mikhailgtrski

I always just mixed up the color pigment and added it to my nitro clear to shoot the color coats...Never had any problems? Or maybe I am misunderstanding the question.

I was wondering if it was available premixed in a rattlecan ala ReRanch. But sure, I could mix my own if I had the formula.

Forgot I have the StewMac book... I'll check to see if it has a recipe for Polar White.

Anyone have a source for Polar White (or something close) nitro lacquer? Fender Olympic White is available, but I don't know if it's a close match.

I might be refinishing an SG in white under a nitro clear coat... thanks for any tips!

And even though you're willing to lug all that stuff around, how many venues do you play where you can actually push those power tubes? If you're playing a typical club, are you really pushing those tubes to the point of power tube breakup?

Actually, yes I am! Even if they're not breaking up, the tubes still contribute a certain roundness and warmth to the tone.

I'll often use an attenuator (Ultimate Attenuator) to keep the volume down and still warm up those output tubes. Sometimes I'll use a clean boost/overdrive to push the front end instead, but it's not quite the same as winding up the master volume.

I used to use a preamp - f/x - cabinet simulator rig. It sounded good to me at the time, but it doesn't hold a candle to a real old-school amp/cab rig.

It's a bit of a load carrying two halfstacks, but that's why they invented hand trucks. It's really not much more than I carried before, with a large f/x + power amp rack, 2x12 cab and MIDI controller pedal.

But whatever works for you! YMMV.

Nice! But where are the power tubes?

I had a G-System for a few months - great f/x. I did notice that plugging into the input thinned out the tone a little. Sounded better when I bypassed the A/D converter by plugging into one of the stompbox loops. I sold it to finance another HIWATT head...

I did end up buying the TC Nova delay and modulation stompboxes to feed the ((stereo)) half stacks.

Regular 16 - 14 ga. lamp/zip cord works fine, although I found a roll of Monster speaker cable (fancy zip cord ) at Home Depot that was fairly inexpensive and works well.

As others mentioned, don't use guitar cable.

8. Apply amber dye

9. Apply black dye

10. Let dry, then sand down so that only the flame remains

11. Apply amber dye over maple

12. Apply red from outside towards center

13. Apply black in a similar fashion

I would be careful (experiment on scrap first) using black with amber - you can easily end up with a funky greenish tinge. Very dark tobacco brown might be a better choice.

Power supply caps usually have a bleed resistor on them so they will discharge within a few seconds of turning off the amp. With it unplugged you will not be at risk for AC voltage shock.

Usually, but definitely not always!

Be careful - it's best to check the caps with a voltmeter to make sure they have fully discharged before you start poking around, even if they have bleed resistors installed. I've watched mine drain on a voltmeter, and it takes more than a -few- seconds to get to zero volts.

they have kits? what kind of kits? to google im off to!

Metroamp

Vintage Hiwatt Restorations

WeberVST

Torres Engineering

Ceriatone

Mojo Musical Supply

If they're just like the Gotoh 0648 they aren't locking AFAIK. String them up just like "standard" tuners, except poke the end of the string down the hole and wind 'er up. About 3-4 wraps should be plenty, methinks.

Like these?

gotoh vintage locking tuners

For the wet/dry rig I'm using the HIWATT halfstack for the dry tone, and a line out from the speaker attenuator into the insert return on the G-System, which feeds a solid-state power amp powering the "wet" stereo 2x12 cab.

It's different than a parallel f/x loop because it's completely post-amp. My experience tells me that digital time-based f/x usually don't do so well ahead of the power section of a tube amp (as in an f/x loop), especially if you crank it up to get the output tubes really warm and happy.

Depending on how hard you run the V3 you might get decent results running your f/x (set to 100% wet) in the parallel loop. At least that way you're not running your entire signal through digital processors. But if the output tubes are pushed into distortion you'll probably get distorted/compressed delays and reverbs.

The 'Tone Sucking' sort of depends on what tone you're looking for, I find; digital effects tend to screw around with tube sound a little

Even the really good digital stuff will muck it up to a degree...

I went to a wet/dry stereo rig in order to have my cake and eat it too.

Roadie not included.

In other news, I now need a good instrument mic for under $150. I actually found the Sennheiser e609.

I have its big brother, the e906. Found it on eBay for about $140, new but opened package. Excellent for micing speaker cabs, has less presence peak than (and is a nice complement to) an SM57.

Hughes & Kettner RedBox.

Just installed a pair of Smits humbuckers, the CC-2 set. Much, much nicer than the Seymour '59s I've been using for years.

smitsparts.com

Not bad at all for a first go at soloing - keep working at it.

Not sure if it's what you're going for, but that kind of bendy, not-quite-to-pitch thing actually works well in certain musical genres.

Reminds me of a Lou Reed/Velvet Underground thing - not my cup-o-tea, but who cares?

The tone is pretty decent - is that your Valve Jr.?

Buy the book 'Understanding Wood Finishes' (Flexner, Rodale Press)...and you can stop guessing at it and start to understand the truth behind all these things, it's all spelled out in very clear detail. ALL of it. The whole ball of wax.

+1 Excellent advice!

I learned the hard way - you'll be time and money ahead spending $20 or so on such a book. Trial-and-error and guesswork = wasted materials, wasted time.

Although there probably is some value in learning firsthand what not to do.

You can fit it tight or leave a gap - doesn't matter, as long as you don't leave a gap wider than the fret slot... I'd avoid using filler.

It's best to dampen the wood before you stain, the sand lightly (220 grit or finer) just to take off the "fur". You might have to do this a couple of times. Then proceed with the stain.

this may help

You should be ok to go ahead and sand lightly now, though, then continue with the rest of the coats... how much are you applying?

Avoid steel wool - it can leave little bits of steel embedded in the wood which will rust - not good.

Normally you'd route the cavity through the slots (assuming you have a pre-slotted board - otherwise do the inlay before you cut the slots). After the inlay is done you can use a fret saw to re-cut/clean up the slots.

Most likely you will only need power tubes. Its almost imposible to kill preamp tubes.

In that amp I would stick with Groove Tubes. I've always had luck with them and I don't know if the circutry in that amp will benefit much from boutique tubes.

However 6 months would be short for tube life unless your gigging/practicing several hours per day.

According to this your amp uses 6L6 or 5881 output (aka power) tubes. Good quality output tubes can last 6 months to two years or more, depends on how often and how hard you push them. You also have a rectifier tube, not sure about the life span on those. NOS preamp tubes can last 10,000 to 20,000 hours or more.

If you play at fairly low volume (say, below 4-5 on the master volume) and get all your overdrive from the preamp section, you may not hear much difference between new production and new-old-stock output tubes. On the other hand, good NOS preamp tubes (your amp uses 12AX7) can make a huge sonic difference. For metal you might be just fine with new production... depends on the tone you prefer, and they all have different tonal and overdrive characteristics. V1 (the first tube in the signal chain) has the most impact on your tone, so you might want to try a few different 12AX7 "flavors" in that position to see what you like.

Don't know much about the B-52s... or anyone that has one.

Terry "Tube Tramp" Kilgore always has good stuff, real reasonable: terry_kilgore2003(at)yahoo.com

Or try Mike Kropotkin @ KCA NOS Tubes for some recommendations.

Metroamp is a great place for amp builders, though it's mainly Marshall Plexi-oriented.

It could be that you'd have to thin the waterbase lacquer too much to get it to spray properly... just a guess.

I've only used a PreVal to spray shellac sealcoats, and it didn't atomize very well, even with a 1 or 2 pound cut.

and his real age is 46 centuries.

I was gonna say...

Here's to many more centuries of terrorizing villagers and torturing misfit guitar hatchlings.

Condo's are slowing, and many are going apts. now. You seeing the same up north?

Yup, we're starting to see that trend as well.

(back on topic ) ...argytar, I hope you find some good rosewood for your project. A nice East Indian RW fingerboard isn't such a bad thing... a good quality piece can sometimes rival BRW for looks.