Jump to content

Ancient Mariner

Members
  • Posts

    8,984
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Ancient Mariner

  1. I had a Radiator for a couple of years and really quite liked it, and still have the Godin xtSA that I bought 15 years ago. But the one I had in mind was an SD24 - just not a great instrument, build quality like a Squier affinity, didn't sound great and a slightly icky colour combination. I'd definitely recommend playing before parting with cash for that model, and not buying it remotely on ebay as I did.
  2. Nice that you found a way to make it work. I'm lucky enough to have a bunch of stuff that I like without having to play it all the time. There HAVE been guitars through that were just never good for me - Heritage H150, Gibson V, a singlecut Godin - and they were moved on after a while. A few years back I fell out of love with my JJ goldtop, but that's been sat in the case with the hope I'll fall back in love again one day.
  3. Probably best thing to do first is try to create a schematic - have a look at a few online to get an idea of how to represent components, then draw it by hand. Start at the mains transformer, working through the circuit. Make a handy note of the resistor colour code so you can write down the values. If you can open up an amp then there's no secrets in a circuit (no crystalline lattice, to quote a well known boutique builder). But as DM says, just play the thing and enjoy it. 6V6 in push-pull can make for nice Fendery tones and a very musical overdrive.
  4. It's trying to channel the inner Hendrix. I've used my Godin XTSA quite a bit over the years with a GR33, and it's really fun to play like a sax or a flute or horn section or to have strings backing. One time I actually had someone come over and look at the band trying to work out who was playing saxophone. šŸ˜ I first played brass before guitar, and although I love the things that make a guitar sound so, it's so much fun to do other stuff in their style. My contribution to things I once thought were cool: Wasp-in-a-beer-can guitar tone from the late 70s when everyone though more gain from a transistor amp was all you need. Enough volume to kill a cow at 30 paces. Really really REALLY hot pickups.
  5. I understand where you're coming from. At one time I'd have been quite purist about it, but having played a number of single-cut instruments from Gibson bearing that name and seen how much they vary in construction and quality, they seem to be a type just like a 'Strat' or 'Tele' rather than a very specific and distinct instrument. Yes, a true Les Paul will only come from Gibson because they legally own the brand, but the spirit and sound of that instrument is available from a range of different makers.
  6. Possibly the only UK dweller posting on here right now. You want to try them, as many as you can, and don't be put off by the model name if you find THE one. No idea what part of the country you're in, but find local stores that have decent used selections and go spend time with them playing through the stock. The best Gibson-made Lester I ever played was a used Studio Lite in Machine Head, and I always regretted not buying it there and then even though it seemed over-priced at the time, because I'd not played enough to realise what a gem it was. Don't be afraid to look at non-Gibson Les Pauls either. My LP is a Tokai Love Rock that's a Japanese market only '59 replica retrofitted with burstbuckers.
  7. Sadly not all strat headstocks are the same, but nice find. šŸ˜„
  8. Just the guitar I need for a country gospel slide gig. šŸ˜ Nice one. šŸ‘
  9. Hey feller, don't especially remember anyone trading JEMs, but welcome back - glad to hear you're in a better place.
  10. I've been wondering about putting a set of those in a Strat - have a MIJ body & neck that I got from Lubes/Ben in a trade abut 15 years ago, and still haven't done anything with.
  11. A strat is potentially more versatile, but TBH it's more down to the player than the guitar. Like daddymack, my main guitar for decades was a strat, and it's still what I'd reach for if I didn't know what I'd need.
  12. DR Tite fit mostly, 10 gauge on almost everything except my Washburn A20V and Godin xtSA where I used 9.5s or 9s for extra flexibility & a lighter touch. Used in everything from church through covers band doing pop and rock. I used to use Snakeoil brand strings, bought direct & shipped from the US to UK, but they started getting difficult & unreliable about 10 years ago & I gave up. Acoustic guitar, I use Heritage low tension strings, usually 11 or 12 gauge. Still trying to find a string I like for the resonator and slide.
  13. The obvious answer initially was either a Vox Adio Air or a Yamaha THR, but you want backline amp features that you won't find in an amp designed for playing along to the TV. FWIW I have an Adio (Vox handbag) and it's OK for practice at low volume or through headphones. Looking at the desired feature set I'd suggest just going through the spec of various offerings from Boss/Line 6/Vox/Blackstar/Fender etc and seeing what fits your need, then arranging a try-out session at a music store.
  14. For a smaller, lower output amp my all-time favourite speaker in the celestion blue. Does that beautiful creamy-yet-crunchy earlish breakup, and it's light, making the amp much nicer to carry. My fave 10" is the Ragin Cajun, but that doesn't breakup especially early, and is both loud and heavy. Been using one in a Pignose G40V for more than 15 years and never wanted to change it.
  15. It's so much about amp design and biasing choice. EL34s OR 6L6s. Not 6550s, and 5881s are really just a 6L6 variant with more differences between makes than between them and 6L6s. A decade or 2 back Watford Valves were cryogenically treating valves (no idea if they're even still in business) and that made valves brighter, 'tighter' in your description. I even treated some valves myself (I had LN2 available at work) and it made a clear difference that I could hear in blind testing with someone else swapping out the valves. You might get the same tightening up effect by putting in a brighter and more efficient speaker, allowing you to back off volume a little so the amp has less sag and is a bit cleaner - say a Vintage 30 for example.
  16. I was a strat fan for decades, but would pass on that one.
  17. Tricky - there's no single amp. Joint favourites between a Madamp A15 + Eminence Red Fang, Ceriatone 18 watt + vintage G12H and a well cranked AC30 with blues. The speaker and cab are as important as the amplifier section in getting the right tone.
  18. I really like that - I'd be really pleased to play it out, especially set up for slide which is mostly what I play now. Darrell makes it sound really good and crunchy. Clean tones are really nice too, though a little spikey at times.
  19. I came for OLGA originally and that went decades ago, but the reviews were a fantastic resource. I couldn't even edit my sig a while back.
  20. Interesting. I had no idea Anderton etc had evaporated. Thanks for keeping things running, even if you don't have access to the stuff underneath. I wonder, just wonder, if there's a chance this could become an adult forum again & perhaps see some return to form?
  21. Sounded like just the wrong key - wouldn't be the first player to make that mistake - and she just toughed it out.
×
×
  • Create New...