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Post by grayn on Oct 8, 2014 17:46:30 GMT
No, not tasty bacon or pastries, this is a Danish guitar! I went out today, to check out a Richmond Empire guitar. Part of the Godin family. When I got to the shop, they said it was sold (damn it!) but may have another one, in the store room (oh good). And yes, there was one in the store room. I had a good play on it but wasn't too impressed, after all. It's a nicely designed guitar but I don't think the finishing is that good and it seemed to have a minor problem, with the wiring. No, it didn't grab me at all. I had a good look around and there were a lot of nice guitars there. Then I spotted an odd looking, Tele shaped guitar. It was no beauty but something about it, made me pick it up. It had a sort of understated, good quality look. Acoustically it was nice and vibrant and kind of reminded me of some Musicmans, I've played. The card, with the guitar, said it was a "Rahbek", handmade in Denmark, with Fralin pickups. Sounded impressive and at a very reasonable (used) price. Turns out it was owned by the shop owner, down-sizing his collection. The Fralin pickups in question, were (unusually for a Tele) a P90, at the neck and a single-coil, at the bridge. Amped up, through a Blackstar valve combo, the Rahbek (Cos-T model) continued to impress. A really nice player, with a high quality build and good hardware. The Fralin single-coil was one of the nicest S/Cs I've heard. Actually, I'd say it is the nicest I have heard. Very strong and clear but with warmth and body, to the sound. The P90 was softer sounding than I was expecting. Not quiet but quite humbucker-ish. Nice and middly but it didn't have the raspy edge I expect from a P90. Blended with the single coil, the sound is glorious. On it's own, will take some getting used to. Cosmetically, the white finish has some translucence to it, with some wood grain visible. The condition is excellent, too. I've been after a Tele for a while. Never thought I'd own a Danish one. OK, it's not a true Tele but it's a lovely sounding and playing guitar, with the look of a Tele. It's a player's guitar, built for purpose and built rather well, in my view.      |
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007
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Post by 007 on Oct 8, 2014 18:15:08 GMT
nice very nice but we must hear it twang :serenade:
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Post by vikingblues on Oct 8, 2014 18:28:38 GMT
Lady luck smiling on you there - seems like a real good 'un from what I see and from what you say.  P90s can be so good blended with SC or with 'buckers. I found that 2 out of the 3 guitars I ever got with P90s I did not like the stock pups - one guitar got sold almost immediately, the other I upgraded the pups for a more "Vintage" style to wonderful effect. Those stock pups were muddy and woolly - not the crisper tones and clearer mids that I thought P90s were supposed to have - too muddy to have an edge, raspy or otherwise. I think they were too hot an output - but that was one of my pet hates about most stock pups in general the last few years. Rahbek is certainly a new name to me - good find. Congratulations - Enjoy!  Mark |
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Oct 8, 2014 19:54:22 GMT
That's another beauty, Graham! Very sexy curves, and I've heard great things about Lindy Fralin's pickups |
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Post by grayn on Oct 8, 2014 19:58:43 GMT
Thanks Mark.
The old P90 seems to come in many forms, usually somewhere bewtween a single-coil and a Humbucker in sound.
Some of the original Gibsons sound great. Then there's the modern Bareknuckles and Seymour Duncans, that really sound top.
I have 3 guitars with P90s on, now. One with a S/C, one with an H/B and one with another P90.
At the moment, my favourite is the one paired with the H/B, on my Italia.
I'm still getting used to the one on the Rabek but it sounds stunning with S/C and is so smooth on it's own, I'm hoping to put it to good use.
Like you, I'd never heard of Rabek, or any other Danish guitar brands. Good to be surprised though.
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Post by grayn on Oct 8, 2014 20:00:54 GMT
That's another beauty, Graham! Very sexy curves, and I've heard great things about Lindy Fralin's pickups Thanks Martin. I'd heard some good reports on the Fralins, too. I think I'm done on the guitar buying, for a little while, at least.  |
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Post by pnut on Oct 8, 2014 20:13:37 GMT
I've got Fralins in the mid and neck positions of my strat, they came with it when I bought it 2nd hand, brilliant pic ups miles better than the standard fender ones in my opinion. Nice looking tele type guitar there grayn
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Oct 8, 2014 22:30:39 GMT
A beauty - love the body contouring. Interesting slightly different take on a Tele - congrats Graham! Keith |
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Post by grayn on Oct 9, 2014 9:27:27 GMT
Thanks Keith.
My initial feelings on the guitars looks, were that it's a bit of a plain Jane.
But they are kind of growing on me.
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Post by earwighoney on Oct 9, 2014 9:43:17 GMT
The Fralin single-coil was one of the nicest S/Cs I've heard. Actually, I'd say it is the nicest I have heard. Very strong and clear but with warmth and body, to the sound. The P90 was softer sounding than I was expecting. Not quiet but quite humbucker-ish. Nice and middly but it didn't have the raspy... Nice NGD. Good recommendation for the Fralin too. RE the P90, it sounds like there could be several factors behind why it's 'less P90' sounding than you expected. 1) the pickup is not as close to the strings as it could be 2) it's a hum cancelling P90 3) it has alnico 2/3/4 magnets instead of alnico 5 (which produces the traditional raspy p90 sound at the neck anyway) If it's 1), then a quick a tinker with a screwdriver could sort it out. If it's 2) and/or 3) then if you do want to change the sound you have, then I'd recommend picking up a P90 with Alnico 5's. |
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Post by grayn on Oct 9, 2014 12:19:24 GMT
Thanks Wiggy.
No. 2, on your lest, seems the most likely.
Don't think it's 1, as the volume level is fine.
I'll give it a few weeks, as pickups often grow on me.
If it doesn't, Ill go for a Bareknuckle Mississipi P90.
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Post by earwighoney on Oct 9, 2014 14:10:47 GMT
Thanks Wiggy. No. 2, on your lest, seems the most likely. Don't think it's 1, as the volume level is fine. I'll give it a few weeks, as pickups often grow on me. If it doesn't, Ill go for a Bareknuckle Mississipi P90. Don't go for that Bareknuckle PU, it's a humbucker sized P90! |
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Post by grayn on Oct 9, 2014 16:49:32 GMT
Thanks Wiggy. No. 2, on your lest, seems the most likely. Don't think it's 1, as the volume level is fine. I'll give it a few weeks, as pickups often grow on me. If it doesn't, Ill go for a Bareknuckle Mississipi P90. Don't go for that Bareknuckle PU, it's a humbucker sized P90! You're quite right, I was thinking of one of those, as a replacement for the neck HB, on my Eastman. It's the Nantucket I fancy, as a possible replacement, on the tele. Well spotted, old boy. |
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Oct 9, 2014 19:17:47 GMT
Do you chaps fit your own pickups and electronics, or get a techy to do it?
I was watching some vids on soldering guitar electrics and fancied trying it myself, although I might need to get a beater electric to practise on!
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Post by grayn on Oct 9, 2014 19:44:13 GMT
I haven't had a lot of modding done but when I do, I get my local guitar tech to do it.
He's very reasonable and it saves on a lot of bad language.
Practising on an old beater sounds a good idea though, Martin.
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Jo whoever he is.
