Guitar talk: acoustic, bass, classical, twelve string? You name it! Pt III

[Seeker_UK]

RIP Trini Lopez, he certainly knew how to entertain a crowd, if you know Trini Lopez at PJ's

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/aug/12/trini-lopez-covid-19-frank-sinatra-dirty-dozen

Now that's a huge part of the soundtrack to my childhood.

 

[matthewr]

Josh from JHS is live streaming right now if you like that sort of thing :

 

[Tony L]

$1m Explorers? Meh, but look carefully and spot some cool Burns guitars in the background!

 

[Yank]

BTW Songbirds Museum in Chattanooga TN is closing at the end of this week, another Covid19 casualty.

Perhaps he says that in the video? I can't tell, no sound at work...

 

[Tony L]

Yes, he points that out. I have to admit I’d not even heard of it, but it looks like an astonishing collection and museum, and Rhett highlights how important preserving such icons of music history is. Hopefully it can reopen in some form at a later stage. The collection itself is remaining.

 

[matthewr]

Fender have a new limited edition of Road Worn Vinteras coming : https://www.gearnews.com/fender-adds-new-road-worn-vintera-strat-and-tele-to-their-lineup/ At the risk of upsetting everyone, I quite like the previous Road Worns which have some believable wear rather than what looks more like actual damage with the custom chop relics. Also nitro finish and mexican made means all the things I want on a guitar for £800 less than the US Original series.

I am seriously tempted by the Deluxe. Which is the least Telecaster, Telecaster ever but I keep deciding against a proper Tele as I convince myself, given the sort of music I like, I need a humbucker before I need another single coil, the awesomeness of a Tele bridge pickup notwithstanding.

 

[Stemcor]

BTW Songbirds Museum in Chattanooga TN is closing at the end of this week, another Covid19 casualty.

Perhaps he says that in the video? I can't tell, no sound at work...

Tell me that this is not true. I have been contemplating a visit for some time now. They have so many guitars that I want to play plus they have the lampswitch esquire from the 1950 Namm show !

 

[gavreid]

A beautiful swing lesson on Stella by Starlight. I wish I could just use my fingers, I can still only use my thumb 5 years on...

 

[Andrew L Weekes]

I've been after a short scale bass for a while, to go with my small non-bass playing hands I've also been tempted for a while to get a Sire bass, so decided to combine both goals and get one of the first short scale U5's, in tobacco sunburst. I'm really liking it so far, the short scale makes things much easier and it's got a good punch and range of tone and it's all passive. I love the rolled edges on the fingerboard too.

I have been having an issue with E string though, tuning doesn't seem stable and harmonics on it don't ring like the other three strings, it sounds terrible making tuning E / A using harmonics impossible. I've also lowered the action a little, but have struggled with intonation, the open string seems to drift in pitch after playing and when I get the open and 12th fret in tune, as best I'm able, the notes between are slightly flat. The bridge also ended up pushed really far forward of the other three strings which is unusual, based on my previous experience with long scales and the action I try to dial in.

One thing I've noticed is there's a step in the E string before the nut, all strings I've ever used before taper after the nut, which makes me think I've just got a dodgy string, there's nothing else that seems out of sorts anywhere else on the bass. I've never had a short scale though, but I don't think this is right.

Anyone have any experience of this? Is it just a dodgy string?

String step:

Some pics of the bass:

Andy.

 

[Tony L]

One thing I've noticed is there's a step in the E string before the nut, all strings I've ever used before taper after the nut, which makes me think I've just got a dodgy string, there's nothing else that seems out of sorts anywhere else on the bass. I've never had a short scale though, but I don't think this is right.

Yes, no way in hell is that right! Either a manufacturing failure or the wrong length string used (there are several different ‘short scales’ in existence). Also bare in mind it has thru-body stringing which can impact the length you need as the string needs to be a bit longer than one that terminates at the bridge. With a bass you do need the right length as otherwise they just won’t wind on the tuners correctly and stay in tune.

 

[gavreid]

One thing I've noticed is there's a step in the E string before the nut, all strings I've ever used before taper after the nut, which makes me think I've just got a dodgy string, there's nothing else that seems out of sorts anywhere else on the bass. I've never had a short scale though, but I don't think this is right.

The string set is too short. There's short scale and short scale! The Sire is 30 inch apparently but the string through requires a bit more length as Tony says

 

[Andrew L Weekes]

Thanks all, my gut and everything I'd read was telling me it was wrong, but it's good to have some experienced voices supporting that. I think it's a manufacturing error, unless 24" bass scales are common

Have emailed the retailer to get a replacement string. Hopefully they'll send a set and I'll re-string through body, Sire string them through bridge as standard.

Thanks,

Andy.

 

[gavreid]

Thanks guys, my gut and everything I'd read was telling me it was wrong, but it's good to have some experienced voices supporting that. I think it's a manufacturing error, unless 24" bass scales are common

Have emailed the retailer to get a replacement string. Hopefully they'll send a set and I'll re-string through body, Sire string them through bridge as standard.

Thanks,

Andy.

Here's a selection of short scale strings - they seem to be within a half inch in length of each other

https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/strings-c1/string-sets-c865/bass-guitar-c34/short-scale-t950

 

[Tony L]

Here’s something I’ve not seen before! From what I can work out you stick multiple plectrum-like pins at whatever rhythmic interval you want in the rotating ring thing. Sounds like you can get some very useful and new sounds out of it. I’d love to play with one!

 

[Andrew L Weekes]

Update on dodgy string theory.

Bax wanted me to return the bass, which seems excessive for a dodgy string and I don't really want to pack it up and send it away, especially as replacement stock seems limited at the moment, so I reached out to Sire to find out the string gauges and types.

They measure circa 38-60-72-104 on the bass (at the pickups), the E measures 93 at the nut. I couldn't identify a D'addario set that matched, but Sire have confirmed they use D'addario EXL220S 40-95 (EXL220S Nickel Wound | Bass Guitar Strings | D'Addario) on the U5, which confirms the faulty string theory.

For the modest cost of a set of strings I'm just going to replace them, which gives me the opportunity to try stringing the U5 through-body to see what difference it makes.

I may contact D'addario direct afterwards to see if they can offer a replacement for the E but otherwise I'll chalk this one up as a learning experience!

One thing I've noticed is email customer service responses are really poor in the post-covid era. Had to ring Bax to get a response and I'm still waiting on Yamaha music to get back to me after I ordered some Schaller strap locks, which turned out to be the old (rattly) type, not they new quiet ones. Their website shows pictures and images of the new ones.

 

[gavreid]

I've had good service from strings direct in the link above

 

[Tony L]

I’ve had a few issues with guitar strings lately, mainly shelf-life. As a proud upstanding cheapskate I tend to buy multi-packs. First issue was a sealed set of Ernie Ball 9s I had knocking around for ages was missing the high E, the paper envelope was there, just nothing inside it. Second issue is old sealed sets I’ve had lying around for a few years are a bit corroded on opening, I actually dumped one set as they looked worse than the strings I was replacing. Obviously by this time one has no comeback. Its a bit annoying as I have rather too many guitars and use different gauges across them (Yam 8s, Strat & Shergold 9s, Fat Lester & Gordon Smith 10s), so it means I tend to have a lot of packs of strings knocking around. I don’t change them that often either, only at the point they either look dull or corroded or feel over-stiff. I don’t change bass strings for years, the flats on the fretless must have been there for about 6-7 years now!

 

[Seeker_UK]

Here’s something I’ve not seen before! From what I can work out you stick multiple plectrum-like pins at whatever rhythmic interval you want in the rotating ring thing. Sounds like you can get some very useful and new sounds out of it. I’d love to play with one!

Interesting - a variation on the Gizmotron concept.

Except the Circle Guitar is more shoegazey.

 

[Seeker_UK]

Can't afford a Binson Echorec?

 

[Marchbanks]

I’ve been having an email conversation with a friend today during which I said I couldn’t tell the difference between various famous guitars as differences in the guitarists’ styles were much more predominant to me.

He replied by saying he had just watched a YouTube video showing most people couldn’t tell a Strat from a Tele in a blind test. I know there are plenty here who can, so could you give me a couple of pieces of music featuring each of say a Strat, Tele and Les Paul, and telling me exactly which bits are the real giveaways? As I say, my problem is that if I listen to - for example - David Gilmour, I can tell pretty quickly that it is him so by extension it’s a Strat... so I need to hear a Strat played by someone whose style is not universally known. Streamable pieces of music rather than YouTube clips for preference. Thanks - I hope I’ll feel less of a guitar clod afterwards.