Dave F Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 Considering trading my JB and a little cash for a DIF Limited. I figure of the three Smeck models I have, I like this one the least. The JB is one of the early ones signed by JB. I will check out the DIF tomorrow. Let the discussion begin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Seeing as I’m partial to maple acoustics & the DIF is one of the few square-shouldered models I like, I’d very seriously consider it. Two very different guitars, but fun to ponder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Having a rough idea of what guitars you've got, and what you look for in them, the Doves In Flight would probably expand your herd very nicely. You're no stranger to the big squares, if not G, then M, and seem to not be shy about a guitar with showstopping appearance. . . the DIF would fit that bill to a T , and carry some collectibility appeal, as well. You'll most likely like the neck better on the Dove, than that strangely flat 1.802" carve on the Jackson Browne. Keep us posted on the Big Maple tryout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe M Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 (edited) Always wanted a DIF, but the cost has really cooled my desire. Dave F, you are aware of the skinny necks on the DIF I hope, BIG difference from your JB. Could be a big turn-off. Good luck with your decision, I would do it in a heartbeat. Oh, and "a little cash" might have a big influence on the trade. Edited January 18, 2020 by Joe M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 Deals done. Very good shape. Needs a little buffing out, truss road adjustment and a new saddle. I was surprised how low the action was and it did not buzz. The high E string was only .020" above the 12th fret. The neck has a little too much relief. The neck angle looks very good. I think the the saddle will need to be a lot higher. The narrow nut is not noticeable. It has more girth and feels better than my Super 400 which has a narrow nut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe M Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Be still, my heart.....😍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 (edited) Gorgeous. Tall task to do photos without natural light, but those first two pics are lush. And to what JoeM said, yes, on the narrow side, but more depth to the neck profile. .020 high E and you're thinking too much relief? If it's that low without buzzes now, I'd be afraid to touch a thing. Looks great- too bad we'll never hear it! Enjoy your NDWkEnd. . . 'guess winter weather is no match for g.a.s. 🙂 EDIT: also, that detail dove inlay on the bridge looks so much nicer than the standard inlay Edited January 18, 2020 by 62burst Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Nice looking Dove. Congrats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 That is clearly over the line. Not an instrument - a work of art. I could never play that: I'd have to tear my eyes off it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 A beautiful instrument - well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 8 hours ago, 62burst said: ... Looks great- too bad we'll never hear it! ...... I'll get my buddy to demo it 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 After letting it set for the day, the low action was buzzing and fretting out around the 10th fret. I reduced the relief from .030" to .003" and the high E was on the frets.. I stripped it down, cleaned it up, buffed out the pick scratches (there were a lot of them below the neck in front of the pickguard), buffed out a few more scuffs marks, buffed out the marks on the headstock from leaving a tuner on it and oiled the fretboard and bridge. I measured the existing saddle and found one from a SJ200 I used to have that looked close to what I wanted. I never modify an original saddle, I mark it and make a new one if needed but I'll use them in other guitars if the fit the need. Put it back together with new strings and it came out very nice. At the 12th, base E is .065" and high E is .040" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Dave, what process and materials did you use for buffing out scratches? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, j45nick said: Dave, what process and materials did you use for buffing out scratches? For the first time I tried this. Just a dab on a microcloth and some elbow grease. It's given me the best results. When I bought the Honky Tonk Deuce it had the 'tuner on the headstock blemish'. I tried a few things on it but nothing did great. I just tried this stuff on it this morning. Not bad. Edited January 19, 2020 by Dave F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 I went on the Meguiar's website, and there is no listing of ingredients of any kind for Scratchx. They are classified as a "trade secret". How do you know if this has any silicone in it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Congrats Dave - Very NICE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 33 minutes ago, j45nick said: I went on the Meguiar's website, and there is no listing of ingredients of any kind for Scratchx. They are classified as a "trade secret". How do you know if this has any silicone in it? Nick, From what I read outside their website, it does have silicon and can cause problems if you do a refinish unless you are aware of it and know what to do, I've never had a guitar refinished. I know this kind of information is your area of expertise. Are there other issues I should be concerned about? Thanks, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Silicone is very difficult to remove from any surface, particularly if that surface is even slightly porous. Most effective solvents for silicone--thing like xylene, toluene, and lacquer thinner--are too powerful to use on nitrocellulose lacquer. Naphtha is a somewhat effective solvent for silicone, but you don't really want to flood that onto a nitro finish, even though it is generally safe for cleaning nitro. Silicone is effective in polishes because it leaves a smooth film on the surface. That's why it is in a lot of lubricant sprays. That same film prevents new finish from bonding to old finish. Telltale signs of this are fisheyes in the surface when you overspray, or in extreme cases, the new finish simply flaking off. Silicone is also an effective medium for dispersing fine abrasives, which is why you see it in a lot of scratch removers. It will also prevent glue bonding if one of the surfaces being glued is contaminated with silicone. Silicone has a lot of important uses. But basically, some of the properties that make it effective in polishes are problematic for other aspects of surface maintenance. If you go on Stewmac and look at the polishes and surface prep material they sell, they tout the fact that they are silicone-free. I won't use anything liquid on my guitars that contains silicones. A word of warning: PTFE (Teflon), although it is totally different chemically, has some properties similar to silicone, specifically lubricant qualities. It also has similar "side effects" when it comes to finishing and gluing. I use a Tri-Flow pinpoint lubricator for closed-back Kluson tuners. Tri-Flow contains PTFE, so I remove tuners from the guitar before lubricating them, as well as cleaning the outsides thoroughly with naphtha before re-installing them. I am not a chemist by training, but I am a furniture maker and boatbuilder --primarily as a hobbyist now--and have had to learn more than I want to know about a lot of common chemicals. Unfortunately, I learned a lot of it the hard way, including what some of these things do not only to whatever you are working on, but what they do to you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 4 hours ago, j45nick said: ...... It will also prevent glue bonding if one of the surfaces being glued is contaminated with silicone. ....,, Thanks Nick! I’ll keep that in mind, especially about the glue. I’ll be sure to keep it away from a pick guard area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 1 hour ago, Dave F said: Thanks Nick! I’ll keep that in mind, especially about the glue. I’ll be sure to keep it away from a pick guard area Yeah, you really don't want to get it under the edge of a pickguard if you ever want it to stick to the top again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoSoxBiker Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 That's a fine looking guitar, Dave. 'Congrats! The back is mesmerizing to look at. A looker, for sure. I was tempted a few momth's ago. Wildwood didn't have what I inquired about. I asked them what it would be out the door for a DIF, knowing I couldn't. It was much less than expected, but still unable to pass up the great deal on a D-41.....perhaps next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 On 1/18/2020 at 12:54 PM, j45nick said: Wow! Yeah I want a Dove. Seeing that made my pants tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 24, 2020 Author Share Posted January 24, 2020 8 hours ago, PatriotsBiker said: That's a fine looking guitar, Dave. 'Congrats! The back is mesmerizing to look at. A looker, for sure. I was tempted a few momth's ago. Wildwood didn't have what I inquired about. I asked them what it would be out the door for a DIF, knowing I couldn't. It was much less than expected, but still unable to pass up the great deal on a D-41.....perhaps next year. Nothing wrong about a D41. One of my favorite guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Dave F said: Nothing wrong about a D41. One of my favorite guitars. I just got a new D-41 a few weeks back. It was a 2019, new with a sticker price of $3899 + tax. I couldn't pass on it either. I sold 2 guitars, and traded one in to finance it though. So out of pocket was $0. Except I am down a net of 2 guitars. Edited January 24, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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