benfreeman
Strummer
Posts: 37
My main instrument is: Larrivee LS03R
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Post by benfreeman on Apr 2, 2014 19:16:40 GMT
Following reading another thread on whether laminate back and sides is always inferior to solid wood, I thought I'd share my experience with my first guitar. I got this when I was at university, cough...sputter..teen years ago. I learned the basics but never stuck with it, and the guitar got damaged (two broken tuners, missing bridge pins, huge gouge out of the back of it, scratches all over it, a chunk out of the headstock etc. etc. It was a mess. I got interested in guitar again in my 30s and bought a good guitar, then another, and another, but suddenly realised that it wasn't guitars that were making me improve, it was just practice and commitment. I wondered what the old guitar was capable of, so I spent some time on it. The new tuners were donated by a kind friend, and the bridge pins were spare from one of my good guitars that had custom bone ones installed. I made a new bone nut and saddle, sanded the horrible 'dipped in plastic' finish off it, re cut the headstock, made a sound port (best thing ever - the guitar is was way louder now) and installed a pickup (well, several before I settled on one). Then I fixed the cosmetics by painting the back and sides (as they are laminate, it couldn't hurt). It's not the neatest job in the world, but by gum it sounds and plays as good as guitars I have tried at 5 times the price this cost new cough...splutter..teen years ago. The flash tends to show the worst of the blemishes in the paint - I might strip it and re-do it one day.
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leoroberts
C.O.G.
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My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Apr 2, 2014 19:44:29 GMT
That's some blemish in the paintwork shown up by the flash in the third photograph, Ben ... it almost looks like ... nah, couldn't be...
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benfreeman
Strummer
Posts: 37
My main instrument is: Larrivee LS03R
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Post by benfreeman on Apr 2, 2014 19:48:46 GMT
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Post by kevmc1180 on Apr 2, 2014 19:56:45 GMT
That is a pretty cool guitar. Nice paint job on the back. Interesting story too...
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alig
C.O.G.
Posts: 1,059
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Post by alig on Apr 2, 2014 22:15:14 GMT
Interesting about the sound hole you put in yourself. Often thought about having a go at that myself - hole saw, etc - what could possibly go wrong...? What was your impression of it?
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Apr 2, 2014 22:36:03 GMT
Great tale Ben, and a good result by the look and sound of it. Certainly agree that messing around with relatively inexpensive instruments is a great way to learn a lot. Keith
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benfreeman
Strummer
Posts: 37
My main instrument is: Larrivee LS03R
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Post by benfreeman on Apr 3, 2014 8:19:05 GMT
Interesting about the sound hole you put in yourself. Often thought about having a go at that myself - hole saw, etc - what could possibly go wrong...? What was your impression of it? This guitar always sounded OK, but was never loud. What is the point in a dreadnaught that lacks volume? I have done some volume tests, and found that from the players perspective the guitar is hugely louder - I mean night and day different - but from a listener's perspective out in front it is also noticeably louder and more defined / less muddy. I can't identify any negatives at all. It's also REALLY easy to get your pick out when you drop it in the soundhole. |I wouldn't just do it to any guitar though. I did this because there was a distinct problem. If I played this in a noisy place, I simply couldn't hear what I was playing, but when I play my Larrivee I have no such issues -it sounds magnificent the way it is. It was the comparison between the two that led me to try and improve this one. Also, my comparatively tiny Larrivee (LS-03R) was overall louder than the Dreadnaught, which just seemed silly. Next project is a refret, which could be a disaster, ha ha!
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benfreeman
Strummer
Posts: 37
My main instrument is: Larrivee LS03R
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Post by benfreeman on Apr 3, 2014 8:20:23 GMT
Having Nick Drake's face on your guitar is a great conversation starter too
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Apr 3, 2014 9:06:48 GMT
The picture on the back is just fabulous! What a great job you've done
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Post by slasher on Apr 3, 2014 11:16:53 GMT
It looks great. To take a wreck and make something decent of it is pretty impressive. Any "Before" pics?
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benfreeman
Strummer
Posts: 37
My main instrument is: Larrivee LS03R
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Post by benfreeman on Apr 3, 2014 11:38:02 GMT
It looks great. To take a wreck and make something decent of it is pretty impressive. Any "Before" pics? These were sort of before. Looking back it doesn't look as bad as I remember it, but the damage to the headstock came after this, and when I tried to buff out the scratches on the back it became a real mess.
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benfreeman
Strummer
Posts: 37
My main instrument is: Larrivee LS03R
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Post by benfreeman on Apr 3, 2014 12:09:59 GMT
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