Guitar Nerds Anonymous

http://www.theonion.com/article/affluent-white-man-enjoys-causes-the-blues-1511

I dropped off the old Sigma DR28 with Mr Brinsley Schwartz in Kew today. I went in with the intention of getting a new nut and saddle and a fret dress. He reckoned that he couldn't really get the action much better than it was with the current plastic nut and if I had no tuning issues (i don't) it wouldn't effect the sound much either. The neck was fine too. However. the frets were so worn and grooved that he didn't reckon they were dressable.

That left the value of replacing the saddle and nut in doubt as playability wise it was the frets that needed sorting. It kind of felt like an all or nothing deal then. I was edging towards just leaving it. Cue discussion about the wisdom spending money on a guitar that isn't exactly top of the line. I'd always believed it was a solid top and laminate back and sides. Although it does sound better than most solid top only guitars I've played. Everyone in the shop liked the way it sounded and after much poking, tapping, peering with a torch and second and third opinions we ended up undecided. It looks as if at least the back is solid too but the jury was hung.

He asked what my motivation for wanting it tinkered with was. Really it's just that because the guitar is of sentimental value I know i'll never get rid of it but because it doesn't play quite as well as others I own, I don't tend to use it that much these days. I figured if it was my best playing and sounding guitar i'd just get a load more use out of it. I'd love to use it live again too. I really didn't feel like he was trying to sell me anything so asked if he thought it was worth getting the refret. He looked me straight in the eye and said "definitely".

So i left it with him for a refret, new bone nut and saddle and buffalo horn pins. I also bought a new hard case and tried out a few acoustic amps. Will decide about the amp when i go back but am feeling pretty happy with the decision to spend money bringing an old favourite back up to spec.

Oooh weee, this cheeky little number just arrived, it emulates a bazillion different amp / cab combos as well as being a multi-effects bank. I may have made my ears hum...

It's made of real metal too.

crikey, that UI is straight out of an 80's bomb defusing scene. it also looks like a butt. have fun!

That's what made me choose it. There's a hell of a lot of different sounds available, but most importantly, it looks like a randy baboon's arse

lozles.

Yeah I have one of those PODs although for the Bass. It's nice for practicing at home.

Yeah, it's just for home practice as I can't be cranking up the Orange too frequently. This means that I can have the sound of a nicely overdriven amp through my headphones at a sensible volume. It's got the regular flanger / delays / chorus / reverb blah blah blah but I've only got it to make the guitar sound natural at low volume.

Had to do a 60km ride to collect it though, thought it would be shoe box sixe, nope, completely filled my Ortleib.

@Rickster help me please. I'm going down a rabbit hole of reading acoustic amp reviews again. Tell me what to get under £300 (i'm not going to splurge into AER budget territory). I need a guitar and mic input, reverb and enough welly to play a pub. I wanted to try a s/h Trace TA100 in Chandlers but the bloke talked me out of it claiming it was not as nice as the cheaper Fishman loudbox mini which I tried and really liked. I just hate the way it looks. Pple seem to like the Rolands but reviews seem split between that and the Fishman.

I'm boring myself now. Tell me what to do.

Took some pictures of the frets on my old Fender and sent them to Tim at Tym Guitars, I've been under the impression she needed a refret for the past 20 years which is why she's been sitting in her case all this time... From the pics Tim reckons it's only gonna be a fret dress!

Taking her in today, excited at the prospect of being able to play her again!

'75 Tele Deluxe...

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TS has a veranda and he's just THROWING IT IN OUR FACES.

@Apone I haven't tried either so I honestly don't know. Sozzles.

We have TWO verandas actually...

£130 per week...

So fucking nice...

I've always loved Tele Deluxes. How does that sound compared to a non-Deluxe?

I used to have a Line 6 DL-4 Delay modeller with 12-second looping. I wish I still did, so much fun.

I actually I want a delay pedal again, ideally has a couple of different sounds like reverse or analog/tape delay modelling.

What should I get? I've owned a Boss DD5 and Line 6 DL4 before but couldn't really afford either again.

And a dog bowl. La dee da.

Sweet thinline though.

I can hardly remember how it sounds, it's different tho'... Like a Gibson-ish Fender if that makes sense...

Re: delay pedals... My new bandmate works at a big music store here, he's getting me a Boss RE-20 for about £100... Cannot wait! Space Echo 4lyf!

I had an RE-20, don't know why I sold it! It's not got loads of sounds/features but it sounds amazing on every source. I use an EHX DMM for normal guitar duties as it sits very nicely behind the direct tone but it's again something that does one sound very well. I also had a DL-4 at one point which was fun but didn't sound good enough to me.

@tommmmmmm Maybe have a look at the Behringer boxes if nothing pops up second hand on ebay etc.

I've got a Behringer delay, don't like it at all...

I've had a few delay pedals over the years. I really like my Dan-Echo though. I tend to stick to slap back or a chaotic psych-y tape-echo sort of sound which it does quite well.

Would love to try the RE20.

BTW Took the Fender into Tym's yesterday and finally got a chance to have a chinwag with the great man himself, lovely fella... The truss rod's gonna need some adjustment as the neck's bowed back a bit from lack of string tension but the frets are only gonna need a dress... They'll be pretty low which I'm a tiny bit concerned about but if they're no good I'll just get him to do a full refret... Mk 1 Guv'nor and Coloursound Dipthonizer both in for a bit of TLC as well...

It was a good day, caught a Hydromedusa in-store gig and picked up a copy of their LP, last one in the shop if not the whole world... 10/10

I also have a behringer delay and it's horrible, annoying lag in switching it in and slightly pops when turned off. It's one of the first ones they released though so they might have got better since?

@rickster This looks OK, innit? It'll do the job, right?

Means I can afford a PP2+...

Is that a Pedaltrain Jr ripoff with holes to fit a PP2+? Looks ace. You're on to a thing with Tim, fuzzwise. He's like the Aussie D*A*M. Most sought after indeed. Obtain his rarities!

Ever hear of the mythical Brisbane Mosrite stash?

@tommmmmmm Maybe a used TC Flashback or some such?