How long did it take you to “get warm” with your new Warmoth?

[Cagey]

Hehe! I remember reading somewhere a long time ago when Rush first got popular in the US, the author described his voice as reminiscent of "cut 'n' snip time at the kennel".

What instrument did he play that you're calling ugly? Unlike guitars, there's almost no such thing as an ugly bass.

 

[AutoBat]

Rickenbacker makes telecasters look good. I've never seena Ric that looks good to me.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

It doesn't surprise me that the worst voice in music would play the ugliest instrument possible.

Neil Young primarily plays the Bigsby'd P-90'd Gibson.  I don't know what Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson play.

 

[swarfrat]

Guys, 1) we're getting off topic, and 2) picking on Rush isnt exactly sportsman like.

 

[SalsaNChips]

Right -- regarding my Tele, I switched to heavier gauge strings and have been tweaking the action to get the saddle heights about as low as I can get them without unacceptable fret buzz. It is pretty good but I think it could be better. The G and A strings are the main offenders. I am considering paying for a setup and wondering what exactly that would involve which would improve upon what I have already done (intonation, saddle height adjustments). Fret levelling? Nut change (hopefully not)?

 

[Strat Avenger]

I'm probably just thinking of the early days when Rush was The Only Band On Earth. I'm talking about the first 2 or 3 albums, before they got so progressive. As they moved on and got more complex, I didn't pay quite as much attention. Not that they weren't doing good things, but the bloom was off the rose, kinda like follow-on from the first few Van Halen albums.

Dream Theater is like that for me. I love their first 3 albums, but beyond that, it's just more of the same, and seemingly all about athletics. While my tastes demand music with substance, I like to lock into a groove. There are two extremes for me, too shallow & simple, and too technical.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Right -- regarding my Tele, I switched to heavier gauge strings and have been tweaking the action to get the saddle heights about as low as I can get them without unacceptable fret buzz. It is pretty good but I think it could be better. The G and A strings are the main offenders. I am considering paying for a setup and wondering what exactly that would involve which would improve upon what I have already done (intonation, saddle height adjustments). Fret levelling? Nut change (hopefully not)?

About the only things that are gonna cause fret buzz are 1: an improperly slotted nut, 2: inadequate amount of neck relief, 3: frets that are not level, string height at the bridge adjusted too low. Of course a warped neck can also be a cause, but I seriously doubt your neck falls into that category.

 

[SalsaNChips]

About the only things that are gonna cause fret buzz are 1: an improperly slotted nut, 2: inadequate amount of neck relief, 3: frets that are not level, string height at the bridge adjusted too low.

Neck relief if probably the problem, I have the neck adjusted nearly arrow straight. I will experiment with that some and see if it improves.

 

[Cagey]

It's difficult to get a neck to where you can have it ruler-flat and still playable. It's what I shoot for when I do a neck, but definitely not where I leave it. I get it there then put some relief in it because without it, you lose articulation, tone and dynamics. Flat necks sound dead. Plug it into an amp or effects stream with ridiculous amounts of gain and you won't notice it so much, but it won't have any character, voice or dynamics to it. That's NFG. You'll sound like Malmsteen or Vai, assuming you can play that well.

You always want the strings to have room to vibrate. or you defeat the intent of stringed instrument design. Not that muffled strings aren't a Good Thing, but the effect should be used for spice, contrast and inflection, not a way of life. Otherwise, you lose all the musicality of the instrument.

 

[Corey P.]

I'm probably just thinking of the early days when Rush was The Only Band On Earth. I'm talking about the first 2 or 3 albums, before they got so progressive. As they moved on and got more complex, I didn't pay quite as much attention. Not that they weren't doing good things, but the bloom was off the rose, kinda like follow-on from the first few Van Halen albums.

Dream Theater is like that for me. I love their first 3 albums, but beyond that, it's just more of the same, and seemingly all about athletics. While my tastes demand music with substance, I like to lock into a groove. There are two extremes for me, too shallow & simple, and too technical.

Agree - I think that has everything to do with Kevin Moore leaving - he was the only particularly solid songwriter in the band and brought some restraint/taste that kept things from being entirely about chops/complexity for complexity's sake.

To the original topic, I'm considering a new neck for my Strat, I picked up a Tele with a wider/fatter neck, and it makes all the difference in the world for my hands - both for comfort and cleaner playing, but the "honeymoon period" is part of my hesitation - I'd hate to invest in something just to have to break it in and have it tweaked, etc. when I have something functional/useful right now.

There's also the whole "Is it really even the same guitar anymore?" deal - my Strat is a MiM I've replaced nearly every component and even screw on; I like to tell myself we've evolved together? :dontknow:  I do feel ultimately with the benefits I've experienced playing the larger Tele neck it's the right call, and I can migrate it to a new fancy body when the bridge eventually annoys me enough to want to change that, too, lol.  Plus then I'll have a project Strat to do terrible things to.  :evil4:

Flat necks sound dead. Plug it into an amp or effects stream with ridiculous amounts of gain and you won't notice it so much, but it won't have any character, voice or dynamics to it. That's NFG. You'll sound like Malmsteen or Vai, assuming you can play that well.

I agree about Vai's tone, I think he tends to sound really synthetic, but while I'm pretty uninterested in the bulk of what Malmsteen does, he does have an organic sound.  His Strats also apparently have a really curved radius, either a 7.25" or 9.5", which surprised me, though he doesn't bend much, so it probably shouldn't have.

 

[Cagey]

To the original topic, I'm considering a new neck for my Strat, I picked up a Tele with a wider/fatter neck, and it makes all the difference in the world for my hands - both for comfort and cleaner playing, but the "honeymoon period" is part of my hesitation - I'd hate to invest in something just to have to break it in and have it tweaked, etc. when I have something functional/useful right now.

First, a properly set up guitar doesn't need any "breaking in". Second, there's no law against owning more than one guitar. Finally, if that Tele you played made you happy, your Strat is obviously deficient. Don't be emotional about it. Dump it for something that loves you, or keep it for some special use other than your main squeeze.

There's also the whole "Is it really even the same guitar anymore?" deal - my Strat is a MiM I've replaced nearly every component and even screw on; I like to tell myself we've evolved together? :dontknow:  I do feel ultimately with the benefits I've experienced playing the larger Tele neck it's the right call, and I can migrate it to a new fancy body when the bridge eventually annoys me enough to want to change that, too, lol.  Plus then I'll have a project Strat to do terrible things to.  :evil4:

There you go. You keep throwing good money after bad. STOP IT! Somebody will play your Strat, love it, and give it a good home. Emotional and/or irrational attachments to instruments are a grinding source of dissatisfaction that will negatively impact your playing ability.

I never in a million years thought I'd like a Tele; now I have two playable with one in the wings and they're my favorite fiddles. They're certainly not for everybody, but properly done they're incredible instruments. For other people, other guitars do the same thing for them. Don't fight it. When an instrument speaks to you, you have to pay attention.

 

[AutoBat]

Interesting. I love Vai's tone.

Corey P: My MiM Strat is in the same category as yours. The original bits to it are: body wood, paint, output jack, strap buttons, trem claw/springs/block & trem cover (i ordered a different one once but it didn't fit. stupid variation of sizes between US & import models!).
I'm extremely happy with the changes I made to it and I have no plans to alter it further.

 

[Cagey]

Interesting. I love Vai's tone.

I'm impressed with his dexterity, but to me his tone is sterile and lifeless. I'm always amazed when I listen to him, but I can only take so much before I experience ear fatigue. Usually one tune is enough. More than that and I start looking for something else to listen to.

 

[Corey P.]

To the original topic, I'm considering a new neck for my Strat, I picked up a Tele with a wider/fatter neck, and it makes all the difference in the world for my hands - both for comfort and cleaner playing, but the "honeymoon period" is part of my hesitation - I'd hate to invest in something just to have to break it in and have it tweaked, etc. when I have something functional/useful right now.

First, a properly set up guitar doesn't need any "breaking in". Second, there's no law against owning more than one guitar. Finally, if that Tele you played made you happy, your Strat is obviously deficient. Don't be emotional about it. Dump it for something that loves you, or keep it for some special use other than your main squeeze.

That's the intent, in a nutshell.  By breaking in and tweaking I meant assembly & setup, I chose poor words but basically meant to communicate "time the instrument wouldn't be playable."  I can do a decent enough initial setup, but have a luthier/tech I swear by for the things you need the more cost prohibitive tools to achieve, and who doesn't charge for things he didn't have to do.

There's also the whole "Is it really even the same guitar anymore?" deal - my Strat is a MiM I've replaced nearly every component and even screw on; I like to tell myself we've evolved together? :dontknow:  I do feel ultimately with the benefits I've experienced playing the larger Tele neck it's the right call, and I can migrate it to a new fancy body when the bridge eventually annoys me enough to want to change that, too, lol.  Plus then I'll have a project Strat to do terrible things to.  :evil4:

There you go. You keep throwing good money after bad. STOP IT! Somebody will play your Strat, love it, and give it a good home. Emotional and/or irrational attachments to instruments are a grinding source of dissatisfaction that will negatively impact your playing ability.

I don't think you're wrong, but I also don't think hobby guitars are necessarily a rational pursuit.  :icon_jokercolor:  Also, the guitar isn't a lemon if I'm somehow making it out to be one, I've just learned what suits me better and as I said my intent is to eventually migrate the electronics and neck over to a completely new body and have the original neck and body to either, as you said, fill a weird tuning or maybe slide niche, or to turn it into a commodity someone else can benefit from.

I never in a million years thought I'd like a Tele; now I have two playable with one in the wings and they're my favorite fiddles. They're certainly not for everybody, but properly done they're incredible instruments. For other people, other guitars do the same thing for them. Don't fight it. When an instrument speaks to you, you have to pay attention.

I'm from completely the same camp, and I bought the afore-mentioned Tele because, as you said, it's a mistake to ignore an instrument that speaks to you in such a positive way.  :icon_thumright:  That's what makes the Strat a suitable project guitar now, and eventually all the after-market bits will migrate to their own independent-of-the-MiM entity...

 

[Cagey]

I don't think you're wrong, but I also don't think hobby guitars are necessarily a rational pursuit.  :icon_jokercolor:

You got that shit right <grin>

 

[swarfrat]

Add another couple months...  I just decided I like the Mean 90 on the neck after all.

 

[SalsaNChips]

Corey P: My MiM Strat is in the same category as yours. The original bits to it are: body wood, paint, output jack, strap buttons, trem claw/springs/block & trem cover (i ordered a different one once but it didn't fit. stupid variation of sizes between US & import models!).
I'm extremely happy with the changes I made to it and I have no plans to alter it further.

Likewise -- on my Strat, the only piece left from the original '87 AS guitar is the neck (maple with rosewood). And I've had that customized over the years to add MOP dots, new frets, new nut and just recently, a vintage re-lacquer so it better matches the walnut top on the Warmoth chambered swamp ash body I mated it to 15 something years ago. I picked it up and played it last night after three weeks of just playing my new Warmoth Tele with a SRV contour neck; the neck on the Strat feels like a tooth pick in comparison. Whole different animal than the new Tele. I like that

 

[stubhead]

I like them as different from each other as possible. One interesting part becomes learning to play, or writing, something on one guitar that "doesn't work" on a different one - then making it work. As long as you have some frets to work with and tuners that don't slip and pickups that pick up, you've got 90% of everything you need to play great, and 100% of what you need to learn a few thousand licks and several hundred songs. Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan really used their tremolos very rarely, and it was almost always a mistake when they did grab it... there were at least a few generations of guitarists who learned Zeppelin songs on a Strat and Hendrix songs on SG's and Les Pauls, because that's what was there.

One of the really fun parts to me about the Albert King/SRV session recorded for Canadian TV is "Stormy Monday." Just because of Stevie Ray Vaughan's age and what was popular when he was a little grub playing high school dances and all, he played plenty of Allman Brothers (and Zeppelin, and Stones, and...) Three minutes into "Stormy Monday", he busts out the first five or six notes of Duane Allman's stellar (Live at the Fillmore) solo - with a big, fat, Les-Paul-into-Marshall Duane Allman tone. He's playing some red Strat, into some old brown Fender amp - that tone shouldn't BE there (then he does it again at 7:18). But he was SRV, and you're not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZB57b3lPQE

 

[Cagey]

That Albert King/SRV video is a nice piece of work. It's great to see a couple icons like that in a calm setting just doing what they do best and having fun doing it.

 

[reluctant-builder]

I like that video, too. The drummer is amazing.  :icon_biggrin: