Kiwi

Last night I decided to check the new neck out. I have had issues with necks sent in the past when they had a new guy working their production line. He recycled a discarded ebony board, basically flipped it over and glued the slotted side to the new neck and reslotted the blank front face then attempted to disguise the fret slots showing on the side with black dye - which I discovered after I cleaned the wood with meths. I didn't actually agree to them using a used ebony board either. It's a bit sneaky. However, using a set square on the frets revealed something more serious. The frets are inline with the square when checked from one edge but not when checked from the other. This basically means the frets are trued to one edge of the fingerboard rather than the centre and this will produce a guitar which can't be intonated accurately. So I got back to them and they've agreed to build a new neck. This could only happen in China but this supplier is honourable so it means mistakes can be corrected. It's the second time this has happened though. Once is a bit of a howler...but twice...? Still, it gives me an opportunity to correct a few other things, like asking for a little more flame on the maple. I also found a supplier of custom glass pieces. Normally he does optical glass but he's got 19mm thick glass which is enough for a sanding block for fret levelling. I use a steel beam already but glass is...well, one better...er, innit? And I'm determined to up my fret levelling game in these builds so I can sort out my other guitars too.

About this time last year, I decided to try and build a strat. And before I had a workshop set up (which is a bit of a challenge in an apartment anyway). I found a few suppliers of after market strat bodies and figured maple necks on aliexpress. On delivery they were unusable crap. The roasted quilted maple necks were stunning but were over cooked and so twisted they rocked on a flat surface. Because I lived in the mainland, I had the option of sending the necks back and recieved a refund. I kept the bodies because they were remarkably lightweight and one piece. I also found a place away from Aliexpress that made necks and they could also accommodate custom requests. They sent a sample strat neck which looked good so I ordered two necks both with 44mm wide nuts. One had a 57mm heel to match one of the bodies the other had a 56mm heel to fit my Chandler Strat. (Because it has a quilted maple body, I had an aspiration to bring it closer to Valley Arts spec.) Cut a long story short there was some issue with the alignment of neck pocket vs bridge rout but I modified the bridge rout to allow for the neck angle and got the build sorted. But as I was finishing it off, I discovered the electronics cavity was out of alignment with the neck pocket. But I finished the build, dressed the neck and plugged it in anyway. Not to flatter myself much but it was simply the best strat I had ever played. A total revelation. OK so it had a rough looking body finish (deliberately) but it was very comfortable, had very low string tension and very low, buzz free action, playing was effortless. The Dimarzios gave it a mellow archtop tone on the neck pickup and a nice, thick overdriven tone on the bridge. It was everything I had been hoping for and then a bit more. All of this made the alignment issue even more irksome than if it had been a dog to play. The amount of faff and the uncertainty over whether re routing the electronics cavity would result in a final solution or make the problem more complicated lead me to trash the body (both bodies actually) and chalk it up to a learning experience. More recently I reconnected with the supplier of the necks to see if they could provide a couple of bodies...which they did and the neck pocket was in alignment with the bridge and control cavities. This was very encouraging. And the neck joint was perfectly tight - it passed the friction test. I also had them do a bit of drilling for anchor posts on the HSH body just to save me the hassle. One issue I've had here is finding drill bits (and drill presses!) which don't wobble! Everything I have bought so far seems like a factory reject. So the body supplier was set up to do the job more quickly (and cheaply) than me. I figured I would document the process of two builds here, maybe give some insight into the trials and tribulations of building using Chinese made parts and it might be a pleasant surprise to learn what might be possible. Build 1 (revision 2): The Mean Machine. (Build objective: Let's just see how many genres we can cover with one instrument and make it look as punk as possible.) HSH strat, sapele body (1.5kg), flame maple neck with 22 fret ebony fingerboard, Wilkinson VS100C trem, Dimarzio custom humbuckers (Mo Joe and PAF Joe plus no name RWRP single coil), super switch for both humbuckers on in position 3 (pull vol to split humbucker coils) hand made Clapton style mid boost (25dB @ 500Hz, push pull tone to activate), Machinehead locking tuners (Sperzel style), Graphtec nut. Everything apart from the bridge and Dimarzio pickups was sourced in China (although the pickups are available here). Build 2: The Scream Machine (Build objective: Tone hunting - let's see how close we can get to Phil Collen). HSS strat, sapele body (1.4kg), flame maple neck with 22 fret ebony fingerboard, Kahler X trem, Fernandes 401K sustainer kit, Dimarzio Dual Sound bridge hhumbucker (+ pull vol for coil split), super switch for neck and bridge pickups together in position 3, Machinehead locking tuners, Graphtec nut. Everything apart from the Dimarzio pickup was sourced in China. The body was a special order because it had a side mounted jack and no bridge rout. I needed to rout a cavity in the back for the sustainer PCB (which would interfere with the standard strat output jack) AND a top rout for the kahler bridge. (NB: I'll edit the above for a link to the build diary for the second build once it's under way.)

It just needs a clique of people to use this site as a meeting place online regularly. Communities like this tend to grow based on what everyone contributes.

The American Sound is one of my all time favourites. I have two of them and they work for bass as well! Their Dynacomp is pretty good too, it took over from an Effectrode PC2A. I would ditch the Yamaha and get something else. Blues Juniors are pretty good value these days. Or you could consider a Joyo tube amp, they make a few depending on taste. Or there's a Chinese company called Grand who make cheap hand wired Tweed clones amongst other models. I have two Princeton Tweeds by them and I think they're sold under another name in the UK. Peavey Bandit 1x12 combos - the older red stripe ones, are solid state but do really nice overdrive using valve emulating transistors and they can be picked up for peanuts now.

I've realised in the last few years that I feel more comfortable on a 44mm wide nut than the standard 42mm. This has lead me to commission custom strat necks with ebony fingerboards from a trusted supplier here in China with those dimensions which, more or less, match those on my Yamaha MSG. And the bodies on those strats are lightweight mahogany, making overall for a wonderfully playable and comfortable instrument. Nearly worthless in terms of resale value but up there with the best for effortless playability given I've moulded them to my taste. It's way cheaper to go to a city and spend a day trying stuff out in various music shops if you can, than doing what many of us have done. Spaffing loads of cash on stuff that we decide ultimately isn't for us. Stick to cheap or easily customisable stuff until you settle on something that really works for you.

It sounds like the decision has been made for you. This is not always a bad thing. I missed out on multiple sustainer kit parts at auction last month. Bidding went up to 160 quid for what might have been the majority of two kits. Arguably a bargain but then I found someone where I live selling a second hand one for less. But then someone selling a completely new, boxed kit for a 30% discount off street retail. So I jumped on that because it had everything, particularly the routing/drilling template. And it'll get tossed into a strat that is tone hunting Def Leppard's live Hysteria sound (because the album was recorded using a strat and Rockman X100).

I know that feeling and I'm still trying to find my voice on guitar. It's definitely not widdly, whatever it is. More slow handed.

Please tell me its a refinish

If you start your own thread you can share a little about yourself.

Given Fender released a limited edition Princeton modified by Rivera a few years back, and then Rivera released his own version via Sweetwater, they're already testing the market. Both varieties were scooped up by fans in pretty short order and none of them were made in 240v versions. But if they ever wanted proof of popularity then this must be it. Sometimes I don't understand some of Fender's commercial decisions though. Maybe Rivera wanted to keep a tight grip on production to safeguard his modding IP.

As mentioned in the other thread - Fender should make a TM version of a Stage 4 modified Princeton Reverb from the late 70's/early 80's. My PRII is absolutely killer and my absolute favourite guitar amp of all time out of those I've tried. But it's about 70% of the way towards a Rivera Stage 4 modded Fender despite having Rivera's involvement.

I think it would make absolute commercial sense to issue TM version of the Tweed Champ given it's place in music history. I'm not familiar with the tweed twin but I believe Fender already offer the TM version of the Twin. If they released a TM version of a Rivera Stage 4 modified Princeton, I wouldn't be able to throw money at them fast enough. Especially considering how good their TM Deluxe Reverb already is.

Unfortunately the paper work took longer than expected but I did get to put the Triaxis through it's paces. It's lovely. Tight, thick, articulate, compressed, smooth...everything you would expect to hear on an eighties/nineties rock track. It's a different beast altogether compared to the JMP-1 BUT...my version of Triaxis has a 'british voiced' Lead 1/red channel which I presume is supposed to sound like a Marshall. It's definitely got a bit more midrange but nothing like the unfiltered punch of the JMP-1. For shits and giggles I thought I'd try the pedalboard planned for the Fender PRII through the Marshal 20/20 power amp as well given a couple of the pedals are supposed to be preamps. It sucked! The sound was weak and lifeless - no warmth or mids, slightly harsh top end. Maybe there was an impedance mismatch somewhere.

Given they've reacquired a stash of specifications and other docs from the early 30's through to 1969, I'm expecting a heavy release of re-issue vintage amps with tenuous claims of relevance to 50's and 60's pop music.

I had the chance to check out a brand new new LP Standard during a course and the fretwork on it was shocking for a three grand instrument. Sire do a much, much better job.

Me, definitely me. I got to try my Fender Princeton Reverb a couple of weeks back for the first time, after having collected it from a friend who was looking after it for me. I REALLY liked what I heard, it was very fat in the mids which helps strats obviously. There have been critics of the overdrive but I found nothing to complain about whatsoever and it sounded better once I started using the channel vol control as if it was a gain. I'm really looking forward to getting to know it.

Heh, ironically the JMP-1 is solid state distortion but uses a valve to filter the sound a bit. Their 9000 series preamps sound nice too but maybe a little less sweetened. I have a bunch of paperwork to do today but I'll hopefully have some time to try the Triaxis out later.

Yes, that was the reason for acquiring it but i never realised how punchy it is. I've developed a new appreciation for it. All the recordings I've listened to don't really do it justice. Too much compression.

I came back from the UK yesterday with an entire suitcase of stuff I'd managed to squirrel away over the last 7 years in it's own suitcase. All of it bought for less than market due to being in the right place at the right time. With the delivery of a couple of V30 loaded 1x12 cabs today, I spent a decent chunk of this afternoon, jetlag permitting, putting a couple of the preamps through the MPX G2 (which I already owned). My favourite amp is a Princeton Deluxe which is being shipped over, it nails the sound I've always wanted to hear. But I didn't expect how much I would like the Marshall JMP-1! I even preferred it to the Mesa Studio pre.

Prince's After Show parties at the Indigo in the O2, after the main concert in 2007. Intimate club that held maybe 5-600 at most. I was three metres from the stage and totally in awe of his band leadership. Everyone never took their eye off him and he had a range of vocal and hand cues to drop various instruments out and bring them back in, or cue different sections of the song. They were totally on top of it and the effect was like listening to a remix in real time. There was also one moment two thirds of the way through a jam where the keyboardist wasn't getting a riff that Prince wanted him to play. Prince stops playing guitar, goes over to the keys, plays the riff, the keys player gets it. Then Prince puts his guitar down, goes over to the drums and carries on playing. A tragic loss to music.

Only with a Kemper. If I'm honest, the Kemper profiles actually sounded better when they were created in a top quality setting. Less noise. My set up is pretty simple, I only use pedals in the effects loop and there's no discernable difference in quality with or without the pedal (Line 6 M5). It seems like you have a fairly specific set up and might need to dig into settings and work out what's happening through a process of elimination - if that's possible.

I can't improve on what's been suggested so far but hello from Southern central China. anyway.

A quick perusal of Fender, Gibson, Ibanez and PRS's product pages will reveal all. Music gear manufacturers depend on endorsements to the point where companies like Fender have purchased entire companies simply to secure a list of endorsers. Almost everyone who is anyone seems to have a signature guitar. And where they don't, they'll find one and hype it up (i.e. Nile Rodgers and his 'Hitmaker' when he actually used Tokai during most of the 80's).

EMG active pickups have a fairly specific character to them. Very consistent pickups and noiseless but they lose a little of the highest and lowest frequencies. I've not played their passive ones yet.

Do you have a budget? You could also probably look at a Zoom G3 unit for a hundred quid. I think you might be able to operate it through the software but can't confirm this atm. I'm wondering how you might operate a looper with hands given you would need to stop playing to push a button.