatic running the show.

In on guitar thread.

I own a PRS SE24 - Never played one of the American made models but can vouch for the SE line. Great guitars and a realistic alternative for anyone looking at an Epi or even a Gibson.

Only mods I made was to swap out the cheap crappy nut with a graphtech and install locking tuners.

I do wish they would loosen up and start releasing models with more variety (extra jumbos etc). Even the signature lines which seem aimed at metal players follow the same formula.

[rollerball]

In on guitar thread.

I own a PRS SE24 - Never played one of the American made models but can vouch for the SE line. Great guitars and a realistic alternative for anyone looking at an Epi or even a Gibson.

Only mods I made was to swap out the cheap crappy nut with a graphtech and install locking tuners.

I do wish they would loosen up and start releasing models with more variety (extra jumbos etc). Even the signature lines which seem aimed at metal players follow the same formula.

I have played some solid SE models, but I suppose I have a personal dislike for glossy necks which I remember them having. Otherwise they were pretty nice from what I remember.

[Dominik]

I'm also an idiot about those gotoh locking tuners - the hold in the back confused me because the allen wrench fit right in but instead you're supposed to use a penny on the other side of the tuning head and unlock it. Then you thread the string back in and start tuning it up and it locks itself.

Completely forgot about those. They're height adjustable (HAP-M) and not as common. No shame in you being unaware there and that hole on the back is confusing. Good to know and it's only for unlocking like you said so no big deal but I still prefer the thumbscrew style vs. banging around up there with a screwdriver or coin which inevitably means more scratches and dents.

I do wish they would loosen up and start releasing models with more variety (extra jumbos etc). Even the signature lines which seem aimed at metal players follow the same formula.

He didn't hesitate in carbon copying a Strat with the Silver Sky to help Mayer troll Fender but like you said offering larger frets, stainless, etc. for some reason isn't his bag. Doesn't make sense. Probably sees himself like Steve Jobs where it's his way or the highway. I remember when he swore they'd never make phones beyond a certain size because no one is going to buy them or something ridiculous.

It's really simple — just give people what they want. John Suhr gets it. He doesn't get up on his high horse and limit options. He was one of the first to offer stainless frets and roasted necks. He's open to whatever will improve the experience for the player.

[bob2589]

I have played some solid SE models, but I suppose I have a personal dislike for glossy necks which I remember them having. Otherwise they were pretty nice from what I remember.

I also prefer a satin neck. I once took some finishing wool to the neck of my LP custom which I was gigging with. Wouldn't want to do that to a guitar I'd dropped a considerable lump of money on though!
The neck on the SE doesn't bother me too much, the profile feels wider if my hand than an LP for example so doesn't sit as deep if that makes sense.
Overall it's a really well put together guitar and in my opinion blows most other brands away at it's price point for build quality and finishing (~£700 over here in the UK).

He didn't hesitate in carbon copying a Strat with the Silver Sky to help Mayer troll Fender but like you said offering larger frets, stainless, etc. for some reason isn't his bag. Doesn't make sense. Probably sees himself like Steve Jobs where it's his way or the highway. I remember when he swore they'd never make phones beyond a certain size because no one is going to buy them or something ridiculous.

Agreed. I didn't follow the John Mayer Sig. release closely, but couldn't understand why they went in that direction. Seemed pretty blatant.

[ctgblue]

Completely forgot about those. They're height adjustable (HAP-M) and not as common. No shame in you being unaware there and that hole on the back is confusing. Good to know and it's only for unlocking like you said so no big deal but I still prefer the thumbscrew style vs. banging around up there with a screwdriver or coin which inevitably means more scratches and dents.

I used a lot of thumbscrew locking tuners. But because I couldn't pay $75 for a set, the $25-$30 Chinese made ones were hit and miss. About every 3rd set I'd have a bad tuner.

I tried the Wilkinson EZ Lok ones. No screw but 2 90° holes. Through, wrap, through at a different angle, no slip. Now that's my go to tuner for any upgrade. Around $30 a set, chrome, black, or gold available.

[pengh]

Bought a 300 dollar Ibanez from sweetwater 3 weeks ago. Tuned it in all 4ths cause I've been focused on bass the last 7 years (play bass and keys).

Chits fuking hard. I can solo and **** the same way as on bass but the chords are hard lol. The dexterity just isn't there the damn strings are so close together.

Using the pick came pretty natural.

I'll just take it week by week. Should be fun.

[Schimiggy]

my favorite songs to pay are All of Me by John Legend and Pumped Up Kicks. Of course they're just chords. I'll get to tabbing eventually.

[daveminnich]

Looking to buy my first ever 7 string. Budget is $1k. NO FLOYD ROSE TREMS ALLOWED.

What should I check out?

[CherryPopinski]

Here's a little treat for you guys



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4XQwkR64U8&t=5s

[MBisonSon]

LOL I went to Guitar Center the other day, just to **** around on their stuff- as I'm sure we've all done a million times

Anyways I picked up a Les Paul and was immediately like "what the **** is this ****??!!?!".

I literally felt like I had just picked up a toy.

Turns out my guitar has a 25.5" scale and that basically ruined guitars with them shorter scales.

Not only that but them ****ers are HEAVY, I've always heard that but never felt it for myself.

[harmsxwhey]

Looking to buy my first ever 7 string. Budget is $1k. NO FLOYD ROSE TREMS ALLOWED.

What should I check out?

Look for an old Japanese Ibanez RG7621 and throw some good pups in it. You may be able to find a used Prestige RG752FX around the $1k mark, if you look hard enough. Schecter Banshees and KM-7s are super nice, too, but probably also pushing the top end of your budget.

[rollerball]

LOL I went to Guitar Center the other day, just to **** around on their stuff- as I'm sure we've all done a million times

Anyways I picked up a Les Paul and was immediately like "what the **** is this ****??!!?!".

I literally felt like I had just picked up a toy.

Turns out my guitar has a 25.5" scale and that basically ruined guitars with them shorter scales.

Not only that but them ****ers are HEAVY, I've always heard that but never felt it for myself.

I think there actually used to be a perceived correlation between weight and tone when it came to les pauls lol.

[Dominik]

Here's a little treat for you guys

That's a really nice guitar. re: around 7:40 those "Alnico Classic" pickups are named after the type of magnet so most likely alnico V or II. All those vintage guitars used them. Larry DiMarzio put a ceramic magnet in the Super Distortion which showed up in the 70s and that really kicked off the high gain trend.

I used a lot of thumbscrew locking tuners. But because I couldn't pay $75 for a set, the $25-$30 Chinese made ones were hit and miss. About every 3rd set I'd have a bad tuner.

I tried the Wilkinson EZ Lok ones. No screw but 2 90° holes. Through, wrap, through at a different angle, no slip. Now that's my go to tuner for any upgrade. Around $30 a set, chrome, black, or gold available.

With a guitar that has a light body the last thing you'd want to is load up the headstock with heavy tuners so it neck dives. Those Wilkinsons look like a solid alternative and you can't beat the price.

Locking tuners with a locking nut sounds like overkill but those pressure pads can develop grooves in them over time and if the string is slipping slightly at the tuner tuning stability could be compromised. Locking tuners eliminate that.

I used to wind my strings on this way and it worked fine. Just takes a few more seconds. This video might help those who have regular tuners. It's the best way I've found to restring a guitar.

2:30

[ctgblue]

That's like the myth that stringing a floyd with the ball end in the tuners will somehow ruin the guitar. That's the best way to do it.

[CherryPopinski]

That's a really nice guitar. re: around 7:40 those "Alnico Classic" pickups are named after the type of magnet so most likely alnico V or II. All those vintage guitars used them. Larry DiMarzio put a ceramic magnet in the Super Distortion which showed up in the 70s and that really kicked off the high gain trend.

Yea, overall the pick-ups are okay but sound pretty thin. I'm not in any rush since I obviously dropped the cash on a guitar and case but down the line I intend on replacing them. The fretboard is actually Pau Ferro not rosewood. Never handled a guitar with this material before, some describe the feel like Ebony it is very a smooth wood, just wish it was a little darker.

EDIT: I'm trying to set-up the guitar myself but I don't have feeler gauges so it's a little bit of a pain in the ass for me right now. Action was sky high on this thing, I lowered the bridge but now I have bad buzzing going on.

[Dominik]

Yea, overall the pick-ups are okay but sound pretty thin. I'm not in any rush since I obviously dropped the cash on a guitar and case but down the line I intend on replacing them. The fretboard is actually Pau Ferro not rosewood. Never handled a guitar with this material before, some describe the feel like Ebony it is very a smooth wood, just wish it was a little darker.

I'd play around with the height and also adjust pole piece height before giving up on them.

re: Pau Ferro the problem is companies now need to fill out a lot of paperwork when exporting guitars with rosewood due to CITES. It's just easier for them to find alternatives but be happy it's actually wood and not countertop material (richlite) which Gibson has been using. Ibanez is building more guitars with maple fretboards now to get around it. Fender is also using more Pau Ferro. Ebony probably costs a little more or they can't get it in the same volume.

EDIT: I'm trying to set-up the guitar myself but I don't have feeler gauges so it's a little bit of a pain in the ass for me right now. Action was sky high on this thing, I lowered the bridge but now I have bad buzzing going on.

Is the buzzing when fretting notes or playing open strings? For checking the action I use one of these.

I watched the video on the computer this time instead of the phone and can see what you mean about the action. That looked really high out of the box. Surprised they'd ship it like that.

[CherryPopinski]

I'd play around with the height and also adjust pole piece height before giving up on them.

re: Pau Ferro the problem is companies now need to fill out a lot of paperwork when exporting guitars with rosewood due to CITES. It's just easier for them to find alternatives but be happy it's actually wood and not countertop material (richlite) which Gibson has been using. Ibanez is building more guitars with maple fretboards now to get around it. Fender is also using more Pau Ferro. Ebony probably costs a little more or they can't get it in the same volume.

Is the buzzing when fretting notes or playing open strings? For checking the action I use one of these.

I watched the video on the computer this time instead of the phone and can see what you mean about the action. That looked really high out of the box. Surprised they'd ship it like that.

It's past the 13th fret, I think I lowered the bridge too much. I sighted the neck, I didn't adjust the truss rod but as far as I can tell the neck seems pretty straight no back-bow whatsoever.

[Dominik]

It's past the 13th fret, I think I lowered the bridge too much. I sighted the neck, I didn't adjust the truss rod but as far as I can tell the neck seems pretty straight no back-bow whatsoever.

That's beyond the scope of the truss rod so you're looking at bridge height and saddle radius. Sometimes the height is fine but the radius of the saddles is off depending on how they were notched at the factory so you get more buzz on the D and G strings for example.

Each to their own but a medium to medium-high action just sounds better to me tone wise. I also found dialing in more relief than feels comfortable improved sustain. I've got books on guitar setups that say little to no relief FTW but what the experts say is irrelevant because how it sounds to me when I'm playing it is all that matters. In this case tone > comfort.

It also comes down to playing style. If you have a light touch then you can get away with a much lower action than someone heavy handed who digs in. You'll hear blanket statements like you need a low action for legato but even that comes down to finger strength. Someone like Guthrie could do those crazy hammers from nowhere runs on an acoustic with mile high action. Then you've got players with light touch playing 8s with a super low action who have the most incredible tone. That's what keeps guitar techs in business — everyone's got their own style and preferences.

[tubeman]

In on guitar thread.

I own a PRS SE24 - Never played one of the American made models but can vouch for the SE line. Great guitars and a realistic alternative for anyone looking at an Epi or even a Gibson.

Only mods I made was to swap out the cheap crappy nut with a graphtech and install locking tuners.

I do wish they would loosen up and start releasing models with more variety (extra jumbos etc). Even the signature lines which seem aimed at metal players follow the same formula.

I have a PRS SE245 that I recently bought (getting back into playing) I've had Fender Strats, Teles, a Gibson 1978 Les Paul Deluxe, a Guild Bluesbird, and a few home builds I worked on. The PRS SE245 is a very good buy for anyone that's wanted a PRS but couldn't afford one. I got mine for less than $400 from Guitar Center because it was new but had some serious cosmetic flaws (missing tone knob, scratched gloss and a edge has finish/poly broken off. None of that effects the play-ability though. I'll probably swap out the nut and the tuners along with the pickups (I want a pair of Bare Knuckle PUs). I'm impressed with how much guitar you get for so little. PRS's SE line is definitely something to consider if you're looking into PRS guitars. I'll have to post up a pic of my guitar soon.

[bob2589]

I have a PRS SE245 that I recently bought (getting back into playing) I've had Fender Strats, Teles, a Gibson 1978 Les Paul Deluxe, a Guild Bluesbird, and a few home builds I worked on. The PRS SE245 is a very good buy for anyone that's wanted a PRS but couldn't afford one. I got mine for less than $400 from Guitar Center because it was new but had some serious cosmetic flaws (missing tone knob, scratched gloss and a edge has finish/poly broken off. None of that effects the play-ability though. I'll probably swap out the nut and the tuners along with the pickups (I want a pair of Bare Knuckle PUs). I'm impressed with how much guitar you get for so little. PRS's SE line is definitely something to consider if you're looking into PRS guitars. I'll have to post up a pic of my guitar soon.

Nice! I always liked the look of the PRS single cuts.

What BKP's are you looking at? I have a Nailbomb bridge and Cold Sweat neck in an Ibanez. Great pups - Had it rewired and upgraded pots and caps at the same time. That was more to do with the cheapo Ibanez electronics than anything though.

[MBisonSon]

I think there actually used to be a perceived correlation between weight and tone when it came to les pauls lol.

Bro I'm not a big guy, and I have skinny/slender fingers.

I was looking like how on earth do guys bigger than I am play those things?

[CherryPopinski]

Bro I'm not a big guy, and I have skinny/slender fingers.

I was looking like how on earth do guys bigger than I am play those things?

Lol I have spider fingers, long and slender like Nicollo Paganini haha

[MBisonSon]

Lol I have spider fingers, long and slender like Nicollo Paganini haha

Man I wish I had longer fingers, although they haven't limited me yet I'm sure they will.

[rollerball]

Man I wish I had longer fingers, although they haven't limited me yet I'm sure they will.

doubtful unless you have phukkin frodo hands. it's more about wrist placement imo.

[MBisonSon]

doubtful unless you have phukkin frodo hands. it's more about wrist placement imo.

My hands are still somewhat wide and I think that helps out.

Do you have any insight/drills you use to develop ability to hammer-on with the pinky?

[rollerball]

My hands are still somewhat wide and I think that helps out.

Do you have any insight/drills you use to develop ability to hammer-on with the pinky?

Since the pinky and the ring finger share the same tendon it will always be more difficult to use them independently than the pointer and index finger. Best way, I've found, to work on it is literally doing hammer-on and pull-offs between the ring finger and the pinky over and over. I generally avoid making it too tedious by incorporating the exercise into some musical lick that'll I'll play over and over (minding the tension) in time.
Tbh, my legato isn't the best if you watch any of my videos you'll see that I tend to pick most of the notes.

[z4v4]

Yup, as rollerball said, just do trills to start.

Trills between:

1&2
1&3
1&4
2&3
2&4
3&4

Work up to 60 seconds (use your phone stopwatch) each finger group. When you're doing a trill with a higher finger group, keep lower fingers down on string. For example, 3&4 group, hold fingers 1,2,3 down on the string while trilling with the pinky. This helps isolate the finger group better and trains the fingers to stay close to the fingerboard.

If you're doing them right, you'll get that lactic acid burn all the way into your forearm. Once you have good control with trills, you can incorporate legato finger group exercises into your left hand practice.