Gawd what a superb neck

[yettoblaster]

I've had my latest X-150 Savoy (FMIC - Corona - or so the inside label says), an '06, for a few weeks now.

I initially tweaked the trussrod to set it up for Thomastik-Infeld "Swings" in 0.013" for jazz duties, and I thought I got it a bit TOO straight (as in perfectly straight, I usually like a little relief).

But I figured I'd let it alone for awhile and see how it settled in.

Welp, after some weeks of gigging it in resturants in our lil' ol' "wallpaper" jazz (quiet background standards), it hasn't budged AND hasn't needed any further tweaking.

The verdict: this is one of the finest necks I've ever owned on any guitar, and I've had plenty. The action can go much lower than I like and it still won't buzz anywhere, and where it is now is just such a joy to play. Every fret is like a little jewell and the sound is superb all up and down the neck.

Especially wunnerful neck here!

I'll have to get some pics up, but for now just squint and imagine the usual beautiful flame maple blonde recent model two-pickup Savoy.

Veddy veddy happy man here. I'm considering selling off my partsocaster as I haven't had a use for it in weeks. 8)

 

[AlohaJoe]

I have a Corona '02 single pup maple 150 (see avatar) and I feel the same way... best neck carve I've ever played (I run it with Thomastik flats). I did satin-ize the back of the neck and did a few other tweaks but it's my 'first call'.

 

[yettoblaster]

I have a Corona '02 single pup maple 150 (see avatar) and I feel the same way... best neck carve I've ever played (I run it with Thomastik flats). I did satin-ize the back of the neck and did a few other tweaks but it's my 'first call'.

Is yours lacquer finish?

I've had lacquer finished guitars that needed satinizing because my chemistry makes 'em feel sticky while they're still off-gassing, but I can feel -and see from a blivit on the headstock- this '06 150D is poly all the way. Oh well, I love it anyway.

That's an interesting pickup on yours. Single coil blade design?

Mine looks like this one at Elderly, except the Corona bridge is straight taper vs compensated like the Westerly made versions:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... s%3Disch:1

 

[AlohaJoe]

I have a Corona '02 single pup maple 150 (see avatar) and I feel the same way... best neck carve I've ever played (I run it with Thomastik flats). I did satin-ize the back of the neck and did a few other tweaks but it's my 'first call'.

Is yours lacquer finish?

I've had lacquer finished guitars that needed satinizing because my chemistry makes 'em feel sticky while they're still off-gassing, but I can feel -and see from a blivit on the headstock- this '06 150D is poly all the way. Oh well, I love it anyway.

That's an interesting pickup on yours. Single coil blade design?

Mine looks like this one at Elderly, except the Corona bridge is straight taper vs compensated like the Westerly made versions:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... s%3Disch:1

Mine is poly, which I'm not too crazy about... I took the whole guitar down to a nice satin finish. The bridge is a straight taper and I haven't changed it yet. The pup is a blade type from Pete Biltoft and it sounds fantastic to my ears. The original pup was good, I just wanted to try this and I love it. The changes were discussed in previous threads, here:
http://letstalkguild.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15012

And here:
http://letstalkguild.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=14909

 

[yettoblaster]

Very nice job, and thanks for those linked articles about your mods.

That pickup sounds intriguing. I'm pretty happy with the stock bucker so far but have been known to like P-90's. I've never had a Charlie Christian type pickup, but lean towards that sound more than fluffy L5 tones. Loved Charlie Christian's sound, as well as Kessell and Jim Hall, though sometimes Jim Hall was a bit TOO muffled on some records.

I had a '54 ES-175 with a single P-90 once that was better in every way than a L-4 I had with a clamp-on DeArmond (a very bright guitar: ungiggable even). It even sounded better acoustically than the acoustic L-4's solid spruce top.

Today I replaced the stock bridge with a brass Compton (he's a machinist on the Gretsch-Talk page). I haven't tried it through my amp yet (it was late, and we had dinner guests coming).
I generally prefer wood bridges, but I thought I'd try it out.

BTW, your "Slips Right Through My Fingers Blues" reminds me of Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks. Nice work. I like the other stuff too. Quite good music: you should be proud.

Last couple times I crossed Nevada there was an AM radio station in Fallon, playing vintage Country. Earnest Tubb, Hank Snow, et al. Could pick it up through most of the Great Basin, but lost it at both ends.

 

[AlohaJoe]

Thank you for listening and for the nice complement! I used to go see Dan Hicks with the Hot Licks in San Francisco years ago (with the Lickettes and the original configuration of the band). He was my introduction to acoustic swing.

BTW, the Biltoft blade is thicker sounding than the P90 on my ES125. Let me know how you like the metal bridge once you hear it through the amp. I'm thinking about a compensated wood one like the Elderly pic you posted but I'm not quite there yet.

I have a few friends in Santa Cruz... ever run across Steve Palazzo? He's more of a bluegrass player. My wife did some singing on his last CD.

Anyway, you're going to love that guitar!
- Joe
ps - Pete's site is http://www.vintagevibeguitars.com/about.html

 

[yettoblaster]

... ever run across Steve Palazzo?...

Yes, I've met him a couple of times at Sylvan Music, where I used to teach. I see his CD's all the time at the local CD stores. Sylvan Music is sorta at the hub of a lot of acoustic music around here.

Thanks for the link. I wouldn't mind a little thicker sound than P-90's have, though I enjoy their woodiness.

 

[AlohaJoe]

Small world! I almost bought a sunburst X150 from Sylvan. I was negotiating price with them on a when I stumbled across the blond I have now locally. I'd planned to pick it up on the way to Monterey to see my mom.

It's since been sold, but they still have it archived here http://sylvanmusic.com/inventory.php?function=view&id=1050&search=Electric Guitars

 

[yettoblaster]

I may have owned that single pu'p Savoy at one time. It was pretty beefy and a bit inert if it was the one I had. I don't remember the keystone tuner keys though. I had one like it, if not that one.

Today I put the brass Compton bridge and some TI "Be-Bops" in 0.012" - 0.050" on the 150D and am very pleased to report that it helped the balance, sustain, and high end (go figure) enormously, while giving nothing up in the jazz sounds dept.
Previously it was a one trick (jazz on the neck pu) pony, but now with both pups on it gets a great 335-ish funk chord sound. The TI's have a plain third, so now I can even do faux-steel "G" bends (it's good to throw some Country into a ballad).

Nothing has been lost at all, except possibly a bit of acoustic volume if I'm practicing chord solos unplugged. I don't care as long as I can hear it.

It's a win-win thing! :idea:

 

[AlohaJoe]

I like a wood bridge and the TI flats, but it is a bit "thumpy" and dull on the bottom end for me so that's good to know. Thanks!

 

[yettoblaster]

I love the feel of flatwounds (especially on ebony, when I get the chance), but usually am trying to get some "ping" off of the treble strings for jazz with the tone control, so yeah the lows can get thuddy.

With a wood bridge I can usually run the guitar tone pot wide open (on an archtop) and still get a jazz sound without too much of that twangy ping on the high E string. But it seems to make the bridge pickup worthless: very dank and not enough sustain for any Country gambles.

I've found Pyramid Gold flatwounds to be bright enough overall to not get thuddy even when trimming just a skoash off the tone pot, but boy are they spendy! Twice as much as TI's.

Now running a plain third, a bit lighter gauge, and the brass bridge, I figured I'd be trimming off some highs with the pot, so went with Be-Bops vs Swings. So far so good, in the interests of versatility from an archtop. Be-Bops feel pretty good too, for roundwounds.

AllParts makes nylon saddles for Gibson ABR-1 tune-o-matics now, so I have sometimes used them under plain strings to "de-ping" them, although I generally prefer wood to tune-o-matics.

It's endless.

 

[AlohaJoe]

It's endless.

Truer words were never spoken... I'm going to try BeBops next... I love the feel and 'quietude' of flats, but I miss some brightness on the low end. I've had pretty good luck w Markley Blue Steels (12-54)... they come w both a wound and an unwound 3rd and they give me a nice bluesy edge on the ES125 and the Triumph.

 

[yettoblaster]

... I'm going to try BeBops next... I love the feel and 'quietude' of flats, but I miss some brightness on the low end...

Today as soon as my wife left the house I cranked up my Tech 21 TM 60 and ran the rig through its paces with the "Be-Bops_ (12's) and the brass bridge.

WooHoo! Does everything great and doesn't need any highs trimmed off for jazz either.

NOW it's a perfectly usable guitar for all the styles I play. The bass strings sound snappy and somewhat Fenderish even though the Savoy is Gibson scale length.

Thomastik-Infeld "Be-Bops" come in 0.011" - 0.047" which feel more like 10 - 46; 0.012" - 0.050" with a plain G as well; 0.013" - 0.052"; and 0.014" - 0.054" which isn't as gorilla grip required as you'd think.

For some reason TI's always feel lighter. I think the core wires are softer. The windings seem finer too, and don't seem to squeak all that much to me. They feel great compared to most round wounds I've tried. I also like GHS NickelRockers (their old "Pro-Formula" semi-mashed wound), but most stores stock Boomers, which are nickel plated steel wrap. I've tried the Dean Markely, DR, D'Addario, etc etc, but TI's are worth it for me if they're in gauges that will stay on the guitar a while.

 

[Mr. Bill]

Hey Yetto -

I agree about the neck. I had 2 Corona built Guilds, a SDF3 and an X1150d. They were the nicest necks and the quality was absolutely spot on. I couldn't get on with the pups and didn't want to mod them, so they went to the Bay. They have been replaced by two Gretsch's. Every time I see an X170T in orange I get the gas. Anyway, it sounds like you got yourself a keeper. Congrats!

 

[yettoblaster]

I've had flings with Gretsches too, but they are quite expensive even used compared to a used Guild for some reason. This one was $1050 and the superb neck came with. :wink:

 

[AlohaJoe]

Any pics yet?

 

[yettoblaster]

"D'oh!"

I knew this would happen. No I haven't taken any yet but thanks for reminding me.

 

[yettoblaster]

Welp, today I took a couple pics with my wife's digital camera, but when I tried to load them into the computor it about choked on all the pics she had in there. So that didn't work.

Then I tried my phone, but got hosed up trying to restart an old Photobucket account.

Sheesh.

This might take a couple days...