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Post by WalksInSpirit on Oct 4, 2006 16:20:31 GMT -5
Maruawe (Hello)!
Well, I thought I'd kick this new forum off with telling about my strange little journey leading to my new guitar!
A couple of months ago, I had a very vivid dream one night. I was on stage again, under bright stage lights. There was a HUGE crowd out there watching me, and I was just jamming out on a beautiful black Les Paul guitar! I felt sooo good in the dream.
A few days after the dream, I was out in town and I had an urge to stop by this pawn shop for a few minutes to look around. I walked in, and I saw the usual array of Fender Stratocasters and Stratocaster "knock-offs" hanging up front. As I walked past the front display, I saw a black Epiphone Les Paul Junior '56 Reissue hanging back there in the back! I could not believe my eyes! I looked at it, checked it out, and the price was right! So, I went back in a couple of days and I purchased that black Les Paul. I named her "Lucy." (I name all of my guitars.)
I immediately started upgrading Lucy. I installed Grover tuners, upgraded her pickup, did a lot of little custom things to her. Things seemed to be going good for us! Then, I noticed around her lower frets, she'd deaden strings and buzz like crazy! So, I took her to my guitar tech friend to have her neck tilted. (She was equipped with a bolt-on neck.)
I heard from my guitar tech buddy last week. He said Lucy's neck is twisted. He said she'd never be good for playing lead. He said the action would have to be set too high to be comfortable, but she'd be ok for rhythm playing. Time for a new guitar...
I went to my friend's music store this time. I thought I'd see what he had in stock. He had a new Epiphone Les Paul LP-100 in a beautiful Vintage Sunburst finish. My buddy told me to take it home and play it over the weekend, and if I like it, he'd make me a good deal on it. So, I did.
I got the guitar home, re-strung it with my favorite strings - Ernie Ball Super Slinkys - tuned it up, and started to play. Well, there were fret buzzes all over the neck! Here and there in different spots all up and down the neck. I could NOT believe it! Here I was, back at Square One!
So, Monday, I carried the Les Paul LP-100 back to my buddy's store and I showed him the fret buzzes. He apologized over and over, and told me that it was just simply a bad guitar. (Those LP-100s have the bolt-on necks as well.) He said there may well be a problem with those bolt-on neck Epiphone models.
So, my buddy ordered me an Epiphone Les Paul Custom. It's ebony with gold hardware. It is a jaw-dropping beautiful guitar!!! It's essentially a Gibson, only with a different name on the headstock! It is a truly beautiful instrument. God has blessed me bigtime! The Epiphone Les Paul Customs have a set-neck, rather than the bolt-on neck, so I am glad of that! Mahogany body & neck, maple top, rosewood fretboard, Mother Of Pearl block inlay in the fretboard, and binding all around the body and headstock, and Grover tuners.
When that first Les Paul went out on me, I started to doubt that dream I had. And that dream was what re-kindled my love of music, and my desire to play again. But, God led me step-by-step to this much, much better guitar! One that I never thought I'd ever be able to afford! And what is so strange about all of this is, I always used to play Fender Telecasters exclusively. I never really considered Les Pauls. Mainly, because they were always out of my price range! But, nothing is impossible with God! And when nothing seems to make sense, and all seems lost, just hold on! We can't always see what lies ahead but one thing we can know for sure... God is there! And He's got a plan!
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Post by Blu on Oct 4, 2006 17:40:40 GMT -5
I want to add my thoughts here. There is a spiritual lesson in all of this. We believe that the Creative Forces or God is an active Being in our lives and that dreams, and psychic ability are from God. Dreams are at work on many levels and each one has a different purpose.
This dream was a vision for John to show him his potential and possible future. He acted on the dream and as he did God led him all the way to the right place. God loves people in motion, do something even if it's wrong, just try! Mistakes are often just stepping stones to the right place.
John may not have found the right guitar on his first step, but each step led him to the right guitar. What John did not mention in his post is that he prayed about each step and meditated. He stepped out in faith went ahead as if he was in the right place the whole time and did the best he knew how to do. The end result is a $4,000 guitar that we could never have purchased at this point in time. "If you will be my people, I will be your God."
It's not about getting the best guitars or having the money. It's about being the you that you are meant to be, applying what you know to do and trusting God with the results. If you have been drawn to this page because of the music I invite you to explore the rest of our web page and come and join us in The Red Path Chat Rooms. The Red Path Chat Room Schedule Page is posted on our web page for times and days.
"Let my desire and my needs be in Thy hands, Thou Maker, Creator of the universe and all the forces and powers therein! And may I conform my attitude, my purpose, my desire, to that Thou hast as an activity for me. (Now leave it with Him and go to work!)" --462-8
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Post by 28v6r on Jun 19, 2007 0:08:34 GMT -5
Yeah... but he was blinded by "Miss Lucy" and STILL didn't spot her "Triplet" sitting behind her...with exactly the same curves and lines except.....a little FATTER...
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Post by dank on Jun 23, 2007 4:01:24 GMT -5
Hello again, Johnny!
The dream (of Miss Lucy) was put in your head by the "Great Spirit in the Sky", to make sure that it came true. The black Les Paul Custom signifies your creativity and spirit in your life.
I have been an Epiphone owner/player for many years (since 1966).
I used to own an 1966 Epiphone Triumph full body acoustic jazz guitar with DeArmond pickups that I installed myself. I sold her, much to my regret, due to some problems in life a couple of years back.
I have recently bought TWO Epiphone Emperors on EBay. Being my first time on Ebay and not knowing the rules of the game, I bid on both at the same time and ended up buying BOTH. It was granted to me by the Great Spirit. I love both of them. I also have two other guitars. a Takamine Hirade TH90 (cool tube preamp built-in ) Classic nylon string with cutaway and a 1980s Takamine Dreadnought (Martin D18 style) as well.
I've just received two sets of GFS Vintage 59 Humbuckers from GuitarFetish.com and two Tune-o-matic bridges to replace ALL the Asian pickups on the two Emperors and improve the intonation by addition of the new bridges.
I also plan to completely change out the pots as well.
As far as your journey leading to the Epiphone Les Paul Custom, sometimes, you need to experience less than satisfactory results as a musician to truly appreciate what you eventually end up with.
I also had a dream as well a few nights ago. I listened to the video call "Wildflower" on Youtube and even though it was a Gibson Les Paul Custom, the intro and sounds of that guitar, the lyrics and the singer really made an impact on me.
I can't afford a Gibson Les Paul Custom, but I certainly will be adding a Epiphone Les Paul Custom to my guitar collection in the next few months. After I customize the pickups to my tastes, it will be just as good as the Gibson version but at a fraction of the cost.
carverdank
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Post by WalksInSpirit on Jun 25, 2007 23:56:42 GMT -5
Hey there Dan! Good to see you, Man!
"The dream (of Miss Lucy) was put in your head by the "Great Spirit in the Sky", to make sure that it came true. The black Les Paul Custom signifies your creativity and spirit in your life." Yep! I credit that dream and subsequently finding that guitar for getting me seriously back into my music full time. And I have been soooo much happier ever since! We can't be truly happy until we're living and fulfilling our soul's purpose - what we were put here to do. And I wasn't living mine, which is music. Once we do that, then we find happiness within ourselves.
"I have been an Epiphone owner/player for many years (since 1966)." "Miss Lucy" - my 2005 Epiphone Les Paul Custom is the first Epiphone I've ever owned or played. I've always been a Fender guy. But I really love my Les Paul Custom. She's real sweet. Especially after all the mods I've done to her.
"I used to own an 1966 Epiphone Triumph full body acoustic jazz guitar with DeArmond pickups that I installed myself. I sold her, much to my regret, due to some problems in life a couple of years back." Dang, that's a shame. Those Triumphs are nice guitars. And very collectible!
"I have recently bought TWO Epiphone Emperors on EBay. Being my first time on Ebay and not knowing the rules of the game, I bid on both at the same time and ended up buying BOTH. It was granted to me by the Great Spirit. I love both of them. I also have two other guitars. a Takamine Hirade TH90 (cool tube preamp built-in ) Classic nylon string with cutaway and a 1980s Takamine Dreadnought (Martin D18 style) as well." Wow! You got double-blessed, huh? I really love the looks of the Emperors. I think my next guitar will probably be an Emperor. I love the archtops like that. I've never had one, but I just love the vintage look of them. I almost bought a Takamine once, but decided on an Ovation instead. I have since sold the Ovation. Takamines are great guitars. Garth Brooks plays them. Always has. I've never had any experience with a nylon string guitar. My wife had an old nylon string Martin when she was in college but sold it. I told her I wish she had kept it!
"I've just received two sets of GFS Vintage 59 Humbuckers from GuitarFetish.com and two Tune-o-matic bridges to replace ALL the Asian pickups on the two Emperors and improve the intonation by addition of the new bridges." I've heard a lot of good things about the GFS pickups. I have not had any first hand experience with them, myself, though. I know a lot of people on the Epiphone Forum swear by them. I put a Gibson '57 Classic and a Gibson '57 Classic Plus in my Les Paul Custom. The difference is unbelieveable! I want to upgrade the bridge and stop-bar tailpiece on it as well, and get a bone nut made for it. Then, down the road, I am going to upgrade all the pots and switches and wiring, and put in either the Sprague Orange Drops caps or the Bumble Bee caps. They say the old Les Pauls had the Bumble Bee caps.
"As far as your journey leading to the Epiphone Les Paul Custom, sometimes, you need to experience less than satisfactory results as a musician to truly appreciate what you eventually end up with." Yep! You're exactly right about that! It's all a part of the journey!
"I also had a dream as well a few nights ago. I listened to the video call "Wildflower" on Youtube and even though it was a Gibson Les Paul Custom, the intro and sounds of that guitar, the lyrics and the singer really made an impact on me." Cool! Music is a great bridge to the spirit world, I believe. It spans that gap between this world and spirit world. I've always thought that. And, it's also a powerful force in itself. How many times have you heard a song and it takes to you right back to a specific time or place in your past? Not many things have that kind of power. Or the power to move you to tears, or make your heart leap with joy. But music does.
"I can't afford a Gibson Les Paul Custom, but I certainly will be adding a Epiphone Les Paul Custom to my guitar collection in the next few months. After I customize the pickups to my tastes, it will be just as good as the Gibson version but at a fraction of the cost." Shoot, Man! I can't afford a Gibson, either! But in all honesty... even if I could, I probably wouldn't buy one. Cause these Epiphones are sooo nice - especially after you pop in some Gibson pickups and upgrade the electronics, tuners, bridge/tailpiece, and put on a bone nut! You've got a Gibson after you do all of that. I played a Gibson Les Paul Standard one day at the music store. I came home and played Miss Lucy. Honestly, I could not tell the difference. They both felt about the same and sounded and played the same. I would not have turned around for the difference. (If I said this on the Epiphone Forum, I would get flogged. LOL) It certainly was not $2,500.00 worth of difference! Besides... I think it's crazy to spend that kind of money on a guitar when there's people in this world that cannot even afford to go and see a doctor or pay for their medication when they do! Or can't even buy food for their families, or a roof to cover their heads. I think this world needs to get their priorities straight!
I'm so glad you made it over here, Dan! We're glad to have you! Stop by and check out our chat room sometime! Especially on Friday nights, if you are interested in Dreams. We have a Dream Chat on Friday Nights. The lady that hosts it is very knowledgeable, and a great person. It starts at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and ends around 10:30 p.m. Eastern. We'd love to have you! If you're interested in dreams, you'll love it!
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Post by dank on Jun 27, 2007 3:18:09 GMT -5
Hello again, Johnny!
I tried to keep my reply brief, but it didn't work out with the things I had to say..sorry about that.
>"Yep! I credit that dream and subsequently finding that guitar for >getting me seriously back into my music full time. And I have been >soooo much happier ever since! We can't be truly happy until we're >living and fulfilling our soul's purpose - what we were put here to >do. And I wasn't living mine, which is music. Once we do that, then >we find happiness within ourselves.
Absolutely! My purpose in my retirement years is carving birds and fish and playing my guitars. I didn't have time to do that in my working years, but now that I'm more aware of the years that may still remain in my life, these things are more important than ever to me, as they fulfill my need for creativity and purpose to my life.
>"Miss Lucy" - my 2005 Epiphone Les Paul Custom is the first >Epiphone I've ever owned or played. I've always been a Fender guy. >But I really love my Les Paul Custom. She's real sweet. Especially >after all the mods I've done to her.
Fender Strats & Telecasters are very unique and versatile guitars. You can play all genres of music from rocknroll to jazz on them, but so are Les Pauls'. I've owned one solid body in my life and it was a cheap pawn shop guitar at 18. I didn't keep it long because it had a warped neck and that required a higher action which made it difficult to play. I trade that in on a Harmony "Meteor" with a Bigsby, because I was playing rythmn in a small band at the time. I've been playing thinlines and full size guitars ever since.
>"Dang, that's a shame. Those Triumphs are nice guitars. And very >collectible! Yes, I regret that decision today. I never named her, but it was a collector guitar as Gibson made very few of those in Kalmazoo, mainly because they were a acoustic archtop and everyone back in the late 60s wanted electrics.
>Wow! You got double-blessed, huh? I really love the looks of the >Emperors. I think my next guitar will probably be an Emperor. I >love the archtops like that.
One of them, 1991, has "GIBSON" on the torque rod cover plate. The other one has "Joe Pass" on the cover plate. Workmanship wise, they are beautiful archtops. 243/4 scale, 2.5 inches thick, and somewhere between the L5 (3.5" thick Gibson) and the Gibson Byrdland. The only drawback is the Asian electronics, but I am changing out both sets of pickups with GFS Vintage 59 humbuckers and the wiring and pots as well. Since I want some distinct differences in the tone settings, I will be equipping the Joe Pass with push=pull tone pots (Les Paul style) to be able to select the rolloff caps. I'm using Sprague orange drops (.022uf and .047 uf) in the Joe Pass.
It will be the first guitar tha I'm going to modify with the wiring to be a cross between the Les Paul and a Emperor. When I'm done with it, the Joe Pass will be very unique as it will have selectable caps and sound somewhere between a LP and a full body.
Just like my carvings, I will personally sculpture the sound until I'm satisfied with it.
Another inovation, I'm doing is to have the GFS pickup wired with a mini-jack plug on it. The wires to the volume control will have a corresponding (metal shell,for shielding) barrel inline jack, so thos will allow me to "plug in" a new pickup anytime without having to remove the pots and the wiring again to get at the ends of the pickup leads!
> I almost bought a Takamine once, but decided on an Ovation >instead. I have since sold the Ovation.
I've played an Ovation. Great looking, but you know, I just don't like that roundish composite back on them. They kinda slip off your knee when you are playing them sitting, and at least for me, the tone isn't what I would describe as classic Gibson J45 or Martin D18/D28. >Takamines are great guitars. Garth Brooks plays them.
Yes, he does, so do a few other country artists. What makes Takamine stand out amongst other guitar makers is that pretty much most of their flat tops have built in pre-amps and semi-parametric equalizers built in, as well as a tuner.
> I've never had any experience with a nylon string guitar. My wife had an old nylon string Martin when she was in college but sold it. I told her I wish she had kept it!
Yes, she should have kept it. If you pick a steel string, you can have some interesting mellow pick effects on a nylon string that you can't get with a steel. Each style of guitar (steel or nylon) has very unique sounds. The nice thing about a nylon string is that I can take it to my trailer on the lake and play without an amplifier. I play it around the campfire and sometimes in the morning. I've had some nice complements about the sound of my Takamines.
>I've heard a lot of good things about the GFS pickups. I have not >had any first hand experience with them, myself, though. They are definitely better quality than the asian pickups that came with the two Emperors..anything is better than those. It was a difficult decision. I looked at Gibson 57 Humbuckers too as well as Seymore Duncans. The Gibson in goldtone were around $120 a pickup! The SD's were around %75 to $90.
GFS are under $40 each. If I like the tones from the Vintage 59, Alnico IIs, I've saved myself at least $80 to $160 per guitar. So this allows me to "experiment" over the next couple of years with other pickups, (that's why I'm installing the mini stereo jacks on the pickups and the wiring), if I'm not satisfied with the sound from the Emperors. I think that I will be, but I'm leaving the option open to allow further experimentation without having to pull out all the controls and wiring again.
> I put a Gibson '57 Classic and a Gibson '57 Classic Plus in my Les >Paul Custom. The difference is unbelieveable!
Well you can't beat the Gibson quality and name. These were my 2nd choice and Seymore Duncan was my first choice, until I found the GFS vintage Humbuckers.
>I want to upgrade the bridge and stop-bar tailpiece on it as well, >and get a bone nut made for it.
I've already upgraded the stock wooden bridge on the Emperors to GF tune-o-matics. I like the stock tailpiece, so I'll keep those. I'm also replacing the plastic nuts with bone nuts. I buy the blank bone nut from the local guitar shops and custom fit/file it myself to my liking.
>Then, down the road, I am going to upgrade all the pots and switches and wiring, and put in either the Sprague Orange Drops caps or the Bumble Bee caps. They say the old Les Pauls had the Bumble Bee caps. Definitely the pots. The asian stock pots are not that good and eventually will start deteriorating. I'm replacing mine with the Alpha pots from GuitarFetish.com (where I got the GFS pickups and the bridges). One thing that I will be doing is sealing the pot opening (after soldering) with masking tape, then adding a bead of silicone seal to the tape to prevent dust and contamination from entering ever again. The silicone seal on the masking tape that seals the open slot will still be removable if needed.
This is one of my own inovations, along with the mini-jacks and push=pull tone controls on my Emperors.
> Music is a great bridge to the spirit world, I believe. It spans that gap between this world and spirit world.
I believe that also. When everything is connected, the music, which is the creativity of your soul "flows" from your soul through your guitar (or other instrument) unimpeded and secondary thought processes to control your fingers are not required.
How many times have you heard a song and it takes to you right back to a specific time or place in your past? Not many things have that kind of power. Or the power to move you to tears, or make your heart leap with joy. But music does.
Yes, Yes and Yes! Good music really has an effect on your emotions! Recently, I was at the Gibson Factory in Memphis and played a couple ES-175s..alway been my favorite Gibson Guitar. As I played, tears stared to form in my eyes. I'm glad that I was in a sound booth, as it was a bit embarrassing. My life partner asked me what was wrong? I told her..."It's starting to take me back many years to every body I knew then and what I was doing then and It's hard to explain because you wouldn't understand..."
>I can't afford a Gibson, either! But in all honesty... even if I could, I probably wouldn't buy one. Cause these Epiphones are sooo nice - especially after you pop in some Gibson pickups and upgrade the electronics, tuners, bridge/tailpiece, and put on a bone nut!
I agree with you 100%. The main difference between the two brands now is the electrics and the name on the headpiece. That's why they can sell an EPi LP Custom for $699 and a Gibson for $2500 or more. Your are paying $1000 for that Gibson name and another $500 for the pickups and wiring. Everyone has to make money somehow and that's how Gibson does it today.
>You've got a Gibson after you do all of that. I played a Gibson Les Paul Standard one day at the music store. I came home and played Miss Lucy. Honestly, I could not tell the difference. They both felt about the same and sounded and played the same. I would not have turned around for the difference.
Once you've changed out the electrics and the bridge/nut, what else is there left? Gibson vs Epiphone on the headstock, that's it!
> (If I said this on the Epiphone Forum, I would get flogged. LOL) It certainly was not $2,500.00 worth of difference! Besides... I think it's crazy to spend that kind of money on a guitar when there's people in this world that cannot even afford to go and see a doctor or pay for their medication when they do! > Well musicians and collectors are what is driving up the prices these days. If people were not willing to pay this kind of money, Gibson would stop raising the prices on Gibson.
I almost bought a Gibson ES-175 at the Nashville store. I had enough credit limit on my credit card to buy it right there! What stopped me..I'm practical, just like you. They were going to "drop the price down to $3200US". I said, I would like some time to think about it as I would have to pay extra 14% import taxes at the border. That's another $450 on top of the $3200! I don't play professionally anymore because of my knees (disease affects my muscles in my legs), so can I justify $3600 when I can get an Emperor on Ebay for $500 and rewire it to sound almost identical? I think this world needs to get their priorities straight!
> Stop by and check out our chat room sometime! Especially on Friday nights, if you are interested in Dreams. We have a Dream Chat on Friday Nights. Yes, I am. But right now, I'm not having any inspiring dreams yet. I do plan on adding an Epi Custom to my collection over the next year or so. Right now, I'm buying a cheap Fender Squire Telecaster for my life partners sisters little boy (11) who demonstrated his natural abilities and talents on an Epiphone Dot, that my partners son brought with him this weekend to a family gathering.
I feel that sometimes, natural talent needs to be encouraged and since the mother of this boy has very limited resources, I'm going to supply him with a small Fender practice amp that I now own and this Fender guitar, once I buy it. This way, I hope that I will be encouraging a talent that could be wasted otherwise. Now whether this is a subconcious dream or just my good nature, I don't know, but if someone had given me that opportunity many years ago, who knows what I could have accomplished musically by now.
Dan K.
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Post by dank on Jun 27, 2007 8:52:33 GMT -5
Hello again, Johnny. Just thought I would pass on this bit of info on "bumblebee caps".
> Then, down the road, I am going to upgrade all the pots and >switches and wiring, and put in either the Sprague Orange Drops >caps or the Bumble Bee caps. They say the old Les Pauls had the >Bumble Bee caps.
I just ordered some vintage shielded wire, CTS pots, Sprague caps and a Les Paul switch from GuitarCandy.com in NC. They are not cheap, but these are authentic switchcraft parts, pots, wire and caps as used in Gibsons all along.
I would for go the "bumblebee" caps at $34.95 each. Obviously, these are no longer in production and being scarce, the prices have gone up. There is nothing wrong with the Orange Drops, they are plentiful, rugged and reliable and CHEAP! Tone wise, there will be no difference between the "Bumblebee" .022uf and the Orange Drop .022uf, since the 500k pot has a LOT of range to start the rolloff of the highs and the tolerance of the caps will be + or - 10% on these types of caps.
Now, of course if you are a real stickler for authenticity, then you may want to spend $70 for two bumblebees vs $3.00 for the Spragues, but like I mentioned, you will not hear the difference for the big differenmce in price. Don't forget that you will have to change out the asian pots as well....
My cost for the two Emperors is $104 just for the CTS volume pots, Sprague caps, pushpull tone pots, switchcraft toggle and jack.
With the cost of the pickups and tune-o-matic bridges I'm already at $350 for parts to upgrade these two Emperors.
With the cost of shipping, Cdn taxes and US cost of these two guitars I'm at: Gibson Emperor: $479 + $40 ship + taxes + $175 upgrades = $800 Almost as much for the Joe Pass.
As they say, everything has a price on Mastercard, but the sound and the playabilty of these guitars..PRICELESS!
For a $1600 investment, I have probably the equivalent of $6000 worth of authentic Gibson.
Mind you, I can solder and hook up the electronics myself. If I had to pay labour, that would add another $200 or so to the cost of the guitars. But even at $1000 a piece, they are still worthwhile to redo over the price of a new one at $699 from the on-line stores.
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Post by dank on Jun 27, 2007 8:54:34 GMT -5
Whoops, a minor typo that I didn't catch on the last post. What I meant was: I WOULD NOT go for the "Bumblebees"......
DanK.
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Post by Blu on Jun 27, 2007 12:32:14 GMT -5
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Post by WalksInSpirit on Jun 28, 2007 2:25:37 GMT -5
Hey there Dan! Good to hear from you again! No worries on post length! I love good discussion! "My purpose in my retirement years is carving birds and fish and playing my guitars. I didn't have time to do that in my working years, but now that I'm more aware of the years that may still remain in my life, these things are more important than ever to me, as they fulfill my need for creativity and purpose to my life." That's cool, Dan! My Dad used to be a woodworker, too. He did some carving, but his main thing was working on an old timey lathe with chisels. He could turn out some of the most beautiful bowls and things you've ever seen! He also built small cabinets to hang on the wall. He would "relic" them to make them look antique. He made his own stain, too. Never bought any. He used a mixture of mineral spirits and tar. If he wanted the stain darker, he used more tar. If he wanted it lighter, he used more mineral spirits. "Fender Strats & Telecasters are very unique and versatile guitars. You can play all genres of music from rocknroll to jazz on them, but so are Les Pauls'. I've owned one solid body in my life and it was a cheap pawn shop guitar at 18. I didn't keep it long because it had a warped neck and that required a higher action which made it difficult to play. I trade that in on a Harmony "Meteor" with a Bigsby, because I was playing rhythmn in a small band at the time. I've been playing thinlines and full size guitars ever since." Yeah, Fenders are workhorses. You can gig forever with a Fender and not worry too much about it. (Although I am VERY particular with my guitars.) "Yes, I regret that decision today. I never named her, but it was a collector guitar as Gibson made very few of those in Kalmazoo, mainly because they were a acoustic archtop and everyone back in the late 60s wanted electrics." Yep, that was when Hendrix and Creedence Clearwater Revival and all those other greats were on the scene. Great times in rock n roll! I don't blame you for regretting letting that one go. I guess we all have that one special guitar that we regret parting with. Looking back, I had a Fender Telecaster that I really loved. I regretted getting rid of it. It had a custom paint job. But the 2006 Fender American Standard Telecaster '52 Reissue that I have now "Miss Faith" is soooo much nicer! I really love her. "One of them, 1991, has "GIBSON" on the torque rod cover plate. The other one has "Joe Pass" on the cover plate. Workmanship wise, they are beautiful archtops. 243/4 scale, 2.5 inches thick, and somewhere between the L5 (3.5" thick Gibson) and the Gibson Byrdland. The only drawback is the Asian electronics, but I am changing out both sets of pickups with GFS Vintage 59 humbuckers and the wiring and pots as well. Since I want some distinct differences in the tone settings, I will be equipping the Joe Pass with push=pull tone pots(Les Paul style) to be able to select the rolloff caps. I'm using Sprague orange drops (.022uf and .047 uf) in the Joe Pass." Yep, the older ones did have the Gibson truss rod covers. Sounds like some great mods you got planned there, Dan! They'll be sweet guitars for sure when you get them done! "It will be the first guitar tha I'm going to modify with the wiring to be a cross between the Les Paul and a Emperor. When I'm done with it, the Joe Pass will be very unique as it will have selectable caps and sound somewhere between a LP and a full body. Just like my carvings, I will personally sculpture the sound until I'm satisfied with it." Man! That's a mod and a half there! I don't think I've ever heard of doing the switchable caps thing. That's a great idea! "Another innovation, I'm doing is to have the GFS pickup wired with a mini-jack plug on it. The wires to the volume control will have a corresponding (metal shell,for shielding) barrel inline jack, so those will allow me to "plug in" a new pickup anytime without having to remove the pots and the wiring again to get at the ends of the pickup leads!" That's another great idea, Dan! I was looking at the wiring when I did the installation of my new pickups, and I was wondering couldn't something like that be done? Like maybe some quick disconnect clips, or something? I like the mini stereo jacks better, though. Great idea! "I've played an Ovation. Great looking, but you know, I just don't like that roundish composite back on them. They kinda slip off your knee when you are playing them sitting, and at least for me, the tone isn't what I would describe as classic Gibson J45 or Martin D18/D28." Yeah, I wasn't big on the composite back, either. And they do slip off your knee when playing. And they don't have much tone until you run them through an amp or p.a., then they sound much fuller. When I got that Ovation, I was gigging a lot, so I stood most all the time I played it and played it most all the time through a Fender Acoustisonic 30 watt amp. It sounded pretty decent through that. "What makes Takamine stand out amongst other guitar makers is that pretty much most of their flat tops have built in pre amps and semi-parametric equalizers built in, as well as a tuner." Yep! That's what helped that Ovation once it was plugged in. It had all the on-board EQ effects same as the Takamines. Kaman makes both of them, and the Applause and Takamine's "little sister" company, Jasmine, too. "I've already upgraded the stock wooden bridge on the Emperors to GF tune-o-matics. I like the stock tailpiece, so I'll keep those. I'm also replacing the plastic nuts with bone nuts. I buy the blank bone nut from the local guitar shops and custom fit/file it myself to my liking." I reckon I'm gonna get this guy that used to work in Nashville to make my bone nut. That's a bit outside my skills! I wish I could do it, but I just don't have the tools nor the know-how. And by the time I buy all the tools I need, I'd be spending the same amount to pay somebody to do it for me. Still, it would be a nice thing to learn how to do sometime! "The asian stock pots are not that good and eventually will start deteriorating. I'm replacing mine with the Alpha pots from GuitarFetish.com (where I got the GFS pickups and the bridges). One thing that I will be doing is sealing the pot opening (after soldering) with masking tape, then adding a bead of silicone seal to the tape to prevent dust and contamination from entering ever again. The silicone seal on the masking tape that seals the open slot will still be removable if needed. This is one of my own innovations, along with the mini-jacks and push=pull tone controls on my Emperors." That's also a great idea about sealing the pots! I took a class in electronics a few years ago in order to get my ASE Automobile Mechanics Certification, and I had some experience in seeing dirty pots and switches first hand! Man, they can really get corroded! No matter how clean you try to keep something, I'll guarantee you dirt will get into a pot and switch! One "mod"/ tip I have done to the output retainer nuts on both jacks of both my guitars is I tighten them good, then apply two or three thick dabs of clear nail polish around the nut and any exposed threads, and let dry. They are easy to break loose if needed, yet will keep the nut tight and it won't loosen out on you. "I believe that also. When everything is connected, the music, which is the creativity of your soul "flows" from your soul through your guitar (or other instrument) unimpeded and secondary thought processes to control your fingers are not required." Yep! It's not us - our fingers, or our bones and muscles working in tandem that notes the fretboard and plays the music. It's our soul that is playing the music. Plain and simple! "Yes, Yes and Yes! Good music really has an effect on your emotions! Recently, I was at the Gibson Factory in Memphis and played a couple ES-175s..alway been my favorite Gibson Guitar. As I played, tears stared to form in my eyes. I'm glad that I was in a sound booth, as it was a bit embarrassing. My life partner asked me what was wrong? I told her..."It's starting to take me back many years to every body I knew then and what I was doing then and It's hard to explain because you wouldn't understand..." Shoot, yeah! I know most of the time, I may sound like and come across like a simple minded Okie (we call folks from Oklahoma "Okies") but when I feel something, man, I feel it all over. I'm man enough to say that I'm a sensitive guy. I think all musicians are sensitive people. They'd have to be. Cause music is so powerful. You'd just have to be sensitive in order to write, perform, compose, and even appreciate it. "Once you've changed out the electrics and the bridge/nut, what else is there left? Gibson vs Epiphone on the headstock, that's it!" Yep! There's this feller I play with on Saturday afternoons. We've got a small group that jams together at the music store. And this guy George... he's an old timer. A purist Old Time Country player. And he has been playing for longer than I have been alive! So, anyway, I let him play Lucy after I did all the mods and he said "Son, what you got right there is a D*mn Gibson. I don't care what that headstock says, nor what anyone else tells you. You got yourself a Gibson. And if anybody tries to tell you this guitar ain't a Gibson, they don't know guitars for one thing. And they are just jealous and sick over paying so D*mn much for their Gibson that prolly doesn't sound as good as your guitar!" He went on to say: "I've played Gibsons back in the 50s when they were new and all the go, and have played them all through the years off and on to present. I know what I'm talkin about! And that thang sounds, feels, plays just like a Gibson Les Paul!" LOL Like I said, though, if I posted that on the other forum, I'd get flogged! "Well musicians and collectors are what is driving up the prices these days. If people were not willing to pay this kind of money, Gibson would stop raising the prices on Gibson." I agree, Dan. And I think it's mostly the collectors doin it.
"I do plan on adding an Epi Custom to my collection over the next year or so. Right now, I'm buying a cheap Fender Squire Telecaster for my life partners sisters little boy (11) who demonstrated his natural abilities and talents on an Epiphone Dot, that my partners son brought with him this weekend to a family gathering. I feel that sometimes, natural talent needs to be encouraged and since the mother of this boy has very limited resources, I'm going to supply him with a small Fender practice amp that I now own and this Fender guitar, once I buy it. This way, I hope that I will be encouraging a talent that could be wasted otherwise. Now whether this is a subconscious dream or just my good nature, I don't know, but if someone had given me that opportunity many years ago, who knows what I could have accomplished musically by now." That's way cool, Dan! Those Fender Squire Telecasters are great guitars, especially for a beginner! That's actually a guitar he can grow with. Awfully nice of you to do that for him! I've found that the best places to find them used is at the Fender dealers. People will buy them new there and bring them back later, wanting an upgrade and trade them in on something else. It's great that he has you helping and "mentoring" him! So many kids today do not have anyone to care for them that way, and they end up on the streets and get into drugs and stuff. That's just an awesome thing you are doing! Let us know how it goes!
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Post by dank on Jul 3, 2007 19:20:31 GMT -5
Happy Independence Day to you; Johnny & Blu,
This is sort of...well like a reply to your last post.
Well, I got myself another guitar..again within the space of a month!
This one is a new Epiphone LP Custom (Black Beauty). Bought it on E-Bay last friday. I was going to wait until I got my two Emperors fixed up, but I was looking for a cheaper Epi LP/or used Squire (for the 11 year old that I mentioned previously), when I came across this LP Black Beauty, which was going for $210 USD at the time when I was looking.
Well, I was bitten at "that price", even though there were 22 bidders and I was outbid fairly early.
But I have wanted one for a while, and I'm certainly not getting any younger these days, so I bit at it, hook, line and sinker.
I decided I would play against the other bidders up to a predetermined price.
At the last 4 minutes before the bidding was to close, there was a flurry of activity and the price started to climb!
I knew what the new price was from Musicians Friend on-line $699.99 (not including case). I set myself a target of $350USD, but in the last two to three minutes that target was surpassed.
I ended up paying $455 USD for it, more than half of the on-line music store price, but still a good deal, as I don't have to pay brokerage fees or 14% Cdn/Ont sales tax on it through the vendor.
While it may sound like a lot, Gibson LP's range from $3000 to as much as $8500 for some of the custom models from what I've seen on-line.
It's being shipped from Alberta Canada, and I should be receiving it by the end of the week.
Now that I have IrfanView working for me, I'll send you a pic of it once I get it...and plug it in to try it.
I don't name my guitars as a rule, because I view them as an extension of me, but Black Beauty sounds right to me.
I don't know what it will sound like, but if the p-ups are not that good, I'll replace them perhaps sometime this year. Right now, I have my hands full with rewiring the Emperors and getting my carvings finished for the August show.
BTW, I ended up getting CTS pots and vintage external shield screen wiring for Gibsons, from www.GuitarCandy.com.
carverdank
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Post by WalksInSpirit on Jul 4, 2007 18:55:19 GMT -5
Hey there Dan! Thanks! Yall probably don't celebrate Independance Day on today up there, but what the heck! Happy Independance Day to you too!
"Well, I got myself another guitar..again within the space of a month!" Man, you are on a roll!!! Good for you!
"This one is a new Epiphone LP Custom (Black Beauty). Bought it on E-Bay last friday. I was going to wait until I got my two Emperors fixed up, but I was looking for a cheaper Epi LP/or used Squire (for the 11 year old that I mentioned previously), when I came across this LP Black Beauty, which was going for $210 USD at the time when I was looking." Wow! That's a Peter Frampton special, ennit? Always loved his guitar. And you got a heckuva deal on it, too! I just love it when I run up on a great deal like that on a guitar! Lucy and Faith both were that way for me. My buddy who owns the music store where I bought them let me have both of them at cost. I was double blessed there! Especially with Faith, cause she came with the Fender molded case and the toolkit and special edition Fender strap. Which reminds me... do you get the Musician's Friend catalog, by chance? They are having a great sale on right now. They had some nice Squire Strats listed in there for just a little over $100.00 USD. If you don't get the catalog, check their website. It's been my experience that you can buy a new Squire as cheap as you can find them in the pawn shops or used in music stores, or on eBay, and they are new and under warranty. Cause I had looked for a Squire Strat before I found Miss Faith. Anyway, just a suggestion, there, Bro.
"Well, I was bitten at "that price", even though there were 22 bidders and I was outbid fairly early." I guess you were! That was a good price!
"But I have wanted one for a while, and I'm certainly not getting any younger these days, so I bit at it, hook, line and sinker." Well, good for you! You won't regret it! I love my Miss Lucy so much! She's one of the best - if not THE best playing and sounding guitar I've ever owned or played. And the best part is... you've saved enough on the initial purchase to mod her to our own tastes and preferences as far as electronics and pickups and tuners and such goes. She'll be a one of a kind. That is what I have done with Miss Lucy.
"I decided I would play against the other bidders up to a predetermined price." I've bought some stuff from eBay off and on and I learned real quick that you really have to watch a hot item like that real close there in the last of the auction, then set a limit as to what you can do and stick to it. Cause it does get wild on there sometimes!
"At the last 4 minutes before the bidding was to close, there was a flurry of activity and the price started to climb! I knew what the new price was from Musicians Friend on-line $699.99 (not including case). I set myself a target of $350USD, but in the last two to three minutes that target was surpassed.I ended up paying $455 USD for it, more than half of the on-line music store price, but still a good deal, as I don't have to pay brokerage fees or 14% Cdn/Ont sales tax on it through the vendor." Heck, yeah! You STILL got a deal and a half on it! May I suggest a good case to you? I bought the Epiphone Les Paul Case From Musician's Friend. They are made by TKL - the same people who make Gibson's cases. And mine came with the Epiphone name in large gold script across the side of the case. It's Tolex, and Man, I was surprised at how much padding it had inside it and how plush it was. Plus, it is super priced! Only $59.00 USD. And... it ships to Canada! I have some photos of my case that I'll e-mail to you so you can see how plush and padded it is. When I put Miss Lucy in it, she fits TIGHT, and she will not move. Just like a guitar SHOULD fit in a case.
"While it may sound like a lot, Gibson LP's range from $3000 to as much as $8500 for some of the custom models from what I've seen on-line." Heck yeah! And there's just not that much difference in them. I mean, that is just insaine. I think people who are all up in your face, yapping about how Gibsons are sooooo much superior and are justifying the price difference... welll... I think they are just into the status symbol thing.
"It's being shipped from Alberta Canada, and I should be receiving it by the end of the week. Now that I have IrfanView working for me, I'll send you a pic of it once I get it...and plug it in to try it." Alright! I know you're looking forward to it! I'm looking forward to seeing it too! I'm glad that IrfanView worked for you! Any time you're looking for any kind of software, lemme know. I can most likely find it for you for free.
"I don't name my guitars as a rule, because I view them as an extension of me, but Black Beauty sounds right to me." That's an interesting view. I've always thought of them like individuals, because they are each one different and seem to have their own unique personalities. That's why I name mine. But when I'm playing them, I do become One with them. I absolutely do. So, I see what you are saying. And I like "Black Beauty." That sounds right to me too!
"I don't know what it will sound like, but if the p-ups are not that good, I'll replace them perhaps sometime this year. Right now, I have my hands full with rewiring the Emperors and getting my carvings finished for the August show." They'll probably be decent enough pickups to get you by. They'll be Epiphone's version of the '57 Classics. But you'll definitely find yourself wanting to swap them out. I put a Gibson '57 Classic in the neck position and a Gibson '57 Classic Plus in the bridge position of Miss Lucy. WOW! I got the hottness, the warm vintage tone, and a surprise... those pickups doubled the sustain that guitar had! I was not expecting that! I can't help it. I rave about the Gibson '57 Classic/'57 Classic Plus combo. It's just awesome.
"BTW, I ended up getting CTS pots and vintage external shield screen wiring for Gibsons, from www.GuitarCandy.com." Cool! Now, is that for Black Beauty, or for your other two ladies? Down the road, I'm gonna upgrade the pots and switch in Miss Lucy and rewire her with the vintage wiring, too. Will probably put in the Sprague Orange Drops Caps as well when I do that. Some say it doesn't make any difference, and some say it makes ALL the difference. I've always believed the best quality parts you can put in something, the better off you are, and the better it will work. So, I lean more towards the opinion that it will make a huge difference. We'll see!
Again, congrats on Black Beauty!!! You got a real deal there, Man! I'll be sending you those photos of that case for you to check out! Lotta guys on the forum had bought SKBs and other brands and ended up selling them and buying these TKL Epiphone Cases instead, because they fit so snug and are just better cases, and can't be beat for the price!
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Post by 28v6r on Jul 22, 2007 3:53:33 GMT -5
Awwww... Go on Johnny you know you want to ... you know the extra warmth you get joining us Framptonites.... you can just feel the warmth as you flick the switch over to the middle humbucker....
Now there are two of us on the board... beware, we're ganging up on you Lols! ;D
You know you "Need" that extra power... go on ma man' treat yersel' tae another guitar with three humbuckers....
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Post by norm on Aug 26, 2007 13:14:01 GMT -5
Hey guys I am going to get fatter reading these long posts I have to keep sending out for Pizza and stuff to munch on while I read them , But really good to see this wonderful talk, one day you will have to read one of my epic posts so all will be even.
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