Six String

Another awesome one CapM! We've discussed how difficult it is to write good lyrics in the past. Its cool you got to record this and that this guy that can write, but apparently is not a musician/composer got to hear your musical creation from his writing. Win-Win!

So did the Fishman get fixed? Did they explain the issue, or did you just get it back in working order with no clear explanation, as so often seems to be the case with these things?

The HD500X was a gateway drug for me. I was hard over on tube amps and individual pedals, for years but once I went with the HD500X, I played it nearly exclusively for about 2 years, and just sold one of my tube amps and traded the HD500X up to a Helix LT. As far as I can tell, my pedal addiction has been supplanted by the methadone of the Helix. Its nice to be off the madness of trying to choose one pedal to drop $100+ bucks on from 100 fuzzes and 1000+ Overdrive/Distortions. I now have a bunch of them built in the Helix and use the Klon and OCD dirt models and Big Muff Fuzz model along with 3-4 different amp models from about 60 on hand, for just about everything. I should credit CapM's AxeFx recordings as an influence in my decision to try modeling when I found a product that seemed more suited to my goal of playing live (not to mention more in my price range). I liked what I heard from CapM's modeler but a rack unit seemed more suited to studio work (plus expensive), so I didn't take the plunge for a while after he convinced me tube amp sound didn't just come from tube amps.

And on the other end of the spectrum we have done away with biodegradable, renewable paper bags for petroleum based plastic bags that will litter our planet for generations. Executives in all kinds of industries need to get on board before its too late. Paper bags come from fast growing pulpwoods, so its less of a daunting issue than growing new trees for guitars.

I would love to see that performance. I think you could do a live lesson on how to create similar charts (maybe for a somewhat simpler song) and another on using them in a live situation.

Was it just me or did it seem like some of the vintage acoustics had opening bids that seemed low, while more recent electrics had opening bids that seemed optimistic?

I had a somewhat lengthy response but decided it was too political for GG. So I'll just say, I don't know why it seems women of my generation just went out and succeeded and seemed to have no inkling that they were not supposed to be able to compete in a mans world, as we are told today. There will always be barriers. Successful people just always find a way over, under, around, or through. The playing field will never be 100% level (for men or women), but I don't accept today's narrative that the entire universe is tilted against women. Its an insult to the many successful women I have known in civilian life, and my brief time in the Army Reserve.

Rock isn’t dead. Old people generally just can’t be bothered to listen to it. A few days on Pandora with an open mind is all anyone needs to know there are plenty of youngsters out there putting out killer rock and roll. The self indulgent 64 bar guitar solos may be absent, but it’s rock and roll never the less. The business has changed and these bands will likely not have auditorium shows, but rock has always been on the fringes of popular music and few acts of any genre reach that level. Swap “disco” for hip hop and this article could be from 40 years ago. Maybe Gibson, Fender and PRS are in trouble because they have gotten stupid with their product and are pushing products that few can afford and serve to convince potential customers of the inferiority of their lesser product lines. Maybe Guitar Center is in trouble because most of their stores are in slum malls, they are often staffed by uninformed and or rude/disinterested people, they carry a ton of junk no one wants and occasionally use bait and switch advertising.

Don't forget "Hired Guns". I found that one really fascinating.

Great find CapM. I wish there were more hours in the day so I could learn the stuff I have to learn to keep from embarrassing myself, and dig in to understand a song at this level.

I may be dumb, but I 'aint stupid. lol

I have found I'm using Song Surgeon more and more lately. Its the glitchiest software I regularly use but I'm to cheap to upgrade or find something else since I can make it do what I need. I expect mine is glitchy becuase its so old at this point. I got a free copy doing Beta testing on a release a few years back.

Nice! Congrats, I've very partial to the Butterscotch and Vintage blondes myself.

Our local Guitar store has them in stock, so they are getting out there.

Both Ice9 and Doug are right. A Standard Tele is a good enough guitar that you can find many gigging musicians at the local level playing one and, you might, or might not, end up bonding with it. Like Ice, I love my Tele. I also have an American Stratocaster which is another iconic guitar played by gazillions of gigging players and have yet to bond with it. So, you can see its a highly personal thing that only reveals itself over time. Getting started out you just have to buy a good guitar (there are tons of them, including everything mentioned here so far) and play long enough to start figuring out what you like in a guitar and horse trading (or just adding to a collection) to get what you want. If the Tele feels reasonably good to play, you like the looks of it, and it fits your budget, then its as good a choice as any. The others mentioned would be just as good to get you started but I don't think you'd be disappointed with a Tele. Ask if the have a Classic Vibe Tele you can check out. Its built in China vs Mexico but the quality is outstanding for the price. Several of us on the forum have them.

So I dropped the guitar at the Luthiers to install a Bigsby in the ES-135 for me. One of things I really wanted when I was shopping for a semi-hollow was a vibrato, as much for the look as for the potential use. I got such a good deal on this guitar, it makes the concept of drilling holes in the top of it a bit less daunting but still not a job I was comfortable with taking on myself. After asking a few players around town, I got several recommendation for a local guy that mainly builds custom acoustics, but also does a lot of restoration work on vintage acoustic guitars and warranty work on newer Martins. His shop is something to see. Fortunately, I drove my truck as the drive up to his shop is an experience more like you might expect driving up to a moonshine still in Appalachia. He is literally up "in the holler" which is consistent with the flat picking style many of his customers play. Anyway, I figure a guy that can build a guitar from scratch should be able to mount a Bigsby in the right place. lol The owner is a super nice guy so I'm really happy to have found his shop. If I ever need any work on an acoustic I know where to go. Here is a link to the shop if any of you are in the market for a custom built acoustic piece of art. You should at least take a look some of his work. It really is acoustic guitar porn. http://www.fairbuilt.com/repairservices.html

Greg, Thanks for taking time to share your knowledge and experience with us. It didn't seem like a job for an owner to do, but it also didn't seem like it would be above the skills of a good guitar repair shop, so I was a little taken aback when the shop I where bought the guitar flat said they wouldn't do it. I have ordered the same model Bigsby that Gibson installed on some versions of this guitar, and a local luthier that specializes in building custom acoustic instruments has said he could install and set it up. I'm a little hesitant since his business is about 99% acoustic stuff, but a guy that can build a custom guitar that people pay thousands for from a pile of wood in his backyard is probably up to the task of bolting a bridge on in the right place. Still I may ask around some more to find a shop that works with more electric guitars.

I'd wait until you get the guitar. Sometimes when Gibson sells models with no pick guard installed they include one in the case.

Awesome Grog! To me, an LP Traditional is THE Les Paul and all the other models are either stripped down or pimped up variants. I was really happy with the '57 Classics/C+ in mine but I got a set of Sheptone Tribute and AB pickups with aged covers planning to put them in another guitar but decided they'd look great in my Trad. Once they were in I had to add a Cremetone aged bridge and stop bar and foil top knobs to tie it all together, and now I call it my "Poor Man's '59". If you wanted to go that route, you'd have yourself a Peter Green Tribute. \m/

Hey Greg, I am thinking about putting a Bigsby on my recently purchased Gibson ES-135 (trapeze tailpiece) and would like your opinion on the wisdom of doing so. First, can you tell me how big a deal it is for an experienced shop to add a Bigsby to that type guitar? Second, are there any issues with a Bigsby that would cause you to not recommend putting one on a guitar that didn't come from the factory with it? FWIW, The shop I bought the guitar from (very well respected for Taylor and Martin repairs) acted like you'd have to have a military grade, laser guided drill press and declined to even consider the job and the second shop I contacted replied the shop was closed for 2 weeks then didn't answer my follow up so I'm still looking for the "experienced shop" from question one. lol

Oh, 16th note triplets and 32nd notes. Why didn't I think of that?

Good to have an Heir and a Spare for your #1 guitar. That's why I 2 Les Paul's and no other duplicates.

Wow, subjective impressions can really come in at opposite poles. I was a long time DR Pure Blues user, and decided to try the NYXL's when they came out, and to me they felt like high tension wires compared to the Pure Blues. They are long lasting no doubt. That also gave me pause, as I worry the composition of NYXL's might be harder on the frets than other strings. So, it was one and done on NYXL's for me. I am currently using the Ernie Ball Pure Nickels and find them very similar to DR's. I still like the DR's but my local family owned Music store didn't carry them, but do have the Slinky's. So I just went with the ones I can get locally when I fail to order a batch online.

I think for most of us that there is a element of "collecting" to one extent or another. It there wasn't, all one would need it a decent guitar and an amp if you play electric. For some, collecting is a big part of the avocation, while others like to limit their gear on one criteria or another. Also guitar takes time to learn, and over time a persons interests, tastes, playing situations and eventually physical abilities are likely to change and gear may need to change with it. So, in the big picture, it is a slippery slope and the contours are always changing so sometimes we are more prone to slide than others.

I bet its a pretty neat pedal. Mooer does some nice pedals for really reasonable prices. I've tried two and still have one. I tried the Triangle Buff fuzz but it was a tad hard to tame, so I ended up going with a Fulltone 70's fuzz. I still have a Mooer Orange 90 Phaser. Its has a switch that lets you select 2 voicings, Supposedly the "Vintage" setting is like a Script Logo MXR Phase 90 and the Modern is voiced like the either the Block Logo or EVH Phase 90 depending on what information you read. All I know is it a pretty cool phaser.