Dad3353

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...

Hmm... My first thought is that, even if it implies suffering a little (or even a lot..!), getting out to a music shop might well be a Good Thing, whether you buy a guitar there or not, simply as a step in getting rid of this Disorder..! Easy enough for me to write from the comfort of my own armchair, I'm well aware, but it's as much an Opportunity and Challenge as it's a difficult thing to do for you. That being said, and if it's really impossible (but needs working on, just the same...), there are few downsides to ordering a guitar from a reputable on-line supplier.To be blunt, most guitars are much of a muchness when starting out, and any tweaks needed could only really be minor, and unknown at first. It's only really over time that one feels that such and such could be improved, or optimised, for one's own playing; that's not acquired 'in the box' anyway, but only over time. I would say that, in the range of instruments you're considering, any would be 'set up' from the factory and playable straight away, as long as you know how to tune it (you already play acoustic, so that shouldn't be an issue...). I've not counted of late, but, with my own guitars, those of Our Eldest and those of the other members of our little group, there must be at least two dozen guitars, all very different. Any of us can play and enjoy any of these guitars, albeit modestly (disclaimer : I'm a drummer...). I suggest that it's not an issue for a first purchase, and that a set-up should only really be considered after having played the acquisition for a while 'as is'. It may be that we (all four of us...) are either not too fussy, too experienced or just plain lucky in having guitars that we can all play. Obviously I'm not talking about a fault, such as a seriously bowed neck, or a stripped tuning peg, but these are not what is meant by 'set up', and would imply simply sending back any instrument so delivered. No, order the guitar that inspires you the most from wherever you have most confidence and play the darned thing for a few months. That's time enough to get to realise if there's anything to 'tweak', enough time to learn how to do it yourself, and enough time to get yourself in the state of mind that enables you to consult a tech, if needed. There, that's my opinion. Others may well have others; but that's my tuppence-worth. The joy of playing will out-weigh any reticence you may have with the contact of shop folk, or techs, and can only help in improving any such condition. It's an Opportunity; seize it, I say.

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

Wot 'e sed ...

Good afternoon, @Baloo76, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. Help will doubtless be along shortly regarding the tuners, so no need to sweat. Yes, the new tuners should ideally be the same ratio (18:1...). We'll get some references checked for having an easy one-to-one replacement. A bit of patience, then..?