Jam Session

[Sasquach]

Thanks! I have a couple of guitars now that could be up and running with this.

It's a handy little gadget. Bang for the buck, it's hard to beat.

[rangerbluedog]

Here are a couple of guitars to wake this thread again...
First is a new Fender Player Series Stratocaster, in Sage green. The new ALNICO pickups sound great in this one - especially through an old tube amp. It's been a long time since I've owned a Strat.

OLIVE

Next is an old 2003 Ibanez Artcore Series AF75 hollow body electric. I was never truly happy with the setup, and the frets were too tall and had a little wear, so I am replacing the nut with a bone version, I filed and polished the frets, pulled all the electronics. Now I'm waiting on my new Bigsby tailpiece, and a set of Seymour Duncan '59 series vintage blues humbucking pickups. I think I may enjoy working on old guitars at least as much as playing them...

OL' BLUE

[zoogirl]

Great colour on that Ibanez. The body looks very like my Epiphone Dot. Lots of real estate below the bridge. I’d be curious to hear if they sound similar.
Nice Strat! Mine went south with a former roommate. Oh well, I’m not a lead player anyway.

[Steve Warden]

Sweet lookin' Strat!

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

OK, so I have a question for all you musically-adept people. I love music, and I have always wanted to learn to play an instrument. About 15 years ago I tried to teach myself some guitar, but I failed miserably. I just couldn't make my left hand work the fretboard and I also couldn't even strum simple patterns reliably. Doing both at the same time? Forget it!

Now, I know the first thing you are going to say is: Don't teach yourself, get an instructor. I agree - but that's not my question. My question is: Are there people that simply can't move the fingers of their left hand with enough coordination and independence to play even simple songs? I've tried to do finger exercises where you are required to move each finger independently without moving the other fingers, and I just can't do it! If I move my pinky or ring finger, other fingers move, no matter what.

Am I hopeless? Forever destined to be just a groupie? I'm pretty good with electronics, maybe I can be a roadie...

[zoogirl]

Sad to say it, but practice is about all you can do, and the finger exercises.
I’ll never play lead. Like you, I just don’t have the dexterity. Rhythm can still be a lot of fun though, and lead players are sunk without us. Don’t try to aim too high.
As far as strumming patterns goes, yeah I guess it’s nescacary. I find I just follow the song without really worrying about a set pattern. Feeling it, I guess.
Try tutorials on the net before you cough up for a teacher. That’s what my son does and he can play rings around me!

[Steve Warden]

OK, so I have a question for all you musically-adept people. I love music, and I have always wanted to learn to play an instrument. About 15 years ago I tried to teach myself some guitar, but I failed miserably. I just couldn't make my left hand work the fretboard and I also couldn't even strum simple patterns reliably. Doing both at the same time? Forget it!

Now, I know the first thing you are going to say is: Don't teach yourself, get an instructor. I agree - but that's not my question. My question is: Are there people that simply can't move the fingers of their left hand with enough coordination and independence to play even simple songs? I've tried to do finger exercises where you are required to move each finger independently without moving the other fingers, and I just can't do it! If I move my pinky or ring finger, other fingers move, no matter what.

Am I hopeless? Forever destined to be just a groupie? I'm pretty good with electronics, maybe I can be a roadie...

There's a reason I play bass - only 4 strings, one note at a time. I know chords can be played on a bass, but that would involve more than one string and one note at a time!

[zoogirl]

You know Steve, that’s a good idea!

[Unk]

I don't play any musical instruments, but my Dad and my son did/do. My Dad played in a Bob Wills cover band when he was a kid, and they traveled around the Texas panhandle in the early 1950s. Here are a couple of pics of his 1951 Gibson ES 125. My mom gave it to my son after Dad passed away, as they had played together. My son has several guitars, but he cherishes this one from his Grandpa.

[samb1955]

Great way to remember Grandpa!

[rangerbluedog]

That ol' GIBSON is a TREASURE on many levels!

[1967redrider]

When I retire I'd like to learn how to play the banjo.

[zoogirl]

That’s the Gibson that could make me ditch Fender!

[WillyCamaro]

Sa-weet Strat there Blue. Even though i'm more a tele and les paul style (don't forget acoustic and uke ) guy, I could see myself playing that one
That hollow body is going to be absolutely perfect man . Going to get 1 (or 2) myself, eventually, after I get all the other guitars (and knives) I "need" …. . Too many nice shiny things, not enough moola

Man alive unk . Your son is one lucky feller. That's probably one of the best/nicest guitars I've had the pleasure to see. Even better that there's great family story involved .

[WillyCamaro]

I need to pickup myself one of those pickups for me bright red Oscar Schmidt (can be see in earlier post). Bunch of different companies make em' from cheap to super expensive. I think i'm leaning more to the cheap side .

[btrwtr]

Some pretty guitar candy in this thread.

This Taylor 410 in my favorite acoustic guitar. I put a Fishman pickup in it and made and added the MOP truss rod cover plate. I've had it since 1995 and I don't let it leave the house anymore. I have a Yamaha A1 acoustic that I take out for acoustic stuff. I've been playing electric bass in a band setting for a few years now and having fun with that. Guitars can be like knives even though I can only play one at a time.

[WillyCamaro]

Man sweet Taylor Wayne, what I wouldn't give to add 1 (or 2) to my growing guitar stash.
Newest entries to the Jam collection ….
Beaver Creek Spruce Top "Entry Level" Standard Dreadnought. Nothing entry level about the sound and build quality out of this bad boy. Pairs perfectly with my Oscar Schmidt, deeper sounding dread. Guitar heaven for the amazing price of $175 . But as you would guess there are shortcuts on guitars of this price range. Setup/frets do need some work, mind ya not bad at all. Biggest difference at this price range, then lets say a Epiphone Masterbuilt acoustic ($550), is higher quality materials and curing time. Bout all she needs to make her sound as good as a guitar 4-5 more expensive is new bridge pins and bone nut and saddle, all dirt cheap changes (tuners are great as is). I just changed out the pins on my OS to brass (from plastic). Turned it into new guitar! Went from muddy low, to beautiful full sounding low. Different from a masterbuilt epi I tried out @ the guitar store, but good different now. Before I said mine was good, epi better. Now not the case, both are great in the own (different way). Saved myself about $400 and have a guitar that stands up to the big boys . And she already came with Tusk bone nuts and saddle . Again all for the low low price of $175 (plus $25 for the pins). I'm stoked now boys . Funny thing about frets, that masterbuilt is no better then mine, not at all . Maybe a teeny tiny bit more work on em' but not much. Its almost like they did everything right, but forgot finishing them right at the end . Too bad my guitar guy is backed up, months worth of work ahead of me, wanted to get her all perfect. Guess I got to try my other guitar guy . Lucky I got 2 great small stores in my town . Both family owned, customer/musician focused . With very reasonable prices on super good guitars. Prices they are charging for there stuff is equal or less then online, or even used/private is some cases . Guitar pedals are the biggest difference. Used market is as much as new pedals, right from the dealer and full warranty . Also picked up me a MXR Boost mini pedal that I've been needing (got to get me soloing over looped boosted). Anyway, sorry for carrying on
Rock On!

[WillyCamaro]

"Stelecaster" maintenance and new strings day …. and I actually had hardly any trouble stringing her . Don't ask me how I know .
Pics are from start to finish.
Now she looks, playes, and sounds better then new. That GHS string "slick" really works great (my sorry excuse for a review). The Dunlop products are some of the cheapest, but work awesome. Lemon oil fixed dried out fretboard, made the wood grain/coloring pop (woodworker in me drooling ), and the cleaner/polish works perfect, used only teeny tiny amount on all the painted surfaces, cleaned em' up to better then new (shiny ). All in all a productive 1 hr of me life, good for another month, then new strings again , .
Note: Sorry for the old, dirty pillows, they are my guitar worksurface (but still no excuse to make "Stele" look, not as good, as she does ).

[zoogirl]

Hey Willy, as you know, I love the Beaver Creek travellers. I have the six and twelve strings and the bass. My ex has used the bass onstage and it worked ok. The 12 is kinda muddy but oh do I love my little black six string! Built in tuner, on board eq. It’s my fav at the moment.
Beaver Creek can certainly put out some good ones!

[WillyCamaro]

Can't agree enough . My acoustics are actually 3/4 scale dreadnoughts, parlor size if you will. OS and BVC both put out great guitars for sure How much more can you ask for under $200, especially the OS, came out off the shelf with bone nut and saddle, and very well finished frets. Fret ends do need a final polish, and I may roll the fingerboard edges. Other then that, since I switched out the bridge pins to brass, mud is all gone now. Low end is nice and sweet, with full resonance. She's a keeper now, for sure . Was a keeper before, now even more so.
I listened to a feller play a new BVC 12 string and it sounded amazing. Mind you it was a $450 model . You could try swapping the pins to bone/brass same as me. Wouldn't hurt, and if it does, what it did to mine, you'll be blown away for sure .
On to other news ….
Should of changed strings on stele long time ago! Sounds nothing like before (dead & muted, nothing like a proper tele should sound ). Now all up and proper (bright and spank, with great mid/low end on that custom lipstick, what a proper "stele" should sound like ). Sting changes at least once a month from now on!
Anyway, have fun and jam on!

[rangerbluedog]

Willie, that RED tele is a beauty.
Since there are a couple of ukulele fans around here, I'll show off this OLD GRETSCH mahogany uke.
Don't know the age for sure, but due to the original owner passing away in the early 1960s, I'm assuming this thing is from the 1940s or 50s.

Oh yeah, here me and a buddy showing off my 12 string Yamaha and 6 string Fender back in the 1980s.
Got rid of both of those like a dummy.

[zoogirl]

The Gretsch makes me drool! I’d guess more like 30’s - 40’s. Lovely!

[Unk]

Another classic from Guy Clark

[rangerbluedog]

Here's my latest project. Found an el-cheapo stratocaster body of questionable origin online for really really cheap.
It came to me dressed in electric blue metal flake, but I've been channeling my inner Jimi Hendrix lately so I changed it to "purple haze" metal flake.

Before Pic

I need to add several more layers of clear coat over the coming weeks, but then I am getting a local pin-stripe artist to add some orange and white pinstripes. Should be popular with the local Clemson crowd!

Must be PLUM CRAZY to like this color.

Then gonna add a Mighty Mite replacement maple neck, replace all the chrome hardware, and add some Seymour Duncan old '59 mini humbuckers to complete the project. Will update when finished!

Jimi

[zoogirl]

Very nice job!
I recently hauled out my first solid body, what’s left of it. It has no electronics anymore. I may try a refinish. The kid can prob help with the electrical.
I love purple. Who knows, we may end up with twins!