jp
Senior Member
So I finally got the chance to acquire a NS M-75 Aristocrat. Much thanks Default!
I guess this was originally GAD's, so it once again remains happily in "la famiglia della LTG." This arrived over the weekend, but I just got a chance to set it up. Sorry for the crappy cell phone pics I'm noted for. You can always look at GAD's pro shots.
As I told Steve, I've picked up NS models a few times in music shops, but I've never really been able to spend quality time with one. I'm really impressed with the fit, finish, and overall quality. From afar in my light-starved house, the gold finish almost has the greenish hue of an old Les Paul. The neck feels nice and like GAD noted, the fretboard radius feels more like a 12" vs 9.5" as indicated in the specs.
I put it through its paces straight into my Vox AC-15, and the Franz's sound awesome, though markedly different from the vintage ones in my T-100D. Less quack. Not sure if it's the soapbar format, pot configuration, or the fact that they're in a different type of guitar. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison. Regardless, I can get great tones out of them. Gonna play the hell out of it for a while before I decide to mod or not. I may either try mounting a Guildsby B7 and switch to a roller bridge, or try a Towner down tension bar with a B2. I may replace the toggle switch to one that feels more reliable, and I'm definitely going to string up some extra light D'addario flatwound 10s, my latest favorite strings.
Right now, I'll just stare at it a while until eyes glaze over and my wife thinks I've had a stroke. It's a beauty to look at.
I guess this was originally GAD's, so it once again remains happily in "la famiglia della LTG." This arrived over the weekend, but I just got a chance to set it up. Sorry for the crappy cell phone pics I'm noted for. You can always look at GAD's pro shots.
As I told Steve, I've picked up NS models a few times in music shops, but I've never really been able to spend quality time with one. I'm really impressed with the fit, finish, and overall quality. From afar in my light-starved house, the gold finish almost has the greenish hue of an old Les Paul. The neck feels nice and like GAD noted, the fretboard radius feels more like a 12" vs 9.5" as indicated in the specs.
I put it through its paces straight into my Vox AC-15, and the Franz's sound awesome, though markedly different from the vintage ones in my T-100D. Less quack. Not sure if it's the soapbar format, pot configuration, or the fact that they're in a different type of guitar. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison. Regardless, I can get great tones out of them. Gonna play the hell out of it for a while before I decide to mod or not. I may either try mounting a Guildsby B7 and switch to a roller bridge, or try a Towner down tension bar with a B2. I may replace the toggle switch to one that feels more reliable, and I'm definitely going to string up some extra light D'addario flatwound 10s, my latest favorite strings.
Right now, I'll just stare at it a while until eyes glaze over and my wife thinks I've had a stroke. It's a beauty to look at.
