As the title indicates, I did some fret work for the first time, and I am not good at it...yet. But, we do things to learn. Practice makes perfect.
I had bought a small collection of various fret working files from Stew Mac. I bought their double sided files as well as the dual grit diamond files that are angled.
As with all fret work, I removed the strings and straightened the fretboard as best I could using a Stew Mac notched straight edge. It is a very expensive straight edge but it is really worth the money. It gets a lot of use and it takes the frets out of the neck, which for leveling frets is ideal!
The neck I was setting has a bit of a twist to it. but I did the best I could with it.
For leveling the frets, I initially used a flat leveling file. It took a lot less material off in a pass than I expected, but due to a lot of heavy wear on the first position frets, I had a lot of material to remove.
I ended up following the string path which ends up giving you a more conical (compound) radius to the fret board instead of cylindrical.
Then I tried using the traditional double sided crowning files to recrown the frets. I was not confident in my work enough to try using triangle files for this task.
Their operation is simple enough. Push the file over the frets until it is crowned. At least that is how it reads online. What I found is that it doesn't necessarily crown the fret evenly. So I ended up with uneven crowns on the frets.
The markings on the frets also became increasingly difficult to see as I continued to work. I am not sure if it is the lighting in my shop area (which is currently being upgraded). This did not assist me in making a nice even crown.
I found that lubricating the file with pro-cut or paraffin wax greatly assisted the filing action. However, the wax and pro-cut can hold the loose chips and powder from the frets. I read about some people using chalk to prevent their files from clogging. However, this does little in the way of lubricating the file which helps keep the file sharp and last longer. This is important as these files are NOT cheap when you consider a standard hardware file.
One thing I want to make a special point out of is that you should ALWAYS push with your file. Push it to cut and then lift it completely off of the material you are filing and then start again pushing. Don't drag it in reverse over the frets. This can (not saying it definitely will - but they are not cheap files - why risk it?) damage the teeth on the file.
Polishing the frets was much easier. I used 0000 steel wool and just rubbed them until they were shiny. It was the only step that went exactly as planned. The double sided fret crowning files took off very little material per pass and consequently didn't leave very deep gouges in the frets. Therefore polishing them (or dressing them) was much easier and able to be done with the 0000 steel wool by itself instead of a many step process of polishing with progressively finer grit papers.
I'm sure I could have made the frets shine a bit more had I done more than the 0000 steel wool, but at the end of the process, the frets were in just as bad condition as when I had started except that they no longer had big dips in the frets where the strings rested on them.
After I was finished with my first fret job I was well aware of what separates an amateur butcher job versus a professional job. I also realized how important practice and experience are with this sort of thing.
I was not going to be discouraged from learning. I ended up going back to Stew Mac (yes I am a Stew Mac fan boy) and buying their dual grit diamond files as well as the appropriate radiused wooden sanding block for the neck I was working on.
I want to clarify a little bit about why I am a Stew Mac fan real quick. Firstly, they have a wonderful and complete collection of guitars specific items at reasonable prices or at the very least competitive with other sites selling similar products. Additionally, they have extremely prompt shipping! Very few companies will beat them in this regard. And lastly, very few of their products that I have bought have disappointed me. Most of them are very much exactly as described and the high quantity and quality of their user reviews makes an educated purchase much easier. Their site also features a lot of great free information with plenty of pictures to illustrate them. I have no association with them and nothing to gain by talking Stew Mac up. They aren't the only site I deal with, but they are usually the first place I go for guitar specific tools.
With the new files I and radiused sanding block I decided to have another go at some fret work.
The radiused sanding blocks can be used instead of a file to maintain the clylindrical shape of the frets and fretboard when working on a fixed radius fretboard. The easiest way to use them is with self-adhesive sandpaper. Having used 3m paper for various woodworking needs, I am quite fond of it. However it is not cheap. While a few different grits would probably have been convenient, being on a budget left me buying just 320 grit. I figured it is fine enough that it won't leave deep gouges in the frets and will take them down slowly.
When actually working with the 3m paper, I really don't press down on the block more than just applying light even pressure so that all of the frets have an equal amount of material removed at the same time. Like using a file, you want to go the entire length of the fretboard in one pass and then start again. Starting at the last fret and working up toward the nut will result in slightly more material being removed from the rest of the fretboard than the first position as the sanding block stops at the nut and doesn't pass the entire length of the sanding material over the fret. This isn't necessarily a bad thing since the first position is going to see a lot of play and having the frets higher than the following frets will ensure little to no buzz.
I noticed I was able to do a much more even job of leveling the frets with the sanding block. Some frets definitely had flatter plateaus on them, but it was very even from side to side on the fret. How well the frets were initially installed on the guitar is also a factor in how even the leveling will be across the fret as well. Anybody who has owned a very cheap import guitar will know exactly what I am talking about. Usually one end of the fret is sticking up. This can lead to the frets being physically sharp on the hand or in the case of the 90's Epiphone Coronet I owned, the high e string was able to actually get stuck under the fret end and created a really neat (although completely undesirable) harmonic droning e.
I also used the dual grit diamond files for crowning the frets this time. The files have a 150 and a 300 grit surface. I found the 300 grit surface to be WAY too slow for me. I was surprised actually. I expected it to cut much faster. As with the traditional files, I found that lubricating the file helped it cut as well.
One thing that separates diamond files from traditional files is that the diamond files can cut with a push and a pull stroke. The diamonds will last forever themselves but are only as good as the bond that they have with the tool. My understanding is that the industrial diamonds are electronically deposited on the surface of the file. I'd think the bond was pretty good, but still, I like to try and take care of my tools.
One thing I had a bit of difficulty with when using the crowning files was which size file to use. They come in narrow, medium, and wide. Narrow wire isn't particularly common on modern instruments and wide wire is what I'd think was on a bass guitar, so I went with medium. However, I think there is a trend toward wider wire now which means that it isn't always clear as to which file to use.
I also found doing an even job with the diamond files to be easier. Perhaps my one previous try at crowning the frets helped or perhaps I am just better at using the diamond crowning files. Only time will tell as I have not yet given up on the traditional files. I have plenty of junker guitars that I bought at flea markets to hone my skills with.
As an unrelated note, why do vises have to be so expensive? Or rather why do cheap vises have to be made like scrap metal?
-Zach
Monday, January 21, 2013
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Country of Origin
Foreward: What you are about to read is a rant. It is in no way meant to indicate that your fill-in-the-blank item from fill-in-the-blank country is garbage. If you love it, then I am very happy for you!
I have tried to keep this as organized as possible, but it bounces back and forth between guitars, firearms, and tools. If it doesn't make sense, I apologize. If you need clarification or think I am out of line, please let me know. I appreciate all constructive feedback.
<Rant>
Perhaps it is American arrogance or being egocentric, but I have a strong preference for American made products.
I guess I should elaborate on this post more since this blog deals with firearms as well as guitars and both have been made all over the world.
When it comes to guitars, the sad fact is, American guitars just aren't what they used to be. But then again, import guitars aren't really what American guitars used to be either. Due to many regulations, the finishes on guitars have changed, the woods used have changed, etc.
Many of the companies that supply components to guitar makers no longer make their products in the same ways. This can be good or bad. For example, guitar necks used to be uniquely shaped by the builder where now CNC machines can produce near identical replicas time and time again meaning that (love it or hate it) each guitar will be more similar than previously possible.
In contrast, I've seen a few "clever" schemes to save money such as pickups with reduced amounts of copper in them. Copper is expensive and the prices are constantly on the rise. Anybody who shoots can attest to the rising cost of ammunition. One such scheme was a pickup that contained neodymium magnets. The idea was that the stronger magnet could compensate for less copper and thus create a strong output. What they failed to take into account when making this pickup is that the strings are also magnetic and they will be pulled down toward the fingerboard causing buzzing, sharp notes, and ghost tones.
Another thing that is very different about guitars is the quality of the wood used. Some woods aren't even legal to import anymore (Brazilian rosewood comes to mind) and a lot of guitar bodies are just made with 4 or 5 pieces of scrap glued together. Then, because shortcuts were taken in the finishing stage, the finish sinks over the years and you can see distinct lines in the finish where the wood was glued together.
Some finishes are just littered with junk on them as well. White finishes usually show this best. But finishing takes time and time is money so it is acceptable to have a poor quality finish in the name of profit. Profit is ultimately what is driving these negative changes.
White metal, or pot metal as it is sometimes called, has also replaced parts which used to be steel. A good example is the block used on nearly every Strat style bridge. They are almost entirely zinc alloy. The first time I played a guitar with a steel block, it was like taking the blanket off of the guitar and letting it really ring. It was bright with so much more clarity. Personally, I'd rather have a bright sound that I can darken. It is much more difficult to brighten a dark sound.
Sometimes there are surprises though. I remember the first time I received a transistor from South Korea. I was mortified. I was also uneducated on the matter. Turns out South Korea was then the third largest exporter of transistors and integrated circuits. Their quality was top notch as well.
It also turns out that Korean guitars are extremely nice! I'd range them right along side of American and Japanese quality. The Korean stuff used to be a great deal but the costs have gone up on all of it making it not much cheaper than any other guitar on the market. I have the same complaint with Japanese guitars. Well that and I find the electronics to be questionable. The pickups on my Japanese guitars just seem to be more microphonic than any other guitars I own. They also use miniature pots (sometimes of wrong values) in places where I'd like to see a full size pot. I'm sure cost and availability drive this. But larger pots have a longer life expectancy than miniature models (it helps to review the specs from the various manufacturers from time to time).
One term I see used is "Old World". Usually it is in reference to how something is built. I'm sure if you've ever used an old tool versus the modern equivalent, this term makes perfect sense. My grandfather had a shed full of tools meant to last a lifetime and be passed on to sons and son's sons. Now with stores like Harbor Freight, tools are able to be purchased for a fraction of the price that they previously cost. If the tool gets the job done and breaks, it is no great loss.
Don't take this as me bashing Harbor Freight. I am a member of their discount club and buy many tools there every year. With the export of most tool manufacturing to china, the quality of a Harbor Freight tool versus a "name brand" tool isn't much different while the cost is.
Another sad fact is that a lot of name brands are just names now. The quality which built their reputation is no longer in the products. Think of all of the Harmony and Kay guitars which are now being exploited in name and being manufactured in China.
I was reading about Nicholson files exporting their production to Mexico, China, Brazil, etc... and I saw a well put argument against this preference for American made goods being an argument of arrogance. The basics of the argument were that it was experience, not pride, which has lead to the conclusion that some things were simply better when they were manufactured in America. In this case, Nicholson files from Mexico were tested to be considerably softer than they should be which means a much shorter life for the file.
Like those who discovered this a few years ago when the changeover initially happened, I was fortunate enough to find USA made files mixed in with the Mexican files (at the same price no less) hiding in the back of the display. While I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Fender guitar made in Mexico, I will not be buying Mexican Nicholson files. For that matter, what is up with Martin moving production to Mexico on all but their top end guitars?
Again, maybe it is arrogant to think that Mexico cannot produce the same guitars that were once made in my home state of Pennsylvania, but how can Martin put their name on a guitar that is made outside of the Martin factory by people without the same years of experience that Martin has enjoyed? I grant that it is pretty difficult to screw up a solidbody guitar but an acoustic guitar is a different beast.
Despite all of this, most of the guitars in the stores are at the very least somewhat playable or capable of being played. They lack the "fit and finish" of better quality (read more expensive) guitars, but what do you expect when you get a complete electric guitar and amplifier for 99$!? It isn't entirely the manufacturer's fault.
The consumer has demanded more affordable goods and most consumers probably wouldn't notice the difference between an Indonesian and Korean made guitar if they were just the casual player. But it is this catering to the budget minded that has cheapened the entire experience of buying a tool or a guitar.
Strictly my opinion here. The worst guitars I have ever played came from India and China. From best to worst, I'd rank: America, Korea, Japan, Mexico, Indonesia, China, India. Yes I know there are other countries making guitars. For example, I have a Canadian made Seagull guitar. It is great but I haven't played enough of them to comment.
I'm sure others will note that I put Korea before Japan. Honestly, I think the quality of American, Korean, and Japanese guitars are all on par with each other. I'm sure some are better than others of each variety and a Japanese guitar could be better than an American or Korean and every such permutation. The Japanese stuff probably has a slightly better resale value, but I think that is also part of what makes the Korean stuff a good deal.
Mexican guitars are a lot like Indonesian guitars. Some are really great. Some need a lot of help. You'll start to notice a lot more finish issues with guitars from either of these countries, but the prices are also generally lower. If you are less concerned about how the guitar looks, some of these guitars are actually really good deals. But again, it is completely subjective.
Guitars made in China are a mixed bag. I've played everything they have to offer from the lowest end guitars to the "top end". The quality is all over the map. The resale sucks all around though. I also don't appreciate the counterfeit guitars they produce. One place the cost cutting generally shows is the fret work.
China also brings us those Hanah Montana guitars and those Daisy Rock guitars which are just awful. I feel so bad for the little girls who get duped into buying those things. I have literally seen Hanah Montana guitars with strings so high off of the fretboard there is no way the guitar could or would ever play in any manner other than for slide.
Daisy rock guitars are interesting. I bothered to read their mission statement. It all looked really good and made perfect sense. Girls are different anatomically (smaller hands and larger breasts - this is not meant to be a sexist remark but more of a matter of fact - I am sure there are some exceptions - I am so concerned with being politically correct sometimes). The idea was to make smaller guitars that weighed less to be more encouraging for female guitarists. They come in all kinds of girly designs with lots of sparkle finishes. I think I even saw one shaped like a flower.
Ironically every Daisy Rock guitar I have ever picked up (yes I can't help myself - I also really liked the Pink Squier Hello Kitty guitar with the cat shaped pickguard), they are set up terribly (which may be the store goons doing their best with a bad situation or doing their best with their limited abilities) and weigh a ton! How is that supposed to be encouraging for a woman? Or for a man?
A poorly set up instrument is the most discouraging thing for a beginner. If it plays and sounds bad, you probably are not having a fun time which means you will dread practicing instead of look forward to it.
So in the end, a girl would ironically be better off buying a guitar not marketed for women and dealing with a larger fretboard or uncomfortable curves on the guitar digging in than dealing with a completely unplayable piece of crap that looks really pretty. Whatever happened to student models? You know, short scale guitars with 1 pickup.
While it is nearly impossible to avoid buying things made in China, it is actually pretty easy to avoid buying a guitar made in China. As a result, I avoid it. These guitars often look the part, but play them side by side with the guitar they are trying to be like and see the difference. If you have a made in China guitar and it is your favorite guitar, please read the disclaimer at the beginning of this rant.
However, the weirdest and worst experience I have ever had was with an Indian made guitar. It looked right. Well sort of. It was clearly a guitar but there was something about the shape that wasn't quite right. I picked it up and played it anyway. And it felt a lot like it looked. Weird. Something was just all around wrong with it. It played in tune and everything, but I couldn't shake the feeling like something was really off. I had to put it down and I haven't since seen an Indian made guitar.
Firearms, on the other hand, have enjoyed a different experience. With the popularity of surplus military firearms on the rise, it is hard to imagine not owning at least one imported firearm. Even the Chinese Norinco firearms seem to get good reviews. I just can't personally bring myself to owning one. As backward as it seems (from the standpoint of nearly every other industry), the Norinco firearms actually command a premium. This is possibly because of quality and rarity (due to an import ban - for more information on this, read about Operation Dragon Fire in which the Chinese were accused of assisting, what they believed to be, LA street gangs with acquiring fully automatic weapons and more). But you don't typically read about Norinco firearms having catastrophic failures nor do you read about poor quality.
For that matter, I've had just as many problems with modern American made firearms as foreign made. However, I can't complain to Soviet Russia's Izhevsk Arsenal if I have a problem where as Smith and Wesson, Ruger, and Henry have all taken VERY good care of me.
Maybe firearms are built differently because they have a function that needs to be reliable and also safe. Legal action against a firearms manufacturer is bad for business and reputation. And a damaged reputation can be just as bad or worse than making a lousy product.
Some examples, it is not uncommon to hear from people who refuse to buy from Smith and Wesson because they switch to MIM (Metal Injection Molded) parts or because they feel that Smith and Wesson sold out to the government by putting internal keylocks in their revolvers.
1911 enthusiasts will tell you that the Beretta M9/92F's that replaced it as the official sidearm of the military in the 80's is a piece of junk because during testing, a few of the slides cracked and separated from the frames. This was consequently fixed in the Beretta 92FS which is an amazingly reliable pistol!
Some reputations cloud the reality. Many consider the AK-47 to be the ultimate weapon because their favorite video game glorified it or because they saw it on TV. But the reality is, the round that goes into the gun does not have that great a ballistic performance and when fired rapidly, is difficult to control. But the AK-47 was never meant to be the ultimate gun. It was created to arm a military.
People as consumers want it all. We want cheap prices, tack driving guns that will shoot out to 1500 yards with no recoil, be lightweight, have enough stopping power to take out an elephant...blah blah blah.
I don't fault Smith and Wesson. I don't fault Beretta. I don't fault the AK-47.
One thing that I find interesting about firearms is that country of origin seems to matter less than actual product. For example, some guns from a manufacturer are just riddled with issues while another model from the same maker may be considered to reliable.
Taurus guns are a good example. A lot of people rave about the Taurus 1911's while their revolvers are nothing short of a nightmare.
I've have a friend who has a Beretta Tomcat. Those models are best known for frame cracks. Yet Beretta shotguns and the M9/92FS are great!
Walther P22's also had a reputation for cracked slides. Not sure if that was ever fixed completely. They look like neat guns and feature a single/double action trigger which I think is unique for a .22 pistol. Perhaps this isn't quite fair since Smith and Wesson now makes Walther pistols in the US, but even still, Walthers are known for reliability as are Smith and Wesson guns.
Maybe isn't just firearms. Maybe everything is subjective? Afterall, every guitar made in the US isn't good while every guitar made in China isn't unplayable. Maybe. But I'm still not buying any made in Mexico Nicholson files.
</Rant>
Epilogue: I returned to the store where I bought my Nicholson files and managed to find a couple more made in USA files and bought a few more for safe keeping and for the future. I left a few in the store. Hopefully whoever finds them will enjoy the same internal dialogue that I did or at least some similar such line of thought. It was those files that inspired this rant.
I have tried to keep this as organized as possible, but it bounces back and forth between guitars, firearms, and tools. If it doesn't make sense, I apologize. If you need clarification or think I am out of line, please let me know. I appreciate all constructive feedback.
<Rant>
Perhaps it is American arrogance or being egocentric, but I have a strong preference for American made products.
I guess I should elaborate on this post more since this blog deals with firearms as well as guitars and both have been made all over the world.
When it comes to guitars, the sad fact is, American guitars just aren't what they used to be. But then again, import guitars aren't really what American guitars used to be either. Due to many regulations, the finishes on guitars have changed, the woods used have changed, etc.
Many of the companies that supply components to guitar makers no longer make their products in the same ways. This can be good or bad. For example, guitar necks used to be uniquely shaped by the builder where now CNC machines can produce near identical replicas time and time again meaning that (love it or hate it) each guitar will be more similar than previously possible.
In contrast, I've seen a few "clever" schemes to save money such as pickups with reduced amounts of copper in them. Copper is expensive and the prices are constantly on the rise. Anybody who shoots can attest to the rising cost of ammunition. One such scheme was a pickup that contained neodymium magnets. The idea was that the stronger magnet could compensate for less copper and thus create a strong output. What they failed to take into account when making this pickup is that the strings are also magnetic and they will be pulled down toward the fingerboard causing buzzing, sharp notes, and ghost tones.
Another thing that is very different about guitars is the quality of the wood used. Some woods aren't even legal to import anymore (Brazilian rosewood comes to mind) and a lot of guitar bodies are just made with 4 or 5 pieces of scrap glued together. Then, because shortcuts were taken in the finishing stage, the finish sinks over the years and you can see distinct lines in the finish where the wood was glued together.
Some finishes are just littered with junk on them as well. White finishes usually show this best. But finishing takes time and time is money so it is acceptable to have a poor quality finish in the name of profit. Profit is ultimately what is driving these negative changes.
White metal, or pot metal as it is sometimes called, has also replaced parts which used to be steel. A good example is the block used on nearly every Strat style bridge. They are almost entirely zinc alloy. The first time I played a guitar with a steel block, it was like taking the blanket off of the guitar and letting it really ring. It was bright with so much more clarity. Personally, I'd rather have a bright sound that I can darken. It is much more difficult to brighten a dark sound.
Sometimes there are surprises though. I remember the first time I received a transistor from South Korea. I was mortified. I was also uneducated on the matter. Turns out South Korea was then the third largest exporter of transistors and integrated circuits. Their quality was top notch as well.
It also turns out that Korean guitars are extremely nice! I'd range them right along side of American and Japanese quality. The Korean stuff used to be a great deal but the costs have gone up on all of it making it not much cheaper than any other guitar on the market. I have the same complaint with Japanese guitars. Well that and I find the electronics to be questionable. The pickups on my Japanese guitars just seem to be more microphonic than any other guitars I own. They also use miniature pots (sometimes of wrong values) in places where I'd like to see a full size pot. I'm sure cost and availability drive this. But larger pots have a longer life expectancy than miniature models (it helps to review the specs from the various manufacturers from time to time).
One term I see used is "Old World". Usually it is in reference to how something is built. I'm sure if you've ever used an old tool versus the modern equivalent, this term makes perfect sense. My grandfather had a shed full of tools meant to last a lifetime and be passed on to sons and son's sons. Now with stores like Harbor Freight, tools are able to be purchased for a fraction of the price that they previously cost. If the tool gets the job done and breaks, it is no great loss.
Don't take this as me bashing Harbor Freight. I am a member of their discount club and buy many tools there every year. With the export of most tool manufacturing to china, the quality of a Harbor Freight tool versus a "name brand" tool isn't much different while the cost is.
Another sad fact is that a lot of name brands are just names now. The quality which built their reputation is no longer in the products. Think of all of the Harmony and Kay guitars which are now being exploited in name and being manufactured in China.
I was reading about Nicholson files exporting their production to Mexico, China, Brazil, etc... and I saw a well put argument against this preference for American made goods being an argument of arrogance. The basics of the argument were that it was experience, not pride, which has lead to the conclusion that some things were simply better when they were manufactured in America. In this case, Nicholson files from Mexico were tested to be considerably softer than they should be which means a much shorter life for the file.
Like those who discovered this a few years ago when the changeover initially happened, I was fortunate enough to find USA made files mixed in with the Mexican files (at the same price no less) hiding in the back of the display. While I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Fender guitar made in Mexico, I will not be buying Mexican Nicholson files. For that matter, what is up with Martin moving production to Mexico on all but their top end guitars?
Again, maybe it is arrogant to think that Mexico cannot produce the same guitars that were once made in my home state of Pennsylvania, but how can Martin put their name on a guitar that is made outside of the Martin factory by people without the same years of experience that Martin has enjoyed? I grant that it is pretty difficult to screw up a solidbody guitar but an acoustic guitar is a different beast.
Despite all of this, most of the guitars in the stores are at the very least somewhat playable or capable of being played. They lack the "fit and finish" of better quality (read more expensive) guitars, but what do you expect when you get a complete electric guitar and amplifier for 99$!? It isn't entirely the manufacturer's fault.
The consumer has demanded more affordable goods and most consumers probably wouldn't notice the difference between an Indonesian and Korean made guitar if they were just the casual player. But it is this catering to the budget minded that has cheapened the entire experience of buying a tool or a guitar.
Strictly my opinion here. The worst guitars I have ever played came from India and China. From best to worst, I'd rank: America, Korea, Japan, Mexico, Indonesia, China, India. Yes I know there are other countries making guitars. For example, I have a Canadian made Seagull guitar. It is great but I haven't played enough of them to comment.
I'm sure others will note that I put Korea before Japan. Honestly, I think the quality of American, Korean, and Japanese guitars are all on par with each other. I'm sure some are better than others of each variety and a Japanese guitar could be better than an American or Korean and every such permutation. The Japanese stuff probably has a slightly better resale value, but I think that is also part of what makes the Korean stuff a good deal.
Mexican guitars are a lot like Indonesian guitars. Some are really great. Some need a lot of help. You'll start to notice a lot more finish issues with guitars from either of these countries, but the prices are also generally lower. If you are less concerned about how the guitar looks, some of these guitars are actually really good deals. But again, it is completely subjective.
Guitars made in China are a mixed bag. I've played everything they have to offer from the lowest end guitars to the "top end". The quality is all over the map. The resale sucks all around though. I also don't appreciate the counterfeit guitars they produce. One place the cost cutting generally shows is the fret work.
China also brings us those Hanah Montana guitars and those Daisy Rock guitars which are just awful. I feel so bad for the little girls who get duped into buying those things. I have literally seen Hanah Montana guitars with strings so high off of the fretboard there is no way the guitar could or would ever play in any manner other than for slide.
Daisy rock guitars are interesting. I bothered to read their mission statement. It all looked really good and made perfect sense. Girls are different anatomically (smaller hands and larger breasts - this is not meant to be a sexist remark but more of a matter of fact - I am sure there are some exceptions - I am so concerned with being politically correct sometimes). The idea was to make smaller guitars that weighed less to be more encouraging for female guitarists. They come in all kinds of girly designs with lots of sparkle finishes. I think I even saw one shaped like a flower.
Ironically every Daisy Rock guitar I have ever picked up (yes I can't help myself - I also really liked the Pink Squier Hello Kitty guitar with the cat shaped pickguard), they are set up terribly (which may be the store goons doing their best with a bad situation or doing their best with their limited abilities) and weigh a ton! How is that supposed to be encouraging for a woman? Or for a man?
A poorly set up instrument is the most discouraging thing for a beginner. If it plays and sounds bad, you probably are not having a fun time which means you will dread practicing instead of look forward to it.
So in the end, a girl would ironically be better off buying a guitar not marketed for women and dealing with a larger fretboard or uncomfortable curves on the guitar digging in than dealing with a completely unplayable piece of crap that looks really pretty. Whatever happened to student models? You know, short scale guitars with 1 pickup.
While it is nearly impossible to avoid buying things made in China, it is actually pretty easy to avoid buying a guitar made in China. As a result, I avoid it. These guitars often look the part, but play them side by side with the guitar they are trying to be like and see the difference. If you have a made in China guitar and it is your favorite guitar, please read the disclaimer at the beginning of this rant.
However, the weirdest and worst experience I have ever had was with an Indian made guitar. It looked right. Well sort of. It was clearly a guitar but there was something about the shape that wasn't quite right. I picked it up and played it anyway. And it felt a lot like it looked. Weird. Something was just all around wrong with it. It played in tune and everything, but I couldn't shake the feeling like something was really off. I had to put it down and I haven't since seen an Indian made guitar.
Firearms, on the other hand, have enjoyed a different experience. With the popularity of surplus military firearms on the rise, it is hard to imagine not owning at least one imported firearm. Even the Chinese Norinco firearms seem to get good reviews. I just can't personally bring myself to owning one. As backward as it seems (from the standpoint of nearly every other industry), the Norinco firearms actually command a premium. This is possibly because of quality and rarity (due to an import ban - for more information on this, read about Operation Dragon Fire in which the Chinese were accused of assisting, what they believed to be, LA street gangs with acquiring fully automatic weapons and more). But you don't typically read about Norinco firearms having catastrophic failures nor do you read about poor quality.
For that matter, I've had just as many problems with modern American made firearms as foreign made. However, I can't complain to Soviet Russia's Izhevsk Arsenal if I have a problem where as Smith and Wesson, Ruger, and Henry have all taken VERY good care of me.
Maybe firearms are built differently because they have a function that needs to be reliable and also safe. Legal action against a firearms manufacturer is bad for business and reputation. And a damaged reputation can be just as bad or worse than making a lousy product.
Some examples, it is not uncommon to hear from people who refuse to buy from Smith and Wesson because they switch to MIM (Metal Injection Molded) parts or because they feel that Smith and Wesson sold out to the government by putting internal keylocks in their revolvers.
1911 enthusiasts will tell you that the Beretta M9/92F's that replaced it as the official sidearm of the military in the 80's is a piece of junk because during testing, a few of the slides cracked and separated from the frames. This was consequently fixed in the Beretta 92FS which is an amazingly reliable pistol!
Some reputations cloud the reality. Many consider the AK-47 to be the ultimate weapon because their favorite video game glorified it or because they saw it on TV. But the reality is, the round that goes into the gun does not have that great a ballistic performance and when fired rapidly, is difficult to control. But the AK-47 was never meant to be the ultimate gun. It was created to arm a military.
People as consumers want it all. We want cheap prices, tack driving guns that will shoot out to 1500 yards with no recoil, be lightweight, have enough stopping power to take out an elephant...blah blah blah.
I don't fault Smith and Wesson. I don't fault Beretta. I don't fault the AK-47.
One thing that I find interesting about firearms is that country of origin seems to matter less than actual product. For example, some guns from a manufacturer are just riddled with issues while another model from the same maker may be considered to reliable.
Taurus guns are a good example. A lot of people rave about the Taurus 1911's while their revolvers are nothing short of a nightmare.
I've have a friend who has a Beretta Tomcat. Those models are best known for frame cracks. Yet Beretta shotguns and the M9/92FS are great!
Walther P22's also had a reputation for cracked slides. Not sure if that was ever fixed completely. They look like neat guns and feature a single/double action trigger which I think is unique for a .22 pistol. Perhaps this isn't quite fair since Smith and Wesson now makes Walther pistols in the US, but even still, Walthers are known for reliability as are Smith and Wesson guns.
Maybe isn't just firearms. Maybe everything is subjective? Afterall, every guitar made in the US isn't good while every guitar made in China isn't unplayable. Maybe. But I'm still not buying any made in Mexico Nicholson files.
</Rant>
Epilogue: I returned to the store where I bought my Nicholson files and managed to find a couple more made in USA files and bought a few more for safe keeping and for the future. I left a few in the store. Hopefully whoever finds them will enjoy the same internal dialogue that I did or at least some similar such line of thought. It was those files that inspired this rant.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
I always forget how much I love my Beretta 92FS!
I went shooting today for the first time in a few months. I had been meaning to go for those months but things come up.
I brought 5 guns in total; both of my Ruger Mark III's (Target competition and Hunter), Beretta 92FS, CZ 75B (stainless special edition), and my S&W 686 with a 4" barrel.
As I may have mentioned previously, my Ruger Hunter has been nothing but completely reliable and dead accurate. My Competition Target model on the other hand has been back to Ruger to have the grip frame replaced. I'd like to say again, Ruger was exceptionally good about repairing the gun! They have top notch customer service in my book!
The Smith and Wesson also had been back to their facility for a cracked/chipped firing pin bushing. Smith and Wesson was also exceptionally good about taking care of this repair. I hadn't fired the revolver since it had been returned.
The last time I had both of the Rugers taken apart for cleaning, I decided to restake all of the pins (which is what caused the grip frame replacement to begin with). During this process the rear site on the Competition model had come loose. I expected that I'd be sighting in the gun at the range.
I had bought the CZ75B after reading a number of good reviews. I like stainless guns so the Special Edition was right for me. I also liked the sights on it better than the stock models which had some poorly applied paint on the sight blade that was more egg shaped than round.
The Rugers performed exactly as expected. The Hunter is far more accurate than I am and the Competition model needed to be sighted in. Other than that, there were no problems.
The Smith and Wesson performed better than I expected. I fed it the remaining box of American Eagle .38 Special (which is what caused the firing pin bushing to crack) as well as a few rounds of Fiocchi .357 Magnum 142 grain FMJ.
I must say, I REALLY like that Fiocchi ammo! I also have Sellier and Bellot 158 grain FMJ .357 Magnum which I also like. But seeing as I didn't take any with me to compare the two against each other, I can only comment on the Fiocchi through the 4" 686. It didn't add all that much more kick to the gun and it was dead on every shot! Too bad I only have 1 box of it (and it is half gone now).
I spent some time with the CZ75B as well. It is one of my newest guns and I haven't quite bonded with it. I shoot it well enough, but I am not comfortable enough with it to start carrying it over the Beretta 92FS.
The grip on it is much more comfortable than the 92FS and it holds one more round. Despite this, I feel like I shoot the Beretta a lot better. It also weighs more than the Beretta but feels like it kicks more. The Beretta is already pretty heavy to walk around with.
The CZ definitely has an advantage in the trigger pull. I find the double action to be very smooth and comfortable. The single action is probably not much different between the two.
The Beretta on the other hand is kind of big and clumsy but all of my shots stayed in the 10 and X ring at 7-10 yards shooting pretty rapidly while my shots with the CZ were in the 8 and 9 rings as well.
The Beretta was my second gun and my first semi automatic pistol so I guess it is true that you should shoot what you are comfortable with. I'm sure had I bought the CZ before the Beretta, I'd be a much better shot with it. But for now, the Beretta is going to continue to be my primary carry weapon.
I brought 5 guns in total; both of my Ruger Mark III's (Target competition and Hunter), Beretta 92FS, CZ 75B (stainless special edition), and my S&W 686 with a 4" barrel.
As I may have mentioned previously, my Ruger Hunter has been nothing but completely reliable and dead accurate. My Competition Target model on the other hand has been back to Ruger to have the grip frame replaced. I'd like to say again, Ruger was exceptionally good about repairing the gun! They have top notch customer service in my book!
The Smith and Wesson also had been back to their facility for a cracked/chipped firing pin bushing. Smith and Wesson was also exceptionally good about taking care of this repair. I hadn't fired the revolver since it had been returned.
The last time I had both of the Rugers taken apart for cleaning, I decided to restake all of the pins (which is what caused the grip frame replacement to begin with). During this process the rear site on the Competition model had come loose. I expected that I'd be sighting in the gun at the range.
I had bought the CZ75B after reading a number of good reviews. I like stainless guns so the Special Edition was right for me. I also liked the sights on it better than the stock models which had some poorly applied paint on the sight blade that was more egg shaped than round.
The Rugers performed exactly as expected. The Hunter is far more accurate than I am and the Competition model needed to be sighted in. Other than that, there were no problems.
The Smith and Wesson performed better than I expected. I fed it the remaining box of American Eagle .38 Special (which is what caused the firing pin bushing to crack) as well as a few rounds of Fiocchi .357 Magnum 142 grain FMJ.
I must say, I REALLY like that Fiocchi ammo! I also have Sellier and Bellot 158 grain FMJ .357 Magnum which I also like. But seeing as I didn't take any with me to compare the two against each other, I can only comment on the Fiocchi through the 4" 686. It didn't add all that much more kick to the gun and it was dead on every shot! Too bad I only have 1 box of it (and it is half gone now).
I spent some time with the CZ75B as well. It is one of my newest guns and I haven't quite bonded with it. I shoot it well enough, but I am not comfortable enough with it to start carrying it over the Beretta 92FS.
The grip on it is much more comfortable than the 92FS and it holds one more round. Despite this, I feel like I shoot the Beretta a lot better. It also weighs more than the Beretta but feels like it kicks more. The Beretta is already pretty heavy to walk around with.
The CZ definitely has an advantage in the trigger pull. I find the double action to be very smooth and comfortable. The single action is probably not much different between the two.
The Beretta on the other hand is kind of big and clumsy but all of my shots stayed in the 10 and X ring at 7-10 yards shooting pretty rapidly while my shots with the CZ were in the 8 and 9 rings as well.
The Beretta was my second gun and my first semi automatic pistol so I guess it is true that you should shoot what you are comfortable with. I'm sure had I bought the CZ before the Beretta, I'd be a much better shot with it. But for now, the Beretta is going to continue to be my primary carry weapon.
Monday, October 29, 2012
1958 Romanian SKS Rifle
After a lot of careful consideration, I decided to take the plunge into gas operated rifles. In the past, I've traditionally been attracted to bolt action rifles. The only semi-automatic rifles I owned prior to the SKS were Marlin .22 rifles.
Admittedly, my Marlin model 60 is one of my favorite rifles to shoot. But the Marlin model 60 is a completely different beast.
The SKS is a carbine rifle that shoots the 7.62x39 round that has become best known for its use in the AK-47 style of rifles. It has a 10 round internal magazine which can be loaded by stripper clips.
The action works with a gas piston which unlike the AK-47 does not travel the entire way back with the bolt carrier. Instead the gas piston pushes the bolt carrier back and stops allowing inertia and springs to keep the bolt carrier going and return it back into battery.
This also differs from the AR-15 style of direct impingement. This means that the gas pushes the bolt carrier directly without the piston in the system at all. While this has fewer moving parts, it lends itself to fouling its own bolt carrier and bolt with hot gas and burnt powder.
Something about that part of injecting burning gasses and powder residue into the bolt carrier and bolt never appealed to me. I know there are gas piston AR-15 variants on the market.
Anyway, back to the SKS. I opted for a Romanian SKS because they have chromed barrels unlike many of the early Yugo barrels. Supposedly chroming the barrel hurts accuracy, although I doubt it matters much since it is a battle rifle. I'd rather have a rifle that is more resilient to the corrosive ammunition that this rifle is likely to see on the surplus market.
Availability also dictated that I ended up with a Romanian SKS instead of one of the other Com Block country variants.
Most SKS rifles were not fired a whole lot as the AK-47 quickly replaced it as the standard battle rifle. The SKS was relegated to backup status or as a ceremonial weapon.
The gun disassembles pretty easily and also cleans fairly easy once you get the initial load of cosmoline off of the parts. I find the best way to get the cosmoline off is by boiling the parts a few times and dumping the water between boilings.
Water has a relatively low boiling temperature so I doubt the short duration of heating the parts in this manner will cause any change in temperament of the metal.
I literally dropped the entire trigger group right into a boiling pot and then removed it and oiled it.
The stock and barrel will have to be cleaned manually. Expect to go through a lot of rags. I just throw them right into the trash after I removed as much cosmoline as I could with each one. Cleaning up a mess of cosmoline is a right of passage for surplus enthusiasts. All things considered, the SKS was not packed nearly as full as the Romanian TT-33 I had bought (and later sold) years prior.
One thing I noticed about reassembling the rifle was the a lot of people had commented how difficult a time they had getting the trigger group to click back into place. At first I tried a straight downward force and it was extremely difficult. Afterward I tried more of a side to side force while still pushing down slightly. It clicked right into place. So my advice is do not just push straight down. Push down at an angle to force the trigger group to seat easily.
With the weather getting colder here, it could be a while before I get to fire it, but I am really enthusiastic about it despite the poor ballistics of the 7.62x39 round. Is it ever going to be a sniper rifle or ever shoot under 1 MOA? No. But it is an inexpensive rifle with cheap surplus and even cheap factory ammo available. Sounds like the perfect plinking rifle to me.
Admittedly, my Marlin model 60 is one of my favorite rifles to shoot. But the Marlin model 60 is a completely different beast.
The SKS is a carbine rifle that shoots the 7.62x39 round that has become best known for its use in the AK-47 style of rifles. It has a 10 round internal magazine which can be loaded by stripper clips.
The action works with a gas piston which unlike the AK-47 does not travel the entire way back with the bolt carrier. Instead the gas piston pushes the bolt carrier back and stops allowing inertia and springs to keep the bolt carrier going and return it back into battery.
This also differs from the AR-15 style of direct impingement. This means that the gas pushes the bolt carrier directly without the piston in the system at all. While this has fewer moving parts, it lends itself to fouling its own bolt carrier and bolt with hot gas and burnt powder.
Something about that part of injecting burning gasses and powder residue into the bolt carrier and bolt never appealed to me. I know there are gas piston AR-15 variants on the market.
Anyway, back to the SKS. I opted for a Romanian SKS because they have chromed barrels unlike many of the early Yugo barrels. Supposedly chroming the barrel hurts accuracy, although I doubt it matters much since it is a battle rifle. I'd rather have a rifle that is more resilient to the corrosive ammunition that this rifle is likely to see on the surplus market.
Availability also dictated that I ended up with a Romanian SKS instead of one of the other Com Block country variants.
Most SKS rifles were not fired a whole lot as the AK-47 quickly replaced it as the standard battle rifle. The SKS was relegated to backup status or as a ceremonial weapon.
The gun disassembles pretty easily and also cleans fairly easy once you get the initial load of cosmoline off of the parts. I find the best way to get the cosmoline off is by boiling the parts a few times and dumping the water between boilings.
Water has a relatively low boiling temperature so I doubt the short duration of heating the parts in this manner will cause any change in temperament of the metal.
I literally dropped the entire trigger group right into a boiling pot and then removed it and oiled it.
The stock and barrel will have to be cleaned manually. Expect to go through a lot of rags. I just throw them right into the trash after I removed as much cosmoline as I could with each one. Cleaning up a mess of cosmoline is a right of passage for surplus enthusiasts. All things considered, the SKS was not packed nearly as full as the Romanian TT-33 I had bought (and later sold) years prior.
One thing I noticed about reassembling the rifle was the a lot of people had commented how difficult a time they had getting the trigger group to click back into place. At first I tried a straight downward force and it was extremely difficult. Afterward I tried more of a side to side force while still pushing down slightly. It clicked right into place. So my advice is do not just push straight down. Push down at an angle to force the trigger group to seat easily.
With the weather getting colder here, it could be a while before I get to fire it, but I am really enthusiastic about it despite the poor ballistics of the 7.62x39 round. Is it ever going to be a sniper rifle or ever shoot under 1 MOA? No. But it is an inexpensive rifle with cheap surplus and even cheap factory ammo available. Sounds like the perfect plinking rifle to me.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Japanese Fender Stratocaster Upgrades - Part 2
When I last updated, I had begun to install a Callaham bridge in my 70's Japanese RI Strat when I ran into some problems.
The bridge came with new (and considerably longer) bridge mounting hardware. This meant I was going to have to drill the holes deeper. I used a hand drill and added the extra depth needed for the new longer screws. After the screws were installed, just the tips of them had broken through the finish in the back of the guitar's spring cavity. It doesn't look bad and is covered up by the springs. I could have used the original screws and saved myself some drilling but I didn't. The finish in the spring cavity was already screwed up from the installation and subsequent removal of a Hipshot Tremsetter.
The Tremsetter mostly worked as advertised but to make it most effective you had to make the whammy bar action rather stiff and unresponsive. Additionally, I had to modify the block on the underside of the bridge to get it to accept the Tremsetter without banging into the plastic cover (which also has been removed and possibly lost in a parts bin somewhere).
I didn't install the spring claw that came with the bridge. I may get to that at a later point when I redo the electronics. The pots are 500k and that just isn't strat like now is it?
Another issue I ran into was that I wanted to replace the tuners and found out that the F style tuners with the excessively tall posts had 10mm bushings. My plan was to use a set of staggered Gotoh tuners to eliminate the need for strings trees and to get a useable vintage style tuner on the guitar.
I ordered adapter bushings for this conversion. I actually ordered two different styles from AllParts. They sell a generic and Gotoh branded ones. I ended up using the generic ones which were about 5$ cheaper because they fit and looked better. Plus the Gotoh ones were pretty sloppy with the tuner shaft.
The adapter bushings pressed in rather easily. However, they also pressed out easily. I made a thin bead of super glue around the bushings and pressed them into place and quickly cleaned up any excess with a gun cleaning patch. The bushings were now secure and the headstock is clean without any traces of super glue.
Had I had a super glue accident, I have some Loctite brand X-NMS solvent. However, it is pretty nasty stuff and might eat through the finish had I used it. Should you attempt this, be careful with the super glue. You do not need a lot and have something handy to clean it up quickly. Do not use your fingers. Do not use a paper towel.
This is the point that I ran into further problems. The concept of the Gotoh staggered tuner sounds great until you have them ready to go on your guitar. I had read some reviews of these tuners and it was split down the middle as to whether or not you could install them and eliminate string trees. The general consensus was that while they helped, you still needed string trees.
I would love to chime in with my personal findings on the matter, but I probably will never get that chance. The problem is that, the tallest of the staggered tuners is still considerably shorter than the standard vintage style tuner. I had a set of normal vintage style gotoh tuners on a 60's Japanese RI Telecaster to compare to.
As the tuner shafts became shorter and shorter, the tuner was barely sticking out of the headstock. Basically, they are for very thin style headstocks. I threw them back into the parts bin with the original F style tuners and opted to cannibalize the tuners off of the 60's RI. I will just order a new set in the future to replace the set I "borrowed".
I didn't bother filling in the holes from the original tuners. I probably should have as it would look a lot nicer, but I wasn't feeling particularly motivated. I placed the tuners on the guitar and lined them up with a short ruler. I marked the two outside holes and drew a line in pencil connecting them. Then I used the tuners to mark the holes and made sure each mark was on the line.
I drill out the holes with a 1/16" bit. I did this by hand although a drill press would have been ideal. I began to screw the tuners in and felt some resistance. I've unfortunately had to deal with sheared off screws in headstocks too many times in the past. I back out the screws and enlarged the holes with a 3/32" bit. Then I reinstalled the tuners using the straightedge to keep them lined up while I tightened the screws.
The tuners are pretty straight and I am sure that if I loosened them up and used the straight edge to align them again they would come out absolutely perfect. All of the tuners except one show a high resistance to turning. I don't know if this is part of the tuners or if they are binding a bit on the bushings.
Nothing feels like it is grinding or getting stuck and all tuner movement is smooth so I am not going to worry about it. The tuners hold tune as they should.
I removed the original string trees and installed a single roller string tree on the B and E strings.
I strung the guitar up and tightened up the trem claw with 4 springs until it was essentially hard tailed. I may decide to float it later. If I do, I will remove one of the springs.
The string heights were all over the place but the intonation was actually dead on without needing to adjust a single screw. I found that to be incredibly weird but convenient.
The guitar sounds great and actually has mellowed out quite a bit. Before it sounded harsh where as now it sounds more organic. I hate describing sound. I suspect a lot of the harsh sounds were coming from the zinc block, diecast saddles, and poor string angle at the nut.
My only complaint with the bridge is that it is a HAIR...and I meant a tiny bit wider string spacing than the original bridge. The high E is sitting at a slight angle on the saddle. I am not worried about it and everything plays fine, but upon close inspection it is plainly visible.
I feel really good about the upgrades and am glad I waited for the right parts to do it correctly. Nothing is worse than having to do the same job multiple times because it wasn't done right.
Now it is time to play and enjoy it!
The bridge came with new (and considerably longer) bridge mounting hardware. This meant I was going to have to drill the holes deeper. I used a hand drill and added the extra depth needed for the new longer screws. After the screws were installed, just the tips of them had broken through the finish in the back of the guitar's spring cavity. It doesn't look bad and is covered up by the springs. I could have used the original screws and saved myself some drilling but I didn't. The finish in the spring cavity was already screwed up from the installation and subsequent removal of a Hipshot Tremsetter.
The Tremsetter mostly worked as advertised but to make it most effective you had to make the whammy bar action rather stiff and unresponsive. Additionally, I had to modify the block on the underside of the bridge to get it to accept the Tremsetter without banging into the plastic cover (which also has been removed and possibly lost in a parts bin somewhere).
I didn't install the spring claw that came with the bridge. I may get to that at a later point when I redo the electronics. The pots are 500k and that just isn't strat like now is it?
Another issue I ran into was that I wanted to replace the tuners and found out that the F style tuners with the excessively tall posts had 10mm bushings. My plan was to use a set of staggered Gotoh tuners to eliminate the need for strings trees and to get a useable vintage style tuner on the guitar.
I ordered adapter bushings for this conversion. I actually ordered two different styles from AllParts. They sell a generic and Gotoh branded ones. I ended up using the generic ones which were about 5$ cheaper because they fit and looked better. Plus the Gotoh ones were pretty sloppy with the tuner shaft.
The adapter bushings pressed in rather easily. However, they also pressed out easily. I made a thin bead of super glue around the bushings and pressed them into place and quickly cleaned up any excess with a gun cleaning patch. The bushings were now secure and the headstock is clean without any traces of super glue.
Had I had a super glue accident, I have some Loctite brand X-NMS solvent. However, it is pretty nasty stuff and might eat through the finish had I used it. Should you attempt this, be careful with the super glue. You do not need a lot and have something handy to clean it up quickly. Do not use your fingers. Do not use a paper towel.
This is the point that I ran into further problems. The concept of the Gotoh staggered tuner sounds great until you have them ready to go on your guitar. I had read some reviews of these tuners and it was split down the middle as to whether or not you could install them and eliminate string trees. The general consensus was that while they helped, you still needed string trees.
I would love to chime in with my personal findings on the matter, but I probably will never get that chance. The problem is that, the tallest of the staggered tuners is still considerably shorter than the standard vintage style tuner. I had a set of normal vintage style gotoh tuners on a 60's Japanese RI Telecaster to compare to.
As the tuner shafts became shorter and shorter, the tuner was barely sticking out of the headstock. Basically, they are for very thin style headstocks. I threw them back into the parts bin with the original F style tuners and opted to cannibalize the tuners off of the 60's RI. I will just order a new set in the future to replace the set I "borrowed".
I didn't bother filling in the holes from the original tuners. I probably should have as it would look a lot nicer, but I wasn't feeling particularly motivated. I placed the tuners on the guitar and lined them up with a short ruler. I marked the two outside holes and drew a line in pencil connecting them. Then I used the tuners to mark the holes and made sure each mark was on the line.
I drill out the holes with a 1/16" bit. I did this by hand although a drill press would have been ideal. I began to screw the tuners in and felt some resistance. I've unfortunately had to deal with sheared off screws in headstocks too many times in the past. I back out the screws and enlarged the holes with a 3/32" bit. Then I reinstalled the tuners using the straightedge to keep them lined up while I tightened the screws.
The tuners are pretty straight and I am sure that if I loosened them up and used the straight edge to align them again they would come out absolutely perfect. All of the tuners except one show a high resistance to turning. I don't know if this is part of the tuners or if they are binding a bit on the bushings.
Nothing feels like it is grinding or getting stuck and all tuner movement is smooth so I am not going to worry about it. The tuners hold tune as they should.
I removed the original string trees and installed a single roller string tree on the B and E strings.
I strung the guitar up and tightened up the trem claw with 4 springs until it was essentially hard tailed. I may decide to float it later. If I do, I will remove one of the springs.
The string heights were all over the place but the intonation was actually dead on without needing to adjust a single screw. I found that to be incredibly weird but convenient.
The guitar sounds great and actually has mellowed out quite a bit. Before it sounded harsh where as now it sounds more organic. I hate describing sound. I suspect a lot of the harsh sounds were coming from the zinc block, diecast saddles, and poor string angle at the nut.
My only complaint with the bridge is that it is a HAIR...and I meant a tiny bit wider string spacing than the original bridge. The high E is sitting at a slight angle on the saddle. I am not worried about it and everything plays fine, but upon close inspection it is plainly visible.
I feel really good about the upgrades and am glad I waited for the right parts to do it correctly. Nothing is worse than having to do the same job multiple times because it wasn't done right.
Now it is time to play and enjoy it!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Callaham upgrades for a Les Paul and a Japanese 70's RI Stratocaster
I've been ogling the products on Callaham's website for some time now and finally I took the plunge.
I bought the ABR-1 conversion for a Nashville bridge, a vintage telecaster bridge (which will find its way onto one of my many telecasters), and a vintage Stratocaster bridge for my 70's RI.
I expected the Gibson conversion to be a bit more involved than the Fender due to the Fender parts being screwed in and the Callaham ABR-1 bushings being 1 piece press in.
However, things aren't always as they seem.
I went online and say a nifty trick for removing the bushings from a Gibson involving a small screw in the bushing hole. However, I also saw some posts about people being able to pull the bushings by hand.
Deciding to test my strength, I attempted to pull the bushings out by hand with the stud screwed in almost all of the way.
Believe it or not, they came out. I'm not going to say it was easy, but I was able to remove them without any sort of mechanical assistance!
The new bushings came with a plastic sleeve that protects the threaded post of the bushing. I tapped the new bushings in with a plastic headed mallet. They went in easily and the new bridge was installed in a matter of moments.
At first I didn't really notice too much of a change in how the guitar felt. And then I started lowering the tailpiece which previously was up pretty high due to the wider Nashville bridge. That made a huge difference!
Now the guitar really just resonates in an amazing way!
While I was taking apart the Gibson, I also replaced the cheap locking strap buttons on it with some smaller Gibson style buttons. They aren't for gigging, but they will keep the strap on for recording and casual playing.
I expected things to go just as easily with the Strat. I had some big plans for it. I was going to replace the 70's style F tuners with modern vintage style tuners from Gotoh, replace the string tree with a modern roller string tree, and replace the entire bridge assembly with the new Callaham bridge.
The pickups had already been changed out for a set of Angeltone pickups and the nut is brass. Another thing on the list of things to do was to replace the electronics with the correct value pots. The current pots are 500k miniature pots. I'd like to install 250k pots, perhaps a .1 uf no load tone control, and MAYBE a varitone. Anyway, that is a bit further down the road.
I should have known things weren't going to go as planned when the new screws for the bridge were about 1/4 to 1/2" longer than the original screws. Sure I could use the original hardware, but that hardly seems like fun. Now I need to drill the holes a bit deeper into the body for the bridge mounting.
Additionally, when I went to install the replacement tuners, the old bushings didn't fit and the new bushings were too small. I ordered conversion bushings and am currently awaiting their arrival.
One thing that did work out really nicely is that I had a caliper handy to measure the bushing holes to verify their diameter as well as a screwdriver which conveniently had a 10mm shaft which made knocking out the current bushings super easy!
Now the waiting game, but at least I have a really great playing Gibson to keep me company!
I bought the ABR-1 conversion for a Nashville bridge, a vintage telecaster bridge (which will find its way onto one of my many telecasters), and a vintage Stratocaster bridge for my 70's RI.
I expected the Gibson conversion to be a bit more involved than the Fender due to the Fender parts being screwed in and the Callaham ABR-1 bushings being 1 piece press in.
However, things aren't always as they seem.
I went online and say a nifty trick for removing the bushings from a Gibson involving a small screw in the bushing hole. However, I also saw some posts about people being able to pull the bushings by hand.
Deciding to test my strength, I attempted to pull the bushings out by hand with the stud screwed in almost all of the way.
Believe it or not, they came out. I'm not going to say it was easy, but I was able to remove them without any sort of mechanical assistance!
The new bushings came with a plastic sleeve that protects the threaded post of the bushing. I tapped the new bushings in with a plastic headed mallet. They went in easily and the new bridge was installed in a matter of moments.
At first I didn't really notice too much of a change in how the guitar felt. And then I started lowering the tailpiece which previously was up pretty high due to the wider Nashville bridge. That made a huge difference!
Now the guitar really just resonates in an amazing way!
While I was taking apart the Gibson, I also replaced the cheap locking strap buttons on it with some smaller Gibson style buttons. They aren't for gigging, but they will keep the strap on for recording and casual playing.
I expected things to go just as easily with the Strat. I had some big plans for it. I was going to replace the 70's style F tuners with modern vintage style tuners from Gotoh, replace the string tree with a modern roller string tree, and replace the entire bridge assembly with the new Callaham bridge.
The pickups had already been changed out for a set of Angeltone pickups and the nut is brass. Another thing on the list of things to do was to replace the electronics with the correct value pots. The current pots are 500k miniature pots. I'd like to install 250k pots, perhaps a .1 uf no load tone control, and MAYBE a varitone. Anyway, that is a bit further down the road.
I should have known things weren't going to go as planned when the new screws for the bridge were about 1/4 to 1/2" longer than the original screws. Sure I could use the original hardware, but that hardly seems like fun. Now I need to drill the holes a bit deeper into the body for the bridge mounting.
Additionally, when I went to install the replacement tuners, the old bushings didn't fit and the new bushings were too small. I ordered conversion bushings and am currently awaiting their arrival.
One thing that did work out really nicely is that I had a caliper handy to measure the bushing holes to verify their diameter as well as a screwdriver which conveniently had a 10mm shaft which made knocking out the current bushings super easy!
Now the waiting game, but at least I have a really great playing Gibson to keep me company!
Companies to do business with and to avoid
I will update this list as I deal with more companies and I will try to specify my reasoning for placing them in whatever list I do.
The Good companies to deal with:
Morley Effects - They went above and beyond to keep my 70's Tel-Ray effects working by sending me LDR's for FREE when I was willing to pay!
Antique Electronic Supply - I had a problem with a tube socket in the past which I broke when I attempted to bend the solder tabs (like the old sockets allow for). I called explaining that they should warn that the new sockets were incapable of having the solder tabs bent as the material was brittle. They called me back and told me they were shipping me a new socket at no charge and that they would try and get better quality sockets. Additionally, there is always a person there who you can call and get a real update about what is in stock and not.
Warmoth Guitar Parts - Pleasant to deal with on the phone! Real people and real pictures of the actual product you are buying!
Acme Guitar Works - Very fast shipping and an excellent website which lets you know what is actually in stock.
Specialty Guitars - They have the fastest shipping I have ever experienced. I ordered on a weekend and 10 minutes later, I had a shipping confirmation. Their website also lets you know exactly what is in stock which I appreciate. Additionally, they give you a heavy pick taped to your sales order. Sure I don't use heavy picks, but it is just a nice gesture!
Line 6 - I had repaired a friends rack mounted pod some years back. They sent me a free replacement part.
Ruger - I had sent back my Ruger Mark III Competition Target model due to a pin in the mainspring housing shifting into the grip frame. They took the pistol back on their dime and replaced the grip frame. Additionally, they sent back all of my aftermarket parts in a bag as requested. They were unable to be removed as the gun was stuck together.
Smith and Wesson - I had a model 686 .357 magnum which had a chipped firing pin bushing. They returned the revolver on their dime and replaced the bushing in less than a week.
Henry Firearms - Knowing I was not the original owner of the gun, they returned my AR-7 Survival Rifle on their dime and had it back to me in under a week. I had offered to pay for replacement parts. They insisted I sent it back.
Mouser Electronics - Prompt shipping, good product visibility on their website. Additionally, they upgraded my shipping from ground to 2 day air for no good reason over a weekend once just for the sake of it.
Stew Mac - Very fast shipping, lots of free infomation on their website, items are as described or have good user reviews which allow both the good and bad to exist (as in they don't remove the negative comments - you know, being honest), competitive pricing, many guitar specific and exclusive products.
The SHIT list:
Guitar Parts Plus - Short shipped me for under 10$ in parts - but didn't respond to 2 emails or a phone call. Will never order from them again.
Futurlec - Held my order for over a month with no notification. When they finally told me why the order was delayed (a backorder), they asked that I pay additional shipping above what I had already paid. I cancelled the entire order. They refunded me all but 15$ and change. I asked for the remainder to be refunded. They said all of my money had been refunded. This is of course in addition to the 7$ currency conversion fee I was charged by the bank because they didn't charge me in American money (which I think is the root of the entire problem). A week later and a claim with my bank and I was at least reimbursed the 15$ and change. Will never order from them again.
EMG Pickups - Zero response to an aftermarket support problem. Potted electronics make troubleshooting absolutely impossible as well. Will absolutely never deal with them or install one of their products in anything for anybody for any amount of money again.
The Good companies to deal with:
Morley Effects - They went above and beyond to keep my 70's Tel-Ray effects working by sending me LDR's for FREE when I was willing to pay!
Antique Electronic Supply - I had a problem with a tube socket in the past which I broke when I attempted to bend the solder tabs (like the old sockets allow for). I called explaining that they should warn that the new sockets were incapable of having the solder tabs bent as the material was brittle. They called me back and told me they were shipping me a new socket at no charge and that they would try and get better quality sockets. Additionally, there is always a person there who you can call and get a real update about what is in stock and not.
Warmoth Guitar Parts - Pleasant to deal with on the phone! Real people and real pictures of the actual product you are buying!
Acme Guitar Works - Very fast shipping and an excellent website which lets you know what is actually in stock.
Specialty Guitars - They have the fastest shipping I have ever experienced. I ordered on a weekend and 10 minutes later, I had a shipping confirmation. Their website also lets you know exactly what is in stock which I appreciate. Additionally, they give you a heavy pick taped to your sales order. Sure I don't use heavy picks, but it is just a nice gesture!
Line 6 - I had repaired a friends rack mounted pod some years back. They sent me a free replacement part.
Ruger - I had sent back my Ruger Mark III Competition Target model due to a pin in the mainspring housing shifting into the grip frame. They took the pistol back on their dime and replaced the grip frame. Additionally, they sent back all of my aftermarket parts in a bag as requested. They were unable to be removed as the gun was stuck together.
Smith and Wesson - I had a model 686 .357 magnum which had a chipped firing pin bushing. They returned the revolver on their dime and replaced the bushing in less than a week.
Henry Firearms - Knowing I was not the original owner of the gun, they returned my AR-7 Survival Rifle on their dime and had it back to me in under a week. I had offered to pay for replacement parts. They insisted I sent it back.
Mouser Electronics - Prompt shipping, good product visibility on their website. Additionally, they upgraded my shipping from ground to 2 day air for no good reason over a weekend once just for the sake of it.
Stew Mac - Very fast shipping, lots of free infomation on their website, items are as described or have good user reviews which allow both the good and bad to exist (as in they don't remove the negative comments - you know, being honest), competitive pricing, many guitar specific and exclusive products.
The SHIT list:
Guitar Parts Plus - Short shipped me for under 10$ in parts - but didn't respond to 2 emails or a phone call. Will never order from them again.
Futurlec - Held my order for over a month with no notification. When they finally told me why the order was delayed (a backorder), they asked that I pay additional shipping above what I had already paid. I cancelled the entire order. They refunded me all but 15$ and change. I asked for the remainder to be refunded. They said all of my money had been refunded. This is of course in addition to the 7$ currency conversion fee I was charged by the bank because they didn't charge me in American money (which I think is the root of the entire problem). A week later and a claim with my bank and I was at least reimbursed the 15$ and change. Will never order from them again.
EMG Pickups - Zero response to an aftermarket support problem. Potted electronics make troubleshooting absolutely impossible as well. Will absolutely never deal with them or install one of their products in anything for anybody for any amount of money again.
Scored a Fender Jag-Stang
I received a pretty good coupon from Sam Ash a few weeks back. It was good on new AND used gear!
I went to the local store and checked out their used inventory. I didn't really see anything and was about to leave when I spotted a Fender Jag-Stang in Fiesta Red on the wall toward a corner. How had I missed that with my first pass!?
I used to have a Jag-Stang years ago. Honestly, I hated it. I didn't understand it. I tinkered with it and more or less screwed it up. Finally frustrated with it, I gave it away to a friend.
Now being older (and hopefully a little wiser), I decided to play it and embrace it for what it is (an incomplete concept guitar).
Firstly, I plugged into a nice tube amp. I only own tube amps now. I didn't own any tube amps when I owned my original Jag-Stang. It sounded surprisingly good! I really love the out of phase single coil neck pickup with the bridge pickup on. It gives the guitar a unique voice! But each pickup also sounded pretty good on its own. I'm not sure if they are the same pickups as the older Jag-Stangs but I was happy. I wish I would have known better when I was younger (read that as stupider). I had replaced the pickups in the guitar thinking it was going to make the guitar into something better.
I also didn't understand the floating bridge. Now, having owned a Jazzmaster for some time, I not only understand it but love it! It is why the Jazzmaster is capable of returning to pitch when you use the whammy bar. The entire bridge moves back and forth so the strings don't bind on the saddles.
Two things the guitar was missing when I bought it were the correct knobs and the whammy bar.
I purchased the whammy bar and re-educated myself on american fine spline split shaft knobs versus metric coarse spline knobs.
Ordering the knobs wasn't as easy as it should have been as I was short shipped on my first order. That reminds me to put together a list of companies I have dealt with and had positive experience as well as a shit list for companies who have screwed me in some way.
I went to the local store and checked out their used inventory. I didn't really see anything and was about to leave when I spotted a Fender Jag-Stang in Fiesta Red on the wall toward a corner. How had I missed that with my first pass!?
I used to have a Jag-Stang years ago. Honestly, I hated it. I didn't understand it. I tinkered with it and more or less screwed it up. Finally frustrated with it, I gave it away to a friend.
Now being older (and hopefully a little wiser), I decided to play it and embrace it for what it is (an incomplete concept guitar).
Firstly, I plugged into a nice tube amp. I only own tube amps now. I didn't own any tube amps when I owned my original Jag-Stang. It sounded surprisingly good! I really love the out of phase single coil neck pickup with the bridge pickup on. It gives the guitar a unique voice! But each pickup also sounded pretty good on its own. I'm not sure if they are the same pickups as the older Jag-Stangs but I was happy. I wish I would have known better when I was younger (read that as stupider). I had replaced the pickups in the guitar thinking it was going to make the guitar into something better.
I also didn't understand the floating bridge. Now, having owned a Jazzmaster for some time, I not only understand it but love it! It is why the Jazzmaster is capable of returning to pitch when you use the whammy bar. The entire bridge moves back and forth so the strings don't bind on the saddles.
Two things the guitar was missing when I bought it were the correct knobs and the whammy bar.
I purchased the whammy bar and re-educated myself on american fine spline split shaft knobs versus metric coarse spline knobs.
Ordering the knobs wasn't as easy as it should have been as I was short shipped on my first order. That reminds me to put together a list of companies I have dealt with and had positive experience as well as a shit list for companies who have screwed me in some way.
General Rant
I am currently working on a few amplifiers for a friend to clean out my work shop before I begin working on my own projects.
In the course of researching one of the amplifiers (trying to find schematics or any other repair notes that might be helpful), I came across a forum thread which really frustrated me. I try and remember that forums are largely unmoderated and that everybody is entitled to their opinion. I found this post a bit difficult to swallow.
A major boutique manufacturer of pedals and amps suggested that a good tech shouldn't need a schematic to repair an amplifier.
General misinformation on the web...What makes me different? Nothing. Take everything with a grain of salt. Do your research and make your own conclusions.
In the course of researching one of the amplifiers (trying to find schematics or any other repair notes that might be helpful), I came across a forum thread which really frustrated me. I try and remember that forums are largely unmoderated and that everybody is entitled to their opinion. I found this post a bit difficult to swallow.
A major boutique manufacturer of pedals and amps suggested that a good tech shouldn't need a schematic to repair an amplifier.
General misinformation on the web...What makes me different? Nothing. Take everything with a grain of salt. Do your research and make your own conclusions.
Sometimes NOTHING is what's wrong!
Been working on a friend's VHT Two/Fifty/Two amplifier.
The amplifier had been blowing the HT fuses immediately upon power up. This occurred with or without the tubes in the amplifier.
I was honestly kind of puzzled by the entire thing. Both channels had the exact same symptoms. While one channel might have had a set of filter caps go, I refused to believe that both channels had them go at the same time.
I decided to email the VHT/Fryette and try and get some help.
They were very friendly and explained that the fuses in the amplifier are purposely rated conservatively. Most people do not experience a problem but some people with abnormal power conditions may.
They suggested replacing the .5 Amp fast blow fuses with .75 Amp fuses.
Success!
So, I replaced the tubes and reassembled the amplifier.
The moral of the story is that sometimes there is nothing wrong. Had I not contacted the company, I'd still be dickering about with the amplifier and never any closer to finding out the real problem.
The amplifier had been blowing the HT fuses immediately upon power up. This occurred with or without the tubes in the amplifier.
I was honestly kind of puzzled by the entire thing. Both channels had the exact same symptoms. While one channel might have had a set of filter caps go, I refused to believe that both channels had them go at the same time.
I decided to email the VHT/Fryette and try and get some help.
They were very friendly and explained that the fuses in the amplifier are purposely rated conservatively. Most people do not experience a problem but some people with abnormal power conditions may.
They suggested replacing the .5 Amp fast blow fuses with .75 Amp fuses.
Success!
So, I replaced the tubes and reassembled the amplifier.
The moral of the story is that sometimes there is nothing wrong. Had I not contacted the company, I'd still be dickering about with the amplifier and never any closer to finding out the real problem.
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