daddymack

^ Agreed, any gauge change will typically require some adjustments...the lighter gauge could even have slipped into a 'bad position' on the bridge or nut that the medium gauge string rested over. There are really only a handful of actual string manufacturers on the planet, so I doubt this is a 'quality issue' on one string.

Okay, it is a little odd not seeing two separate coils, but that may be just an aesthetic choice? Pots, typically, for a humbucker, should be 500K Ohm, but you could go up to 1 meg.... only one black wire? There isn't a bare wire in there going to the bridge?

Mike, we are here to help. I really want to see how this project turns out when you get further into it. I think, had it been me, I might have put black washers under the knobs, rather than fabbing the wood rings...but I didn't see the damage, so I will trust your call. Why do you say the existing FA p-up is 'funny looking'? From the pic, it looks like a typical uncovered humbucker....

I actually have to butt in on one thing here...I think that resistance [number of windings] + magnet strength does have an effect on the pick-up tone; in my experience, the lower the resistance, the 'darker'/less bright the tone, as well as the difference in output signal strength. I definitely agree that magnet strength is a major factor, but 'over wound' [higher resistance...over 750k Ohm] p-ups tend to be 'hotter', but also noticeably brighter.

I like the custom truss rod cover and back cavity covers...nicely done. That wood grain should come out nicely stained..., it is a shame the FA people buried that wood under that crap finish. Just a thought, but if it were mine, I would fab a steel neck mount plate, considering the softness of the wood...or at least steel ferrules. The body shape is similar to the early 60's Gibson Melody Makers [I have a '62]....which I really dig! Yes, the SD PAF style p-up are great...but will cost twice what you paid for the 'husk'....I would also look at the DiMarzio PAF [one came on my old SG that just had 'that' tone, although it was in the neck, not bridge]. The 'vintage' ones are going up all the time, but the 36th anniversary versions are under $100. You could get lucky on Reverb....

Stealing that graphic for next year's ugly xmas sweater! j/k

The darker/bassier/deeper sound/tone you are looking for should be simple enough to achieve, as long as you can keep your tone pot set at about 5. The bridge position is generally always going to get more twang-y treble mainly due to the proximity to the bridge, not the actual p-up design. What is wrong with the p-up that is in there now? Have a look at GuitarFetish.com as a decent place to find lower-priced humbuckers. I suggest you avoid their 'hot' versions, as they tend [to my ear at least] to sound harsh/brittle/jagged rather than smooth and full. YMMV. Reverb.com is another good place to shop. Both Reverb and GF are also good 'bargain basement' places to look for guitar 'husks', necks, bodies, tuners, etc. Wiring a bridge humbucker as a split coil is a pretty standard wiring method with 4 conductor HBs, but keep in mind that splitting the coils will result in a brighter/thinner tone, so be careful what you wish for. Rather than adding a tap switch, I would suggest a push-pull volume pot/switch. Are you doing a body 'refin' on that First Act? It might look pretty cool just stripped down to the mahogany and tung oiled. Also, keep in mind there is a reason those guitars go for under a C-note used. Check the available adjustment on the truss rod; many came from the factory pretty much maxed. If you are putting .011s on that neck, it could be an issue, unless you plan to use it just for slide, then no problemo.

Welcome to HC, Mike! First, I'm assuming you meant Tung Sol or SovTek tubes [I was just up in Solvang last week...no tubes]. The Legend A30 was an early hybrid, tube pre/solid state power amp like the later Marshall ValveStates. I remember seeing these around in the late 70s. [I think Billy Gibbons used the bigger 50W Legends for a while back then] The amps are pretty cool looking, too, with a caned grill and oak body. Tubes, even little pre-amp ones, do not last forever. Have you replaced the tubes in all the years since you bought that amp? I would start there, since 12AX7 tubes are easy to find and relatively inexpensive. So many things can go bad over time, like capacitors, so if the tubes don't solve your issue, then yeah, you need a good solid state tech. If you 'google' "guitar amp repair Dallas" you should find someone local who can help you out. [Edit] I had to go look..I remembered meeting someone from the DFW area at a guitar show a ways back....they are [boutique] builders, but may be able to put you on to someone who can fix your Legend: https://oldscoolamps.com/ Good Luck!

Budget? Appearance? Covered? There are tons of options, but I doubt you want to put a $200 'bucker in a $100 axe....so please narrow down your field.

There is no rule that says you can only play classical music on a nylon string guitar...ask Earl Klugh....in fact, the recent rash of these narrow necked nylon string guitars is due to a number of players looking for that 'certain sound'.

Yes, do-able, but this will be of little comfort to the OP.... That said, however, the Ibanez AEG50N comes in under $375[US], so about €350. The Cordoba C4-CE is even less, around $275-300. The price of this model just dropped with the recent release of their new 'Stage' model. Both are priced in the 'upper beginner range', but the option is nice to see. Not really a bad price all things considered, but I have not played either, so I can't attest to either the playability or the build quality, but both brands are well known enough to make some assumptions in that regard.

Yes, there are nylon stringed acoustic electrics on the market now with neck profiles much closer to a steel string's nut width and profile. Yamaha [NTX], Ibanez[AEG], Cordoba [Fusion and Stage] and others have started getting into this new 'hybrid' style...I'm in the market for one myself ATM. These typically are a bit pricier than starter classicals, however.

along the same line, [I used to, and I know mikeo also does this] get one of those travel soap holders, drill half a dozen or so small holes in the top, and put the damp sponge in.

In what amplifier?

didn't bother to read through the thread, eh?

well at least they spelled it right.... The tuner holes...there are silicone rubber cones you can buy that work perfectly for that type of application, rather than stuffing paper towel in the holes. https://hightempmasking.com/products/160-piece-plug-kit-1-16-to-1-high-temp-silicone-rubber-powder-coating-paint?variant=25849776775&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_campaign=gs-2018-09-11&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=Cj0KCQiAq5meBhCyARIsAJrtdr4cNtnr8bvBcSDes7fMLgL1jY0O_kMM0xAm5wDn5vJT6yje0exbFZcaAmVQEALw_wcB Lacquer is a very tricky finish to work with, as you now know. I think the final outcome looks okay, but you will have to disclose the re-fin if you sell it.

"This is a hand build, one-of-a-kind guitar." If you were an 8string super shredder, this would be a steal...the EB/MM Petrucci sig is over 4 grand...

I would charge 1800 to do the fret crowning need better pix...is it black? Intonated frets....genius! 8 strings? ...2 too many...IMHO

These amps did not hold their value...MSRP was ~$1500, street was ~1200, now they go for between 350-500 based on condition. The X versions are heavy, too, ~60lbs. Good luck, you may find a tech who can fix it for less than half the resale.

nice piece of bookmatch, though! About the only thing I use CA on is to position a nut. There are several 'luthier's adhesives' out there, but I like TiteBond too. You can 'thin' it, a little, which makes it easier to wipe clean.

These are hybrid amps, which are also 'stereo' capable, so only a 12ax7 'preamp' triode tube is in there, but unlike many other 'hybrids', they utilize it in the output/power section. This amp design is over 20 years old and they have sold a bunch since the first ones came out around 2000, with the VTX following a few years later [with the upgraded plywood cabinet and the neo-dym Celestion speakers. I am not even remotely familiar with the Vox hybrid's circuitry, but I will guess there is a a problem with the 12ax7, a fried output circuit resistor or a bad output transformer involved, especially if the line/headphone out is functional. I would start with a new 12ax7 tube. If that doesn't do it, I would take it to a qualified tech. Was the level control 'dimed' to get a signal out of the headphone/line out? That would indicate a different issue, if the line level was completely functional, which I am guessing, then as I said, start with the tube.

Well, okay, thanks all...Ed Roman is long gone, as is his legacy, so I am closing this thread...'should not speak ill of the dead' and all that.

I hosted jams for years, and cleaned the mic balls/screens every week....but I used my mic with a foam ball windscreen when I was singing, and then switched mics when I was not singing. And that was long before Covid. At minimum, bring your own foam windscreen [which will at least keep you from direct contact with potentially infected surfaces], use a disinfectant wipe on the mic screen if you can't, or bring your own mic, but make sure they know you are swapping them out so the sound guy can adjust the level!

butter and bacon? Really? I can feel the cholesterol forming plaque just reading that..... To the OP: a picture of your Dean might be helpful.....if it looks like the Vendetta I linked you to above, then you really have as much as there is to tell you. Vendettas from that era don't fetch much, maybe $100 to $200, with a case.

https://classifysound.com/how-to-read-dean-guitar-serial-numbers-how-do-you-tell-where-a-dean-guitar-was-made/ I have heard that the s/n for imported Deans is incomprehensible...this site says the same thing. E – World Musical Instruments Co Ltd World Musical Instruments Co Ltd manufactures guitars for a ton of different brands, such as Ibanez, Schecter, and even PRS SE at one point. Yours was likely made between 1996 and 2006. Strat shaped with 3+3 tuners? Maybe a 'Vendetta'. https://www.deanguitars.com/series?id=vendetta