Kiwi

Good grief...whelp here goes: Basses: 1978 Musicman Stingray (heavily road rashed) 1979 Alembic Series 1 (1/50 with graphite neck) 1986 Pangborn Warlord (graphite neck) 1993 Pedulla Pentabuzz 1998 Status Series 1 headless 5 2000-ish Spector NS5CR 2009 Shuker Headless 6 MIDI 2016-ish self build (headless, semi hollow, arched top 5 string with steinberger neck) Guitars: Partscaster - Hitmaker replica Chandler Custom Stratocaster - 'Kiwi's Broom' Kleinberger replica - graphite neck, Steinberger bridge, Fernandes sustainer (due to be parted out) Yamaha MSG - Mk1 Yamaha MSG - Mk2 Works in progress: The Clean Machine - MSG/RS Esprit cross HSH Partscaster - mahogany body, roasted maple neck, Kahler X trem, Dimarzio pickups HSS Partscaster - mahogany body, flame maple neck, Wilkinson VS100C trem, Fernandes Sustainer (from Kleinberger)

Well slight problem I have is that the amps are spread across two countries. So I'll have to improvise a little. First up the pedal board. After getting a Zoom G3X, I actually found myself falling back on a handful of sounds. Mainly overdrive, chorus, reverb and delay. The signal chain starts with the Xotic Q wah, then straight into a Nux Chorus for trichorus. Then the signal goes into an Amptweaker Tight Rock Pro which is one of the best distortion pedals I have ever played. The TR has a side chain and effects loop intended mainly for running clean and dirty signal chains. So the Effectrode PC2A valve compressor and Empress Para EQ (for added sparkle) are on the clean side. In the effects loop are a Joyo JF14 American Sound and a Digitech Freq Out for low volume feedback. The Joyo is wonderful, I crank the mids for a thick, fat and searing lead sound in conjunction with the Tight Rock - it's basically Alan Murphy in a box. After the Tight Rock, the signal goes into a Mooer Ocean Sound for delay and reverb and then into the two Ibanez combos. One note about the Effectrode PC2A, it's fabulous sounding (good enough for Mr Gilmour it seems too) but it needs a 12v 1500mA supply. So not much good for gigging really unless it stays with the amp and then there's no point in having it in pedal format...sigh. The two Ibanez TSA5 combos are fine sounding amps, reliable, clean sounding and plenty loud enough for playing in an apartment. I discovered them at a Basschat bash, one of the other members bought a TSA15 along and I was impressed by how good it sounded but I didn't need 15w. In storage however I have an ex-Lindisfarne Burman Pro501 1x12 50w combo which is great for cleans. I got it back about 10 years or so ago, thanks to a contact on BC who knew Ray Laidlaw, the band's drummer. The overdrive needs careful tweaking or else it can sound woofy. Luckily Simon Cowe [who sadly passed in 2015] left his settings on in white grease pencil. A cat either owned by Ray or Simon left it's marks as well. lol You can see it here in an old shot at my place in NZ. This is a 1984 Fender Concert II. I've always loved the sweet sound of Fenders. A Super Champ was on the bucket list but couldn't afford it and I mistakenly thought the Concert II would be the next best thing. As it turns out the Princeton Reverb II was the one to go for. Ah well, it's hard enough to find these things in the UK as it is, let alone at a reasonable price, so should still count myself lucky. I haven't actually played it yet even though it was bought about three years ago because I had already left the country. It'll probably need a service before it gets shipped out here to make sure the caps are fresh. And a couple of years ago I snagged a near mint Fender Princeton Reverb II because I had planned to sell the Concert II. It came with all the paperwork, spares and cover but no footswitch. However I ended up purchasing one from an Australian seller a few months later for a somewhat embarrassingly generous amount on my part. Extra stuff: Burman GX3 preamp - haven't actually tried this with the Pro501 yet but want to see how they both sound with one driving the other. I've tried recording with it but it tends to pick up the sound of the PC power supply and fans too easily. Lexicon MPXG2 - an oldie but a goodie. A real swiss army knife of an effects unit. Lush reverbs, infinitely configurable (almost) and connectable. Currently in storage. (Not my photo BTW because I don't have any good ones on my hard drive).

It is worth throwing the amps and pedal board up as well?

WHAAAAT? TYPE LOUDER! I CAN'T HEAR YOUUUUU!!

@Human welcome aboard! If you have any problems, feel free to drop me a line.

It's OK though, we can be cell mates. Top bunk is mine though and don't ask for any favours.

They've probably all escaped and run off to set up a refuge where they feel empowered to explore a more plectrum orientated lifestyle that includes singing plectrum empowering world music, reading lifestyle magazines and periodicals exploring what it actually means to be plectrum aware, celebrating significant dates in the history of plectrums, promoting plectrum friendly destination holidays, and organising large scale public events to raise awareness of plectrum friendly alternative perspectives on pressing issues of public interest.

me too

There's a distinction to be made though between the kind of appeal that attracts initial interest and the kind of appeal that sustains interaction in the longer term.

That reminds me of a joke from work. Q: How many designers does it take to change a light bulb? A: Does it have to be a light bulb? I think it's OK for each to define their own senses of community and identity. It's probably inevitable and helps ensure a broader appeal.

I think you're right - so the problem is about how to draw in from a larger source I guess.

I think you're heading in the direction I'd go in. The one thing I'd probably suggest is a treble booster - use an eq pedal if you have one kicking around. He really liked to run those AC30's at full tilt and the treble boost is at the start of the signal chain, so it's gain, gain, more gain and yet more gain again. Premier Guitar did a Rig Run Down with his roadie at one point in the past:

@Jimothey How did you transfer the fake branding?

CA (superglue) is an alternative if there is exposed wood. It soaks into the wood so offers a nice, tight bond as well.

How about we shape the forum in favour of the things you like to post about? It will take a while for things to pick up but if no-one posts anything then nothing is going to change. I was also thinking about giveaways or a competition or something but the benefit is usually temporary unless the place is more interesting to use.

Some of the Ibanez S line are outstanding value. Yamaha Pacifica are tried and true also.

What were you looking to achieve? If you want a woodier tone, a PAF might have been a better option. I have Armstrong PAFs in my Yammie MSG and they are great - 80 quid a pop too.

I bought a NEW Chinese made acoustic 12. On paper it looked the part, sapele neck and sides, spruce top. But it needed a bit of work - they'd thrown a 12 neck on a 6 string body and the X bracing wasn't up to scratch (square bracing would have been better) and the bridge hadn't been filed properly so you could drive an oil tanker under the strings. I ordered a doohickey thingamajig from Stewmac to take some of the strain off the top. It worked really well to the point where I don't actually need to tune the guitar much after going weeks without use. The string action is still a smidge high but I managed to carefully file the plastic saddle down enough.

And he enjoyed a brief flirtation with an Image/MSG as well to which the PRS Santana model bears more than a passing similarity.

I've heard other guitar made from bamboo and it sounded pretty good, although that could be down to the pickups. Pickups make more of a difference in guitars than basses I've found. I have a strat with a maple body and you would be hard pressed to tell it was anything other than alder thanks to the EMG's in it.

Here are the instruments in my collection: 1987 Chandler Strat: This one is a triggers broom. Bought in 2006, I had the muddy green finish stripped back to bare wood and everything else was replaced. Jon Shuker finished the body for me and I did the neck in tru-oil. Because I wanted this to make 80's session noises, it was fitted a prewired HSS pickgard with EMG 85 in the bridge and two EMG SA in the mid and neck positions. The electronics feature a mid boost control and the EMG85 is tapped by pulling on the vol control. Tuners are no brand locking type and work well enough. Unusually, the body is solid two piece quilted maple so the notes ring clear and unmuddied. The bridge is a Wilkinson VS100CV, these haven't been made for many, many years and offer the benefits of both vibrato and hardtail. The trem arm locks the bridge in place when not in use. I have another three VS100CV bridges stashed away for future use, one in gold and two in chrome. Finally, I got the chance to briefly meet Nile Rodgers on my birthday back in 2013 and he signed it for me before being whisked off by Acoustic Guitar mag staff. I tried protecting it with coat of acrylic but the acrylic has started flaking off and it made the signature a little smudgey. :( Speaking which, Nile Rodgers was the reason I decided to take up guitar. This is a replica of his Hitmaker strat made by Al Knight - made with Fender licensed parts apart from the body. The wear isn't quite the same these days but it features a thin alder body, Sperzels, Gibson speed knobs and a hard to find Kahler brass pickguard finished in chrome just like the original. Electronics are standard wiring with Fender Noiseless Vintage pickups. I'm pleased to say it gets satisfyingly close to the sound of the original! Being a big Al Murphy fan and needing something with humbuckers led me to this, a Yamaha MSG/Image Deluxe. I have two, one of them is the Mk1 and this one is MkII where the vol pot is slightly further from the bridge. All mahogany construction with a maple cap, I have since installed Armstrong PAF humbuckers so can extract some nicely jazzy sounds as well as a fat crunch. The pickups can be coil split and while I was aiming for a tele twang, the mahogany construction kind of gets in the way of achieving that. Still, the sounds are funky enough. Otherwise both are still stock, with a Yammie RM-Pro vibrato bridge. These are great guitars, seriously underrated. Finally - a Klein replica. I made the body with help, from NZ beech with a redwood top and the neck is an old Music Yo Steinberger jobbie. Bridge is a Steinberger R trem and a Fernandes Sustainer kit is fitted for infinite yowling. I'm not totally sold on the beech body, it seems to dampen the attack a little without reducing harshness so I may yet look for a replacement from mahogany or limba. Still gassing for an Ibanez Artcore AWD82-ATF for semi hollow sounds. Was going to make one but with this being nearly identical spec to what I planned, it's a no brainer. Assuming I can find one.

Been so tempted to get a tele but really have enough with my current collection.

Just wondering, nothing more. Would be keen to know your views just in case we are missing anything missing obvious. Cheers!

Normally it's us who are supposed to be the entertainment but sometimes that gets reversed. I remember one gig my band did at the King's Head in Crouch End where the audience took over singing and we backed them instead.

I haven't played many but the ones I have had a go on feel very nice. Hard to believe they have ply tops but there again so do ES335s.