marksound

Clapton runs hot amps and quiet pickups. The MDX system helps contour the signal and provides a nice boost for solos, but the amps are running pretty flat out at 7-9, too. The guitar master volume is set to 1-3.

You can get the same effect with a decent OD pedal, keeping the guitar volume rolled back until solo time. You'll have to experiment a bit to get a nice balance between the rhythm and lead, but it's doable. With the MDX you have to turn a knob anyway ...

Lace Sensors are nice pickups, but they're not vintage Clapton. They're more "Forever Man" than "Layla". He doesn't even use 'em anymore. Any quality single-coil pickup or noiseless pickup will work fine, though.

That's a great way to describe the difference. Good job.

Unless you're having problems breaking strings, I'd stay away from GraphTech unless you just want to kill your tone, too. They take away that nice Stratty, bell-like chime.

+1. Use real bent steel saddles to get that vintage tone. A genuine bone nut will help too.

One more thing: Clapton uses the middle pickup a lot.

(pmarlin, with regards to "you still seem to think its one peice, how the hell did it fit thru that little hole": the knob and pot were one piece, not the guitar and the knob. I understand why this would be confusing, or seem relatively impossible, but I assure you, it was. I also recognize that this was most likely not a factory setup.)

Just a suggestion for future reference: When something is so out of the ordinary that someone with your years of experience has to go to an internet forum for help, please provide pictures. It will help us help you.

In my opinion, sawing the neck off of a 25 year old guitar that has some future vintage potential is not a very good idea. Early 80s Artists in good condition are currently selling for around their original sticker price. As more and more Gibsons and Fenders become priced out of reach, the average buyer will look to other brands for vintage appeal and affordability. If you don't like playing it, put it back in the case and build (or buy) something else.

Just my opinion.

I'm behind Perry 100% on this one. It's way too easy these days to fake a vintage piece, and we shouldn't go anywhere near putting up the appearance of approval.

The skyrocketing vintage guitar market has created a flood of fakes and forgeries, especially on ebay. A lot of people can spot a fake a mile away, but many many more couldn't tell a bogus "vintage" guitar if you beat them over the head with it.

This has been discussed many times before.

Looks ok to me.

I've been doing some refinishing/ routing work for some friends of mine, and I was recently given a BC Rich Bronze Series Warlock to refinish. It took some time for me to actually get around to starting it, and I assumed it would be quick, given all of the flat surfaces.

However, after removing everything I realized that the Volume and Tone knobs were one piece with the pots on the inside. They don't screw off, they are actually one solid piece.

I was wondering if any of you folks have any experience with these 'guitars' or could lend me some info. on how to remove the pots without damaging them.

Thanks a lot.

What you do is, you get yourself a beaver and turn that little sucker loose. When he finds the guitar he will chew that bad boy up and when he's done, there you are.

There's a topic on another forum almost exactly like this, except it's a 67 Tele. The advice given there was to check out USACG, especially the Web Specials page. Those are apparently very close to vintage Fender (which I understand varied from year to year, and even body to body). There are some premade bodies there, but if you contact Tommy he will make whatever it is you need. You'll probably save money too.

4 mils = .004" (or .1016 mm) which is thinner than a piece of paper the high e string is approx .10 (25 times thicker than 4 mils )

I don't know about anyone else, but my high E is .010". Just sayin'.

Jehle built a purple guitar a while back. Check out the color. Oddboy

I will counter your difference of opinion with another difference of opinion! Bondo should not be sanded before fully curing, it will just gum up sandpaper. However, if you have a tough time with putting the bondo down so that it's almost perfectly in its final form when applied, then use a surform(you know, the over priced cheese graters at the hardware store) to remove the excess. I've put enough bondo down to know better than to use sandpaper on it too early.

I will revise my difference of opinion to concur and align with your difference of opinion. What I intended to say was that the Bondo should be shaped (such as with a surform) before fully cured. However, my revision and subsequent concurrence and alignment does not include the last statement regarding following the manufacturer's instructions.

Man.

That looks fine, just do a few test runs with bondo first to get a feel for the right ratio. If i doesn't fully cure, this will happen again to a lesser extent.

Can't recommend any books though as I learned about finishing by reading up whatever I could find on line and through trial and error.

Oh, and while bondo says it's dry in half an hour, give it about a day to fully cure before sanding.

Good luck

peace,

russ

Difference of opinion here. In my experience (and from watching and talking to panel beaters for years), Bondo should be sanded before it completely hardens. It's designed to be worked to its final shape while it's still relatively soft. Fully cured it's hard as a rock. Follow the directions on the can and you're fine.

Try Lee Valley or LMI.

Why do you need 39 frets?

Maybe he's into Alfred Hitchcock?

Does anyone know of a really good after market pickup that compares to those of a good name brand pickup. It seems to me that pickups are really expensive,isn't their any overseas company with lower over head lower labour rates that could pump out a pickup with the same quality? It seems a lot of pickups are over price simply because of their names .Thanks

Check out Tonerider pickups. One of the members here (rjhalsey) is a dealer. He'll treat you right.

It will work, but it will spread the spacing 1/16" over the scale length. May or may not be noticeable.

For a drop in replacement, you can use a Squier (cast saddles) or MIM Strat (stamped saddles) unit. The spacing may not be exactly 2 1/16", but it's closer than 2 1/8". If you want to upgrade, Callaham makes a block and saddles for the MIM base plate.

I put a guitar together from 112 & various other parts for my nephew a few years ago before I really knew much about what I was doing. It turned out great, and he played the hell out of it. Good luck.

Whoah, I didn't know Doyle Bramhall II was touring with EC. Cool. He's a heckuva guitarist and a passable vocalist, too.

I had a friend that played right-strung guitars left-handed. Some of the voicings were different, and the strum patterns as well. It gave his playing a unique sound. He emulated "righty" rhythm-- stroking up on the 1 and down on the 2, but it still made for a different sound.

Greg

DB2 has been touring with Clapton for a few years now. Did you know that Derek Trucks was also on this tour (most of it anyway)? Hoo boy, that was a show. It was almost like a Derek and the Dominos reunion.

Let's see now, $500 deposit ...

Yup, that's officially 1,487,532 items on my list of things I can't afford.

I have a solid body blank, alder, 1.75", that I want to chamber and finish with a flame maple top. How do you experienced chaps like to hollow out such a piece? Routers? Forstner bits? Combination of both?

I did a search and came up dry, but know you folks have some preferred methods!

What?

Not only in Texas, my friend ...

Hyunsu, glad to see you here again. I hope your daughter and the rest of your family is well. We've missed your guitars.

It may sound strange, but I've always felt your posts had a calming effect on me. Almost like reading a haiku with a waterfall in the background.

You're a very talented builder and we need your influence here. Welcome back.

Smokin'! I can only echo the compliments already given here. Great work!

A pair of questions:

1. Why are the pickups so deep into the mounting rings? Or is it that the pickups are the right height and the mounting rings need to be "lowered" (sandpaper, a flat surface, and a scraper to touch up the "wooly" edges left by sanding will do it)?

2. Was it a conscious choice to wrap the strings around the tailpiece? I know Zakk Wylde does that, but I've always thought that the wear and tear on the tailpiece doesn't justify any perceived differences in tone or appearance. That's just me, though.

Greg

Psssst ... this thread is 2 1/2 years old ...

I voted for Verhoeven's bass. Don't know why, really. I'd rather have seen a warmer finish, like Tru Oil maybe, but still. I like it.

Also, Ferris Bueller is popular, MIM Strat body wood is poplar.

You owe me a new keyboard, I just spit my drink all over it. :D

He wrote that over a year ago. Possum hasn't been around in quite a while.

Mother of Toilet (Seat) vs. Mother of Pearl.

MOT is called MOTO by Fender; also known as Mother of Luncheonette. The first time I saw the reference was in Guitar Player magazine in the 80s in the column Cheap Thrills and Pawnshop Prizes by Teisco Del Rey.