Opinions on hard shell guitar cases

[Commander Wallace]

I have finished all the tweaks on the ESP Electric lead guitar. It has 2, nice sets of Humbucker pickups in it now It has a locking nut at the base of the head stock, standard. I also found a nice set of gold, Shaller locking tuners. Most think this is overkill with a locking nut but I may not use that. Floyd Rose tremolo's are great but a royal pain in the ..... when it comes to tuning. I would rather have the strings locked by the Floyd Rose bridge tremolo at the aft end of the guitar and locking tuners in the head stock and tune the guitar there.

I have seen friends buy what are considered cheaper guitars but have great tone woods like Alder, Ash and Mahogany, among others. I am of the opinion that body wood compositions are less important with modern amplifiers. It is more important to go with with good pickups and or sensors. They take the " cheap " guitars and hot rod them with good pickups and hardware. This saves their valuable, vintage guitars from theft and or damage on the road.

I went to get a good guitar case and there are a plethora of them. I have a couple thrashed out hard shell guitar cases. I was going to get a thick piece of Polystyrene, Polyurethane or Fiberglass and rout it out in the shape of the guitar body, although go out a 1/4 of an inch or better to allow for the plush fabrics covering the inside of the routed material. It can be a bit of work but fun.

Instead, I found two guitar cases that are custom fits for this guitar and wanted your opinions. The first is pretty basic while the other is kinda freaky. :haha:


https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP. J37pWEi-O5jpWYNOJ9e79AHaDX%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=86c91a4552a6da63e99a1dccd2dc0da3f9a7b747018c3a 8a780d7bc97b4c680d&ipo=images


This is the second case. My lady absolutely hates it. :haha:


https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.reverb.com%2Fimage%2Fuploa d%2Fs--GodsYb-s--%2Fa_exif%2Cc_limit%2Ce_unsharp_mask%3A80%2Cf_auto %2Cfl_progressive%2Cg_south%2Ch_620%2Cq_90%2Cw_620 %2Fv1479318118%2Fcuz2m2srarnypkppendi.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=1beedc0e922c95c94bac23860c41add9f28bb6552da3c9 8a95b0455a71663771&ipo=images

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP. pFP-Sg0Je2JZ3BWM_lrJpwHaDL%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=d1e7b1e318b9c27b550828ce03be386573236ef8888b2c c41fd14c44adceb70b&ipo=images

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP. 5twP9sTQVnj-0yZg--W39QHaFq%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=7e7f7d96eccde6cd1c3e2984c7881e988cbe8cc427f686 aa8b288e3bddc9a272&ipo=images


Which do you like and opinions ? This may become important later because I may be living in the cases at some point. :haha:





(https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--GodsYb-s--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progres sive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1479318118/cuz2m2srarnypkppendi.jpg)

[Eisenwurst]

Hi Robert. Go with the "Basic Black".....you can't go wrong with that. That goes for a lot of things - clothes, cars, even coffee :)

The other one......I'm with your lady. I find it disturbing. I absolutely hate the "Death Cult" imagery that pervades modern Western society these days......if you do end up getting the 2nd one you'll find it's like a tattoo, great to start with, but as time passes you'll come to hate it.

After all it's just a box....what's important is what's inside.

[Buddahaid]

On the other hand, the tombstone case is a conversation piece which I don't associate with death cult, more like classic Vincent Price horror schtick. Anyway, it's just a case.

[Commander Wallace]

Hi Robert. Go with the "Basic Black".....you can't go wrong with that. That goes for a lot of things - clothes, cars, even coffee :)

The other one......I'm with your lady. I find it disturbing. I absolutely hate the "Death Cult" imagery that pervades modern Western society these days......if you do end up getting the 2nd one you'll find it's like a tattoo, great to start with, but as time passes you'll come to hate it.

After all it's just a box....what's important is what's inside.


I agree with you, Arnold and Budda. To be honest, I did go with the basic black case for the reasons you mentioned, Arnold. Both cases have the identical interiors. I don't have any tats or piercings. So, I get your meaning.

The guitar itself is rather striking in a transparent blue, showing the wood grains of the guitar. I do prefer basic and plain cases that give little idea of what's inside, other than a guitar. Ironically, the gentleman I have always dealt with at the music shop had never seen the " Tombstone " case. He was going to get it for me at a discount and I told him, " No Way." As Budda had said, they are a functioning novelty item and conversation piece.

The cost of Guitars and cases has gone through the roof in the last few years. A basic Fender Stratocaster is about $ 1400 and good, form fitting cases are in the $ 200 range. I had purchased a new Stratocaster plus case from the music shop years ago for $ 70.00. I had also purchased a couple Stratocaster cases that were thrashed out with the idea of rebuilding the interiors. The outsides were high impact plastic and intact.

I have always associated Jackson, Kramer and the like with heavy metal music, which I can't stand. The pickups in them have a harsh, raunchy sound for playing heavy metal. The ESP I have was basically no different but now has Gibson PAF ( Patent applied for ) Humbucking pickups found in the Les Paul. With the Floyd Rose Tremolo / bridge and Pickups and Push-Pull Pots at the volume and tone controls to coil split the Humbuckers. I get warm sounds suitable for Jazz to bright tones for playing blues and rock and everything in between.
By the way Arnold, a blond woman in a black dress looks great too. :yep: :Kaleun_Thumbs_Up:

Thanks for the input, gentlemen. :Kaleun_Salute:

[vienna]

Regarding 'stand out' cases, it is often best, if you are gigging and traveling to have a simple , generic case instead of something that draws attention; I remember one guy, in a band I sometimes sat in with, who was sometimes mocked for having his very expensive guitar in a very nondescript case; his response was "Imagine there's some guy who is intent of stealing a guitar at a gig. he sees the cases with the brand logos or some sort of customization and then he sees my woebegone case; if you were the guy deciding which one to steal, what would be your choice? The guitars in the flash cases or the one that looks like it contains a low grade guitar?" I never had a brand name case with logos on it nor have I ever used branded gig bags; I have never gad a guitar stolen but I have known not a few who have been ripped off and targeted because they had their guitar in a flash case; this holds true if you have to check in your guitar as luggage; the less conspicuous the case/bag, the less tempting it is for sticky fingers...


Speaking of checking in guitars as luggage, in the times when I had to take a guitar on a plane, I always just bought a seat for the guitar and strapped it in for the fight; that was all pre-9/11 and I'm sure the rules have significantly changed in the following tears; there was one instance where the airline desk clerk refused to sell me another seat for my guitar, but a very kind stewardess took pity on me and snacked it on board and secured in a cupboard used by the flight crew; I was very grateful for that kind young lady...




<O>

[Eisenwurst]

I agree with you, Arnold and Budda. To be honest, I did go with the basic black case for the reasons you mentioned, Arnold. Both cases have the identical interiors. I don't have any tats or piercings. So, I get your meaning.

The guitar itself is rather striking in a transparent blue, showing the wood grains of the guitar. I do prefer basic and plain cases that give little idea of what's inside, other than a guitar. Ironically, the gentleman I have always dealt with at the music shop had never seen the " Tombstone " case. He was going to get it for me at a discount and I told him, " No Way." As Budda had said, they are a functioning novelty item and conversation piece.

The cost of Guitars and cases has gone through the roof in the last few years. A basic Fender Stratocaster is about $ 1400 and good, form fitting cases are in the $ 200 range. I had purchased a new Stratocaster plus case from the music shop years ago for $ 70.00. I had also purchased a couple Stratocaster cases that were thrashed out with the idea of rebuilding the interiors. The outsides were high impact plastic and intact.

I have always associated Jackson, Kramer and the like with heavy metal music, which I can't stand. The pickups in them have a harsh, raunchy sound for playing heavy metal. The ESP I have was basically no different but now has Gibson PAF ( Patent applied for ) Humbucking pickups found in the Les Paul. With the Floyd Rose Tremolo / bridge and Pickups and Push-Pull Pots at the volume and tone controls to coil split the Humbuckers. I get warm sounds suitable for Jazz to bight tones for playing blues and rock and everything in between.
By the way Arnold, a blond woman in a black dress looks great too. :yep: :Kaleun_Thumbs_Up:

Thanks for the input, gentlemen. :Kaleun_Salute:

White, Crystal, and Gold, were her favourite colours. She wore them, and her unit was decorated likewise. She only had a few black outfits but they looked wow on her.....

[Commander Wallace]

Regarding 'stand out' cases, it is often best, if you are gigging and traveling to have a simple , generic case instead of something that draws attention; I remember one guy, in a band I sometimes sat in with, who was sometimes mocked for having his very expensive guitar in a very nondescript case; his response was "Imagine there's some guy who is intent of stealing a guitar at a gig. he sees the cases with the brand logos or some sort of customization and then he sees my woebegone case; if you were the guy deciding which one to steal, what would be your choice? <O>

I feel the same way. This is why I mention the " Thrashed out " cases. Ironically, I purchased two Fender rectangular cases. One was for a Fender Squier Stratocaster. The other just had raised lettering that said, Fender. The Squier case was a full two inches longer. :hmmm: As mentioned, after buying them on the cheap, I planned on rebuilding the interiors.

Eisenwurst had said, " It's what's in the case that matters." That's true but if you have a good guitar, you want the interior to protect that investment. I have seen talented friends create pine boxes, then split them on a table saw and install good hinges, locks and plush interiors. They are great, albeit, a bit heavy for doing gigs.

White, Crystal, and Gold, were her favourite colours. She wore them, and her unit was decorated likewise. She only had a few black outfits but they looked wow on her.....

I know you think of her very often which is why I mentioned the black dress. :yep: A lass I knew once wore one when we went out for New Years eve celebrations one year and she looked absolutely stunning. :yep:

All the best to you, my friend. :)

[mapuc]

A funny input to the interesting topic.

As Eisenwurst wrote:

"After all it's just a box....what's important is what's inside."

Which reminded me to tell you this.

Do remember to put the right thing for the right job inside your guitar cases-So you don't open the cases at the music lesson and discovere you have taken you Tommy Submachine gun with you instead of your guitar.

End of a Funny input to...

Markus

[Commander Wallace]

A funny input to the interesting topic.

As Eisenwurst wrote:

"After all it's just a box....what's important is what's inside."

Which reminded me to tell you this.

Do remember to put the right thing for the right job inside your guitar cases-So you don't open the cases at the music lesson and discovere you have taken you Tommy Submachine gun with you instead of your guitar.

End of a Funny input to...

Markus


It's funny you would mention that, Markus. One time, in college, I brought my Guitar and case to class as I had just come from the auditorium. I sat the case in the front of the classroom, off to the side and took my seat. My professor / instructor asked if there was a guitar in the case or a machine gun. :yep: :haha:

[ET2SN]

If the case is the star, just how good is the player? :03:

The hard case is usually the best option but sometimes it comes down to how often you play that guitar. :yep: If its only a couple times a year, a case won't protect your axe from overly dry or humid storage. :doh:
I would vote for the black hard case. A generic case would be even better to protect the guitar from sticky fingers. :03:

I knew a guy back in Maine in the 1980's who found an old Gibson LP in a pawn shop.
This guitar had the old school black lacquer paint, tuners, and knobs.
It also had three pick ups and it was all original. :yep:

He managed to buy it cheap so he could play with his band at weekend gigs.
When the LP wasn't working, he just kept it on a stand.
The first time I saw it, I knew what it was. :yep:

I asked him if I could buy it and he said..

"Neither of us could afford it." :haha:

He knew what he had and how hard it would be to replace it.

[Commander Wallace]

If the case is the star, just how good is the player? :03:

The hard case is usually the best option but sometimes it comes down to how often you play that guitar. :yep: If its only a couple times a year, a case won't protect your axe from overly dry or humid storage. :doh:
I would vote for the black hard case. A generic case would be even better to protect the guitar from sticky fingers. :03:

I knew a guy back in Maine in the 1980's who found an old Gibson LP in a pawn shop.
This guitar had the old school black lacquer paint, tuners, and knobs.
It also had three pick ups and it was all original. :yep:

He managed to buy it cheap so he could play with his band at weekend gigs.
When the LP wasn't working, he just kept it on a stand.
The first time I saw it, I knew what it was. :yep:

I asked him if I could buy it and he said..

"Neither of us could afford it." :haha:

He knew what he had and how hard it would be to replace it.

I agree on the basic black case. It does have nice plush, Grey interior and is a custom fit. Generic cases like Gator cases don't offer great neck supports for the guitars. This is often the case with generic cases. I won't buy them. I would rather build my own If I couldn't find something suitable. Your friend had a great find and made an awesome purchase with the Les Paul.

Peter Frampton had a number of the three " Buckers " Les Paul guitars. Peter used them exclusively. Peter had Issues with his Guitar one night and an Audience member who played guitar's and Les Paul's made some modifications for Peter. Peter loved it and it became his number one Guitar. They are as rare as hen's teeth. Peter Frampton lost his prized 1954 three " Bucker " Les Paul Guitar in a cargo plane crash- Or so he thought. The Guitar turned up decades later and after some negotiations, Peter was reunited with his prized Les Paul Guitar.


https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2012/01/07/frampton_guitar_custom-826839a5bc1acaae9b1e5f1c7ce69cc756167872-s1100-c50.jpg

Peter Frampton poses with the guitar he thought he'd lost forever.


https://www.guitarworld.com/news/peter-frampton-reunited-his-lost-1954-gibson-les-paul-after-31-years


ESP makes the higher end EC-1000 Les Paul Copy. It has a Mahogany body, set neck construction and high end EMG- 81/60 pickups. It also offers a 24-fret Macassar ebony fingerboard. Available in Vintage Black finish. They are about $ 1000.


https://www.espguitars.com/products/9520-ec-1000-vb#gallery-1



https://cdn.connectsites.net/user_files/esp/product_images/000/027/299/original.png?1566681442


The ESP LTD EC-256 is another great option. They are about $ 550 and feature a mahogany body and neck and roasted jatoba fingerboard. The pickups are ESP Designed LH-150 passive pickups. The pickups work but have absolutely no character and have a harsh tone, to my ears.



https://www.amazon.com/ESP-EC-256-Electric-Guitar-Black/dp/B00BEZY290


Drawbacks to a Number of ESP LTD models is fret buzz. Most of these guitars, depending on where they were constructed need the frets leveled. Calculate That fact into your final costs.


Probably the best Les Paul style Guitar is made by Epiphone. They feature good pickups and sound great. Drawbacks are that the body is made from several pieces instead of one solid one.

[ET2SN]

I'm old enough that whenever I look at an LP, my first thought is to find a good chiropractor. :har:

Still, if I had to.. I like the Epiphones. :yeah: Maybe an SG body? :hmmm:

[Commander Wallace]

I'm old enough that whenever I look at an LP, my first thought is to find a good chiropractor. :har:

Still, if I had to.. I like the Epiphones. :yeah: Maybe an SG body? :hmmm:


My Les Paul comes in at 14 pounds. :wah:


I do love the Gibson PAF Humbuckers, though. :yep:

[Threadfin]

Both of my Les Pauls are fairly light, with the Studio being really lightweight for a LP. People often talk about how heavy Les Pauls are, and they're heavier usually than Strats sure. But there is a big variance here. And too, balance is a big part of it. Anyone who has gigged with a SG knows what I mean I am sure.

I like the grave case. That's pretty cool. If it supports the guitar properly I'd go with that one. Oh I see you got the black one.

Here are my two Les Pauls. The one on the left is a desertburst Studio Plus. Surprisingly lightweight. My number one. The LP on the right is a Classic in honeyburst. Hot ceramics and noticably heavier than the Studio. Both are top-wrapped. Cases are obviously the stock Gibson USA hardshells.



https://SimHQ.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/44254/filename/gibsonlespaul.jpg

[Commander Wallace]

Both of my Les Pauls are fairly light, with the Studio being really lightweight for a LP. People often talk about how heavy Les Pauls are, and they're heavier usually than Strats sure. But there is a big variance here. And too, balance is a big part of it. Anyone who has gigged with a SG knows what I mean I am sure.

I like the grave case. That's pretty cool. If it supports the guitar properly I'd go with that one. Oh I see you got the black one.

Here are my two Les Pauls. The one on the left is a desertburst Studio Plus. Surprisingly lightweight. My number one. The LP on the right is a Classic in honeyburst. Hot ceramics and noticably heavier than the Studio. Both are top-wrapped. Cases are obviously the stock Gibson USA hardshells.



https://SimHQ.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/44254/filename/gibsonlespaul.jpg


Wow and wow. Those are great Les Paul Guitars. I don't see a mark on them.

Al Pitrelli, Joel Hoekstra and Chris Caffery of Trans-Siberean Orchestra all play Les Paul's and Gibson Guitars in their shows. Alex Skolnick has also played with Trans-Siberean Orchestra and has played his ESP LTD Signature AS-1 which are essentially Les Paul copies. Others like Slash, and Peter Frampton have shown there is still a lot of life left in the Les Paul's. :Kaleun_Thumbs_Up:
Then again, these guys are so good, they could string up a cereal box with rubber bands and make them sound good. A Guitar teacher of mine used Les Paul's, exclusively as well. His Les Paul was called a Silver-back but was greenish in color.

The Les Paul tune o Matic Bridge / Tremolo doesn't look particularly sophisticated as compared to the Fender and Floyd Rose Tremolo and yet plays buttery smooth. As you said, there seems to a large variance in weights with regards to the Les Paul. I have a light Ash bodied Stratocaster that weighs like 5 lbs.

The Tombstone case as you said is cool but it wasn't something I wanted. The Interior is identical to the plain black case I ended up purchasing. Congratulations on owning such exemplary examples of the fabled Les Paul Guitars. :up: By the way, do your guitars have the factory PAF Humbuckers or the slightly hotter versions of them or something else ?

I want them. :D

[Threadfin]

Thanks man, yeah, I try to take good care of them. And with kids and a dumb dog that isn't always easy!


That Studio is really something else. I've picked up a lot of Gibsons down the years and it is still the best one I've tried. Sometimes you just get lucky. The cases are nice too. Not sure they still issue this one. I haven't been in the market for a long time, but I have this voice inside that tells me to buy a R9. Very expensive, but you never know. Or a Rossington, and Gary just passed as folks may have heard. Sad. A third Les Paul would round out the collection a little better I think. But the woman constantly tells me I don't need so many. She'll never understand, although if she applied her shoes approach to the issue I think she would get it. Women.


The Les Paul is my favorite guitar, just something about them. I grew up playing Strats because I could afford them. Bought my first one at age 11 in 1979. Still have it but it shows the scars. It wasn't until I was over 30 that I could afford a Gibson. And then it was all over for me. Then I knew what I had been missing all those years.

[ET2SN]

Both of my Les Pauls are fairly light, with the Studio being really lightweight for a LP. People often talk about how heavy Les Pauls are, and they're heavier usually than Strats sure. But there is a big variance here. And too, balance is a big part of it. Anyone who has gigged with a SG knows what I mean I am sure.

I like the grave case. That's pretty cool. If it supports the guitar properly I'd go with that one. Oh I see you got the black one.

Here are my two Les Pauls. The one on the left is a desertburst Studio Plus. Surprisingly lightweight. My number one. The LP on the right is a Classic in honeyburst. Hot ceramics and noticably heavier than the Studio. Both are top-wrapped. Cases are obviously the stock Gibson USA hardshells.



https://SimHQ.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/44254/filename/gibsonlespaul.jpg

Is it an optical illusion or is the bridge on the honeyburst that displaced ("crooked")? :hmmm:

I've seen older LPs with some odd set ups to account for things like head or neck warpage but never to that extent. :O:

[Threadfin]

An illusion? It's on straight :)


Maybe the shadow it is casting makes it look crooked? Or how the saddles are done for intonation? But it's squarely where it should be.

[ET2SN]

Maybe you should send it to me for a more detailed inspection?


:Kaleun_Thumbs_Up:

I promise, this will take a while. :woot:

[Threadfin]

I love these guitars too much to part with them, however temporarily. However, if you want a PRS....


Nice to see some guitar talk around here. Fishing, guitars and Formula 1. Can't go wrong with any of them :)

[Commander Wallace]

I love these guitars too much to part with them, however temporarily. However, if you want a PRS....


Nice to see some guitar talk around here. Fishing, guitars and Formula 1. Can't go wrong with any of them :)


A good friend has had and used everything from Stratocasters to Les Paul's. His favorite is his PRS which he uses exclusively in his shows. Stratocasters were and are not cheap Guitars. It used to be that Fender and Gibson were at the " top of the food chain " with regards to guitar quality. Today, that's not the case. There are a plethora of good Guitar manufactures. Ibanez, PRS, ESP, Jackson and Yamaha aside from Fender and Gibson are just a few of them. Guitars are like shoes, use what feels comfortable. If you have any talent, it will come through regardless of what you play. I'm sure you and others have that talent.

The only real difference and an Important one at that , aside from the hardware and pickups and the scale length, is the comfort level in playing the Guitar. My Strats are 21 and 22 fret guitars where my ESP is a 24 fret. There are so many considerations like playing style and the comfort associated with that.

As you said, it's great to discuss Guitars here. It's always great to see what hobbies and interests our members have. Others are into Astronomy, Cars, motorcycles and sailing just to name a few hobbies and interests. :Kaleun_Thumbs_Up:

[Threadfin]

Today, that's not the case. There are a plethora of good Guitar manufactures.

Yes, quite true. And I have a few of those too. Guitars are an identifiable weakness for me frankly. Some say intervention is needed, but they spend lots of money on stuff that is nowhere near as cool and awesome as guitars are.

I was only half-joking about the PRS. It's a really nice guitar, but it is missing something if I am honest. What that is I can't quite say. Can guitars have soul? Can they lack it? Still, a beautiful instrument of the highest quality.

But I rarely pick it up. But the same can be said of my Tele. A few of the ones I have just fit. Some, less so. I have my favorites no doubt.

I reckon 3/4 of my play time is either with that Studio or one of the Strats, my favorite is a American Vintage '62 RI in three-tone with a rosewood board. Really nice.

And I know what you mean about scale length. I play Fenders, but it's the Gibson scale that feels most right for me. And for me, neck profile is the most crucial thing. Some I just can't get on with, and maybe the root of my Tele issues.

[Commander Wallace]

Yes, quite true. And I have a few of those too. Guitars are an identifiable weakness for me frankly. Some say intervention is needed, but they spend lots of money on stuff that is nowhere near as cool and awesome as guitars are.

I was only half-joking about the PRS. It's a really nice guitar, but it is missing something if I am honest. What that is I can't quite say. Can guitars have soul? Can they lack it? Still, a beautiful instrument of the highest quality.

But I rarely pick it up. But the same can be said of my Tele. A few of the ones I have just fit. Some, less so. I have my favorites no doubt.

I reckon 3/4 of my play time is either with that Studio or one of the Strats, my favorite is a American Vintage '62 RI in three-tone with a rosewood board. Really nice.

And I know what you mean about scale length. I play Fenders, but it's the Gibson scale that feels most right for me. And for me, neck profile is the most crucial thing. Some I just can't get on with, and maybe the root of my Tele issues.


All good points. I know what you mean with regards to different guitars having something special. Stevie Ray Vaughan played his beat up Stratocaster and he called it his # 1. Stevie said it had a special vibe. It was I believe a 1962 Strat with a 57 neck. I could be wrong on the neck, though. The ESP I overhauled is great with leads and solo's in mind. Chords seem to be a bit harder which is an issue if you like to play arpeggio's. Others may not have any issues at all. Shrugs. I'm dealing a bit with Carpal Tunnel in my left wrist, which I fret with. String bends and Eric Clapton / Eric Johnson style vibrato's are becoming an Issue. As a result, I was looking for a Guitar I could set with a lower action and that would be just as responsive, if not more, with less effort.

Stewart MacDonald or Stewmac.com out of Ohio has every conceivable Guitar part you could ever think of, including authentic Fender Start bodies and necks and pickups. Through them, you can easily retrofit any guitar and or build your own custom model.

You brought up a good point with the neck thickness and profile. Younger people seem to gravitate to the ESP and Ibanez with the Wizard neck. They like the ESP's, have a thinner neck profile facilitating fast playing. Unfortunately for some of the kids that I have heard in Guitar and Music shops, they play scales fast and just essentially make noise, not music, trying to impress their friends.

The Alman brothers Album, " Live at the Filmore east recorded in March of 1971. It was such a landmark Album in so may ways. Sadly, Guitarist Duane Alman would be killed in a motorcycle accident in October 29, 1971. Bassist Barry Oakley would also die in a motorcycle crash little more than a year later.

The Point is, The Alman Brothers live at the Filmore East with Duane and Greg Alman, Dickey Betts and company showed you could play slow and melodically and get your point across. It wasn't about fast, mindless playing. It was about the musical content, composition and structure.

That point wasn't lost on other emerging guitarists and artists and had a colossal impact on guitar playing, structure and composition in rock and modern music. You had mentioned losing Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd. To be sure, Gary's loss is huge. I always thought Pianist Billy Powell and Gary Rossington were the engines of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Slide Guitar seems to be an incredibly elusive skill and Duane Alman and Gary Rossington were masters at it along with Elmore James.

Bonnie Raitt and Derek Trucks are also incredibly skilled at slide guitar. Derek was named after Derek and the Dominoes as Eric Clapton and Duane Alman had a connection akin to being brothers. Derek's late Uncle, Butch Trucks was the drummer and a founding member of the Alman Brothers. Derek had joined the Alman brothers and now plays music with his wife, Blues Guitarist and singer, Susan Tedeschi as part of the Tedeshi Trucks band.

All of these artists set the bar so incredibly high. While it's great to have them as a guide and reference, it can also be incredibly frustrating in trying to rise to their levels of abilities and competence. I'm deeply saddened I don't have their abilities and never will.

With regards to your obsessions / passions for guitar, It's far better you do that than sit in a bar drinking or indulging in drugs. I think guitars and music is a healthy addiction. :haha: It's nice to know others share my addiction / obsession, as my lady calls it. :haha:

[Sean C]

Me playing my Jackson at a gig - probably fifteen years ago or so:

https://i.imgur.com/ELwPHvfl.jpg

[Commander Wallace]

^ Awesome Sean. :Kaleun_Thumbs_Up:
I see your Jackson has a reverse head stock. It also looks like it has a Floyd Rose Tremolo / bridge. I also see a Marshall head unit in the back. Marshall's are just awesome. I have a Canadian built Traynor YGL-3A Mk. III all tube amp head unit with a Celestion separate speaker cabs.

It sounds a lot like a Fender Twin Reverb but much cleaner and much higher output.

[Threadfin]

Yep, Marshalls.


I have a 1983 JCM 800 2203. 4x12 cab.


Bought it new, which shows how old I am, and it came with 6550s. Converted it to EL 34s many moons ago. I run an attenuator on it.


Sean's pic is too fuzzy to see much detail on that amp panel, but it could be a JCM 800? Too many knobs I think for it to be a master volume. Channel switcher 2205?


Oh wait, the power switch is on the other side. AVT maybe?

[Threadfin]

You had mentioned losing Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd. To be sure, Gary's loss is huge. I always thought Pianist Billy Powell and Gary Rossington were the engines of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Slide Guitar seems to be an incredibly elusive skill and Duane Alman and Gary Rossington were masters at it along with Elmore James.



yeah, Rossington was a massive influence on me, and it's sad he is gone. But he left a lot of great music behind.

I actually met Ed King and he showed me a few licks. Quick story....

One day when I was about 12 I went next door to where my grandmother lived at that time (southern New Jersey). There was a man there with her. Heavy set, long hair, and they were both sitting at her piano.

My grandmom says I;d like you to meet Mr King. He was in a rock band you might have heard of and then she mangled the name. I said, you mean Lynyrd Skynyrd? And he turns to me and says that's right young man. I recognized him from the cover of Nuthin' Fancy, this was Ed King man.


(Edit: Actually you can't see Ed well on that cover. The back side is the one with Billy Powell flipping the bird and Ed is obscured. I guess it was Pronounced... that I recognized him from.)


Turns out after he left the band he moved to Belleplain NJ, about 10 miles from me and joined my grandmom's church, of all things. She was the music director at the church and he was over to work out some sets as he wanted to play in the church band!

So I stammered something and he asked if I play. I said I sure do and he said where's your guitar? I ran home and got it. Was an old sixties Fender Malibu acoustic. He tuned it up and played a few things, like Needle and the Spoon and Sweet Home and man, talk about over the moon. He showed me how he played those songs and here we are 40 some years later and I've never forgotten. If Skynyrd wasn't my favorite band before then, it has been ever since. Ed also passed some years ago.

[Sean C]

I see your Jackson has a reverse head stock. It also looks like it has a Floyd Rose Tremolo / bridge. I also see a Marshall head unit in the back.

All correct. The Marshall is an MG100 HDFX with clean and "overdrive" (distortion) channels and built-in delay, chorus and flange. The cabinet is a slant with four 12s. They're a few feet away from me as I type this. After my processor died, I just used the amp effects and it sounded just as good. So the only pedal I used after that was the channel switcher/effects on-off that came with the amp.

The Jackson also had lock-nuts at the nut, so once it was tuned, it stayed in tune almost indefinitely. I loved the Floyd Rose because I could bend notes down and up with no whammy bar (even though the Jackson came with one). But as anyone who's ever used one knows: changing to a different tuning is a nightmare. Every time you loosen one string, the rest tighten and vice versa. So anytime I needed to be in a different tuning, I just used a different guitar. And changing strings requires a stack of business cards to be shoved under the bridge to prevent it from collapsing into the body. My guitar tech absolutely hated it.

A guy from another band recorded a few of our shows and put them on YouTube. But trust me when I say you can do without seeing/hearing them. We weren't very good. :oops:

[Commander Wallace]

yeah, Rossington was a massive influence on me, and it's sad he is gone. But he left a lot of great music behind.

I actually met Ed King and he showed me a few licks. Quick story....

One day when I was about 12 I went next door to where my grandmother lived at that time (southern New Jersey). There was a man there with her. Heavy set, long hair, and they were both sitting at her piano.

My grandmom says I;d like you to meet Mr King. He was in a rock band you might have heard of and then she mangled the name. I said, you mean Lynyrd Skynyrd? And he turns to me and says that's right young man. I recognized him from the cover of Nuthin' Fancy, this was Ed King man.

(Edit: Actually you can't see Ed well on that cover. The back side is the one with Billy Powell flipping the bird and Ed is obscured. I guess it was Pronounced... that I recognized him from.)

Turns out after he left the band he moved to Belleplain NJ, about 10 miles from me and joined my grandmom's church, of all things. She was the music director at the church and he was over to work out some sets as he wanted to play in the church band!

So I stammered something and he asked if I play. I said I sure do and he said where's your guitar? I ran home and got it. Was an old sixties Fender Malibu acoustic. He tuned it up and played a few things, like Needle and the Spoon and Sweet Home and man, talk about over the moon. He showed me how he played those songs and here we are 40 some years later and I've never forgotten. If Skynyrd wasn't my favorite band before then, it has been ever since. Ed also passed some years ago.


That is a great story. No doubt something you will always remember. The Alman brothers, Skynyrd and 38. Special and Molly Hatchet were among some of my favorites along with Stevie Ray Vaughan. I think what I have a hard time with is how young a lot of the guys in Skynyrd and the Alman brothers and yet, had such an awesome grasp of music and it's structures and composition. We have had awesome guitarists, no doubt. Chet Atkins, Roy Clark, Jerry Reed, Willie Nelson and Glen Campbell not to mention Vince Gill are just a few on The Country music side of the street.


All correct. The Marshall is an MG100 HDFX with clean and "overdrive" (distortion) channels and built-in delay, chorus and flange. The cabinet is a slant with four 12s. They're a few feet away from me as I type this. After my processor died, I just used the amp effects and it sounded just as good. So the only pedal I used after that was the channel switcher/effects on-off that came with the amp.

The Jackson also had lock-nuts at the nut, so once it was tuned, it stayed in tune almost indefinitely. I loved the Floyd Rose because I could bend notes down and up with no whammy bar (even though the Jackson came with one). But as anyone who's ever used one knows: changing to a different tuning is a nightmare. Every time you loosen one string, the rest tighten and vice versa. So anytime I needed to be in a different tuning, I just used a different guitar. And changing strings requires a stack of business cards to be shoved under the bridge to prevent it from collapsing into the body. My guitar tech absolutely hated it.

A guy from another band recorded a few of our shows and put them on YouTube. But trust me when I say you can do without seeing/hearing them. We weren't very good. :oops:


You have some great equipment. No doubt. The Floyd Rose Tremolo is a great bridge. However, as you said, it's a nightmare to tune.


I also found a nice set of gold, Shaller locking tuners. Most think this is overkill with a locking nut but I may not use that. Floyd Rose tremolo's are great but a royal pain in the ..... when it comes to tuning. I would rather have the strings locked by the Floyd Rose bridge tremolo at the aft end of the guitar and locking tuners in the head stock and tune the guitar there.


With regards to, in your own words, “ not playing well.” Who Cares ? What's Important is that you play and that you have fun doing it. That's all that matters. I'm sure you play better than you think. If you are using some of the great Guitarists that we all know as a measuring stick, then I am in the same boat as you. There are many Guitarists that are really gifted. I certainly am not among them. I was a drummer in a couple bands listening To John Bonham, Neal Pert, Denny Carmassi, Alex Van Halen and my biggest Influence, Phil Collins among many others. Probably due to the fact that I sang and played drums at the same time. I picked up Guitar because well, why should the Guitarists have all the fun. I never made the connection with the Guitar as I did with the drums.


I feel as long as you enjoy playing Guitar, don't ever stop or let anyone dissuade you from that enjoyment.

As a special treat for you good people, I have listed a video excerpt. Al Pitrelli, Lead Guitarist of Trans-Siberean Orchestra, gives Guitar lessons at Water Wheels Guitars in Milford , Pa. when things get slow, between shows. Here, Al is teaching some Guitar theory on Facebook. Check him out. I hope you, Threadfin and others enjoy it. Al knows his stuff.

https://www.facebook.com/100063868110080/videos/981940986071800/

[Threadfin]

Ya know, I've never owned a guitar with a locking tremolo. They became so popular during my formative years too, EVH and few other like Steve Vai made them quite popular. But now that I think about it I never have had one. Odd.

About alternative tuning.... I bet it is a nightmare with a Floyd Rose. I always keep one guitar open tuned for when i get the urge to lay down some Creed or Pearl Jam or something haha. Way too lazy to do drop D on the fly.

About meeting Ed King.... yes, that was something else. Too bad I didn't meet him later in life, when I was older, and I would have actually had a discussion, asked questions, expressed my admiration. But he was very friendly and gracious. It's not every day you find a famous rock guitarist over at grandmom's house.

This is a nice page that lists all of Ed's weaponry including photos. A couple '59 LPs including Red Eye and some nice vintage Strats, a Duo-Sonic and a bunch of others

https://www.scribd.com/doc/23991125/Lynyrd-Skynyrd-Ed-King-Equipment-History#

[Commander Wallace]

@ Threadfin.The locking Tremelo isn't all that important, just another tool in the tool box. The nice thing about the Floyd Rose Tremelo is the almost effortless string bends and Vibrato's with them. On the other hand, Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson, Jeff Beck and David Gimour among so many others do seamless string bends on their Fender Guitar's equipped with the Fender tremolo's with no problem. So, I think it's just a matter of preference and the player behind the Guitar. Sean said the Floyd Rose is a royal pain to string up and it can be.

The Tune-O-Matic tremolo's on your Les Paul's play exceptionally well, too. It all comes down to what you like. Some players like thick or very thin neck profiles. Some like scalloped fret boards like Steve Vai. Eric Clapton doesn't like Rosewood finger boards with a maple neck. Clapton prefers the Maple neck / Fingerboard setup.

I guess it's just the comfort level associated with all of the things mentioned. Not everyone hands are the same size and people may favor playing chords and arpeggio's as opposed to playing out of a particular scale as a reflection of the types of music and or playing style utilized by a favorite player.

[Threadfin]

@ Threadfin.The locking Tremelo isn't all that important



Haha, yeah I seem to agree with all these guitars and none with a locking tremolo (and I know tremolo is wrong, but that's what was used earlier and we all know what we mean)

I mean, a Floyd Rose on a Strat or LP would be blasphemous, wouldn't it?

Kramers or a BC Rich, then yeah, that fits. But I don't have any of those, all Fenders, Gibsons and PRS for electrics. I have some other brand acoustics of course.

Your points about comfort are spot on, and anyway, the entire exercise is subjective, isn't it? I mean, I've heard players just ripping the Les Paul and Gibson in general and I can only shake my head. But there's no accounting for taste.

As for me I have very definite preferences. Like I love rosewood on Fenders, sunburst finishes, top-wrapped tune-o-matics with the tailpiece screwed right down to the body. I like three springs on my Fender whammy bars. I like 'hybrid' string sets and nickle wound. I like 'cloth' style guitar cords, tube amps and Fender medium picks.

I dislike tortoise shell (except for picks), tall frets, reverse headstocks, Flying Vs, thin or heavy picks and flatwounds.

All of that is quite subjective and I could name a handful of friends that would disagree with any of those.

[Commander Wallace]

I mean, a Floyd Rose on a Strat or LP would be blasphemous, wouldn't it?

All of that is quite subjective and I could name a handful of friends that would disagree with any of those.


Oh no, you didn't just say that. :haha: The Ritchie Sambora Signature Stratocaster comes with a Floyd Rose Tremolo. I have also seen Floyd Rose's retrofitted to a number of Stratocasters.

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP. pNdqnB1NbdEAW0rDcHHrrgHaKQ%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=1e044e45dd34ce261bee82d0468bc05bbd19e635fd25b2 2613bd0d10867d9c1e&ipo=images (http://www.vintage-guitar.de/img/vintage/607/Fender-Stratocaster-Richie-Sambora-2.jpg)


I acquired a Fender Stratocaster body in a black poly finish, this week, on the cheap. The gentleman also had a no name Hard Rock Maple neck for the Fender that is truss rod equipped and has a rosewood fingerboard / fret board. He also had the standard Fender Bridge / Tremolo. I had planned on stripping the color of at least the middle of the Guitar and giving it a two color Sun-bust finish in a bright amber, leaving the black on the outside edges.

I am debating on routing the body for a Floyd Rose Tremolo or leaving the Guitar as is. It will get Fender Shaller locking tuners. The body has a rectangular cavity I call a " swimming pool " routing for the pickups and allows the use of various style pick guards and pickup combinations. I may use Humbuckers in the neck and bridge separated by a single coil pickup in the middle using either a tortoise shell or Mother of Pearl Pick Guard. I also planned on using coil spliters on both control pots to put either Humbucker in the neck and bridge position into single coil operation.

The only question now is what humbuckers to use. For the single coil in the middle position, I will either use a Fender " Fat 50's or Texas Special Pickup. Therefore, the Humbuckers have to be sonic-ly compatible.

I think people that rip on the Les Paul are jealous and would love to have one, or two or um, many. :yep: I am with you on tube amps. I have a Canadian Traynor YGL-3, Mark three, 100 watt tube head unit amp. It weighs a ton. :wah: I also have Fender Bassman original all tube Amp that has been reworked. I have a few Marshall Amps as well. They all sound great.


I have always been confused as artists I know go to incredible extremes to find and use all tube amps and then use all sorts of distortion units on them. :doh: The great thing about tube amps is they don't " color " the sound and just give pure, unadulterated tones. The bad part is, you have to let the tubes in the Amp cool down after playing before moving them. :yep:

[Threadfin]

Oh no, you didn't just say that.


Not that there's anything wrong with that :)

But yeah, no. I look at that thing on a Strat and something inside me breaks.

But for anyone else? Still no haha. Seriously, it's cool if that is what a player likes.

As to your question about which 'buckers to go for in a Strat. I don't know. I've never actually successfully done this. But I think if I were to do it today, I'd start with the Duncan SH4. I like the Gibson '57 Classics too, which I feel would be a good match in a Strat. They have nice clarity which I think I'd want in a bucker Strat. Really nice, warm blues pickup. But there are a zillion choices and it all comes down to the player's ear anyway. Projects like that tend to go through a number of options before the right one is found. Let us know what you go with.

As for tube amps, yeah I agree. I have the stack I mentioned before, but I don't turn it on much these days. The amp I play mostly around the house is a Fender Blues Junior that I've modified a bit. Nice little amp.

[Commander Wallace]

Not that there's anything wrong with that :)

But yeah, no. I look at that thing on a Strat and something inside me breaks.

But for anyone else? Still no haha. Seriously, it's cool if that is what a player likes.

As to your question about which 'buckers to go for in a Strat. I don't know. I've never actually successfully done this. But I think if I were to do it today, I'd start with the Duncan SH4. I like the Gibson '57 Classics too, which I feel would be a good match in a Strat. They have nice clarity which I think I'd want in a bucker Strat. Really nice, warm blues pickup. But there are a zillion choices and it all comes down to the player's ear anyway. Projects like that tend to go through a number of options before the right one is found. Let us know what you go with.

As for tube amps, yeah I agree. I have the stack I mentioned before, but I don't turn it on much these days. The amp I play mostly around the house is a Fender Blues Junior that I've modified a bit. Nice little amp.


The pickups you mentioned are a good choice. I used the slightly hotter version of the original Gibson PAF's in the ESP rework. They have the four wire leads to wire them for Coil Splitting or phase wiring. I wired mine for coil splitting with push - pull control pots to approximate the sound of Fender pickups in single coil operation.

I am leaning toward the Dimarzio DP 100 Super Distortion Humbucking Pickups for the Strat build. I will have to see how well they will sound with the Fender Texas special or Fender Fat 50's single coil middle pickup. I am also going to check out the sounds of the Lace Sensors used by Fender in the 1990's. It all comes down to the sound you want to get. I liked the sound that was big in the 70's and 80's Guitar work. If I can get that in a clean, warm tone and sound, I'm all in. :yep: I also want to check out the sound of the rails pickups.

The Fender Blues Junior is a great Amp. :yep:

[Threadfin]

The Fender Blues Junior is a great Amp.


Yeah, it is. It has that silverface vibe to the styling which is timeless. Top-mounted controls give it the old school feel. Sounds good too. I like master volume amps. I put a different speaker in it and run some NOS tubes. Sounds really good to my ear.

Another story and I've got a million of them. When I was a kid I had a '65 Fender Malibu acoustic (still have it). My first guitar, bought it from a record shop owner in town who was selling it. This guitar is a standard acoustic with a Strat-style headstock and rosewood board. Pretty nice.

Anyway, I wanted to be Jimi, or Clapton, or someone who played a Strat. Or Ed King! So I saved my grass-cutting money for three summers and bought a used '76 Stratocaster (still have it. It was $350 in 1980). But I couldn't afford an amp too. One day I was talking to the metal shop teacher at school and somehow this came up and he says, I have an old amp you can have. It doesn't work, but maybe you can get it working.

It turned out to be a sixties silverface Fender Champ, a 6 watt tube amp. Mr Watkins had been correct, it didn't work. Powered up, but no sound. So I took it to the TV repair shop and the man there said he would take a look at it. I forget what the issue was, a blown cap probably. Anyway, he got it working and aside from the Marshall, that Champ was my favorite amp I've owned, and that's a long list. What a tone monster. At 6 watts you could fully crank it at bedroom level and it sounded amazing. Perfect amp for a kid and his Strat.

A few years later I was in high school and playing in a band and I needed a bit more projection than that Champ could provide. I got seduced by a Peavey Bandit 65, a Mississippi Marshall! Solid state with a Black Widow speaker. All sorts of channels and push-pulls, built in distortion. And I traded that Champ on it. Still regret it.


A bit of trivia.... Eric Clapton used a Champ to record Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. So when you hear Layla or Bell Bottom Blues it's a Fender Champ!