DR500M

[duane v]

ozigor, welcome to the forums[cool]

 

Please feel free to continue to inquire about your guitars, I hope you get all the issues resolved to your liking. And if you have any questions in regards to how you are being treated, please do not hesitate to contact me or sexygibson[cool]

[ozigor]

Thank you Duane,

I continue to browse the forum and learn things everyday or just take pleasure in reading the conversations.

I'm no pro guitarist and have been only back playing for a year after a twenty year lay off.

This forum is terrific and the vast majority of members (from what I have seen) are warm and friendly.

If I have any issues I will contact one or both of you.

Thanks again.

[ozigor]

Well I did it!

First off I took into account all that was said, went to Frets.com and read up on the nut action, neck relief, neck angle and fret radius.This being a practically new MB guitar everything was in order to my knowledge. I then made the 50 mile journey to a local guitar store and discussed options with a local reapirman. As I'm a hands on guy I then sanded of 1/32" during the next set up to lower the action by about 1/64".

I have small hands and this 1/64" makes a lot of a difference for me.

A new set of strings and the guitar is magnificent.

Grand merci to dhanners, red333 and abbeyroadman

[Red 333]

Well I did it!

First off I took into account all that was said' date=' went to Frets.com and read up on the nut action, neck relief, neck angle and As I'm a hands on guy I then sanded of 1/32" during the next set up to lower the action by about 1/64".

I have small hands and this 1/64" makes a lot of a difference for me.

A new set of strings and the guitar is magnificent.

[/quote']

 

Good for you. You're right, it is amazing how small adjustments can make a big difference in playability. It's not hard to make some of them, and its very satisfying. In some climates, you may need to make seasonal adjustments to your instrument, so learning to measure and adjust the neck relief is an excellent thing to do, as well. If you did not have to do it as part of your saddle adjustment, you will later find out it is also very simple (but important and effetive).

 

Of course, it's always important to consider the guitaras a system: a little adjutment here also has an effect there, so the more you learn to analyze and evaluate your guitar in those terms (as a whole), the better you will be able to ake your guitar play.

 

I see a set of nut files in your future...

 

Best,

 

Red 333

[abbeyroadman]

Well done Ozigor - I hope you enjoy your DR500M as much as I do mine. What kind of strings, and gauge, did you use?

 

Regards,

[ozigor]

Hi abbeyroadman

I used d'addario EXP16 12-53.

I already had this set as I bought two sets at the time, however I think next set up I may use a slightly heavier gauge as the g string deforms on the frets after a certain usage. What do you use?

Regards,

[abbeyroadman]

Hi Ozigor -

 

I am currently using Gibson Masterbuilt Premium Ultra Light gauge, 11-50. Although not the original, it's the same string that was on my guitar from the factory, per Epiphone/Gibson Customer Service. Have also experimented with different brands and string types, but seem to always come back to the Gibson's as they sound the best to me.

 

I have used Martin SP Custom Lights, John Pearse 80/20 Bronze (very mellow and quiet), D'Addario PB Extra Light and D'Addario Chrome Flat Wound's (for that "Beatle-sound"). I use the lighter gauge strings because Epiphone recommends adjusting the neck tension when using "medium gauge" strings.

 

Using the flat wound's led me to ultimately purchase a very nice used EJ-160, which has flat wounds, so now I have a proper "Beatle-sounding" acoustic when I'm in the mood. In the future, I hope to purchase a used Masterbilt DR for alternate tuning purposes.

 

Some time ago, and forever lost when this forum crashed, there was a great discussion about strings used by Masterbilt owners. I regret not keeping a log of the various types of strings that were mentioned, but I do recall some people using "half-rounds", which I intend to try someday.

 

Regards,

[ozigor]

Salut abbeyroadman,

Thanks for the tips. I will try some of those Gibson Masterbuilt Premium Ultra Light gauges at the next setup and provided I can find some over here.

You have inadveratntly answered another I posted about the possible purchase of a practically brand new EJ200. I am now going to acquire it and put some D'Addario Chrome Flat Wound's as I also have Beatle moments.

Sinceres salutations,

[abbeyroadman]

Hi Ozigor -

 

About the flat wound strings, my EJ-160 has a set of Fender 50XL .11-.50 stainless steel strings, which seem more bright and have a better sound, in my opinion, than the chrome-coated D'Addario strings. which seemed mellow by comparison. There was/is a lot of discussion about the Pyramid-brand flat wounds found on the Gibson 160's that were used by the Beatles - they are expensive. Hope you enjoy the EJ200 .........................

 

Regards,

[meanstreak1281734111]

I then made the 50 mile journey to a local guitar store and discussed options with a local reapirman.

 

:) LOL isn't it funny how your definition of "local" changes when you live out in the countryside? Welcome to the forum ozigor, what part of France are you in?

[ozigor]

Hi meanstreak

I'm in the south west in a region called "les landes" which stretches almost from Bordeaux to not far from the spanish border.

After doing a little more resereach and talking to some new guitarist friends who tell me that there are not any good luthier in our district I am looking at getting my Ibanez 2616 and my EA250 looked at by a luthier in Toulouse, which would make the round trip about 4 hours (just driving time).

The country has its advantages as well as it's disadvantages!