Thread: I've decided to buy...

& it will never end... Enjoy.

I'm thinking about what tune to post first - maybe 20C boy? Glam it up a bit; do you want makeup for the Youtube vid?

Riveting

Originally Posted by Neo

By using a valve as a pre amp you can push the valve to distort like a mild overdrive which is great for a warm blues tone. If you prefer heavier overdrive for rock and metal then solid state gain is better.

Here's a question for you, Neo, related to the above.

I can't really justify getting a valve amp at the moment, but I saw one of these:



You're gonna have to stick with me here, I know ot seems like a fukin awful device... But, they are an expensive bit of kit, usually between $200 and $300:

Electro-Harmonix Classics Wiggler Tube Vibrato / Tremolo Guitar Effects Pedal | Musician's Friend

The bit that interests me is: The Wiggler is a warm sounding Vibrato/Tremolo pedal with an All Tube signal path using two premium 12AX7WB vacuum tubes.

I've seen one in Seoul for $60 and was wondering if I put it before my clean channel SS amp, then I could use nice overdrives/fuzz/distortion to break up the valves in the wiggler?

What do you think? Is this possible as a cheap tube preamp into my clean ss amp?

Originally Posted by Dillinger

Riveting

It's a small nut, not a rivet...

Originally Posted by Neo

Not quite the same as a valve pre amp, the Wiggler gives a modulation effect like 60's surf music, it's a very gay piece of kit.

Hmm, kinda a 'preamp' into a preamp side of an amp (that isn't split to pre/post amp...), doesn't really work then, oh welll...

Originally Posted by Neo

TBH mate I'd be more concerned about what a mess that fucker made of your guitar, I would only take it back to the same guy to wrap it round his fokking head.

It will all be ok. Had a chat with him, made the issue clear, asked him to fix the intonation, paying specific attention the the saddle that I took off and gave to him, then refit some decent strings so it plays perfectly - I'll pick it up in half an hour or so and it'll be good.

Originally Posted by Neo

Find someone that can set it up properly and then leave it the fuck alone. You now have a bag full of bits and nothing to play. :facepalm:

There's nobody in this town who can do it.

The American guy has his PRS in there having some pickups fitted, it's a lovely guitar, and I was thinking to meself that I wouldn't be trusting them with a guitar like that... Mine's a little punk/thrash dog, cheap and shite (but quite good ), so I don't mind it looking messt - just wanna use it to learn to play, learn to fix guitars, etc, so I'll be changing everything bit by bit, stripping to clean everything, polish the fretboard, change the electronics, etc. But you are right, I do wanna play it, and a bit of help from the guitarshop wouldn't go amiss...

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

The bit that interests me is: The Wiggler is a warm sounding Vibrato/Tremolo pedal

Originally Posted by Neo

, the Wiggler gives a modulation effect like 60's surf music, it's a very gay piece of kit

No shit

^ it will be a fundamental part of the Shifters sound...

Originally Posted by Neo

the Wiggler gives a modulation effect like 60's surf music

I get a feeling Neo's not feeling this Beach Boy vibe

Well I hope the guy sorts the guitar out properly this time, otherwise a fundamental part of the Shifters sound should be the SG caving that fukkers skull in!

And Betty... don't break strings... turn them down before you turn them up, down then up, a bit at a time, check you're going in the right direction, then a little bit more, down then up to the note

Did you buy an amp yet? I'm sure you can get a valve pre amp to do the job, but a similar though more predictable (plus practical and less expensive) way is to use a compressor pedal and the gain on your amp. use the neck pickup to thicken the sound, switch the gain on set it to a threshold where the overdrive is just perceptible, then boost the input level with the compressor and back off with the tone. with some fine adjustments between guitar, pedal and amp you should be able to break the sound up when you attack the strings.

I have decided to buy a cracked copy of Office 2013 as opposed to the licensed version which runs 7K THB.

After hours of modification, Bettsy finally arrives at "The Look".

^ oh yee of little fayff...



Playing beautifully now.

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

I have decided to buy a cracked copy of Office 2013 as opposed to the licensed version which runs 7K THB.

Hmmm, it's bastards like you that put up the costs for us good netizens; you bloody liberal...

Originally Posted by Neo

And Betty... don't break strings... turn them down before you turn them up, down then up, a bit at a time, check you're going in the right direction, then a little bit more, down then up to the note

I'm trying me best! But, yes, I believe I was one errm 'set of notes' higher than need be - the tension was unbearable, quite literally, for the strings. Sometimes, I worry that I'm utterly useless in the geetar department...

Originally Posted by Neo

Did you buy an amp yet?

Nope. Still not sure if the missus is gonna bring back me amp from Thailand - has plenty of gain, which is what I'm missing nowadays.

The little amplug has been good, but it really has its limits. Only 17 squids, so I can't complain too much.

The 10 amp vox could be perfect, just need to convince the missus not to go ballistic. Or, if I wait until I get a bonus in a couple of months, and my playing is better so I can justify it, then $300 on the Blackstar H1 or vox ac4 could be the winner. That's why I'm kinda holding off on getting an amp now... But, I do bloody want/need one.

Originally Posted by Neo

use the neck pickup to thicken the sound, switch the gain on set it to a threshold where the overdrive is just perceptible, then boost the input level with the compressor and back off with the tone. with some fine adjustments between guitar, pedal and amp you should be able to break the sound up when you attack the strings.

OK, I'm playing around as you've said. The new pickups are noticeably different to each other, so I can set a mid to high volume, 3/4 tone and 1/3 gain on the amplug which results in clean sounds at the bridge, a bit more bite in mid position and some gain on the neck pickup (considerably more volume too). The sounds are about as good as I'm gonna get on this amplug/geetar. The pots on this epi don't do much, but I'll be changing them next month...

The 10 amp vox could be perfect, just need to convince the missus not to go ballistic. Or, if I wait until I get a bonus in a couple of months, and my playing is better so I can justify it, then $300 on the Blackstar H1 or vox ac4 could be the winner. That's why I'm kinda holding off on getting an amp now... But, I do bloody want/need one.

If you can stretch to the HT-1R you won't be disappointed..
also doubles as a head unit to run a 4x12 cab when the Shifters go on tour.

Looking at your wiring..



Does it include a coil tap? Would be great to split the neck pickup and get the white coil to pick up the harmonics, best for a blues tone playing off the neck and if you set that split coil out of phase with the bridge humbucker would give some very useful drive to rock out off the bridge

4 push pulls, includes coil taps, in/out of phase and serial/parallel and any combination of...

Sounds nice with single on the neck out of phase with the bridge - I hope there's no actual playing technique involved though!

^ can't believe you're buying that cheap water... Surely, with you 29 family members, you'd have bought a water filter by now???

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

4 push pulls, includes coil taps, in/out of phase and serial/parallel and any combination of...

Sounds nice with single on the neck out of phase with the bridge - I hope there's no actual playing technique involved though!

No technique required just turn it up and rock out on powerchords

^^^ Didn't know you were handy with the Isaan banjo Jeff

Yeah that'd work.. especially for home practice.
All you need is a cupboard big enough for the 4x12 cab so you can roll it out when you get visitors round

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

This one is really tempting, but had to pay the missus' flights this month, so can't justify it, but if it's still there at this price next month:

You should have bought a 1 way ticket and the amp thingy. By the time she's cooled off you could buy the return portion of the ticket and you'd have a nice quiet time to practice in between.

Jaysus!

Originally Posted by quimbian corholla

You should have bought a 1 way ticket and the amp thingy. By the time she's cooled off you could buy the return portion of the ticket and you'd have a nice quiet time to practice in between.

You are right!

Originally Posted by chassamui

Jaysus!

You are also right, to be sure, to be sure.



Now, I'm not happy with my intonation. My 6th string is a bit sharp at the 12th fret and my 4th string is a bit flat at the 12th fret - can't get them right with these shitty saddles... Not to worry, I will be changing the bridge out for one of these:



http://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_..._Bushings.html

Should be a drop in replacement that helps plenty (only $30 or so)... Not sure if I need to change the tailpiece or not, maybe I won't bother at first.