VanKirk

Fear of rejection issues he says!

I don't think I've seen such a landslide win in a long time (if ever).

That's a sweet guitar to be proud of.

Very nice job. You deserve the win.

Can't see the pic.

Try using http://www.photobucket.com

It's a free site. I believe the rules are (if not a tutorial) you can post 1 pic in the thread (but not hot-linked) and the rest should be linked to where you have them hosted such as photobucket.

Sign up there and post those pics! I wanna see 'em!

Try Guitar Reranch.

They have aerosols and a tutorial for sunburst finishing with spray cans.

They have a useful forum as well.

Good luck and post pics when you're done.

also make sure that the string slides easily over the nut.

Excellent point. I forgot to mention that!

The string may be binding up in the nut slot.

Loosen the string and make sure the slot is clean. Some people use pencil lead as a lubricant in the string slots but I use a Graphtech nut so I don't need to.

Sometimes, if the string is cut too short it can't be wrapped around the tuner enough times so it slips slightly after playing. Especially, if you bend strings or use the whammy alot.

Also, new strings tend to stretch and go out of tune easily at first until the strings break in.

Sometimes I'll tune my strings almost a half step high and bend all of them several times to stretch them out quicker when they're new.

Then I'll retune it to standard pitch and bend them all again then retune.

If that still doesn't help you could put a new string on and make sure it wraps enough times around the post so it doesn't slip. I make sure that as the string wraps around the post, it crosses above and below where the string first passes through the tuner hole.

It helps clamp the string in place.

If it were a piano it can be placed in an area that will enhance sympathetic overtones but in a guitar that isn't an issue so I don't think there's an "exact" measurement for one. It's purpose on a guitar is to hold the strings tighter against the nut.

You could look at some pics of Fender Strats on the net to see approximately where one goes and copy that.

You don't want it right against the nut...the string may bind and not stay in tune as well after a string bend...you don't want it so far away that it doesn't help the break angle over the nut.

Another reason I don't like them is that it's one more area that the string can bind up causing the strings to not stay in tune after a bend or using the tremelo.

I don't use one with staggered tuners and top to bottom stringing as I mentioned before so IMO, if you don't have any issues with open G, B or high E strings buzzing then I wouldn't even worry about installing one (or two).

I have a straight, Fender style headstock and I don't use string trees.

Instead, I use staggered Sperzel tuners and when I wind the strings I wind them from the top down.

I have no problems with break angle over the nut and no string buzz.

I didn't want a string tree coverin up the nice birdseye figuring.

Works for me

its actually a really good one, and sure it was serve its purpose for years to come

Yeah!

Just wait till ya get a kinky girlfriend! hehe

this may be a dumb question - but is there any significant difference between stains and dyes (benefits/drawbacks) ? if so what are they?

Thought I'd bump this.

I'm still wondering about the differences myself (if any).

Great info. Thanks!

What part of Washington are you in?

I guess it shouldn't have surprised me but I found that Office Max sells 33yards x 1/2" rolls of the stuff for a decent price.

I'm sure there's other local stores as well but I didn't know that when I ordered my last roll through Stew-Mac and paid for shipping and had to wait.

Since the internet, I havent really had much need for magazines- I also dont think they are as good as when I started buying them (1991 or so).

I agree. I started getting them around '91 as well but now it's very rare that I see one on the shelf that I would buy.

But there's so much information on the 'net now, I didn't see the need to keep subscribing, so none for years now. The internet's enough to keep me busy.

And the boxes and boxes of years' worth of old issues got out of hand too.

Several good sites have taken the place of my mags and yeah...boxes and boxes full of old mags gets to be a pain.

It is fun sometimes to look at them and laugh at the music, clothing and hairstyles of the day though, hehe.

I recently got to play the Vox AD120VT and it was the nicest amp I've heard in a long time but that one is 60w powering two 12" drivers.

I think the Valvetronix amps are deffinately good now that I've test drove one but a 1 hour test drive doesn't tell me how reliable they are.

If you really don't need a practice amp then I'd save your money and get something with more power and features.

I'd love the AD120VT since I already have a tube amp (tweed 2x12" cab Blues Deville and I love it).

Man, that sounds like a commercial, sry

That IS amazing!

I never knew you could use a hotdog like that! Too Cool!

...but is that an Oscar Meyer or Ball Park Frank?

Try here for some pointers on finishing. www.lmii.com

Ahhh....Speedsters are cool and sound awesome. I've met a couple of guys who developed them and saw Cory (1 of the developers) use it live and at a local guitar show as well.

They're just right across the Narrows from Tacoma in Gig Harbor, WA.

Great sound!

...Null vote btw.

Took me 5 -YEARS- to finish that guitar. And probably 7-8 strip-and-refinishes before I finally found a recipe that worked for me. I started that guitar before I really knew what I was doing, and I just wouldn't give up on it until I had figured out a way that worked for me.

That's got to be the luckiest guitar on the planet.

I'm sure it was probably the most nervous one too after witnessing it's share of potential guitars sail into the "wall-of-death" at high velocities becoming a twisted pile of splinters.

I've had issues myself regarding what's a stain and what's a dye.

I've read info that deals with each as separate items as DannoG stated and info that refers to the same item as stain and dye in the same article such as the link to the stew-mac site.

Hard to get the low-down on what's what but my impression is that stains & dyes are two different things and react differently with wood grain but I'm no expert.

I'm anxious to see what the experienced people around here have to say on this topic.

As for the dyes needing several coats to get the desired tint, I've seen people post here (Drak was one if I remember right) that it's usually neccessary to use the highest recommended concentration suggested to achieve the best color.

I agree, that's a fake not a real Bill Lawrence pup. I would buy it directly from Bill's site if you're looking for his tone.

I've read many reviews of dissappointed people who bought a fake thinking it was the real Bill Lawrence pup. I'd stay away from that one, personally.

I was wondering if the wood is fully dried and free of worm holes,knots & pitch pockets?

Maybe something to ask if you haven't seen the wood yourself yet.

For me, I'd be bummed to get alot of wood that I'd have to store (limited on space) for a long period of time before I could use it.

Sounds like a sweet hook-up you got though.

Have you ever heard Satriani's "Cool #9".

He uses a whammy pedal in that. Sounds cool to me.

Just thought I'd throw that in.

Glad to see the admins stayin on top of this.

I'd hate to see this site full of useful info turn into a big advertising forum.

That's a very subjective thing and other people's opinions may not be at all relevant to what's good for you.

Some things that might help yourself to answer that are:

what style of music you want to play, playing technique, what you're looking for in a guitar's sound and playability and how you interpret the sound then go play the guitar and see if it fits these things.

If you've found a guitar that feels and sounds good to you and you can afford it (That's the main one I always struggle with) then it's not a bad first, middle or last guitar.

*Pat on the back* for posting your mistakes. It may help someone else in the future.

On my build I learned that when glueing a figured top onto a body, use screws or dowels in a place that will be routed out later (such as pickups or neck pocket) to hold the top to the body where you want it.

I didn't do that so as I was clamping the top was shifting and sliding all over the place with every clamp I tightened. It stressed me out and I got lucky that the top stayed where I wanted it in the end.