Recent content by bluespckr

It's been a while since I grabbed a new guitar. I had been thinking seriously of ordering one of those Carvin CS4 models (looks like a Les Paul) but got a chance to play a Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Pro at my local GC a month or so ago. Gibson makes a Trad Pro Plus, but they are two...

I was doing some work involving trying to sand out some (apparently) deeply embedded stain on the maple top of a an old Les Paul. It had been home refinished once before and the guy used a Min-wax walnut. In other words, once upon a time the original tobacco sunburst had been stripped and the...

The folks at Stew-Mac send out monthly how-to tips. I just received this on how to fully shield a single-coil electric. This one is an excellent tip sheet that might be useful to builders or anyone wanting to quiet down a buzzy old Strat or Tele. Click HERE FOR THE STEW-MAC TIP SHEET Paul

I've had the Mesa Lone Star Special about two weeks, and have pretty much played an Eric Clapton Strat through it ... until today. I plugged in this bad-boy ES-335 of mine and HOLY CRAPAHOLA, I went to tone heaven. I find the ES-335 can be a bit bright with some amps, but the full depth of her...

Well, there goes my tax refund, but what a way to go! I checked out a small music store in tiny Amherst, New Hampshire, on Saturday. I spotted a 1x12 Lonestar Special, gave her a spin, and lugged it home. What a great, toneful amp. I didn't even know the store was there, until I looked into who...

I stumbled across this Alvin Lee/Ten Years After YouTube clip this morning, and thought I'd share it. This clip, dating back 1983, was recorded at the Marquee Club in London, and features an obscure song called "I May Be Wrong, But I Won't Be Wrong Always". I have a version of it on their...

I brought in my Martin D-35 to my local guitar tech yesterday to have him install a Martin Gold-Line II pickup/preamp system, and a strap button, and to do a full set up, to include taking down the bone bridge saddle a bit. He is factory authorized to do work on Martins, Taylors, Gibsons, you...

I'm looking for a little expertise regarding my new ES-335 Memphis. I restrung it this morning, using the same gauge but a different brand of string than was on it. When I was done, and tuned it, I noticed an almost distorted buzz in the guitar (I was playing it unplugged). At first I thought...

A funny thing happened to me at Guitar Center yesterday. I walked in, looking to find a nice Strat ... never thinking I'd find an ES-335. Well, I found an ES-335 and fell in love with it. Forgot about tha Strat within 10 seconds of playing on this. I had an '80s ES-335 that I bought used some...

Pickups, that is. I know I'm not reinventing the wheel, here, because quite a few of y'all have these in your Lesters. But I just had a nice workout with my '75 Les Paul Standard and just couldn't put that old girl down. It always sounded great, but never as good as it does now. In all...

Ooops! I think I should have stuck this in the Tone Zone. So, without further ado, let me cut 'n' paste the original post over there.

First a long overdue update on the 2005 Les Paul Standard that I had huge problems with a month or so ago trying to get the thing wired, but with ground-out issue somewhere. After soldering, unsoldering, resoldering, new wire several times, yada yada, with no luck in isolating the issue, I sent...

At least that's where I think the problem lies. I installed a 57 Classic, 57 Classic Plus, an RS Production Upgrade kit (pre-wired) and redid the inner connections (3-way to PUPs and jack) with braided shielded wire. As near as I can tell, everything from the pickups to the control cavity and...

I have a 2005 Les Paul Standard, that came with the pots and center hub thing attached to a metal ground plate, shaped like the control cavity. I will be installing the RS Pre-wired Premium Production Electronics Upgrade Kit, and plan on redoing the woring from the toggle switch and jack with...

Okay, I know I'm not reinventing the wheel here, and that a lot of you guys have made this mod (or a variation of it), so, I'd like to know what I can expect when I complete all this next week on my 2005 LP Standard (the one in my avatar). The BB's are long gone, and I have a Dimarzio PAF in...