A Guitar owner's thread

[Blokeonabike]

No9, Thanks for the reminder. I always think of the plastic block type when people say p90. So basically the issue is tarnishing of "chrome" pick up covers.

In reality the covers are probably nickel not chrome if they have discoloured significantly and quickly. The trouble is that nickel covers are very easy to strip down to the base metal as the finish is not so hard or durable as chrome.

I have seen three pieces of advice that I would accept:

1. Do not use any abrasive cleaner no matter how fine.

2. Try rubbing it with a piece of cotton wool barely moistened with WD40 or similar producrt then with a dry piece to remove any residue. Avoid getting any on the guitar if it is a Gibson or other Nitro finsihed brand.

or

3. Try rubbing it with a chammy leather that is just moist enough to make it flexible but not wet.

The best advice, however, seems to be "leave it to mellow with age and enjoy the vintage look"

If they are actually chrome, you can afford to be a bit less fussy and use silver cleaner but still dont rub harder than you need too or do it more often than you need to and be careful not to get it on the painted wood.

[Ravers]

What's the general opinion on Samick (Greg Bennett) guitars?

I bought a barnd new, bolt on neck, Super Strat/Ibanez type one called an Interceptor, a few years ago from Cash Converters as a cheap fuck about guitar to take on deployment. I recall that the build quailty and finish was considerably better than most guitars at that price (circa £130 in 2002). I'd have one over a Yamaha Pacifica any day of the week. It was also exceedingly light, I'm talking about half the weight of a Strat, which made it nice and portable and very easy to live with. I ended up giving it away when I left the ship because I didn't have space to take it to my next unit.

Anyway, I saw a much newer one in another pikey stolen goods shop last week and it looked the fucking nuts, basically a PRS copy, with Seymore Duncan pickups etc. It looks like they've really upped their game. I'm sorely tempted. I don't need it but I want it, it's shiny.

Anyone got one of the newer ones or know anything about the company? I'm assuming they are made in Taiwan or somewhere like that.

Samick Guitar

Edited to add: Just done a bit of research and it turns out they are Korean. Most of the earlier (i.e. better) Epiphone Les Pauls/SGs etc. and Korean Squire Strats/Teles were made by them.

[Hootch]

No9, Thanks for the reminder. I always think of the plastic block type when people say p90. So basically the issue is tarnishing of "chrome" pick up covers.

In reality the covers are probably nickel not chrome if they have discoloured significantly and quickly. The trouble is that nickel covers are very easy to strip down to the base metal as the finish is not so hard or durable as chrome.

I have seen three pieces of advice that I would accept:

1. Do not use any abrasive cleaner no matter how fine.

2. Try rubbing it with a piece of cotton wool barely moistened with WD40 or similar producrt then with a dry piece to remove any residue. Avoid getting any on the guitar if it is a Gibson or other Nitro finsihed brand.

or

3. Try rubbing it with a chammy leather that is just moist enough to make it flexible but not wet.

The best advice, however, seems to be "leave it to mellow with age and enjoy the vintage look"

If they are actually chrome, you can afford to be a bit less fussy and use silver cleaner but still dont rub harder than you need too or do it more often than you need to and be careful not to get it on the painted wood.

Thanks for the advice - it is an Epi Casino ( Lennon Revolution model to be precise) as No.9 points out.

Gibson.com: Epiphone John Lennon Revolution Casino

The problem is on the plate at the bottom of the suspended tailpiece ( rather then the bridge) - the plate that attaches the tailpiece to the body. Having thought about it a little more, it normally sits in a floor stand, so perhaps something has kicked up from the carpet.

I might try a light polish on the bridge and leave the pickup covers alone.

[Ravers]

Just a thought Hootch:

Do you smoke? My Les Paul spent much of it's early life in the corner of a living room that had 3 heavy smokers permanently camped in it. As a result all the metalwork has a nice yellow tinge to it. The metal seems to attract nicotine for some reason.

[Schmiitty]

Relatively new to the musical world. Got myself a cheap £50 acoustic on a whim in Jan, and been playing about teaching myself (with a book and the occasional youtube vid).
Finally decided to splash out a bit more and got the Epiphone SG G400 in worn cherry. Pretty nice guitar, for the price. But unfortunately I've kinda plateau'd in my learning, which is a shame.
It's partly due to not practicing enough new stuff, and not knowing where to look for it, after my book ran out of content. Any hints on what you guys use / used to learn more?
Cheers

[Hootch]

Just a thought Hootch:

Do you smoke? My Les Paul spent much of it's early life in the corner of a living room that had 3 heavy smokers permanently camped in it. As a result all the metalwork has a nice yellow tinge to it. The metal seems to attract nicotine for some reason.

No, house is smoke free, so I do wonder if one of the junior Hootches has split something on it. Or maybe because the stand is so close to the ground it is moisture - and that is a concern. Guitar is only about a year old.

Could also be a wanton act of sabotage by Mrs Hootch as part of an ongoing campaign to stop me enjoying anything! She hates them ( my Guitars), which is strange as she encouraged me to take it up again in the first place - it's not as if I have taken up motorbikes, collecting rare vehicles, yachts ot tarts ..... she should be fully supportive. An indicator is when she yells at me to stop playing because she can't hear the X Factor - the irony escapes her!

[Hootch]

Relatively new to the musical world. Got myself a cheap £50 acoustic on a whim in Jan, and been playing about teaching myself (with a book and the occasional youtube vid).
Finally decided to splash out a bit more and got the Epiphone SG G400 in worn cherry. Pretty nice guitar, for the price. But unfortunately I've kinda plateau'd in my learning, which is a shame.
It's partly due to not practicing enough new stuff, and not knowing where to look for it, after my book ran out of content. Any hints on what you guys use / used to learn more?
Cheers

Schmitty

I also consider myself a beginner and I would recommend the following:-

1. Get some lessons. I go once a fortnight as I don't get much time to practice and a fortnight gives me the time to have something to work with. I find that I get a small tip or technique from every session and it also enables me to ask bone questions without being embarrassed. The shop also repaired one of my guitars recently for free and the blokes that work there know you are a student and go out of their way to help. Makes a big difference to compare a few instraments with an instructor ( who knows you ain't Hendrix) and so you can make informed decisions about what you may wish to buy next, in my case a proper strat, so by the time I'm ready to purchase, I have tried a few and can make a sounder decision. Most importantly, the Instructor is abetter judge than you as to how much you are progressing. I think I'm going nowhere, he says differently and provides the encouragement to push yourself.

2. I think this bloke, aside from being irritatingly west coast american, has a good teaching style Beatles - Let it Be - Super Easy Beginner Guitar Lessons - Easy Songs on Acoustic Guitar - YouTube . He has over 600 lessons on You Tube. Suspend the belief that he is weird and see what you think.

3. I'm using this book and recommend it Complete Rock And Pop Guitar Player Omnibus Edition Book And 3Cds Gt Book & CD: Amazon.co.uk: Various: Books. It shows you strumming patterns and a few easy licks and has CDs with backing tracks.

4. Have a crack at some barre chords, I started with power chords in F/F# as that is the basis of so many contempory tunes - Kings of Leon, Nirvana etc - it really opens things up.

5. Lick Library DVDs - I find these really straightforward to follow, but they are expensive at £20.

6. Get yourself a Snark - as above.

Hope that helps from a fellow beginner.

[Blokeonabike]

Schmitty,

Not available until next year in the UK but, from reviews, well worth considering is the new RockForge "game" on Xbox 360. It differs from the usual Guitar Hero crap in that it uses a real guitar and is really an interactive guitar teaching program as much as a game. - Look it up online. In the US it is available on its own (use your own electric guitar) or as a package with a (basic) Epiphone guitar. It automatically adjusts to your skill levels and the "game" part of it is designed to be motivational and encourage you more than an ordinary dvd based course would. As it is not yet released in UK I am not sure if it will be available from music shops or games shops, or both.

Until then, well worth investing in a few lessons. I found group lessons far cheaper and more rewarding from a social point of view. I paid about £50 for a set of 10 lessons in a group setting at the local "adult education" college.

[Blokeonabike]

Hootch, at least your epi is poly coated and not nitro so you dont have to be so worried about the paintwork. If its the trapeze plate, Id go with the cotton damped with WD40 route as the first resort.

[Hootch]

Hootch, at least your epi is poly coated and not nitro so you dont have to be so worried about the paintwork. If its the trapeze plate, Id go with the cotton damped with WD40 route as the first resort.

Thanks, I'll let you know how it goes.

On another matter - have people seen these Paper Jamz guitars Paper Jamz - Toy guitars and drums enhanced to play like real instruments. It seems that unlike Guitar Hero, you can actually fret them and I was thinking it might be a good Christmas present for Hootch junior.