Pepi Leistyna wrote: "It's a seemingly never ending quest for the perfect neck and tone. People
keep saying that the old fenders are monsters but I've yet to play one that
makes me sell the mountain to get the one, but I haven't played many of the
oldies. My buddy John swears by the 50s Teles but the money is crazy and
then the fear of taking it out of the house to play. What kind of Fender are
you thinking about?
Best,
Pepi"
Thanks Pepi... I have played and owned blackguard tele's... 2 played the way you would expect, and one
was not especially amazing. All had three-way switches that 'crackled', and probably needed a good cleaning.
I don't know how these things will be playing in 2030, but already there is lots of talk of why many artists
will not play them live on stage anymore... the interference from radio stations and lighting being one, and
the ancient electronics being two... hence why most artists use them for recording sessions only, where it
is easier to switch off instruments...all had chunky baseball bat size necks, that did feel wonderfully
broken in. The best custom shop guitars by Dennis Galuszka and John Cruz come close to this feel, but
only the ones with their unique serial numbers; not the ones made under their supervision (team built)...
although they are good. Old Fender's can be monsters, and are horribly expensive... but not worth all that
money, and liability (to put down next to an amp, and have disappear on stage!) For my mind, get a Jeff Beck
Esquire for a fraction of the price of a 1953 Tele, or get an Andy Summers tele... they are what people will
be talking about in 2040, the way we are talking about the blackguards.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
ShoozGuitars@rock.com...
A friend, ShoozGuitars@rock.com, has the following info about nuts on your guitar...Hey StewMac:
What's the best material
for making a string nut?”
Erick Coleman, August 23, 2007
I’m so glad you asked. It’s BONE!
There sure are lots of nut materials out there: including regular plastic, Micarta, and Tusq. It gets confusing, so my tech support phone starts ringing: “Hey Stewmac! What nut material do you guys prefer?!?”
For guitar, bass, mandolin or banjo, I recommend bone because a well made bone nut gives bright, resonant tone that really sounds alive.
Don’t take my word for it, you can prove it yourself. Try your own comparison: play a guitar with a plastic nut long enough to get to know its tone and sustain. (If you’re feeling scientific, record the guitar’s sound to compare later.) Now install a bone nut and listen again. The bone brings your guitar to life with a better attack and sustain.
Shooz Matthews says it’s so.
Lots of top luthiers won’t use anything but bone for nuts and saddles. Shooz Matthews, whose clients include Steve Howe and the tone-finicky Dwight Yoakam, has tried every material out there, and now uses bone on all the high end instruments that come across his bench.
Stealing from the dog!?
Years ago, Dan Erlewine would search his back yard for old steak bones he’d thrown out for his pal Kurt. After bleaching in the sun for a season or two, these pieces were ready to be shaped and installed. The nut on this guitar was made from one of Kurt’s old dog bones!
What's the best material
for making a string nut?”
Erick Coleman, August 23, 2007
I’m so glad you asked. It’s BONE!
There sure are lots of nut materials out there: including regular plastic, Micarta, and Tusq. It gets confusing, so my tech support phone starts ringing: “Hey Stewmac! What nut material do you guys prefer?!?”
For guitar, bass, mandolin or banjo, I recommend bone because a well made bone nut gives bright, resonant tone that really sounds alive.
Don’t take my word for it, you can prove it yourself. Try your own comparison: play a guitar with a plastic nut long enough to get to know its tone and sustain. (If you’re feeling scientific, record the guitar’s sound to compare later.) Now install a bone nut and listen again. The bone brings your guitar to life with a better attack and sustain.
Shooz Matthews says it’s so.
Lots of top luthiers won’t use anything but bone for nuts and saddles. Shooz Matthews, whose clients include Steve Howe and the tone-finicky Dwight Yoakam, has tried every material out there, and now uses bone on all the high end instruments that come across his bench.
Stealing from the dog!?
Years ago, Dan Erlewine would search his back yard for old steak bones he’d thrown out for his pal Kurt. After bleaching in the sun for a season or two, these pieces were ready to be shaped and installed. The nut on this guitar was made from one of Kurt’s old dog bones!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Did Old Tele's Always Rock?
My opinion... everyone's got one...I have played a lot of the Fender's in the high $2000K price range,
down at Guitar Center in Hollywood. I actually bought one for a friend
many years ago (3 years ago). It sounded sort of 'dead'... I don't
know if this would have got better... like wine and people, these
things actually can change over time, and improve... who knows if
those blackguards sounded as good before they aged, along with those
pickups with magnets that got weaker, but sounded better many times!
down at Guitar Center in Hollywood. I actually bought one for a friend
many years ago (3 years ago). It sounded sort of 'dead'... I don't
know if this would have got better... like wine and people, these
things actually can change over time, and improve... who knows if
those blackguards sounded as good before they aged, along with those
pickups with magnets that got weaker, but sounded better many times!
Reply...
Got all the answers Pepi... I have only played about as many Fenders
as you have have guitars...! I have owned 4 Blackguard Tele's (one
played poorly actually!), and also a 1958 Blond Strat, that Eric
Clapton's guy said played BETTER than Erics... but yes, sadly, traded
them all... should be a moratorium on that...
There are two generations of custom shop builders... Jay Black, Fred
Stuart and English's generation: who made some amazing sounding
instruments, but they would never pass for real as much as the current
generations work. Jay Black, as you know, is well known for his
talents.. professional guitarists who are famous attest to this.
The current (ie. Galuszka, Cruz etc) generation of Masterbuilders (who were groomed by Jay
Black, their master), can make a guitar that would pretty close to
pass for an original (90%+ for my mind), and they also sound amazing, just like the
previous generation of builders accomplished (Jay Black, English etc).
For my mind, if you have the money, buy a Fender with the serial numbers on the
back of the headstock from the masterbuilder himself... that is one he
considers one of his signable masterpieces.
Those with just his 'sticker' under the finish are teambuilt under
him, and meet some criteria set by. All other Fender's are built by the next
generation of masterbuilders, who in my opinion are learning/ understudy.
Forget the NoCaster, unless it 'rings' to your ear. And yes, the
'U-Shape Necks' seem to be the majority of necks made on NoCaster and '50's
tele/ Esquires now (does anyone else know moreabout this?), unless you
custom order a thin neck with low action like I like, and wait 12
months for delivery. (The Linhofs have great necks, that are slightly
bigger than what I like, but not the U-Shape...Linhof guitars are being
built now by Jay Black, for Kurt LInhof, and are owned by the
Rolling Stones, Joe Walsh and Joe Bonamassa to date.) For Closet Classics,
from what I remember, they can have some cracks in finish, sometimes
(not sure on that one, since I don't buy them, once again, anyone
with info please post it). Forget birds eye
neck, unless you like the eye-candy... go for the feel and originality
of a reliced maple plain neck, at least for my taste. (I know some will
tout Birdseye over plain Maple too).
as you have have guitars...! I have owned 4 Blackguard Tele's (one
played poorly actually!), and also a 1958 Blond Strat, that Eric
Clapton's guy said played BETTER than Erics... but yes, sadly, traded
them all... should be a moratorium on that...
There are two generations of custom shop builders... Jay Black, Fred
Stuart and English's generation: who made some amazing sounding
instruments, but they would never pass for real as much as the current
generations work. Jay Black, as you know, is well known for his
talents.. professional guitarists who are famous attest to this.
The current (ie. Galuszka, Cruz etc) generation of Masterbuilders (who were groomed by Jay
Black, their master), can make a guitar that would pretty close to
pass for an original (90%+ for my mind), and they also sound amazing, just like the
previous generation of builders accomplished (Jay Black, English etc).
For my mind, if you have the money, buy a Fender with the serial numbers on the
back of the headstock from the masterbuilder himself... that is one he
considers one of his signable masterpieces.
Those with just his 'sticker' under the finish are teambuilt under
him, and meet some criteria set by. All other Fender's are built by the next
generation of masterbuilders, who in my opinion are learning/ understudy.
Forget the NoCaster, unless it 'rings' to your ear. And yes, the
'U-Shape Necks' seem to be the majority of necks made on NoCaster and '50's
tele/ Esquires now (does anyone else know moreabout this?), unless you
custom order a thin neck with low action like I like, and wait 12
months for delivery. (The Linhofs have great necks, that are slightly
bigger than what I like, but not the U-Shape...Linhof guitars are being
built now by Jay Black, for Kurt LInhof, and are owned by the
Rolling Stones, Joe Walsh and Joe Bonamassa to date.) For Closet Classics,
from what I remember, they can have some cracks in finish, sometimes
(not sure on that one, since I don't buy them, once again, anyone
with info please post it). Forget birds eye
neck, unless you like the eye-candy... go for the feel and originality
of a reliced maple plain neck, at least for my taste. (I know some will
tout Birdseye over plain Maple too).
Question...
Pepi Leistyna, of Scituate, MA wrote: I'm looking to get a Nocaster, played one yesterday at the Guitar Center and
really liked it, though their price of $2,700 is silly. There's a Cunetto
that I'm looking at as well as a closet classic. Are they all the same, from
1995 on, in terms of the chunky U-shaped neck? Is the closet classic a bit
reliced and has cracks in the finish? Should I go with a birds eye maple
neck or a reliced maple plain neck? Any help with this would be great!!
really liked it, though their price of $2,700 is silly. There's a Cunetto
that I'm looking at as well as a closet classic. Are they all the same, from
1995 on, in terms of the chunky U-shaped neck? Is the closet classic a bit
reliced and has cracks in the finish? Should I go with a birds eye maple
neck or a reliced maple plain neck? Any help with this would be great!!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Fender Custom Shop Guitars...
Anyone out there with questions, comments or other news about the Fender Custom Shop, or their guitars is free to write on this blog! What do you think about the new EVH Frankenstein Strat? Does anyone have one? Does anyone have a favorite Masterbuilder at the custom shop? Mine is Dennis Galuszka. He made the guitar that Andy Summers is currently playing on tour with the Police. I know a lot about Fender guitars, and would love to help people answer questions about their guitars.
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