Author Topic: Readers' Instruments  (Read 164238 times)

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #150 on: 27 February, 2017, 04:57:21 pm »
FullSizeRender.jpg by paulfulford, on Flickr

n+1, not just for bikes ;D

Steph

  • Fast. Fast and bulbous. But fluffy.
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #151 on: 28 February, 2017, 05:50:58 pm »
That looks more like a bouzouki in neck length! How does it play?
Mae angen arnaf i byw, a fe fydda'i

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #152 on: 28 February, 2017, 07:13:04 pm »
That looks more like a bouzouki in neck length! How does it play?


Given my capabilities it sounds really nice, it only arrived yesterday but haven't had a chance to properly play. Really pleased so far. Still need to get used to the longer neck compared with the mandolin. Neck's 23" by the way.

Steph

  • Fast. Fast and bulbous. But fluffy.
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #153 on: 28 February, 2017, 11:44:00 pm »
You will find that you can get some really sweet sounds when you play up around 10th fret onwards. Have you got octave pairs for the G and D strings, or are they unison? Assuming octave mandolin tuning, of course.
Mae angen arnaf i byw, a fe fydda'i

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #154 on: 01 March, 2017, 07:20:09 am »
Thanks, I'll experiment there a little.

Tuning is mandolin so G, D, A, E. Strings are in unison although octave pairs sound interesting. May try when I'm a little more capable.

Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #155 on: 01 March, 2017, 07:54:52 am »
Bobb, what make is the slotting jig? I've looked at the StewMac ones and found them to be ver nice, but expensive.

It's from Guitars and Woods

It's not much cheaper than the one from StewMac. I'm happy with it, but the StewMac one has two little clamps to hold the fretboard in place whereas with this one I've had to improvise:

Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #156 on: 01 March, 2017, 01:58:35 pm »
Here are my two main instruments these days:



On the left is an all-carbon Emerald X5-OS electro-acoustic.  The guitar on the right is a Martin LX1E.  They're both small-bodied, short scale instruments because I rather like the slightly lower string tension and overall tone and playability of smaller guitars.
Commercial, Editorial and PR Photographer - www.charlottebarnes.co.uk

Steph

  • Fast. Fast and bulbous. But fluffy.
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #157 on: 02 March, 2017, 05:17:40 pm »
Thanks, I'll experiment there a little.

Tuning is mandolin so G, D, A, E. Strings are in unison although octave pairs sound interesting. May try when I'm a little more capable.
You can also get different sounds depending which side of the strings you strike first, up or down, so lots of possibilities!
Mae angen arnaf i byw, a fe fydda'i

Maverick

  • One of the rural idle
    • Twoberries
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #158 on: 14 May, 2017, 03:36:58 pm »
If you don't like guitars with fancy tops, look away now. This is a 2012 Collings I35 Deluxe Custom in tiger eye burst.
I have wanted a Collings I35 after I had the opportunity to play one a few years ago. A lot of people think they are just an upmarket ES335 and get disappointed when they don't sound like one. They fit into the 335 class of guitars in that they are semi-hollow with a maple centre block - that's where the similarity ends. Body is machined out of a single peice of mahogany, maple block added and then a carved maple top added. This one is fitted with Jason Lollar low wind humbuckers. The sound is a little darker than a 335 but the real difference is the string seperation and attack - every note sands out, even when overdriven and the note attack is fast. Not a guitar for the faint hearted as there is nowhere to hide with this.
I found this one second hand at less than half the price of a new one, dead chuffed. Plays like a dream and sounds wonderful into my Tone King Imperial amp.



Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #159 on: 14 May, 2017, 06:39:41 pm »
I have just come in my pants  :P
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #160 on: 14 May, 2017, 07:18:17 pm »
Down, Tiger!

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #161 on: 14 May, 2017, 07:42:53 pm »
I like that. But not as much as bobb does!

Maverick

  • One of the rural idle
    • Twoberries
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #162 on: 15 May, 2017, 09:00:10 am »
Thanks RR, your Ibanez looks really nice - love the burst on the pickguard. The I35 certainly has its own take on the 335 sound. I always think of the semi-hollow thinline, humberbucker guitar as the workhorse of the guitar world - you can dial in just about any sound you need (apart from full on metal). The I35 is no exception but does so with astonishing articulation and clarity. It's not everyones cup of tea though - it has been described as too 'hi-fi' and even sterile by some. I think they miss the point - you can use this characteristic as the guitar responds faithfully to every naunce of your playing ( and every fluff and mistake) - changing pick can have a big effect and finger style you can get a huge range of tone out of it. I've spent the last week lost in this guitar, it is really difficult to put it down once you start playing. If you are ever up in Scotland message me, you would be welcome to come and spend a little time playing it.

Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #163 on: 16 May, 2017, 04:29:44 pm »
MMmmmmmmmm, Tone King!  :-*

menthel

  • Jim is my real, actual name
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #164 on: 25 May, 2017, 12:49:23 pm »
Off to Eagle Music this Saturday to scope out a banjo shaped 40th present. Might come back with something worthy of pictures...

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #165 on: 25 May, 2017, 01:13:56 pm »
Off to Eagle Music this Saturday to scope out a banjo shaped 40th present. Might come back with something worthy of pictures...

I don't trust myself there

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #166 on: 06 July, 2017, 04:29:41 pm »
I didn't mean to buy a new instrument.

Honest!

But I played one of these in a shop and when I saw that I could get it for 30% off list price I had to have it!

Octave Mandola by paulfulford, on Flickr

It was supposed to have "minor" cosmetic damage but seems to be unblemished and still had the inspection tags and paper protecting the strings.

Shorter neck for Steph :-) 

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #167 on: 06 July, 2017, 05:01:01 pm »
:thumbsup:
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Steph

  • Fast. Fast and bulbous. But fluffy.
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #168 on: 06 July, 2017, 06:08:55 pm »
That looks like the same make as mine. Ashbury? Lovely action!
Mae angen arnaf i byw, a fe fydda'i

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #169 on: 06 July, 2017, 07:20:58 pm »
Steph, yes it's an Ashbury. Looks similar to yours bar the tailpiece.

Mine needs a little work on the action but I wasn't expecting Amazon to do great job ;D

Steph

  • Fast. Fast and bulbous. But fluffy.
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #170 on: 07 July, 2017, 05:09:26 am »
They 'ring' well, and have reasonable sustain.
Mae angen arnaf i byw, a fe fydda'i

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #171 on: 26 July, 2017, 05:39:56 pm »
Trauma ward:



Both basses, both my daughter's.  The one in the foreground I found stashed in our loft, the one in the background was trodden by her swain getting out of bed, and is awaiting a new neck. Been waiting a good while, now.

She has never mentioned that 5-string so I think I'll keep it. <evil grin>  The break wasn't entirely clean so the lettering is out of line by a tiny fraction of a millimetre. If it's too embarrassing I'll take a V-gouge down the entire length of the joint and fill it with something black: bug into feature.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #172 on: 27 July, 2017, 02:11:15 pm »
Excellent picture.  However, man who treads on guitar should also need new neck.

(I have one of those clamps, which I got for repairing guitars when I was teaching evening class pupils, decades ago.  I think it was from a German mail order craft firm.)

Peter

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #173 on: 30 July, 2017, 02:05:35 pm »
Yes, they're German - Klemmsia. I bought these years ago, along with two extra-long ones.

Anyway, the head now looks like this:



And I'm trying to decide what to do with it: slap veneer either side or treat the fault line as a feature and just varnish it.  Veneering could be a bit of a bore because of the curve up to the fretboard.  The rest of the guitar is a somewhat scratchy mess, or rather I think it will be once I've got the grime off it, so the crack wouldn't be entirely out of keeping.

Anyway, spalted wood it wouldn't look all that different. ;)
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

menthel

  • Jim is my real, actual name
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #174 on: 13 November, 2017, 10:14:06 am »
Now have my filthy mitts on my Deering Sierra, will have to take some photos and share. Its so lovely...