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Explored!
Several years ago, I was riding a 1985 Honda Shadow 500. That’s a tiny bike for a rather large fellow like me. I’m the guy who causes everyone to think my 1100C2 is a 750 until they see it apart from me. All my students ask me why I play guitars with such short scale length. Fact is, my green guitar is nearly a full inch longer than standard.
But, I digress.
On the 500, the grips hit my knees before I turned it all the way to the stops. My bottom ached after 40 miles and my back after 90. Nevertheless, I rode it as much as 500 miles in a single day several times, and put 18,000 miles on it in 2 years.
Allison didn’t just give me permission to get the 1100 when a bargain opportunity came ‘round, she practically made me upgrade. I’ve been extremely happy with that bike. It has taken me through the mountains West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee and NC, Texas hill country, along the coast, through cornfields of central Pennsylvania and Western New York, through the bayous of South Louisiana, and the Vineyards of Ontario, and all points between.
It is a musical instrument at any tempo, but at 70mph, on an open country highway, it plays all the parts. It’s the soundtrack to real-time, live action film in 3 dimensions, and a G-force theme park where you don’t stand in line for 90 minutes for a 90 second coaster ride.
In July, it will take me the length of Tennessee, across the river and into the Southwest for a week in Santa Fe, before carrying me across Arizona, and north to San Francisco then turning back east, through Yosemite and toward home.
I’ve been planning this trip in my mind since early spring, first thinking through proper, most-likely-successful approaches to getting permissions not to be places where I’m supposed to be at times when I’m supposed to be there. Then maps, itineraries, travel needs, etc. What things made me stop last year at Wal-marts in obscure little towns after dark, and how can I anticipate those things this time?
All this background thinking and planning and dreaming and imagining obtaining an actual touring bike rather than taking 6000-mile trips on a cruiser. My dream is an R1200GS and that’s what’s been playing in the back of my mind all week. I mentioned it to fellow who was admiring my Shadow at the top of the driveway, and he told me the State Patrol had switched to Hondas and there were some R1200s at the State Surplus.
Ha! So I got online and looked for those bikes. A simple surplus search turned into 90 minutes as I browsed about the world looking for affordable un-affordable BMWs.
By Saturday, I’d become so obsessed that I’d made it my primary (read, “only”) vehicle. Gas is projected to be over $5 by august, and I can’t afford to drive my truck anymore. If I could sell my truck…
… I was acting like a child dreaming.
Saturday night I dreamt about it all and by Sunday morning, I was doing budget calculations as to how to make it work. I’d sold my truck, a couple guitars, my Shadow 1100 and two of the kids by the time Jack banged on my bedroom door to wake me. When I heard his voice, I was still working out a calculation, and said, “hold on a sec, Jack.” He persisted. “Just a minute, I said.” A third shout, and I realized that I was dreaming and he needed me to take him to sound check.
When I did get up, I realized I still had my red truck, green bike, both my silver and green guitars, and all three kids.
Sheesh, what kinda guy would sell his kids to get a motorcycle?
Not to mention that I’ve been trying to acquire Sienna from Hippyhappyhay!
No wonder I need to get away.
Evolved from an entirely different guitar, I was short on cash in the '80s, and this beast gradually took form over several years until I had a new guitar which I named "BLu." Stained and dinked from many a night of rehearsal, recording sessions, and the days of smoke-filled bars and clubs, she's probably approaching her 40th birthday in the next few years. The best story about BLu is that she had to be blue! A friend held a psychic party, and I proudly proclaimed my skepticism about such charlatans. Yet the psychic suggested I played guitar and that my guitar was either black or red. It was black AND red, thus I vowed I would never again own a black or red guitar...blue was the obvious choice...
Camera: Sony 6500
Lens: Minolta 50mm F1.7 Manual focus
Post Processing: Photoscape X
Happy new year everyone. May your 2024 go up to 11.
I found a Squier Telecaster in Cash Converters for less than 100 quid and correctly identified it as at least worth it for the neck alone. I bought it and discarded the body. Turns out it was a Samick Korean one (S series from 1989) and the neck is indeed very good. I started the project last year in my old place and didn't get past finishing the e-bay bought swamp ash body so put the project on hold. I moved houses recently and decided to finish it off. The body is, as previously mentioned, a very nice lump of swamp ash. I added a bookmatched piece of flame maple veneer to the top, some red and black dye, finished with Rustins Plastic Coating (hey it was good enough for Brian May!) high grade electronics (Switchcraft pots/plug-hole/Seymour Duncan pickups) and it is now finally finished.
By the way, it sounds great :-)
ESP ULTRATONE
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#guitarspotter #guitarporn #sevenstring #djent #electricguitar #love #guitar #egitarre #gitarre #guitarpick #gearporn #geartalk #tubeamp #gearslut #guitarlove #guitarlover #mesaboogie #guitarist #instaguitar #instaguitarra #der_rings #espguitars #homestudio #seymourduncan #ukulele #guitarra #photooftheday #awesome #metal #gitar
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officialronit: Beautiful
Vintage Kramer Guitar collection. 1983 beak headstock Pacers. Blue Sky mural called Tunnel Vision is in the background. Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
This photo is dedicated to leahjoy and her new frweeend, Frank.
Not only does Leahjoy remind me that guitars are not merely tools, but she also wears Chucks. If I weren't 30 years older, I'd swear we were fraternal twins. (she's also a Switchfoot fan!)
So I'd like to introduce leahjoy and her new frweeend, Frank to two of my friends, Ty, and Ty Jr. Ty is green and Ty Jr. is purple. They represent my outside color (Ty) and my inside color (Ty Jr.)
Ty is 3/4" longer and so sings a 4th lower than Ty Jr.
Ty looks great with Khakis or green cargo pants, whilst Ty Jr. works well with black, and especially black Allstars.
"Fender Bass" "Fender Jazz" "Telecaster Bass" "Telecaster Neck" "Jazz Body"
"Jazz 1965" fender "Frankenstein Bass" "Punk Jazz" "Badass Bridge"
"1968 Teleneck" "Seymour Duncan" "Not Sunburst"
The Fender Steve Harris Signature Precision Bass, proudly displayed at Fender’s flagship store in Tokyo, is a tribute to the iconic Iron Maiden bassist’s powerful sound and distinctive style. Finished in Olympic White with a bold West Ham United crest, this bass combines rock ‘n’ roll attitude with a touch of personal heritage, making it instantly recognizable. Known for his aggressive tone and unmatched precision, Steve Harris worked closely with Fender to create an instrument that can handle the demands of stadium-filling performances and intricate bass lines.
Crafted from an alder body with a gloss polyester finish, the Steve Harris Precision Bass is as durable as it is eye-catching. Its maple neck with a maple fretboard ensures that classic Fender feel, offering smooth playability and a punchy, clear tone. The high-output Seymour Duncan SPB-4 Steve Harris Signature Pickup is specially designed to capture Harris's distinct sound, delivering powerful lows, rich mids, and cutting clarity that fans of Iron Maiden have come to love. Chrome-plated hardware and a Fender HiMass bridge add to the bass's durability and sustain, making it a reliable choice for professional bassists.
Fender’s Tokyo flagship provides an immersive experience for any fan of rock legends, and seeing this signature bass up close is a thrill for Iron Maiden devotees. With its striking visuals, premium components, and connection to one of metal’s most influential bass players, the Steve Harris Signature Precision Bass embodies the spirit of rock music. This instrument is perfect for anyone looking to channel the energy and skill of a bass icon, whether on stage or in the studio.
Here’s a bass that turns heads before you even plug it in—the Fender JMJ Road Worn Mustang Bass in Faded Daphne Blue. This short-scale powerhouse blends vintage aesthetics with modern performance and pays tribute to Justin Meldal-Johnsen, the bassist behind artists like Beck, Nine Inch Nails, and St. Vincent. It’s a modern classic with unmistakable retro flair.
Visually, the bass screams mid-century cool. The body’s offset contours and worn nitrocellulose finish channel Fender’s golden-era craftsmanship from the 1960s. The Daphne Blue color, originally a custom car paint shade from General Motors, became a staple of Fender’s custom colors in the early ‘60s—and this faded, road-worn version adds a ton of character. The light relic treatment gives it the feel of a well-loved vintage instrument that’s spent years on the road, complete with finish checking, dings, and edge wear.
The pickguard, a lush pearloid layer, complements the classic aesthetic, while the rosewood fretboard and vintage-style tuners lock in the retro vibes. The star of the show is the Custom Seymour Duncan® split-coil pickup, delivering punchy, focused tones with a deep, thumpy voice—perfect for indie rock, funk, and lo-fi grooves. Add the short 30” scale, and you get an incredibly playable bass that’s easy on the hands and full of sonic mojo.
Fender’s Mustang Bass was first introduced in 1966 as Leo Fender’s final bass design before selling the company. Its compact size and unique tonal range made it a sleeper hit—until bassists like JMJ revived it for modern audiences.
Whether you're a collector, gigging musician, or tone chaser, the JMJ Mustang blends history, attitude, and playability in one incredibly cool package. It’s not just a bass—it’s a vibe.
This made #495 in Explore on 18 Jan, 2008
At long last, here is another shot of the Warmoth Telecaster I put together. This one has a double-bound swamp ash body, with a birdseye maple neck. The pickups are a Kinman 'Broadcaster' at the bridge, with an SD Seymourised 'Mini' at the neck. The volume pot includes an S-1 switch from eBay, wired to a Fender 4-way selector switch. Nice!
As Matthew mentioned it, the light is coming through one of those glass block wall things on the right. The guitar itself is just propped up with a folded tea towel, and is resting on a sheet of navy blue velvet draped over the dining table. There's nothing remotely complicated about this at all. Oh and the metering was done on my Sekonic L-358.
One of my setups for daily listening is Denon PMA-501 with JBL L77 connected with 16 gauge RCA speaker cables, I listen to the pair for hours before switching the amplifier.
L77 plays well at most music including vocal, and of course Jazz. Its two-way design with 10” passive radiators, the 10” driver LE10A serves up to 2500 Hz, the mid-range is firm and rich but less detail when playing orchestra. It generates deep bass and reproduces low frequency down to 30 Hz. Unfortunately, its efficiency has only 1 watt to 74 dB, the outcome is interesting after listen for 2 hours, what I listened to as below.
1. Whole album of Best Audiophile Voices Vol.1 (Female vocals and various music instruments)
2. Lullaby – Low (Female vocal and electric guitar, speed from Largo to Allegro)
3. Emmanuel featuring Lucia Micarelli (violin and trumpet) - Chris Botti 2008 in Boston
4. Glad to be unhappy featuring John Mayer (Male vocal and trumpet) – Chris Botti 2008 in Boston
5. First 5 tracks from Scabious – Mayo Nakano Piano Trio (Piano, double bass, and drums)
6. I’m not in love – Diana Krall (Female vocal)
7. And a live recording on Youtube from Kenrick sound at their customer’s café with JBL 4350 (Jazz with massive bass)
Since this was the first time I power up the amp and run the tubes, I let the amp warmed up for 5 minutes (and for the photo shoot) and then started the music. Maybe this is a modern design with new electronic parts except for the tubes, I didn’t really find a big tonal difference to the PMA-501.
The significant different was the sound delay feeling like a 33-1/3 LP played at 32 rpm. Read many discussions about tube amps and they mentioned slower speed compare to solid states, but the music played shouldn’t have any change in its playtime, how this can be heard at a slower speed?
The theory I have learnt from understanding S.S. amps, higher power amps have greater ability to control the movement of the speaker diaphragm, not only push it out to form sound waves yet make force to pull back the diaphragm to form a complete and continuous wavelength, or to hold (as a brake) the diaphragm to stop the tune rapidly. Tubes, especially small power tubes are lacking current (less damping) so they can’t control the diaphragm in two directions effectively. The similar idea to me is an old car’s suspension system only has sprung to abort hits and shakes, while modern suspension design comes with shock absorbers to reduce bouncing movement. So the tube sound is kind of multiplying soundwaves left over from previous tones and created a so-called "warmer" sound, or softer tones. Correct me if my concept is incorrect when you read this post.
So, what’s the combination of L77 and MP-301 MK3 with 6J8P and 6P3P tubes? High, mid, and upper bass were as good as using S.S. amps, detail of the bass is a bit muddy, lost many details at a very low end (about 100 Hz and below). For the bass issue, possibly L77 is a very inefficiency speaker, yet there were too many tones ran at the same time so tube amp may not capable handling all details especially the very low frequency required higher power.
For the tubes, I believe these basic sets of tubes are a good match for most music, as I mention this is the very first tube amp and tubes I owned and listen so I can’t comment more. I will try many other types of music and chang speakers later, this is not a promotion but if you wanted to try an affordable tube amp, this must be it. Reviews at manufacturer’s website will give you a better idea.
I don't know much about the quality and characteristics of audio tubes. Before I decide to purchase a tube amp, this is where I learn the most common types of audio tubes www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/know-your-amp-..., I believe I will spend quite a lot of time to explore different tube models from different manufacturers soon.
Epiphone Les Paul
Changed the tuners, to grovers. Nice work but the look is not sooo cool
#epiphone #guitarporn #sevenstring #djent #guitarspotter #love #guitar #egitarre #gitarre #guitarpicks #gearporn #geartalk #tubeamp #gearslut #guitarlove #guitarlover #mesaboogie #guitarist #instaguitar #instaguitarra #der_rings #epiphonelespaul #homestudio #seymourduncan #ukulele #guitarra #photooftheday #awesome #metal #gitar #guitarspotter
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oxhorndesigns: Awesome ✨🍃🍃
der_rings: Thanks for the comment @oxhorndesigns
kurtsk: 👍 Nice shot
der_rings: Thank you @kurtsk
jonabous: Les paul😍😍😍
der_rings: Ohh yes....@jonabous
jonabous: I love it😍❤
der_rings: Me too @jonabous
Finally done this bugger!!
Started off as a 2013 ESP Edwards E-LP-125SD Refinish Lemon Drop but then the original owner tried to refinish it and sanded through the veneer between the pickups.
Thus he did the best next choice (lol) and painted it all black with spray bombs followed by a really bad relic job.
Took me ages to get all the black paint off from everywhere but managed overall.
I then refinished it in a Fender Fiesta Red with some light relic wear.
No grain filler on the back, allowed the lacquer to seep, giving it that older aged appearance.