BluesKing777
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Posts posted by BluesKing777
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Fantastic!
Very enjoyable, thanks Red.
.....and a merry xmas to all 333 of you.😎
BluesKing777.
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39 minutes ago, j45nick said:
All my friends in Sydney tell me it's pretty wretched right now. I was there working last year for a couple of weeks in January/February. It was warmish for much of the time, but not bad for someone used to Florida.
I worked in Melbourne for a month a few years ago, and that weather was bizarre. Winter and summer, in the same day.
Of course, you live in Florida! Same weather as Sydney summer, I suppose. After acclimatizing to Victoria, we would rather poke ourselves in the eye than suffer that humidity!
Melbourne is probably more like Seattle - I hear it rains and is gloomy most days, yep Melbourne! Except the horrendous north wind days, kinda like a Santa Ana.
Wild ride watching my temp/humidity here - guitars in case with Humidipak probably wishful thinking.
I just played the mini-me 59 LG3 for a 1/2 hour - same tunes as I played on the J50. Smaller sound, rings like a bell, and...the key...still has a wonderful setup! Great guitar, only foible is the 1 11/16" nut so I capo up mostly.....
BluesKing777.
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Just when I was thinking used Gibsons are the future, I am now turning to thinking about brand new unopened in the factory box....
BluesKing777.
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In my first reply hidden among my garble is my mention of having put new strings on (yesterday). Elixir PB mediums 13s. And a closer inspection of everything.
Good news, everything has settled down a bit, tuned the J50 just then with a different tuner, guitar stayed in tune and sounded great. And loud. Really loud guitar! Giving me an earache. So I played through some gentle tabs of fingerstyled faves I printed off the net. Sounded beautiful. I can hear massive potential in melody lines singing out! Once seen to by my luthier, it may just be my best Gibson. Patience plus I have a spare guitar or two.......
Even though I have evaporative air con, it still gets hot...so instead of 120 on Friday, we probably had 90 something inside.
And with a dry cool change Friday overnight, it went to 50 and right now, today at Sunday 10.25am, it is 57! If the willy wind comes from the north it is off the desert and that has been having record temps, then the wind comes from the south, straight off the Antarctic, I guess. I can’ believe I have a jumper on. So everything has been groaning...humans, house, guitar. Tuners!
We only had 2 hot days before the change, but Sydney has been awful for months. Tell ‘em you want to go in July, Nick. February in Sydney. Wow.
BluesKing777.
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Isn’t there a song? “
“I woke up this morning and my guitar was split in half”
My (good) guitars go in good cases mainly, with a Humidipak system in each case. It is not foolproof but better than torturing the poor things.
I am zipping to a music shop that claims to have 2 Humidipaks in stock later, rare as hen’s teeth here. I have the Oasis humidifiers on 2 guitars currently and refilling those all the time is a full time job. Gone.
I read somewhere that acoustic guitars like the same conditions as humans.
BluesKing777.
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Thanks Nick!
Oh oh.....already squirted TriFlow in the lube holes......and we can’t buy naptha in Aust. I had a can of Ronson zippo fluid, also illegal now, and it has ‘moved’ when our carpet got flooded.....long story. Real long. But I fastidiously wiped the tuners after application of the lube - I have used that stuff since I got it from StewMac about 10 years ago. I put some on a pushbike chain as suggested by the same ‘expert’ that talked me into tubeless tyres that intentionally go flat...yep, 2 bikes with flat tyres in the garage. (Queen’s English for tires!). And the TriFlow attracted every bit of dust on the bike track.....
I will play the J50 again in a minute. We have had severe weather changes and I have had trouble keeping the guitar in tune. I think I was having trouble tuning my tuners with my tuners! (New tuner battery time perhaps). The guitar was giving me the irits and I was thinking I know why shops don’t change the strings.....so I put it back in its luxury Hiscox to stew in its juice. And played my fabulous perfectly intonated and in tunable Taylor 717e Grand Pacific Builder’s Edition V- Braced. How’s that name for a mouthful?
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention - this J50 is really, really LOUD!
BluesKing777.
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It is too early to compare the 2 guitars yet......the 2005 Dove was playable and gig ready, just needed new strings.
The 2002 J50 has been really mistreated and neglected and will take time and work to catch up with the Dove. I will take it to the luthier after he returns from holidays in a month or so. I put new strings on it today. The more I look, the more there is to do. The nut is uneven, 3rd string slot too low and buzzing a bit. The saddle is too high and leaning forward in the saddle slot slightly. The first 4 or 5 frets have been changed some time ago, but some higher up near 10 - 12 are awful. I lubed the tuners and will give them a bit longer, a few are stiff and a few loose, but I don’t really like them, worn out I suppose. The battery was left too long and welded itself to the connector and when I tried to change it, the contacts stayed joined to the old battery. I have taped the wire to the side of the soundhole to stop the wires flapping around every time I moved the guitar. Previous owner kept his unslotted pins, I guess, and put in original plastic slotted pins to sell the guitar.....might be buzzing a bit.
So....frets, a setup, tuners, nut, saddle, pins, new pickup (I did intend to get a full version Anthem, but may just get a new connector for the existing Element and hope it works.), plus undiscovered joys by the doc.....it may be a while.
Now the Dove needs........me to go play it!
BluesKing777.
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OK, busy business been going on!
New strings on the J50...Elixir PB Mediums 13s, cleaned fretboard, bridge as I go, lubed the tuners, rub lead pencil on contact points at nut and bridge for lube of strings........
Noticed the bridge has been slotted but the plastic pins have slots......hmm, someone kept their nice pins?
Couple of the tuners are tight and overall the whole lot aren't much, but I have been spoiled with things like the Schaller M6's on my Cargill, Gotoh 510's on Lowdens etc.
I taped the connector lead (needs a new connector soldered on) for the battery to the side of the soundhole to stop it flapping around every time I get up.
J50 sounds great!
Dragged the 59 Gibson LG3 out to have a good comparison....took some photos:
P.S. I just noticed the photos are a bit dark - I have my market umbrella up for shade - here, it was 115 or abouts yesterday, about 70 and humid now.....
BluesKing777.
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If that sucker falls off while you are plugged in, it is going to sound like a bomb going off! If you are gigging with PA, the customers will hit the deck. “Surprise!”, you could tell them.🙂
The bag in my BK kept coming off and after I bounced the battery around banging all parts, I had enough. Out with the big guns - I superglued the “A” section to the neck block.....it holds when I pull the “B” section with battery in it. Just a baby dob of glue did it.
And remember to change batteries regularly and if you are not using it, take it out. My recent J50 purchase had the battery welded to the connector and it all came out with the battery.
BluesKing777.
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Thanks KC!
BluesKing777.
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Thanks ratherbwalkn!
BluesKing777
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My thinking too, Nick!
Someone may have relic'd it?
I was watching a show where a couple had hand made distressed bricks and all their timber panels were lightly burnt in Japanese Shou Sugi Ban style. You know, wait for the oven to cool down to a certain temp, give the guitar a quick pass....
New strings tomorrow and it will sound like a 2019 model, i suppose and i will be searching for a pack of Black diamonds!
BluesKing777.
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Thanks Nick and Lars!
I think maybe, for me, this could be better than a 55 because it has a bigger neck and slightly wider nut!
BluesKing777.
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Thanks for the reply, Sal!
BluesKing777.
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This just fell out of it, so I pressed record.... my solo version of Hank William's "Cheating Heart" on my 2002 Gibson J50....(though I could probably say it was a 1955, it sounds so ...old!)
BluesKing777.
P.S.
A couple of extra photos I didn't post before...
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1 hour ago, j45nick said:
Wowser!
OK, we know it sounds great as a bottleneck guitar with ancient strings. How about some new strings to see what she can really do?
Thanks Nick.
New strings on Saturday afternoon....
Meanwhile I will experiment with my Open G list...can never have enough.
(Hey, I have a friend who doesn’t know how to change guitar strings. True. It is no joy playing his guitar, let me tell you. But I was thinking how I know how to change strings and I don’t think anyone showed me - I just worked it out as I went.)
BluesKing777.
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Thanks Murph!
It is hard to know if what I hear in my headphones is the same as everyone else, so thanks for the recording feedback.
BluesKing777.
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Thanks Sal!
I recorded with the Neumann KM184 as an overhead.....mic on a boom arm looking down at my head...hoping to avoid peakiness and boom. It can get a bit thin.
I had another practice/play session since. I have now tried the J with my M80, my Sunrise and a Seymour D MagMic and meanwhile the slide has cleaned the rust and food fat off the old strings, a bit. But the 3rd string is toneless like it is an old Black Diamond.
BluesKing777.
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As promised, here is some bottleneck slide on my 2002 Gibson J50.
I think these strings that I got from that fella are going to stay on, what was his name Mudie, Moodey, Muddy?
My version of RJ's "Love In Vain":
BluesKing777.
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43 minutes ago, jedzep said:
Oh, you'll snap that E turning it into a G. Go slack and twist the E to F then proceed the rest of the way to open F in the G shape. Scrape the salami and cheese off first.
Don't you have a stash of old strings to slap on 'til you get some time?An old guy I worked for years ago use to say: "Paper we have plenty, money not enough!
I have plenty of strings....plenty of guitars.....😏
I am starting to be a bit scared of taking the bridge pins out and looking in those little neglected holes. And having a good look at the frets. And a good look at the nut and saddle. And a good look at the tuners, Big E stiff.
I will use my gritty Blue Murano glass bottleneck and it may just move some more rust and gunk off those strings. If they don't break.😥 Open low F then.
BluesKing777.
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I will be on a break from work in a minute - something in my water is telling me to try the J50 in Open G with bottleneck with the old strings before I change them...unless they break while re-tuning....😓
I will eat something first and consider.
BluesKing777.
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34 minutes ago, philfish said:
They say " Things come in threes " Here's to next one.
The first two are sweet!
I'm out!
Next is to lose 3....😎
BluesKing777.
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Thanks VW!
Let this be an example for all you people that leave your guitar on the back lawn after a drink or 2....😨
BluesKing777.
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8 hours ago, ratherbwalkn said:
Nice find enjoy!
Thanks ratherbwalkn!
After things calmed down late last night, I sat on the chair in front of the TV (sound off) and had a play of the J50. Really nice - I may have worn some rust off the strings.
I don't understand the mindset of leaving those strings on at the shop - they are saving coins but losing money...my opinion.
The guitar has only been at the shop for a couple of months, so the previous owner, I think,has left the strings on possibly since new...and the battery, which has melted.
Weird. But things happen and the guitar has sat on a stand for years, I guess.
BluesKing777.
BK - J50 v Dove Comparison
in Gibson Acoustic
Posted
I bought some more Humidipaks at a music shop and while I thought it could be mayhem at the shop, I was the only one there! The Boss wanted to go to the pet shop and that place was jumping in comparison. The roads and drivers were horrible, one driver in particular had psychopathic tendencies after not giving way etc, etc, and waving his arms and gave me the finger. All that and he was at fault.....and he had never heard me play guitar either.🙂
Anyway, the J50 has been humidified with an Oasis all week and had the Humidipak over night and the guitar seems to be settling very well. We will keep it on the program and see, but already the fret ends aren’t as sharp. I may have got to the guitar just in time to save it from a massive wrreeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkk———rrrrrrrrrrAAACkkkkkkkk.
I played the J50 for about an hour and this guitar is just a killer. A few things to get sorted out yet but it just sings beautifully.
I had a cup of tea, then played the Dove as a mini comparison for myself. Just a wonderful guitar but not one thing like the J50 in any way. A great clear sound and nice to play. I may try mediums, only change!
But I can tell you, if whoever sold these guitars cheap after not giving them any humidity, love or attention..........if they heard me playing them before and the sounds coming out of these, well.....they would be kicking themselves in nice forum language. And the guitars haven’t even met the Master (luthier) yet!!!
BluesKing777.