Guitar talk.

Me$$iah · Post by **Me$$iah** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 6:32 pm

On the pics front, I use;-
the tiny little Gibson teardrop picks (H) not the (M) or (T) cant use them just th(H) on all my electric guitar work
and then a compete variety of picks on the accoustic depending on the sound Im after. I sometimes use a paperthin Dunlop pick if i want a strummy 'Angie' type o sound ora real thick one if Im doing somthing that needs a thicker pick sound. Ive even got a pick made out of ebony which I use on the accoustic and it sounds sweet.

I cant use the 3mm stubbys tho OMG theyre a nightmare but the 1mm ones are quite cool, those dunlop jazz picks tho are ok but theyll never replace my little Gibsons...I find they are the fastest pick out there and excellent for artifical harmonics, sweep picking, chugging and all sorts of other techniques....erm fastest and most versitlie picks

what about string gauge....anyone?

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 12:16 am

I had 11's on my 335, but I've stepped down to 10's so I can bend easier. 9's on my strat, 9's on my T60. 9's on my banjo, 12's on my acoustics, "strings" on my mandolin. I think I've got 45-105 on my bass.

Some people seem to go for super heavy strings because they think it makes them more of a man, and because SRV used 13's on his fucking strat. Really, heavier strings take away all your finesse, because you're just playing with strength. Sure, maybe your tone will be thicker, but you'll be fumbling your way around. Also, Stevie tuned down.

For people who automatically think that thinner strings break more (I get this complaint all the time at work): Thinner strings require lesser string tension than heavy ones. That means less stress on the strings. Even 11's at regular tuning are so tight feeling it's insane.

The only way I'd recommend using anything heavier than 10's would be if you were gonna be tuning down or if you had a guitar with a really short scale. Otherwise you'll be popping strings and cutting your fingers.

Side note on the T60: during setup today, some funky electrical problems were discovered. They'll be easy and cheap to replace, but I imagine those problems were the reason it was pawned.

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 2:29 am

The Sober Irishman wrote:
Some people seem to go for super heavy strings because they think it makes them more of a man

And they're dead right. You must be a bit soft Sober

Kamakura · Post by **Kamakura** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 4:53 am

Fascinating. I had no idea...
I thought that a pick was a pick, and that you either used them or didn't.
What's the best weight to start using (I play a Fender accoustic, and an SG copy)? Or does it depend on what guitar you're playing? Or should I just buy a bunch and play around?

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 9:12 am

You should certainly play around, but it's generally a good idea to go with light strings. So, on your Fender acoustic, ask the guys in your music shop for Elixir lights, or 12's if you want to sound cool.

And yes, Elixirs are worth the extra 3p you'll be spending.

Kamakura · Post by **Kamakura** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 4:46 pm

The Sober Irishman wrote:You should certainly play around, but it's generally a good idea to go with light strings. So, on your Fender acoustic, ask the guys in your music shop for Elixir lights, or 12's if you want to sound cool. And yes, Elixirs are worth the extra 3p you'll be spending.

I'll ask about Elixirs, buy some picks and start playing around then. 3p, sheesh, my old piggy bank's gonna be sore!

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:00 am

Allright.

I don't want to divulge too much info about the final direction of the guitar project, but I'll tell you that it's hard fucking work.

Currently I'm in the process of stripping my Squier down to bare wood. I bought some stripper stuff that the Home Depot guy said would get rid of polyurethane, but the going is quite slow. My strat had a clear coat, black coat, red coat, and a bastard white coat. The first three coats came off fine with the stripper, but I'm having to sand through the white stuff.

Right now, the back of the guitar is almost bare. A few white spots remain on the horns and tail, but the rest is bare, and the grain looks pretty nice.

I'm also going to do a pretty simple inlay on the headstock where 'Squier' and all that used to be. A question I put to the SF public: What should I put in the inlay? I was sort of thinking 'Sober,' but that would probably look silly on a finished guitar. I think I'll wait til the body is done, and hopefully that'll inspire a name.

I'll have a camera on Wednesday night. I'll take some 'during' photos.

Me$$iah · Post by **Me$$iah** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 4:28 am

For me, Im as pedantic about strings as I am about my picks. I use exclusivley 'Ernie Ball' strings on my electrics and 'Martin' strings on my accoustics.
For my 560 which I use for most of my guitar work, is fitted with Ernie Ball Super Slinkys .9's
then on my LesPaul I use Ernie Ball Super Slinkys agian this time.10's and I usually put the guitar in Eb and often drop tune the Eb to a Db. The thicker gauge on a lower tuned guitar has the effect of keeping the tension feel almost the same as on my other guitar.
My lap steel has the same Ernie Balls in a gauge .11 and is tuned to an open E chord usually, but that changes quite frequently. Ive also got a dodgy old Hondo electric thats fitted with generic Ernies .12 set with high action so as to play it as a slide guit
I use almost the whole range...heheehhe...

On my main accoustic I use Martin Phosphered Bronze in a .12 and then on my other accoustic, which ive set the action high so as to play it as a slide guit, I use the same Martin Phosphered Bronze in a .13
I try to change all strings for both electric and acc every 2 weeks, except the lap steel and slide acc which I change every 4 weeks. This varies due to use, I mean if i dont use my lap steel for 6 weeks I aint gonna change the strings until they're needed. Also if Im recording or doing a lot of guitar work on any guitar the strings get changed more often, sometimes everyday for a week, If Im doing an awful lot guitar playing that is, and I mean a lot.

Sober: Why not write Sober Irishman on the headstock, or SIS (sober irishman sonfighter) or even SONGFIGHTER

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 5:34 am

The Sober Irishman wrote: What should I put in the inlay? .

This Machine Kills Fascists

(Woody Guthrie's idea - not mine)

roymond · Post by **roymond** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 9:09 am

Caravan Ray wrote:This Machine Kills Fascists

I was working on anagrams of that...

MECHANICAL FISH KISS STILTS

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 6:45 pm

I've decided on a name, but I'm not gonna tell you, cause it'll give the whole thing away.

But I did pick up a palm-sander, which will make this whole thing go a lot faster.

Edit: This machine kills fascists is a great song.

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 10:00 pm

Ok, problem.

When I had the front and back sanded down, I thought my original plan would work great, because the wood grain looked nice. But, when I got to the sides, I realized that the whole guitar is a laminate - 22 layers to be exact. Leaving those exposed would look awful.

So, I have to either do a solid color or a sunburst-type finish.

So I'm thinking doing something really weird. Like maybe a sparkly red or something. This just sucks because it further delays the whole thing.

Bjam · Post by **Bjam** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 10:31 pm

Two words for you, Sober.

Hot. Pink.

(Glittery would be a bonus)

Me$$iah · Post by **Me$$iah** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 9:53 am

Sober,
why not paint the sides black to cover the laminate slices, put a 'biding' around the face edge, and then finish it with a spray-on laquer. Itll keep the nice wood grain front and hide the nasty sides.
I did that to a guiat once wen I was a kid(an old squire it was) and then sold it to another kid in my town for 3 times wat id bought it for.
Mind the guit that i bought was a wreck with only one pickup in and that, but i fixed her up with cheap pickups from other project guitars I had lying around. Did the sanding, painting and spraying and wen finished it looked real sweet.I wish id taken photos, but that was a long time ago

bz£ · Post by **bz£** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:24 am

Bjam wrote:Hot. Pink.

Two more words: Daisy. Rock. I believe they do glittery, too.

Bjam · Post by **Bjam** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:50 am

bzl wrote:
Bjam wrote:Hot. Pink.
Two more words: Daisy. Rock. I believe they do glittery, too.

I so know what I want for birthday/Christmas/random gift.

roymond · Post by **roymond** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:56 am

bzl wrote:
Bjam wrote:Hot. Pink.
Two more words: Daisy. Rock. I believe they do glittery, too.

Awesome. I always wanted a guitar called the "Blue Mermaid"

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:40 am

Supposedly my company is a dealer for those... I'll have to try to get my hands on one for cheaper than any of you could

Rabid Garfunkel · Post by **Rabid Garfunkel** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 12:34 pm

That Rock Candy Special in Pink Metro looks damned sweet, actually. But then, my next planned purchase is a green Burns Steer, which says way too much about my tastes, heh.

Still... none more pink! Damn!

jack · Post by **jack** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 12:53 pm

i like how they knock off PRS in design. down to the sig in the headstock.

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 12:07 am

Did some research on the Daisy Rocks, and it turns out they're real crappers. Chinese made, Korean if you're lucky. Shitty pickups, shitty wood, etc. It's basically a Squier that looks cool.

Speaking of cool-looking Squiers, I've made a decision on the finish. Hopefully I'll have the guitar done within the week. I got my sister's camera tonight, so I'll post some pics of the progress soon.

This guitar is gonna look fucking sweet.

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:01 am

PICS!

Here is a page with all the goods, including my T60, which is in the process of being rewired.

So I've got the first coats of sealer on now. The body shape looks allright to me. I've got a plan for the final finish, and arrangements made to borrow equipment for the headstock inlay. This is gonna rock.