Step Away From the Amp and Put the Tube Down!

"Welcome to a world of numbers. A world where one false step can lead to a fall into an abyss... "... alright, I can only go so long trying to emulate Rod Serling. Did you know that in the world of Tube Amps, an EL34 is the same thing as a 6CA7? Did you know that my Groove Tubes™ 6CA7's are also marked as GTE34LS's? Groove Tubes also seem to be 'chubbier' in size, compared to the stock/oldstock EL34's I also have, so size (apparently) is not necessarily a good guide to matching tubes. I noticed one of my power tubes (an EL34/6CA7/GTE34LS) was giving off a metallic buzz when I cranked up my distortion on my Louis Electric KR12. (I spoke to Louis today.. he is great to talk to). One thing I found out was that it is not that uncommon to have tubes that are microphonic. Whether you want to change them out, and not put up with the buzzing seems to be up to you. My boxes of Phillips™ EL34's (two of them, plus one labelled GZ34, which comes in the same box, but is a different tube) came with a giant warning "REMEMBER-YOUR AMP MUST BE REBIASED BEFORE INSTALLING YOUR NEW POWER TUBES TO AVOID PERMANENTLY DAMAGING THE TUBES". Whenever I hear those two words... "PERMANENTLY" AND "DAMAGED" I get worried... and so should you. My Dad used to own an old amp from the 1950's, and I remember as a kid, whenever one of those little tubes got too dark, and didn't give off that mellow amber glow anymore, we would go through a big box of tubes, and I would help him find the one we needed... then we would just plug her in.
Don't do that (with your power tubes). Spend the few dollars to take your high-end beloved tube amp (and any spare new tubes...) to a professional who can make sure that amp is rebiased... and save yourself spending more than the small fee he or she is going to charge you...

Call 911

Does anyone else out there live in fear of the following:

* Strange Noises coming from the Amp
* Buzzing Strings
* Hey... that crack wasn't there yesterday!

Let's deal with #2... Buzzing Strings.
It eventually occurs... one of your strings starts buzzing, expecially when you strum it a little hard. Does that
mean it's time for a new nut? Maybe that fretboard is giving you problems, and a truss rod adjustment is
in order... or, possibly there is a loose fret. Maybe there is also nothing wrong. If that buzzing doesn't make
it to the amp (and it generally doesn't)... who cares? There is a well-known 'T-Style' guitar maker out there
(not Fender, otherwise I could have used the word Telecaster)... and he says he sometimes sends out brand
new guitars with strings that have a little buzz on the first couple of frets. Customers call him with worries
that there is something wrong with their new guitars. His reply is to 'go plug it in. Does it still buzz through the amp? If it doesn't, then the guitar is fine'.... no need to call 911. Wait until it falls off the stage to do that...

ToneQuest Report

I just found out about this... the Tonequest Report... go here to get a free sample issue (or two). There is a really great article I read there... I was fascinated to find out that a lot of modern vintage reissue guitars have Polyester paint as an undercoat (you can read about this, and more, in the free issue download on their site). The manufacturer might put good old Nitro on top of the poly... but the poly is still there. The manufacturers put it on real thick too... because it fills all the holes in the wood, and there is then no need to use any wood filler. In addition, that stuff cures in only a day... it also sucks out all the tone in the wood, and can make it sound as acoustically fine as a piece of concrete. Just one more reason to save up a little longer before you go and buy that guitar of your dreams... the higher-end ones probably don't have the poly... polyester paint for me is about as attractive as finding Polydent in my grandparent's medicine cabinet.

It's Alive....

You work in an area that is not the safest in the world... Welcome to being a working musician. I am not one (yet)... but know that is where I am going. Junkies, hustlers and pimps are going to be your equivalent of other working people's elevator-door-holder guy, lunch/commissary worker and Starbucks coffee person. They will know your comings, goings and probably exactly how much change you are carrying. Quiz most musicians about whether they have ever had gear stolen from them, and yes... whether it is a cable, an amp, or a beloved guitar... things have (at one point or even more often) 'grown legs'. David Gilmour lost one of his early guitars this way, and countless other well known and not-so-well known musician's too. So (to come to the point)... you work in a pretty bad area (where all the hottest clubs are), and you want to bring your favorite ax with you, because you always want to sound your best. There might be future band-members, producers, or other connections watching and listening from that dark area out in the audience... so why sound bad? Why even sound mediocre? Mediocrity never got you into a great band. But if you carry that $9000 guitar with you (yes... admit it... most musicians have instruments... eventually, that are the most valuable thing they will ever own), eventually...that hustler out on the street will know it... and he will pick the right time to jump you outside one night for it. But you can't go out after all this practice and experience and get a $99 Made-in-TJ Guitar. The frets will cut your fingers, the neck will be bowed the wrong way, and it will probably sound (at best) substandard. The anwer: 1.) Rent... a rental-ax has to sound reasonably good... and you can put in the extra work to sort through them and find one that does... the value can also be on the lower end in case it gets stolen. Option 2: Go on ebay, buy some cool parts, and get out the old soldering iron. That pickup you have been saving in your desk drawer can now find it's voice. You can get the guy down the street to shoot the body red sparkle like you always wanted, and you can also choose your own neck and make sure it has some nicely dressed frets... you can also make sure it is set up perfectly to your liking. Total cost can be kept low, but the guitar will probably play great, and sound (at very least) good... and in your head, you will know, like Dr Frankenstein... you made it... and "It's Alive!!"

Still Fretting?

Did you know if you refret your guitar with wider frets the tone will probably change? In general, a refret will make the tone of your guitar slightly 'brighter' (ie. treble with bass and mids supporting). Sometimes a neck is also stiffened by a refret, which can also affect tone... even changing your tuning machines can affect tone. If you put keys that are heavier on your guitar, it can also change the balance, and make your headstock heavier (as in when Dickey Betts replaced his standard Les Paul tuners with Grovers... I owned a Dickey Betts copy, and it actually sounded great). If you decide to go with stainless frets (to prevent wear) they are harder than nickel silver ones... they will also not oxidize, and will have a slicker feel... and also a much longer service life. I personally don't like stainless frets. Apparently they will change the tone a little compared to nickel silver frets... but still less than changing the saddles or pots on the guitar. If you currently love your tone I would suggest a refret (when absolutely necessary) with the exact same size frets as you currently have... also make sure not to get cheap here... get the best luthier you can find to do the job. Also, you might want to note for future reference that excessive fretwear can be avoided by playing your guitar with a lighter touch... I tend to wear out my frets almost every 6 months (with daily playing), and have found that I can actually move my hands more swiftly on that neck when I lighten up my grip a little... and don't use my hands like a capo.

Proof...

Just in case anyone (from reading my previous post a few posts back) did not believe me when I said that neck and bridge humbuckers have different pole spacings... when it comes to humbuckers... a neck pickup is a neck pickup, and ...well, you can guess the rest...

I've Got that Melting Feeling...

Remember when you were a kid, and you had to finish your ice cream cone before it melted down your arm? Or maybe you were the type that bit the end off the bottom of the cone and liked melted ice cream down your arm. Now that most 50's Gibson and Fender guitars are getting into their late 50's, melting plastic is on my mind. So far, it seems it is only Gibson's and not Fender's that are a real melting problem. Vintage Guitar Magazine just republished a piece about Kluson 'Keystone' and white oval-type tuner buttons on Gibsons that are deteriorating. The problem also extends to bindings and pickguards. In Dan Erlewine's book "Guitar Player Repair Guide" Mr Erlewine says "Some plastics used during (the 1950's) are ticking time bombs with 30-year fuses". He mentions that some guitars (like Fender from my research) used different types of plastics, so do not suffer from this "melting" problem. According to Mr Erlewine, the causes of this melting come from solvents and plasticizers used when the plastic was manufactured. If a guitar that is susceptible is left in it's case for many years and these gases cannot escape, these solvents and plasticizers can result in damaged finishes and wood, corroded metal parts and also a sticky smelly mess. Not that leaving your guitar out of it's case all those years would necessarily avoid the plastic pieces deteriorating... you might however avoid the secondary effects the gases can have on the rest of your guitar. The only real solution is to replace the parts before they melt.

One of these things....

One of these things is not like the others... remember that Sesame Street song? (Thanks to them for this photo of the Cookie Monster)...But I bet you can't tell which one it is...(see the photo that is not the Cookie Monster).

The pickup on the left is an exact copy of an early 50's Tele/Esquire pickup... the one on the right is an actual early 50's Tele/ Esquire Pickup. The copy was made by Illusion Pickups... 6.5 Ohms, constructed the same way Fender did back then, 1:1 reproduction parts, including Zinc coated baseplate. They also warn "Please don't purchase this with the intent to sell as original vintage to unknowledgeable buyers". Are you "knowledgeable"... probably not... unless you really know a lot about pickups... give that copy to a professional, and have them "age" it with some dust and dirt... and scratches, and you might end up paying $1000 or more too much for the copy... meanwhile, you might still enjoy getting one for $94.99 from Illusion Pickups.

... and if you want the real thing, make sure you know and trust the seller...completely... whether you trust the blue guy above or not to make the choice for you, that's up to you.

'Buckers

Does anyone out there REALLY know how a humbucker pickup is put together? Did you know that the pole pieces should be a little closer together for the neck pickup? That is because the strings converge, from the bridge up to the nut... hence, you might NOT want to get creative and put a neck humbucker near the bridge (or you might... go ahead and try it). As far as windings go... the more windings on the pickup the greater the DC resistance...if you used #42 wire, the following resistances would yield similar results to what follows (for both coils together)... 3 to 6k ohms DC resistance = clear tone, 6 to 9k ohms DC resistance = medium tone, and 9 to 14K ohms = loud and heavy tone. Skinny and tall coils will generally produce a clearer sound than shorter and wider coils. The 'bobbin' is the top part of the pickup you see with the pole pieces (6 of them) visible through the top. Learn more about making you own home-made humbucker (if you like) here... or at least understand a little more about how pickup is made!

Tone Punch & Playability

It's true... guitars can get better as they age. Granted, in 1954, when Stan Hope picked up his brand new Tele in Luskin TX, and
walked home to plug it in his amp... one of two things...ok, one of three things... happened. 1) The tele had amazing potential and sounded great... Stan played it, and (like most of us) traded it down-the-line to a talented musician somewhere. Said musician then played it (not unlike a concert violinist who adds mojo to a great violin) and today it is amongst the best of instruments for tone, punch and playablility. Option 2). The guitar sounded like a toilet seat with strings, and Stan put it in his closet. Stan got older, and last year his nurses-aid cleaned out his closet, and found the guitar. A collector just paid big $$$ for a mint and unplayed original 1953 Tele (Stan bought it in '54, it was a '53). Option 3). The guitar sounded mediocre, Stan played it anyway, and traded it back to the original store he originally bought it from, for a new Les Paul. Stan got better at his playing, and got to know Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. The guitar was passed from musician to store to musician, with dealers adding expletives...in order to sell it... like ... "wonderful player" and
"great C-shaped neck".....truth be told though, a poor instrument will likely never wake up from it's coma, and a great instrument will only get better through being played, just like fine wine.

Your One...and How To Hit the Jackpot

In The Black Strat book on page 126 it says... "The Black Strat's return to prominence was during the Pink Floyd rehearsals for Live8. The favoured red Strat had been used for the first two days of rehearsals at Black Island Studio, London. During the third day it was suggested that David should try the Black Strat, as he had used it on the original recordings of these songs. He put down the red one and began playing the Black Strat.
David's guitar sound instantly ascended to what can only be described as 'another level'. His body language changed, becoming animated and interacting with the guitar as if he had just dicovered an old long-lost friend."
I cannot make up a better example why one should go to your local guitar store, and play and test out different necks and guitars, for as long as it takes, to find the set-up that fits you. Only when you find this guitar that is specific to you, will you understand what it is like... to find 'your one'.

Necks Again

The ex-Rich Robinson 1955 Esquire I have has the perfect neck for me. It is amazing how when you find
the correct neck dimensions that fit your own hand how a guitar really 'connects' to your body.

I have never had a guitar do this for me, and always thought it was more a matter of whim, rather than any specific
'magic'...

I just read about David Gilmour (of Pink Floyd) and how
he picked up his old Black Strat again after many years... and how his playing suddenly went to a 'new level'. Recall,
it was Mr Gilmour who originally put this guitar away, for another one.

This connection with a guitar seems to have less to do with specific guitar mojo, and more to do with how
that guitar 'fits' an individual person.

That said, I now am in touch with FIMC (Fender) to copy that neck for me. I have no idea what neck radius this neck is, what year it might really be representative of or
similar too, I just know I like it.