Reply With Quote^^^
Nice.
I love a Junior.
New member of the family by lardy_biker
Still going strong 8 years on with a Les paul historic (58 plaintop) now as well.
^^^
Nice.
I love a Junior.
Cheers,
Neil.
I recently acquired this peach of a guitar.
When I was 15 or 16 my friend had one and it was the first guitar I have tried that "played itself". His was sunburst, and mine is black, obviously. It's an amazing instrument and one that I've been wanting for a while and I managed to pick up at a really good price. It needed a re-fret and the seller split the cost with me, and it was still a steal. I'm happy.
It sounds amazing and plays beautifully. Somewhere in sound close to a Strat but warmer and it feels more like a Gibson to play. What's not to like? These don't come up that often and many players consider the Norlin years of Gibson manufacure to be rubbish, but I love this instrument. It's all original, but no original case unfortunately. Anyone got a spare Gibson S-1 Chainsaw case?
Last edited by MerlinShepherd; 1st January 2016 at 13:44.
That looks lovely, Merlin :)Originally Posted by MerlinShepherd
Hi Thom, it is lovely and quirky. I can't find anything wrong with it at all! Sounds great, lovely weight, superb neck and a really easy way to switch between the 5 really useful tones. A joy to play.
They were never really popular in the day as the Fender players found it too Gibson-like and the Gibson players hated the bolt on neck and the fender sound. Although Gibson were trying to appeal to the Fender market, few players were willing to take the chance and so it faded into obscurity after about 5 years, maybe less.
I think it sits really comfortably between two pretty high stools, and is actually different enough to be its own thing, rather than neither of the others.
Last edited by MerlinShepherd; 22nd December 2015 at 14:04.
Not got it yet but delivery is on Tuesday!
I was idly looking through some guitar shops sales and espied a Fender '60's classic Strat in limited edition Cerulean blue which I really loved.
My wife must have seen me slavering over it and looking over my shoulder ordered it for me for Christmas.
No pics of mine yet of course but it is the second from right in the pic below.
Cheers,
Neil.
Delivery turned out to be yesterday but couldn't be more pleased.
Beautiful look and sound.
My new Cerulean blue Classic series '60's Strat!
Cheers,
Neil.
My Epiphone 60s tribute plus fell off it's Straplocks whilst I was adjusting the strap, headstock busted clean off - gutted
Oh gawd! You've got to watch out with those type of guitars.My Epiphone 60s tribute plus fell off it's Straplocks whilst I was adjusting the strap, headstock busted clean off - gutted
You can probably get a very good repair done although I guess you are still feeling a bit fed up!
Cheers,
Neil.
As bad as this seems, it is repairable - find a good luthier/guitar tech that comes recommended (they will have done this type of repair many times before), don't try to fix it yourself.My Epiphone 60s tribute plus fell off it's Straplocks whilst I was adjusting the strap, headstock busted clean off - gutted
1980's Takamine 12-string, tuned in open D.
Great shot , with bonus watch cameo !!!
I bought this with the intention of learning to play. However, I think after many lessons, its beat me. Its just not happening for me, gutted really as I would love to be proficient at it, hey ho.
Its an Epiphone Prophecy GX in Heritage Cherry Sunburst. A mate of mine who played the Angus in an ACDC trib band can make this howl, so I know its me and not the guitar. Alas, its sat in its case for the past 5 months or so.
Stuart
My Tom Anderson Classic.
Just ordered one of these
I blame NeilC ; )
Cheers,
Gary
Nothing exotic, but my seven year old lad has started listening to The Beatles and wants to learn the guitar, so we've dug the old Yamaha out of the loft.
Wow there are some incredible guitars on this thread!
I started learning about a year ago and I'm really enjoying it although improving seemed so slow at first. Still very much a beginner but my interest isn't waning and much like watches I seem to be developing a small collection.
My dad's always played but not much now so he gave me his old Epiphone Sheraton which is around 25 years old and I added a Yamaha FG720s which is really nice to play and sounds good to my ears.
Recently added a Brian May guitar as I'm a massive Queen fan but I think being able to play like him is some way off.
Finally added this Hummingbird for no other good reason than I could plug in into my amp and it looked nice. Will have to stop buying now and just concentrate on practising every day.
Cheers
Neil
Well done Gary, they are the business.Just ordered one of these
I blame NeilC ; )
Cheers,
Gary
Cheers,
Neil.
Picked up my new toy last Monday and been playing it every day since. Here's a couple of crappy iphone snaps.
It's very interesting to compare it to my early 80's 'law suit' Tokai. The maple fretboard makes the Tokai quite a lot brighter but I'm liking ther darker tones of the Fender. It's just a joy to pick up and virtually plays itself, my fingers seemingly just have to caress the fretboard to get a half decent noise. Probably helped by the 7.25 radius neck and thin vintage style frets. The neck on my Tokai seems an even smaller radius but I'm sure it's supposed to be the same.
Overall I'm very impressed, not really a lot of money can get you an awful lot of guitar these days. I'd love to compare it to an American built Strat but I can't really justify one, even if they are leagues better.
Cheers, Gary
P.S. Thanks Neil : )
Don't think I've posted this one here yet .. my 1979 (or possibly 1980, the s/n is inconclusive) hardtail Strat. I had two from the same year, made this one from the best bits of both of them then assembled the other one and put it on eBay. I had Sid Poole replane the fingerboard and do a refret, then replaced the black knobs / scratchplate / pickup covers with the ones you see in the pic.
Although I'm fond of it and it plays nicely, it's too heavy for my taste so it doesn't come out of the case much. But it had a restring at the weekend and I've been practising Room 335 on it, so here it is.
That's gorgeous Gary.Picked up my new toy last Monday and been playing it every day since. Here's a couple of crappy iphone snaps.
It's very interesting to compare it to my early 80's 'law suit' Tokai. The maple fretboard makes the Tokai quite a lot brighter but I'm liking ther darker tones of the Fender. It's just a joy to pick up and virtually plays itself, my fingers seemingly just have to caress the fretboard to get a half decent noise. Probably helped by the 7.25 radius neck and thin vintage style frets. The neck on my Tokai seems an even smaller radius but I'm sure it's supposed to be the same.
Overall I'm very impressed, not really a lot of money can get you an awful lot of guitar these days. I'd love to compare it to an American built Strat but I can't really justify one, even if they are leagues better.
Cheers, Gary
P.S. Thanks Neil : )
Daphne blue - the best colour.
I'm loving the 7.25" radius too.
As you say, great guitars can certainly be found at much more reasonable prices than in the dark distant past.
Cheers,
Neil.
Don't think I've posted this one here yet .. my 1979 (or possibly 1980, the s/n is inconclusive) hardtail Strat. I had two from the same year, made this one from the best bits of both of them then assembled the other one and put it on eBay. I had Sid Poole replane the fingerboard and do a refret, then replaced the black knobs / scratchplate / pickup covers with the ones you see in the pic.
Although I'm fond of it and it plays nicely, it's too heavy for my taste so it doesn't come out of the case much. But it had a restring at the weekend and I've been practising Room 335 on it, so here it is.
I remember when I used to peer through guitar shop windows in the early 70's at those natural finished, big headed Strats and thought they were just so great looking.
Ash bodies - often very weighty.
Cheers,
Neil.
I had one of those years ago, it was half-inched. Just in case, my name and address are inside the plate you can unscrew on the back!I recently acquired this peach of a guitar.
When I was 15 or 16 my friend had one and it was the first guitar I have tried that "played itself". His was sunburst, and mine is black, obviously. It's an amazing instrument and one that I've been wanting for a while and I managed to pick up at a really good price. It needed a re-fret and the seller split the cost with me, and it was still a steal. I'm happy.
It sounds amazing and plays beautifully. Somewhere in sound close to a Strat but warmer and it feels more like a Gibson to play. What's not to like? These don't come up that often and many players consider the Norlin years of Gibson manufacure to be rubbish, but I love this instrument. It's all original, but no original case unfortunately. Anyone got a spare Gibson S-1 Chainsaw case?
"A man of little significance"
I can't seem to find a screwdriver.... and besides which, all the pots and electrics are under the scratch plate and there is no plate on the back. I can only assume that yours wasn't an S-1. Good try though.
I do have a nostalgic soft spot for those bolt-on Gibbos from the '70s and '80s. Others I remember are the Sonex, the Challenger and (of course) the Marauder. Never played one myself but they are so evocative of the time, somehow.
I have a review in an old music mag of the Challenger - the writer was very impressed that you could acquire a real Gibson for £325! Which in real, 2016 terms would run well into four figures, I should think. By contrast in the present day a decent, new glued-in neck SG or Les Paul Junior can easily be had for £500-600. Perhaps not a top of range model with a swanky finish, but the real deal nonetheless.
Hmm, mine was definitely a black S-1 and definitely nicked! I might have been thinking of my late 1970s 'The Paul', that had a plate on the back. A friend of mine has that one, maybe it's time I asked for it back.
"A man of little significance"
They came in 6 different styles, (black, sunburst and natural, each available with either rosewood or maple fingerboard), and sold 3,070 odd guitars. That means that there were something like 500 of each style.
I bought mine from a shop in Germany, which adds to the un-likelihood that this one used to be yours...
Last edited by MerlinShepherd; 12th April 2016 at 17:16.
Those thieving German bastardsThey came in 6 different styles, (black, sunburst and natural, each available with either rosewood or maple fingerboard), and sold 3,070 odd guitars. That means that there were something like 500 of each style.
I bought mine from a shop in Germany, which adds to the un-likelihood had this one used to be yours...
"A man of little significance"
Those thieving German bastards
Ha ha, that cracked me up!
Heres my little family
Me too! Here's my Gordon Smith, which is the only guitar I've ever bought new....around 12 years ago. It's a bit battered now. Hums like a wasp in a bottle, but is great nonetheless.
Great little film about Gordon Smith guitars for those that may not have seen it. I understand Mr and Mrs Smith have now retired.
https://youtu.be/lUdONXsCFWg
I love the simplicity of my GS1, single P90, bar bridge and that's pretty much it. Sounds and plays great with a surprising variety of tones despite the paucity of features.
Cheers,
Gary
Last edited by Omegary; 16th April 2016 at 11:22.
Nice little film Gary.
Amazing how many guitars those three turned out over the years.
GS has now been bought by Auden.
Cheers,
Neil.
I have a penchant for Japanese Fenders, and acquired the one shown on the left here from eBay this week; pictured here with the JV Strat that I bought in September 1982. The new one is a 2006 "Crafted In Japan" model. It's had a very tidy refret recently and plays very nicely. A bit lighter than the older one, and I like that. Probably has a basswood body. Doesn't sound quite as good as the JV, but I wouldn't expect it to.
^^^^
Very nice........... I have already seen it on the Strat forum.
TBH I thought I recognised your style over there.
Cheers,
Neil.
Does anyone know if this relic'd strat stayed within the forum?
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...t=Stratocaster
I'd love to try this guitar if the current owner was ever thinking of selling.
And last week I bought a pair of Lollar P90s from a guy on Gumtree for £80. Dropped them in on Tuesday and it sounds SO much better, richer, thicker, fatter, warmer, brighter, more mids, more everything EXCEPT buzz, hiss and hum. If P90s are your thing them I highly recommend Lollars.Me too! Here's my Gordon Smith, which is the only guitar I've ever bought new....around 12 years ago. It's a bit battered now. Hums like a wasp in a bottle, but is great nonetheless.
I didn't realise it was for sale! For the record, i sold it to the seller and it was a great playing, great sounding example. Drop him a message, great guy to deal with.
So, eight weeks on from picking up a guitar for the first time, my boy has now had a few lessons and has progressed from Hit The Road Jack, to Smoke On The Water, Black Night, Iron Man, Sunshine Of Your Love and the James Bond theme. All the good beginners riffs. I got him a cheap second hand 3/4 guitar as the full sized one was a bit of a stretch and this week he spent his saved up pocket money on a Vintage Flying-V. It was only £60 but I don't think he's loved anything so much in his life. So nice to see. I know we are shopping at the budget Seiko end of the market but it's still fun.
Last edited by benny.c; 23rd May 2016 at 15:44.
That V looks gigantic, but good on him.
Nice to see a young lad showing an interest and saving for what he wants.
You must be very proud.
Cheers,
Neil.
I am mate, really proud. Fortunately he seems to have his mum's musical talent and not mine. The neck on the V is the same as his 3/4 guitar so he can play it OK, but it is almost as tall as him when he stands it up
A few dodgy notes here, but Smoke On The Water never sounded better to me
(click to play)
Ha Ha, that's great. Far better than I could do at that age i.e nothing.
I think I got a horrible old acoustic from Petticoat Lane when I was about 10. How times change.
Good to see that youngsters can have really good gear nowadays.
A young Richie Blackmore in the making!
Cheers,
Neil.
I hope so. His musical education seems to be going well so far - The Beatles and Deep Purple suits me just fine!
Just got this California FAT Tele. After stds, JV vintages, customs and a Baja over a 20 year period...think this may just be THE one. Awesome range of coil-tappable sounds with 5 way switch and getting used to the 9.5" radius neck. Keef and Andy Summers riffs just come naturally on this thing...
^^^
You don't see those very often. I do like the idea of a neck humbucker on a Tele.
I should really get a Tele but the siren call of the slinky Strat always wins out.
Cheers,
Neil.
Looks the dogs and I bet it sounds great. I've always felt that buckers on a Tele are a bit odd, but recently I tried a mate's version like this that he dropped a TV Jones Filtertron into the neck position. Blew me away... I recommend it highly.
Cheers for the comments guys. The best thing about this one is you can actually tap the neck humbucker so you can get your standard single coil neck/neck&bridge combos as well as the humbucker itself via the 5 way switch.
I had a Tele custom before this and it was untappable, plus didn't get on with the control layout - kept knocking toggle switch. The sound of the Tele bridge mixed with the humbucker is amazing, instantly recognisable from a lof of Keefs stuff. Its also brilliant for neck pickup mellow jazz/blues stuff. Probably my favourite electric in 25+ years of playing.
Here's an amp I recently bought. It's a clone of the classic "narrow panel" 1959 "Tweed" Deluxe. It's made by a company that no longer exists, called Tweedy Toneworks, and he used such high spec components and materials that he quickly went out of business, sadly. It's a truly amazing piece of kit, point-to-point handwired/soldered and laquered like a really old Fender. It sounds ridiculous and has the same interactive two volume controls and tone pot, four inputs (two for each channel and standby, power on and power light. That's it. Simple, direct and versatile as hell. It never gets completely clean (or completely dirty), unless it's at really low volumes and the breakup is just deliciously dirty and punchy. It's made like a brick but only weighs about 20lbs, probably a fair bit less. Puts out about 12-15 watts and all my guitars sound great through it, with just a small tweak of the knobs.
Definitely a keeper, and surely loud enough for all practices and small gigs. If it's not loud enough, then I'm going to mic the little bugger, as the sound is creamy rich, bouncy, full and to die for. I am very pleased with this little beast.
Last edited by MerlinShepherd; 5th July 2016 at 21:42.
Nice.
You were the one who bought it from The Fretboard ad then? Recognised it from the pics.
Glad to hear you are enjoying it.
Cheers,
Neil.
Nice.
You were the one who bought it from The Fretboard ad then? Recognised it from the pics.
Glad to hear you are enjoying it.
Yes, I picked it up from Chris on Thursday. Very glad I did.
So i had a 59LP copy made in Belarus and it is by far the best les paul I've ever owned. This guitar is only beaten by the real 58 i played a little time ago.
All old wood, braz board, hide glue. Made the old way with the best nitro finish......
A link to the build.
http://guitarmaster.forum24.ru/?1-1-0-00000268-000-0-0
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