Your next guitar?

[hibidy]

Oh, but I'm also looking into getting a differnt "block" for one of the twins! Again.......the cost of such things.........

[Hink]

block?

[hibidy]

block?

a guy over on the ibby forum replaced the trem block (exact same model) with a bigger block. Hink, I do NOT understand it yet (I just hear it adds more sustain )

[Dean Aka Nekro]

Its all about 'Mass' hibidy, I am sure John has encountered many a 'sustain' block (the bit that makes a trem/floyd weigh alot). The idea is the bigger the mass the more improved the sustain. John mate you definately could make your own blocks of varying mass with the machining skills/knowledge/practice you have and test them out to hear if it does aid or abet

My girl, Molly is playing what you guy's call 'soccer' tomorrow/well technically today as its the 05:52am here and She has played for just over a month now and is well into it, So you guys can now...Call me 'soccer mom' \m/

Dean aka The Nekro Soccer Mom

[hibidy]

Dean aka The Nekro Soccer Mom

I think that is super cool

[Dean Aka Nekro]

block?

a guy over on the ibby forum replaced the trem block (exact same model) with a bigger block. Hink, I do NOT understand it yet (I just hear it adds more sustain )

Should be able to find out more information, a ton of options and a far better/in-depth explanation of the block here:

http://www.floydupgrades.com/catalog/in ... x&cPath=66

All the best to you both

Dean

[hibidy]

Looks like 40 bucks BUT will need more info!

[Dean Aka Nekro]

If i am on the right thought path, Its mass or size plus density or material equal either increased sustain or if for some reason you wanted less sustain then that is possible also, Additional benefits or side effects depending on your point of view would/should be again material and size dependant either a dulling or a brightening of the inherant sound (If that makes sense?).

I would not be confident to claim what the results are mate as i have always just left those sort of mods/upgrades alone. Have read (not heard) a few reviews of blocks, All as far as i remember were fitted to strats with single-coils and into a clean amp - Which is why it lost my interest and there was no audio clips to back up what was said in the reviews either

Cheers for digging my status as soccer mom

[hibidy]

@block

The thing is, I have not seen the "how" on doing it My inquiries are out but I'm in no hurry. I'm curious though as the brass replacement looks really too large to fit. The guy said something to the effect of yanking out the "string guides (see photo below.........total bullocks)

http://www.ibanezrules.com/tech/setup/angle.htm#EP

Seriously they freaked me out at first until I realized they were

[Ian B]

There is a guy in town that has one of those plex things. I guess I could call him up to see what that would cost

Whatever the cost, it's worth every penny imo. I think there's only 2 plek machines in the UK, 1 at Charlie Chandlers Guitar Emporium in London but I don't know where the other is sited. Even tho' my guitars are budget jobbies, I'd have the best of them plekked in a heartbeat if the cost of couriers and insurance didn't push the overall cost up so high.

[hibidy]

[Ian B]

Sorry to that Ian, At least you know that it will get sorted and you trust the person doing the job. hibidy you could use finding an independant person to do the stuff you want doing as and when as it will be cheaper, quicker and most likely better than chain store setups

All the best

Yeah, it'll be worth the wait, and as I told my tech, it's not as tho' I'm short of guitars I won't name him or the company he works for, szuffice to say it's a big chain of music shops, but he does all my work on the side. I get lower rates and avoid VAT and he gets cash in hand, a win-win situation for both of us

Sounds like that to me also, One of the guy's i learned a few things off myself worked in a store which shall remain nameless but did exactly the same thing and it worked out just the same as the deal you have. He ended up leaving the store as he was sick of to quote his words as i can best recall them "I can make much more doing work from home, The drive to and from work each day is long, I have to deal with morons who spend alot of money on fine guitars yet can not even restring the things themselves, Then there are the real anal sort that really piss me off. They want the impossible or rather they tell me what they want but they do not know how to bleeping explain exactly what they want so i end up doing alot of guess work/to-ing and fro-ing between them bringing their instrument(s) in, taking them home, playing them and finding another thing that is 'wrong'. When they could simply try their intrument out in store as its not like the place is short of amplification options, pedal options and even other instruments to compare with! These guys dropping thousands on PRS artist models, Private stock, Fender Custom Shop and Master Built guitars and Gibson or Heritage premium priced models and then saying they are 'broken' simply because they broke a string or the setup is not to thier liking but can not explain that. You would think that people with that sort of money invested in thier guitar would at least be capable of informing me what exactly it is they want doing to thier 'broken' guitars, I have had enough as i have to be overtly diplomatic and bend over backwards sometimes and alot of them have not even got a basic set of manners. That is why i started to do side jobs for people whom I like and know exactly what they want but do not have either the time, the confidence, facilities/set of tools or a combination of all three which is completely understandable. So i am able now to do the rounds/make a much shorter trip(s), Be treated like a human being heck even get along with client's/have a brew/chat about stuff when picking up a weeks worth of work say which range from simple tweaks to full on refinishing for less than the store charges but i only was paid a fraction of the stores price charge, Most of the other long timer's have left anyway and now i can make it a proper business without a boss and being overrun with jobs that are taken on when there is too much on and i have to tell the retail guy's an estimated time, Its not the retail department's fault as it is thier job but the f"cking greedy boss/manager whom would fire any of the retail guy's if they were not getting the most money possible out of customers, They will not even allow to have an assistent, apprentice or fellow tech which would sort the backlouge problems out as it means paying out. Im sick of it all but it is what i am/do as my trade. I have asked quite a few (on the side/cash in hand/personal time) people I do jobs for what they think, So whilst we are talking about it what do you think?" - Or something very similar/along the same lines. I said to Him Listen i can see exactly what you mean as i have had the pleasure to see quite a few of the c"nt-like guys mouthing off when i have been trying stuff out or dropping in for some strings, plectrums and the like. The other stalwart's left for a very good reason and you are still intouch with them as friends and i bet they could & would send work your way. I know i am not in the same position as you man to fully empathize but my opinion is to definately go for it! The worst thing that could happen is you end up with not enough customer's so end up going back to work in a store again but you are certainly good enough that any shop would hire you. He did it

Not just a fine guitar technician but also equally skilled at sorting out anything on stringed instruments to full on mods/makeovers he also was/is fine at modifying pedals or building custom requests, from a qucik revalve & rebiasing, fully servicing, modifying any amplifier to big nightmare looking overhauls. A great tech, Unfortunately I have not seen Him for a few years as he moved further away, Got a girlfriend, had kids and is now married and all that but a top bloke whom did/does exactly what you ask for in one go...Aslong as you tell Him exactly what it is you want doing and it is realistisc

Also He is the only person whom I know personally that confessed to following through/shat himself in excitement donning just his dressing gown one sunday morning when his persoanl favourite live show/take of Edward Van Halen ripping out a rendition of 'Eruption' - True story (Do not know why he felt compelled to confess that though )

A little long winded (sic) but it reminded me of good times and a good bloke Ian, Cheers man and all the best

Dean

My tech is the head guy for said music store chain in this area and I used to use the local branch but needed to speak to him directly one day. I got his phone number and he said rather than taking the guitar down to the shop, he'd pick it up on his way to work and do it at home for a better price, and the rest is history It helps that he doesn't live far away so it's no trouble to call here.

I've only had one issue with his work, on a coil tapped 3 pup jobbie with a maze of wiring, but that was immediately put right with no questions asked.

[tapper mike]

@hibidy

How can you not have a tech?? Yeah I can do basic wiring, intonation and neck adjustment too but I'd rather have a tech do that for me. Along with all the other stuff they do like fretwork. At the guitar/barbershop if you buy pickups they'll install em for free on the spot.,,And,,,,And,,,,they'll let you sort thru the tone pots they have in stock before they seal it up they have tones laying around for free or you can try the pay ones as well. I've got this OLP MMI (music man axis copy) It sounded and played horrendus when I first got it. My tech leveled the frets dressed and polished them, replaced the tuners, swapped out the pups with dimarzios installed a tone pot with a coil tap and replaced the block. it's not only louder it's punchier with a crisp attack and balsy sustain. The action is as low as my parker with no buzz and no deadspots.

[hibidy]

@hibidy

How can you not have a tech??

I've been through a bunch of them and they have all been EPIC FAIL! Seriously, it's been one unbelievable headache after another.

[tapper mike]

@hibidy
Egad, I've only heard a few bad stories about local tech's (none of them mine) I've been going to my two guys since the mid 70's/80's (with the exception of when I lived outstate) They do such good work I wouldn't even think of going to someone else. With the exception of having someone build me a guitar to my specs frrom the ground up which is when I'd call koontz)

@Dean,
Re rich people that can't play or understand guitars. Too many stories from the babershop/guitar store. It's a ma pa place The owner is one of the techs. I've seen him throw out wannabe guitarists irl lawyers who cant' play and blame the guitar. But on the other hand the techs will tune a guitar for people which I find hilarious.
:Can you tune that for me?"
"Sure, that will be ten dollars but I can't promise it will stay in tune once you leave the store"
"Oh that's fine, I've got a big show tonite"

I kid you not.

Speaking of kids. If a kid (under 18 ) comes in the same store and wants a string change they have a different approach. Okay I'll show you this once, you'll get it on the first try. We'll work together putting the strings on and tuning it then you'll know what to do. Because trust me you don't want to be known as a guitarist who can't change his own strings or tune his own guitar.