New guitar

Very underestimated the Squier Tele. I have one from 1987. Made in Japan and has the Fender logo on the headstock. Mine's black too. Replaced the white scratchplate with a black one. It needs a pick-up and electronics upgrade now but it fits like a glove. I love it. Have fun with yours.

I always lusted after a Tele when I was sixteen.

I ended up getting a Kay Les Paul copy that cost £39 along with a Vox 5 watt practice amp as that's all my dad could afford to buy me.

No-one told me about tuning the strings so I tightened them up as far as they would go.

That Friday night I busted 5 of the 6 strings. The last one went the following night.

I went back to the shop on the Monday and the guy in there sold me some pitch pipes......when he had finally stopped laughing!

Mark

quote:

No-one told me about tuning the strings so I tightened them up as far as they would go.

It's a wonder you didn't pull the neck off!

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:

quote:

No-one told me about tuning the strings so I tightened them up as far as they would go.

It's a wonder you didn't pull the neck off!

You're right Howard it is a wonder. It must have been bowing so much Robin Hood would have had a second look, although I didn't notice. They were so taut and I hit them so hard they nearly took my eye out when they snapped!

Have you ever seen a 46 guage string ping under that much tension?

Mark

I've heard stories of people sustaining quite nasty injuries when their guitar strings snap (losing fingers etc). Never been sure whether to believe them.

Johnny Kidd (of the Pirates) fame was reputed to have lost an eye to a breaking guitar string. Mind you being the music business the eye patch could have been a "prop".

Howard

quote:

I've heard stories of people sustaining quite nasty injuries when their guitar strings snap (losing fingers etc). Never been sure whether to believe them.
and
Johnny Kidd (of the Pirates) fame was reputed to have lost an eye to a breaking guitar string.

Careful now, guitar strings will soon be banned in Europe and the airlines...
I don't think it is very likely to sustain an eye injury or lose a finger from a breaking gtr string, sounds more like urban legend and rock band marketing to me.

So, where are the pics?

My experience with the Chinese and Mexican Fender / Squire stuff is the quality is highly variable from instrument to instrument. Sounds like you found an excellent example. Enjoy!

David

Further investigation reveals ...nothing. I suspect the JK eye patch was just part of his stage gear.
As famous newspaper man once said:-

"never let the truth get in the way of good story"

quote:

"never let the truth get in the way of good story"

Indeed.
Rasher, put that thing down and take some pics!
David

It took me a while but I'm here at last with some piccies.
I took some of my other guitars too while I was at it.

My Jap '64 reissue with Seymour Duncan vintage reissue pickups and American electrics. My Rory Strat.

I bought this Strat new in 1977 and it took me through all my band days. It needs a refret but as I don't play much anymore it isn't going to get one, as I'm terrified it won't be the same after. I know it so well it's like another limb.

My Les Paul. This was made by the Gibson Custom shop as one of two prototypes for a range that became the Les Paul Classic. This guitar did trade shows all over before ending up in a shop in Edgware where I found it and bought it. It has Seymour Duncan PAF replica pickups that were custom made for me with the zebra around the way I wanted them. The top is a nice two piece - not too figured - not too boring. I love it, but after so many years of playing a Strat it still feels strange to me.

Nice!
I especially like that Gibson.

I had this beauty of a bass for a while, sold it off as it looked better than it played and sounded.

Sorry, tried to delete it and replace with the proper orientation, access denied.
Here's another:

The insignia Hebrews 4:12 references:
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Warrior's marketing was/is "put down your axe and pick up your sword".
A little too intense for me, but it was a nice bass.
Next post will be my latest "nice" bass, a Fodera Monarch.

Burled Chestnut top, 5-piece maple neck, Ebony fingerboard, Mahogony back. P/J Duncans custom wound for Foderan, the J at the bridge is single coil. Electronics are a prototype that I'm helping develop for them.
It is the best combination of playability, design and style, flexibility in sound and natural feel of any instrument I've played. Vinnie Fodera and Joey Lauricella are geniuses!
David

Love the Gibson in Sunburst. Saw it and thought of Jimmy Page immediately. Gotta go listen to Rock and Roll now. Bye.
Steve O.

quote:

Originally posted by Rasher:
My Jap '64 reissue with Seymour Duncan vintage reissue pickups and American electrics. My Rory Strat.

That's gorgeous! You bought it recently? I was tempted to a 60s from the guitaremporium a while back, but settled on a PRS Soapbar instead...

Nah, trying to remember but probably got it 8-9 years ago. It has a C-shaped neck which is a bit chunkier than I'm used to, but not so chunky it's a problem. I used to jam with a friend in the late 70's at college who had a '73 sunburst & a '63 with the finish stripped off. He used to prefer his '73 so I would take the opportunity to use his '63 every chance I could, and I probably played it more than he did. I would have loved to have bought it from him but I didn't have the dosh at the time, and eventually (regretably) he sold it. It would probably fetch about £15,000 - £20,000 now! My '64 reissue is a pretty close copy and it only cost me £395, but I still wonder where that '63 is now. Funny to think that my bought-new '77 is now twice as old as that '63 when I was playing it, and even the Jap '64 is only 5 years off! Makes me realise what an old bastard I am.

quote:

Originally posted by Rasher:
My Jap '64 reissue with Seymour Duncan vintage reissue pickups and American electrics. My Rory Strat.

And Rory's Rory Strat... (next to the 'official' Fender's replica)



Seriously, nice guitar Rasher! Un-asked-for, we got no.1 sprog a Sunburst Squier Strat, and were similarly impressed with its construction.

Are there simple things that can be done to Roryfy it a bit? Strings, pick-ups, Treble-booster...?

Though, to be honest, improvements in the amp department (taking it beyond the Fender practice amp) are likely to be better!!

Suggestions??? (I once heard Rory speak of 65W as being ideal.)

James

P.S. A Vox AC30 is not a realistic suggestion...

I had Denis Cornell build me a Fender Bassman replica that could have the valves swapped out to make it more Marshall like when I wanted. I wanted the full tweed vintage look and it is a pretty amazing amp that goes really loud for its 30 watts. This was donkeys years ago and it cost me £330 at the time, so you can tell how long ago it was. I see now that he's making Eric Clapton amps that look just the same as mine - Fender Bassman replicas, and they are now available as a stock model for £2,300, so I guess I got lucky being there first, although it was used by the time I picked it up as Slim from The Hamsters gave it a serious work out in Denis's kitchen before I got there. I would have recommended getting one, but it's a lot of money now. Maybe get an nice old 50 watt Marshall valve combo. They take a lot of beating. I have an early 70's 120 watt Orange head in the attic that needs a home, but I don't have the 4x12 cabs anymore as my wife objected to them living on the landing, but it might cause serious structural damage to the house when cranked up - probably one of the loudest amps I've ever heard!! Probably a small valve Marshall combo is the safe bet.

James - RG used to have his guitars wired to put all pickups, including bridge, through a single tone pot - so just used a master volume and a master tone. He'd use it just backed off a bit so he had just that bit extra in reserve when he needed it. Get American Fender pots to make a difference and change the pickups next if you think they are a bit weedy, starting with the bridge position.
Gibsons seem to like respect and TLC - but Strats respond to being beaten to hell and back. Get your son/daughter to just attack it. You have to break it in with force, and then it'll feel right and natural, sound better and play better. Then it's Roryfied.