RBSinTo

Chief, We both own Martin's, so that tends to pollute any specialosity (speciality? specialness?) which we might have acquired by owning Gibson's. So no, I Don't think we have the instrumental purity required by the invitees to be considered "special". RBSinTo

Even in this hotbed of Gibsonophilic hyperbole this stands out as outlandish nonsense. And what is even more outrageous, is that none of the invitees to the party have taken the time to call this person on it. RBSinTo

Perhaps this is another reason one sees so many outrageously and laughably priced guitars for sale from Japanese sellers on eBay. RBSinTo

Dave, I forgot to mention that I have two other acoustics, a 1974 D-28, and a 2000ish Washburn parlour guitar, as well as a 1960-70ish ES-335 knock-off, so I've got lots of guitars on hand to noodle my brains out as necessary. RBSinTo

Dave, Currently, to even get the Luthiers to examine an instrument, it must be left with them for two weeks. So I simply can't be bothered. Perhaps when everything opens up and I can get a reasonably quick examination and verdict, I pursue this. Again, it is really nothing more than an affectation, which, if I try to satisfy might lead to an very expensive conclusion, and successful or not does nothing to improve the playability, or more important, the sound quality of the guitar. If/when I get it properly examined, I'll let you know what the findings are. RBSinTo

Jedzep, As a follow-up to this discussion, I spoke to a Luthier today while in the recently re-opened-to-the-public Cosmo Music store here in Toronto. We discussed swapping out the tuners on the j-45, and while I did not have the guitar with me, from my description of the repaired break and the position of the break in relation to the tuner posts for the bass and treble E-strings, the Luthiers comment was essentially that " Yes, the swap could be made, as long as I was prepared to possibly spend a great deal of money if the process resulted in unforseen consequences (such as the original repair failing from whatever work was done)". His personal opinion was to live with the original tuners and forget about trying to switch them. And I've decided to go with his recommendation. Again, I appreciate your comments and advice. RBSinTo

As an aside, my oldest friend was the lead guitar player in a '60s in a locally successful rock band here in Toronto. He used an ES-335 with light gauge Rock and Roll strings, and practiced so much that I remember him having to play gigs with the grooves in the tips of his fingers cut and bleeding. RBSinTo

I don't understand the point of this thread. Play for an hour or two a day every day, and your fingertips will look like that as well. Nothing new or extraordinary about Mr. Pike's left hand. And unsurprisingly, those of us who have guitars other than Gibsons, get the same result and also feel its worth "it" (whatever "it" is supposed to be) when we have the grooved callouses from playing them. RBSinTo

Chief, I'm sure Newton dropped one or two things before the business with the apple, but sometimes things just all come together to bring about an Eureka moment like this one. And I had no idea his middle name was Shirley. RBSinTo

If that apple hadn't fallen on Isaac Newton's head, he wouldn't have "discovered" gravity, and we wouldn't be having these problems. He probably didn't even play a guitar. RBSinTo

Another reason for using a strap rather than a knee cushion is that I can be totally hands free as necessary without having to worry about dropping the guitar. And if at some time in the future when someone has a chance to acquire a well kept, beautifully-sounding 50-odd year old D-28, they are deterred by the strap button in the heel, well, that's their problem, not mine. RBSinTo

Chief, Your comment brings up an interesting point: what happens to a guitar like this one which is returned and is not pristine, and in fact has sustained damage? RBSinTo

Chief, Sorry if my actions disturbed your beauty sleep. I wouldn't have resorted to strap buttons except that my supply of Di-Lithium crystals to power my Anti-Gravity Device had run out, and the Quartermaster at Area 51 kept putting me on hold. Duct taping the guitar to my chest wasn't working either, so what else could I do? RBSinTo

Neither my 1974 D-28, nor my 2001 j-45 Standard (both purchased used) came with neck strap pins. Even though I always play sitting down, I prefer to hold the guitars quite high and needed to use them with neck straps. So I had strap pins installed on both by Luthiers, and in each case they suggested that the pins be put at the number five position, and relying on their expertise I agreed. RBSinTo

And exactly what method do you recommend he use to make that comparison and convey it in words (no less) so we can all understand? Is there an an agreed upon standard model guitar for the sound of spruce/mahogany guitars kept carefully locked away in a vault at The Bureau of Standards, whose electronic voiceprint we use to judge and compare all others? Or are we to assume it will be by the owner expressing more of the nebulous and essentially meaningless, silly phrases we've seen in other threads here explaining in words how a musical instrument sounds, in somewhat in the same mode as the pretentious wine-loving crowd use words to explain the taste of wine? My vote goes to " I liked the sound of the dinged one, and I like the sound of the replacement just as much". RBSinTo

Chief, I couldn't have said it better myself. Oh wait. I think I did. RBSinTo

I have no idea if this is a good price or not, but keep in mind that the price quoted is in Canadian dollars and includes a consignment mark-up for the store. I have no horse in this race and only brought it up here for people who might be interested. RBSinTo

Boyd, That's called Good Customer Service. And in exchange for a 50 cent plastic clip, Peterson will get a lifetime of good publicity. A lesson that has been lost on so many companies today. RBSinTo

Don't remember, and don't know. RBSinTo

Jeff, It obviously bothers you enough that you took the time to comment here. So why not speak to the dealer? Perhaps you can swap it for another one that sounds equally good, or even get a bit of a discount on the original price for the slight cosmetic imperfection. Worth a shot. RBSinTo

There was a contentious thread a while back (that has since been removed) in which who played what was discussed. Being the uninvited to the party, punch bowl turd hurler that I am, I posted a long list of artists who only used Martin guitars over their careers. It was long and distinguished. Mr. McCoy is kidding himself. RBSinTo

Chief, I have a pick in my car for when I go into a guitar store. If a guitar needs tuning there, I can tune the strings to relative pitch easily enough to noodle. RBSinTo

I have a Snark which works very well, and as my 11 year old grand-daughter's Guitar teacher says when we use it to tune up before her lessons, "Close enough for rock and roll." But as an aside, in this age of Smartphones, unless you're a Luddite like me and don't have one, why aren't you guys using guitar tuning apps though them?

Just a heads-up for anyone interested in a vintage Epiphone from the days when they were still an American-made tier one guitar. The Twelfth Fret music store here in Toronto has one for sale and it can be seen in their "Just in" section. RBSinTo

Just a heads-up to the Epiphonesters who yearn for a vintage guitar from the days when Epiphone acoustics were American-made, tier one instruments. There is a 1966 Epiphone Texan FT79N for sale at the Twelfth Fret Music Store here in Toronto. Just thought I'd pass this information along. RBSinTo