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Haha, will do

A clue, certainly, but confirmation that it needs the attention of someone capable of fixing whatever it is that's amiss. It could still be something simple; just take it to a vet guitar tech.

I've just noticed when set to rhythm I can hear it very faintly through the amp at volume, don't know if that's a clue.

Cor, that’s cleaned up really nicely; result!

Yeah, most likely the selector is faulty, loose wire or duff switch.

Thanks fo the advice. I'll check out somewhere to take it in Manchester when I'm back from hols and get it checked out and set up. Hopefully it's something simple. Thanks again

The trap is to access the battery for the built-in tuner (on the bridge pick-up ring...). See here ... But unlike vintage models, the Slash “AFD” Les Paul also comes with a built-in Shadow® E-Tuner built into the bridge pickup mounting ring. The tuner is powered by one #2032 Lithium long-lasting battery, easily accessed from a compartment on the back of the guitar. As for the pick-up, it may well be just the selector switch not adjusted properly, or a wire fallen off inside. I would suggest taking it to a trusted guitar tech, to be checked out and set up properly. It shouldn't cost much for an easy fix, and a good set-up will do wonders for your enjoyment for years to come. It's rare to have a pick-up completely faulty (but does, of course, happen...); it's much more likely to be something very easy for a tech to determine and fix. He/she can also give tips on the other functions of the guitar, such as how to 'split' the pick-ups. Let us know how you get on..? It's a fine guitar with a good reputation; enjoy. Hope this helps.

I’m a complete newbie to electric guitars, I’ve played acoustic many many years ago and recently decided to buy a couple of electrics and see how I get on. I bought this Epiphone AFD Slash Les Paul Special II at auction with bag and Epiphone Snakepit 15G amp for £150, and was more than pleased when I picked it up to find the whole package looks brand spanking new. However, I plugged it in this morning for the first time and there seems to be a problem. When I toggle to rhythm I get nothing at all, treble works fine. Can’t believe a newish guitar would have an issue with a pickup. Any ideas to narrow down the problem? Am I doing something wrong? If it is the pickup are they difficult/expensive to replace? I’d also like to know what the compartment in pic 3 is for? Any help much appreciated.

Put it all back together, polished it up and it plays just fine. What a bargain

Bravo..!

After a bit of work with fine wet and dry and a polish up with brasso, it transpires it's a Coxx Classix.

Hey thanks for the info, and as you say, a nice project. I've been slowly removing the paint with fine wet and dry and it is woirking. I'll report back when I have it finished.

This looks to be a 335 copy, fitted with Artec 'filtertron-type' pick-ups. Probably a little more 'chimey' than standard humbuckers; not particularly outrageous as a choice. Your ears will judge. You may find some info inside the body, using a dentist's mirror or such; sometimes there are maker's marks or pencilled information. Worth a look..? To strip the paint from the headstock, the simplest way is to rub it down with sandpaper. You could, of course, merely paint over it, if it's the finish you want to change. There's unlikely to be any info beneath the paint; this was probably, originally, just a cheap copy from the Far East, or maybe bought as a kit. Worth spending some time on, but not worth spending too much money on. A nice project, and a Good Find.

Hi newbie here looking to get back into playing guitar after 40 years :-) I bought this at auction for £40, it was covered in stickers, stringless, and tuning peg screws missing. It was labeled 'Tim Horth Custom semi-acoustic'. But clearly it's a rebadged something. Having given it a quick clean up it looks in pretty good nick. The machine head has been painted over, and apart from wondering the actual make and date of the guitar, I’m also looking for advice on how I might clean the paint off. Any ideas?

@Kiwi I only saw your comment just now, apologies. In the end I got a Vox MVX150C1; this is great, other than being a bit heavier than I'd like.

Thanks - looks like something I might dabble with. I'm hoping in the next couple of years to buy a Player; I already want to do a tiny rewire (I'm veering between a seven-way switch for ease of fitting, and adding a separate mini toggle for a bridge pickup on/off override as an easier playing approach); this could be another option worth looking into for that.

Hey, Sorry for the late reply on this. This in on my ESP which is a Strat style body so I would say yes it would fit, no modifications were needed to fit it however I did have to remove the trem setter and change the tension spring setup. These are heavy tension springs, nothing special, as I remember they are original Fender springs. I haven't really noticed any tonal change as I have 2 shit ears thanks year of playing far too loud !! but I would think that because of the extra mass and more direct body contact that there would be more sustain. It's certainly easier to adjust and simply looks a lot better than the original claw and screw setup. It was a bit pricey though at around £70 but in my opinion worth the money.

Hello, I'm looking for a simple chord chart for this song, in standard tuning, just to accompany another guitarist who will be playing the solo part. Everything I've found online doesn't seem reliable. Thank you very much!

It won't do the poor thing any favours, and won't fix any issues. If you really want to play Spanish from time to time, I'd suggest buying, locally second-hand, a modest nylon-strung guitar that plays properly, and not inflict any more suffering on this one. A quick glance at my local 'LeBonCoin' (I'm in France...) brings up a whole slew of such guitars, from 50€ upwards, that would be far better value. Just my tuppence-worth.

Thaks for the valuable knowledge, dear stranger. I guess I'll put it up above the fireplace and let it enjoy retirement Could you also share your thoughts on my crazy idea? I thought of screwing a long screw through the neck of the guitar like on the picture. I know it seems bad and clumsy, but it's only so I can play some Spanish rumba from time to time.

Ibanez make good guitars at every price point, so it’ll be decently built. The pickups will probably be voiced quite hot, given the genre the guitar is aimed at, but if you don’t like them, you can always upgrade them at a later date. However, you’re probably going to be using a lot of gain on the amp or through pedals for metal/rock, so a lot of your tone is going to come from there and will colour the guitar’s tone significantly. That being the case, it’s all about how it plays.

Short answer is 'No'. The neck has to come off to be reset; this can only be done correctly and securely by someone with experience in the job. It doesn't look to be a very expensive model, so not worth sending off for this job, so I'd suggest either keeping it 'as is', hung on the wall as decoration and sentimental value, or reading up on how this job can be done and doing it yourself, or with a local wood-working buddy. Basically, the neck has to be removed from the body; this involves using heat (usually steam...) to soften the current glue, cleaning it up, then putting it back together, at the correct angle, using the correct type of glue. It's a simple enough job for a guitar tech who handles acoustic guitars, and can be done on the kitchen table yourself, once the appropriate knowledge (and courage..!) has been assimilated, but can't be done by any other 'brute force and ignorance' method. Lesson learned, but too late, maybe; hope this helps (a little...).

When I was an absolute beginner, I bought this classical guitar. I put steel strings on it and played like that for six months before realizing the mistake. The neck had started ripping off. There are no luthiers nearby and the guitar doesn't mean much to me, because I've gotten myself an acoustic recently. I'd just like to hear what this guitar would've sounded like with right strings. Could I fix this with some wood glue?

You can't go far wrong with an Ibanez, whatever the price point, and this model has an excellent reputation, especially as a starter guitar. There are many models on the market in this range of prices; this Ibanez has nothing to fear from such rivalry. A matt black finish may be subject to marks from use, rather more than a gloss finish, but that's about the only remark not in its favour. Ignore the 'hype', for this and any other that piques your interest, and try it out yourself. You're not likely to be disappointed. Hope this helps.

Hi everyone I’ve been eyeing the Ibanez GRGR131EX BKF for a while now and I want to see your thoughts on this guitar. I want it as a beginner guitar for metal and rock but I wanna know if it lives up to the hype. if you ever had one or decided against buying it let me hear your thoughts. if you can recommend a better model for this price range ($250) I would greatly appreciated it. Thank you and looking forward to your opinions.