Guitar Nerds Anonymous

Gosh, that’s very different, mine is practically black it’s so dark and solid.
I like the streaky personally!

I was able to swap it for another in the end, the pickguard was a little warped and not sitting flush too.

Figured it's the first new guitar I've ever owned so I could be picky about it, luckily shop had free returns. This one was missing the bottom strap button though, looks like it was never fitted lol.

The streaky one was definitely a nice piece of wood but I prefer the darker fretboard look.

Sidenote, seems impossible to photograph the aqua-tone blue, much more teal like the marketing pics in person. Super stoked, enjoy your strat!

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This is a Very Pretty Guitar.

Was chatting to a mate on IG yesterday telling him that I need to sell a couple of guitars that don't get much use, I'm tripping over instruments in my little office/studio.

We were both at a funeral a few hours later, as I was leaving the wake I went to say goodbye, he was sitting with his bandmate, they were both very interested. I pulled a couple of numbers out of the air and we shook on the deal there and then.

The cull begins.

What are you selling? I’d like to make some space tbh but nothing I’d let go is worth anything. I’m still deeply out of love with my longest owned guitar the 2001 USA Tele. Can’t let that go after 24 years and hundreds of gigs tho right?

I bought my dream guitar in summer 2004 when I was sixteen having spent ages savings up for it... a PRS Custom 22. I said I would never ever sell it. Last year I sold it and bought a vintage Gretsch.
I do have other guitars I actually wouldn't sell but it's because they were gifts...

I have a 2001 Tele and it never really inspired me, but I put a humbucker-sized P90 from Monty's in the neck, and a Gibson style switch on a blank control plate, and now it feels a bit quirky. They're really, really solid guitars, and so easy to set up with those individual saddles, but I do get why they're not a really desirable vintage for Fender.

Two TV Juniors, the white single cut and the yellow double cut. I'm also falling out of love with my Les Paul Custom but I need to keep that, I think our Turbonegro tribute band is gonna start up again.

You can't lose the Tele, mod it into something you'll love more. Bender?

Bender would be an ideal mod! I've always wanted one but never come across the right one at a time when I have money for one ready...

Firebird pickup in the neck! It's not all that radical but sounds great in a tele. And you can get proper ones for about £2 on aliexpress

My Tele a triggers’s broom. Only original parts are the body and neck. It has a Glendale bridge and brass saddles, new pots and and switches, new pickguard, Duncan antiquity bridge, and an antiquity humbucker in the neck, it’s had the finish off the neck and Gotoh vintage tuners.

It’s just that after playing a load of different guitars over the years, I’ve found that of all my guitars it’s the one that feels worst in my hands and I’m not sure it really even sounds like a good tele. It’s heavy and not very resonant, the finish is thick and the neck just makes my hand cramp up in a way that doesn’t happen with posher slinkier playing guitars or cheaper things with more of a junky high action vibe. I dunno man. Maybe I can bring it back, but right now, I just feel like it’s taking up space.

Here it is (with me at a gig in Hoxton) around
2003

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More recently

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Also gawd. With Jenny, RIP.

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This seems to be mid transition…

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I’m keeping it, aren’t I?

Have you thought about getting the neck reshaped to something more comfortable? Cut a big smuggler's compartment under the guard for some weight relief, nitro refin and you might have a different guitar that you love.

Crazy ideas, I know, but you can't get rid of it.

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You're attached to a guitar you don't like playing and which doesn't have big resale value. Keep modding, like @RonAsheton says. Throw some good money after bad and see what you get.

I lay awake getting to that conclusion last night. I think I’m gonna strip and refin the body in nitro and maybe reprofile the fingerboard and a refret. Maybe I’ll turn it into an Esquire as well!

Thanks dudes.

Maybe if I add some weight relief I can stick a Bigsby on it too!

Maybe I’ll turn it into an Esquire as well!

The best idea. Although I did sometimes miss the neck pickup when I did it to mine. Bigsby? You're crazy!! 🤣🙏🏼

It's a vibe

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I know it's a thing. Just seems nuts to make an already heavy guitar even heavier! Your guitar, your prerogative tho'.

I've never weighed any of my guitars before but it's too hot to work so I just did a little comparison.

1997 Epi Riviera (with a Bigsy B7) 3.7kg
2001 Fender USA Tele 3.4kg
Scroungeocaster Strat Partscaster 3.25kg
1999 SG Standard 3.15kg

Weird that my perception of the Riviera is that it's light probably because it's so much bigger that a solid body electric so there's a psychological expectation thing going on there.

I also assumed the reject-bin sourced partscaster would be the lightest. It feels light to me, is thinner than a standard strata and has lightweight vintage parts. I would 100% had this down as the lightest, but nope.

Turns out the SG is lightest of all, again, a bit of a surprise as it has such a chunky neck and just feels quite substantial despite the thin and small SG body. Who knew?

According to a quick search for consensus on the definition; "light" for a Tele, it's anything under 7 and a half pounds... which is pretty much were mine is. So not technically "heavy" after all. Still gonna refin it I think.

Ok - back to work.

Now weigh all of your pedals.

then the piano