|
Post by surfguy13 on Dec 6, 2023 12:24:47 GMT
Thank you, surfguy13 ! I had a similar stand back in the 1980s and loved it, so it might be worth giving it a try! I could always use it for gigging if it turns out to be too heavy to haul around on public transport. Sorry, this is me speed reading your post and missing then point! No, the Gravity stand is about as far as you can get from something that would be easy to haul around on public transport!!! The base is stupidly heavy but as a result it's incredibly stable. Good luck with your search.........
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Dec 5, 2023 11:10:24 GMT
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Aug 4, 2023 7:45:57 GMT
The Monacor foam you found on Amazon looks ideal to me. It's reasonably priced and frankly I can't imagine there is anything out there that would be significantly better? Given that it is designed for speakers and is 10mm thick, which sounds perfect, I'd be tempted to go for it. Good luck!!
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Jul 5, 2023 12:44:32 GMT
I have often considered building an amp and yet have never had the confidence to go ahead and do it. Looking the photos you have done an incredibly neat job and I know for a fact that I couldn't get close.....my soldering is getting better but it is not easy to do such a neat job.
My thing is old Fender tweed amps from the 50s and have had quite a lot the over past 50 years with my favourites being an old 1954 Twin (25 watt) and a 1956 Super, both wonderful amps. However, there is something about champs (and Princetons) that is really quite organic....the simplicity of the circuit I guess.
I have found that using the volume and tone controls on the guitar is almost essential with a Champ and it is astonishing what a wide range of tones you can get. As you say, changing the caps for lower values is a simple and cost-effective means of dramatically changing your bass and trebles.
The Weber speaker is a great choice, love them! I never experimented with 12" speakers on Champs or Princetons, sticking with alnico 6"/8" speakers but I bet it gives you a superb sound!
Fantastic job and look forward to hearing how the amp performs after the upgrades.
Guy
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Apr 13, 2023 7:30:16 GMT
Lovely guitar and really comfortable weight too. PRS make great guitars and although opinions are always divided, I think they are something of a bargain at a time when Gibson and Fender are selling their guitars at eye-watering prices, certainly for their distressed options. I had a Custom 22 and a McCarty (both with wide/thin necks) back in the 90s and they were both exceptional guitars. Great buy and enjoy it!!! :0) Hi Surfguy13 For years I've been an Acoustic guitar player, still like Acoustic guitars. But I've had this urge to try and play Electric guitar, bought a MIM Fender Telecaster, it was not comfortable to play, to heavy with sharp edgers but did like the guitar, then bought a Epiphone LesPaul, beautiful guitar but way to heavy for me, started to think I wasn't going to get an Electric guitar that sounded good, and was not to heavy and comfortable to play, then I bought this PRS guitar, and I'm very pleased with it, played it every day since I bought it, I'm sure this is a keeper, sounds excellent to me and the lightest weight guitar is ever played, and as a bonus, it looks dam good. Hi Derick It is really hard making that transition from acoustic to electric and even harder to find an electric that suits you. As you say, most electrics are just too heavy and then you have to start adapting to a very different neck and fingerboard to say nothing of finding a pickup layout that works for you. I started with electric guitar and then changed to bass in about '68 as nobody wanted to play bass and everybody that played guitar was so much better than me!! I think you have chosen a pretty much perfect electric in the PRS Custom as you have truly excellent build quality and great pickups. The coil tap gives you so many more sounds and with a guitar weighing only 5lbs you have no issues with playing on a strap. I really hope this ends up being a keeper but keep on playing the acoustics!!
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Apr 9, 2023 13:04:10 GMT
Lovely guitar and really comfortable weight too. PRS make great guitars and although opinions are always divided, I think they are something of a bargain at a time when Gibson and Fender are selling their guitars at eye-watering prices, certainly for their distressed options. I had a Custom 22 and a McCarty (both with wide/thin necks) back in the 90s and they were both exceptional guitars.
Great buy and enjoy it!!! :0)
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Apr 3, 2023 16:55:29 GMT
it's interesting that both Phil and Iain use heavier picks......most people that I know use them too. I think I shall have to try the Black Raven Triangle as they look quite large and ergonomic; they also do them in a 50mm which is ideal.
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Apr 3, 2023 13:54:25 GMT
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Apr 1, 2023 8:26:37 GMT
This is really interesting! I have always avoided B7s as the springs always feel very heavy and I only use a bigsby for slight vibrato rather than heavy duty stuff. I don't think it is any real disadvantage to have the arm slightly higher and may well be an advantage. I was surprised to see how cheap the reverend soft touch spring is so it's a no brainer, particularly if it;s easy to fit!! As you say, the Reverend Soft Touch Spring is very low cost and they threw in a Reverend plectrum with it. The tiny amount of extra height is no problem to adapt to and that little bit of extra travel length, with the less rigidity, gives a whole lot more to play with and express yourself. Changing the spring is simplicity itself. Slacken the strings right off or remove them, as I did, to fit new ones and you find the Bigsby arm will lift right up and the spring comes out, as it's only kept in by the pressure of the arm mechanism. Replace with the Soft Touch, tighten and tune strings and you are ready to waggle. Like you, I only use the Bigsby for fluttering tremolo and dips. Great for surf and vintage rock-n-roll/rockabilly. I think this is something even I could do!! Sounds like it's a doddle to change and well worth the fairly insignificant cost and the effort. Onward and upward!
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Mar 31, 2023 7:37:31 GMT
This is really interesting! I have always avoided B7s as the springs always feel very heavy and I only use a bigsby for slight vibrato rather than heavy duty stuff. I don't think it is any real disadvantage to have the arm slightly higher and may well be an advantage. I was surprised to see how cheap the reverend soft touch spring is so it's a no brainer, particularly if it;s easy to fit!!
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Mar 8, 2023 16:57:48 GMT
These Tribute Plus LPs are really amazing value for money and so many upgrades over and above a standard Epiphone LP. For me the pickups on Epiphone guitars have always let them down but the Tribute Plus has USA Gibson Classic 57s which are my favourite humbucker bar none. Not only this but they have upgraded electronics with really decent quality caps and pots. Also have Switchcraft jack socket and switch. Tuners are Grover I think and work really well. I tried a used one locally about 6 months ago and it was superb, I couldn't see anything that wasn't as good as a US Standard Gibson LP.....apart from around £1500!!
Great buy and hope you gel with it.
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Feb 26, 2023 11:22:39 GMT
If your Tanglewood has koa back and sides I would stick to phosphor bronze as koa is quite a bright percussive wood. PB strings are a little warmer and more forgiving. I use low tension (round core) strings which give you feel of a lighter string but, in my opinion sound amazing. Totally different from a hex core string. Maybe worth trying a set. I toggle between Newtone Masterclass Round Core PB strings in 11-50 and DR Sunbeams, also round core/low tension, in 11-50 PB. I love the Martin Authentic strings but sadly they don't do a set in 11-50, with or without round cores. They last ages and sound wonderful. I think you will find that a PB set of either the the DR or Newtons strings in 11-50 will feel and play like the Martin Authentic 10s......if not better!
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Feb 22, 2023 9:12:57 GMT
One piece of pleasant news.....I recently contacted Thomann in Holland (or is it Germany?) who I have used occasionally to buy bits and pieces over the years. They are a huge enterprise and have an extensive range of music gear. Like everyone else I had stopped even thinking about buying from Europe, or anywhere else outside the UK, but noticed that Thomann has a slightly ambiguous message on their website about selling to the UK for prices which included all duty and taxes and, in most cases, delivery. I gave them a call and they confirmed that they had lost so much business from the UK as a result of Brexit they decided to continue offering the same prices but with everything included. This is actually better than it was before Brexit as they had a standard shipping charge which you had to pay on everything. So.....now that one large European store has concluded they need business from the UK maybe others will follow, or already have followed! Certainly a good haggling position if you are dealing with another store in Europe?
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Feb 19, 2023 11:18:28 GMT
I just love SG basses! I had a 1965 EB-O for over 40 years and for me the sound was the personification of 'bass'. It was Jack Bruce that encouraged me to start playing bass and that was a the start of my quest to find (and afford!) an EB. Your reissue EB-3 looks amazing and have played one of these and they sound really fantastic. The mini humbucker just gives you that bit more versatility too. Great that the bass doesn't neck dive, my EB-O didn't either and I found it a very balanced guitar overall. In recent years I started using Trace Elliot amps again and with a 150 watt head and a HUGE 1x15 Trace cab it could literally rattle your fillings. Hope you get loads of use and pleasure from the new EB-3! Thanks surfguy. You should have my logo. My ampage if very modern, which is just so light, as I play out a lot. I have a tiny Galien Krueger 500 watt head and 2 2x10 Mark Bass cabs, although in the 60s band, I recently joined I am using the singer/guitarist's Fender Bassman 100 head and 4x12 cab. Very retro and cool but bloody heavy. Up until recently, I always preferred basses with single-coil pickups, like Precisions and Jazz basses but this EB3 (SG) has really changed my ideas. Loving it. I totally understand why you use a lightweight GK amp, they are really amazing amps and it is almost impossible to believe that they produce the volume that they do. Cabs have also changed beyond recognition in the last 20 years and the MarkBass cabs not only sound wonderful but are also ridiculously light. My TE head is fairly compact for an older head and not too heavy but the cab is a back breaker and virtually impossible to move single handed. This was OK in the 70s but not in 2023!! My default bass has always been a P bass as they are so versatile but the EBs definitely have a place. Your SG with the mini humbucker gives you the best of both worlds and with no neck dive what;s not to like.......
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Feb 12, 2023 9:20:06 GMT
Hi Andy PAs yet I haven't played out with the Acus but look forward to doing so! However, like you, I do not like mids on acoustic amps and therefore the mid knob is always set to zero. Likewise with treble and bass too......my OM has a lively treble response so tend to find I am always backing off the treble to keep in under control and end up with a setting between 9 and 10 o'clock. With mahogany back and sides the guitar has masses of natural bass so keep the bass fairly low, somewhere between 8 and 9 o'clock. Yes, agree totally that if you dial the mids out altogether and have the treble and bass set low is does compromise overall volume and this is where I have struggled a little, getting the channel volume and the master volume set right, but am really starting to get used to the amp now and so that's not really an issue any more. The 'gain' on these amps is fairly productive so in a pub/club/small hall I think I would manage fine without having to resort to dialing in some mids and increasing treble/bass. Since writing the original review have used a condenser mic with the amp a fair bit (SA2200) and it sounds just amazing. However, tend to use an SM57 most of the time which also sounds amazing.
|
|