exhaust_49

Right now I have 12's on my acoustic. I plan to try 13-56 strings the next time I change my strings. What is the best way to widen my nut slots (without taking the guitar to a tech) while keeping a smooth arch?

I've been extremly happy with my warmoth replacment neck. I haven't tried the others.

I will be building an Sg. I need to know how thick Gibson Sg's are.

Thanks

I don't play bass, but someday hope to. I rather have a 4 string bass than a 5 string+ because I would be playing classic rock/blues/jazz and I simply don't need the 5th string. I also think a 4 string bass looks much better than a 5 string. I think the 5,6,7,8 string basses look too busy and the extra strings are overkill. The only bands using them are hard rock and metal bands, and the odd jazz band.

All personal opinion without knowing a thing of what you're talking about.

You cannot judge that of which you do not play, simple as that.

Yea, and I forgot to mention that the realm of 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 string basses is that of musical genres such as jazz, funk, etc. You RARELY see anything above a 5-string in rock and metal bands.

True, right now I know nothing about bass so I'll take that comment back. Also at first I think a four string would be easier for me to learn that say an 8 string.

It is really a question of if you think you'll want that extra string. While you get more range, you've got to change/buy an extra string (like Primal said).

Not really a case of what is better (plenty of pros use 4-strings), just a case of personal needs/desires.

CMA

I don't play bass, but someday hope to. I rather have a 4 string bass than a 5 string+ because I would be playing classic rock/blues/jazz and I simply don't need the 5th string. I also think a 4 string bass looks much better than a 5 string. I think the 5,6,7,8 string basses look too busy and the extra strings are overkill. The only bands using them are hard rock and metal bands, and the odd jazz band.

My son has a Epiphone Les Paul Ultra and I was wondering if anyone has any tips on restringing I understand it's not as simple as a standard guitar.

Thanks in advance.

It would be best for you to take the guitar (and your son so he can learn) to a guitar shop and ask if you can watch a guitar tech re-string your guitar. Have the tech explain what he is doing. Once you get the hang of it, it's no big deal.

I was thinking of using inserts in the guitar I am building. I thought about it and I figured I'm making this guitar for maxium vibration transfer. Why add another step to transfer vibration (insert to screw) when there is play in all screws. I also never really remove my neck, at least not enough to wear out the threads. I would only really use inserts if I was flying with the guitar constantly and needed to take the neck off. It makes sence if your doing that.

I much perfer the smooth sound of rosewood. Ebony has too sharp of an attack.

About using unorthodox woods for backs and sides:

Bob Taylor made a guitar some 10 years ago from woods he found in the dumpster behind the factory. He used heavily soaked oak for backs and sides and some other junk wood (don’t remember what right now) for the top. He even filled the nail holes with aluminium to show everybody that it was really made out of junk. Taylor guitars is currently building a tribute model:

http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/models/pallet.html

This was all done to show that expansive tonewoods cannot make up for the lack of good craftsmanship and good construction.

The classical guitar “guru” Torres ones made a guitar with backs and sides out of papier mashé (glued up old paper) and it was reported to sound OK. He did it to prove that the most important part of the sound box is the top.

What I’m trying to say is: Go for it. You might find something new and interesting and you will for sure learn something along the road.

If Bob Taylor is really using pallet wood for this model, I wonder what he is selling this model guitar for. He must be making a fortune on this model by not having to spend money on AAAAA quality wood.

I play with a dead straight truss and raise the action. No buzzes and I like how it works my fingers. Raising the bridge also makes the guitar sound better.

All you need to cut out the covers is a coping saw and wood of the propper thickness. Hell, you could even just get the plastic covers and glue on some veneer. If anyone sells them, they probably do so at an outrageous price. You'd be much better off just whipping some up yourself.

Problem is that I don't have the tools. This is also my first build and would really like to get some nice wood covers.

I am building an lp from warmoth and would like to know if someone has a source for wood (probably flame maple) control cavity and switch cavity covers? I hate the look of plastic and would love some wood covers.

I am making a copy of a 54' oxblood and am using the pigtail 50's tailpiece replica. http://www.pigtailmusic.com/Products.php#50sTailPiece

Should I angle the bridge as I would for a t.o.m. using the measurments on the stewmac fret calculator or is there a better way?

1-B

2-B

3-F

4-B

5. I would like guitar makers to stop cutting corners. I think guitar companys need much better quality control (no names mentioned). Also when buying a guitar, I want to pay for the guitar and not the name on the headstock.

17-56? Good luck bending thoes strings.

I had some extra time on my hands today so I tried to innotate my strat like a stoptail. Low and high E's bang on and using a ruler to line the two e's up, set the rest of the saddles to the ruler. Sure you can here the strings being out of tune a bit (its liveable) but overall I like it a lot better than setting my innotation perfectly. I think Im gonna flatten the two e's a bit though so the difference in tuning is not so evident. Now I'm set for sure on the wraptail!

....

The fact that with the tune o matic you can get your innotation bang on and that your innotation is slightly off with the wraparound makes a difference too. The tune o matic sounds a little sterile and for some reason having the innotation slightly off with the wraparound gives the guitar more character, it sounds fuller.

...

And if anyone in intrested I recieved Dan's answer. On a guitar with a true 24.750" scale, place the treble post 24.811" (+/- .030") from the nut and place your bass post 1/16" - 1/8" further back.

Seriously, could you please explain to me why having a bridge thats intonation is slightly off gives your guitar more character, and makes it sound fuller?

Not to be critical, but if you'd have went to the Fret Calculator link I gave in my first post and entered the numbers you'd have found the answer to your bridge placement yourself.

Only thing worse is breaking a string while you're on stage and playing your guitar with the floating trem...

I did that with my strat...couldn't believe it!

I'd never had a strat before, so I didn't know what breaking a string means --on my other guitars, I break a string, the other strings stay reasonably in tune.

Well, after that one I blocked the trem and replaced the saddles with string savers. Although blocking the trem doesn't really help, breaking a string still knocks the whole guitar out of tune. Thanks, Leo!

Mick, how did you block the trem? If it's done correctly you won't go out of tune when you break a string.

Having the innotation bang on perfect can make a guitar sound sterile compared to a wraparound, not quite sure why though. It could be that the tune o matic just makes the tone of the guitar more metalic sounding.

I don't know about your tequinech but I haven't broken a string on either of my guitars in over 5 years. You could be just playing your electrics like there acoustics. That was my problem too till I learned to reconize that they there two different beast that must be played differently.

Also what gauge strings do you use? I play 12's on my acoustic and 9.5's on my electric. Maby you should go up a gauge?

Mickguard,

I wanted to use the 50's wraparound for 4 reasons. I find that the tuno o matic sucks a lot of tone due to the added weight and the fact that all of the strings vibrations are not as concentrated to one spot (tune o matic - 4 posts to distritbute the vibrations vs. 2 with the wraparound - do the math)

I was also comparing the tone of a tune o matic to a 54' oxblood (with wraparound) and the wraparound had a much more woody sounding tone, the tune o matic sounded kinda sterile in comparison. Go to www.gibson.com and you'll see what I mean.

The fact that with the tune o matic you can get your innotation bang on and that your innotation is slightly off with the wraparound makes a difference too. The tune o matic sounds a little sterile and for some reason having the innotation slightly off with the wraparound gives the guitar more character, it sounds fuller.

One other reason I like the wraparound is that it is so simple. Think about it, what can go wrong with the wraparound? At worst you'll strip the innotation adjustment on either post. With the tune o matic you can have buzzing saddles, not enough room to perfectly innotate, striped screws (6 of em') not to mention since there are so many parts that can move, you also loose small amounts of vibrational energy due to pieces buzzing and moving around. You can take full advantage of the resonant properties using one solid bar of metal.

And if anyone in intrested I recieved Dan's answer. On a guitar with a true 24.750" scale, place the treble post 24.811" (+/- .030") from the nut and place your bass post 1/16" - 1/8" further back.

Im arleady on that forum but the replys are so slow (I just got a reply from one question I posted last Wed). I've already emailed Dan and I'm waiting for a reply (honestly I would trust Dan's answer to be the correct answer).

Sorry to tell you guys. I know it's an old design and I know it's been copyed to death but there's just nothing like the les paul single cut shape.

I emailed pigtail about it but they were not much help, told me to contact Dan Erlewine

I emailed Dan Erlewine with this question and I'll go with what he says (him being the guitar tech all guitar tech's look up to!)

No I'm talking about Pigtails 50 replica bridge http://www.pigtailmusic.com/Products.php .Its solid so I wanted to get it just right.

thanks raf