The guitar corner

[jazzbo]

Congrats! I know you'll tell us all about it!

[BFrank]

SURE!

[7/4]

Well.......NGD will be happening in a couple of weeks. I finally got around to ordering that Blackout Tele from Sweetwater.

They expect it to be back in stock by the end of the week and shipping to me is another week.

Yoo Hoo!

Cool. It's a slick lookin' gtr. I expect a full product review!

[BFrank]

Tracking shows delivery on Tuesday.

I'll give a full run-down on how "black" it sounds.

[BFrank]

Yep - arrived today!

Will need some glow-in-the-dark stick-ons, I think.

Very nice, so far. I like the 3-pickup arrangement.

The 3rd & 4th strings pop out of the nut too easily, but I'm sure there's an easy fix for that.

[Shawn]

Tracking shows delivery on Tuesday.

I'll give a full run-down on how "black" it sounds.

None more black!

[jazzbo]

This Crate "Blackheart" 5 watt pentode/3 watt triode looks interesting. . . .

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Blackheart-BH5...675-i1387317.gc

Well, this is a sweet little amp. Clear clean tone, especially in pentode. I like the triode mode, chunkier tone and breaks up faster when you crank and bear down. I don't think any of you would take this into a gig larger than a small coffee house one but for practicing and for jamming with a few pals, nice! You can use this amp as a practice amp for a bass guitar too, and it even works okay with my bass violin though that huge thing feedbacks wildly!

On top of that. . . I bought another guitar. I wanted something "ES 335"ish. I looked all around and couldn't find a Gibson I wanted to afford. Even used they were pricey and even ones with minor problems were pricey.

So I was at a few places and tried a few things. The only thing I really liked about a few Epiphone Dots I played was the worn finish on one and the price on both. . . ended up at Guitar Center and really liking the '72 Telecaster Thinline Reissue. Wow. What an easy playing guitar, a neck you just glide along! And the "Wide Range" Humbuckers really do give you a lot of ES 335 sounds but with that Fender "thang" at the core. So it's very bright, but if I dial all the midrange out and the bass up at the amp then you really do get those nice warm blues and jazz sounds. It's a really fine guitar!

Now I can put my Breadwinner in for some sprucing up and have the Tele to plunk on in its absence. I got the natural finish.

Edited April 16, 2008 by jazzbo

[Shawn]

This Crate "Blackheart" 5 watt pentode/3 watt triode looks interesting. . . .

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Blackheart-BH5...675-i1387317.gc

Well, this is a sweet little amp. Clear clean tone, especially in pentode. I like the triode mode, chunkier tone and breaks up faster when you crank and bear down. I don't think any of you would take this into a gig larger than a small coffee house one but for practicing and for jamming with a few pals, nice! You can use this amp as a practice amp for a bass guitar too, and it even works okay with my bass violin though that huge thing feedbacks wildly!

On top of that. . . I bought another guitar. I wanted something "ES 335"ish. I looked all around and couldn't find a Gibson I wanted to afford. Even used they were pricey and even ones with minor problems were pricey.

So I was at a few places and tried a few things. The only thing I really liked about a few Epiphone Dots I played was the worn finish on one and the price on both. . . ended up at Guitar Center and really liking the '72 Telecaster Thinline Reissue. Wow. What an easy playing guitar, a neck you just glide along! And the "Wide Range" Humbuckers really do give you a lot of ES 335 sounds but with that Fender "thang" at the core. So it's very bright, but if I dial all the midrange out and the bass up at the amp then you really do get those nice warm blues and jazz sounds. It's a really fine guitar!

Now I can put my Breadwinner in for some sprucing up and have the Tele to plunk on in its absence. I got the natural finish.

Lon has gone GEAR CRAZY! Wow, sweet looking guitar...I'm envious.

[jazzbo]

Yes, I have to stop, but I'm pretty set up!

[BFrank]

Oh, yeahhhhhhhh.

Lon's got GAS - no question about it.

[GAS = Gear Acquisition Syndrome]

(me too, BTW)

I picked up one of these at Guitar Center over the weekend. Makes a LOT of sounds for a little over $100 - and very portable. You can use it as a headphone amp.

[BFrank]

That's a GREAT looking Tele, BTW.

[jazzbo]

That looks like a cool little device.

Yeah, I love the looks of this guitar, always have liked Thinlines in that way. . . Many I've seen have had black or tortoise pickguards which I'd prefer, but I'm getting used to the pearloid white. . . .

[BFrank]

I would think that you could get a black or tortoise pickguard from Fender. Couldn't be that expensive.

[7/4]

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Pickguards.html, but they don't show one for a thinline with two humbuckers.

The only one for a thinline is - get this - white pearloid. That's what my MIJ Thinline has...

.

[jazzbo]

Well I'm getting used to it. And i don't care, this SOB plays so well.

[BFrank]

Tracking shows delivery on Tuesday.

I'll give a full run-down on how "black" it sounds.

None more black!

Exactly!

Meanwhile........it looks like I'm going to have to send it back to Sweetwater. Most of the slots in the nut are cut way too shallow. "Marty" said that they would re-slot it for me.

Interesting comment from him: "I've seen this on a number of Gibsons but rarely on a Fender."

[7/4]

It's not uncommon to have setup problems on a new guitar. A shame, but true.

.

[scottb]

I can make you a custom pickguard if you'd like.

I cut a tortois shell for my thinline and it looks sweet.

I'll post a picture when I get home to my computer.

[scottb]

there used to be a picture on post 861 of this thread but is looks like it has disappeared.

Don't know how or why that happened

[7/4]

there used to be a picture on post 861 of this thread but is looks like it has disappeared.

Don't know how or why that happened

There used to be a photo of my Epiphone Joe Pass on post #1. My guess is they got lost during some old problems with the board database.

[jazzbo]

I can make you a custom pickguard if you'd like.

I cut a tortois shell for my thinline and it looks sweet.

I'll post a picture when I get home to my computer.

Thanks, I may take you up on that in the future if the white pearloid bugs me.

[scottb]

Here's my thinline.

[BFrank]

It's not uncommon to have setup problems on a new guitar. A shame, but true.

Oh, well ... back to my old, hacked-up Franken-Tele for a week or two.

[scottb]

Here's a few of the pickguards I've been working on.

[BFrank]

It's not uncommon to have setup problems on a new guitar. A shame, but true.

Worst than I thought. Here's what the tech at Sweetwater had to say after getting it back in the shop.

At this point, I'm going to wait until they get more in stock.

+++

I have your guitar up on the bench right now and found that the guy that was

in charge of making the nut for your guitar didn't do a good job.

The nut was sanded down too low, and thus, the slots had to barely get cut in.

If I cut them any lower, the guitar will fret out on the first fret. I can

already tell the D-string is barely buzzing because it is hitting the fret.

Also, I noticed that the neck has a bit more relief (curve) to it than I would

like to see. If I straighten it the way it should be, the strings will most

certianly fret out.