View Full Version : ikkyu2's G.A.S. thread (pics, etc.)
Ok, I'm going through a severe attack of acute G.A.S. right now, so I thought I'd just make a thread for myself to go nuts in, post pics and ask for pickup advice and review stuff that's coming in.
But right now I got this hot Telecaster and she needs to be played. Pics a bit later..
VillageIdiot
01.13.04, 10:02 PM
That strat is giving me GAS right not.
God damn the neck and fingerboard look lovely.
thefobia
01.14.04, 2:49 PM
DROOOOOOOOL.......
Okay, so my gear lusts aren't as lofty, but I'm jealous of my friend's Tele (rosewood-board Am Std with SD Q-Pounders). Those pickups sound like P-90's <drool>. My drummer keeps telling me I need a humbucker-loaded Tele <whimper>.
I'm also lusting after this Hamer Monaco (http://www.hamerguitars.com/index.cfm?fa=detail&mid=412&sid=195) as a replacement for my Epiphone Dot. Actually, any twin Humbucker Hamers light my pilot light. Those are such beautiful guitars! :cool:
That's all I can think of right now. I'm sure I'll come up with more later . . .
GCPedals
01.14.04, 3:21 PM
my 11-sound strat.
http://www3.telus.net/alcoholiday/guitar_pics/strat%20new%20pups.jpg
and my 5-sound tele.
http://www3.telus.net/alcoholiday/guitar_pics/telecaster.jpg
ahhhhh. i LOVE birdseye maple necks/fingerboards
and i reckon left handed guitars always look wierd, dunno why. just me:p
Ow, dammit, I just gave myself a paper cut on my left ring finger. See, this is why you shouldn't do work. It's dangerous! Now I'll have to lay off the strings for a couple days.
Also, I upgraded my OS and it broke my CF card reader, so no pics until I figure out what I'm going to do about that.
--
Dave
GCPedals
01.14.04, 6:46 PM
Originally posted by TSF
and i reckon left handed guitars always look wierd, dunno why. just me:p
truth be told, it looks weird to me too when i see playing playing lefty. but when i see a lefty guitar amongst a sea of righties it warms my heart. :D
Originally posted by GCPedals
truth be told, it looks weird to me too when i see playing playing lefty. but when i see a lefty guitar amongst a sea of righties it warms my heart. :D
I wish that I had had a left-handed instrument when I first started. I would probably be a better player. Instead I learned on available instruments which were all righty. I can't fret with my right hand now (it's the most useless part of my body sometimes.) I've taught myself to strum with rhythm but I have to watch my picking hand when I play notes which hinders my ability to play very fast. As a bassist I adapted well but as a guitarist it has been much more difficult.
OK, let's get this thread back on topic - namely ME ME ME :p
Figured a workaround for the digicam. Here are the first shots of the new Tele! It is a '84 made in Japan '52 reissue.
The boys. [201 KB] (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/daboyz.jpg)
The remaining pictures are rather large. The tele has a very subtle grain under the butterscotch finish and I wanted to try to bring it out.
Tele in the case. [400 KB] (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/tele.jpg)
Headstock, unusual MIJ decal. [240KB] (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/telehead.jpg)
Maple neck, back view to show the grain. [300KB] (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/teleneck.jpg)
Body, close up. [400KB] (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/telegrain.jpg)
Back of body, grain highlighted. [700KB!] (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/teleback.jpg)
I believe that the guitar is basswood, although the guy I bought it from said maybe alder? It's not ash. It also has a neck that my hand can fit around comfortably, unlike the American RI. It has the original tuners, which are not period but were what was going in Japan at the time; and the bridge saddles are not brass, but rather appear to be steel. It sounds great and has action to die for, no hum from the pickups at all. (I really don't understand this.)
The tone knob is loose but I'll be taking off all the hardware anyway to give it a good cleaning, I'll fix it then. There's a touch of corrosion on various places.
I like it much better than the American RI I played - it's much less hummy and I like the neck better. Looking forward to ruining the chickin-pickin style just like I ruin every other style of music I try to play.
Oh, and here's another pic of the black Strat (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/DSCN0002.JPG), for folks who are interested.
lucky13sp
01.14.04, 11:21 PM
that tele is beautiful, talk about a good compliment to your strat!
mahoney
01.14.04, 11:25 PM
Originally posted by GCPedals
my 11-sound strat.
http://www3.telus.net/alcoholiday/guitar_pics/strat%20new%20pups.jpg
and my 5-sound tele.
http://www3.telus.net/alcoholiday/guitar_pics/telecaster.jpg
wow dude those are pretty!
GCPedals
01.15.04, 8:44 AM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
OK, let's get this thread back on topic - namely ME ME ME :p
Figured a workaround for the digicam. Here are the first shots of the new Tele! It is a '84 made in Japan '52 reissue.
The boys. [201 KB] (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/daboyz.jpg)
diggin' the tele.:)
no_happy
01.15.04, 9:49 AM
is a very nice tele i have to say
*calms down the jealously*
That be a real pretty Tele you have there.
i'm personally not very fond of the tele.
but as for the strat :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
Rock A My Soul
01.16.04, 1:11 AM
Nice! How much did the Tele set you back?
Originally posted by Rock A My Soul
Nice! How much did the Tele set you back?
575 on ebay. Bit steep, but the guitar is really, really nice. I played a Highway 1 and an American '52 RI before I bought this and they're both like toys by comparison.
Rock A My Soul
01.16.04, 2:44 AM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
575 on ebay. Bit steep, but the guitar is really, really nice. I played a Highway 1 and an American '52 RI before I bought this and they're both like toys by comparison.
Oh wow. Not steep at all, considering that's the price range I was looking at for a Tele. I wanted a butterscotch blonde one but I figured I was going to have to settle for a sunburst Highway 1. Guess I'll have to look into getting me one of these.
Since it's the reissue, does it have the standard pickup selector or the "tone switch" old Teles used to have? Or were those just on Esquires?
free_fall
01.16.04, 2:53 AM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
Ow, dammit, I just gave myself a paper cut on my left ring finger. See, this is why you shouldn't do work. It's dangerous! Now I'll have to lay off the strings for a couple days.
Dude, superglue. It really works.
Originally posted by ikkyu2
575 on ebay. Bit steep, but the guitar is really, really nice. I played a Highway 1 and an American '52 RI before I bought this and they're both like toys by comparison.
$575. That's cheaper than a new Highway 1! So, it's a Japanese RI, you say? That headstock writing says 1970's to me. It's got a skinnier neck, right?
BTW, what's that FX pedal you have between the two guitars?
Nice clean setup. Sounds like you got what you needed. Enjoy. And, what's that pedal?
That pedal is an effector13 Truly Beautiful Disaster. I'm still getting the feel of it - it's not very exciting with my DOD FX56 distortion pedal in the loop, and the fuzz is very hummy at higher gain. I'm thinking it'll be more fun with my old Digitech rack delay, if I can ever find it.
The Tele may be made of Sen wood, a Japanese ash type wood. It is a weird sort of reissue, it was made probably in 1985, and yes, the neck is thinner. The setup was incredible - perfect intonation to within a cent, action 3/32 on both E strings, although the bridge radius is a little rounder than the actual neck. There's a very similar guitar on ebay right now.
The dude threw in a Fender tweed gig bag as a surprise, which was super cool. I've only had good experiences buying stuff, on ebay and off. I guess I'm lucky.
Originally posted by ikkyu2
OK, let's get this thread back on topic - namely ME ME ME :p
Figured a workaround for the digicam. Here are the first shots of the new Tele! It is a '84 made in Japan '52 reissue.
F**kin' nice blonde Tele mate!
Reminds me I have to get a Strat soon... damn this constant GAS!
:D
free_fall
01.16.04, 12:50 PM
OK, what does GAS stand for?
Originally posted by free_fall
OK, what does GAS stand for?
The pent up jealously you feel for other peoples rigs... :)
No, it really stand for 'gear aquisition syndrome', i.e. when you just have to keep buying more and more guitar equipment ot you get down about it.
free_fall
01.16.04, 12:55 PM
Thanks, I've been wondering.
So the G.A.S. is moving right along. It seems to be easing off a bit - I managed not to pick up the $3400 PRS (a blue matteo brazilian), but it was a close call.
Today my 535Q (graciously sold to me at a steal by Wisconsin's ennui) and my 3-knob Bad Stone arrived. The 535 Q is a perfectly serviceable pedal, I like the Q knob. Unfortunately it's the old 18V version, I'm gonna have to pick up a Brick to power it.
The Bad Stone gave me a bad minute out of the box as it failed to power up, even though it arrived with a new battery inside it. Bad Bad Stone! No biscuit. I took it apart and while trying to figure out where the battery leads went one of them came off in my hand - really lame solder job with a piece of braided wire, should never have been done.
So I jammed a 9V positive-tip polarity in there, and soon I was enjoying manual and auto creamy vintage phase sounds of the 70's. Very, very cool.
I have also acquired a flat-pole 50's Duo-sonic (or maybe Esquire) pickup, and there is a nice pair of zebra Fralin 'buckers on the way. The bad news is that the Epi Dot is back ordered till March - fire in the factory, I'm told - but the good news is that I may have a line on a brand new Epi LP Custom in vintage 'burst for $400. If that comes through, I'm gonna be dropping those Fralins in so fast you won't be able to see straight, and probably trying to record with 'em through the Stone not too long after.
I'm not quite sure what to do with the old Fender single-coil pickup, though. It ought to have a killer tone - pots out at 9K - but I don't really have an axe to grind it into. Maybe I'll toss the JB out of the Strat and give it the single coil it was built to run there. I'm getting less and less happy with the JB as I get closer and closer to vintage, low-gain tones.
If the LP comes through and I put the Fralins in it, I'll STILL have to figure out what to put in the Dot if/when it finally arrives. I'm leaning towards an Alnico II Pro in the bridge, and maybe that good old Jazz in the neck.
Talk to me geeks - what do you think? Am I crazy? Will I ever get off Gilligan's Island? If I have my BC shipped out from San Diego for a total of 5 guitars, and then I pick up a Gretsch Country Club, will my sorrow at losing my girlfriend evaporate like the snows of yesteryear?
I'm gonna have to start hanging these things on the wall - there's no more room for them in this tiny apartment.
My suggestion: since you have an excellent range of gear already, try to ease off a bit. I like new gear as much as the next man, but sometimes you have to stop, get the potential out of what you have already.
Personally I wouldn't change a thing about your rig right now, you've got some quality gear so spend some time with it. Don't worry about getting new pickups so much, work with what you have. With the new guitars, don't replace the pickups straight away, work with the stock ones first.
Just my 'two cents'... oh and I've reached 800 posts now, sweet. :)
deafbox-
01.29.04, 3:48 PM
I've got GAS for a chorus pedal and delay. My girlfriend has a CH-1 lying around :D:D And I'll find a delay somewhere.. I really want a reissue olympic white strat that has aged a little bit.
Edit: will my sorrow at losing my girlfriend evaporate like the snows of yesteryear
Sometimes Guitars are better then girls, but it depends on how well your girl is tuned and set up :-P I'm extremely satisfied with mine. Sweet action, perfect tension and she's got a sexy look to her :-P
VillageIdiot
01.29.04, 4:46 PM
Dude... nice collection of stuff coming along here.
Rawk on.
PS- I love the 535Q too. :D
Originally posted by gary
My suggestion: since you have an excellent range of gear already, try to ease off a bit. I like new gear as much as the next man, but sometimes you have to stop, get the potential out of what you have already.
This is good, sane advice, my friend.
Unfortunately, it's falling on deaf ears, because between work, school, and the loss of my girlfriend, I'm going nuts here and I don't particularly feel like behaving sanely. This is keeping me from going out at night, getting drunk and picking fights with people bigger than I am, so I will probably continue to indulge myself.
I have already recorded a bit with the Tele, and I'm practicing fingerstyle with it an hour a day; I'm getting ready to take the Strat out of commission for a while, actually, because the fret ends need filing and that's going to be a long, painstaking, annoying job and I'm going to want to mask off the fretboard so as not to dent it. While I'm at it I will probably also float the trem and change out the JB for something else.
I have this pair of Fralins that I was going to drop into the Dot, but the Dot is on indefinite back-order. So instead I found a guy selling a flametop Slash model (Epi LP Classic) for $275, so I think I'll drop 'em into that and see how they howl. You can't expect me to just let a pair of cream-and-black Fralin humbuckers SIT ON MY DESK for 6 weeks, can you???
I didn't think so. :D
TheWizard
01.29.04, 4:53 PM
Dude those MIJ Telecasters are the **** huh?
My 1983 is an MIJ Transparent Blonde Tele, soon to have a bigsby. It was 525 on eBay, and has an ash body.
Rock A My Soul, if you are considering getting one, do it. I am absolutely being honest when I say it is the nicest tele for under 1200 bucks(including the 52 reissue) that I have ever played.
Originally posted by TheWizard
Dude those MIJ Telecasters are the **** huh?
Rock A My Soul, if you are considering getting one, do it. I am absolutely being honest when I say it is the nicest tele for under 1200 bucks(including the 52 reissue) that I have ever played.
Oh yeah, totally. Mine benefited from having a really nice setup on it when it arrived, but it is sweet sweet sweet. I also tried out a brand new '52 RI - straight out of the box, I was the first person ever to touch it - and this old Tele blows it away. I even like it better than the $3800 relic Nocaster I tried. I just love my Tele!
Rock A My Soul
01.29.04, 7:10 PM
Originally posted by TheWizard
Dude those MIJ Telecasters are the **** huh?
My 1983 is an MIJ Transparent Blonde Tele, soon to have a bigsby. It was 525 on eBay, and has an ash body.
Rock A My Soul, if you are considering getting one, do it. I am absolutely being honest when I say it is the nicest tele for under 1200 bucks(including the 52 reissue) that I have ever played.
Please, call me Martin. I'm trying to figure out what gear I can sell to get around $500 to get one. I also want that same color and plan on getting a Bigsby on mine. My teacher has an MIJ Squire Tele and it's better than most MIM Standards I've played. I also want to get a sunburst one and stick a PAF at the neck.
stratocast79
01.29.04, 7:41 PM
So, your Tele has a thin neck? How did it compare in that respect, to the Highway 1? I need a thick neck. I love the look of the sunburst H1.
Originally posted by Rock A My Soul
Please, call me Martin. I'm trying to figure out what gear I can sell to get around $500 to get one. I also want that same color and plan on getting a Bigsby on mine. My teacher has an MIJ Squire Tele and it's better than most MIM Standards I've played. I also want to get a sunburst one and stick a PAF at the neck.
I know what you can sell!(lightbulb) An EHX Memory Man to a dear and trusted geek friend! It has chorus right?
Rock A My Soul
01.29.04, 7:54 PM
Originally posted by stratocast79
I know what you can sell!(lightbulb) An EHX Memory Man to a dear and trusted geek friend! It has chorus right?
It has chorus but it doesn't work. I don't really want to sell it though, especially considering my friend said she can get me a job. I'd probably sell the volume first if it comes to that.
Originally posted by stratocast79
So, your Tele has a thin neck? How did it compare in that respect, to the Highway 1? I need a thick neck.
The MIJ is sort of V-ish, but it's small, not the 'baseball bat'. The Highway 1 has a thin neck that's more C-ish. I didn't particularly like it. On the other hand, I really disliked the '52 RI's fat baseball bat of a neck - with its size, shape, and that sticky finish, I could barely play it.
So I picked up a Dillion DL650 (http://www.dillionguitars.com/guitar/electric/DL650/index.html) in Cherry Sunburst. (http://www.dillionguitars.com/guitar/electric/DL650/DL650CS_cherrysunb.jpg)
Here's a temporary pic of mine: What's the Dillio? (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/dillio.jpg). At the moment she's eviscerated on the table, half of a pair of zebra/cream Fralins installed into her. I paid more for the pickups than I did for the guitar!
Fit and finish is better than your average Epi, but it is not Gibson quality. In particular the nut is pretty ratty and the bridge somehow feels tinny. The pickups were not terrible, surprisingly - they both ohmed out at about 8 ohms - but they were a little muddy on the low end and a little whoofy on the high under clean. Distorted they sounded great, exactly what you'd expect. Anyway they're out now, and for sale - make an offer.
I haven't soldered in years. Forgot how much fun it is.
stratocast79
02.01.04, 7:32 PM
Link didn't work. And what's that DOD pedal you got?
Fixed.
It's an FX56 - American Metal. Absolutely the best of DOD's distortion pedals. Someone else on here uses one. It never took off, I think because it was purple. At the time I bought it (1988), the Heavy Metal and Supra Distortion were popular.
stratocast79
02.01.04, 7:56 PM
Very nice looking guitar.
VillageIdiot
02.01.04, 9:46 PM
Nice LP (style guitar)... congrats. :D
deafbox-
02.01.04, 10:07 PM
I've got GAS for a Visual Sound H2O Chorus/Echo. Chorus + Delay in one pedal = ownage
Ahh.. tone heaven.
These Fralins are AWESOME. Sparkly, growly, and not the least bit muddy. Amazing note and chord definition. Fourths and fifths chime their resonance out clearly the way unisons do with regular pickups.
New Dillion 650, Fralins installed (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/dilli.jpg)
Dillion 650 on the bench (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/dilliopen.jpg)
I think the guitar might need a new bridge, though. The bridge sounds tinny when you tap it and that tone gets into the notes. Can a cheap bridge really do this or am I imagining it?
VillageIdiot
02.02.04, 3:32 AM
Yeah a new bridge can make a heck of a difference.
Originally posted by VillageIdiot
Yeah a new bridge can make a heck of a difference.
Who makes good ones? I don't want a TonePros all-in-one; I like the tune-o-matic, I just want one that's made of something heavy and resonant sounding, not tinny.
You could get a Gibson Tune-o-Matic, or check warmoth.com (http://www.warmoth.com) or Allparts. I'm sure most parts guys do some kind of Tune-o-Matic bridge.
VillageIdiot
02.02.04, 3:15 PM
Yeah, I dunno how different the bridges are- I think its just a case of good and bad quality.
Warmoth, as the dude above said, should give you some nice quality hardware too.
http://www.warmoth.com/common/frames/hardware.htm
Are you thinking about replacing the nut or tuners or any other hardware as well?
Holy cow dude... its gonna cost you less then $30 to get a new Gotoh TuneoMatic! http://www.warmoth.com/common/frames/Bridges2.htm Rad... I never new they were that cheap.
sabookanee
02.02.04, 4:07 PM
wow im really digging the finish on that dillion.
and that tele is making my mouth water. how would the size of the neck compare to an old gibson neck?
Originally posted by VillageIdiot
Are you thinking about replacing the nut or tuners or any other hardware as well?
Holy cow dude... its gonna cost you less then $30 to get a new Gotoh TuneoMatic! http://www.warmoth.com/common/frames/Bridges2.htm Rad... I never new they were that cheap.
Yeah, replacement bridges are cheap. There's something about the metal of this one I really don't like, it feels like it's made of chromed aluminum or something. You know how when you touch a nice piece of brass or tool steel it feels cold, heavy, and 'thunks' when you tap it? Tapping this tailpiece is like tapping an empty soda can. Topwrapping usually improves the resonance of this kind of bridge, but in this case it also brought out that tinny sound.
Originally posted by sabookanee
wow im really digging the finish on that dillion.
and that tele is making my mouth water. how would the size of the neck compare to an old gibson neck?
Dunno. It's a typical Fender scale length - 25.5 as compared to 24.75 - but I've actually never touched a Gibson guitar - I know better, frankly, because then I'll have to drop 3 grand on one, and I can't really afford that.
The finish on the dillion isn't actually cherry burst, it's the HDC tiger finish.
VillageIdiot
02.02.04, 10:10 PM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
Yeah, replacement bridges are cheap. There's something about the metal of this one I really don't like, it feels like it's made of chromed aluminum or something. You know how when you touch a nice piece of brass or tool steel it feels cold, heavy, and 'thunks' when you tap it? Tapping this tailpiece is like tapping an empty soda can. Topwrapping usually improves the resonance of this kind of bridge, but in this case it also brought out that tinny sound.
Grab one then. :D
sabookanee
02.02.04, 11:42 PM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
Dunno. It's a typical Fender scale length - 25.5 as compared to 24.75 - but I've actually never touched a Gibson guitar - I know better, frankly, because then I'll have to drop 3 grand on one, and I can't really afford that.
The finish on the dillion isn't actually cherry burst, it's the HDC tiger finish.
not scale length. i was thinking more of neck "width" or profile if you will. but i guess if you havent played a gibson then its all the same then. :D have fun playing your tele!
Here's a soundclip of the Dillion Paul with the Fralin's installed. Both guitars are the Paul's treble pickup, volume/tone dimed, direct into GarageBand via a 15 watt SS practice amp. The emu is an American Clean and an American Dirty sound, tweaked a bit.
The link has an apostrophe in the filename, so you'll have to cut and paste it:
http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/Buttin'.mp3
I'm not happy with this setup, because it fails to capture the real sweetness of these pickups that I'm hearing through the Mesa. I guess I'm gonna have to get a mic. SM-57 seems to be what people are using - any opinions on this? Also I guess I'll need a mic preamp - I have an iMic, with a mini-phones miclevel input. Will this do the job? How do I get from an SM-57 to a mini-phones-style male connector?
Well, they shipped the Dot today, 2 months after I ordered it. Cherry finish with gold-plated stuff.
I'm seriously thinking about dropping some Fralins into this puppy too. They sound SOOO good. But I think I'll wait until State reviews his new Dot with the '59/Jazz combo. I'm also thinking about dropping an Alnico II Pro humbucker into something.
And I bought a black leather jacket today, and my ex-girlfriend told me she has chlamydia "but she's not sure she got it from me."
I think maybe I'm just having a good old-fashioned midlife crisis.
VillageIdiot
02.13.04, 4:19 PM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
And I bought a black leather jacket today, and my ex-girlfriend told me she has chlamydia "but she's not sure she got it from me."
Oh ffs!
Get a check to lay your mind at ease if you are worried.
Originally posted by VillageIdiot
Oh ffs!
Get a check to lay your mind at ease if you are worried.
Nah, I just wrote myself a scrip for erythro, I'll treat it whether or not I have it. Membership has its privileges.
Obnoxious, though. I know damn well *I* didn't give it to her.
Okay, I said I wasn't going to do this, but here she is anyway:
My new baby. (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/wwb3b.jpg)
She's a Brazilian Limited McCarty, Indian rosewood neck, Brazilian board, pink heart abalone inlay, whale blue quilt carved 10-top, natural faux-binding along the edge of the maple, gloss black on the body back, McCarty p/u's with nickel-satin covers and gold polepieces, and the gold satin compensated one piece stoptail bridge.
What a crazy tone, man. Anybody know more about McCarty construction? I get the feeling there are tone chambers in this body - you can hear 'em when you rap on the body with your knuckles, and the body is crazy light. And resonance - the guitar purrs and hums and sustains forever, I got it to sustain a G chord (acoustic) for 37 seconds. The guitar just feels perfect.
I feel kind of weird about it, because many PRS owners I meet are kind of dolts, and because it is very expensive and sort of calls me out as being a dumb yuppie type doctor guy. So if you want to bag me for that stuff I can hardly argue with it. But the guitar is so pretty, looks and plays and sounds and feels so good, that all those feelings go away when I spend a few minutes with it.
Still no girlfriend :) But I think I have reached a temporary endpoint to my G.A.S. for now. I have a DiMarzio Fred coming, which is going to replace the JB in my Strat; and I have a couple p/u's already in hand that are going to drop into my other Strat; and then it'll be time for me to settle down and enjoy for a year or two.
If you have peace or tranquility or contentment in your life, cherish it, because it is hard to find once you've lost it.
stratocast79
04.21.04, 7:52 PM
Nice, but that picture in the sig is a little shabby.
VillageIdiot
04.21.04, 8:19 PM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
Okay, I said I wasn't going to do this, but here she is anyway:
My new baby. (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/wwb3b.jpg)
Love it.
Kickass colour man.
And I don't think PRS chambers their guitars... its just a totally kickass piece of wood they use.
Originally posted by stratocast79
Nice, but that picture in the sig is a little shabby.
Yeah, I took it with my cellphone camera.
Motorhead
04.23.04, 7:06 AM
Finally the Blue Whale has emerged!
So MDs play PRSs and Ph.Ds play Fat Strats ...? is that how it goes? :)
I don't usually like the PRS-style colour schemes, but that actually looks pretty darn cool. Hope she plays like she looks!
Oh, and if you've still got GAS... aww heck, you know what I'm going to recommend anyway. :D
And Motorhead, I've inadvertantly ripped off your signature links style. Don't hit me too hard. :)
Motorhead
04.23.04, 7:43 AM
Originally posted by gary
And Motorhead, I've inadvertantly ripped off your signature links style. Don't hit me too hard. :)
Colour is nice! :)
Originally posted by Motorhead
Colour is nice! :)
My thoughts exactly. I like your new title by the way, made me chuckle.
Motorhead
04.23.04, 7:50 AM
Originally posted by gary
My thoughts exactly. I like your new title by the way, made me chuckle.
Ever since the beginning I've been putting Motörhead song titles ... nobody noticed <shrug> :)
OK, so here are some more pics of some of the newer acquisitions.
My G.A.S. has pretty well calmed down; still no girlfriend, but I am in a great place, I have a great rig and I'm totally cool just to plug in and jam a little. It's like my sanity has returned bit by bit with each new guitar or piece of gear.
Without further ado, some pics. [Warning: these pics are up to 400K in size and may be too big to display on your screen! You've been warned :)]
Your friendly neighborhood ikkyu2, rockin' out with the PRS (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/butt-rawk.jpg)
PRS, butt end, crazy quilt (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/prsbutt.jpg)
PRS, crazy quilt (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/quilt2.JPG)
BIG PRS headstock (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/bighead.jpg). The inlay is pink heart abalone - even the little tiny letters in 'BRAZILIAN'; you can see where they messed up on the R.
Peregrine falcon, green paua abalone (third fret inlay) (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/peregrine.jpg)
Common tern, seventh fret inlay, green paua abalone (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/tern2.jpg)
Those birds are devilish hard to photograph.
The next two pics are ultra-close-ups and 450K each.
Hybrid hardware (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/hybridhardware.JPG)
Whale blue quilt maple 10-top, woodgrain closeup (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/grain.jpg)
Here is a pic of my Fender "Twin":
Fender "twin" (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/fendertwins.jpg)
The guitar on the left is the Custom Shop Strat from my sig. The guitar on the right is a 1987 Fender Japan Stratocaster; I took out the stock low-output steelpoles, removed the 1-ply pickguard, and dropped in a set of Fralin Real 54's on a pearloid pickguard. Here is a pic of that process:
Japanese Strat, dismantled, Fralins in place (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/fralins.jpg)
The twins with some gear (Digitech RDS 3.6 rackdelay) (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/twinhead.jpg)
And a couple of the ADA Rocket 20, the little tube amp with a Celestion Blue and a single EL-34 powertube. Once I replaced the reverb tube it started working fine and is now a sweet little amp, although it takes a high-output humbucker to drive it into real distortion. I need a less glassy EL-34, I think. The low end on this speaker is incredible, especially with the PRS - it's as full and tight as a P-bass. Makes the Vintage 30's in the Maverick sound very weak and reedy, like a tin can or something.
ADA Rocket 20, guts exposed (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/ADARocket.jpg)
ADA Rocket 20, control panel (dismantled); Alnico Blue (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/blueback.jpg)
Whew! See you next time on Ikkyu2's House of G.A.S.!
VillageIdiot
06.11.04, 12:23 AM
Man that PRS is so damn beautiful.
you look awfully like Gordon Ramsey:D
yeah, but nice guitars. i really love that fat strat with birdseye maple neck.
nice stuff:cool:
Andy
lucky13sp
06.12.04, 4:15 PM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
Here is a pic of my Fender "Twin":
Fender "twin" (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/fendertwins.jpg)
The guitar on the left is the Custom Shop Strat from my sig. The guitar on the right is a 1987 Fender Japan Stratocaster; I took out the stock low-output steelpoles, removed the 1-ply pickguard, and dropped in a set of Fralin Real 54's on a pearloid pickguard. Here is a pic of that process:
Japanese Strat, dismantled, Fralins in place (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/fralins.jpg)
The twins with some gear (Digitech RDS 3.6 rackdelay) (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/610/twinhead.jpg)
sweet strats! and that is such and awesome PRS!
Here it is - 1997 PRS Archtop II in Turquoise. Not even a 10-top - but what a beaut! I won it 'accidentally' on ebay - put in a way lowball bid and came up on top! What a crazy guitar!
Front view - turquoise flame (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/A2/flame.jpg)
Side view - gold hardware (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/A2/gold.jpg)
Another side view - natural 'binding' (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/A2/side.jpg)
Headstock (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/A2/head.jpg)
Rosewood fingerboard, birds (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/A2/neck.jpg)
Wide-fat neck heel; thick maple at joint (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/A2/joint.jpg)
Headstock (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/A2/head.jpg)
Back view - double 9-top (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/A2/back.jpg) ;)
The guitar came strung with DR 11's and set up with the bridge all the way down to the top; there is just a hint of buzz on the G string.
The tone is rather surprising. On the treble pickup it's extremely bright - it'a as bright as my Tele, but with more richness and depth on the wound strings and far more sustain. In fact on the E and B strings it's perfect for chicken picken. I did not expect that! The neck side is exactly what anyone ever wanted from a 'jazzbox'; and the two pickups together take on a completely different character that is very versatile, chimy enough for rhythmic comping but articulate enough for runs. Sustain is excellent.
The guitar's in pristine condition. The one 2mm scratch, in the inside side part of the horn, simply can't be photographed - it's too shallow and too small. A small bit of gold is worn off the corner of the adjustable stoptailpiece where the hand rests, but other than that the guitar seems brand new. The smell from the f-hole is that of freshly sawn maple.
I was thinking of turning the guitar around for a quick buck but now I'm not so sure - I've been having such fun playing it! I would love to be able to say that my version of 'My Funny Valentine' sounds great on it, but actually my Merle Haggard imitations are what I'm getting the most kick out of. But to say that the guitar isn't 'my style' is sort of silly - I don't have enough 'style' to have a style!
What do you guys think - grab the money and run, or add this bad girl to the collection?
nyrkickazz1
08.23.04, 11:55 PM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
What do you guys think - grab the money and run, or add this bad girl to the collection?
I hate the color...Just my personal opinion. I haven't played a PRS archtop yet (Though Guitar Center DID have one...maybe next tiem), so I don't really know about the tone/feel.
Would you be buying another guitar/piece of gear with the money you sell it for?
Edit: I just got a great idea. My birthday is in 16 days...You can sell the guitar, and the money can go right into my birthday fund!
Originally posted by nyrkickazz1
I hate the color...Just my personal opinion. I haven't played a PRS archtop yet (Though Guitar Center DID have one...maybe next tiem), so I don't really know about the tone/feel.
Would you be buying another guitar/piece of gear with the money you sell it for?
Edit: I just got a great idea. My birthday is in 16 days...You can sell the guitar, and the money can go right into my birthday fund!
Haha! I didn't know the crack biz was so big on Staten Island.. better lay off that stuff!
I dunno what the hell I'd be doing with the money, money is not a problem these days. I'd certainly turn a nice clean profit - 5 bills minimum, maybe 7 or 8. The guy who sold this had a crappy digicam and it deflated his final auction value.
The only gear I really covet right now is stuff that is way too loud for my apartment, so that's not an issue at the moment.
This isn't the archtop that PRS currently makes - it's called the 'Archtop II' as distinct from the current models which are the 'hollowbodies'. The difference is that the hollowbodies are like 1 3/4" thick and this puppy is more like 3 inches thick. It's as thick as an ES-175, though nowhere near as ungainly. Sides and neck made of mahogany; front and back are maple, which I think explains why it's so bright. The board should still be Brazilian rosewood in 1997 but I'm not sure, looking at it.
As far as the color, PRS Turquoise is sort of a special color for me. The first PRS I ever saw was in an ad, Guitar for the Practising Musician, 1989, and it was turquoise quilt. It was SO beautiful and I looked at it and kind of wanted it even as I felt that it was the sort of guitar a mature adult should have. :rolleyes: So now I am and I do :)
I'm getting kind of worried about shipping these guitars if I move, though. Especially an archtop - they're fragile.
Originally posted by nyrkickazz1
I hate the color...Just my personal opinion. I haven't played a PRS archtop yet (Though Guitar Center DID have one...maybe next tiem), so I don't really know about the tone/feel.
If you get a chance you might want to check out the spruce top Hollowbody - my dad used to have a custom version (ebony fingerboard) and despite the fact I don't care for PRS that much it was a damn fine guitar. His had a beautiful, one piece mahogany back also. It had very attractive, swirly grain.
nyrkickazz1
08.24.04, 12:14 AM
Originally posted by cubby
If you get a chance you might want to check out the spruce top Hollowbody
Are they still making them?
nyrkickazz1
08.24.04, 12:23 AM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
Haha! I didn't know the crack biz was so big on Staten Island.. better lay off that stuff!
Worth a try, no? :p :D
Originally posted by ikkyu2
This isn't the archtop that PRS currently makes - it's called the 'Archtop II' as distinct from the current models which are the 'hollowbodies'. The difference is that the hollowbodies are like 1 3/4" thick and this puppy is more like 3 inches thick. It's as thick as an ES-175, though nowhere near as ungainly. Sides and neck made of mahogany; front and back are maple, which I think explains why it's so bright. The board should still be Brazilian rosewood in 1997 but I'm not sure, looking at it.
Those really thick PRS archtops caught my eye a long time ago - but I never saw one in person and kind of forgot about them. I think I saw Mike Einzinger from Incubus using one and thought it was cool looking. I also saw a 1 (neck) pickup McCarty Archtop which I believe was just as thick.
I actually played an ES-175 the other day at Sam Ash and loved the thickness of it. There was something about it that I just really liked. A PRS with that thickness would undoubtedly be an amazing guitar.
On one hand i'd say if you like it, which I know you do, then you may as well keep it. But I come from the thinking that if you're gonna have a lot of guitars, have a lot of guitars that do a lot of different things.
You already have the Strat and Tele bases covered, and you're more then covered in the humbucker section, so why not a guitar with P-90's (PRS makes a damn nice guitar with "Soapbars")? or a Jaguar? Or a Rickenbacker 12 string? I just like to have tons of different tones in my "arsenal". What's your take on this?
Originally posted by nyrkickazz1
Are they still making them?
Yeah - this is one of the few dealers that gets them (w/ rosewood fretboard) and they are almost always on backorder - apparently they have a few in stock right now though.
http://www.fatsoundguitars.com
Originally posted by nyrkickazz1
I just like to have tons of different tones in my "arsenal". What's your take on this?
In a nutshell: I'm keeping it :D
Originally posted by ikkyu2
In a nutshell: I'm keeping it :D
Good to hear it. Enjoy!:)
So, you're up to seven guitars now? What about acoustics? Have you dropped the Fralins into the Dot yet?
Mmm, G.A.S. . . . Heaven help me if I ever get a large amount of $$$$! :eek:
New pic of some old gear - the BC Rich and Boogie - below in my signature.
I got both of these in 1988. Using them together I can put together a pretty good Eddie van Halen impersonation.
The Fralins are in the LP clone. I have a Rio Grand Texas and BBQ on the way; I dunno whether to drop those into the Dot or to put 'em in the LP and move the Fralins over to the Dot.
I also have a PRS sitting at the UPS depot - I need to shower, get over there, and pick it up. As in, now :)
VillageIdiot
09.03.04, 5:45 PM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
I also have a PRS sitting at the UPS depot - I need to shower, get over there, and pick it up. As in, now :)
What are you waiting for man!?!?!
Pics too, please.
You fricken' PRS mogul.
stratocast79
09.03.04, 6:04 PM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
I also have a PRS sitting at the UPS depot - I need to shower, get over there, and pick it up. As in, now :)
Another PRS?!? Say it aint so:eek:
I'd put the Texas and BBQ in the Dot and keep the Fralins in the LP.
elmoismyhero
09.03.04, 7:15 PM
Originally posted by gary
Just my 'two cents'... oh and I've reached 800 posts now, sweet. :)
oh my, this thread is old.
Motorhead
09.03.04, 7:35 PM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
The Fralins are in the LP clone. I have a Rio Grande Texas and BBQ on the way; I dunno whether to drop those into the Dot or to put 'em in the LP and move the Fralins over to the Dot.
Trust me ... you don't want to put a BBQ and Texas in a Dot.
stratocast79
09.03.04, 8:02 PM
Originally posted by Motorhead
Trust me ... you don't want to put a BBQ and Texas in a Dot.
Why's that. Excuse my ignorance.
Motorhead
09.03.04, 8:05 PM
Originally posted by stratocast79
Why's that. Excuse my ignorance.
Way to hot for a Dot ... the Genuine Texas is over 9K.
stratocast79
09.03.04, 8:21 PM
Originally posted by Motorhead
Way to hot for a Dot ... the Genuine Texas is over 9K.
Oh damn, listen to Motorhead about this ****.
Originally posted by stratocast79
Oh damn, listen to Motorhead about this ****.
+1 on that. Dots sound nicer with vintage-wound pickups (at least mine does). Although I heard of a Geek with EMG's in his Dot (he must love his feedback!). :eek: :D
BTW ikkyu2, the PRS waiting for you at the UPS depot; is this the archtop PRS that you've been talking about, or is this yet another PRS?:confused:
Originally posted by Alecto
BTW ikkyu2, the PRS waiting for you at the UPS depot; is this the archtop PRS that you've been talking about, or is this yet another PRS?:confused:
It's yet another - a Custom 22 Artist with a rosewood neck. I'll be taking some pics presently.
I could explain my thin justification for acquiring this guitar, but why bother? :D
Custom Artist 22? What colour? Does it have a whammy?
Do you gig with these guitars or do you play them at home for fun and privacy?
Originally posted by Alecto
Custom Artist 22? What colour? Does it have a whammy?
Do you gig with these guitars or do you play them at home for fun and privacy?
It's blue matteo with a whammy, yes.
I do not gig with them. I occasionally comp for an elderly jazz singer who used to be a doorman at my building - playing old standards - but I usually use my old Strat for that; it's pretty beat up already. And that's not a paying gig, it's more like a hobby. If there are more than 5 people in the audience I start to get stressed out.
I mostly play along at home with my favorite songs on the hi-fi. I'm not a great musician, but it's something I enjoy.
nocluejimbo
09.04.04, 5:06 PM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
It's blue matteo with a whammy, yes.
I do not gig with them. I occasionally comp for an elderly jazz singer who used to be a doorman at my building - playing old standards - but I usually use my old Strat for that; it's pretty beat up already. And that's not a paying gig, it's more like a hobby. If there are more than 5 people in the audience I start to get stressed out.
I mostly play along at home with my favorite songs on the hi-fi. I'm not a great musician, but it's something I enjoy.
i see you added your IIC+ pics, but how about some pics of your new PRS?
ive got a great chance to maybe pick up a CE or something at a guitar show... but its in a month. GAS cant wait.
Originally posted by nocluejimbo
i see you added your IIC+ pics, but how about some pics of your new PRS?
ive got a great chance to maybe pick up a CE or something at a guitar show... but its in a month. GAS cant wait.
You're stoked. CE's are excellent. But also consider a Standard 22 or 24, or (especially) a McCarty Standard. Those are dynamite axes.
Hold your horses on the pics, man - I want some time to play the thing so it looks all fingerprinty and smeared up :)
nocluejimbo
09.04.04, 5:54 PM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
You're stoked. CE's are excellent. But also consider a Standard 22 or 24, or (especially) a McCarty Standard. Those are dynamite axes.
i never really caught on to set necks, they usually feel kind of odd to me. but, if i find an affordable enough McCarty, i wont count it out,
Originally posted by ikkyu2
Hold your horses on the pics, man - I want some time to play the thing so it looks all fingerprinty and smeared up :)
ha, i know what you mean. every pic ive taken of my LP looks like ass because i can never get it clean enough.
VillageIdiot
09.04.04, 6:57 PM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
I mostly play along at home with my favorite songs on the hi-fi. I'm not a great musician, but it's something I enjoy.
Good **** man... me too. :)
Well, for now anyway.
crazy_geetarist
09.04.04, 8:28 PM
Originally posted by VillageIdiot
Good **** man... me too. :)
Well, for now anyway.
+1 i do that all the time. it's like my second form of practice routine. (1st being doing drills to metronome on computer)
Originally posted by nocluejimbo
ha, i know what you mean. every pic ive taken of my LP looks like ass because i can never get it clean enough.
Bah - you know I dig that beautiful Wine Red LP of yours above all others. That is just a sharp looking axe.
nyrkickazz1
09.05.04, 9:08 AM
Forget the Boogie, how about that Musicman amp in the picture! You still using it? I played one in Guitar Center that looked about the same, it was realy awesome.
nocluejimbo
09.05.04, 10:20 AM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
Bah - you know I dig that beautiful Wine Red LP of yours above all others. That is just a sharp looking axe.
want to buy it? i dont like playing it as much as looking at it.
and you could use another beater guitar.
Originally posted by nocluejimbo
want to buy it? i dont like playing it as much as looking at it.
and you could use another beater guitar.
I've become anti-Tune-O-Matic in my old age - the saddles dig into the heel of my hand.
Originally posted by nyrkickazz
Forget the Boogie, how about that Musicman amp in the picture! You still using it? I played one in Guitar Center that looked about the same, it was realy awesome.
The Musicman is a decent amp - and very loud - but it's much less flexible tonally than the Boogie. The pre section is all solid state. Also, it's got the original tubes in it - from 1975 - and I suspect that that may account for its failure to produce any high end whatsoever :)
However, for the price of $0, it can't be beat. I inherited it when I moved into an apartment where it had been left in the closet.
Early pics of the Custom 22:
here on Birdsandmoons.com (http://forums.birdsandmoons.com/forum/showthread.php?p=63331#post63331)
VillageIdiot
09.05.04, 11:49 PM
Nice dude... good collection. :)
lucky13sp
09.06.04, 12:48 AM
Originally posted by ikkyu2
Early pics of the Custom 22:
here on Birdsandmoons.com (http://forums.birdsandmoons.com/forum/showthread.php?p=63331#post63331)
:eek: *speechless* :eek:
nocluejimbo
09.08.04, 9:32 PM
hey- how does the adjustable bridge on the Archtop compare to the McCarty bridge?
did i hear correctly that you cant use the McCarty bridge with strings bigger than 10's?
Jimbo - the adjustable bridge is adjustable. The stock McCarty stoptail is intonated right for 9s or 10s. You can special order a stoptail that's right for 11s or 12s - the adjustable one's not made any more, as far as I know.
Well, getting ready to swap out the Dot's pickups - FINALLY. The new arrivals will be a pair of Duncan Antiquities, non-aged gold covers, mislabeled as 'Evenly Voiced Harmonics' for some reason so obscure that I shudder to contemplate it.
I am also going to convert it over to one vol/one tone, because I don't like the doubled controls.
The gold pickup covers are already starting to pit, as are the tuners and tailpiece. Also the rosewood board, which arrived last March looking deep, dark and full of oil, has dried out and revealed its not unpleasant sapwood swirls. I will try applying Lemon Pledge to restore it. Geeks of course will be kept up-to-date on the very latest developments!
What Dorothy has learned:
a) You want to replace the pickups in an assembled semihollowbody guitar a total of ZERO times during your life. Plan/budget accordingly; do not forget to include the karmic debt incurred by paying someone else to do this heinous, hideous, awful task.
b) Tie 3 feet or so of waxed dental floss to the switch, output jack and pot ends BEFORE you drop 'em into the guitar body. Mmmm! Waxed dental floss! Minty!
c) I have NO FRIGGING CLUE how I'm going to get this output jack back in. Right now what looks good is desoldering it, threading the wires through the hole, and resoldering it.
d) IT BURNSSS US, PRECIOUSSS, IT DOESSSS..
I am taking pictures of this process for those connoisseurs of masochism out there.
"It's like a nightmare, isn't it?"
"It just keeps getting worse and worse, doesn't it?"
Originally said by Grady Seasons and Vincent, The Color of Money
My DOT looks like a neurosurgical operation - the bad kind, the one where you go in and everything explodes blood and edema and you have no 'exit strategy'. Little bits of dental floss run through every control hole and f-hole, over the edge of the guitar and down to the floor where they are weighted with socket wrench sockets, old pickup rings, and miscellaneous cruft is everywhere. The whole thing smells of Lemon Pledge and is slippery to boot - do the fretboard AFTERWARDS, kids - and I keep hooking a toe in the strings, which are still attached to the tailpiece that is kicking around on the floor.
It's 2:38 AM. I am heating the soldering iron and cracking the Tennessee whisky. Wish me luck. If I do not post for the next 48 hours send the National Guard to my apartment; my corpse will need clearing away, but the Hazmat team will have to deal with the DOT.
By the way, I uttered some really, really terrible curses on the guy who sold me these pups, until I discovered that he HAD included the correct mounting screws, in the box under the foam where they belonged.
I take it all back. Especially the part about the thousand black goats, Satan Mekratrig, and his grandmother.
Satan should have a web tracking service so you can see if he has dispatched the thousand black goats yet. You know, sort of like UPS - United Pestilence Service.
Or something.
Watch those terms of service, though.
So the pups are installed and they sound great. Unfortunately I've got a date coming over in like an hour so I have to hop in the shower instead of playing 'em, but the difference they make in the Dot's sound is like night and day. Cleans are clean, sparkling highs on the neck and bridge, deep fat bottom end (too fat on the
What's the point of selling a guitar with cheap pickups installed? Wouldn't it be worth the money to make 'em right? The polepieces on the Dot's stock pups are tiny and they're globbed all over with wax and solder - I'd hate to see the inside.
Well, G.A.S. has got the best of me again, although this time it was a relatively mild attack: 2 used Alesis Nanoverbs, an Alesis Faze and Phlanjr, and a DD-6 and a DS-1. The DD-6 in particular is such a cool little unit. Does just what my Digitech PDS 3.6 does, basically, but in a much smaller, more elegant, and stereo package. Haven't fully had time to play with any of these, although the DS-1 in particular is simple and does just what was expected and not particularly much more.
I am looking for an Alesis Philtre, if anyone has one to let go.
Meanwhile, the reason for this post: 3 pics.
One for ScreamingDaisy: my BC Rich's unmodded Kahler Spyder tremelo. (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/1112/kahler.jpg)
This is a great unit - heavy, resonant, rock-stable, easy to use. Machining screwdriver-threads into the lockscrews is a clever idea that daisy's dad seems to have hit upon - I'll have to break out the Dremel and follow suit one of these days.
The Back of the Boogie: IIC+. (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/1112/boogback.jpg) Some 6L6's, some knobs, and a little + sign over the power cord. Mike Bendinelli's initials are hidden behind the power cord.
The BC Rich's big nasty headstock (http://homepage.mac.com/d_halgren/1112/bchead.jpg) No point to this - except that it's a big, pointy metal headstock. I should probably put the trussrod cover back on one of these days.
No one posts on this thread any more. That makes me sad.
I have a year's and maybe a bit more perspective on all this gear now. Here's what I've learned:
#1) Fralin pickups are in a class by themselves. By far the Humbuckers and Real '54's I picked up eclipse everything else I've bought in the last 2 years in terms of how much they improved my tone. They are like Godzilla and everything else is a little mouse - that's how much they blow away all other considerations. It's very difficult for me to envision a future situation in which I'd ever attempt to attain 'best tone' without Fralins in the mix somewhere. I might experiment with things other people have used - for variety - but with my guitars and fingers, for my ears, it's Fralins, every single time.
#2) Mesa pre-amp stages are forgiving of a lot of sloppy fingering.
#3) A Celestion Alnico Blue speaker adds a near-incredible amount of warmth and depth and presence. They are worth the three hundred percent cost excess over their neodymium buddies, if you are looking for warmth and depth.
#4) PRS guitars are perfect pieces of art in terms of craftsmanship, wood, finish and intonation. They also have really excellent pickups, bridges, nuts, and tuners. If you like to collect perfect things, you will enjoy owning a PRS.
#5) Despite the above, my cheap ass MIJ Strat is more fun to play. Paul Reed Smith himself said, "Leo Fender was in a state of grace when he designed the Stratocaster," and it seems to be true.
#6) Low action doesn't help you play faster. Practice helps you play faster.
#7) Tone is in the fingers. There, I said it. Are you happy?!
Loved seeing the DOD American Metal. It made me get mine out again! I have to second the thoughts on the Fralins. I just bought a MIM Strat and dropped some Fralin Blues Specials in there and I LOVE them!
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