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westhemann

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Everything posted by westhemann

  1. westhemann
    Walnut and mahogany are both good neck woods.Poplar is not.
  2. westhemann
    Bad idea.
  3. westhemann
    Sdshirtman...love that guitar man.You outdid yourself.Win or lose,you should be proud of that work.
  4. westhemann
    Don't use a router bit...bad idea.Sand it or file it,or remove the frets.
  5. westhemann
    I am a guy.All guys love twins.True story. Think of it like a 2 for 1 sale...that is something you should get...women be shoppin'
  6. westhemann
    My Sabre is HSS so position 4 is the two singles,which is a great Pink Floyd/Blues tone
  7. westhemann
    Thanks.I thought about that but every time I do that I never use the split coils. The contours make this one very comfy.
  8. westhemann
    So I have decided I like Spanish Cedar on bodies but not necks.The tone is great,but it is a fragile wood...easy to work on a body but easy to screw up on a neck. The pickups are Tone Zone bridge and Air Classic neck.I have dual 500k pots but I think I may swap the tone pot for a 250k to tone down the highs a bit
  9. westhemann
  10. westhemann
    Okay,the first guitar of this season is the one I left off last season..so it's done and I got to work out my "season starting jitters" on it. So here she is,blemishes and all
  11. westhemann
    Yup.A little TLC can turn a well built guitar into a world class workhorse.The USA Jackson I had I bought for $1000 brand new at GC because the salesman said it was "made wrong" and the action was high even though they set it as low as they could.I held it up and looked under the Floyd and saw one of the black inserts was standing proud of the black surface of the trem cavity...so I bought it,took it home,removed the trem and the offending insert and cleaned the dust out,then added a bit of wood glue around the insert before pushing it back in(the alder had a soft spot there and wasn't gripping the insert hard enough),then reassembled it and had a brand new Soloist for cheap. After I did a setup it turned into a great guitar,which I sold and wish now I still had it.
  12. westhemann
    Where are you going to put the truss rod now? Oops..I just read that part.That is going to really limit your neck profile...
  13. westhemann
    I owned a USA Soloist and a Japanese Soloist at the same time a few years ago...The Japanese one was hands down more well built,but the poplar body was toneless and dead(not Japan's fault,Jackson gave them the specs)...the USA Soloist was a joy to play because it was lighter for some reason(thinner finish maybe?) and the alder body sounded great. USA Jacksons are like stripped down hot rods...all go and very little show...the Japanese ones are beautiful,but not quite as "in your face" to play... The first thing that struck me on playing my Japanese Soloist was how similar it was to a Japan RG.
  14. westhemann
    Unfortunately yes.Almost always fretwork though,which can be remedied.Stay away from the faded and special models. The Gibson example was in my mind the entire time I was posting.But I have never bought or played a "bad" Gibson(Except the faded and special junk)...They just needed a little TLC,which is still bad enough at the prices they ask.
  15. westhemann
    A little tip...the old "try it first" rule only applies any more when talking about cheap ass guitars.Or as much anyway...Matter of fact,that rule is the bane of the internet resale market. That puts you at the mercy of guitar shops you can drive to,and limits your ownership to whatever crap the local guys stock.If you buy a USA Jackson,ESP Japan,or Ibanez Japan (for example),you can feel confident there is an extremely high probability that it will be top quality..and your EQ can dial in a tone that will suit you,and your ears will adapt over time any way. Buying off Ebay can really be a fun sport,and I have bought many guitars at local shops only to find they were not as cool at home.
  16. westhemann
    covers,not rings
  17. westhemann
    No the modern prestige are not as good as the originals.I have played prestige models and My original Japan Saber is hands down better.I just wish it was neck through with a sculpted heel,but even as a square heeled bolt on it is almost perfect.
  18. westhemann
    Great job.Really great job...and that is an understatement. You are my favorite for GOTM right now unless something else blows me away,but win or lose it just doesn't get any better.And that is even with me hating the chrome hardware and metal pup covers.
  19. westhemann
    I use Floyds all the time and I change blocks all the time but I don't know if the schaller blocks fit the floyd or not...I will tell you if you take a Floyd apart put the saddles back on in the correct order,because the middle ones are taller and that is what gives the bridge radius
  20. westhemann
    Gibson.A real one,not the cheap faded crap meant to entice newbs.The Explorers and Vs are some of my favorite guitars,and they come with the best bridge pickups on a production guitar IMO. Most importantly,should you ever need to sell they have the easiest resale on Ebay.You rarely lose more than $200...ever. If they were not an option USA Jacksons are fine guitars..the resale value sucks though. At one time I was also a BC Rich fan,until I played a few.The most awkward guitars on earth except for the Speed V,and I am not impressed with the neck profile at all.
  21. westhemann
    Yeah,that book will get you started right.All of the basics without any of the voodoo that would confuse the beginner.
  22. westhemann
    Denatured alcohol doesn't stain wood,dude. Admittedly,as I said,scrapers are a better solution,but since I use ebony boards on maple necks regularly and I use denatured alcohol to clean everything after sanding,I can tell you without resorting to theory or just making stuff up that it in no way "makes things worse" and actually does a good job cleaning out the ebony dust. Since a picture is worth a thousand words,even if the focus is off.
  23. westhemann
    I need to get back to using my scrapers.I get frustrated with trying to keep them sharp and burred and I ended up putting them aside.Last year I did buy a big pack of Stanley razor blades and used them in tight corners and for some cleanup.They do work very well.There is even a handle you can get to help keep your fingers from getting sore. http://www.amazon.com/Tooluxe-Long-Razor-Blade-Scraper-Ultra-Comfort/dp/B000V666M4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1363524183&sr=8-2&keywords=scraper+handle Scrapers are an excellent suggestion.I am just mad I brain farted and didn't think of it myself
  24. westhemann
    I have been experimenting with my computer desk lately.I made it 960 mm to the top,and that works well for motions like sanding a body or routing while standing straight.For electronics I built a 50mm thick support platform that sits flat on a bench and I put a towel on it and do my electronics.for typing on my computer I spread my legs wide enough(no dirty thoughts!) to bring my elbows to a 90 degree angle..it "shortens" me by about 4 inches(100 or so mm) I need a tall bench to keep my back straight.I also have tall bar stools to sit on if I need that.The only thing left now is to decide where to build the bench and do the work...you know...the hard part
  25. westhemann
    I take denatured alcohol and scrub the crap out of it with a lint free rag...try to keep your wiping strokes parallel to the laminate to keep the crossover to a minimum...It will take a few rags and a little alcohol...once you clean the dust off the oily woods it will start to contaminate less It won't go back to perfectly bright,but it helps a lot.
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