[NGD, a Cozart 12 string]

8 hours ago, billroy said:

Sweet!  Hows the play ability and sound difference compared to the Martin?  Gotta bet it's a beast of a different color?

It's a very comfortable playing guitar. 
A light-weight Strat copy with 12 jangly strings. 

The Martin was indeed a beast of a different color. 
A MIM X-series, it was beautiful, great-playing, and great-sounding. 
I loved playing it live. 

But the problem was the 9v battery housing design. 

Instead of a plastic housing (somewhere on the body) to hold the 9v preamp battery, the battery was inside a nylon/Velcro pouch, Velcroed to the back wall of the interior of the guitar. It was really clumsy to deal with, and you had to use a really long pair of needle-nosed pliers to remove the pouch and change the battery.

Eventually the stick-um that held the pouch to the guitar back wall failed, and that thing flopped around in there.  I ended up using epoxy to secure the Velcro again, and then sold the guitar to a local guy who really wanted it.

I see now that the latest version of that X-series Martin has a sublime little battery compartment on the lower bout, near the guitar cable jack.

It's the right way to do it, for sure!

[NGD, a Cozart 12 string]

I must confess that I had never heard of the Cozart build kits, let alone the brand. 

But I stumbled upon this beastie while down south for a wedding last weekend. 

I sold off my Martin 12 string a few months ago to a fellow who really fancied it, and (truth be told) I didn't like the 9v battery compartment arrangement on that particular guitar. 
(Martin has since come up with a friendlier design, I have noticed.)

Anyway, the band was left without a 12 string in our arsenal, and we do more than a few songs that beg for that jangly 12 string sound. 

Enter the Cozart. 

I'm really impressed with the guitar. 
It stays in tune, has impressive tones, and it's really eye-catching. 

Best of all, it's incredibly light. 
6 lbs, 1 ounce. 
Light as a feather, and delightfully easy to strap on and play. 

Looking forward to playing her at our next gig at the end of the month!

🙂




 

 

 

[How Many Guitars Have you owned?]

I lived on the North Shore of Oahu for a few years. 

Surfed a lot. 
Chased some wanton wahines. 

We played the ukulele.

It was a thing. 
:)

[How Many Guitars Have you owned?]

I just know that I am proud and happy to count Pippy and Merciful Evans among my guitar-owning, guitar-playing friends. 

🙂

PS Oh, and I came home from a long weekend drive to and from a Wedding with another guitar, a copy of a Fender 12-string electric Strat-body. 

Photos tomorrow. 
😞

[How Many Guitars Have you owned?]

15 hours ago, merciful-evans said:

 

you'll be up to 19 because a ukulele aint a guitar!

 

Yeah.

I'm definitely a pedant. 😉

😜
 

[How Many Guitars Have you owned?]

Over the years, I have owned just under 60 guitars in total (including bass guitars, electrics, lap steels, and acoustics). 

I currently own 19 guitars. 

This includes two bass guitars, two acoustics, a cigar box guitar, a hand-made banjo-shaped acoustic, and a ukulele. 
But the other 12 are full-on electric guitars. 

I'm an addict. 

Oh, and on my 60th birthday next month, I'll be up to 20. 

Yeah. 
I'm definitely an addict. 

😞


 

[Earliest Les Paul Players]

Well. 

There were, of course, Les Paul and Mary Ford. 

It all began right there. 

The first Gibson Les Paul I became acutely aware of was the one that Jeff Lynne (of ELO) played on some TV show in the early/mid 1970's. 
It was a gold-top. 

I had to have one, and so, in 1976, I bought one. 
I foolishly sold it in 1978 when I went off to the Army. 

Dumbest move I ever made. 
😞

[Going down south to a wedding]

4 hours ago, Black Dog said:

 

I'd buy way more stuff than that for what you're talkin' 'bout...  

I'm not actually playing the wedding gig. 
We're attending the wedding is all. 

I just wanted a travel rig to enjoy while in the hotel at night, something that won't bother the immediate neighbors. 

On a trip to Yuma, AZ years ago, I brought along an old guitar effects processor, small cable, and headphones. 
My plan was, since I was to be out there for at least two weeks, to go find a cheap used guitar in a pawn shop, clean it up, and use it for the hotel while I was out there. 

Sure enough, I found am 'El Toro' model (by Behringer guitars) for 39 bucks, and it was a gem of a guitar!
Good times. 
🙂

[Going down south to a wedding]

So, I'm having to go down to Dothan, Alabama for a wedding on the last weekend of June.

There will be my wife's family, and family politics, and stress, and a long drive to and from.
Two nights spent in a hotel, and we are carrying the 90 year old father-in-law down with us in the rental car.

My wife sighed to me this evening, "Look, I really appreciate your doing this. I know you hate weddings. And I know you're going to go crazy on a long weekend without your guitars and band-mates."

I told her, "It's okay, darling. I have been doing some shopping-ahead on the internet. I'll be alright."

🙂

[New Guy]

Welcome, AcePaulie. 

I don't care for the G Force tuning system, quite personally. 

It's a little too precious, and it goes sour quite often. 
In other words, I can tune a standard Gibson Les Paul once per set, and rock on just fine. 
With the G Force, it has to be tweaked in between every song, and that is unsatisfactory to me. 

I'm 59 going on 60, by the way. 
That seems to be the standard age around here. 
:)

[Leonid and Friends]

Those guys are incredible!!

:)

[Taking This Down Would Just Be Wrong....]

Oh my God, that is so good!!

😝

[NGD BFG]

3 hours ago, Rabs said:

I think this is why I go with an oil finish on my guitars and don't fill the grain...  Theres something about being able to feel the wood underneath your hands rather than some shiny thick finish.

More tactile...

I am discovering this also, Rabs;

The older I get, the less I tend to play the guitars that have super-glossy, pretty shiny finishes. 
I'm actually afraid of getting fingerprints on them. 

Stuff like this BFG, or the natural finish guitars. 
Even the old, beat-up pawn shop prizes;
You can play 'em, and enjoy them, and never worry about getting a ding or a nick on them. 

:(

[NGD BFG]

I must say that after a couple of months, this BFG is turning out to be my favorite Les Paul of all the ones I have owned or played. 
And I have owned more than a few. 

In fact, I just sold my 2018 Les Paul Faded last weekend. 

As far as straight-up Gibsons, I have just the two now, the SG Naked and the BFT. 
(Both with P-90's)

Curious turn of events, this. 

😐

 

[USA Property tax]

I live and work in northern Alabama. 

We pay the standard Federal Income Tax, State Income Taxes, a State sales tax on locally-purchased goods and groceries, and some of the lowest Property Taxes in the nation. 

All in all, compared to what I have experienced overseas, as well as while residing in Kansas, Texas, and (God help us), Hawaii, we don't do all that badly here. 

😏

[Gibson LP Studio vs Epiphone LP]

I have a few bits of advice, based upon many years of owning, gigging, buying, and selling guitars:

* If you are going to drop $1,000 to $1,300 on a Les Paul, do yourself a favor and get out there and play EVERYTHING. 
If you take your time, you will find one that sings to you, and that grabs your heartstrings. 

* I am a fan of going for the genuine Gibson when I'm ponying-up that kind of money. 
Better resale value, and the brand reputation means something to other gigging musicians. 
But that's just me. 

* If I find a non-Gibson in a pawnshop, and I think it's kind of cool, yes, I will pay $200 for it. 
Just last week I bought an early 1970's Kent copy of a Les Paul. 
I paid $180 for it, and it's a really, really cool lawsuit guitar. 

* Our opinions here are just that. Opinions. 
It's unlikely that you will find any definitive, "from the burning bush", blinding flashes of enlightenment and wisdom. 
But as you filter out the wheat from the chaff, you'll discover that you got the advice you wished to hear. 

Okay, I'm gonna shut up now. 
:(
 

[Amp Troubleshooting Flow Chart]

12 minutes ago, jdgm said:

I know a UK version of this which is almost the same except after 'No' there is another arrow which says "take it to harmonica players Dad".

Bloody fantastic.  Best amp guy I ever found.

 

Best wishes.  How is Alabama these days?

HOT. 

Hot and dry. 
I just came in from watering my garden. 

:)

 

[Amp Troubleshooting Flow Chart]

I have been a guitar player and tinkerer for well over 45 years now. 

I'm also a collector of guitars and amplifiers, and I think it's safe to say that I know my way around guitar and amp work-benches, and electronics. 

I guess you could say that I am also a giver. 
I love giving back to the community of struggling artists and gigging musicians. 

So, here is my gift to you. 
It's the end result of many years of experience, in acquiring, playing, gigging, and repairing gear. 

I could play this close to the vest, but what's the point?
I'm not going to be around forever. 

This should be shared, and shared right now. 

You're welcome. 
🙂

[ANNOUNCEMENT - GIBSON FORUMS UPGRADE!!]

I'm not a fan of the new appearance. 

It seems cheaper-looking, and clumsy. 

But I understand website upgrades and system changes to keep things on pace with modern web protocols, so I guess I can live with it. 

Rock on. 
Play your guitar. 
:)

[SG nightmare finish problem]

Hey man,

 

Some people pay a lot of money to have a relic'ed guitar (with the finish all jacked up and aged-looking).

 

You got it for free.

 

Be happy.

 

:)

[Do I have a fake Epi LP Special II?]

I wish I could help in that regard, but I cannot.

 

a. The serial number is on a neck plate, which is easily moved from one guitar to another.

 

and,

b. The serial number doesn't come up as legit on The Guitar Dater dot com, and I have come to trust that resource.

 

The question now is, "Does it play well, stay in tune, and sound good?"

 

Then play it, and enjoy it.

 

:)

[Do I have a fake Epi LP Special II?]

EpiStrat,

 

The guitar has an after-market neck on it, the hard-tail was removed in favor of an after-market tremolo system, and it's covered in stickers.

 

All I can divine from those photos is that it's a guitar.

 

Play it, enjoy it, and be at peace, leaving the origins of the guitar a sublime mystery.

 

[NGD BFG]

It does indeed have a very rough-hewn top surface.

 

And the rest of the guitar is pretty rustic as well.

 

The first new guitar that I have ever owned that I'm not being precious with, as in 'afraid to ding it into something'.

 

:unsure:

[NGD BFG]

I’m banned from tdpri.

 

The BFG’s are sweet guitars.

 

I have the p90, and was thinking of getting the humbucker one too, but a wilshire has got me distracted.

 

 

What happened?

Did you get on somebody's bad side at tdpri?

 

:unsure:

[NGD BFG]

Thanks for the assist, Rabs.

 

:)