Dad3353

Ah, that's better. We can now see that this model has adjustable pole pieces for one of the bridge p/u coils. It's normal that they look like that. The p/us changed from year to year, some like this, others all adjustable, more still fixed, like the neck p/u here. It's not been photographed well enough to make this into a feature, though. A vibrato arm costs only a few euros, so would not be a deal breaker (I wouldn't bother; I don't use 'em anyway...). It's price is a little on the high side; the 'Argus' price would be around 200€, but perhaps not in such good condition as this one. I still don't understand about giving your address, and the shipping will cost whatever they quote you, that's all. Altogether, it's just a simple choice : is this one worth the asking price, delivered to your door, or not..? If it is, go for it. If there is a better deal later on, elsewhere, wait for it to come around. Hope this helps. Douglas

A very fine instrument, and a sure-fire remedy for any domestic strife your practising may arouse. A worthy investment for any serious player. It's no hindrance that the Seller, Frank, is a well-respected Good Egg on this and other Forums, of course.

No, peanuts were phased out as currency in the late '70s (Jimmy Carter scotched it...). A small practice amp for electric guitar..? So many options, from the Vox Amplug and similar (plugs into the guitar to feed headphones, so no speaker, from £13 upwards, Thomann...) up to any 5w amp with battery power (£15, Thomann...), or Fender Mini-Twin (£42, Thomann...). There an enormous range of small amps with headphone sockets. Have a look through the Thomann range, or visit your local music shop, maybe..?

We can't answer the first question, really, as we can't see the guitar, but, in general, any second-hand guitar could have non-working parts. If you have any doubts about the bridge pick-up, and the Seller can't answer them, you'd be best to factor in the cost of a replacement and decide if it's worth it still. Reverb are a very reputable Seller, and it would be normal for them to ask for the delivery address; how else would you be able to receive it..? A general 'guide' price for Europe, for instance, is not enough for a shipping quote; indeed, some Sellers will not ship to certain countries that have a bad reputation for shipments getting 'lost'. I'd advise giving your address with no second thoughts. Similarly with payment terms. Many Sellers offer Paypal, or other, similar, methods, but not all, and it's no reflection on their reliability or credibility. Many high-price items cannot even be paid for by credit card; only a direct bank transfer is accepted sometimes. No, the lack of a Paypal offer is not a reason to doubt the Seller. If you can only pay by this means, and it's not offered, then the deal is off, but that's not the fault of the Seller. Paypal is not a mandatory payment method; it's just a system that some Sellers use, and others don't, that's all. Hope this helps.

You've answered your own question. Yes, they will be fine. Do the soldering with care and it's all fixed. Well done; report back here when it's over..?

Always useful, and an inexpensive one (<£20...) is well worth it, for home use.

Yes, disturb nothing else for this test.

Is the joint outlined here really connected..? It's not clear from the photo... If it is, un-solder it, and the one at the other end of the swotch, and swap them over. If the neck p/u then works, but not the bridge one, the switch is faulty. If nothing is changed, the p/u is faulty. There's no issue with any discolouring of pole pieces; they'll work just fine. I'd not bother with that for now; get the p/u issue sorted first. Over to you...

Ah, OK; that's much better. I would play that using only those two strings (the open 'A' string and the C# on the 'B' string...). If any other strings were involved, they should have the fret number concerned clearly marked, but as there are none, they are not to be played. Often, on a chord chart, any string not to be played is marked with an 'X' to the left of the nut, to formally show that they are not used. So play those two notes at the same time, with none others sounding. The plucking hand will be doing this with one finger for the C#, and probably the thumb for the 'A', using a 'pinching' movement. What tune are you working on that has this TAB..? Here's a similar piece to look at, suitable for learning; it's in '6/8' time, but you'll know how that sounds, I'm sure (counted '1 & 2 & 3 & 1 & 2 & 3 & ...'

Good evening, @never_too_old_to_rock, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. I don't quite understand your description; is there any way of posting a picture, photo, sketch of what you're seeing..? I'm pretty certain that we can explain it, once we see what you're seeing. In your own time (or now, if you can..? ...). Over to you... Douglas

There's a little trick to do, now and again, to evaluate progress that's been made. Play something (anything, even badly...) on the guitar. Now reverse the guitar, and try playing that same thing left-handed. That's how you started out; the difference between them is the progress you've made. Do this every couple of months, or when you think you've stalled. My 'best' guitar (I've several...) is a Hofner Comittee, so named because it was designed by a committee of top guitarists at the time, one of whom was Bert Weedon. He played on a Comittee for a quite a quite a while. Here's mine... Allow me to add some wise words of encouragement, to help you on your journey... 'It's the first forty years that are the hardest, after which things sometimes tend to get slightly easier.'

OK for the photo; thanks. It looks fine. The Bert Weedon method was (and still is...) excellent; I recommend it. 'Play in a Day' was maybe a tad over-optimistic, but it's Good Stuff in there, nicely paced. I say this a lot when these questions come up, and I'll say it again. With guitar, and many other skills, the fastest way to get results is to go slowly..! It cannot be rushed, and it's a Good Idea to obtain, at the same time as the instrument, a big bucket of Patience. As a beginner, it's counter-productive to exercise for hours at a time. Little, often and, most importantly, regularly are the keys. Better two or three 15-minute session per day, every day, than three hours, twice a week. Little and often (but not too often...). Take on board the simple exercises at first; don't go straining for barre chords on Day One. Give yourself time to get the muscles and movements working; they will give of their best if you allow them to get the hang of it all. When you learned to read, you didn't start on Shakespeare, you did Janet and John. 'Tis much the same with music. Don't go on a step further until you've mastered the preceding step. That's the secret to obtaining your goals the fastest.

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.