El Toro's Official Guitarded Thread...

[Captain Morgan]

I think you're right! And I recall El Toro saying he didn't like his Kmag star body at all, too.

I bet that's it...I appreciate you asking man!

[lerxstcat]

I think you're right! And I recall El Toro saying he didn't like his Kmag star body at all, too.

I bet that's it...I appreciate you asking man!

So far the guy hasn't replied to my second post. I hate when people lie about stuff like that. A US-made licensed Strathead neck alone is gonna run about $150, so when he says a fully-assembled guitar is $249 AND Made in USA, well no way. That doesn't mean it might not be a decent guitar with a good setup, but just tell me it's from China or Indonesia or wherever.

[Space Bear]

No thanks on the Exit98 guitars. I'd rather grab a body and neck from Warmoth's showcase... for example, these two:





would cost you $286. Waaaaaay better quality to build from. Plus you can pick fret size (and stainless steel), nut type, pickup/bridge routing, all that good stuff.

[Captain Morgan]

Yeah - just figured maybe it was a good deal.

I'm really wanting another Tele but I haven't found the right one just yet...

[ElToro]

KMAGs suck... beware!

I just won a Japanese LP Custom... $191!

[Space Bear]

KMAGs suck... beware!

I just won a Japanese LP Custom... $191!

I'll bet those Exit98 guitars are of the same quality as KMAG.

What kind of LP? Without knowing, still sounds like a great deal.

[ElToro]

GTX32 (old Kaman). I had a goldtop version that killed... this is a superclean Black Custom.

[PAF Pro]

*LONG version of PAF Pro has a dumbass attack.....read on if interested*


Damn Hartley Peavey.....and damn my "assumptions"..grrrr

New brass tremblock arrived today from GFS. Went to install is....guess what? The holes DON'T line up...turns out my "Made in USA" Peavey Predator may have been ASSEMBLED in the USA, but Hartley sourced import hard parts, such as the tremolo.

Granted, the GFS site CLEARLY states to "check your measurements" to ensure you order the CORRECT block.....but I ASSUMED that since a USA Fender tremolo arm fits, and an imprt arm does NOT(hole's too small for an import arm), that it would be a shoo-in.

Can you say "D'oh!!!"

One of 2 options here....either send the block back, and get the import-spec block(there's 2....one's for the MIM Strats, or the Asian import version which has the larger-diameter arm)....or just get a new/used Fender bridge plate(which is what I'll likely do).

Sorry to plug up the thread, but figured it was somewhat relevant.....aaaaagh!

[lerxstcat]

*LONG version of PAF Pro has a dumbass attack.....read on if interested*


Damn Hartley Peavey.....and damn my "assumptions"..grrrr

New brass tremblock arrived today from GFS. Went to install is....guess what? The holes DON'T line up...turns out my "Made in USA" Peavey Predator may have been ASSEMBLED in the USA, but Hartley sourced import hard parts, such as the tremolo.

Granted, the GFS site CLEARLY states to "check your measurements" to ensure you order the CORRECT block.....but I ASSUMED that since a USA Fender tremolo arm fits, and an imprt arm does NOT(hole's too small for an import arm), that it would be a shoo-in.

Can you say "D'oh!!!"

One of 2 options here....either send the block back, and get the import-spec block(there's 2....one's for the MIM Strats, or the Asian import version which has the larger-diameter arm)....or just get a new/used Fender bridge plate(which is what I'll likely do).

Sorry to plug up the thread, but figured it was somewhat relevant.....aaaaagh!

It is relevant, but I'm curious: I'd imagine the GFS stuff is made to retrofit to FENDER parts, not Peavey. I know that bridge has 4 wood screws securing the bridge to the body, unlike the 6 n a Fender vintage bridge. So why are you assuming that a block for an import Fender bridge will line up better than a USA Fender bridge?

I know the wood screws and the machine screws attaching the baseplate to the block are 2 different things, but I wouldn't assume that Hartley did anything to make the parts interchangeable. He may have made it a point for them to be different. I'd contact Peavey about it if I were you.

[ElToro]

I'd send the block and the trem to GFS and see if they have a fit for her.

[lerxstcat]

I'd send the block and the trem to GFS and see if they have a fit for her.

But GFS tells YOU to measure and make sure; they don't say they will match it up for you. If you sent it in without taking to them first, who knows if you could even get it back? Then you're REALLY fucked!

Your cheapest fix would probably be to buy a used Fender American vintage bridge with the kind of block you want, if it will physically fit into the route hole. You'd have to drill some new holes because the Fender is a 6-hole and the Peavey is a 4-hole mount, to the wood body.

You'd be best off doing that with a local store, going in with the Peavey bridge already removed, assuming someone local has a used bridge - or a new one with a return policy.

If you can't do it without making a Federal case out of it then I'd leave it be, maybe try and get a hotter pickup for better sustain instead. But trying to upgrade it AND trying to go on the cheap may not be both possible.

[PAF Pro]

Worst comes to worst, I can ALWAYS re-instll the stock tremblock...but if there's a way to make lemons from lemonade, I'm gonna try it. Zinc is great for Holley carburetor bodies, SHIT for good tone/sustain.

My local guitar-shop guy is the one I bought this guitar from 20 years ago..he'll hook me up if necessary. I try to do as much stuff myself as I can....why pay someone else to do something I can do myself? But I do know my limits.

Lerx, the stock pups in these Predators are shit-hot....between 6.8K-7K. Ceramic-bar magnets on the bottom of the bobbins, as opposed to the more traditional magnetic slugs found in higher-quality single-coils. They're thick bastards, too...about the same as the mags in a P90(still has polepieces). Just no warmth to them...bright & clear as hell, but just too brittle for my tastes.

As far as the bridge goes.....it's supposedly a Gotoh-sourced bridge. The Fender USA arm fit this like a glove.....most import trems are drilled for metric arms that are much BIGGER in diameter. THAT'S what led me to (incorrectly) believe this would be the same as a Fender USA bridge...my own damned fault.

[Space Bear]

I just found my next amp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaZByEsg ... r_embedded

Fuck yeah.

[PAF Pro]

Sounds pretty good...for the money I'd rather have the Jet City JCA100H head(and have extra $$ for Groove Tubes), but then it's about what YOU want, no ME.

Update on my dumb-assery....gonna shoot GFS an e-mail, may see if I can just return the block(didn't try to mount it, could plainly see it wasn't gonna work) and get a credit towards a Wilkinson WV6SV tremolo(comes with a solid steel block...not brass, but a hell of a lot better than this zinc crap)....only like $34 bucks. Turns out that damned "heavy-metal hillbilly" Hartley spec'ed an oddball bridge....the Wilkinson is a direct drop-in replacement according to the braintrust at the Peavey forums.

I love Peavey gear, but this aggravating bullshit has me ready to kick that old bastard right in the nuts....

[ElToro]

Just FYI, Tony Krank is making 2 channel amps, new, for $900 right now! Stright from his home to you!

[lerxstcat]

Just FYI, Tony Krank is making 2 channel amps, new, for $900 right now! Stright from his home to you!

What happened to Krank Amps the company? Did it fold or something? What are the tube complements - how many 12AX7s in the preamp, what power tubes and how many, rectifier or no, tube or solidstate rectifier if so....

Details, man!!

[Sleek]

Just FYI, Tony Krank is making 2 channel amps, new, for $900 right now! Stright from his home to you!

Wow. A 2 channel amp. What will they think of next?

The hole in the market I think SOMEBODY should fill is a 30+- watt one channel amp with nothing but a tone stack and master volume, specifically for plugging "amp in a box" pedals into.

Make a head, 1x12 and 2x12 version. Splurge and do both an El84 and 6v6 version.

Make it cheep because it has NO BELLS OR WHISTLES.

Have some douchebag (like...me...) show the amp while demoing various Wampler, Lovepedal, Menatone and Zvex products on youtube. (Oh, and the El Capistan, just for good measure).

I need something like that, and it bugs me that anything I would get to fill that role has tons of shit I wouldn't need...

Even a Peavey Classic 30 has two channels, overdrive and reverb, and a Fender Deluxe has two channels, 'verb and fucking Vibrato.

[lerxstcat]

Sounds pretty good...for the money I'd rather have the Jet City JCA100H head(and have extra $$ for Groove Tubes), but then it's about what YOU want, no ME.

Update on my dumb-assery....gonna shoot GFS an e-mail, may see if I can just return the block(didn't try to mount it, could plainly see it wasn't gonna work) and get a credit towards a Wilkinson WV6SV tremolo(comes with a solid steel block...not brass, but a hell of a lot better than this zinc crap)....only like $34 bucks. Turns out that damned "heavy-metal hillbilly" Hartley spec'ed an oddball bridge....the Wilkinson is a direct drop-in replacement according to the braintrust at the Peavey forums.

I love Peavey gear, but this aggravating bullshit has me ready to kick that old bastard right in the nuts....

You weren't dumb, man - you took a risk and it didn't pan out. But you HAVE learned a valuable lesson - go to the Peavey Forums FIRST, next time. I just looked at that bridge when I had my Predator and said "Hmmm.... 4 screws instead of 6. Wonder what else is different?" But it was just idle curiosity, I wasn't really worried about replacing the bridge.

I actually pieced that Predator together. I bought the neck for $35 with tuners thinking I'd get a Strat body for it - but then I saw a Predator body non Ebay cheap. Think I paid $20 for it, no pickguard assembly. I actually put a Strat pickguard assembly on it that I paid like $30 for and that was my nice red Predator. Hartley had to cur some costs somewhere but to me the 80s Predators are really nicer than the 80s USA Fender Strats as far as playability and basic sound. I had about $120 into mine including shipping and it was a helluva "Strat" IMO.

In the end I really just am not that into traditional Strats though. I always go back to a Superstrat, locking trem with humbucker at least in the bridge. That or a Gibson-style guitar, but again, with a locking trem. I just love having a trem, even though I don't use it all the time like I used to. But it NEEDS to be there if I DO want to use it, and the guitar stays in tune better. That's just me though, trems are somewhat out of style these days. I think I have one with a stop tailpiece, an import Hamer Stellar (PRS copy). I don't really find them to be less full-sounding or lacking in sustain because my amp gives me those things. Just an old Peavey Triumph 60 P.A.G., or my Carvin VM100. Lotsa 12AX7s and 6L6s give me a sweet full sound, nothing fancy but they work!

[lerxstcat]

Just FYI, Tony Krank is making 2 channel amps, new, for $900 right now! Stright from his home to you!

Wow. A 2 channel amp. What will they think of next?

The hole in the market I think SOMEBODY should fill is a 30+- watt one channel amp with nothing but a tone stack and master volume, specifically for plugging "amp in a box" pedals into.

Make a head, 1x12 and 2x12 version. Splurge and do both an El84 and 6v6 version.

Make it cheep because it has NO BELLS OR WHISTLES.

Have some douchebag (like...me...) show the amp while demoing various Wampler, Lovepedal, Menatone and Zvex products on youtube. (Oh, and the El Capistan, just for good measure).

I need something like that, and it bugs me that anything I would get to fill that role has tons of shit I wouldn't need...

Even a Peavey Classic 30 has two channels, overdrive and reverb, and a Fender Deluxe has two channels, 'verb and fucking Vibrato.

You have a good point, but anyone who comes into the market is apt to charge you up the ying yang for NOT putting those features in - unless Jet City does it. They now offer their version of the THD Univalve, apparently licensed from THD.

They seem to have decent build quality from what everyone says. With both Soldano and THD signing on to license their designs, that gives me some faith that they really are well-built, though I am not a tech and couldn't tell the diff from a gut shot. I mean I could tell if shit was laid out well, but i don't know components from cannolis.

You could always plug your amp-in-a-box pedal into the effects return and use only the power amp of a more feature-filled amp. I understand not wanting to pay for what you won't use, but I also wouldn't want to get bent over for a bare-bones amp either. Catch-22...

[ElToro]

Sounds like someone just needs to buy an Elecro Harmonix 44 Magnum!

[Sleek]

I thought about that...but I think the happy combo for this sort of nonsense includes a tube power amp...

Love try the pedal tho. How sweet would it be to walk into a gig with just the pedalboard?

[ElToro]

Just buy a 80's Peavey Classic... all tube power section, costs about $100 on CL.

[ElToro]

Getting a HBE Detox....

[Captain Morgan]

Finally put my pedals together - no board yet, won't get one until I start taking them out. The 1spot and Planet Waves patch cables rock!

[exitflagger]

Please comment on this thread (re: vintage guitars)

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=240599

[Captain Morgan]

New Tele Day!

[ElToro]

Beautiful! The Force is strong with this one.

[Captain Morgan]

Beautiful! The Force is strong with this one.

I turned down an American Special - this one just had "it".

[exitflagger]

Man, that looks exactly like the second guitar I ever owned. I wish I'd never sold it.

[FreaKShoW]

New Tele Day!

Nice,52?