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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3611
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Is it just my horrible luck, or is my expertise getting better? I went on another of my forays into various guitar shops, this time in Spokane, and was appalled at the lousy action jobs on most of the instruments. Most of the strings were dead & corroded, too!
I have now been puttering around with my shadetree luthiering for about 10 years, and every one of my current critters and, I'm positive, most of the ones I've sent out into The World, are a helluva lot better than what I played today. These were no "slouch" instruments, either. A $2400.00 Martin D-28, and a 17-something Ovation, with carbon-fiber top. The Koa-top "O" was fair.
Actually, I think the mahogany-top Johnson 6-string played about the best-of-the-bunch.
Does the manufacturer have to issue their goods with an action you could throw a frenetic feline through?
That guy selling "tuned & adjusted" guitars on Ebay may be onto something. One of the major reasons for novices quitting our noble activity is the unplayability of many starter instruments. It should become a moral imperative for a shopkeeper to optomally adjust every guitar they sell, before it leaves the store. If they're only selling guitars setup for slide work, they should be up-front & honest about it!
I now return you to your regularly-scheduled diatribes........ |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Sees,
You made me look up at least five words, you are pissed! It's the World, it is all wrong. It is up to the not so gifted but caring heroes like us to make a difference. A Buddy of mine just said he picked up a Yamaha so he could learn to play but he can't get past the "it hurts" part.
I asked him to leave it with me and let me address some of the action issues.
They turn them out faster than we can fix em.
"Never give up. Never surrender!" |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3611
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Thanks for the approbation, Brother Woody! Can I get an AMEN here, People?! Be sensitive to our novitiates, and foster their growth. It is our duty & destiny.
Hmmmm.....it is Sunday, isn't it? |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | AMEN, Brother Seesquare Hopkins.....and let us also always be sensitive to the fact that extra-light, .010"-.047" strings, are a good idea for those starting out. They can work up to the lights later.
Roger |
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Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 338
Location: Omaha | I was in a local shop yesterday and picked up a lefty Strat off the wall because I wanted to play through a few amps...ugh! The strings were so bad, you're right, you were in danger of needed a tetanus shot after playing; you COULD NOT slide your fingers up and down those strings!!
I've thougth about offering my services to that store to get their lefties up to snuff (for lefties they have around 6 electrics, 6 basses and 10 acoustics, most of which play horrible and have completely dead strings on 'em). Like seesquare, I've done enough of my own projects not to screw anything up...it would be worth the few $$ they would have to pay me to get their lefties adjusted properly with fresh strings... |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | My local music store of choice recently went through and re-strung every Martin on display. It really does make a diffence in the shopping experience. |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | FWIW, I re-tuned every O (including the Celebs) I could get my hands on in the acoustic room at the local Guitarget last Saturday. They were all out of whack...just horrible.
Feeling like I'd done my good deed for the week, I then de-tuned all the Fenders, Gibbys, Taylors and Martins. :cool:
Life is all about balance... |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | A truer agressive Passive-Agressive activist there never was Cruster! I am so glad you are on our side!
This week! |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 417
Location: Cicero, NY | Nice work, Cruster. You're a perspiration to all of us! ;) |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | You're a Credit to Your Account, Crustee . . . . |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12755
Location: Boise, Idaho | Hey, Cruster. I did the same thing the last time I was at GC. Went to pick up a Koa Celebrity and it was so badly out of tune, I couldn't play it. So I figured I'd find one that was in tune and tune it to that. Of course, I had to try several. Grabbed one of the Legends with a tuner in it, figuring I could start with that one, but the battery was dead. After tuning a couple, I gave up, just as a couple of kids were walking in. One said, "I'll try anything but the Ovations. I don't like Ovations." No wonder GC never tunes them. I'm the only one that ever tries them out. |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3611
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Cruster, I am truly inspired by your consummate devilry. Jealous, and envious, of your talents. "Revenge is a dish, best served cold" |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | Well, I didn't go all the way...I didn't touch the tuning on the Line6 Variax, nor the used Seagull (S6 with quilted maple tops and sides, done in natural, used but mint, only $300...yes, I'm tempted, as it plays well and sounds great for a box). :) |
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Retail Actions & Tetanus Risk