Pickin’ and Grinnin’

[Ulu]

In my retirement I have taken up the guitar again.

I got my first guitar in 1969: a $30 Silvertone flattop (made by Harmony Instruments) that is unfortunately lost to history. I’ve had a Gibson flattop since 1972. I had two other flattops as well, but I only picked one up about 5 times a year for the past 40.

I played guitar and bass violin in school, but that was 50 years ago since I played every day. The school owned a huge bass, which I played in the jazz ensamble.

I haven’t performed on stage since 1972 when we were in the Minnesota state contests. Second place for seniors.

Anyhow I am playing every day and have spent a bundle on new instruments and gear. I bought 5 more plus a bass guitar and a Hawaiian. All electric. And 3 amplifiers.

I’ll post it all up for your amusement, and first the least rare of them all: a 2024 Telecaster by Fender of Indonesia.



Still has the plastic film…


This is a virtual clone of the first Fender Broadcasters. Simple and clean and full of Texas Boogie. It is my new favorite player, and was only $189. Case not included,

1/10 the price of the USA built version with case.

After I did a full setup of the neck angle, bridge heights and string intonations, it plays just as well. The US version comes “all set up” at $1700 + tax. Mexican models (not set up) Are going for $700 + tax.

 

[Ulu]

That Telecaster was actually the latest one bought, and the model I wish I’d saved the money for one in 1969.

I just didn’t know . . .

But somehow, before I got to that point I had to buy several other guitars.

First I wanted to buy some thing what was an excellent value and also an excellent playing guitar. I bought this Schecter C1 diamond series, platinum edition, string-thru hard tail.



This is a very well-made guitar, from Korea, and it’s not as expensive as their US made versions. This originally listed for just under $900 with the case and I got it for $340 because it’s used & there’s a chip out of the finish on the back.

It’s the platinum edition because it doesn’t have chrome hardware. It’s not real platinum either. It’s just platinum color plated.

It’s really a heavy metal guitar, and I’m not really a heavy metal guy, but it’s also very versatile. Somehow it just wasn’t enough though.

 

[Ulu]

I have also been fixing guitars and I bought two old classic Silvertones from the 60s as projects to repair. I also bought an old Silvertone amplifier. Vacuum tubes!

Silvertone was a name owned by Sears and Roebuck, and it was applied to all of their musical instruments and electronics products, afaik. (Until they invented the Diehard name, all their car products were called Silvertown.)

The model 1448 originally was sold with a case that contained a small amplifier and speaker and the whole thing was only about $100 in 1965. I paid $200 for this relic with missing parts. It has been well played during its lifetime.



Legend has it that this model was the very first guitar owned by Hendrix. It was manufactured for Sears Roebuck, exclusively, by Danelectro: one of the oldest names in electric guitars. Danelectro guitars have become popular again and they are being manufactured in Korea nowadays.

These guitars were famous for the “lipstick pickup”, which was manufactured by Danelectro for Sears, and put into a modified chromed brass lipstick case, also sold from the catalog.

Basically it’s just a coil of hair-fine wire, wrapped thousands of times around an insulated magnet.

It is still in manufacture. Every type of electric guitar pickup has its own sound, and that makes them all kind of collectible.

Unlike many other guitars these did not warp at the neck, because Dan electro installs a steel I-beam that runs across the length and width of it. It’s solidly potted in glue.



Leo Fender pioneered the idea of a removable neck, because the neck is the part of the guitar that gets most easily damaged, is most delicate, and wears out. I think the Dan electro took that idea from him.



If you look at the photograph of the back of the guitar you will see one tiny little hole that is not a screw, but has a set screw up inside the body. This is the micro tilt neck adjustment found on expensive Fenders, and it is repeated that they stole the idea from Danelectro.


They use a set screw, and a square nut embedded into the body of the guitar, to make the tilt adjustment. I’m not quite sure how Fender does it yet because I haven’t taken one apart.

This neck is part number 2084. The little set screw rides on the round headed bolt pressed into the neck.


My Indonesian fender does not have micro tilt. If a neck adjustment is ever required it will need precise shimming.

 

[Ulu]

Danelectro used this boring kind of squarish tail piece with a wooden bridge. I do not think it fits the tone of the guitar as it has an aluminum nut. Also I didn’t think it fit the style of the guitar as it’s not at all swoopy.



Anyhow, it was missing from the Guitar and I decided to build one from scratch from metal.

Well almost from scratch. This part is the saddle and it’s made from a metric carpenter square that I bought cheap because nobody here has metric lumber



The tailpiece is stainless steel, and came from a cheap hamburger press.







I got the intonation as close as I could just by filing the saddle. It’s not as good as having individual adjustable saddles on your bridge, but on the other hand it’s a very stable design, and no guitar is really that in tune anyway.

It’s a simple solution that defies physics and smears it’s irregularities out over the whole instrument so you don’t notice it being very sharp or flat at any one point.

If you want to see something in mind bending, there’s a computer designed guitar neck that has wavy frets, making perfect intonation a reality. In theory. And as we know, in theory, theory and practice are in the same, while in practice, they are not. Practice practice practice…

Hey, the best part about this is that in retirement I can get as much practice time as I want, and I’ve been putting in hours every day.

The other part is that when I was a kid playing in high school, my fingers were very tender. Now they are rather tough, from years of sanding and polishing and screwing around with tools.

This makes hours and hours of practice possible where it was much more painful at the age of 16. By laying off the screwdrivers and Sanders for a while and doing something different like this, I am also able to forestall repetitive motion injuries. That’s one of the reasons that I got out of the computer business. I didn’t want carpal tunnel.

Guitar players do get carpal tunnel however. I don’t intend to play it that hard, as I don’t have to earn a living as a guitar picker. Yeah that part is important too.

 

[jjohnwm]

Very cool, especially the DIY refurbishment of an old guitar; looking forward to seeing that one when you're completely done re-finishing it. I love the sound and also the idea of guitars, both owning and playing them. When I was working and living for three weeks out of every month in assorted northern project camps, I was envious of the guys who brought their guitars to camp. Some of them got together to jam in one of the entertainment rooms, and I enjoyed just watching and listening. And lots of them enjoyed driving their hall neighbours crazy by practicing in their rooms. I enjoyed listening to the *****ing about that as well.

I even considered getting one and trying to learn to play; I think the biggest obstacle to me was the portability of a guitar. As a long-time piano player, a guitar seemed like a joy to travel with...but it's still a PITA. I wasn't sure I wanted to schlep a guitar case back and forth with me constantly.

But that's okay. Another instrument I have always enjoyed hearing is the harmonica...thanks, Bob Dylan. I got my first one shortly after starting my decade+ stint as an electrical "traveller" and it allowed me to learn a new instrument...and drive my neighbours crazy...all while carrying it in my pocket.

Maybe I'll try bagpipes next...that sound is always a crowd-pleaser...