BigWheeledWagon

Thanks for all the kind words. I'm really excited with the final results. Not only does it look great, but it sounds amazing. I don't know if it's the leather pickguard allowing for less dampening than plastic or the tonal quality of the chrome parts or the quality of the tone wood, but when the guitar is played unplugged, it resonates and sustains like a semi-hollowbody. I was really surprised the first time I played it. When plugged in, the new electronics have made a real improvement in the tone (as have the aforementioned increased sustain and resonance). I installed a mid-range boost, a new volume pot that prevents the treble "roll-off," and a "woman tone" capacitor. Also, I shielded the thing very heavily, and there is now zero interference. While I had my tools out, I finally went ahead and updated my American Vintage '52 Telecaster to the modern wiring scheme (unfortunately I had lost the original replacement .022 uf capacitor and had to use a radio shack capacitor of the same value -- sounds fine, though). I really wish I'd ordered more copper shielding, because after playing the tele and my project strat back-to-back, I realize how badly the tele needs shielding.

Anyway, this project has been so much fun, that I'll be moving right on to another. I'll be upgrading my Epiphone Dot and will also be using the spare parts from my strat project to make another (lower-quality) guitar. I've managed to pick up a very cheap Fender Swinger/Arrow-type neck, so I may try to recreate a Fender Swinger to some extent -- it will require some reshaping of the body. Should be fun.

It's finished (well, mostly -- still need to work on the intonation a little, and I will be replacing the neckplate when I finally get my custom engraved one). Here are a few pics:

Oh, and the pickup covers, bridge, etc. are chrome even though they look a little black in the photographs. The knobs are chrome with mother of pearl tops.

In my own personal experience here in Nashville, it was just as hard to get Ryman tickets two years ago as it was this year. In fact, I did a little better this time around. Same with Jeff solo -- tickets did not last long at all. Maybe Wilco is just more popular here, or perhaps it's the size of the venues Wilco/Jeff has played here (and it does seem that generally shows at the Ryman for most any band tend to go pretty quickly).

This is good news indeed so long as it doesn't affect the Ryman show the following night.

It would have been funny a few weeks back when there were somewhat similar threads going, but only if ction had started it.

Yeah, I think the "How can I join Wilco?" thread pretty much made this same point beautifully. In all fairness, though, I do recall seeing another how to find the loft thread this week (in fact, it's on page 3 and going strong now), so maybe it was in order. I say we defer to ction's judgement on this issue.

So, I've recently gotten a Jazzmaster (as I mentioned in a couple threads). I have a tremolo arm problem. The tremolo works just fine, but I feel like the angle of the actual arm should be greater. I only have about 1.5" of distance between the tip of the arm and the body. This really limits the amount of "tremolo-ness" I can perform. In looking at other examples -- Nels Cline, etc. -- it seems like their tremolo arms stick up higher or have a greater angle, allowing for the arm to travel toward the body further. Any help would be appreciated.

Since Jazzmasters are notorious for problems such as these, I wouldn't be surprised if someone out there is selling custom trem arms to remedy this issue. There's a pretty solid market of Jazzmaster custom stuff.

I think one option for you would be to try bending your current arm out away from the body using clamps, if possible.

I love this album, but it is also the only album where I almost feel guilty listening to it. It feels like spying on someone's dreams or something. It's just so emotionally open and uses a language that seems to take more from the subconscious than the conscious. Beautiful, depressing, amazing . . .

As I'm approaching the end of my strat reconstruction project, I find myself with quite a few left-over parts (body, bridge, knobs, a switch, pickguard, neckplate, tremolo cover, etc.). So, I've decided to take the parts I have left over from my old strat when I finish rebuilding it and using them to construct a second guitar just for fun and practice. I've already managed to grab a functional neck -- it looks like a neck from a Fender Swinger/Arrow/Musiclander, but it appears to be from a Starcaster (not Fender's attempt at a semi-hollowbody, but the cheapo "Starcaster by Fender" that Fender used to sell at big box stores and which was basically a super-bargain strat priced even lower than Squires). Anyway, though cheap, the neck appears to be usable, and since I got it practically free, I'm willing to try some work on it myself (as I noted, good practice) if it proves to be a problem.

So, now I basically just need an input jack and, most importantly, pickups. In the spirit of this little project, I'm looking to go cheap in this regard as well. GuitarFetish.com has some seriously low-priced pickups. Has anyone here had any experience with GFS pickups? The reviews on Harmony Central are actually pretty impressive. Also, if anyone else knows of any other bargain pickups that sound okay, let me know. Like I said, I'm not trying to build the world's best sounding guitar here. I'm just practicing (I'm even going to refinish this one myself), and may even try some things I wouldn't otherwise since I don't care if this turns out great or not -- like reshaping the body some (maybe even to give the look of a Swinger to match the neck).

Just an observation: One of the "rescuers," the physicist, was named Daniel Faraday. Michael Faraday was a physicist/chemist who first discovered electromagnetic induction. The hatch, of course, was a giant electromagnet of sorts, and several characters have mentioned strange magnetic fields, etc. on the island. Michael Faraday also hypothesized that magnetism can effect light. Daniel Faraday mentioned that light on the island seemed different. Michael Faraday was also involved in the creation of one of the first transcontinental underwater cables (used at the time for telegraph transmissions). Last season revealed that there was (at least at one time) an underwater cable connecting the island to the outside world. I just love these little "coincidences" on the show. Even if they don't mean anything in relation to solving any of the central mysteries or explaining the show's mythology, they are still interesting.

"In a Future Age." The producers must love Wilco.

I think Tweedy still sees O'Rourke as a part of Wilco. For example, while his mix was dropped in favor Jim Scott's mix, I believed he did write the violin parts in "Either Way," and "On and On and On" and he is listed as playing on some of the tracks on their latest release (however, some of his parts are rather small).

 

Moreover, I remember reading in Pitchfork in an interview with Tweedy that:

 

"Pitchfork: To what degree is Jim O'Rourke still involved with the band?

 

Jeff Tweedy: Well, I think as much as he ever has been. The contributions to this record aren't as much as the last two but I still feel like Jim's probably my best friend in the world and musical hero and just someone I feel really close to in terms of musical collaboration. He lives in Tokyo. We got together for some work on this record and we didn't have as much time to work on the whole project as we have in the past. I guess this relationship is pretty much the same it's just not the same output.

 

Pitchfork: So he's kind of a consultant, maybe?

 

Jeff Tweedy: I'm most comfortable with called him my friend, you know? He's a friend with Glenn [Kotche]-- obviously we have Loose Fur together. He's a good friend to everybody in the band. He's a very loyal friend and supporter and on top of all of that he's a bona fide musical genius, so he's a good guy to hang out with if you want to learn stuff about music."

 

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feat...interview-wilco

Oddly enough, it's that very interview that gave me the impression that O'Rourke's having much of a future role in Wilco was unlikely. Jim was all over A Ghost is Born but barely contributed since. Jeff's characterization of O'Rourke as his "friend" and "supporter" suggested to me that his role was no longer that of a collaborator, even though Jeff felt very close to him as such. Jeff mentioned viewing him as a mentor. It seems that Jeff has always had someone around that serves as sort of a mentor/collaborator until that particular phase runs its course, and I think O'Rourke's phase has done just that. I'm glad to see, though, that the friendship remains strong, unlike with either of the Jays. Thus, same relationship, but not the same output.

I am finding that BORN AGAIN IN THE USA stays in heavy rotation for me.

 

I really like the dynamics of the O'Rourke/Tweedy collaboration. I wish there could be some sort of accomodation where O'Rourke could become a de facto member of Wilco.

 

I have a feeling that Nels may not be a permanent addition to Wilco. If/when he leaves, my excitement would be renewed with an addition of O'Rourke.

You know, my initial impression when Nels joined up was that he would certainly be a temporary member, especially given his own statements on his website, which indicated that he considered himself a bit of hired gun. Also, it seemed that he was such a strong musical personality that he would need to have serious input in the direction of the band, but Glenn seemed to have taken over Jay's old role as Jeff's main musical partner. After seeing how the band has developed since then, though, I really get the feeling that Nels has become an integral part of the band and that Jeff is willing to let Nels help shape the direction of the band. Nels still has his own projects, and I think they will probably give him enough of a chance to exercise the interests he has that don't fit into Wilco. Then again, it's never safe to bet on anyone's longterm prospects in the revolving door that has been Wilco's lineup (which makes John's tenure all the more impressive).

As for O'Rourke, I thought that he had decided to withdraw from music to some degree. I realize that this doesn't preclude future collaborations with Wilco, but it seems a little unlikely. As much as I appreciate Jim's contributions to Wilco, I get the feeling that his musical relationship with Jeff may have run its course -- I don't see Jeff attempting to revisit or revive past phases of Wilco's sound. Didn't O'Rourke take a shot at mixing Sky Blue Sky that the band rejected? Also, I don't know that Nels leaving the band would be a prerequisite to O'Rourke's further involvement.

I'd actually be more interested in hearing Nels contribute to any future Loose Fur projects should they ever take place.

so for 240 bucks, there is the 30w amp that i have ran into in a flyer, ive read a bit online, can anyone explain how this is different than a tube amp, Im dont have much knowledge of the difference between tube amps and solid state, all I know is that ive played a few of my friends tube amps and they dominate my amp

There is a huge difference in the tones produced by a tube amp and a sold state amp. For most purposes, vacuum tubes are a dead technology, but for guitar amplification, nothing has improved upon the good old fashioned tube (in my humble opinion). Transistors are more efficient from an electrical standpoint, and they don't heat up the way tubes do, but they lack the "warmth" of tube technology. Solid state technology provides a very clean sound, if this is what you want. They don't really do much to the sound of your guitar other than amplify the signal, but this can sound "cold" to some (like me). Tube amps impart that little something extra to your sound, which most refer to as warmth. The sound produced is probably not as technically accurate a reproduction of the sound coming off your strings as that produced transistors, but it's certainly more colorful.

The debate over tube vs. solid state plays out a lot like the debate over analog vs. digital or LP vs. CD. Strangely enough, I'm not one of those who has a turntable and thinks the CD/digital music has destroyed music. I don't particularly miss the hiss and crackle of a record player, and I like the cleanness of digital. With amp tubes, though, it's not so much about trying to get a clean and accurate reproduction of the signal coming from your strings and passing through the pickups -- the tubes are really part of the instrument. They add color, body, and again, warmth (I just find that word the best way to describe tube sound, but they can also impart depth and tonal complexity).

When I first started playing guitar (1991 or so -- wow), I pretty much tried to get the loudest amp I could for the money, so my first few amps were solid state (I wasn't even old enough to drive, so we can cut the young me some slack on this point). For years, I never understood why, despite trying numerous different pedals and guitars, I could never get the guitar sound that my favorite guitar players had. When I finally got a little money, I bought my first tube amp. I was astounded at the difference. I expected it to be a subtle difference -- it wasn't. It was a huge difference. I could never go back to solid state. I started to say that it would be like going back to a normal television after having HD for a while, but that's not it. It would be like going back to black and white 13 inch TV with no cable input after having a 52 inch plasma.

Oh, and tubes distort rather easily (or at least at lower levels than transistors) -- which is one of the reasons they largely fell out of favor in other areas of use (the other reasons being power consumption, size, and heat). In the area of guitar amplification, though, this is a major plus.

I just got a shipping notification from Warmoth for the guitar body. It should be here in about a week. The only problem now is that my stepmother got the pickguard for me for Christmas, and it is still on backorder, though it is supposed to ship on Friday. If it doesn't ship, she's going to order from a site that actually has the pickguard in stock and can ship immediately. The engraved neckplate still hasn't arrived yet after the previous debacle where they shipped it to the wrong address but I can make do with the original (oh, and another company I ordered a custom trem bar -- chrome tip as opposed to the normal white -- from shipped the wrong kind, but I have one that will work in the meantime). Anyway, if all goes well, I should have pictures in a matter of weeks!

I used to think that whitey was inherently evil. Now I believe that although that may be true in general, it is not necessarily true in every case.

That's because the man has finally gotten to you.

Yeah, the news-folks around here deserve a lot of credit with really doing a good job letting people know the exact track of the storm. It was astonishing to see how specific they were forecasting the areas -- had they not specified that the storm was heading right for West Meade, I don't know that we would have taken shelter, but when you see a radar map with the street names around you and a big black radar splotch heading your way, it's pretty hard to ignore it.

So, with all the various guitar restoration projects going on around here, there has been a great deal of talk about replacing tuners. People have expressed preferences for various styles, etc., but so far I've opted to stick with the stock tuners that came with the guitar/neck. Here's my question: do they really make that much of difference or are they really just a matter of aesthetics? I'd love to hear some thoughts about the various advantages of different tuners.

We were at out neighbor's house watching Tennessee beat Florida at hoops and had to head down into their crawlspace for a while. I've never seen the color black on the radar before, so when it showed a black streak heading straight at our neighborhood and the sirens went off, it was pretty freaky. When we got home later in the evening, a section of our fence had blown over. We had another tornado warning around 1 a.m., and it rained so hard that water got into out crawlspace and shut off our water heater. The roof, which we are having replaced in 2 weeks, was unharmed, so we will still be paying for the new roof (not our insurance company). Still, a day without hot water and a partially unfenced back yard is a lot better than some of the alternatives. Some of my coworkers still haven't found out if relatives are okay.

My buddy took some pictures looking out from the garage (yes, the two of us were dumb enough to leave the womenfolk in the crawlspace and venture out). I'll post them if he remembers to send them my way. As creepy as the black mark on the radar was, it was creepier seeing it in real life.

In my last post, I went over all the logical reasons to go through with the trade, and it sounds like you have certainly considered all of these reasons and more before starting the thread. Still, you are hesitant to pull the trigger. Your brain is telling you to get the Jazzmaster, but your heart can't seem to let go of the Jumbo. I've got to change my recommendation on this one -- stick with the Jumbo. It sounds like you have a guitar you absolutely love. It doesn't matter if it's a Mexican-made Strat; if you love the guitar and it feels right, nothing else can replace it. Sure, there will probably be days when you wish you had the Jazzmaster, but it sounds like you'd really miss the Jumbo. Even though the Jazzmaster is rarer, based on your previous posts, it sounds like another Jumbo could never replace the one you have now. Maybe one day you'll run across another Jazzmaster when you're able to acquire it without giving up your Jumbo.

From what information I can find, a '77 Jazzmaster (year of my birth as well) is worth b/w $2,200 and $2, 300 -- of course, there are a lot of variables, and custom finishes would raise the value even more . A new basic Advanced Jumbo goes for $2,000, and you paid less than that. As noted before, a new Jumbo would be pretty easy to come by. Vintage Jazzmasters -- well, not so much. You noted that the Jazzmaster is your favorite electric guitar out there, and you can get it in a straight-up trade for a less valuable guitar that can easily be replaced. As great a guitar as the Jumbo is, I'm not sure this is even a close call.

The bigsby you are looking for is a b-7. It will need two small holes in the top, and four around your strap pin. This will cause no problem on a 335. It will leave behind the two holes that your stopbar is currently mounted from. You can buy some pearl dots from stew-mac that will cover it, or on ebay there is a guy that sells a "custom made" cover that is cool. On the original 335's in the fifties, they would use the "custom made" thing most of the time.

 

I absolutely love duncan antiquity humbuckers. But it depends on what you play. I am into strictly old stuff or new stuff that sounds like old stuff, so they are great for me. I like that thy have no wax potting, as it makes it feel more alive. They will also squal uncontrollably if you use heavy distortion, I just use a fender tweed deluxe cranked all the way and it works beautifuly. The duncan seth lovers are similar, but wax potted and a bit "newer" sounding, 59's are more versatile, and the JB's are rock pickups.

 

I highly recommend electronics from www.rsguitarworks.net (it makes a HUGE difference.) The Jensen capacitor sounds the fattest wah sound you will ever hear when you roll it back.

 

You need new tuners (unless yours already has grovers) or if you dont like grovers you can buy a conversion bushing (stew mac) and then you can use the vintage style kluson's.

 

For an epiphone, I would highly recommend a pro setup, bone nut, and possibly a fret dressing (it may or may not need it). Epi skips on the setup, and it will make your guitar play like a much nicer one, and after you fix the electronics, it will be a much nicer one.

Thanks for the advice. I will look up the custom cover on ebay, and I was really considering the antiquity pickups, so you just may have swayed me on that decision. It will probably be a while before I get around to this project (at least until I finish the current one), but I will be able to take my time and look for deals that pop up. For now, the Dot is an okay guitar -- Epiphone did indeed skimp on the setup, but I did a pretty thorough set up after I got it. The frets are actually in good shape, but I will probably need to get a new nut. I'll check out the site you recommended for electronics. I got the electronics for my current strat project from Torres, but since I'm still waiting for the body, I haven't intalled them yet, so I can't speak to their quality.

Anyway, thanks again for the thoughtful response.

That looks great. I think I will take you up on that vibrola if I ever get around to doing this.

 

PS: After looking at this thread and others, I really want to overhaul my SG. It's an Epi one of those cheapy G-400 something or other. I'm thinking that Vibrola with a new bridge, and new pickups. Plus the electronics are pretty crappy so I guess I should fix that. I have little to no experience working on guitars IE: the most hardcore thing I've done is change the bridge on my Jaguar. Is it difficult to change out the electronics?

Not as difficult as you might think. For your first time, I would recommend practicing soldering some before jumping in there, but you don't really need any past experience in electronics. As you can see from all the posting from a.miller and me, building/customizing your guitar is a lot of fun and strangely addictive. It's a great feeling to have a guitar that is unlike any other and is perfectly suited to your taste.

I know that putting tremolo on a hollowbody is a good way to crack your guitar. Is there any danger of a bigsby cracking the top of the semi-hollow Dot, or will the placement over the solid center of the guitar take care of that risk?

A bigsby would be pretty cool. Nice call. I just may try that.

Either of those ridiculous ideas could get you shot where i live...

 

 

 

 

j

I lived in Memphis for four years, and in all fairness, it doesn't take much to get you shot there.

Seriously, though, I will not be dealing with these folks again once my order is completed. I would have tried to just cancel the order, but I am truly terrified to think about how much they could screw up trying to refund the money into my paypal account.