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I've never cared for the "noiseless" pickups as to my ear the ones I've tried just felt somehow sterile. The idea of vintage noiseless seems odd to me.... I suppose the idea is the compromise of the earlier sound without the hum, but the real joy of a vintage style pickup for me is stuff like the hum. Unless you're going for full on hard metal, I think a lot of folks overemphasise hot-winding in pickups, but it's definitely true there's quite the wide range in singled coils - especially the early, hand-wound stuff where more variation happened.

And here's the crux of it for me: I think as guitar players (same as hifi nerds), we can get too fixated on *measurable* differences, when what we really should be concerned with is differences we can actually hear with our own ears. Once you dispense with aesthetics and durability (both important concerns, tbf), all that matters is does it sound good to you. An awful lot of guitar upgrades are more about superstition and mojo imo. Which is fine - I like a bit of that myself (for whatever reason I've always liked to have a pick screwed in underneath the guard on a Strat, tucked away in the cavity) - but I know if I gave in to too much I'd be in real danger of spending crazy money on all sorts of add ons that didn't add the the sound - and possibly also either doubling the spend by having it professionally fitted, or taking something away from the guitar itself by not properly installing it, or somehow upsetting the equilibrium about what made that particular guitar special in the first place.

Yeah, I think that came in with the change of image, when he grew the beard and went all cosplay-biker. The one I always remember him with was the LP custom with the Confederate Battle Flag on it - back in the 80s when nobody in the UK really realised what it signified, and thought it was just sort of a cowboy flag (don't even get me started on the closet-racist idiots in the rockabilly scene who turn up waving it at weekenders, wearing their Golly badges and claiming it's just their "rock and roll rebel flag, nothing to do with racism" (not even the racism spewed on their own facebook pages - honest, guv!). Most of the surface of the guitar was sanded to the bare wood by this point. He used to claim in interviews that shortly after he'd had it painted, he saw the guy from Warrant with a flag guitar just like it, didn't want to be associated with him, and went straight to the garage with coarse sandpaper and the guitar in hand. I have a dim memory I read somewhere that Rory called that his "number 3" (or was it 2?) - number one being a vintage Tele that I think was mostly used in the studio. Great section on his instruments here: https://rorygallagher.com/instruments/ In early 2025, a statue of Rory was unveiled outside the Ulster Hall in Belfast: Some got funny about him being sculpted with the Tele at the time and not the Strat, but it was based on a famous photo of him playing live, with the Tele, at the Ulster Hall back in the day. Rory was much respected in Belfast for insisting on still playing there annually right through the peak of the Troubles when a lot of big names (including, notably, Belfast's own and one of the biggest pricks in the music industry, Van Morrison) just refused to go near the place. Big influence on the next generation of Irish guitar players, not least Jake Burns (who imo has never gotten the full credit he deserves as either a songwriter or a guitar player). It's interesting how Hank was a huge figure for a whole generation of guitarists, but that has very much not carried over to another generation. (I'm sure the same could be said for many of my guitar heroes - or, hell, even guitar in general for the kids coming after us now.) In an odd way, while yes most of us who are aware of the Shadows might think of the Strat first, I think he now has somewhat of a bigger following among Burns enthusiasts, for the obvious reason. Buddy Holly.... maple board, two tone burst, early Stratocaster.... nobody else comes to mind as fast. Arguably the most important man in guitar-based rock and roll, next only to Leo Fender. It Was Buddy who popularised not only the solid body electric guitar in mainstream rock and roll, but also the bass guitar with the Crickets, and the "two guitars, bas and drums" set-up that is still the basis of so, so many bands today. He very much comes to mind when I see a 70s Strat with the black pickup covers and knobs on white plate, especially with a white body and rosewood board. I vaguely remember him playing a signature model some time back that dispensed with the middle pickup... did he have the middle pickup unwired in his original? I've heard of a surprising number of players having quite unconventional wiring for stage guitars that is often much more limited than you'd expect from the standard look to them. I guess that's partly for aesthetics, and maybe not to give away a secret? Possible... the one in the top photo above looks white to me. I think natural was an official finish from 69, though, that was at the peak of its popularity in the 70s and into the 80s, so he may well have had one. Possibly it got more studio use? I've heard it said that when Jimi had a bit more money later on, he preferred black or white solid finish Strats for stage, and kept the burst ones for the studio, as he figured the solid colours looked better in B&W photos. Who knows, though... there's a lot of glorious myths that take on a life of their own (TV Yellow, Jimi's parakeets, and all the rest).

For sale is my hardly used Epi JB 335. A great guitar but I already have a Gibson 335 so it never gets used. Mint condition and ready to be posted. The pickguard still has the cellophane on explaining the marks The Epiphone Inspired by Joe Bonamassa 335 in Cherry with the JB Case is a special edition semi-hollow electric guitar that pays tribute to the classic ES-335 model while incorporating unique features inspired by blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa’s preferences and style. Crafted with a semi-hollow maple body and a maple top, the 335 delivers a warm and resonant tone with excellent sustain, characteristic of semi-hollow guitars. The Cherry finish adds a vintage aesthetic that complements its iconic double-cutaway design, offering a timeless appearance reminiscent of classic blues and rock eras. The neck of the Inspired by Joe Bonamassa 335 features a comfortable SlimTaper C-profile, typically made from mahogany and topped with a rosewood fingerboard. This combination ensures effortless playability across its 22 frets, offering a smooth and responsive feel ideal for both lead and rhythm playing. Included with the guitar is a custom JB hardshell case, designed to protect the instrument during transport and storage while reflecting the vintage-inspired aesthetics of the guitar itself. This case provides secure storage and ensures the guitar remains safe and well-maintained over time. Overall, the Epiphone Inspired by Joe Bonamassa 335 in Cherry with the JB Case is a distinctive instrument that combines classic semi-hollow tone with modern features and aesthetics inspired by Joe Bonamassa’s renowned musical style. Whether you’re a fan of Bonamassa’s music or simply looking for a versatile and visually appealing semi-hollow guitar, this model offers excellent craftsmanship, tone, and style that stands out in any musical context.

I saw this on another forum. I hope you manage to get it back.

Hey guys, My beloved 1974 Fender Stratocaster was stolen on the 29/01/2026. SN:577461 Two scammers using a fake Bank of Ireland app came to my home. Please help spread the word and track my guitar down or even get the attention of other victims who can contribute to the ongoing investigation and help bring these scumbags down. Please share and support. Thanks https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227194475649

That's very pretty. A lot of guitar for not very much money at all.

Ooh, that sure is purdy ! GLWTS

In excellent condition with reverb footswitch boxed with warranty card intact postage included in price Compact design with 40 Watts of power and a 12 inch speaker Sweet clean tone Raw, natural overdrive with interactive Volume and Bite knobs to control crunch and overdrive Great sounding Spring, Plate, Hall and Reverse reverbs ( four reverbs from the Holy Grail Max reverb pedal.) Reverb footswitch included

PRS SE 594 McCarty Doublecut Turquoise Electric Guitar. In excellent condition! Basically mint condition. Not a ding or mark. Has just had a new set of Daddario 10s fitted. Comes with PRS SE Gig Bag.

From the pictures, it looks like it is floating in a carved out well (like a lot of Floyd Roses). Unfortunately, with my limited experience with FRs, this rules out flat loading it with lots of springs, like a Strat. Therefore, I imagine that you’d have to insert a couple of blocks of wood, either side of the string block to stop it moving back or forward. Once happy with their positioning, you could glue them in place. Hopefully, some wiser folk will chime in with a different solution.

Hi, Here is my guitar Jackson Adrian Smith SDX MN SW: https://www.thomann.pl/jackson_adrian_s ... _mn_sw.htm Bridge: Tremolo Floyd Rose Special My issue is that I bought it years ago (I like this guitar) but I don't use whammy bar and I can't stand 3 hours of changing strings everytime due to the complicated bridge with all those screws. I am looking for a simple fixed bridge to put this to my guitar. It should be simple and fixed, I just wanna easily change my strings when necessary and not to lose 3 hours to set up the bridge everytime when changing strings. Can you please recommend me something? I'm a noob according to guitar parts, so despite my effort I can't find proper bridge in online stores. I don't wanna visit luthier, I will be so glad if the new simple bridge matches the guitar Thanks all who can help me

Good evening... The 'Report' option (can be found in the three dots, top right of every post...) brings things to the attention of the Moderators and Admin. I'm adding the @Kiwi tag for you (wrong Admin; oops..!); you should get a reply shortly. Meanwhile...

Thank you very much!

Good evening... The 'Report' option (can be found in the three dots, top right of every post...) brings things to the attention of the Moderators and Admin. I'm adding the @Admin tag for you; you should get a reply shortly. Meanwhile...

Good afternoon everyone. Would it be ok to mention a guitar delivery service on here? I cannot see any way of contacting admin to ask for approval. Basically we offer shipping and full insurance cover against loss or damage, including guitar amps and would be very happy to give the members a discount. Kind regards Stuart

I had a Taylor 12 for a number of years and previously a Takamine. Both absolutely great, but some how I found the 12 limited, not every song needs the jingle jangle, so I sold them and each time replaced them with a good 6 string. You can always stick a chorus pedal on and get a pretty similar sound.

I don't have an unmodified strat. I see them as a modding platform primarily. The ones I have built are all HSS or HSH apart from the Nile Rodges sig. I'm not a fan of the bridge pickup and the older strats I've heard are so weak sounding that I have to adjust the entire rig around them. So my approach has been more about lifting the weaknesses of the strat up to the standard of my other guitars so using them doesn't reqiure so much faff. I like the neck pickup sound in my strats but they have dimarzio, seymour duncan and EMG pickups - apart from the Nile strat which has vintage Fender noiseless (and they are also a little feeble sounding even after they replaced some faithful replica fifties pickups which were so anaemic they were next to useless...so I won't be using them again).

Same. To be fair, the 5 series are really, really good and the price difference between a 5420 and 6120 is huge and the law of diminishing returns says you’ll not be getting an awful lot more. 5420, plus some TV Jones pickups and you’ll be pretty much 95% of the way there, for a fraction of the cost.

Oh, yes. A couple of Gretsches are very much on my wants list, but it's gonig to be a while before I can raise the cash. 5xxx series - I doubt, shy of a stupid lottery win, I could justify the 6xxx series.

I hear you. I'm definitely a P Bass man.... but that neck on a J bass.... My first bass (still owned) was a Squier Precision Bass Special. I realised quickly I can well live without the J pickup, as long as the single split P pickup has a decent tone knob, but the J-style neck on that guitar is a joy. One day I would adore to build a P bass with a J neck, P-set-up, and a firebird or RD shaped body (but other than shape, entirely in the Fender P style).

I’ve learnt pretty all I know about Fender offset guitars from Mike Adam’s, AKA puisheen, on YouTube and Instagram.

Interesting - I had not noticed that. Amusingly, the tech mentioned that though he is a Gibson man he has often coveted Jaguars when they've come in, and whilst dealing with this he finally succumbed to the GAS and ordered a Fender custom shop model. Apparently, according to what I have read, they were originally meant to be a luxury model to poach Gibson's customers.

Nice. I see it has a Mustang bridge, a sensible upgrade from the standard, threaded affair.