Skinnyman

Welcome to the forum, Noob. I started learning when I was in my early fifties so you’re a mere slip of a lad still Whether it’s scales or songs doesn’t really matter - what matters is that you enjoy what you’re doing. Having a decent grounding in theory will serve you well in the future and I think you’ve made a wise decision to work with a tutor. Good luck with the practice and have fun!

Oh, all right then…

Update; I used it at rehearsal last week and I’m blown away (as were the rest of the band). I wouldn’t use it for every song but it opens up all sorts of possibilities for arrangements.

That’s why I bought mine - as a travel guitar that I could take as hand luggage. And for that it was great but I still found the absence of a headstock very disconcerting. In other news, I got into my local guitar shop today and had a play with every PRS in the shop. I fully intended to get either a Mira or Starla but the one I left with was an SE Custom 24 (a 2019 limited edition in bilious green with roasted maple neck). The neck is just a joy to play and is what sold me on the guitar (and ignore the colour). The Starla was a real disappointment. Initially looked good owing to the light weight but there’s a boominess to the tone that I couldn’t get rid of and which was there on a couple of different amps and irrespective of pickup selection. The Mira was nice in a sort of SG-on-steroids sort of way and I would probably have got it if I hadnt picked up the Custom 24. So, GAS attack has passed. For now….

I bought one of these used a few years ago on a whim and after an initial play around with it, never really had occasion to use it. We’ve recently had a bit of change round in the band (long story, I was going to leave but now I’m not) and I’ve handed bass duties to someone else. I’ve now taken on rhythm/second guitar and I figure this is the perfect opportunity to start using the GR55 to add the extra textures that we’d get from a keyboardist without the hassle of actually having to have one. So far I’ve only used it for practice at home but it seems to work really well. I don’t want to use it on everything but for quite a few songs it will help add some pad textures or let me do little horn stabs and sax fills. Rehearsal next week so I’ll find out then how practical it is and how well it sits in the mix. I’m wondering if anyone else uses a guitar synth live and whether there are any hints and tips to be shared

Haha! I’m sure I couldn’t afford it! I did have one of the current Spirit models and just couldn’t get on with it. The absence of the headstock just freaked me out somehow and I just couldn’t play it with any sort of fluidity.

Tempting but that’s a little beyond my woodworking abilities Is that Ned Steinberger’s original prototype? Be worth a lot of money, that.

Peach guitars seem to have bought up all the Antique White Starlas (discontinued colour) and are knocking them out for £449 rather than the RRP of £599. Tempting but I just can’t get on with the colour. I’m leaning more towards the Mira in Cherry at the moment. Or would be if I hadn’t just had to buy a new lawnmower. Rock’n’roll, eh?

Now that’s what I mean! Helpful, insightful and just the kind of self-justification I was looking for!

Well, inevitably, I will. But where’s the fun in just giving in without at least the semblance of a struggle? And I think I’ve worked it out and the (visual) attraction seems to be the fact that’s it’s an unbound neck. My local guitar shop has just reopened and they’re a PRS dealer so I’ll go in and see if I can have a noodle on one. The risk being that I’ll end up with the rather lovely but much more expensive satin Vela S2 that they have in stock.

My favourite Python sketch. Utterly stupid and hilarious And I don’t see why I should suffer alone; https://prsguitars.com/electrics/model/se_custom_24_lefty_2021

I like to think of this as the calm refuge. My safe place, as it were.

Hi Steve and welcome! The EXTC project sounds interesting - would you describe it as a “tribute” band or a project in its own right?

That’s not helping

Not in the slightest, lol. Oddly, it’s the fact that they don’t follow the usual PRS aesthetic that appeals in this case. I like the idea of a “plain”, workaday PRS guitar. I think I’d give the “let’s use the left over paint from the Ibanez guitars” metal paint finishes a miss but there’s something about the black Mira. And the Vintage Cherry, come to that.

I have serious GAS for a PRS SE Mira. I don’t know why it’s suddenly come over me but I was idly wandering the ‘net the other night, as you do, a d YouTube decided to show me one of the PRS demo videos for it. That then turned into an obsession with watching every video and reading every review. And there’s no logic to this. I don’t need a PRS Mira. I have a very nice Strat, a lovely Mexican Tele, a gorgeous PRS SE Hollowbody and an absolutely spiffing K-Line. I like them all and don’t want to get rid of any of them. Sonically, I have all the bases covered. Single coil, P90s, ‘buckers; all catered for. So why the lust for the Mira? It’s not especially pretty, it’s PRS’s take on an SG - and I’ve got no particular hankering for an SG. Strange. Please talk me out of this. If you had one or tried one and hated it, tell me. If you’ve had problems with PRS’s build quality, tell me. Explain to me that I’m not a professional guitarist and I can never make guitars sound the way they do in the demo videos. I need to get rid of this obsession. And that Starla looks pretty nice too... Aaaaaaargh!

Bumped with price drop

To answer the question though, if you know what BPM is needed for the track in question, there are lots of metronome-type apps available for smartphones. One of those and a set of earbuds would give the drummer the tempo and a click to play to.

There’s a discussion here... https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/154452/hofner-senator ...in which someone suggests Phosphor Bronze 12s. In the pictures later in the thread, the guitar does indeed seem to have acoustic phosphor-bronze strings on so, in the absence of any better/more knowledgeable answers, I’d try those.

Edit: This has to go so reduced to just £95!!! I bought this off a fellow bass chatter and it's (been) my favourite guitar amp. Regrettably, we're now moving and I've had to quit the band. That means I no longer have a need for this, so... Up for sale is my Vox AV60 (Analogue Valve) Combo Amp. It's in excellent condition overall with a couple of minor scuffs and some faint marks on the Tolex that were there when I bought it. It works perfectly and I've been really impressed with the versatility of the amp. I've not had chance to gig it and so, although I bought it with the intention of gigging with it, it's just been used as practice amp (thankfully, there's a headphone socket). Price of these new is £300 plus £50 for the foot switch - I'm looking for £95 all in. The only caveat is that it needs to be collected from me in sunny Cleethorpes (or a meet arranged within an hour or so of me) - PM me if you're interested and we can discuss what's practical. What isn't practical, unfortunately, is me posting it, Sorry. Here are some pictures Loads of reviews on the Web plus these specs... Full Description Variable Analog Preamp Circuits The innovative new AV series features a completely analog preamp circuit with a variety of resistors and capacitors which allow you to select between 8 unique preamp circuits. This impressive design effectively allows you to switch between the sound of 8 classic valve amplifiers. Each preamp circuit is based on an iconic Vox amplifier model such as the AC30 top boost sound and AC15 with EF86 tubes making the AV60 Combo a versatile and powerful valve amplifier. 12AX7 Preamp and Power Amp The AV60 uses two 12AX7 tubes, one for the preamp and one for the power amp, delivering an even more dynamic sound. The internally supplied voltage is 60V; this high voltage allows the potential of the vacuum tubes to be fully utilized, and lets you obtain natural and powerful distortion reminiscent of some of the most iconic tube amplifiers. Preamp and Power Amp Mode Switches Four slide switches allow you to modify the response of the vacuum tube peripheral circuitry. For the preamp tubes, there are two switches: ‘Bright’ boosts the high frequencies, and ‘Fat’ boosts the low end. For the power tubes, you can change the operating point of the vacuum tubes by using the ‘BIAS’ switch to select either a clear and modern sound or an easily distorting vintage sound, and the ‘Reactor’ switch lets you vary the amount of feedback to the power amp, changing the damping factor to obtain a more dynamic, wide-ranging, and crisp sound. 8 Selectable Amp Models Combined with the tonal versatility of the selectable power amp circuit, the Vox AV60 also features 8 selectable amp models which range from clean to crunch and even high gain. Each amp model has its own distinct tonal flavour and can be further modified with the 3 band EQ and switchable power amp circuit. On Board Effects & Cabinet Emulation Vox are no stranger to providing high quality digital effects on their amplifiers and the AV60 is no expectation. Including modulation, delay and reverb effects the Vox AV60 packs in all the essentials whilst allowing you to control each effect independently for impressive tonal shaping versatility. Additionally, the headphone output incorporates impressive cabinet emulation which offers realistic presence and cabinet warmth perfect for silent practise. Innovative Cabinet Design The Vox AV60 features a superior baffle cabinet design to provide efficient sound projection whilst the front mounted speaker offers a loud and spacious sound. Combined with a proprietary bass-reflex design the Vox AV60 offers a natural sound balance with rounded lows and dynamic response. Features Eight analog preamp circuits to reproduce the sounds of eight tube amps Clean to high-gain tones, with careful attention paid to circuit design Pre and power amp sections use the 12AX7 dual triode tube, delivering real tube sound Four modes modify the response of the vacuum tube peripheral circuitry Two channels each with independent amp models and EQ controls High-quality modulation, delay, and reverb effects Send/Return FX loop connections Integrated baffle cabinet design for efficient sound projection Front mounted speaker provides loud, clear, and spacious sound Proprietary bass-reflex structure delivers natural sound balance Power level control allows the volume to be adjusted while maintaining the tonal character Headphone output is equipped with a cabinet simulator for realistic sound & presence Hi-Fi spec AUX input allows an audio input source to be faithfully reproduced Specifications Inputs: 1 x 1/4" Instrument, 1 x 1/8" Aux Outputs: 1 x 1/8" Headphones, 1 x 1/4" Speaker Output Other Connections: 2 x 1/4" FX Loop (Send/Return), 1 x 1/4" Footswitch Channels: 2 Power Output: 60 Watts Amp Models: Clean 1 Clean 2 Crunch 1 Crunch 2 OD 1 OD 2 H.Gain 1 H.Gain 2 Power Level Effects Controls: Gain, Treble, Middle, Bass, Volume Valve Controls (Pre Amp): 2-Way Bright Switch, 2-Way Fat Switch Valve Controls (Power Amp): 2-Way BIAS Switch, 2 Way Reactor Switch Effects: MOD, Delay, Reverb

I had a Faith which I liked a lot, I have a Takamine which is excellent and I’ve always fancied a Breedlove because they look nice

Hi Alby An interesting journey, thanks for sharing. I had a Nighthawk for a while and really liked it. In fact, I’m now wondering why on Earth I sold it....

I think, for most of us, it’s the latter. Perhaps if you’re playing an intimate gig with an unamplified acoustic but as soon as you add in effects, amps, cabs, room acoustics, a mad drummer and a screaming vocalist and the subtleties of tone wood start to disappear. I think I prefer the feel of an unglossed rosewood fretboard - all the maple ones I’ve played have had a high gloss finish on and been really hard under the fingers. Probably my imagination but RW seems to have have just a little “give” which I like.

I think we need a bit more data to try and diagnose. I’m guessing that those DiMarzio pickups are pretty hot so the extra input gain might be why this guitar is exposing the issue rather than your others? So it would be good to try and pin down the issue to either the amp or the guitar. Can you try a different amp? Try a similar guitar into the Katana? How does this noise manifest itself? Is it constant or does it sometimes sound more noticeable than others? If you can try altering things to see what effect it has on the noise it might be possible to narrow it down to either the guitar or the amp. Does this happen at all frequencies or just with particular notes? Does it only happen at specific places on the neck? With both pickups or just one? What happens if you roll the guitar volume back a bit? Or the guitar tone? What if you roll the amp tone back? Switch effects in and out? If your amp had tubes I’d be suspecting one of those starting to go microphonic but while Boss’s tube emulation might be good I doubt they’ve gone to the trouble of emulating a knackered tube. . So this could be a resonance thing that’s exacerbated by the high gain of the PAFs. Or something else entirely. So - can you give us a bit more to go on? Even record it and post a clip here? And if you do sort it, let us know how it got resolved!

Couldn’t agree more. I don’t mind it so much on my acoustic but I much prefer unbound necks on my electrics. And rosewood* rather than maple. * or whatever the modern, sustainable version of rosewood is