# The Great Ongoing Guitar Thread

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** music\
**Created:** [January 31, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172 "2010-01-31T23:20:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 256

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5104 "2017-11-18T17:52:33Z")

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:: walks past obvious references to Pete Townshend and Jimi Hendrix::

I look forward to checking it out.

Have you watched any by Burton LeGeyt or Yanuziello Guitars or maybe Dagmar guitars? I bet any of those would be facinating.

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**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5105 "2017-11-18T19:08:33Z")

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Right now I’m working my way thru Mr. Erlewine’s stuff and BigDGuitars.

Mr. Erlewine is great for real nuts-and-bolts and gear talk. He’s clear and concise and there’s a ton of information given in passing if you pay attention.

Big D does a lot of finishing work, and I really like that. I do a lot of tie dye and I love stained wood, and he utilizes similar techniques and ideas for a lot of his work. It’s also a great way to learn about guitar finishing materials if you pay attention. I found his channel because I was trying to learn about applying gloss and Big D has a video where he used [super glue as a finish](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YNF0O7Zjvc) (spoiler: it looks better than any finish I’ve ever seen on a guitar).

I added the people you listed to my list; thanks for the suggestions.

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5106 "2017-11-18T19:54:41Z")

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They will blow your mind. LeGeyt builds machines that enable him to build his guitar parts, including the metal parts. He’s a master acoustic builder and craftsman. You as a craftsman yourself, would just love this guy.

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5107 "2017-12-10T13:38:56Z")

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See link here: [A Battle Of Guitar Tonewoods: Can You Hear The Difference? : NPR](https://www.npr.org/2017/11/30/567063448/a-battle-of-guitar-tonewoods-can-you-hear-the-difference)

To support a story on the endangered species wood ban, CITES, they tried to show what Rosewood sounds like vs Mahogany. The classics Ford vs Chevy debate in acoustic guitar circles.

It’s worth listening to the samples, however compressed the recordings are. I hear a couple of differences, but will spoiler them to avoid biasing folks:

- when the Rosewood sample starts, the bass strings pop more than the mahogany.
- about 5 seconds in with each, when the player is strumming the upper strings in counterpoint to the bass notes, the “washhhhhhh” sound after the main strum is a bit more prominent with the Rosewood.

These qualities generally correlate with my experIence with the two woods. Mahogany tends to have more mids, which blend with the Lows. RW’s lows tend to pop a bit more because there are fewer mids in the mix. And the added “reverb” of RW on the upper strings is part of RW’s stiffer structure vs mahogany.

As I have said here a few times, this is why I like larger guitars in mahogany and smaller-bodied guitars in rosewood. The larger guitars have the sheer displacement to add richness to the tone and RW crowds that. Smaller bodied guitars sound a bit bigger in RW - that extra pop and sustain helps them “punch above their weight”.

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5108 "2017-12-19T13:23:37Z")

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**Billie Joe** of **Green Day** is selling a bunch of gear: [Green Day’s Reverb store | The Gear Page](https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/green-days-reverb-store.1894294/)

Some of it looks really great - heck, all of it does.

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**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5109 "2017-12-19T16:38:54Z")

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> [@WordMan](#):
>
> **Billie Joe** of **Green Day** is selling a bunch of gear: [Green Day’s Reverb store | The Gear Page](https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/green-days-reverb-store.1894294/)
> 
> Some of it looks really great - heck, all of it does.

Nice stuff (would love any of those amps) but I wonder what sort of premium will be charged?

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5110 "2017-12-19T18:41:48Z")

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Just saw this custom Gibson on Craigslist. I don’t pretend to know what this guy has done to the thing, but here is the ad. Comments welcome.

> [@](#):
>
> 1956 Gibson Les Paul Custom Build… Goal was to take a 2015 LP and turn it into one of the most sought after guitars in Gibson’s history. Started life as a 2015 Les Paul Deluxe. It was stripped of all electronics (pickups, harness, 3-way switch, input jack, pots, circuit board, preamp and G-Force elctronic tuners. Also removed was the Brass Nut and replaced with a Bone Nut. Tuners were replaced with Original “Gibson Deluxe” Tuners. Bridge is now a Tone Pro Roller and tail stop is replaced with a Bigsby Vibrato. Pickups are Original Gibson P-90’s. VOS 50’s wiring harness(all braided cable), VOS Switchcraft 3-way switch and 1/4" jack, CTS Pots and VOS Bumblebee capacitors. The trapezoid inlays are actual Mother of Pearl (instead of plastic). This guitar is near mint and includes a Gold Gibson hard case. The performance, play-ability, and tone of this guitar is outstanding and will take you back in time where Gibson P-90’s ruled and provided that P-90 growl that no other pickup can reproduce.

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5111 "2017-12-19T19:09:47Z")

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Hmm. No pics, but a '56 Les Paul Custom has a 1-piece mahogany body. A Les Paul Deluxe has the standard mahogany+maple cap. Also, an LPC had 1 P-90 and an “Alnico staple” pickup in the neck position.

So it sounds like it could never be an LPC and is just someone’s hobby project.

I had a '73 Les Paul Custom Limited Edition Black Beauty '54 Reissue. Stupid name but man, it had that old Black Beauty magic. They are amazing if you find a good one.

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5112 "2017-12-19T19:16:22Z")

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> [@WordMan](#):
>
> Hmm. No pics, but a '56 Les Paul Custom has a 1-piece mahogany body. A Les Paul Deluxe has the standard mahogany+maple cap. Also, an LPC had 1 P-90 and an “Alnico staple” pickup in the neck position.
> 
> So it sounds like it could never be an LPC and is just someone’s hobby project.
> 
> I had a '73 Les Paul Custom Limited Edition Black Beauty '54 Reissue. Stupid name but man, it had that old Black Beauty magic. They are amazing if you find a good one.

The guy says it’s a 2015 LP Deluxe that he was trying to retrofit.

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5113 "2017-12-19T19:22:28Z")

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> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> The guy says it’s a 2015 LP Deluxe that he was trying to retrofit.

Yes I read that and that’s my point: a Deluxe is constructed fundamentally differently vs a Black Beauty LP Custom\*. So: hobby, not a real re-creation attempt.

\*1970’s Customs with humbuckers and sandwich bodies are diff vs Black Beauty Customs.

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5114 "2017-12-19T19:30:42Z")

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> [@WordMan](#):
>
> Yes I read that and that’s my point: a Deluxe is constructed fundamentally differently vs a Black Beauty LP Custom\*. So: hobby, not a real re-creation attempt.
> 
> \*1970’s Customs with humbuckers and sandwich bodies are diff vs Black Beauty Customs.

Misread your reply. So what about all the hardware he’s loaded up on this thing. Does it make sense? Is this an ax worth looking into? He’s asking $1795 for it. Photos [here](https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/msg/d/2015-gibson-les-paul/6428319894.html).

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5115 "2017-12-19T20:05:50Z")

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> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Misread your reply. So what about all the hardware he’s loaded up on this thing. Does it make sense? Is this an ax worth looking into? He’s asking $1795 for it. Photos [here](https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/msg/d/2015-gibson-les-paul/6428319894.html).

Ah, many comments:

- It’s not a Les Paul Custom, it’s a custom modified Les Paul.
- the guitar being replicated is a 1956 Les Paul - the Standard, a Goldtop.
- that model has been branded by Gibson. Each year of the 1950’s has its own specific Gibson Historic model. An “R6” - the replica for 1956 - is a prehumbucker Les Paul Goldtop. Mahogany with Maple cap. Tune-o-matic + stop tailpiece, a '55 new feature.
- R6’s - the new replicas - not the originals, which go for $60-$90,000 - go for -$3,500 new, $2,300 used. That may not be current but easy to check.
- so this is a lower-level model - a Chevy to an R6 Cadillac - tricked out with some Cadillac and kinda-Cadillac parts in order to get a Caddy-ish feel.

It has no value but its parts. If it’s parts value seems in line to you, then maybe consider it.

I’ve played R6s and love 'em. I’ve played current Chevy level Les Pauls and they are very, very hit or miss. Also, a tricked out standard will never sound like an R6. It may sound like a great tricked out Standard but not an R6.

Helpful?

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5116 "2017-12-19T20:40:37Z")

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Yes, thanks.

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**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5117 "2017-12-22T23:39:15Z")

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So to take my mind off [other troubles](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=844285), today I bought a [Heritage Cherry 2018 Gibson Standard SG](http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2018/USA/SG-Standard-2018.aspx#SGS18HCCH1) – raw beef color, woo!

I’d had a pretty awful shit-brown 1971 SG when I was a teen, and it wasn’t a great guitar but I’d always had an affinity for a flat-top Gibson electric after that. I’d gone the Les Paul route and that wasn’t for me; this one seems like a better fit for both me and my guitar harem. Merry SqueegeeMas to Me!

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5118 "2017-12-23T11:40:12Z")

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> [@squeegee](#):
>
> So to take my mind off [other troubles](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=844285), today I bought a [Heritage Cherry 2018 Gibson Standard SG](http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2018/USA/SG-Standard-2018.aspx#SGS18HCCH1) – raw beef color, woo!
> 
> I’d had a pretty awful shit-brown 1971 SG when I was a teen, and it wasn’t a great guitar but I’d always had an affinity for a flat-top Gibson electric after that. I’d gone the Les Paul route and that wasn’t for me; this one seems like a better fit for both me and my guitar harem. Merry SqueegeeMas to Me!

Yay! Very cool. How much does it weigh? Light SG’s can have a bit of neck dive; best to have a wide guitar strap with a suede underside so it stays in place easily.

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5119 "2017-12-23T13:34:14Z")

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I’ve started substituting C6 and sometimes G6 for C and G.

C6 Seems to work in many songs. It’s a standard C with A added.  
[https://goo.gl/images/oqkT7U](https://goo.gl/images/oqkT7U)

I’m not as sold on G6. It’s a G chord with open 1st and 2nd strings. The added E is interesting.  
[https://goo.gl/images/DftN1z](https://goo.gl/images/DftN1z)

Any guidelines when these can be substituted? I usually throw a 6th in songs where C or G is used for several bars. Not completely sure when it’s ok or not

Trying to add some variety to basic I IV V songs.

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5120 "2017-12-23T14:09:38Z")

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A C6 can be thought of as Am with a C added.

So, is C6 a good substitute for Am when you’re in key G?

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**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5121 "2017-12-23T15:21:48Z")

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> [@WordMan](#):
>
> Yay! Very cool. How much does it weigh? Light SG’s can have a bit of neck dive; best to have a wide guitar strap with a suede underside so it stays in place easily.

No idea on weight, I picked it up at GC and I don’t really have a way to weigh it at home. It seems middlin’-light, lighter than my Tele but solid and not in danger of floating away. And, yes, a bit neck-heavy, but I knew I was getting into that from my previous SG experience. I can always move the strap button to the top horn if it’s bugging me.

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**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\
**Post date:** [December 26, 2017, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5122 "2017-12-26T22:54:08Z")

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My Christmas present this year was a red 1997 Korean-made Squier Jazz Bass. Aside from a few scratches and one little ding in the body, it’s in very good shape and I’m having fun noodling around on it, learning a new instrument. So different from playing a regular guitar, since you’re part of the rhythm section and not so much providing leads and harmonies.

The important thing is I’m starting to make the big bass solo piece from Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain sound alright. 🙂

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/5123 "2017-12-27T00:09:55Z")

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Nice. Love that FM bass coda. You play along to the recording?

I have come up with a version of James Brown’s The Big Payback groove that I am using to focus on my funk. Playing with how much thumbflesh to add to my pick work. It’s interesting; if I add almost the amount I use on a pinch harmonic\*, but in a funk strum, I get a kinda Nile Rogers steadiness and vibe. New for me.

\*this is known, yes? The Billy Gibbons/heavy metal squeal picking?

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