Buc McMaster

Easy there, big fella..............

It'll be just fine, Murph. It's normal to be apprehensive about big changes in your life. I hung up my working spurs nearly six years ago and very much enjoy my time being my own. You'll adjust pretty quick................congrats!

No truer words have ever been spoken.........and they apply to everything in ones' life.

Surely you meant "mm".........not "cm"............ ( 44.5cm = 17.5") That aside, one aspect of learning to play guitar is learning to adapt. Not hitting a chord cleanly 100% of the time is great to strive for but in the world of us amateurs, we'll settle for 95% and be happy about it. Much like playing a short scale guitar vs. a long scale..........you adjust. Many of us have and play both and do just fine.....well.....95% of the time anyway. Feels different, sure, but nothing to give up an instrument for..........right?

Can't say for sure but my guess is string spacing isn't a spec Gibson acoustic players pay any mind. I can see how string spacing would be of concern when delicate finger picking is the technique, but I'd wager most Gibson acoustic players most of time use flat picks and do a lot of strumming......that's the heart and soul of the Gibson tone. Could well be wrong, however....

Thanks, Murph.........however..........since the Collings arrived the Stratocaster has fallen out of favor.......big time. The hollow body with Filtertron pickups, the short scale (strung with .011 tuned down a half step) is just a monster that suits my style SO well. Got the neck and the Bigsby sorted.......great playability and such a soulful tone. Seriously considering getting off the Fender as I do not like stuff hanging around that I don't make use of.........call me fickle that way.........

Murph you old hippie! Guitar sounds like a Gibson should.........chunky, as you say. Well done, sir, in a absolutely idyllic setting.

Sheesh. Can't you people stay on topic? Who'da thunk a guitar post would turn into a mud slinging fest........... ADMIN: PLEASE DELETE THIS MESS.

The Swart AST is great! 20 watts, all tube with reverb and tremolo, single volume and tone control. Great old school tube tone. (I have a Fender Blues Jr. LTD for sale if you're into that one!)

Guess it's true........there's one in every crowd.

Some weeks back I posted about a Les Paul I traded into...........well........ As I certainly knew when I bought it, humbucker pickups just ain't my thing.........too much of a thick rock tone. But I was seduced by those classic Les Paul lines......my bad. Having realized my error, I quickly turned that guitar into an awesome Fender Custom Shop '69 Stratocaster........yowzer! And, having played and loved a Gretsch 6120 back in the day I couldn't resist the Collings Statesman LC with TV Jones Filtertron pickups. Two entirely different beasts that both sound amazing through the little Swart Atomic Space Tone amp. Yes, yes........acoustic forum.....I know.......can't help but share my joy with the new instruments though! Excuse me, please.......... (Yes, I still have and play the Big Blue Hummingbird!)

Certainly anything associated with the Beatles commands a "celebrity" price penalty, instruments played included...........if the Beatles had not used them I suspect the J-160 may have long ago been discontinued..............could be wrong as well.

The Sunrise is rather heavy and does add noticeable weight. I'm sure it must effect the acoustic tone to some degree but not so much that I can hear any difference......sounds the same.

Good to hear the Sunrise is doing the job for you still! It's one of those "no-brainer" pickups that has stood the test. Certainly there are more acoustically accurate choices out there, but for a get-the-job-done-anywhere pickup they are top shelf. (Do you use any kind of preamp with yours? Running a Red Eye with mine, the treble control and boost functions being quite handy. A fancy preamp with tons of tone control just doesn't make sense when plugging into widely varying house systems that often defeat anything done outboard.)

Much depends on where you live and how you store the guitar. Here on the gulf coast it is very rare to humidify my instruments.........pretty much only when there is an extended cold snap that dries the air and requires heating the house (a big pot of slow boiling water on the stovetop seems to humidify the place quite well). Best to look for things that indicate humidty is required: fret ends beginning the protrude from the fingerboard edge (unbound neck only), slight sinking of the top in front of the bridge and, perhaps most telling, your guitar will sound better than it ever has before.............dry wood really cranks out the tone. Be advised that too much humidity is not good either and sticking a wet sponge in the case might do more harm than good.

Can't say exactly what it is, but it's definitely not Gibson.

Well that's a cute little guitar, Anne..........yours?

Sounds very dry and fundamental. Hard to tell for sure but looks like nickel wrapped strings.

With the J-45 in the rear view mirror, the big blue Hummingbird is the one and only acoustic...........just a terrific example of a Gibson 6-string. Plays perfectly, warm and airy, strong and punchy when necessary............I made the right choice. Playing open mic stages again and am reminded that sound systems at such events are a crap shoot.........good, bad, ugly and some totally intolerable. The K&K transducer pickup does not do well in such situations and to remedy this I have once again installed a Sunrise, the big momma of sound hole pickups. Totally predictable sound that will deliver in pretty much any circumstance, and while I still am not a huge fan of magnetics, nothing else is as reliable across varying sound systems. Back in the saddle again......!

I used to play old Fender tweed amps from the 50s but I've got my eye on the Marshall 1974X combo. Two knobs: volume & tone, plus a tremolo in one channel.......perfect! Don't use pedals at all (save a tuner) and like an amp that responds well to what the guitar and guitarist is giving it. The old tweed amps did that very well with Strats and Teles, but I think the little Marshall combo will be a better fit with a humbucker-powered LP.

It is indeed heavy, and yes, it came from Southpaw. Spent about five hours playing a lot of different guitars...........this was the one. Tube amps only for me.........and NO PEDALS! A tube amp responds to the guitar in such a magic way. I bought a little Fender amp with the guitar but I've got my eye on a Marshall 1974X combo.............very nice little amp.

Bought a little 15W Fender Blues Jr in tweed to use with it for now..........Marshall half stack?!?! Sheesh! Working on the intro and solo for the Allman Bros Ramblin' Man. Should work well at the open mic next week!

Yes, it does look good. What you see as writing on the nut I suspect is just a random mark that could be removed. It says it's an historic model and while I'm not too familiar with that one the finish color looks odd for such a reissue.............but that could just be the lighting. Is there a return policy on this one?

Yes, I have a couple sets of the Pure Blues 11's ordered already............use DRs on my acoustics, figured the electric sets will be as good. The nut and t-rod may or may not require a tweak with the slightly heavier strings. I've found that differs from one guitar to another. Haven't weighed it but this is one h-e-a-v-y instrument............ With guard or without?

1960 CS Reissue. Anyone run .011 gauge on one of these?