Guitar Nerds Anonymous

The Parsons/Green is mounted to the metal backplate unlike the Parsons/White which sits in the cavity...

It's heavy as fuck, can't wait to start tinkering with it properly in a couple of days...

Sweet - looks fabulous. What are you planing on playing on it? Prolly a stupid question, I always associate them with lapsteels and bluegrass stuff.

I'll teach myself the Clarence White songbook, obvs, but I really wanna try and get some different sounds out of it... Distortion and b-bender, I always loved what Glen Ross Campbell did in The Misunderstood, not that you could replicate that on this...

I'm gonna take a pick-up out, what other interesting configurations could I get on the five way switch? Out of phase, both pick-ups in series, anything else?

Bit o' gain will sound great. A mate here had a swampy, stoner project with guitar and lapsteel. Sounded rad. Dunno about the five way beyond out of phase and in series, maybe tone pot bypass? Didn't the esquires have something like that?

I'm a boring bastard and going conventional 3 way in my tele. If I can't make some good noises with that, more options won't help me... :)

Why is it a Parsons/Green?

Fiddy tribute?

Blower switch bypass? Wire either/or/both pickups direct to jack? My mate has it on his Suhr and that thing wails! You could do

1. Neck pickup
   
2. Both pickups out of phase
   
3. Both pickups in phase
   
4. Both pickups in series
   
5. Bridge pickup
   Push/pull pot - blower bypass
   
   

You'd be so set with that!

I don't think I'd have much use for a blower switch but that list looks great! I'll chat to my guy and see what he thinks...

Played it through my Twin earlier, bit pointless with my finger in a plaster!! 😂

I like it in open tuning, just had another little play and came up with a part for a tune I've been messing around with... I need to fix the reverb on my amp, needs a bit of sparkle...

Nice tone on the bridge pick-up, trebly yet fat, single notes ring out really well... We're gonna become great friends!!

You'd be surprised how much fun the blower switch mod is! It's basically like having a boost pedal built in to your guitar.
After the six minute mark

I started the body carve on my Les Paul. I'd promised myself that I wouldn't use any power tools for this step, but the maple is so hard I had to use various sanders in the end!

With the exception of one nick (bottom right horn) that'll need to be steamed out, it's in good shape.

This is only the rough carve - it needs a lot of finessing once the binding is fitted, but happy to have got it to here.

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Looks heavy! Is it chambered at all?

Yep - it's got fairly large chambers.

The body plus cap was under 5lbs before I smoothed the carve out today, though I don't really know if that's heavy or not to be honest - I should weigh it with the neck and components at some point.

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On reflection... I don't think I want a black guard for my bender, I think it's gonna be white after all!!

The spring in the mechanism was very noisy at first, it's settling down now I hope...

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Beautiful, watching with very keen interest...

I wish I was more handy, I'd build a single pick-up R4...

So 6 year-old ("I'm nearly 7!") Mini c00ps has decided she wants to learn the guitar. I would class myself as a non-player (can strum about three chords). I will also check to see whether she still wants to learn in the coming days and weeks, as opinions change! But she has been asking for a few weeks - I assume someone at school is learning or teacher has one - but like most kids, getting information is blood from a stone.

I thought here would be as good a place to ask as anywhere - what do I get her (1/2 size, 3/4 size)? Not wanting to spend too much, in case she decides to pack it in when her fingers get sore. But she's a determined little soul, so I hold out some hope.

There's nobody I know from whom we can borrow one, sadly.

My 8 year old was learning at school until this academic year and was using a half size guitar comfortably.
She's big for her age though and can just about manage a full size classic guitar.
Some teachers suggest starting with a ukulele others say start with a 6 string.
We have a uke too but she preferred the 6 string.

If you don't play though, how is she going to learn? Probably best done with lessons at school if offered.
Mine does piano as well as other school clubs and found 2 instruments too much (she just does piano now).

HTH

More than happy to lend a full size spanish or steel string if that's any use but probably too big for tiny fingers...

If you don't play though, how is she going to learn? Probably best done with lessons at school if offered.

We are looking at lessons in school or probably outside, yes. Mrs c00ps can play a little bit (which will be fine to help her with home practice - and I had thought about learning myself alongside her, as I thought it would be fun - can read musical score from previous woodwind experience, not good with tab though!).

@owl Thanks for that fantastic offer. I think you're right that they would be too big though.

Just worth noting that the standard approach of starting off on a nylon-strung classical guitar is a bit questionable. It's like a complete beginner trying to learn to ride on a Boris bike. If she wants to play electric there are some decent small guitars around and you can get a mini amp that can plug into headphones or a stereo if you don't mind the noise.

Interesting... I have an old Fender practice amp in the back of the garage actually! Just needs a new kettle lead.

Unless she is passionate about classical guitar, I would start her off on a 1/2 or 3/4 steel string acoustic or an electric. The thinner neck would suit her hands and the ability to adjust output volume would suit the parents.

Nope. Very much rock & roll / pop / daddy's random eclectic car CD, phone & iPod selection at the moment. I will look at steel string and electric (caught sight of an electric Uke in my travels also - but that would be ridiculous?). Ta

I don't particularly think ukes are good starting points for guitars, but other people's experiences may well differ. As others have said, get a guitar suitable for the type of music she wants to play, and of a size that fits, and off she'll go...

Although I think the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain are ace, I don't really see the appeal of them as an instrument. I think I've been put off by the whole faux-whimsical schtick that has led to so many adverts using ukelele music. Additionally I don't think they're a good starting point for guitar. Apparently they're difficult to keep in tune, which would be enormously frustrating. Just buy a small guitar, perhaps get it checked over to ensure the action's decent and crack on.

I am not looking seriously at Ukuleles - despite above comment.