Lets look at our guitars thread
Discussion
Uriel - I know the feeling.
I have a Jem BSB that lives in it's case and have almost no wear on it, just the odd body dink (I've seem some on ebay look like they were buried in the garden sell for £1,000+ and it's nothing like those).
A couple of years ago i decided i wasn't playing it so i put it on flebay for £1,500 (which was what i paid for it).
I had some interest which went downhill quickly "my friends looked at the photos and he thinks it's worth about £800" was one message. My answer of "my friends actually seen it and he thinks it's worth about £5,000, should we split the difference" didn't go down well.
Then i got "we can negotiate the price but £25 for delivery is a bit high, can we meet half way to save that and i can pay cash at the same time". Now i live in Aberdeen and they lived in Devon / Cornwall. When asked how they would save money by driving half way up the country and i pointed out that my car does 200 miles to a tank of fuel (at the time about £70 per fill) I asked if they would pay my fuel bill as it would be way over £25 they went quiet.
Since then it's lived in it's case under the bed and occasionally comes out to play. Ebay like most of the sales sites are just filled with chancer's and jokers.
I have a Jem BSB that lives in it's case and have almost no wear on it, just the odd body dink (I've seem some on ebay look like they were buried in the garden sell for £1,000+ and it's nothing like those).
A couple of years ago i decided i wasn't playing it so i put it on flebay for £1,500 (which was what i paid for it).
I had some interest which went downhill quickly "my friends looked at the photos and he thinks it's worth about £800" was one message. My answer of "my friends actually seen it and he thinks it's worth about £5,000, should we split the difference" didn't go down well.
Then i got "we can negotiate the price but £25 for delivery is a bit high, can we meet half way to save that and i can pay cash at the same time". Now i live in Aberdeen and they lived in Devon / Cornwall. When asked how they would save money by driving half way up the country and i pointed out that my car does 200 miles to a tank of fuel (at the time about £70 per fill) I asked if they would pay my fuel bill as it would be way over £25 they went quiet.
Since then it's lived in it's case under the bed and occasionally comes out to play. Ebay like most of the sales sites are just filled with chancer's and jokers.
OldSkoolRS said:
Uriel, you could try advertising on Gumtree for collection only. I picked up a lightly used Telecaster last year from Gumtree and the whole process seemed to work well.
Tuscaneer. It's funny you mention that you wouldn't get away with an amp in the living room. On another forum someone said I should 'grow some balls' because I was saying that I didn't want a full sized Marshall head in the living room.
At that time I had two combos, one head and three guitars in there and was thinking I got off lightly. 
I did concede to move my drum kit out of the living room though, but at least it made the guitar amp look like a minor issue.
You can barely see it behind the kit:
either your missus can't punch as hard as mine or you simply have balls of steel. top man!Tuscaneer. It's funny you mention that you wouldn't get away with an amp in the living room. On another forum someone said I should 'grow some balls' because I was saying that I didn't want a full sized Marshall head in the living room.
At that time I had two combos, one head and three guitars in there and was thinking I got off lightly. I did concede to move my drum kit out of the living room though, but at least it made the guitar amp look like a minor issue.
You can barely see it behind the kit:Mastodon2 said:
tuscaneer said:
for comparison!.............
so, i have been at it for days. i've tried a good few tunings but if i'm being honest i should havve just bought a 7 string. it's just TOO LOW at the bottom. i can only assume people like stephen carpenter spend mega bucks on amplification because initially everything at the bottom sounded like a metallic thud.
what i have ended up doing is tune the middle 6 strings as per my gibson..ie. drop D tuning then everything down a further 2 steps. my thinnest string is now simple a duplication of the high E ( which of course is now C) while the lowest string is an octave lower than low A (which is now a G ) ......
so a low G is my bottom end and it's just high enough to be cohesive. F# and lower was just f
king crazy.
Scale length is your issue - I've got a 27" Ibanez 8 string and even that doesn't have enough tension to really work at anything below F#. You need closer to 30" to really make anything lower work and even then you need to run a good EQ pedal to really fine tune that balance so the lows are tight and the highs are high. You need a multiscale instrument to make 8+ strings work well, as going towards that 30" scale really stops it playing and sounding like a normal guitar. I've long thought that 7 strings are the sweet spot and I own a 7 and an 8 string now.so, i have been at it for days. i've tried a good few tunings but if i'm being honest i should havve just bought a 7 string. it's just TOO LOW at the bottom. i can only assume people like stephen carpenter spend mega bucks on amplification because initially everything at the bottom sounded like a metallic thud.
what i have ended up doing is tune the middle 6 strings as per my gibson..ie. drop D tuning then everything down a further 2 steps. my thinnest string is now simple a duplication of the high E ( which of course is now C) while the lowest string is an octave lower than low A (which is now a G ) ......
so a low G is my bottom end and it's just high enough to be cohesive. F# and lower was just f
king crazy.king huge already. i'm find it works for writing riffs how i envisioned i would...ie making massive spanned chords and choking everything so that i move around in the lower register a bit like a bass line. i tend to play 6ers the same way..move the root of the chord around and make different changes to the higher notes so you get some very weird chords in a very deftones way, albeit played in a much more palm muted and off rhythm way.all in all really enjoying the experience so far ....it's been cool to mess about with some of the newer songs i've written to incorporate the lower register. older songs i've left alone as they were recorded in their own time in their own tunings and i feel are best left alone
tuscaneer said:
OldSkoolRS said:
Uriel, you could try advertising on Gumtree for collection only. I picked up a lightly used Telecaster last year from Gumtree and the whole process seemed to work well.
Tuscaneer. It's funny you mention that you wouldn't get away with an amp in the living room. On another forum someone said I should 'grow some balls' because I was saying that I didn't want a full sized Marshall head in the living room. At that time I had two combos, one head and three guitars in there and was thinking I got off lightly.
I did concede to move my drum kit out of the living room though, but at least it made the guitar amp look like a minor issue. You can barely see it behind the kit:
either your missus can't punch as hard as mine or you simply have balls of steel. top man!Tuscaneer. It's funny you mention that you wouldn't get away with an amp in the living room. On another forum someone said I should 'grow some balls' because I was saying that I didn't want a full sized Marshall head in the living room.
At that time I had two combos, one head and three guitars in there and was thinking I got off lightly. I did concede to move my drum kit out of the living room though, but at least it made the guitar amp look like a minor issue.
You can barely see it behind the kit:Tom_C76 said:
I'm getting intermittent ear ache over the Fender Twin in the lounge. But it is smaller than the Marshall half stack that used to sit there, and I do have it set on the lower power output...
To be honest, I think I'd get earache playing a 'Twin in a living room (lovely amps though 
, played through one years ago and been after that clean tone ever since, but they are LOUD). I don't think I could lift one these days though. 
I might buy the '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb head at some point as an alternative to the Marshall and Vox heads.FWIW I haven't got balls of steel...just that my OH is very understanding of my various hobbies (plus I've done all the DIY round the house to make it how she likes it, so the brownie points come in handy
).Don1 that Brian May guitar looks great
, hope you get better soon and can start playing in. It was under consideration for my 'big birthday' guitar treat too, but the Gibson deal turned up and I'm running out of space for more guitars. My OH has suggested that I could convert the garage into a studio and keep my gear in there, but that means finishing and then selling my RS2000...neither likely to happen anytime soon. Edited by OldSkoolRS on Wednesday 9th December 16:47
Don1 said:
So the first gift for a major birthday turned up when I was in hospital. A birthday / Xmas from my parents. It's beautiful - can't play it at moment, so it's just sitting there looking pretty. (Just like its owner ).
What make is that? I've got a Burns RS. Don't know why I bought it, as I'm not a massive BM fan, but it's a fantastic guitar. The tonal palette is huge, and I love the neck. And it was cheap... ).
Here are a few snaps of my latest guitar, a Strandberg Boden OS7. This is a "mass-produced" version of Ola Strandberg's revolutionary design - though ultimately still a small batch guitar. Built in Korea and sent to Ola's workshop in Sweden for setup and final inspection, much like Ibanez Prestige guitars from Japan, this guitar came with a signed QC inspection certificate. The materials, fit and finish is incredible. It wasn't cheap but the quality is right up there and there really isn't much out there like it and in terms of it's patented "EndurNeck" it really is unique on the market.
A quick run down of the stats:
7 strings
Multiscale - 26.25" on the low B fanned through to 25.5" on the high E
chambered swap ash body - 2.3kg (feels impossibly light!)
birdseye maple fretboard
birdseye maple neck, with 2 rosewood stringers with a carbon fibre layer either side of each rosewood stripe
EMG 707X pickups
Ebony control knobs
Strandberg proprietary bridge design
In terms of sound, the EMGs are fantastic, EMG have come a long way with their pickups after they fell out of fashion hard about 10 years back and the old 707s were frankly poor. They then brought out some new pickups while they revised the 707 design and now they've come back with the 707X which is a much nicer pickup than the outgoing model. It still does that tight high gain chug well, but it a lot more open and harmonically rich, like a passive pickup. My favourite pickups are Dimarzios, but these EMGs suit the guitar so well I can't see me ever wanting to swap them for anything tbh. They just work. It's a very loud, rich guitar with a lot of sustain, it really busts the myth about needing huge, heavy slabs of wood, neck-through or string through body designs to get sustain. The multscale works perfectly, the lower strings are tight and have loads of attack, the higher strings are softer and easy to bend, truly the best of both worlds.
With regard to playability this is where the revolution really happens. The guitar is light, impossibly so, it's a small and compact design but the chambered body gives it a weightless feel. It's so different to anything I've played before, even other headless guitars, in that it feels like it's not there, so you only focus on your hands and not the weight of the guitar. It's the most creatively liberating guitar I've ever played, because it really feels like there is nothing between you and the music, the notes just flow out with no effort.
The EndurNeck must be talked about. This is a design that Ola came up with to improve playing ergonomics and reduce fatigue. The neck is not round like a traditional guitar, it's a trapezoid with a flat top about 0.5" wide on the back. This flat section is laid at an angle across the neck, close to the lower strings towards the lower frets, and moving across towards the high E towards the body of the guitar. The idea is that if you keep your thumb on the flat section, as you move up the neck your hand will stay in the most relaxed and "open" position, preventing crabbing the hand or letting the thumb slip over the top and over-stretching. You can move your thumb off the flat and onto the angled sections, this is particularly useful during tight chords on the higher strings as the flat, angled aspect of the wood your thumb is in contact with seems to neutralise any tension in the muscles and make getting though tight notes fretted so much easier. However, to some people the trapezoidal neck is just too much and they can't get on with it. I'm totally sold though. The design can be purchased from Ola if an individual wants to have another luthier build them a guitar, which is a good idea.
With all of the features on this guitar, the radical design elements and total focus on reducing the physical impact of the guitar on the player, I am truly staggered by what has been achieved. For the first time ever, I cannot think of what more I'd want or need from a guitar. All I can really think of is Dimarzios and maybe a fancy spalt top - so now my only real progression is to get a custom shop Strandberg and given the huge prices and waiting lists I can't see myself ever doing.
TLDR: I'm blown away. I've played guitar for a while and owned loads of nice guitars but this feels like "the one".
A quick run down of the stats:
7 strings
Multiscale - 26.25" on the low B fanned through to 25.5" on the high E
chambered swap ash body - 2.3kg (feels impossibly light!)
birdseye maple fretboard
birdseye maple neck, with 2 rosewood stringers with a carbon fibre layer either side of each rosewood stripe
EMG 707X pickups
Ebony control knobs
Strandberg proprietary bridge design
In terms of sound, the EMGs are fantastic, EMG have come a long way with their pickups after they fell out of fashion hard about 10 years back and the old 707s were frankly poor. They then brought out some new pickups while they revised the 707 design and now they've come back with the 707X which is a much nicer pickup than the outgoing model. It still does that tight high gain chug well, but it a lot more open and harmonically rich, like a passive pickup. My favourite pickups are Dimarzios, but these EMGs suit the guitar so well I can't see me ever wanting to swap them for anything tbh. They just work. It's a very loud, rich guitar with a lot of sustain, it really busts the myth about needing huge, heavy slabs of wood, neck-through or string through body designs to get sustain. The multscale works perfectly, the lower strings are tight and have loads of attack, the higher strings are softer and easy to bend, truly the best of both worlds.
With regard to playability this is where the revolution really happens. The guitar is light, impossibly so, it's a small and compact design but the chambered body gives it a weightless feel. It's so different to anything I've played before, even other headless guitars, in that it feels like it's not there, so you only focus on your hands and not the weight of the guitar. It's the most creatively liberating guitar I've ever played, because it really feels like there is nothing between you and the music, the notes just flow out with no effort.
The EndurNeck must be talked about. This is a design that Ola came up with to improve playing ergonomics and reduce fatigue. The neck is not round like a traditional guitar, it's a trapezoid with a flat top about 0.5" wide on the back. This flat section is laid at an angle across the neck, close to the lower strings towards the lower frets, and moving across towards the high E towards the body of the guitar. The idea is that if you keep your thumb on the flat section, as you move up the neck your hand will stay in the most relaxed and "open" position, preventing crabbing the hand or letting the thumb slip over the top and over-stretching. You can move your thumb off the flat and onto the angled sections, this is particularly useful during tight chords on the higher strings as the flat, angled aspect of the wood your thumb is in contact with seems to neutralise any tension in the muscles and make getting though tight notes fretted so much easier. However, to some people the trapezoidal neck is just too much and they can't get on with it. I'm totally sold though. The design can be purchased from Ola if an individual wants to have another luthier build them a guitar, which is a good idea.
With all of the features on this guitar, the radical design elements and total focus on reducing the physical impact of the guitar on the player, I am truly staggered by what has been achieved. For the first time ever, I cannot think of what more I'd want or need from a guitar. All I can really think of is Dimarzios and maybe a fancy spalt top - so now my only real progression is to get a custom shop Strandberg and given the huge prices and waiting lists I can't see myself ever doing.
TLDR: I'm blown away. I've played guitar for a while and owned loads of nice guitars but this feels like "the one".
After about 6 years of playing though an Axe Fx Ultra, I've got back to valve amps and bought a Carvin Legacy III.
(Yes, I'm fully aware of the horrible carpet, we've not long moved in and the room is "on the list").
While I am a bit of a Steve Vai fan, I really bought the amp as it seemed to tick a lot of boxes for me. Great clean, smooth, clear lead channel, and a 3rd channel with an extra bit of juice (or a lower gain setting) when needed.
With a little delay it sounds fantastic and the Fulldrive 3 really helps push it a little for solos (it does have a built in gain boost on the 3rd channel, but I prefer the sound of the FD3 - might be a different story when it's cranked!). Very pleased!
Just need to work on my pedalboard now since I've been only just a MIDI controller for rather a long time!
(Yes, I'm fully aware of the horrible carpet, we've not long moved in and the room is "on the list").
While I am a bit of a Steve Vai fan, I really bought the amp as it seemed to tick a lot of boxes for me. Great clean, smooth, clear lead channel, and a 3rd channel with an extra bit of juice (or a lower gain setting) when needed.
With a little delay it sounds fantastic and the Fulldrive 3 really helps push it a little for solos (it does have a built in gain boost on the 3rd channel, but I prefer the sound of the FD3 - might be a different story when it's cranked!). Very pleased!
Just need to work on my pedalboard now since I've been only just a MIDI controller for rather a long time!
Edited by framerateuk on Monday 14th December 16:15
Don1 said:
So the first gift for a major birthday turned up when I was in hospital. A birthday / Xmas from my parents. It's beautiful - can't play it at moment, so it's just sitting there looking pretty. (Just like its owner ).
What's going on with the nut and the first fret? Does the string actually rest on that first fret like a 2nd nut? ).
Tom_C76 said:
FreeLitres said:
What's going on with the nut and the first fret? Does the string actually rest on that first fret like a 2nd nut?
It's a Zero Fret. The nut provides later a position but not string height. Vigier Guitars use them too amongst others. FreeLitres said:
Tom_C76 said:
FreeLitres said:
What's going on with the nut and the first fret? Does the string actually rest on that first fret like a 2nd nut?
It's a Zero Fret. The nut provides later a position but not string height. Vigier Guitars use them too amongst others. Here is Roger Bucknall's take on the matter http://www.fyldeguitars.com/sw-zerofrets.html
FreeLitres said:
Tom_C76 said:
FreeLitres said:
What's going on with the nut and the first fret? Does the string actually rest on that first fret like a 2nd nut?
It's a Zero Fret. The nut provides later a position but not string height. Vigier Guitars use them too amongst others. A relative newbie to the guitar myself, but here's my P&J - nothing fancy compared to most on here but love it all the same!
Mint condition Takamine EG440SC which I picked up about half of what it's actually worth.
Hoping to push on with some lessons in the new year and then buy myself a Martin 15 or 16 series in mid 2016.
Mint condition Takamine EG440SC which I picked up about half of what it's actually worth.
Hoping to push on with some lessons in the new year and then buy myself a Martin 15 or 16 series in mid 2016.
I saw one of those flowchart memes last week that got me thinking. It was about justifying new guitars.
If you can't answer all of these in the affirmative then you need more:
Got a strat?
Got a tele?
Got a Les Paul?
Got singles?
Got humbuckers?
Got p90's?
Got EMG's?
Got a semi?
Got a hollow?
Got a 12 string?
Anything missing?!
If you can't answer all of these in the affirmative then you need more:
Got a strat?
Got a tele?
Got a Les Paul?
Got singles?
Got humbuckers?
Got p90's?
Got EMG's?
Got a semi?
Got a hollow?
Got a 12 string?
Anything missing?!
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