Customising an acoustic guitar

We've all done it, or know someone who has done it.
At the very least we've all played a guitar that's been customized.
Most common customization on an electric guitar is the pick ups or the bridge.
Then there's the finish, the scratchplate, the nut, machine heads, you can go on and on with an electric, to the point where you have the old " this is my great granfathers original axe, my granfather replaced the handle and my father replaced the head" style of thing.
But what about acoustic guitars?
There's not really a lot you can do with an acoustic. There's no pick ups to replace, the bridge is bolted and glued onto the body, if you mess with the finish you can mess with the tone.

I've been sort of customizing my acoustic over the years without realising, and indeed without intending to.

I have a Crafter FSG 250E.

Nice little guitar and suitable for the purpose. I've had it 11 years now and have been happy with it all this time.
Not long after I got it I made the first change. Purely for aesthetic reasons I replaced the machine heads. The stock Crafter machine heads were fine, kept tune and were relativley stable, but they were chrome, I wanted gold. So I bought a set of gold grovers and fitted them, like I say it was purely aesthetic reasons.

 

I never intended to make any other changes, but circumstances sometimes take over. I mainly used the guitar for home use and home recording. Then I started going to various open mic nights with the guys I was in a band with.

This particular model came fitted with a passive pick up. This was fine in itself, but meant if I wanted to amplify the guitar it would have to through an amp. At most of the open mics I went to, although amps were provided and I could take my own if neccesary, I thought it would be better if I could just plug into the PA directly, meaning all I had to take with me would be the guitar. So a few years ago I looked for an active pick up. I trawled guitar forums to find the best one......turns out it was about £300!!, so I read up as much as I could to find a more reasonable priced one, I'm not tight, just skint, but I wasn't going to buy the cheapest one I could find, just the most expensive I could afford.

As most people are aware it's not the price that matters at the end of the day, it's all about the actual quality. Now I'm not saying a £300 Fishman won't be good, but by the same token a £10 chinese piezo might not be crap.

The eventual pick up I bought cost about £30, I got it on eBay. It's RRP was £60, but I was patient enough to trawl ebay until I found what I wanted at the price I wanted. That's the beauty of eBay, if there's something you want, as long as you're patient, you don't have to pay full price for it.

So after a while I managed to get it. Cos it was active, and had a battery compartment as well as more than just volume and tone, it was a bit bigger than the original. So I had to enlarge the hole where the control unit fitted. Not a major job and didn't cause and damage to the guitar or affect the overall tone.

The operation was a roaring success.

( there should be a photo here, but I've tried and tried but can't get any of the photos to load, sorry )

So anyway that was that.

 

Then one day I was bored and trawling through eBay...............

I was actually looking for a soundhole cover when I came across an "O" port.

What was this strange device? I googled it, read the company blurb ( obviously they said is was the greatest thing since sliced bread, so I read through a few guitar forums. To be honest they didn't help one little bit. There was a definate 50/ 50 split between it being amzing to being a waste of money. So all that was left for me to do was buy one and decide for myself. After all it wasn't expensive.

A couple of days later it was delivered. I wanted to know what sort of real difference it made, so I recorded a short piece on the guitar, then fitted the "O" port and recorded the same piece.

When I played the two pieces back.....I couldn't tell a blind bit of difference!

I've sort of convinced myself that the mid range tones are a bit better, but to be honest I'm not entirely convinced. In fairness it doesn't detract anything either, so it's a lesson learned.

 

 

The story doesn't end there either.

 

Away back in the 80's there was a device made by a company called Asprii, it was a mechanical device for producing acoustic reverb. I was intrigued, but at £80 a go it was beyond my reach ( my weekly wage at the time was £90, the Asprii's were so hard to find as well).

I always had Asprii on my saved search list on good old eBay and sure enough it popped up one day. Brand new, loads of them, around £50 each ( compared with £80 25 years ago!!)

But I still didn't pay full price, got a used one for £16!

Sure enough it's as easy to fit as the manufacturers say, only takes seconds.

And with this you can hear the difference immediatley. Has an excellent full reverb tone. Wish I had got one away back in the eighties. I would recommend them, the only downside is the reverb isn't noticable in a gigging situation, so it's really for using at home, or if you have a microphone in front of your guitar, but still a nice item to have.

 

 

 

So you can customise an acoustic guitar, even if you don't mean to.

 

 

A Guitar for drummers?

I've come across a lot of weird and wonderfull guitars in my time. Some have a specific purpose, some are just barking mad.

Then there's the Jasperbridge Percussion Guitar.

Mad as a box of frogs. The strings are on the front, and the back.

At first glance it looks like it's back to front/ upside down just plain mental.

Don't know what it's like to play, obviously requires a whole new technique, and the fact that it has to stay on a stand would require a different discipline for those of us who like to move about.But you get to beat it with a drum stick ( helpfully supplied with the guitar ). Buddy Guy and Joe Bonnamassa have used a similar technique, but this is the first guitar specifically built for this technique. It's an interesting variation, and the build reminds me of those Escher drawings of infinate stairs. Definatley eye catching.

Any innovation in guitars is a good thing, new techniques/ playing styles, help make a guitarist adaptable and it's good that there are guitar builders out there who are challenging the normal perception of how a guitar should be played, but also how a guitar should be built.

If it is as good as the manufacturers would like it to be the next logical step would be to build bass and maybe even acoustic variations. I can see a bass version being very popular.

Would like to try one, if only for the novelty value, so if the manufacturers want to send me one ......

Check out the full spec on the official website

http://myjbridge.com/home.cfm

Almost A Cure

The Variax 500. 25 guitars in one, and with the aid of a workbench programme, endless variations are available. So basically the only guitar you'd ever need.

You'd think so wouldn't you?

On the one hand, yes, on the other hand........it's another guitar for my collection.

The Variax 500 was introduced in 2002 by Line 6.

The bridge of a Variax electric guitar has an individual piezoelectric pickup for each string. Each of these 6 signals is converted individually to a digital signal in the guitar's electronics. This allows for separate processing of the signals from each string. This allows two technologies that would otherwise be impossible: the modeling of effects caused by one string on the others, and virtually altering the pitch of each individual string, allowing guitarists to switch between different tunings using a pedal or a switch on the guitar.

The result of this is that you can change from one modelled guitar to another. The technology works well, and the actual tone achieved, well the purist might quibble but they're still bloody good.
The models you can access are :
* 1960 Fender Telecaster Custom
* 1968 Fender Telecaster
* 1968 Fender Telecaster Thinline
* 1959 Fender Stratocaster
* 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard
* 1952 Gibson Les Paul "Goldtop"
* 1961 Gibson Les Paul Custom (3 PU)
* 1956 Gibson Les Paul Junior
* 1976 Gibson Firebird V
* 1955 Gibson Les Paul Special
* 1959 Gretsch 6120
* 1956 Gretsch Silver Jet
* 1968 Rickenbacker 360
* 1966 Rickenbacker 360-12
* 1961 Gibson ES-335
* 1967 Epiphone Casino
* 1957 Gibson ES-175
* 1953 Gibson Super 400
* 1959 Martin D-28
* 1970 Martin D 12-28
* 1967 Martin O-18
* 1966 Guild F212
* 1995 Gibson J-200
* 1935 Dobro Alumilite
* Danelectro 3021
* Coral/Dano Electric Sitar
* Gibson Mastertone Banjo
* 1928 National Style 2 "Tricone"
I can't comment on the vintage tones, but I can say that the range available is amazing and probably makes this the most versatile guitar available.

In a live gigging situation this is the only guitar I need, I can switch from acoustic to electric, smooth jazz to dirty rock.

I only recently bought this guitar, I've been intrigued for years but was worried it might be a gimmick. It was only after seeing a mate playing one, and talking to him about it, I decided to buy one. I've never regretted it, I really wish I'd bought it years ago.

The other inovation with the Variax, is that you can connect it to a computer, and using the workbench software you can adjust and tailor the guitar to your own needs. You can programme body shape, pick ups, volume and tone control etc. The possibillites are ( probably ) endless.

A feature that I really like is you can programme in alternate tunings, again this adds to the stage versatility of the guitar. I've even programmed in a Gretsch barritone guitar and a mandolin!

So with all this at your fingertips there's no need to ever buy another guitar...................yeah right!!

I love this guitar to death, but asking me to stop buying guitars is like asking me to stop breathing.

The guitar itself is a joy to play, nice weight, good action and stable tuning. It does everything it promises to do and I can't recommend it highly enough to the gigging musician, but it won't stop me buying the real versions of the guitars it copies, much to my wife's chagrin :-)

Tenor Guitars

The first time I ever saw a tenor guitar was in an Elvis Presley film many many years ago. I can't even remember the film, but I was intrigued about this four string guitar he was playing.
I've had a couple of tenor guitars over the years, I like playing them, they have a lighter sound than a normal six string, for obvious reasons, and they lend themselves to slide playing quite well, and I love playing slide guitar.
I can't work out why they aren't more commonly seen than what they are.
But it wasn't always like this.
Back in the day it seemed that Gibson would make every conceivable variation of their guitars, and so produced a raft of tenor variations of their guitars. I would imagine these were made in limited numbers, if not one off custom models. Either way they'd make a fantastic addition to any collection.

Obviously Gibson weren't the only makers to build these instruments, but I think theirs have a bit of style and panache.

But then we get to Gretsch......

And not to be outdone Rickenbacker had a go, but added a couple of strings to make it a banjo/ guitar

There's dozens of variations of tenor guitars all over the world, and if you're looking for something a wee bit different to the norm, then try one out, whatever your style I don't think you'll be dissapointed .........unless you play death metal I suppose.........


Finally, here's link to a video, it's quite whimsical and made me smile, which was probably the point

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFuwJRKz7Vg

Object Of My Desire...........part 1

The Hagstrom Super Swede.


What's that you say? A Les Paul copy?.............nah!............

Ok it it's very similar to a Les Paul, but it's the subtle differences that set it apart.

The Hagstrom Super Swede has been considered one of Hagstrom’s flagship models, since it was first introduced to the world back in the late 1970’s.

Each Super Swede is crafted using a mahogany body, maple top, and set mahogany neck.

The Super Swede’s 25.5” scale length, provides a brighter tone and longer sustain which makes a wonderful instrument for players looking for more flexibility. The Super Swede naturally features Hagstrom’s own renowned H-Expander Truss rod providing an ultimately stable neck that will not warp or twist, and also being topped with Hagstrom’s own Resinator Fret board material for increased sustain and even tone throughout the entire fret board.

I first came across the Super Swede in the late 70's/ early 80's. I saw Kevin Peek playing one when he was in classical/ prog rock band Sky. I was totally blown away by the tone he achieved. It was such a sweet tone, and, being young and impressionable, I thought that the tone came straight from the guitar, not taking into account the player.

Anyway I loved the look of the guitar as well, yes it did look like a Les Paul, but maybe it's slightly overweight cousin.

I've had the opportunity to play a couple over the years, but for some reason never got round to buying one. They are good guitars to play, feel very comfortable and just slightly heavier than  a LP. The slim neck makes a huge difference, it feels smooth and fast, and the tone is fantastic.

So a Super Swede or Super Swede Select is on my wish list......................which get's longer and longer, no matter how many guitars I buy.

There were a lot of these available in the 70's/ 80's then they seemed to dissapear for a while, in the last couple of years they have been relaunched, and seem to be enjoying a bit of a renaiscance.

Personally I think they're a good alternative to the big American brands, and would say they are as good as a Yamaha SG.

If Hagstrom want to send me one....feel free :-)

Check Out WWW.HAGSTROMGUITARS.COM

The Guitar That Hated Me!

So it doesn't look that bad.
This guitar hated me.
I mentioned it in an earlier post, it's an Epiphone Les Paul. The photo's really don't do it justice, it was a beautiful looking guitar, the grain was a beautiful tiger stripe and I loved the look.
But playing it was like wrestling an alligator.

One of the very few guitars I never got on with, and I do mean few. This honestly was hard work. I bought it in 2000, it was made in 1998. I bought it purely on looks, I was in a shop my mate worked in and as I was leaving I saw it on a stand and bought it there and then, it was only £90!
Didn't try it out or anything, total impulse buy.
From day one it just never felt right. Even the way it hung on the strap didn't feel right. When I played it, it felt like it was constantly wriggling out of my grip.
I'm not superstitious or any of that crap, but looking back, this guitar didn't want me to play it. I couldn't get a decent tone out of it, everything sounded clunky. But because of the look, I persevered with it.
Now I'm not putting down Epiphones, this was an excellent guitar. Well made, excellent set up, I just couldn't get to grips with this one, I've played various other Epiphones since, and even own another Epiphone Les Paul, the only problem was this particular guitar.
I looked after it, I polished it regularly, put lemon oil on the fretboard everytime I changed strings. But it was destined not to be.
Eventually, in 2009 I sold it. For 9 years I persevered with it, but realised I wasn't gonna get anything out of it. So it went on Ebay. I'm just glad there were no kids to worry about :-)
I made a decent profit out of it, and used the money to buy my Gretsch.
Not long after I sold it I got an email from the buyer, he loved it, it was his perfect guitar. Which just shows the vagaries of guitar buying.

For the eagle eyed among you, it IS left handed. I'm naturally left handed, but can play guitar either right handed or left handed, I've played both ways at gigs, just to show off. Cos I'm like that.

The Most Beautiful Guitar Ever Made...........? The Tao Phaeton

Came across this in my wanderings, a truly unnatainable object of desire.

Here's the official blurb, goes into enough detail for everyone. Check out www.taoguitars.com

This project started out as a cure for a friend & customer who was diagnosed with a very acute form of the G.A.S (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome).
We offered to make him a unique masterpiece that would both calm his illness and at the same time bring us the opportunity to build our dream guitar with a “carte blanche”. The whole idea was to build a hollow jazz – guitar that could handle high volume feedback in a more compact rounded ergonomic body with a solid body style sustain…

With its anthropomorphic visual and its experimental crafting method made it the most exotic vintage guitar in our eyes – some kind of mythical piece of craft, a milestone in Guitar History. This gave us the guiding conceptual direction for our “Phaeton”.
As explained by Lewis Williams in the first 1903 catalog “front and back made in swelled shape by being carved, leaving the layer grain of the wood in the same position as in its natural growth, thus insuring strength, free vibration, and unusual sympathetic resonance” or “special relatedness and agreements of parts”.

In all its forms, car styling aesthetics are obvious here, from the two tone color scheme to the sound – holes bearing air intake visual reference, the whole thing breathing our love for the golden years of American Car Design.
The “Phaeton” name has always been synonymous with class and luxury in the automobile history.
The models from the 30’s & 40’s are the most striking examples with the likes of Cadillac, Chrysler, Cord, Packard…
After several brainstorming sessions, and the drawings that resulted, we could finally take to our workbenches with heart. As mentioned earlier, we decided to build the guitar as were built Orville’s style 03 : hand carved out of two solid slabs of wood, spruce for the top & mahogany for the back ( most of Orville’s were in walnut ).
Here we are embarked on a long and exciting journey,carving the top in this nutshell fashion. The shape of the top’s face that was quite a challenge, as we couldn’t easily work around it with our caliper, we decided to bring the piece to correct thickness using the spotlight technique : reducing differences in color shades by checking the top over a light source. From scraping to the final sanding, this process took us almost 200 hours to complete and a thousand more to finish the whole instrument… putting our love & passion in the slightest details, from the custom made pot buttons, the handmade ebony carbon layered tailpiece to our magnet locked lexan back plates. Every single part was either custom made or at least customized to our standards ( see specs ).

A YEAR AND A HALF LATER

We were finally able to hear the thing ! This was the most emotional moment of all ! The Phaeton’s sound was as bold as was striking its looks, leaning toward Gretsch character but with a real voice of its own, smooth sparkling highs and super tight and rich basses, the tuning – fork – bar design giving amazing sustain. Although the Phaeton comes in a hot jazz drapings, this guitar could also unleash a more rockin’ attitude when pushed, which was really pleasant to us!

One piece Spanish cedar with ebony fingerboard & headstock cap featuring Tao custom fretting : we start with medium jumbo to the twelfth fret, and finish with smaller ones, giving your fingers more space to play up the neck ; our single bar double action “carbon flex” truss rod ensuring neck stability and superior playing comfort.

One piece Honduran mahogany back with 2 pieces alpine spruce top

Gotoh “Stealth” tuners with matching color buttons and custom short brass bushings ; Compton solid brass compensated bridge with custom made height adjustment wheels

Polished “vintage style” CTS pots, WCR push – push pots (client request), 3 way Switchcraft with custom made button & ring, Russian paper in oil caps, polished electro – socket output jack, custom wound Bare Knuckle Pickups featuring our trademark hand made covers

Automotive DuPont colors (Rover, Bolero Red /sandalwood beige), clear

nitro lacquer top coat.

.....................sigh.....................one day, one. day.................