# The Great Ongoing Guitar Thread **URL:** \ **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:** 29
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/561 "2010-06-13T03:09:49Z")
Right, but how far do I have to tighten the _bridge_ screws down? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/562 "2010-06-13T03:11:23Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > At any rate, here it is. A 78 Custom, wine red. > > [http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/members/stevegangi-albums-steves-pics-picture27122-1978-lp-custom.jpg](http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/members/stevegangi-albums-steves-pics-picture27122-1978-lp-custom.jpg) [http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-50206111187217\_2105\_18938514](http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-50206111187217_2105_18938514) That’s funny. Same color as mine, cream band and all. (I am, one notes, color blind. It looks mostly the same color to me.) ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/563 "2010-06-13T03:42:17Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > No - you have G.A.S. (Guitar/Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and there is no cure - except more gear. It ain’t pretty. … Not to mention that, IMHO, everyone should have a decent acoustic in their guitarsenal (my favorite stupid word!). … Any chance you could just use it for your acoustic for now? Damn. I was sort of afraid of that. It’s probably a good thing that it’s just a generalized urge at this point–I’d be in trouble if it’d gotten to the point of, say, a particular guitar. Except that it kinda has–what I really want is, in fact, my dad’s LG-1, but it’s not an option. It’ll be mine one day, but I’m gonna need to wait for him to be done with it first. So–any acoustic recommendations? Either particular brands/models that might be floating around the secondary market and worth picking up, or things to look at on a used to make sure I’m not getting a piece of junk? ---
**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:** [June 13, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/564 "2010-06-13T03:57:20Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > OK. I went to work on the amp, and got all the controls on the main or “lead” channel free now. I will need to replace the bass and treble pots on the second or “bass” channel (both 50K Ohm). But, I can do that any time, at my leisure. Any thoughts on the log/linear pots? How’d that work out? You were going for linear pots for everything that wasn’t gain/master volume, do all the controls feel right? ---
**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:** [June 13, 2010, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/565 "2010-06-13T05:56:57Z")
So I just spent some quality time with my [Blues Junior](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=555670) (link to thread where I bought it in March), and its got some serious issues at high volumes. I usually play at low volumes (since I don’t jam with anyone), but the misses & kid were out of town so I thought I’d give the power tubes a little love. Bottom line: there’s some pretty bad microphonics going on when I crank it. Just playing it, you get something that sounds like jangly tinkle bells sometimes, really objectionable, and when I hit certain notes it squeals badly. I’m out of the 90-day warranty, do you all think I should contact Fender, or just retube the pre-amp, or something else? ---
**Author:** ![BigShooter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f07891/32.png) [@BigShooter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigShooter)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/566 "2010-06-13T13:02:35Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Right, but how far do I have to tighten the _bridge_ screws down? Just to where they’re touching the bridge plate but not raising it up off the body. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/567 "2010-06-13T13:16:30Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Any thoughts on the log/linear pots? How’d that work out? You were going for linear pots for everything that wasn’t gain/master volume, do all the controls feel right? Well, all the main channel pots are OK now, so I didn’t have to replace them after all. I only need to replace two of the pots in the second channel, and I will be using linears (bass and treble pots). ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/568 "2010-06-13T13:20:51Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > So I just spent some quality time with my [Blues Junior](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=555670) (link to thread where I bought it in March), and its got some serious issues at high volumes. I usually play at low volumes (since I don’t jam with anyone), but the misses & kid were out of town so I thought I’d give the power tubes a little love. > > Bottom line: there’s some pretty bad microphonics going on when I crank it. Just playing it, you get something that sounds like jangly tinkle bells sometimes, really objectionable, and when I hit certain notes it squeals badly. I’m out of the 90-day warranty, do you all think I should contact Fender, or just retube the pre-amp, or something else? The microphonics may be from one of the tubes. If you find which one it is and replace it, you may get rid of the “bells” also. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/569 "2010-06-13T22:52:03Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > The microphonics may be from one of the tubes. If you find which one it is and replace it, you may get rid of the “bells” also. Looks like V1 (? the rightmost pre-amp tube, looking at the amp from the rear) is microphonic, very loud “clack” when I tap it with a screwdriver. The tube is a GT-12AX7-R. Is it okay to replace just that one tube? There’s a lot of voodoo I’ve heard about having tubes be matched, etc, etc. If I replace one tube, should I order the same GT 12AX7, or can I use pretty any 12AX7 variant? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/570 "2010-06-13T23:21:36Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Looks like V1 (? the rightmost pre-amp tube, looking at the amp from the rear) is microphonic, very loud “clack” when I tap it with a screwdriver. The tube is a GT-12AX7-R. Is it okay to replace just that one tube? There’s a lot of voodoo I’ve heard about having tubes be matched, etc, etc. If I replace one tube, should I order the same GT 12AX7, or can I use pretty any 12AX7 variant? Just replace the one tube. Any brand name or variant of 12AX7 should work. ---
**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:** [June 14, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/571 "2010-06-14T00:30:42Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Just replace the one tube. Any brand name or variant of 12AX7 should work. Done and done. I popped over to GC and got a single 12AX7 (which happened to be exactly the brand/make of the tube old tube). Microphonics and ‘tinkling’ sound is gone, much better. I still get a little bit of “rattle” when I sustain certain notes with the amp set very loud, master=10, which is bothersome but nowhere near as bad as the other issues were. All amps rattle a bit at high volumes. I may get another 12AX7 and try swapping out one then then other of the remaining preamp tubes, to see if I can get that rattle noise to lessen. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/572 "2010-06-14T03:52:11Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0AAy-NGf2VQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Rock Band 3 Exclusive - Pro guitar!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AAy-NGf2VQ) This is the cheaper of the two Rock Band 3 Pro Mode guitars. It is a _fully functional_ MIDI guitar. Only 17 frets, though. But it’ll be of serviceable quality, at $150. What could you do with a MIDI guitar? ---
**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:** [June 14, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/573 "2010-06-14T04:53:56Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AAy-NGf2VQ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AAy-NGf2VQ) > > This is the cheaper of the two Rock Band 3 Pro Mode guitars. It is a _fully functional_ MIDI guitar. Only 17 frets, though. But it’ll be of serviceable quality, at $150. What could you do with a MIDI guitar? You could use it to send signals to any MIDI device that accepts MIDI-in, and control it, just like hitting piano keys. In theory, anyway. If you have a sound card with MIDI on it, you use the wave table sounds built into Windows, and use the guitar to drive piano, horn, strings, whatevah out your computer speakers. I would be very surprised if RB3 doesn’t some sort of free-play mode where you could do the same thing with the console, just fiddle about with the guitar and the console maps that to guitar- or non-guitar tones as you rock out. MIDI can also be used for non-musical things, it’s all just a signaling protocol, so you could in theory hit some strings and make your garage door go up and down, or crank the A/C. It’s all just dispatching. What’s not clear from that demo is what, other than note data, is sent using that guitar. Is there velocity sent according to how hard you strum? If not, all notes will have the same volume. How about the wang bar, does it send pitch control data? Note also that there is a lot of articulation possible with a guitar that isn’t available using frets-as-buttons - bends, vibrato, lots of things are out of reach, so its not much of a guitar experience in that sense. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/574 "2010-06-14T13:03:42Z")
Wow - lots of stuff over the weekend. \*\*Attack \*\*- congrats on the Dano - those are fun guitars. \*\*LawMonkey \*\*- why not price a few 60’s LG-1’s and 2’s? They are actually affordable - you can find an LG-1 on [GBase’s Advanced Search](http://www.gbase.com/stores/gear/gearsearch.aspx)for prolly $1,000 - $1,500. Pricey vs. a Guitar Center $400 starter Takamine, but this is a much better guitar and will hold its value, perhaps even increasing over time. (Growing up with antique-dealer parents, I was trained with this mindset, and it has served me well. I have traded first edition books for guitars, vintage guitars for new guitars and vice-versa, always looking to upgrade my tools) As for all of that tube stuff - sounds like you are nailing it down. There are a few geeked-out websites dedicated to Blues Jr.'s - troubleshooting, tweaks, mods and conversions. I can’t recommend on because I don’t hang out on 'em, but if you are looking at ways to deal with rattles or such, that would be where I’d start, other than Fender’s official site with schematics and message boards. \*\*SteveG1 \*\*and \*\*BigShooter \*\*- you know, I am not surprised you stuck with the OCD. I tend to think simpler is better and if you don’t need the added channel functionality, sticking with a simpler circuit makes sense. I haven’t lived with either Fulltone pedal, but from talking with folks who have either one of the Fulltones and my Blackstone, I get the sense that the Blackstone overlaps more into distortion, which makes sense since I like it and am coming from Rat land. As for preferring to go straight in - sure, that is the right default mindset, IMHO. But making your rig functional is always a series of compromises, and the right kind of quality pedal feels like it gives me added functionality - a bigger crunch without having to get a second, crunchier amp, more oomph and usable tone as I dial up from 7 - 10 with my on-board Volume, etc. - without really compromising that “organic” primitively-electronic tubey tone. And let’s not forget that simply using a pedal to pump more signal into a tube’s pre-amp isn’t the same as laying down a layer of gushy chorus or flanging - you’re just goosing the amp; something most every player known for great tone was known to do - Hendrix, SRV, Jimmy Page, Tom Scholz, etc… Gotta run. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/575 "2010-06-14T17:12:08Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > What’s not clear from that demo is what, other than note data, is sent using that guitar. Is there velocity sent according to how hard you strum? If not, all notes will have the same volume. How about the wang bar, does it send pitch control data? Note also that there is a lot of articulation possible with a guitar that isn’t available using frets-as-buttons - bends, vibrato, lots of things are out of reach, so its not much of a guitar experience in that sense. This is the kind of thing I was hoping to find out. I’ll ask the guys at Harmonix. I should also note that there’s a full-on Squier with a midi-out as well. Not sure how it works or what it sends yet. But, yeah, it’s a full on six string. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/576 "2010-06-14T23:48:05Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > [http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-50206111187217\_2105\_18938514](http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-50206111187217_2105_18938514) > > That’s funny. Same color as mine, cream band and all. > > (I am, one notes, color blind. It looks mostly the same color to me.) Nice. How’s that soap bar pickup at the neck sound? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/577 "2010-06-15T01:46:01Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > \*\*SteveG1 \*\*and \*\*BigShooter \*\*- you know, I am not surprised you stuck with the OCD. I tend to think simpler is better and if you don’t need the added channel functionality, sticking with a simpler circuit makes sense. I like simple, although I am sure it comes from my “background”. I “came up” in the 60s and 70s, when about the only effects we used with any regularity were reverb, and the natural distortion of tube amps. Sure, we had our wah wah pedals and fuzzboxes, but they were just a novelty really. The fun one was a “voice box”, for doing the Frampton “talking guitar” thing. > [@](#): > > a bigger crunch without having to get a second, crunchier amp, more oomph and usable tone as I dial up from 7 - 10 with my on-board Volume, etc. - without really compromising that “organic” primitively-electronic tubey tone. For crunch, what can I say? I’m using a LP Custom, and the bridge pickup is pretty crunchy all by itself. The neck pickup I’ve been “readjusting” to be closer in loudness to the brige one (when did it change? hell if I know). But crunchiness is not a problem here. Also. my amp has a switchable overall tone boost" that has normal, low mid boost, high mid boost, etc. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/578 "2010-06-15T10:30:11Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Nice. How’s that soap bar pickup at the neck sound? Pretty good. I’m beginning to hear the bite in it. It’s unusual, I’ve never seen another guitar with the P90/humbucker setup, but I think I like it. It gets _really_ weird in middle position, though. I _think_ the P90 cancels one of the humbucker’s pickups out, partially. So it gets softer, but twangier. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/579 "2010-06-15T17:47:11Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > … The neck pickup I’ve been “readjusting” to be closer in loudness to the brige one (when did it change? hell if I know). But crunchiness is not a problem here. Also. my amp has a switchable overall tone boost" that has normal, low mid boost, high mid boost, etc. I hit a snag. While adjusting the height, the neck PU came on and sounded GOOD. The loudness was about equal to the bridge pickup. But then, as I rocked it back and forth in its housing ring, it shut off completely. Now I gotta take the damn thing apart and see what’s up with that. I’d hate to buy a whole new not-original pickup, and then find out it was just a pinched wire or cold solder joint. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/580 "2010-06-15T23:47:23Z")
More on Rock Band 3: We’ve got a clear pic of the Squier Stratocaster, now. > **[ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs](https://imageshack.com)** > > Unlimited space to host images, easy to use image uploader, albums, photo hosting, sharing, dynamic image resizing on web and mobile. Single pickup, no whammy bar. Good choice, that. Standard cheap Fender bridge adjustments. The question is, how does it sound? [![](https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/70896436-28a255df2ec597ebeef5fc513b0c591fa8c9d4bddecd95a5a9ed130ef14ab841-d?f=webp "E3 2010 Booth Walkthru") ](https://vimeo.com/12578646) It’s the guitar in the first 10 seconds. It’s not _bad_, actually. This is, again, a guitar with MIDI output. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172.md?page=28) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172.md?page=30)