Guitar, anyone?

I’m just posting this‘cause I can… anyone love guitars as much as they do cars? Well I do. I semi-retired a year ago, and had high hopes of building a bunch of electric guitars. So far I’ve built 2, and they turned out better than I expected, but not cheaper. Fine woods are expensive.

 

When I was in my 20's, before I met my wife, I bought a guitar that my friend paid $1500 for. I paid $400 for it and tried to learn from books. I took it when I went to visit my Mom and Dad and showed my Mom. She took it out, tuned it, while my jaw dropped on the floor, and proceeded to strum a tune. I didn;'t even know she could play. I tried and tried for months, then, the next time I saw her, I gave it to her. Sore fingers and the urge to toss it mean't it was time to pass it on. I am glad that other people can enjoy them.

P.S. It was an acoustic with a pickup built in for an amp. It was really beautiful, but, frustrating.

 

Guitar player here. Been playing off and on since I was 12. Still gigging here and there.

 

Not a Player, but the guitars you made look like works of art.

 

Learned to play back in the 80's. Never built one though. Thinking about building a pedal however.

 

Started playing the guitar again just recently. I have taken a few lessons and the music theory I learned way back when is coming back. I have a Gretsch hollow body with a Fender combo amp. No gigs in my future, though. Just playing for fun.

 

Here is my Sparkle Green FrankenTele Bass. Warmouth parts, Curtis Novak pickup.

Kinda neck heavy but sounds great. If I had wood skills it would be a tele guitar body scaled up
and hollow with a Thinline type sound hole. I was working on a pattern to scale up the tele body,
using the ratio of P bass neck length to Tele neck length - makes the body huge -
Kinda like my favorite Rickenbacker 4005 "DB" - I'd do binding on front and back, semi hollow.

 

LOVE that tele bass…. Dang.

 

Pedals are pretty easy. A steady hand and good eyes are all you need, and I get by without em…. I built this from a kit. I designed and built the cabinet.

 

I LOVE that YOU CAN!!! (Personal venting to follow...)
While "off topic," (as this whole thread IS, LOL!) I recently joined an e-mail group for my other Southern Railway hobby. It is "moderated" to the extent of "thou shall post nothing that does not directly and materially contribute to further exploration and understanding of Southern Ry. history." (My interpretation of responses I've gotten, when veering "off topic." I have learned to not to treat it like this group. Haven't been kicked off yet, but might best quit before I continue to "try to make friends there...") Mayhaps happy to "take advantage" of such "openness..."

 

While hardly a “collector,” or even much of an “afflicionado,” I love Rickey’s. I bought a used 430 in about 1986 (at 22 y-o), for about $200, “ridden hard and put away wet.” The divots in the frets at the “popular string-fret locations” were epic! While “mechanically inclined,” but hardly a “luthier,” I replaced the frets. Let’s just say, 430’s are considered to be “rather twangy for a Rickenbacker…” My efforts may have “amplified” that reputation…
While mostly retired by the time we started “playing out,” (see future post…) I kept it on hand for songs in which the “twang” might fit, and I could “cover for” the intonation issues. With its flat neck, it remained a staple for my “un-trained foray” into playing slide. (I did fantasize that years later, a Rolling Stone interview would cement into musical history my use of a [Buick-sized] 5/8” inch Craftsman spark plug socket as a slide…)

 

(at the risk of perhaps “taking advantage” of the “friendship” I find on V8… ) The 430 “in action,” in a mini storage in Kenner, LA, 1986 (before we moved to Athens…)

 

...About the same time I bought the 430, primary songwriter/rhythm guitarist (my primary talent/job was arranger...) Frank bought a used CBS Tele for couple more $. While I can't claim "wide ranging experience," damn, that thing was nice to play...!!!

 

In Spring 1989, when a “real show” at a “real Athens club” was forthcoming, I marched downtown to Franklin Financial, and successfully took out a personal loan, (at something like 20-30% interest,) to then march across the street to Guthrie’s and order my dream guitar, a black 360.

 

I’ve been playing since 1964, the Beatles kicked me into gear. In all the time since, I don’t recall ever even holding a Rickenbacker guitar. I must soon do that.

 

I'm guessing a McCartney fan?

 

My Granddaughter has a guitar that we purchased for Christmas. I just got an inexpensive small one for my 5 year old Grandson.

 

I play acoustic. I had an electric Washburn, but sold it after it sat for too long... Mostly just noodling for my own entertainment.

I do have a sweet little Guild from the 50's. It's very plain, but solid top wood and lovely to hear...

Funny connection to Chucks story above. My little Guild was a gift or a girl(12?) here in Seattle when new. When I bought it from her she was in her 70's and have never played it, but kept it her whole life, in the original case.

 

I sold off most of my big Marshall stuff, but kept this...



has vintage GE long plate 12ax7's, and some vintage power tubes I got when an old time radio shop went out of business. Love rolling tubes. Cab is 2 g12t 75's and 2 v-30's and I upgraded the back to 5/8 11 ply birch. Make my SG sound great.

 

BTW - Just found "Becoming Led Zeppelin" documentary. Fantastic story from when they were young pups. Great full length songs. It's on Netflix.
Classic guitars!