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Cougar

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Posts posted by Cougar

  1. I've always loved the CJ165.  Gotta have an abalone rosette.  I'm not into the newer ones at all though, and especially not the cutaways.  This is mainly because, AFAIK, only the early ones -- 2006-2008? -- had ebony fretboards.  Gotta have an ebony fretboard!  And I'm talking about the flamed maple back.  Some do come with a burst, IIRC, but on this model, I can break my strong preference and go either way -- the natural version is just as stunning as the burst.   The thing is, you don't see this model come up for sale on reverb or ebay very often, and especially not with an ebony board.  They're getting really rare.  Worse, the price they used to go for seems to have doubled!  I'll probably have to hit the powerball before I can fulfill this dream....

  2. On 6/2/2021 at 6:46 AM, pearhie said:

    I wonder how many girls are Gibson fans 😄

    Well, I think the wives of the forum's members is a pretty select group of the overall group of "girls."  😉  But no, Mrs. Cougar is not real fond of my guitars, but she does like the look of my Epiphone Dot CH (cherry), particularly in its hard shell tweed case with the bright red interior.  She said "keep that one."  😁

     

     

  3. On 5/28/2021 at 1:39 PM, jdgm said:

    What do you think about the scratchplate near the bridge on mine?

    ....and....anyone...is there such a thing as an 'easy' Leo Kottke tune I can learn?

    The three photo examples in this thread suggest the pick guard positioning is slightly variable, but yeah, yours comes the closest while the others leave a very small gap. 

    Easy Leo Kottke, haha.  I always figured his playing was out of reach.  Until about a week ago, that is, when I happened to start looking into just what the hell he was doing with that syncopated fingerstyle of his.  I guess these days that means google "how to play kottke" lol. This is an ongoing project.   Actually, on one of my recordings of Embryonic Journey I had figured out and included a version of Kottke's intro to his version of that piece.  (Just the intro - the rest of his version - I'd like to know how he does that.)   I guess I also threw in some keys on that version - a tough fit!   

  4. On 5/24/2021 at 1:04 PM, jdgm said:

    I recently got this Guild JF-30 12-string

    Super major congrats, jdgm!  My Corona-built JF30-12 was my first Guild, but I've since got an F-512 and an F-50R.  All jumbos, baby!  I still like my JF30-12 just as well as the much more expensive rosewood-backed F-512.  Both spectacular 12-strings, which I play 90% of the time (along with my Gibby Songwriter 12-string).   Is that an ebony fretboard on yours?  Ebony is fairly rare on a JF30-12.  Mine has it and I love it.

    jib786.jpg

    • Like 1
  5. On 5/11/2021 at 4:34 PM, MasterB said:

    Does anyone out there have tech info on an Epiphone Masterbuilt DR-500 RANGH

    It's a Dreadnought, Rosewood back & sides, Gold Grover open tuners, Spruce top (maybe) No electronics.

    Stamped on the neck block  0309210043, on label G0100043

    Regarding the "RANGH" -- I'd check the label again since that doesn't seem to be a code sequence that Epiphone ever used.  The R typically indicates Rosewood, A indicates Abalone all over the edges of the guitar.  After that, the only codes I've ever seen are "VS" for Vintage Sunburst and "NS" for Natural Satin.  So there are RAVS guitars and RANS guitars.

    The "03..." serial number would normally indicate a 2003 model, which is not compatible to the number on the label.  Is that label number on tape covering the original number?  Is the "03..." number on the "neck block" or on the back of the neck? 

    Photos would help with all these questions.

  6. On 5/21/2021 at 5:44 AM, lhnewman said:

    ...my question is do you think my Guild compares and fills the gap to what I would get with the SJ-200...

    As mentioned, they're going to be different since the D55 is a dread and the SJ200 is a jumbo (or "super jumbo" in Gibson parlance).   Comparable to the SJ200 would be the jumbo Guild F-55, previously named the F-50.  Comes in solid rosewood backed or braceless arched maple.  Either way, the Guild is going to have an ebony fretboard; not so the Gibson....

    Guild F-50R:

    f50r557.jpg

  7. 15 hours ago, ddsax422 said:

    Which website(s) is preferable to order a guitar from?

    Yes, Sweetwater is quite good.  I've ordered a used guitar from GuitarCenter.  It had a flaw, but returning it for a full refund was simple.  Reverb is a website.  I've bought numerous guitars off reverb's site.  I've generally been super happy with the result.

  8. On 5/13/2021 at 1:14 PM, Sgt. Pepper said:

    Not sure what Epi's go for new? $550 maybe. Its got little boo boo on it. Give em $275 maybe. I would go to the Epi forum and ask those guys.

    That's about right.  It's 15 years old.  LPs are $600 brand new.  There are 300 for sale on reverb, so it's rather a buyer's market.

    I've got a 2010 LP Standard plustop that I figure is not even worth selling, so I've kept it....

    lpp390.jpg

  9. 12 hours ago, meanstreak said:

     It plays and sounds miles better than my old 1994 Epi Hummingbird. 

    Major congrats, meanstreak!  Great looking Bird -- love the burst. 

    Yeah, I've also found that higher-end guitars do indeed generally sound better than inexpensive ones.

    • Like 1
  10. 11 hours ago, will66 said:

    Does anyone have any more information on this guitar? About to pull the trigger on one and I have no idea about its value.

    It's a Ren Ferguson designed dreadnought.   The rosewood burst is stunning.  Looks like you could get a new one at a considerable discount if that's the sort of "value" you're talking about.  I'm not sure what Raul is going on about.  I expect the Songwriter "holds its value" about as good as any other higher-end guitar.  But the idea is to get one and play it, not to get one and sell it.  My rosewood burst Songwriter 12-string is flawless, with great balance and projection.

     

  11. 4 hours ago, zombywoof said:

    First welcome.  But geez six months of playing and you worked up to a J200?  After six months of playing I had managed to work my way up from an old archtop which had been given me by a friend of my grandfather to a used Harmony Stella.  At the time I did not know a good guitar from a can of tuna so was thrilled with it.

    Haha!  Yeah, took me several years to decide to buy a guitar that cost more than $500! 

    That headstock flaw is a problem for me.  I agree with fortyears -- take the deal for 10% off a new one arriving in July.  This is two or three months compared to the decade(s) you're going to have this guitar.  An SJ200 is pretty much an ultimate 6-string, at least in my book.  You don't go up from there -- you're already there.  Get one that at least starts out perfect.  

  12. 10 minutes ago, Pinch said:

    But this sounds like fret sprout, squared....  Not normal, and you should return the guitar. 

    Yeah, that's definitely the symptom of fret sprout, but it may not be the actual cause.  Fret sprout results from the fingerboard becoming way too dry, so it shrinks a bit.  But the frets don't shrink, so they end up sticking out the sides of the fingerboard.  On the other hand, during production the frets often just need to be filed down so they're not sticking out, and Leon's guitar may not have gotten this "finishing touch."   Either way, yeah, return the guitar.... or have Epiphone pay for you to take the guitar to a local luthier and have the frets "dressed" and filed down. 

  13. 2 hours ago, Philrock31 said:

    Just got this guitar and can’t seem to find any info on it. 

    Well, it's probably made in 2011, probably out of Epiphone's plant in Qingdao.  It's a $150 guitar if bought new.  I believe the top is laminate as well as the back and sides.  

  14. On 4/8/2021 at 9:32 AM, Jinder said:

    ...I have a Hummingbird twelve string which is basically the same as yours (square shoulder, short scale, spruce over mahogany dreadnought 12), which is one of my favourite guitars.....

    Except it doesn't have that humongous bridge that the B- 12-strings have! 😬 I guess it's also similar to my Gibson Songwriter Deluxe 12-string, which I pulled out yesterday.  I've got it tuned to all E's and B's and I'm about ready to record something in that tuning.....

    On 4/7/2021 at 12:58 PM, Gary Ferguson said:

    I’m still hampered by not having feeling in my hands and some arthritis but I am having some fun again and it’s getting better !

    Good to hear it, Gary!  Playing music is therapy whether you know it or not!

    On 4/8/2021 at 9:32 AM, Jinder said:

    I was in hospital for a couple of months at the end of last year (one as an inpatient, one as an outpatient) with endocarditis and a blood infection, which caused three brain abscesses....

    Man, I missed all that, Jinder, and sorry to hear it but glad you're still around.  A 61-year-old friend of ours was just killed in a car accident.  Boom, gone.  Mortality sucks, but it's part of life....

  15. On 4/7/2021 at 5:32 PM, Violeiro said:

    I just realized it is actually her signature, not a printed/copy, on the label inside of the guitar.

    Very cool!  The only other person who actually signs the label (that I know of) is guitar-maker Kazuo Yairi... well, he used to when he was alive.

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