Dad3353

Typically, during the sound check before a concert, the guitar level in the mix will be set my the sound engineer at the desk. Whilst it's the guitarists turn, he will ask for the 'normal' guitar level, and then the 'Fx' level, and may ask for an adjustment of the balance between the two. It there's no engineer, or if there's no guitar through the PA, it's up to the guitarist (and the band as a whole...) to sort out the relevant levels before the concert. There is no absolute rule, but, in general, fuzz, distortion, overdrive etc need not be so loud as one might imagine. Basically one would aim at having the perceived 'loudness' pretty much equal between clean and fuzz. Once the levels are set for the band, for the venue and for the song, it shouldn't need tweaking at all. If there's a lot of boosting going on for some songs, a second pedal, after the fuzz, to be able to 'up' the level a little might be a Good Idea. If there's even more going on, a programmable Fx becomes useful, and learning how to 'tap-dance' for switching between patches does the job. As you see, there's no 'silver bullet'; start with the simple way (get the levels about equal...) and work up from there by experience, listening to recordings of your rehearsal, for instance. Hope this helps... Douglas

No, you will not notice any difference; it's too early for you for that. Just a few checks... Are you sure that you're tuned correctly to concert pitch (A = 440 Hz...)..? Are you playing for too long at a time..? Are you trying to 'cut corners' and play above your pay grade..? Can you post a photo of your guitar, please..? Most beginners, of any age, find the first few days a bit uncomfortable, even with nylon strings, but I've not come across anyone having their 'fingers killed'. There is something quite wrong somewhere, which needs to be addressed before you either do yourself some damage, or give up, or both. Let's see your guitar, first, and in the meantime, restrict your practicing to 5 or 10 minute sessions, once or twice a day. For the anecdote : my first guitar was a Russian-made, very cheap, classical guitar, strung with steel strings. I knew nothing, and bought, with the guitar, a method book, by Mickey Baker. Page Two was full of jazz chords; in my ignorance I started to learn them, with great difficulty and much pain. That, though was steel strings, and complex jazz chords. What method or instruction system are you using..? A book..? You-tube..? A guitar tutor would be of great help, of course; is that an option, at least to get you started..? Over to you... Douglas

Good evening, @Strumbarmy, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, @Daniel 1179, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Red-check gingham..?

If it's similar to this one... It's a modest Chinese folk guitar; the s/h price of £70 seems about right, if it's undamaged. Not much to add; get a decent method book or a local tutor and get stuck into playing it.

I recognise the problem (in the UK I was based in Shepperton, with the Watkins works nearby in Chertsey...). It would seem that the ball-end windings don't like the exit from the saddle. As an experiment, try passing a new string through a spare ball-end (you seem to have a few..!), such that the ball can't sit so far down in the seating. This may keep the twisty windings further down, so not on the break angle. A 2BA nut could work, too (you're of an age to know what a 2BA is, no..?). My second recommendation would be to try another brand I use Elixir, but used Fender Bullets for years; they have the ball-end 'slug' moulded into the string, so no twisty bit... If you're married to 9's, that's fine, but they're easier to break than 10's; try upping the gauge, to see..? Report back with progress, successful or not, please..?

It must be easier to park up out of town and get a bus in, or even a taxi, no..? Have you no amenable neighbours or family that could offer a drive-in..? I'm supposing that you have the necessary case for carrying a guitar..? We live thirty miles from the nearest music shop, but, if I couldn't drive there myself, there's several other methods, albeit less convenient. If your only option is a camper van, I'd look at buying a bike..! Just sayin'.

An important part of the journey of firstly beginning on guitar, and later on searching for mastery, is the very large bucket of Patience that is required. None of it comes quickly and easily; this is Normal for any skills worth learning, and those without the necessary Patience are often disillusioned; some even give up. I've yet to find a reliable source for renewing one's bucket when it empties, and Patience is often used up with other activities, too, such as Motor Repair or Skiing. At my great age I find that I have but little left in reserve.

Good evening, @Strum Mental, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Do it the simple way. Connect it up as best you can, with provision for swapping if it's not the right way round. It's far easier to do than messing about identifying, only to find that it's the opposite once you've worked it all out. Just make sure that your soldering is top quality, try it out before closing it all up, and swap if (when..?) it's wrong. Hope this helps.

You've had 20 years of loyal service from this guitar, and it shows. It's time for putting the clocks right, and re-fretting, with a fingerboard redress whilst the frets are out. It'll come back ready for another 20 years, and is well worth the £200 or so this would cost. Not just a figure plucked from the sky; Our Eldest does this kind of stuff, and that's what he estimated from the photos. Disclaimer : he also has a Seagull, from about that time too, and it, too, is on the the waiting list to be fettled..! Get a quote from a reputable luthier you trust, and get it sorted; you won't regret it. I've not much opinion on adding another guitar to your stash; it's a very personal thing, depending on how and what you play. It's not really a question of money; the right instrument will 'speak' to you once in your hands, so, if you go down that route, try as many as you can within your budget, whatever that budget might be. Getting the Seagull revamped may well quell the urge to change, too; they are very good guitars, even well beyond their price point. Just my (our...) tuppence-worth.

This makes some sense, with the proviso that the port dimensions and position take into account the frequencies in play. You're the expert, so I bow to your expert knowledge and courage. Bass frequencies would be the first to be lost if their air pressure can go round the rim, though. As with many things, the proof of this pudding will be in the eating..! I'm not alone in following this very original build; it's splendid, and deserves to be a wild success. Carry on, Chief, just ignore me..!

I hope I'm wrong, but I think these resonators work in similar fashion to loudspeaker cones. The vibration from the strings makes the cone move, like a piston. Air is pushed forward and back, which reaches our ears as sound. If the air pushed forward can leak around to the underside, rather than create a pressure wave for our ears, the sound output will be much less. If we suspend a loudspeaker on its own in the air, it makes just a squawking noise. Once it's attached to a baffle board, the air can no longer go around the rim, and it sounds better. It may be too late, but I would have suggested doing a mock-up trial first, just to establish the principle, before such drastic surgery. Maybe you've done that, of course. I hope I'm wrong.

Not quite the right question, I think..? Does it affect the sound..? Yes, to a lesser or greater extent. Does it adversely affect the sound..? Not necessarily. Any acoustic instrument sounds as it sounds. f that's the sound you're after, then that's fine. If, on a full-bodied acoustic with a pleasing sound one could get out the band-saw and cut a chuck off for access to the high notes, the sound would, in all probability, be severely impaired. If, however, the guitar was designed and built that way, taking into account the cutaway, the result would very likely please a least some of the customers for that guitar. The reply, then, is really : if it sounds fine as it is, it sounds fine. There are many acoustic guitars with this feature, many of them sound great. It's also true that many guitarists wanting/needing this feature play through amps, or record with the built-in electronics. This, too, alters radically the result, as the sound is no longer merely a function of the acoustic properties, but a sum of all the elements used. In that respect, a cutaway has little bearing on the phonics in absolute terms; again, if it sounds fine in the end, it's fine. Whether one plays up the neck or not, it's worth giving all guitars a listen, to appreciate their qualities. Hope this helps.

Back then, in the murky distant past, we would put a cab flat face down on a carpeted floor; that tamed the excess decibels, and allowed us to 'crank' a little more 'tone' without breaking glass windows. This worked for Hiwatt DR504 amps; it might be worth a try with your combo..?

TC Electronics G-Force is pretty decent when switching from patch to patch. Our Eldest has used one for many years now. See Page 17 of their User Manual for details of how to keep reverb tails, for example...

Sorry, but I have no idea. I'm only a humble Mod here; I don't really know what 'status' is all about. The Big Lads (Admins...) probably know a bit more. Try a PM to one of those demi-gods, maybe..? Apologies for not being more useful; good luck with it. (Charic..? Kiwi..? Ped..? Woodinblack..? Hamster..?) Douglas

Good evening, young @Slider58, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

I honestly think that you're beating yourself up for very, very little. There's no 'magic bullet' to all of this; sooner or later, a plunge will be taken, and you'll be playing your (very excellent...) guitar of your choice. Abridge the suffering and bite the bullet; you'll be playing all the sooner. Whatever you choose, you'll be in the 99.999% of those highly satisfied with their choice, both of instrument and supplier. You'll be laughing about all of this in a few month's time, wondering why you hadn't done it sooner.

Wrong side of The Channel for me, I'm afraid (unless you're coming to France soon..? ...).

Coincidence; pure coincidence.

Good afternoon, @Paul S, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

May I just add that, in the very wide Telecaster range, I favour the 'Deluxe' model, with its pair of humbucker pick-ups, over the 'standard' Tele with single coil. Rather more versatile, I'd say, and, though it may lack the extreme 'Texan twang' of the single-coil version, that's not the sound I want from a sole guitar. As a second/third/fourth... I've no problem with the standard Tele, but if I was to choose as my only guitar, t'would be a Deluxe model. Just sayin'; good luck with the hunt...