Tag: Guitar

The Other Les Paul

We were just in my step son’s room, looking in his closet for an ethernet cable.

I happened to notice that his guitar was there. He doesn’t play anymore (he’s piano and percussion only now), but years ago we bought him a student package Epiphone Les Paul.

I have half a mind to pull it out and use it for some recording this month, just for fun. It’s the other Les Paul in the house. I should give it some love, right? Sure, it’s not a full fledge Gibson, but it’s still sort of a Gibson because Gibson owns Epiphone. Yeah, I should show it some love. I’ll ask Harry first, of course.

Google Bard Wrote This Post For Me

I asked Google Bard to write a short essay on choosing a luthier. Mostly because I am tired and lazy.

Choosing a luthier is an important decision for any musician. A good luthier can repair and maintain your instruments, and can also build you a custom instrument if you desire. There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a luthier:

  • Experience: A luthier with experience will be able to diagnose and repair problems with your instruments quickly and efficiently. They will also be able to build you a custom instrument that meets your specific needs.
  • Skill: A skilled luthier will be able to work with a variety of materials and techniques to create beautiful and functional instruments. They will also be able to repair damage to your instruments without compromising their sound or playability.
  • Communication: A good luthier will be able to communicate with you effectively about your needs and expectations. They will also be able to answer any questions you have about their work.

Once you have found a few potential luthiers, it is a good idea to visit their shops and meet with them in person. This will give you a chance to see their work firsthand and to get a feel for their personality and work ethic. It is also important to get references from other musicians who have used their services.

Choosing a luthier is an important decision, but it does not have to be a difficult one. By following these tips, you can find a luthier who can meet your needs and help you keep your instruments in top condition.

Here are some additional tips for choosing a luthier:

  • Ask around: Talk to other musicians you know and ask them who they use for repairs and custom builds.
  • Check online reviews: There are many websites where you can read reviews of luthiers in your area.
  • Visit the luthier’s shop: Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, it’s important to visit the luthier’s shop and see their work firsthand.
  • Ask questions: Don’t be afraid to ask the luthier questions about their experience, skills, and work ethic.
  • Get a quote: Be sure to get a quote from the luthier before you commit to any work.

Choosing a luthier is an important decision, but it doesn’t have to be a difficult one. By following these tips, you can find a luthier who can meet your needs and help you keep your instruments in top condition.

bard.google.com

Play On

I just want to play my guitar. I wanted to do a ton of music in May and I barely did anything. I had 10 songs in the pipeline but only put guitar on two of them. I failed to finish anything for record every month. I am disappointed in myself.

June plans are to play as much as I can stomach, finish all 10 May songs and write and record 10 June songs. Double album, babie. It is a moral imperative.

I want to start the repairs on my two oldest guitars. I have a shop I want to bring them to. It’s an hour drive to get there, but the prices look okay and the reviews seem all right. I would prefer someone who’s been in the luthier business for longer than just the last four years or so, but I think I am okay with this.

Both guitars need their frets worked on and possibly replaced.
The 335 needs a new wiring harness.
If I have enough money left over, the Les Paul could get new pickups installed. That’s a big if though.

Mostly though, I just want to play. We were talking about getting the band together in June. I really want that to happen as well. I just want to play! If music be the food of love, play on and all that happy crappy. Shakespeare, babie!

Refretting an Electric Guitar

I may have found a luthier to work on my two old guitars. He’s taking new customers and does full refrets, and his prices are a lot lower than the one estimate I have. The downside is that he’s in Rockport, so it’s a serious drive.

In honor of this news, I asked Google Bard to write a short blog post about refretting an electric guitar. Here it the response:

Refretting an Electric Guitar

Refretting an electric guitar is a process of replacing the frets on the fingerboard. Fret wear is a natural process that occurs over time as the strings are played. As the frets wear, they can become uneven, which can cause buzzing and other problems. Refretting can improve the playability and sound of your guitar, and it can also extend the life of the instrument.

There are a few different ways to refret an electric guitar. The most common method is to use a fret saw to remove the old frets and then to install new frets using a fret press. This process requires specialized tools and skills, and it is best to have it done by a professional luthier.

If you are a skilled DIYer, you can refret your own guitar. There are a number of resources available online and in libraries that can teach you how to do it. However, it is important to note that refretting is a complex process, and it is easy to make mistakes. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is best to have it done by a professional.

Here are some of the benefits of refretting an electric guitar:

  • Improved playability: New frets are smooth and even, which makes it easier to play your guitar.
  • Improved sound: New frets can improve the sound of your guitar by reducing buzzing and other problems.
  • Extended life: Refretting can extend the life of your guitar by preventing further fret wear.

If you are considering refretting your electric guitar, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, you need to decide whether you want to do it yourself or have it done by a professional. Second, you need to choose the right type of frets. There are a number of different types of frets available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Finally, you need to budget for the cost of refretting. The cost of refretting can vary depending on the type of guitar, the materials used, and the labor costs in your area.

If you are serious about improving the playability and sound of your electric guitar, refretting is a great option. By following the tips above, you can choose the right method for you and get the best results possible.

Google Bard

Musical Distraction

We are at the hotel, killing time before we head out to the next graduation event. I walked a couple of miles this morning to close my exercise ring. Actual walking outdoors. How sick is that?

I’m letting my tiny little brain think about music projects today. Last month’s two record-every-month songs were recorded direct input using the speaker sim out of my Vox MV50 amplifier. This month I was going to use my Fender Deluxe Reverb with a mic for everything. Now that the calendar says it is May 20th I think it’s safe to say that my May recording plans are down the shitter. As a result, I’m thinking I might go back to the direct signal thing a little more.

At first it was because we had one of the kids in the house and he sleeps late every day which means no amps in the morning before work. Now though… I think I just want to. It sounded okay to me last month. I’m watching some YouTube videos of folks with similar rigs and they are sounding okay too. I think I just want to mess with it more.

The follow up question would be do I do a direct into the PA rig when the band starts playing again. Probably not, but maybe try it once just to see how it works? Maybe.

Finally

It feels like it’s been 100 years, but I finally played some guitar today. I also finally played through my King of Tone overdrive pedal and it was sweet as candy.

I worked on two new songs. I was hoping to do more, but my hands are giving up the fight. Maybe some more tomorrow?

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Boy, Am I Sleepy

Yup, two nights of weirdness in a row leads to ol’ Robbie being one sleepy red head.

Hey, I had a couple of packs of guitar strings from amazon delivered today. Will that inspire me to do some actual guitar playing this weekend? I sure hope so.

What else is on the agenda for this weekend? A haircut. My hair hasn’t been this long since the early days of the pandemic. It’s starting to look like 1993 around here. Is that why I have listened to Nirvana more or less around the clock for the last 2+ days? I made a playlist of just the expanded editions of the three Nirvana albums this morning (Apple music has expanded editions of Bleach and In Utero, and two expanded editions of Nevermind) and I have been steam rolling through them as I work today. I’m on the last track from the first of the two Neverminds.

Hey, speaking of Nirvana and the glory days of the 1990’s, I had a pop culture worlds colliding moment this morning. I managed to sneak in this week’s episode of Yellowjackets before work (barely). After a couple of days immersed in the atomic explosion that is Nirvana, wouldn’t you know it the episode’s creepy opening was accompanied by Something in the Way playing on the soundtrack? How cool is that. It’s like they knew where my brain was right now and fed right into it.

I need a nap… and a haircut… and to do some dishes before we make dinner… and to listen to all the live tracks on the 30th anniversary edition of Nevermind.

Two hours and 36 minutes left in the work day. You can do it, Robbie.

I was incorrect. Apple Music does not have one expanded edition of In Utero, it has two. One Bleach, two Nevermind, and two In Utero (one of which includes the unofficial first Foo Fighters song, Marigold [which is next in my iTunes queue]).

Binge Watchin’ Fool

My X-Files rewatch is in season three. Deep Space Nine is still in season two. Strange New Worlds is almost done. Before all of this started I rewatched The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. I recently rewatched Rebels. Over the last week I rewatched Andor (best Star Wars Disney+ show by miles and miles) and two nights ago I started rewatching Obi-Wan Kenobi.

I don’t want to stop with the two non-Star Wars shows, but I am really feeling the ol’ Galaxy Far Far Away vibes right now. Three more episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi and I’ll be out of live action shows on Disney+. Does this mean I am going to have to watch The Clone Wars from start to finish? That would include both seasons of The Bad Batch as that is really just The Clone Wars part two, right? Clone Wars has episodes with Jar Jar though… do I really want to go through that again? On the other hand, it would be a good prep for Ahsoka, which comes out in August.

On an unrelated note, I restarted another thing from last year this morning. The Great Spider Hunt of 2023 is on like Donkey Kong. While running in place this morning (yogging) I saw a HUGE sucker crawling up the wall behind my desk. I removed him/her from the equation with extreme prejudice. I expect there to be hundreds more to follow over the next couple of seasons.

On another unrelated note I haven’t played my guitar yet this month. I have a bunch of little song ideas, mostly just riffs, in progress, but I only have one song form sketched out and I haven’t plugged the guitar in at all. I still haven’t played through the King of Tone pedal after 5+ years on the wait list. Sigh of frustration. I’ll figure it out.

Okay. Time to go shower and get ready for work. Happy Tuesday, said the ancient 52 year old.

Frets

Last night I started googling “luthiers near me” to see if I could find a shop that will replace the frets on two of my guitars. I’ve been sending out emails asking for info on whether or not the shops handle jobs like that, and if so about how much can I expect to spend.

Most have not responded. The few that have said that they don’t do fret replacements. You know, I really do not want to ship these guitars back to Gibson, but I will if I have to. Jen used to work for a company that had an office in Tennessee. If she still did I could maybe weasel a trip down there somehow. That would be preferable to shipping, right?

I expected the most difficult part of this process would be coming up with the money. I believe I did that yesterday. Now I find that finding someplace to do it is the hard part? I really don’t want to go to Guitar Center again.

Ugh, stress.