Metal Sludge Gossip Board

I loves Strats for classic rock, country and blues. More traditional applications. Stock pups, or maybe Texas Specials, but always single coils. I don't understand buying Strats to make them sound like something other than a Strat. And usually the metal Strat tone sucks.
And I'm mostly talking about Fenders, more so than all that 80's Charvel and Jackson shit.

Meh. For sheer performance, I don't think anything beats a superstrat. Best of both worlds.

Eddie Van Halen agreed with me before he became a pussy.

Bargain deal on a Peavey Valve King head, running it through the Crate 4x12 and a vintage Sunn 2x15 folded horn.

AndiiChrist wrote:Black Friday sale- $700. With GForce tuning and Gibson hardcase.

That is a beautiful tobacco burst.

HeavyMetalZombie666 wrote:

AndiiChrist wrote:Black Friday sale- $700. With GForce tuning and Gibson hardcase.

That is a beautiful tobacco burst.

Vintage sunburst, but yeah- beauty.

New amp day. No room for a JCM 800 & cab so picked up this DSL40C. Thing freaking screams!

Sleek wrote:Meh. For sheer performance, I don't think anything beats a superstrat. Best of both worlds.

A few of my superstrats......

Got this Epiphone Century De Luxe Masterbilt acoustic, yesterday. It's a reissue of one of their 1932 models. I'm really happy with it. It feels great, has a really pronounced low end, which is great for Travis picking, and the pictures don't do the wood justice. It's a really gorgeous guitar. Spruce top, flame maple back and sides, and ebony fretboard. Basically the same wood as the Gretsch guitars I'm already used to.

I got this Epiphone Ace Frehley listed on Craigslist in Sarasota. Somebody buy it so I don't have to deal with fuck nuts who keep replying. Maybe I'll break down and list it on eBay......I fucking hate eBay. $700.


https://sarasota.craigslist.org/msg/5722841971.html

Does the extra pickup actually do anything worth a shit, tonally, or did that costumed fuck just want to feel different?

Three way selector gives you a little warmer tone on the mid pick up. The dimarzio super distortions make clean tones difficult.

Just take em out and fill the cavity with smoke bombs.

I just picked up a Gretsch 5120 Electromatic for $500.

I'm going to change the headstock to the classic 6120 look and throw some (slightly) better pickups in it.

I got it because I am doing a string of CRAMPS tribute shows around halloween, and I'm doing the Ivy parts.

...I'll let ya know how the guitar turns out, and what sort of shoes I decide to wear with it

I also grabbed my second Peavey Classic 50 about 3 weeks ago. I had the 4x10 and love it, so I got one of the 2x12 ones as a variation.

Also got a JHS Superbolt pedal, which seems pretty fucking choice so far.

So here is the Gretsch pre-and-post conversion:


I changed and aged the pickups, doctored the headstock, fake "bound" the F-holes, made and installed a Chet-Atkins style pickguard, and put a penny in the Bigsby so it sits higher...you know, the basic stuff.

...and just for good meaure here is a pic of most of my hollow or semi-hollow guitars (one of my vintage Epiphones is with a friend, as is a chinese Rickenbacker clone)

That looks great, Sleek. The only thing you could have done is stain the fretboard black, since the 6120's have ebony fretboards. But only Gretsch nuts like me would notice. Those Blacktop Filter'trons actually sound pretty good, in my opinion. Darker than the classic Filters.
I have a 5420, one step up from the 5120, and did a few mods, too. Changed the Bigsby to an actual Gretsch Bigsby, had a custom bridge made, changed the nut to brass, and did a similar headstock mod. Did you get the decals from Setzersigns?

Yeah, what the shit? You think the crowd is gonna accept that non black fretboard? Get on it!

HueyRamone wrote:Yeah, what the shit? You think the crowd is gonna accept that non black fretboard? Get on it!

I was nice enough not to mention the lack of a mud switch, too.

Mojo wrote:

HueyRamone wrote:Yeah, what the shit? You think the crowd is gonna accept that non black fretboard? Get on it!

I was nice enough not to mention the lack of a mud switch, too.

Ha... He's now got to cancel his weekend plans and get on these mods. You're evil.

Mojo wrote:

HueyRamone wrote:Yeah, what the shit? You think the crowd is gonna accept that non black fretboard? Get on it!

I was nice enough not to mention the lack of a mud switch, too.

I thought about the fake switch...then I stopped thinking about it

I made the headstock decal myself, as well as the back-mounted waterslide Chet Atkins logo for the pickguard.

I actually made a mistake on purpose, because the "binding" looked so good on the headstock. Real 6120s have unbound heads...so mine is better

My outfit should provide enough distraction that nobody will notice the few remaining details.

Sleek wrote:So here is the Gretsch pre-and-post conversion:


I changed and aged the pickups, doctored the headstock, fake "bound" the F-holes, made and installed a Chet-Atkins style pickguard, and put a penny in the Bigsby so it sits higher...you know, the basic stuff.

...and just for good meaure here is a pic of most of my hollow or semi-hollow guitars (one of my vintage Epiphones is with a friend, as is a chinese Rickenbacker clone)

Nice! How is the Chinese Rickenbacker? I just ordered a Chinese 52 reissue tele.

The Chinese Ric is kind of ass...I did a few things to it and it's still not the best.

On the bright side, it looks cool.

The tele will probably be fine...a lot of that stuff is, and you are always safer with a solid body. The Chinese can and DO make good guitars, that Ric copy just wasn't one.

Ric is EXTREMELY litigious, so anybody making knockoffs has to fly under the radar, hence not as much competition and quality control and stuff.

The Chinese make decent Fender knockoffs. Since they're pretty much just painted hunks of wood, there's not a lot to fuck up. They make decent Les Pauls, but only after you spend a bit of time and money shielding the cavities, changing the nut, pickups, etc. I've been in a few tribute bands where members will get Chinese knockoffs of signature models, update them a bit, and they play and sound pretty good. They don't fare as well with the hollow body stuff, though.

Mojo wrote:The Chinese make decent Fender knockoffs. Since they're pretty much just painted hunks of wood, there's not a lot to fuck up. They make decent Les Pauls, but only after you spend a bit of time and money shielding the cavities, changing the nut, pickups, etc. I've been in a few tribute bands where members will get Chinese knockoffs of signature models, update them a bit, and they play and sound pretty good. They don't fare as well with the hollow body stuff, though.

Yeah, I figured as much. This is the first one for me.....there's not a lot to fuck up on a tele. If the wood on its half way decent, I'm fine. It's basically gonna be my G-tuned set aside for Stones stuff.

I post pics when it gets here.

Engine13 wrote: I post pics when it gets here.

Yeah, please do.

I got one of those Fender FSR ash teles and stripped it...it's pretty cool looking, though the part with the grain is just a veneer . I suppose I should do a photo of my teles and single cut guitars at some point...I'm kind of alarmed at how I accumulate this shit.

I've been wanting a Tele as a project guitar, and have been thinking about going the Chinese route, since there doesn't seem to be a Squier with the quilted maple top that I want. I can get one for $200 on Aliexpress. Then I'll have something to play with wiring, pickup changes, pots, etc, on. I need a cheaper hobby.

Mojo wrote:

Engine13 wrote: I post pics when it gets here.

Yeah, please do.

Arrived pretty quick, well packed.

Quick review.
Wood looks OK, neck joint is fine, no dead spots on the neck, frets are OK.
Several finish flaws....expected this.
Electronics are OK, pots are functional, quiet pickups, input jack is junk.
Nut is plastic junk.
Action is a bit high, It will get a setup this weekend.

Overall, not bad. $175 bucks shipped to my door.
I can work on it, beat it up, & gig with it and not have any worries.

[img]http://i346.photobucket.com/albums ... .jpg[/img] [/url]

Looks pretty good!

DP

Speaking of Teles, I recently picked up a 2015 American Special (Dunlop 6105s and CS staggered polepiece Texas Specials) on ebay for a very nice price but hated the lame recreation of a 60s "Vintage Blonde" finish, especially as mismatched with a 50s era (but 8 hole) pickguard.



Refinished to a dirty hippie 70s natural finish. Even though it's an Alder body with minimal grain I think it came out pretty nicely.