Guitars, what all do y'all play?

[JohnR]

How 'bout a guitar made from a shovel?

https://youtu.be/V9-ltPsbw9g

[b4uqzme]

b4uqzme, Playing in campground is great, and every now and then someone else shows up with an instrument.
One time we were driving into a very very small town in WY (less than 100 people) that had been fair size during a short gold rush. As we approached the town there was a building with a sign that said Guns, and Mechanic. Now that got our intention so we pulled in the large driveway. As we got out of the truck a guy on a creeper comes rolling out from under a truck and says hi. We told him we saw the sign and decided to stop but didn't want to interfere with his work. He said he needed a break anyway and we walked into his gun shop. Long story short, we talked with he and his wife for over an hour and just before we left he noticed my banjo earrings and asked me about them. So I said I played, he said he played, my husband said he played guitar and fiddle, the guys wife said she sang and a jam was born. He invited 3 other people over and we picked until midnight. How cool is that!!!
I'm going to figure the picture thing out, I'm just not computer savvy, nor do I own a camera, but Hubby does have a smart phone.
The only photo folder I have is one the kind you put out on coffee tables. Sad, but true.

Very, very cool! Some of my best memories involve those spontaneous jam sessions.

I'm thinking the camera thing might be step one towards posting pictures. Just sayin'.

[b4uqzme]

CJB,

That Cherry SG inspired a lot of happy dreams back in my junior high school days. All that stuff is really sweet. Thanks for posting!

[kenemoore]

Not a guitar man myself, but it looks like they are related to pistols, buy one, then another, then one more....

[DavidR]

Hamer Studios for me...





Dave

[b4uqzme]

How 'bout a guitar made from a shovel?

https://youtu.be/V9-ltPsbw9g

F'n A! Here's another... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fTTxb8hu2EI

[b4uqzme]

Not a guitar man myself, but it looks like they are related to pistols, buy one, then another, then one more....

BINGO! That's what inspired this thread. You get hooked. Then you start searching out little mom and pop music stores. Then you learn how to work on them. Then you start hiding them from the Mrs...

[b4uqzme]

Dang, DavidR! Those are pretty!

[CJB]

Hamer Studios for me...

I can't remember what they call those pickups. They market them as "P90" type, but really, they're not. True P90's have been all over the place with magnets and coils over the years. Originals from the 50's (ES, prehumbucker days) were fairly low output and bright, rather low impedance as the product goes. In the mid 60's and 70's they were used on the low end guitars for marketing reasons, and made a higher impedance to increase output, and to thicken the tone for solid bodies a bit. Some of those had up to 15k windings! Oldies were more like 4-6k windings. Now days, they're using AlNiCo 5 and 8-10k windings making for a deliberately raunchy tone. So... to say "P90" sounding is like saying "humbucker" sounding. But which humbucker? Those Duncans were made for Hamer (which shared the Ovation factory in Ct.) Then they offered 'em to the general market. In the ES-333 they're what I call my "musical" pickup, offering perhaps the best tone of any combination I ever tried. Not too thick, not overly bright but bright enough, and they respond well to tone controls. I had them in a Strat, they sucked. I had 'em in a Tele against a HB in the bridge, and that was ok. They like close spacing to the strings for a thicker tone, or further for a brighter tone, and... they love heavy strings.

I just can't remember what they call 'em. I don't think they're made any more either.

[berettabone]

Thanks! I held onto this 1969 Silvertone 1445 from your Danelectro era. It's my favorite player. Each pickup has an on off switch and it's own volume pot so you can blend together a whole bunch of possibilities. But it also has a "lead" switch that makes each pickup louder and hotter. I can really drive them little amps with this one.

P.S. I know at least four chords. Funny story. I started playing with a singer songwriter who does not play an instrument nor know any theory. He feels it helps him write music that's not stuck in the typical "box". I kinda agree. But, learning and arranging his songs, I discovered most of them are only TWO chords.

BTW, I believe you would be perfect for " I'm not your steppin stone." 4 chords..................also, just for giggles, two of my wife's friends think I look like your favorite musician.

[b4uqzme]

Here's the real deal for me. Like AirRet I am an acoustic musician at heart. It's taken me 40 years to land on these two guitars. They are the ones that get heard in public.

Left: is a 1977 Guild D40CSB that I bought used about 1980. It has a Fishman passive piezo pickup. I played this guitar out when you had to glue a button transducer mic to the bridge and/or use a regular mic and equalize out all the feedback...and tone. Thank the good Lord they improved on that technology. Acoustic guitars are unique even among the same brands and models. And Guilds have a mixed reputation among the guitar snobs. This one is truly special. Priceless IMHO.

I took another twenty years of searching to find just the right Gibson. The search taught me that Gibsons can be all across the board for quality and playability. On the right is a J45R. The R stands for rosewood back and sides. I knew it was the right one as soon as I picked it up. But money was tight and I had to try to negotiate the price. I don't think the store owner noticed but I was shaking. But we got it done. It sounds amazing live or mic'd. The Fishman in the Guild is the better sounding when plugged in.

I play through a Bose L1 Compact sound system, Sennheiser mics. THAT was money well spent. Thanks for all the replies. Keep 'em coming!

[Barth]

One of my friends had a Ukulele I used to play Smoke on the Water on?
Does that count?

[DavidR]

I can't remember what they call those pickups. They market them as "P90" type, but really, they're not. True P90's have been all over the place with magnets and coils over the years. Originals from the 50's (ES, prehumbucker days) were fairly low output and bright, rather low impedance as the product goes. In the mid 60's and 70's they were used on the low end guitars for marketing reasons, and made a higher impedance to increase output, and to thicken the tone for solid bodies a bit. Some of those had up to 15k windings! Oldies were more like 4-6k windings. Now days, they're using AlNiCo 5 and 8-10k windings making for a deliberately raunchy tone. So... to say "P90" sounding is like saying "humbucker" sounding. But which humbucker? Those Duncans were made for Hamer (which shared the Ovation factory in Ct.) Then they offered 'em to the general market. In the ES-333 they're what I call my "musical" pickup, offering perhaps the best tone of any combination I ever tried. Not too thick, not overly bright but bright enough, and they respond well to tone controls. I had them in a Strat, they sucked. I had 'em in a Tele against a HB in the bridge, and that was ok. They like close spacing to the strings for a thicker tone, or further for a brighter tone, and... they love heavy strings.

I just can't remember what they call 'em. I don't think they're made any more either.

Duncan Phat Cat.

The bridge pup has since been changed to a Duncan Custom humbucker.


Dave

[CJB]

They are amazing on an ES. Phat Cats gotta remember dat.

[Bills1873]

b4uqzme, Playing in campground is great, and every now and then someone else shows up with an instrument.
One time we were driving into a very very small town in WY (less than 100 people) that had been fair size during a short gold rush. As we approached the town there was a building with a sign that said Guns, and Mechanic. Now that got our intention so we pulled in the large driveway. As we got out of the truck a guy on a creeper comes rolling out from under a truck and says hi. We told him we saw the sign and decided to stop but didn't want to interfere with his work. He said he needed a break anyway and we walked into his gun shop. Long story short, we talked with he and his wife for over an hour and just before we left he noticed my banjo earrings and asked me about them. So I said I played, he said he played, my husband said he played guitar and fiddle, the guys wife said she sang and a jam was born. He invited 3 other people over and we picked until midnight. How cool is that!!!
I'm going to figure the picture thing out, I'm just not computer savvy, nor do I own a camera, but Hubby does have a smart phone.
The only photo folder I have is one the kind you put out on coffee tables. Sad, but true.

He can take a pic of a pic, really like to see the freestyle jam! Really cool! Quite a diverse bunch of members on here, which makes it interesting.