Seafoam Green Mooncaster
- Thread starter T89Rex
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Just a quick post because I've got some serious playing to do on this thing. The neck arrived today. Totally blown away by the pau ferro board and Cagey has done a wonderful job getting it playing it's best. It's a standard thin profile - I'm a little surprised and how U-shaped it feels in the hand but I'm really enjoying it. The stainless steel frets are lovely and slippery. The combination of the frets and the 9s I'm playing (I normally play 11s on a Jazzmaster so this is a lot less tension than I'm used to) is causing some serious overbending but it just feels so nice. Anyway, back to it...
Cagey
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She's a beauty!
I don't know if you realize this, but that's not how those straplocks work. The nut on the top of the lock unscrews, and the barrel of that part goes through the strap's hanging hole. Then, the washer and nut are tightened on over that. So, the locks are "installed" on the strap itself, not used as a retainer on the peg.
Here's an installation video of it being done. He uses some side cutters to open the strap holes, but I like to use a razor. It's cleaner, and maybe even a little easier on a new strap.
I don't know if you realize this, but that's not how those straplocks work. The nut on the top of the lock unscrews, and the barrel of that part goes through the strap's hanging hole. Then, the washer and nut are tightened on over that. So, the locks are "installed" on the strap itself, not used as a retainer on the peg.
Here's an installation video of it being done. He uses some side cutters to open the strap holes, but I like to use a razor. It's cleaner, and maybe even a little easier on a new strap.
[youtube]iJGJtfVA0yI[/youtube]
Cagey
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It's funny how things get past you sometimes. I sold a guitar to a guy a few years back who had never seen locking tuners before. Guy had to be 60 years old if he was a day, and he was a great player so I'm pretty sure he wasn't living under a rock - how did locking tuners get by him? They're the greatest invention for guitars since pickups!
So, I had to show him how they worked, and he was just fascinated. Said "What a great idea! They should've come up with those a long time ago!" I decided against telling him they'd been around for roughly 40 years :laughing7:
So, I had to show him how they worked, and he was just fascinated. Said "What a great idea! They should've come up with those a long time ago!" I decided against telling him they'd been around for roughly 40 years :laughing7:
Cagey
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Tom can answer that better since he's got the thing in hand, but the setup shouldn't have changed at all during shipping. It got a lot of time on the setup fixture under tension, so any settling that needed to occur had a chance to do that.
We were originally going to ship it in a hardshell case, but two things got in the way of that. First, there is no hardshell case that will fit that guitar exactly. Second, the size/shape of guitar cases cause all the shippers (UPS, FedEx, USPS, etc.) to hyperventilate and go into mega-profit mode, so I separated the neck/body for shipping. Cuts the cost to less than half. Plus, it allows for more protective packaging and easier handling. Means the customer has bolt the neck on and string it up at the destination, but there's nothing to that.
We were originally going to ship it in a hardshell case, but two things got in the way of that. First, there is no hardshell case that will fit that guitar exactly. Second, the size/shape of guitar cases cause all the shippers (UPS, FedEx, USPS, etc.) to hyperventilate and go into mega-profit mode, so I separated the neck/body for shipping. Cuts the cost to less than half. Plus, it allows for more protective packaging and easier handling. Means the customer has bolt the neck on and string it up at the destination, but there's nothing to that.
I can't speak to whether it's changed at all since it left the States but it was well packed so it didn't get damaged or anything scary like that. All I needed to do was screw it on. That did worry me because although I was certain I had all the different length screws in the right place, I was still scared that somehow one of them would come through the board. Of course it didn't and there was no chance that it could've, but the mind is a strange thing.
It plays really well. I haven't had to make any adjustments to saddle height or truss rod yet. As we get used to each other over the next few days and weeks I might tweak things, and I may yet set it up for 11s depending on how I feel about the 9s after a good wear-in, but at the moment it's a better setup than anything I've ever got locally. Definitely nothing to worry about.
Day 1 almost over and I'm still in love. The middle position is my current favourite - so sweet sounding. There's some real edge to the bridge pickup and the neck is nice and mellow. Meeting and exceeding all expectations!
It plays really well. I haven't had to make any adjustments to saddle height or truss rod yet. As we get used to each other over the next few days and weeks I might tweak things, and I may yet set it up for 11s depending on how I feel about the 9s after a good wear-in, but at the moment it's a better setup than anything I've ever got locally. Definitely nothing to worry about.
Day 1 almost over and I'm still in love. The middle position is my current favourite - so sweet sounding. There's some real edge to the bridge pickup and the neck is nice and mellow. Meeting and exceeding all expectations!
That looks amazing!
If anybody is ever looking for something to clean these matte finish guitars or remove fingerprints or shine, I use Chemical Guys Meticulous Matte spray. It's for car stripes or vinyl wraps, but works great on my matte McClaren Yellow Carvin. A bottle will last near forever.
If anybody is ever looking for something to clean these matte finish guitars or remove fingerprints or shine, I use Chemical Guys Meticulous Matte spray. It's for car stripes or vinyl wraps, but works great on my matte McClaren Yellow Carvin. A bottle will last near forever.
The other thing to consider, Axkoa, is that the way this was sent in two packages meant that I didn't pay tax. I was all geared up to try to claim it under the US Free Trade Agreement (which you can, but it's a massive hassle) but in the end customs didn't even look at it because both boxes were individually under the threshold.
I wouldn't budget on it because tax laws will probably change if you're still a year or two away, but it's something to keep in mind.
I wouldn't budget on it because tax laws will probably change if you're still a year or two away, but it's something to keep in mind.
Cagey
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Customs is a funny thing sometimes.
I had a friend here from Germany last summer who spent a pretty big chunk of change on shoes and clothing, and was concerned about how hard she was going to get hit on return. Could've been several hundred dollars. But somehow, there was nobody around the customs area when she picked up her bags, so she just left the airport. Worked out well. Of course, you can't plan on that sort of thing, but apparently they aren't as vigilant as one might expect.
I know in my own experience bouncing back and forth between Canada and the US, I've only been pulled aside once for inspection out of hundreds of crossings. Mexico and Venezuela were strange because they'd check me out pretty thoroughly going in, but on the US side coming back I'd get waved through. You would think that since there's really nothing in the US that's legal here but not in those places, but the reverse is certainly true, that the more intense scrutiny would occur coming into the US.
I had a friend here from Germany last summer who spent a pretty big chunk of change on shoes and clothing, and was concerned about how hard she was going to get hit on return. Could've been several hundred dollars. But somehow, there was nobody around the customs area when she picked up her bags, so she just left the airport. Worked out well. Of course, you can't plan on that sort of thing, but apparently they aren't as vigilant as one might expect.
I know in my own experience bouncing back and forth between Canada and the US, I've only been pulled aside once for inspection out of hundreds of crossings. Mexico and Venezuela were strange because they'd check me out pretty thoroughly going in, but on the US side coming back I'd get waved through. You would think that since there's really nothing in the US that's legal here but not in those places, but the reverse is certainly true, that the more intense scrutiny would occur coming into the US.
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Not really. Heraclitus (a Greek philosopher, also known as "Captain Obvious") said it about 2,500 years ago, and we've been repeating it ever since :laughing7:
Cagey
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Sure.
We repeat those old observations because they're true, and it's good to learn/remember history. Those who don't make the same mistakes over and over again. (Originally an observation by George Santayana).
But, speaking of customs fees, here in the states the possibility currently exists that we're going to repeat a past mistake and add tariffs/border taxes similar to those imposed by other countries who haven't learned the error of their ways. They're a tragic response to a tragic situation that only intensifies the tragedy of artificially limited trade. They're a sure sign that those who control such things do not understand economics. An interesting and relatively short as well as easy-to-read book on basic economics that explains a lot of that stuff (and won't cost you much) is called "Economics In One Lesson" by Henry Hazlitt. Excellent primer on a somewhat complex subject that'll put you miles ahead in your understanding of how things work. Probably piss you off, too. So, you know - educational and fun :laughing7:
We repeat those old observations because they're true, and it's good to learn/remember history. Those who don't make the same mistakes over and over again. (Originally an observation by George Santayana).
But, speaking of customs fees, here in the states the possibility currently exists that we're going to repeat a past mistake and add tariffs/border taxes similar to those imposed by other countries who haven't learned the error of their ways. They're a tragic response to a tragic situation that only intensifies the tragedy of artificially limited trade. They're a sure sign that those who control such things do not understand economics. An interesting and relatively short as well as easy-to-read book on basic economics that explains a lot of that stuff (and won't cost you much) is called "Economics In One Lesson" by Henry Hazlitt. Excellent primer on a somewhat complex subject that'll put you miles ahead in your understanding of how things work. Probably piss you off, too. So, you know - educational and fun :laughing7:
