***The Official Guitar Thread***

Raymond Lin said:
More info on the LP? R9?
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It is a 2015 R8 but with an R9 top from Andertons. Lovely big fat chunky neck and weighs in at 8.8lbs. It has the original Custom Bucker pickups at (N)7.12/ (B) 8.25 kOhm and an RS works pots and harness unit. I string it like most of my guitars with Ernie Ball Power Slinkys (11s).
 
Blackvault said:
It is a 2015 R8 but with an R9 top from Andertons. Lovely big fat chunky neck and weighs in at 8.8lbs. It has the original Custom Bucker pickups at (N)7.12/ (B) 8.25 kOhm and an RS works pots and harness unit. I string it like most of my guitars with Ernie Ball Power Slinkys (11s).
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That sounds lovely.
 
It is not a bad guitar. I ordered it from Anderton's online and while I was/am happy with my purchase, I don't think I'll ever buy another guitar that expensive unplayed again. It is a lot of money to chance not liking it, and not feeling the same reaction as I described earlier about my Strat.
 
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My first g
ik9000 said:
I remember early Eggles used to ship with a wilkinson locking trem, so it was a floating vintage trem but with a notch at the flat point so you could use it like a hardtail normally and it only engaged as a trem when you pressed/pulled the arm. I never really got to play with it but I still wonder about changing the trem on my pacifica to see if makes a difference. Anyone tried one? Are they any good?
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My first guitar (2nd if u include an Argos guitar and amp package) has the non locking version of the trem I think you mean...the whammy bar rises out it’s slot and unlocks the trem when it’s not hanging straight down?

Maybe it just needed set up but I didn’t like how it worked when playing 2 notes but only bending one...it would change the pitch of the unbent note as u were bending the other one....I ended up blocking the trem

 
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builder22 said:
My first g


My first guitar (2nd if u include an Argos guitar and amp package) has the non locking version of the trem I think you mean...the whammy bar rises out it’s slot and unlocks the trem when it’s not hanging straight down?

Maybe it just needed set up but I didn’t like how it worked when playing 2 notes but only bending one...it would change the pitch of the unbent note as u were bending the other one....I ended up blocking the trem

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that is what I'm on about, I think it then used locking tuner heads at the other end. Isn't the problem with pitch shift on bends one that goes with all trems? If you have it truly floating anyway, the string tension is holding the trem in a position balanced against the spring tension. For a floating trem (so you can bend up or down) there is no spare tension so a slight bend pulls on, and rotates the trem bridge hence other strings are affected. You either need to lock the trem to prevent its rotation (whcih I assumed the wilkinson trem might do -though apparently not given your experience) or over tension the springs so the trem becomes only a bend-down (and with more pressure than is needed to string bend) but doing this means you can't bend-up on the trem arm.
 
just not a big fan of tremelos...I got a cheap Ibanez RG with their version of a Floyd Rose from Ebay for trying to make crazy squeal noises etc :D so thought I'd be better just blocking the washburn wilkinson

just to be clear tho the guitar/trem I'm on about and in the pics isn't the locking wilkinson trem...but it's identical apart from the locking mechanism afaik, it does have the locking tuners tho
 


So a bit more done yesterday evening, got the body sanded back and roughly polished - now I don't want it to look 'new' so I haven't gone to the extent of buffing out every little mark as I'll likely end up scuffing it all again in the future.

Did a quick mockup with the hardware too, unsure if the pickup cover is going to last but I have it so I'll see if I can get used to it.
 
So guys, started playing my acoustic again after years (Takamine G series) and I discovered that one of the Tuning keys is split down the middle and a little too pliable. Is there a specific measurement for difference types of keys or is there just a universal size I can pick up off Amazon?
 
DrToffnar said:
So guys, started playing my acoustic again after years (Takamine G series) and I discovered that one of the Tuning keys is split down the middle and a little too pliable. Is there a specific measurement for difference types of keys or is there just a universal size I can pick up off Amazon?
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There are a few styles, usually comparable hole sizes if the style matches. Screw hole placement may vary though, a photo might help.
 
takamine used to be pretty good with the tech spec sheets - see if you can find what tuners it had. Kluxon, etc. Yamahas have every part labelled in the service manual, i;d be amazed if Takamine don't do the same. You'll probably find you can get the manufacturer part too without too much hassle if you get in touch with them.
 
Invertigo said:
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Bit more progress, and it's now a fully playable instrument!

Headstock shaped and waterslide decal applied (the back of the headstock makes it clear it's not the genuine article for anyone with issues with this, plus I won't ever be selling it anyway)



Engraved and coloured in 'signature'



Neck all built up, frets levelled and crowned



And a 'dry run', still waiting on a couple bits to finish it off but it let me see any rough setup needs. Neck needed a decent shim as the action was about 1.5cm off the fretboard with the relief and nut set perfectly and the saddles bottomed out. All sorted now and it plays pretty damn well.



Need to sort out some more wall hangars now as the other half is already unhappy with the extra floor space occupied! Started doing some lacquer checking on the back, but I did not realise how quickly compressed air tins get consumed when used inverted. Got another 4 cheapo tins ordered from ebay, so it'll be getting stripped back down to install them. I also need to add a bit of wood where the lower pickup cover screw goes through the guard, as the screw misses the body and sits fully in the cavity, as well as some new LaBella flats to go on and really finish off the 60's P vibes.

Electronics seem decent enough, certainly sounds a bit 'cheaper' than the Fender, but then you'd hope a near-£600 bass sounds better than an £80 kit
 
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Invertigo said:
the back of the headstock makes it clear it's not the genuine article for anyone with issues with this
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Good, though Gibson's lawyers would still sue you for such shenanigans. Not sure about Fender's. Personally I think a DIY should never try and pass itself off as the real thing and it's part of the honesty to not use the same headstock profile nor label it as Fender at all. By doing that you are clearly trying to give the impression of playing a Fender. I'd rather show off it's NOT a Fender and something custom I'd made.

You should have had fun with the logo and called it a "Finder" or a "Fenger" or something like those comedy knock-off brands do by changing a letter.
 
ik9000 said:
Good, though Gibson's lawyers would still sue you for such shenanigans. Not sure about Fender's. Personally I think a DIY should never try and pass itself off as the real thing and it's part of the honesty to not use the same headstock profile nor label it as Fender at all. By doing that you are clearly trying to give the impression of playing a Fender. I'd rather show off it's NOT a Fender and something custom I'd made.

You should have had fun with the logo and called it a "Finder" or a "Fenger" or something like those comedy knock-off brands do by changing a letter.
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I get the point, and it was something I had actually planned to do. Honestly though, it's been built for 'personal' use only, I have my genuine Fenders for playing out of home. This was more of a project, first of all seeing if I could build a guitar, second to experiment with nitro paint and relicing and, finally, because I just bloody love the pre-CBS 60s P bass in pink and knowing that I'm never going to drop £3k+ on a genuine article, I don't see any harm in having a clear knockoff that I built myself.

Honestly might be more useful than a genuine Fender for some bits mind... comes with an extra fret!
 
And we have the finished product, at least visually. Strung up with Deep Talkin Flats now, electronics may change in the future but that's the fun of modding!







And a little detail shot of the lacquer checking. Rubbed it over with some thinned down woodstain and wiped off the surface, just highlights the checking a touch without being too 'in your face'





Pretty darn happy if I do say so myself!
 
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