Fine Vol Posted April 20, 2009 Posted April 20, 2009 My grandfather left me it when he died. I am just starting to play now and put some elixir strings on it. Are the elixir the way to go as far as my strings are concerned? I know I should not change any part of the vintage guitar but the frets are a little worn so should I refret of leave it alone? What will the sound difference be if I do? Thanks.
TheLiveSoundGuy Posted April 20, 2009 Posted April 20, 2009 Welcome to the forum. As for the Elixer's, they're good strings, but strings are a personal preference. It just depends on what you're fingers, and ears like. As to the "slightly" worn frets, I would say as long as it doesn't affect the guitars playability, I'd leave it till later. If they do effect the playability, a good luthier, I repeat, GOOD luthier should be able to do a re-fret without much trouble. I don't think a re-fret would effect the overall tone of the instrument. We'd love to see photos of the guitar and the neck if you get a chance.
Fine Vol Posted April 20, 2009 Author Posted April 20, 2009 Welcome to the forum. As for the Elixer's' date=' they're good strings, but strings are a personal preference. It just depends on what you're fingers, and ears like. As to the "slightly" worn frets, I would say as long as it doesn't affect the guitars playability, I'd leave it till later. f they do effect the playability, a good luthier, I repeat, GOOD luthier should be able to do a re-fret without much trouble. [/quote']Thanks for the info and the welcome.
modoc_333 Posted April 20, 2009 Posted April 20, 2009 refret won't affect tone, but it does affect value. avoid it as long as you can, then try to get away with just a fret leveling. but as mentioned above, make sure it's a GOOD luthier.
Taylor Player Posted April 20, 2009 Posted April 20, 2009 I just got a 1964 LG1 and went with Elixir PB Nano's (12-54 gauge) and they sound perfect on it. I too would love to see photos... (We love seeing the Mojo!) A good friend of mine just told me tonight a cousin of his has a 1956 J-45 he is going to borrow for some recording work. He promised to bring it over to my place as long as I let him play my LG-1 and my AJ! Sweet deal for me, I get to play an awesome old J-45 and jam with a buddy!
Fine Vol Posted April 20, 2009 Author Posted April 20, 2009 I just got a 1964 LG1 and went with Elixir PB Nano's (12-54 gauge) and they sound perfect on it. I too would love to see photos... (We love seeing the Mojo!) A good friend of mine just told me tonight a cousin of his has a 1956 J-45 he is going to borrow for some recording work. He promised to bring it over to my place as long as I let him play my LG-1 and my AJ! Sweet deal for me' date=' I get to play an awesome old J-45 and jam with a buddy! [/quote']Two friends of mine have Taylor and they are very nice sounding.
asmith9509 Posted April 21, 2009 Posted April 21, 2009 If you're just starting out, you should take it to a good guitar tech or luthier in your area who does work on vintage instruments. If the guitar is in need of setup work, it will be very difficult to play and you will get frustrated very quickly. Have him string it up with light acoustic strings; Elixirs are good but expensive. Personally I use D'Addario Phosphor Bronze, they sound great and are cheap. Have him teach you how to string it up correctly; if you do it wrong you run the risk of damaging your bridge plate, and it will be hard to keep the guitar in tune. He can adjust the truss rod and action height to suit a beginner; he can also look it over for cracks and repair if necessary. You don't want to let cracks go because they will grow over time. He may need to crown the frets if there is a lot of fret wear; this is really no big deal. If he recommends major work like a neck reset, get a 2nd opinion before committing to the work as this will greatly affect the value.
ajsc Posted April 21, 2009 Posted April 21, 2009 +1 for Elixir PB Nano's. They really sound nice, & I like the way they feel. Pic's PLEASE!!!
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