daddymack

Thanks, I have never been called a 'piece of wok' before....

As to my playing, well...I doubt you ever heard it, so your opinion is noted, and ignored.

I'd invite you  to hear me play, but it would be way past your bedtime.

Approved!

19 hours ago, garthman said:

Well, 5 minutes work with a touch of epoxy resin gave me over 4 years of use with the original tuners - and the repair was virtually invisible - with none of the aggro of finding good looking tuners that fitted.

As it happened, I found some quickly and at a good price. Same as these but I paid a £ less:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295887569564?itmmeta=01HPHV2BTY5X0FWVHZP57PMB11&hash=item44e446029c:g:mOEAAOSwdq9k3yWg

 

Many years ago, I fixed a cracked tuner button for someone else...and a month later, he was back with another broken one on the same guitar. At that point, for the hourly cost, time lost while it was with me, etc., I told him it was a better idea to replace them all*.  Back in those days [early '80s], we didn't have the wide range of choices available now, like those Alice tuners. I actually wound up scavenging parts from other damaged tuners I had collected from other replacement jobs and cobbled together a full two strips with matching buttons.

*IIRC it was an old Harmony/Sears Silvertone, with white celluloid 'bean' buttons.

none of my guitars are Agile...they all just kind of sit around.....

15 hours ago, Ancient Mariner said:

The present house is about 100sqM - so around 1000sf - but it has 3 bedrooms and a staircase that's going to be too steep eventually. Downsizing will also mean we'll need to get rid of lots of stuff: the AC30 I had from 17 years old, other amps and cabs, bicycles and a loft full of junk.

I do know that apprehension all too well...I have COPD, MommaMack has asthma...we tried to avoid stairs, but they just kept showing up when we looked for a 4 bdr or larger house.... we know the next one needs to be flat, or, at most, a split-level.

3 minutes ago, Ancient Mariner said:

I'm in the UK and *hoping* for something a bit better than that. Have pensions in various places plus the basic state pension starts at 67 and is $278/week at present rates. Should be at least double that with other pensions. We have a house in an expensive location that may well get sold so we can downsize, and another home in France that we're renovating. Ran my own business for 6 years and was reminded of what we learned when the kids were small, that we can live on very little if we have too. 😶

It feels like life is slipping rapidly by, doing stuff that we enjoy less these days than we did. Work was once exciting and a challenge, but not so much now.

Hope you've got a good income from other sources.

Ah, I forgot, you are across the pond!

I joke about that 'stipend', but our house is paid for and we can pay our bills with our pitiful Social Security income...but yes, we also have investments, a 401k, two IRAs [one Roth, still untouched]...so we are solvent.

We did 'downsize', sort of, from 3500sf to 2100sf when I retired...still too big a house for us...the next move will be the real downsize ...when we leave California.

33 minutes ago, Ancient Mariner said:

Like I am now.

Just another 2 1/2 years....

Trust me...wait until you are over 67....unless you have a serious 401k/IRA.

My retirement from the Fortune 50 company I worked for in the 80s is ~$350 a month....doesn't even cover gas for the month...or my bar tab.

On 11/6/2023 at 1:32 PM, Ancient Mariner said:

Pretty well for 62 darn years old.

Whippersnalpper....😉

46 minutes ago, DeepEnd said:

Alas, there doesn't appear to be a bottom, does there. 😟 Just when you think people can't get any stupider, they surprise you again.

Frankly, my friend, it is no longer a surprise to me...

On 2/10/2024 at 7:58 PM, Malicious said:

Daddy Mack can suck my Daddy Dick

Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass.

There are other/better ways to say you disagree with my comment.

Unfortunately, you felt that this was the best presentation of your knowledge and opinion?

Since this post violates our TOS, you are now permabanned. I hope it was worth it....

1 hour ago, garthman said:

How much more stupid can this world become . . . . ?

Sadly, much....

I think, had it been me [y'know, the repair guy...], I would have just replaced all the tuners when I bought it, rather than epoxying parts together...but still, you are way ahead on that axe!

Better up yer ante..."Willie Nelsonʼs guitar, Trigger, holds immense sentimental and historical value, making it an iconic instrument in the world of music. Its estimated net worth of $30 million in 2023 reflects its significance and the impact it has had on Nelson's career."

 Just a tad beyond my range....

Phantosmia is also called a phantom smell or an olfactory hallucination.  Phantosmia may be caused by a head injury or upper respiratory infection. It can also be caused by aging, trauma, temporal lobe seizures, inflamed sinuses, brain tumors, certain medications and Parkinson's disease. Phantosmia can also result from COVID-19 infection.

I will go out on a limb here and ask: What are you trying to accomplish? More 'dirt'...yes, you will get it, but there are tradeoffs.

Typically, I would suggest not doing it, but it won't necessarily damage your amp to try defeating it.

There is a reason for NFB, in tube amps, mainly to stabilize the gain. But it also reduces output impedance, while increasing input impedance, and lessens distortion, oscillations...so ... consider that the amp's designer put it in the circuit for a reason.

3 hours ago, Ancient Mariner said:

 

Just enjoy the dings and bashes - some people pay hundreds or thousands of dollars/euros for damaged/relic'd instruments, where here yours is becoming an authentic relic for nothing. 😁

Many of my instruments have bashes and dings, acquired over years of use. It's just a part of life and adds character.

but these were 'virgin' dings.......first cut is the deepest

Check the battery contacts ...and check the ground wiring on the output jack. Both are typical failure points on Takamines.

This footswitch? Standard 1/4" phono jack. No ring, early '70s tech. Never owned one, never had to repair a footswitch, but I have serviced a few  and Gemini and Reverbrockets,...all used the same footswitch....much as Fender did with their Vibrato/Reverb amps, although they used RCA-style jacks

is the sound a hum or a crackle?

Taks are known to have a battery contact issue.

What are you plugging into?

On 1/21/2024 at 9:00 PM, Hoot Owl said:

Well, I'll be darned. Handwritten in pencil it says C 1882. 'C' I assume to mean circa.

Bingo.

be careful...in those days, there really was lead in those pencils....

3 hours ago, dork lard said:

you're making me internet-paranoid with all those french references. Like, how do users know where I'm posting from, I haven't put that information anywhere (!) 😅

Is Harmonycentral really Big brother ?

Thanks for the suggestions. It was 500ish $ new, and it's still brand new, save those recent hits.

Ah, mon ami, je suis le moderateur....I can see where you are, who your ISP is, your email, etc...but rest assured, no once else can. Your English is quite good, btw!

You paid ~$500 for your ax new... but once you tuned it up at home, it became a used instrument, which is the valuation I referenced. Sad, but true.

original price....

I doubt the 'C' was for 'circa'. More likely a builder or final inspector's mark.

3 hours ago, dork lard said:

It's a Jackson FSR JS42 Dinky Ziricote Natural.

hmmm...okay, yeah, you are on your own on that. That guitar, used, is worth at best, what? €275 [$300]?

A repair for those dings by a qualified repairman will run you about half the value. If you brought that to me, I would tell you it was not worth the cost.

3 hours ago, dork lard said:

I did one repair before and it was a similar crack around the bottom of the guitar, but it was black so much easier to do. This here is bright and a natural finish, so much tougher.

And, oh yes, I've got to repair this. No way I can keep it this way.

and people wonder why I have mainly black guitars....[but that is not the reason]😉

Okay, well, I've given you the guidelines, mon ami...all I can say is be patient, think every step through, take your time and be willing to settle for 'less than perfect'.[moins de parfait]..eh, bien, bon chance!

And above all...be more careful with your gear!