fortyearspickn

Mark Knopfler is putting much of his guitar collection up for auction at Christies on Jan.31st.... 1959 Les Paul expected to go for $400 THOUSAND.

Before we moved to San Antonio - my LG1 needed a fret job and I wanted advice on replacing the plastic bridge, and if so - then the bridge plate. Several recommendations from guitar shop staff led to a good guy who did a good job on the frets, but suggested leaving the bridge alone - "If it's not broken, don't fix it." His shop was in a Shed in his back yard. He had guitars he was building in various stages of completion. But I wouldnt say he was an actual 'luthier'. I think there's a world of difference between some tasks and others. Fret leveling, tweaking a truss rod, even re-gluing braces. But replacing/resetting a bridge /bridge plate - I think would require more vetting of the 'luthier'. I reattached the bridge on my wife's old Harmony. Not pretty, but it's still firmly attached 20 years later.

I'm sure this already great sounding guitar will rise to stellar heights once you tweak it, and it warms up ! You're right - probably no insulation. We had a house in Central Mass built in 1917 - had stucco outside, plaster inside with NEWSPAPER 'insulation' in between. Needless to say, it was old and deteriorated.

I spent sometime researching different characteristics of wood 15 years back when we were having our carpet replaced with wood. Chose cherry, which is pretty hard and affordable. Caused me to start looking at tone woods from the perspective of 'wood experts', not just guitar wood experts. ... sort of a rabbit hole.

Notes, When we lived in Miami, we use to enjoy watching the local news crews going out to the beach to film shots of the tourists in their bathing suits laying in the sand, while the natives walked by in their winter coats. Cognitive Dissonance !

Time to reassess which guitar I'm bringing with me to that desserted island.

The J45 bracing is asymmetrical, so I assume the G45's is as well. So it would not cause 'issues' per se. Only sound different.

17 here in this corner of South Texas. Soon, they'll be skating across the Rio Grande.... Does Nike make ice skates ?

For a few years, my Lionel would stop. I couldn't figure out why. When I got older, and not inclined to run the train ad nauseam around the Christmas tree - my father finally told me the reason they stopped - tinsel falling across the track shorted out the current going to the locomotive. First, it was Santa Clause, the tinsel was the final straw !

39 on our back porch... 33 officially per AppleWatch.

Since the J45 and the Southern Jumbo are very, very similar - given the ridiculous secret code system Gibson uses and changes to designate models - I'd not be concerned about this discrepancy. Assuming you've eliminated all the usual clues re. fakes - like 3 screw truss rod covers. G'Luck.

I'm guessing the small amount of oil in most of our fingers most of the time is all the wood really needs. Especially if you don't wash your hands after eating fried chicken.

Yep - I used Lemon Oil for decades with no problem. The key is to use it sparingly - not too much and not too often. I just figured pros who beat the h3!j out of natural wood cutting boards would be worth listening to.

KR, I’d try to get that Lemon oil off. It is petroleum based with an artificial lemon scent to mask the scent. Coconut Oil is a 100% natural product recommended by manufacturers of cutting boards.

A few years ago, I was trying to learn to throw a ball accurately with my left/non-dominant hand - playing fetch with the dogs - because my right shoulder was not 100%. I googled/researched Baseball players who were pitchers in the Majors who could throw, PITCH, with either arm. As I recall there were only 2 or 3. But, it is clear, you can learn to do anything with your non-dominant hand that you could with your dominant. Switch hitters and ambidexterous folks prove it. Although, teachers tried to force children learning to right to Only use their right hand. Maybe because all the pencils were righties. The 5 string banjo requires much more hammering on, pulling off, sliding and bending. I'd guess some songs/players generate 15% of the 'notes' with their left hand. I wonder if you are a better player, the more your brain is wired towards being ambidexterous? But, obviously, it's a different animal.

Funny how we progress over the years. Start out as newbies frustrated with hurting fingers and buzzing notes, learning to tune without electronic tuners... . Then we get to the next level where we can play cowboy chords, maybe even read music. Then, hopefully an awakening - where we can enjoy our own music. Those who don't get there - quit, probably more than half who pick up a guitar. Then we might gig with others or join a group or even perform.... Finally, where I am and some here on this thread, re-discovering the joy of finding a new song and learning it from scratch. And just plain simple 'noodling'. To answer the classic question posed here occasionally: "How many guitars do you need?" When you've reached the peak, your peak, this peak, I think only one good one you can truly bond with. Like your friend - that old Labrador Retriever. With fond memories for the Pit Bull guitars you had decades ago - you remember Music is to be experienced, not just heard.

If this is one of those "If you could only have one guitar..." First World Problems, I agree wholeheartedly with Anne. "Pick Me" Pick Me (Shrek reference).... the 185 will give you more depth of tone choices, playing styles than a J45. My 'opinion' is based on years with a J-45 Custom and and an SJ200. Assuming the 185's b/s are maple. Or to put it this way - if there were a fire here - I'd grab my SJ200 first. He who hesitates ...

Saturn, they only have 5 stings (pronounced "Strangs) ... one is only half sized ! it should have taken you LESS time to restring than a guitar !!! AND ... are those turtles ears red from having to listen to blue grass ?

Yep - Cabarete - a small town 10 miles East of Porta Plata. Nice week - winter as I recall. Got some nice pieces of amber.

Gibson should have also hired a guy from Sherwin Williams. They come up with all sorts of cool color names. Rose Brocade... Dutch Tile Blue... Pineapple Cream... Tequila Sunrise....Oh, wait.

Hyperbole. Yep. No burritos in the Dominican when I was there a decade ago - breakfast or otherwise. But 90% of the vehicles were mopeds. Men load their wife and three kids on them.. And use their moped, or motorcycle if lucky - to move their refrigerator to their new home. Mexico, of course, being proximate to the US, has a lot of cars. Most with the VINS scratched off. Never been ashore in Cuba - but they have a lot of nice US Classics from a time warp circa 1950s from the videos I've seen. Point being - none of those cultures pay much attention to traffic laws. And we're starting to move in that direction.

Really nice color. Would have picked a different name. Caribbean Blue sounds better than Seaweed... Looks like Gibson has hired a paint mixer guy from Subaru.

Speed limits are First World problems.: In Third World countries, the peasants ride livestock or walk - while their rulers ride Escalades. Sort of like when we complain about errant glue drops inside our $3K guitars. Traffic enforcement here seems to have become a thing of the past, along with people obeying speed limit 'suggestions'. Something tells me there are no burros or donkeys on that island - only Escalades.

We have a granddaughter who is growing out of that phase. She wasn't half that bad. Just turned 12. I give her guitar lessons. From what you've described re. your 14 y/o niece - I would rather have a dog than a niece, granddaughter or daughter like that. Being from an older generation than her parents - I would not put up with that carp. it will only lead to her being a dysfunctional, anti-sociable person with no real friends or joy in her life. You might tell her now about the Lost Pony story. Might result in an awakening. G'Luck.

Hey Jude - The Beatles Honky Tonk Women - The Rolling Stones