Dad3353

I'd suggest that the best answer for this question would come from a decent guitar tutor near you..? It needn't be a long set of lessons, just one or two, so not expensive, but it would set you on the best path for your objectives, give advice as to any corrections to faults creeping in, and prevent any more long-term issues from a physical health standpoint. We can't see your location, but there is probably someone near you that could be recommended by a Member here. Worth considering..?

I'm not sure that this is right (or I've misunderstood..?). Once the looper has 'recorded' the loop, it will replay exactly as recorded. If the OD pedal is before the looper, the loop replay will always be 'clean', and never affected by the OD being switched on or off. If the loop is 'recorded' with the OD engaged, the loop will always play back with that effect, but the 'live' guitar would be either 'clean' or OD, depending on whether the OD was on or off. I don't see what advantage could be gained by having the OD after the looper, as it would affect both the 'live' guitar and the pre-recorded loop; both would be affected by the OD at the same time. Disclaimer : I'm a drummer, and, when I play guitar, it's always 'clean', and I don't have a looper.

Electro_Harmonix propose this ...

Here's a good entry into doing it all on the guitar. It won't work for 'cowboy chord' strumming; some new technique may be needed to adapt your style... Walking Bass lines for Guitar... I would add that this site is a great resource for all guitar-oriented stuff; I've been using it for years.

All I can think of is a Rutherford-style organ pedal board, played with the foot, but most of 'em are expensive, and drive MIDI devices (no sound of their own...). An octave pedal, picking up the sixth string, maybe..? Can you not just play enough of a bass line on the sixth string, à la flatpicking, country style..?

I think you've seen this..? ... Maybe a source for parts would be a certain 'KiOgon' on the sister site..? He's highly respected, and knows all there is to know about these things. Any help..? PS : Is that unconnected wire an earth for connection to the metal bridge..?

You've inherited a very fine amp, in need of restoration, but certainly worth it. It's the current model, Fender 59 Bassman LTD (a reissue, not the original '59 version...), and should be an easy repair to at least get it working again. There should be no problem with getting spares, as it's still made and sold (new price : around £2000...). There could be only two major snags : are all four speakers in good condition, and how much does the cosmetics mean to you..? If it's not been subject to damp, or poor storage, a technicien would have no bother fixing it up, to whatever level of 'original' you'd be happy with. Take it to a reputable valve amp technicien (give us your location; there may be someone recommended close by...) and get an estimate. It will be a fine amp once restored. It would be a shame to sell it 'as is', as the Buyer would have to trust that it's an easy fix, if it is currently mute. Once mended, these fetch a decent second-hand price, as they are good amps. In its current state, maybe £50-100 or so; restored, more like ten times that.

Photos would help a lot, as there have been several Bassman guitar amps made, over the years, and a lot depends on its age as to what it might need doing. In most cases, and without seeing the model, I'd say that it needs to be confided to a competent valve amp repair technicien, as there are many pitfalls and safety issues with some older models. On the other hand, these amps are, in the repair trade, very well known, with few surprises for someone experienced. If the amp is simply mute, the reason could be quite simple to fix (again, by an expert...), but it would need checking over to be sure that it won't become dangerous (read 'lethal'...), and that any old parts are in a fit state to give years more fine service. These are, in general, excellent amps, and upkeep is minimal, once they have been correctly serviced. My own very old '60s Bassman 50w head had its first service a few years ago now, and is good for another half century, I'd say. Take a couple of pictures, though, for a better view of what could be required. Hope this helps; meanwhile... Have a great day Douglas

It's difficult to tell from the video, but it seems to me that the most benefit is for the Player, who hears the guitar better; this is accentuated by the placing of the recording microphone, I think. I'm not sure that there's much impact on the forward-projected sound (ie : for an audience...) or for more 'normal' recordings, placing the mic elsewhere. On the other hand, I see no real downside, either, so... why not..? I would hope that the 'plug' is kept in place by a small magnet or similar, so as not to get lost..?

You might like to cast your glance in the 'P90' direction, as being single coils with versatility ..? A split-coil humbucker guitar might suit, too. I have Xaviere Thinline with such humbuckers, which sounds fine through my Jazz Chorus amps. Just a thought on options...

Very tasteful, and a welcome change from some of the current production sounds (yes, I'm old..!). I'll have look at the software, too (although there's little chance of me getting sounds like yours ; I'm a drummer..!)

So the flight case needs to be protected by being in a flight case, which will need protection by being in a flight case, which will need protection by ... Zzzzzzz ...

Box carpentry is not that hard. Have you a buddy or brother-in-law that could help..? Wood cut by the local DIY shop... I modelled it first... Here is the top half, perched on our Ampeg ... Worth thinking about..?

Can't go wrong with this one, offered on our very own Marketplace section by a trusted member. Way below your target budget; is that so bad a thing..? Yamaha Pacifica Tele-type guitar, ungraded ...

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

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

He may well be amenable to you sitting in whilst he goes through the check-up and rectification process, which could give some insight as to how to look after your (and your son's...) instruments. It might take him a little longer, to explain what he's doing, and enable you better to appreciate exactly what's involved in guitar upkeep. Just a thought..?

These buzzes could be because the action is a bit low, but there could be a whole lot of other reasons, too, such as a raised, or lowered, fret, a bit too much or too little 'bow' in the neck, imprecise finger placing... I could go on. The real solution would be to consult a competent guitar tech, or experienced guitar tutor, and find the real cause that needs addressing. Still, as you mention, it can't do too much harm to 'have a go' yourself, as long as you've a back-up plan if things get out of hand. Yes, the string height is set, all other things being equal, by the screws at each end of the bridge holding the intonation adjusters. A good-quality flat-bladed screwdriver is required, to be a good fit in the screw slots. Turning clockwise will raise the bridge; I would suggest only very slight adjustment at a time, of maybe a quarter-turn at each end. This will affect the guitar's tuning, so it will need careful bringing back to pitch before playing it again, to see if there's any improvement. Go easy on doing this; these screws are not used to being turned, and are subject to the tension from the strings. Don't force anything. Use your engineering 'feeling' to judge whether it's doable or not. If it's successful, and your buzzing issues solved, 'well done'; if not, put the screws back to their original position as best you can, and get help. No, it's not rocket surgery, and most competent folk would gladly show you how to check this, and other potential issues, whilst they sort it out. You're unlikely to break anything if you're careful, but be gentle with screwdriver blades, as it's easy to slip and take a chunk out of the guitar's finish, or your own hand. In any case, a good set-up for any guitar is a worthwhile investment; the basics can be done by oneself, once they've been mastered with an experienced guide. Hope this helps. Douglas

Can't go wrong with either, I'd say. Here's a video playing both... The big difference would be the golden hardware, and the push-pull coil splitting on the 2200... 'The Yamaha SA-2200 is a Japanese made ES-335 style semi-hollowbody electric guitar model first introduced in 1992. The SA-2200 is similar to the SA-1100 but with fancier appointments including gold-plated hardware, split block inlaid ebony fretboard and multi-ply body and headstock binding. The finger board has 22 medium gauge frets. Pickups are two Yamaha Alnico V humbuckers, which can be coil tapped using the SA-2200's push-pull tone knobs. The SA2200 has a stop tailpiece and tune-o-matic style bridge.'

Proper nut files are extraordinarily expensive, and the cheaper ones not really good at all for that job. If it's just to get rid of the 'jerking' of the string over the nut when tuning, a light sprinkle of graphite powder does a fine job. Some folk get the graphite from quality pencil lead, but it's easy enough to obtain. Amazon propose various versions, as a little flaçon of 50ml for 9€86, or a 1 litre tub for 10€10, and everything in between. Try that first, if unsmooth tuning is the issue..?

The 'biscuit' tone is louder and more 'brash', used more on 'standard' guitars. The 'spider' would be warmer, and usually found on lap-steel players' guitars (with their square neck profile...). I'd suggest looking at 'biscuit'. I don't think that 'tricone' would bring much to the party.

Define 'better', to include 'budget' in the definition. I can afford a lowly Takamine; I can't afford a Taylor (or Martin, or Gibson...), not to mention some very fine UK luthiers. I'm not sure that provenance is the key factor here; the price is a better (but not absolute...) indicator.

Originally, resonator guitars were invented for just this reason : cut through against competition from the brass section, without an amp..!. Worth a try, especially if the repertoire is suitable. One or two points to consider : many players use a reso guitar like a lap-steel; these models have a square neck profile, unsuitable for 'standard' guitar playing position. Look at models with a rounded 'C' or 'U' profile instead. Some models have a piezo mic built in, but more rarely with a pre-amp, which makes amplifying a little trickier, as either the amp has a piezo input, or an external pre-amp is required. The reso part of the guitar is fragile, so a stout case is needed for anything but home use. They're louder than a folk guitar, especially in the 'medium' frequencies, but won't fill a large hall unaided just the same. Trying a few models would be recommended; proces start at around £300 and go up quite quickly. On the other hand, it's not uber-effective, but a piece of felt over the accordion grill could be tried to mute it a little..? Some folk remove the grill, line the inside with masking tape or similar, then put the grill back. Choice of register has an effect, with some 'bassier' registers being less strident. Other than that, it's just playing technique to play with less volume. Hope this helps; sounds like a nice project.