MEET THE FAMILY!

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 10:23 am

BTW, Paul, what is that gold guitar in the middle of the back row in the big family portrait? ....Just curious!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 10:51 am

Melissa, it's a 2001 Gretsch G3967 Historic Series. Korean-Made before Fender moved in. Available on eBay used for around $350-550.00.

I bought it for its stunning looks and after playing it for awhile discovered a neck hump that flats out two strings on two high frets only. I hated it for awhile for betraying me, and then came back to loving its sweet jazz tones and fast neck and fretboard. It will soon get a neck planing and refret. I'm looking for another to turn into a Rockabilly Death Trap or sumthin'--nice two-tone paint job and three De Armond 2000s.

Unfortunately, they look terrible with Bigsbys, so I need to come up with something else for the next one. But this one stays as is.

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 11:05 am

Cool.... I like the shape of it--kind of graceful in an overstated way.... The asymmetrical bridge and slash sound hole caught my eye.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 11:14 am

I made that bridge base to lower the strings. The original bridge was a similar design, from walnut and dyed ebony. It was poorly made and didn't contact the top correctly while being impossible to adjust properly. So I made a new one from purpleheart, but left it reddish-purple.

All the controls are on the pickguard. It's a smaller version of the 3900 classic full-depth Synchromatic jazz box that they began to manufacture in the '40s and still make.

Feedback is a problem, but it's a guitar for intimate music in small spaces. That's whyh I took it to the park today and slammed through a few medleys. Har.

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 12:15 pm

So when are you starting the refin on Columbia, Paul? Andy Thomas tells me it's in need of some minor repairs and would look really cool in green and gold livery!!

I may have to talk to you about a project myself.......

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 3:25 pm

Nudge, nudge...

You know, Aitch, this might be the most enthusiastic bunch of guitar people ever, on this Forum. The Gretsch guys seem to be light years behind.

Present company and Tim (Proteus) excepted...

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 3:44 pm

>>>>The letters are not raised, but are engraved into the back of the clear acrylic TRC

wow... is that cool or what? It was hard to see that in the pix but it must look great in real life.

Just a thought since Ric is so protective of their TRC's - does making your own Ric TRC violate any Ric patent?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 4:15 pm

Nothing wrong with making your own anything. Trying to sell it or pass it off as original RIC manufacture violates RIC's trade dress restrictions and is legally actionable. And RIC does enforce this, as you can see frequently when those eBay auctions vaporize.

TRCs are a real problem for RIC, because a number of illegal copies (Shaftesbury, Tokai, et al), if retrofitted with a genuine RIC TRC and "R" tailpiece, could possibly be passed off to the novice or unsuspecting as genuine RIC product. This is why RIC requires the exchange of a TRC or "R" tailpiece, with an old part that's more than 50% intact. John Hall has remarked that over 10% of the TRCs sent in for exchange are fakes, many quite crudely done.

John and I have discussed this and he has been most gracious in his permission to me. I can make 'em for myself, but I have agreed not to sell 'em or give 'em away to anybody else.

arbiter · Post by **arbiter** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 4:27 pm

Awesome setup, but i really dislike that pickguard. Nice Work for sure.

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 5:49 pm

I agree with you on the Gretsch forum, Paul. Seems there are quite a few cowboys and boasters but not many who post with the same passion as the many here, who care not only for their guitars but their fellow addictees. It just doesn't have the same electricity!!

The ibaneztalk.com forum is back in the Dark Ages compared to here (especially) and the Gretsch pages.

BTW - going to a Weekend Warriors gig this afternoon (Sunday, 3pm to 6pm). I'm pretty sure I'll sign up for the next round, which means the initial jam session will be in October with a month of rehearsals after that and the gig some time in November.

Wonder what they'll say when I tell them I want to play at least one Rickenbacker - the mob that runs the program here doesn't sell 'em!!

I'm thinking the 660/12 and 'Every Time You Walk In The Room' will be a great start!

ALL FIRED UP!! (apologies to Pat Benatar).

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 7:32 pm

Aitch, GO FOR IT, MAN!

I don't remember if you have seen anything on Gretschpages.com by the character who calls himself mvpgretsch, but you have to see his latest stuff. I think he does this just to tick the Gretsch people off, but lately I'm not sure--I fear that he's serious. Anyhow, he's building something he calls a "Duo Jet Eagle" and you have to see it to believe it. Log on and have a look. Here's a preview:

There are a lot of cowboys and boasters as you say; no good builders or modifiers except Paul Setzer who does some pretty nice work for himself.

Never checked Ibanez' forum but it must be filled with thrasher types; although their forte used to be replicas, it's mostly metal now, it seems.

jonpaul · Post by **jonpaul** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:28 pm

Great job on the 320 Paul, you always amaze! I'm sure the Kaufman gives you the desired look you were going for, but a B5 would have been an excellent choice as well. For some reason the classic 320/325 body style works so well with the B5 - JMO.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 5:46 pm

Thanks, David. I really agonized long and hard about color and trim options on this one.

Then I remember the first AG '58 325 I ever saw, and I was possessed to do this one just like it. As you might recall, I was so certain I wanted a turquoise one with a B5 like Melissa's... So certain that I ordered some toasters, a B5, a bowtie, etc.

Next one, I keep promising myself. And, I can always switch from Kaufmann to B5, but not the other way...

I will wire it tomorrow. It plays beautifully with really nice action, and now I want to hear it with my wiring scheme.

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 5:35 pm

So Paul, how does it sound? Does your wiring scheme allow you to select any combination of the pickups?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:43 pm

Melissa, the old psychic thing is working well tonight!

As a matter of fact, I just finished wiring it and played it for the first time through my li'l AD30VT. I can select any combo or blend of the three pickups. Well, actually, I can select N+B or N or B separately at one volume level, and dial in C anywhere I want in the mix, or just play C by itself.

This allows an amazing tonal range, from crazy treble on to a very mellow N+C blend, which I really like for rhythm work. I tend to not use a rolloff cap too much, and I do not miss having a so-called "tone" control. I can always model a tone with the amp should I need something with a bit of bass rolloff.

I'm happy--it's a great little guitar. The refret made the neck perfect and with the Rick heavies it's a nice player.

Now it's back in its newly-restored case, resting up.