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Your favourite practice instrument


GuitarGeordie

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As I enter my music studio (spare bedroom), I am spoiled for choice.

Do I pick up my Hummingbird 12 string, Gretsch G6138 or perhaps the historic SJ200?

 

Nah....I pick up my ES 390: small but perfectly formed and an action to die for.

 

What do you chose? It's over to you.

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Electric (plugged) or noodling (unplugged) it's usually my R0.

Acoustic it's almost always my 1940's Di Mauro Special Chorus f-hole arch-top Gypsy-Jazzer.

 

Oh, whyever not post a couple of gratuitous snaps into the bargain?

 

Marmalade_2015_zps5xmdsobd.jpg

 

Antoine_Di_Mauro_Special_Chorus_zpsvbzdfdph.jpg

 

Pip.

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I have trimmed my collection down to seven, including one acoustic. I practice with them all fairly regularly, but my favorite is the Carvin SH550.

 

I've been practicing a lot with this one (Ibanez Artcore AFJ-91)), because I've recently had it repaired, and It's like having a new guitar. If I can get this pic to come thru, I am posting it because I had its fourth tailpiece installed. The first one broke, the next one I didn't like, the next one also broke, and this one is very similar to the design of a Byrdland tailpiece, which I like.

 

Ibanez Artcore AFJ-91

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As I enter my music studio (spare bedroom), I am spoiled for choice.

Do I pick up my Hummingbird 12 string, Gretsch G6138 or perhaps the historic SJ200?

 

Nah....I pick up my ES 390: small but perfectly formed and an action to die for.

 

What do you chose? It's over to you.

 

I just play whatever is closest.

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how do you wear out a fret board?

By having a Thor-like grip and mercilessly (pun) grinding the strings into the wood as you play?

This is a snap of the fingerboard taken over 35 years ago of my second-hand (then-recently purchased - but already 16 years old) Strat;

 

Scan-110325-0013lo-res.jpg

 

Those divots were DEEP!

Happily my own grip is more lady-like in the firmness stakes...

 

Pip.

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By having a Thor-like grip and mercilessly (pun) grinding the strings into the wood as you play?

This is a snap of the fingerboard taken over 35 years ago of my second-hand (then-recently purchased - but already 16 years old) Strat;

 

Scan-110325-0013lo-res.jpg

 

Those divots were DEEP!

Happily my own grip is more lady-like in the firmness stakes...

 

Pip.

 

My fretboards aren't worn down on my 30+ year old guitars that I've played all these years. The frets, bridge, tailpiece, back of neck, back of guitar, tops of guitars where my arm rests, etc., well, that's a different story. Fingernails tend to do that to the fretboard and mine are trimmed close. The white knuckled grip of death is surely a factor. That guitar looks scary and awesome at the same time, Pip.

 

By the way, what year is your R0? I love the look of it.

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By having a Thor-like grip and mercilessly (pun) grinding the strings into the wood as you play?

This is a snap of the fingerboard taken over 35 years ago of my second-hand (then-recently purchased - but already 16 years old) Strat;

 

Scan-110325-0013lo-res.jpg

 

Those divots were DEEP!

Happily my own grip is more lady-like in the firmness stakes...

 

Pip.

 

So that's a pic after you had recently purchased that guitar? Why did you buy it if the fretboard looked like that? Or are you saying you did that in the time since you had "recenty" purchased it?

 

I've had my LP Classic for almost 20 years and I've played the **** out of it, the frets are shot, I've worn the finish away in places and it's got dents and dings everywhere..... but the fretboard looks fine.

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...That guitar looks scary and awesome at the same time, Pip...

Surprisingly, perhaps, that 'board was perfectly comfortable to play. I didn't even notice the ruts when 'in use'. Even the pretty-far-gone fret-work had no detrimental effect on playability.

That snap was taken very soon after I bought the guitar (L16783; "Jan 02 1964") in 1980 and it needed no remedial work whatsoever right up until the day it was sold in 2004.

Fantastic instrument. It's the only guitar I sort-of regret selling.

 

...By the way, what year is your R0? I love the look of it.

Thank you, Michael. It's a 1995.

No hide glue, of course, but somehow it still manages to sound OK to my ears......msp_biggrin.gif......

 

Pip.

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Thank you, Michael. It's a 1995.

No hide glue in sight and the truss-rod even has a sheath but somehow it still manages to sound OK to my ears......msp_biggrin.gif......

 

Pip.

 

I've heard that they 90's were pretty good years for Les Pauls. Your opinion?

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So that's a pic after you had recently purchased that guitar?...

Yes.

 

...Why did you buy it if the fretboard looked like that?...

Because it was easily the best-sounding Strat I'd ever played in my admittedly short time (4 years or so) as a player. I compared it directly with around 7 or 8 others - both used and new - and there was absolutely no question as to which was 'right' for what I wanted.

Bear in mind that at the time in question (Dec 1979 was when I put it aside for collection in the new year) these old Strats were not sought-after. The 'Vintage' craze had yet to appear. Everyone back then wanted the newer big-head-style Woodstock/Blackmore type Strats. Also the newer Strats had very differently voiced p'ups whereas the '64 had the more old-fashioned laid-back quack and hollowness I happened to prefer.

 

As far as the playability is concerned, as I said above, I couldn't tell the 'board was anything but perfect when in use.

Perhaps my style was similar enough (but 100x lighter!) to the previous owners' and the wear was exactly where I would have worn the 'board myself if I had a stronger touch?

My fingertips hardly put any pressure on the surface of a 'board; the strings are pressed onto the frets but not too firmly. As said in the earlier post; my touch is light enough not to have been bothered by the depressions in the fret-work.

 

Pip.

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I've heard that they 90's were pretty good years for Les Pauls. Your opinion?

Years ago I spent a very long while hunting for 'my' ideal LP (I was in no rush) and after playing literally hundreds that R0 is the one I ended up buying. Funnily enough I knew it was "The One" after around 30 seconds' worth of playing it unplugged. It's spectacularly good at providing what I require.

Since acquiring that one I've bought a further three fantastic LPs which happen to be a '91, a '93 and another '95, so make of that what you will.....

 

I have to say, though, that a few of the CC instruments I've played have also been spectacularly good and the Kossoff replica might well have been able to give the R0 a run for its money - if only the neck-break hadn't been quite so carefully replicated!

 

Pip.

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