Pinch

Okay, so I Youtubed some. Apparently putting the strings in the notch and then hitting them once with a hammer with a plastic head works... I was hoping to not have to shell out for files...

Supposedly pre-notched. Gotoh. Was hoping I could get away with just slapping it on.

Mm. I can exchange the unopened TOM for a nickel one for the price of a stamp if it turns out I need nickel,but I'm 99% sure it's chrome so I pulled the tigger (it will go on the original posts posts)... I'll double-check... Thanks.

Any words of wisdom? Slapping on a new Tune-o-matic on the old posts. Never done that before. I understand it's pre-notched, hoping it will fit 10s out of the box. Remove all strings, replace bridge, put on new strings? Am I forgetting something? Thank you.

It's Big Bill and FZfan (is he still around? He was awesome!) operating on both continents at once, I tell ya! I think I saw a post like that, but no PMs.

I'm still curious how many Modern Vs were actually sold.

Oooh! Sweet! Quite the looker! I like Strats, but could never find one that could do both lead and rhythm my way (or the highway). So I've let several go over the years. Happy NGD!

It's something I've realized as I've gotten older. I need my space, and I can't have it both ways. It's not fair on either one. The good long-term relationships I've had, I look back upon fondly. There were reasons sh-t didn't work out that weren't either one's fault. That said, I couldn't "just be friends". If I've been emotionally involved, that's gonna stay with me. I don't do sport f-cking anymore. I need neither chlamydia nor alimony. And I'm getting to an age where sex just for the sake of sex is just not that interesting to me. There are, er, online options to relieve the pressure! Then again - you never know. Who knows.

Huskies rule!

Not a lefty, but that's sucky. Surely a company that large could crank out a few lefties.

I can turn a new set black by just thinking about it, so always take a piece of cloth, pinch each string and wipe it in its entirety after playing. Definitely helps - doubles the lifespan.

Good choice. I've seen cracks that tiny in the binding on other guitars years and years ago, and revisiting them years later, they certainly haven' t gotten worse. I definitely wouldn't worry about it. Enjoy your new guitar!

D'Addario XLs for me. I think most strings in the same price range sound ABOUT the same and last about the same amount of time, but I think I've only broken a D'Addario string once, and it certainly wasn't the string's fault. Reliable and consistent, and sound as good or better - or so I imagine - than any other string I've tried to my ears. Fair price.

I can only go by ear. In my experience, the more wood, the fatter the tone/sustain. Not saying my Tribute doesn't sound great, but the 9-hole relief adds a chimey tone to it that I think I can tell comes from the weight relief. YMMV.

Can I put a chrome bridge on nickel posts and/or vice versa? Aesthetics aside, I mean.

Third for finish.

If the RH stays the same (40-60 or so) all year round, then no. You'll be fine.

Think I'll go the toothpick route, then, and take care to properly align the screw. Not sure how a tech would do it differently... Can't really do more than glue in some wood, like a piece of toothpick. Well, maybe a tech would drill a pilot hole.

Maybe best to go with just a tiny drop of glue, let it dry, and put the screw in. Seeing as it's such a tiny hole, maybe the wood of the toothpick will expand too much around it? Ah, choices, choices... Don't wanna crack anything. Maybe a tiny strip of duct tape or something down the hole will suffice.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think stock Gibson strings and D'addario strings come from the same place.

Makes sense. Thanks!

Fill the hole up with the toothpick before re-inserting the screw, or trim down the toothpick? I read some guy said fill to half the diameter or so. I know, probably not critical...but I'm not afraid of asking stupid questions...

Happily unattached for quite a few years now. Have had some great long-term relationships and some not-so-great. I'm not good with compromise and I need quite a bit of alone-time, so I' pretty happy.

Make sure it's lemon oil for guitars. If you were to squeeze an actual lemon and put it on the neck... It would not be good.

I'd say too much. How many frets are affected? You could get a luthier to replace those frets. If it's just a few frets, I probably wouldn't give up just yet. Sorry to hear you're having problems - it's such a PITA, especially when you realize that, oops, what the F did I do that for? But it happens to the best of us. Don't kick yourself - how were you to know he'd mess up the frets? It's not your fault. It's perfectly all right to get a fret leveling. It's the luthier's fault if he messes it up. Hope it all works out.