JLD Bridge Doctor

[Nil]

You might remeber my posts about my ailing 12-string from about a month
ago...

On 02 Apr 2014, Nil <redn...@REMOVETHIScomcast.net> wrote in
rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic:

> I took my GAD-212 to a local store, and they told me they could
> flatten the bulged top and re-glue the bridge and and braces, if
> necessary, for only about $120. I had figured that it would be
> worthwhile to fix if the cost was up to about $250. I assumed that
> this guitar would cost more to repair than that, so this seems to
> be a good deal. It's going to take them a few weeks, so I don't
> know yet how successful it will be, but I've have good luck with
> this store and I'm optimistic.

I finally got my guitar back, and it's much better. I can see that they
re-glued the bridge. The belly bulge is greatly reduced, but still
there somewhat. I can't tell what else they did.

I plan to keep the guitar well-hydrated, since I believe that the dry
winter precipitated the problem, but I still worry about the guitar's
stability and that the belly might bulge out again. I'm aware of this
device called the "JLD Bridge Doctor" that provides support for the
bridge and top and is supposed to mitigate belly bulge. Supposedly it's
standard equipment in Beedlove guitars.

http://www.jldguitar.net/

Does anyone have any experience with it? Does it do what it advertises?
Does it affect the sound much? Is it hard to install?

[Tony Done]

I've made and installed three or four of those flying braces. Here's a
summary:

I think my materials are better and lighter than the JLD - small pieces
of pine and a length of thin-wall aeroplane modeller's tube as the
bracing stick.

I'm currently using one in my old Gibson to help prevent further
deterioration of the action. Here's a pic of the bridge:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/done_family/11377532643/

As you can see, I chose to use a brass pin rather than put a screw in
the bridge. Structurally, it works fine. That pin was carefully modified
so that the string hole was low enough to get a decent break angle over
the rather low saddle. I don't know how the comparable JLDs are in this
respect.

The brace might or might not affect tone, and you might or might not
like any change. The one in the pic has had virtually no effect on tone
that I can hear, but one I installed in Maton dread tightened the sound.
When I traded it, the dealer (my mate) promptly removed it, saying that
most would prefer the more open sound.

I think that a flying brace will help prevent bridge rotation,
particularly useful on a 12 string to keep the back set of pins low, but
it can't be used to forcibly lower the belly. I tried that and succeeded
in splitting a bridge.

Installation isn't difficult. It is a toss-up between the screw mount
and the pin mount. The screw probably works better and easier, but you
have to deface the bridge if it doesn't already have a centre bridge
screw. The brass pin is messier and adds much more weight if you use the
whole set. OTOH, it looks odd if you just use one, as I have done.

--
Tony Done

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=784456

http://www.flickr.com/photos/done_family/

[Mike Brown]

In article <XnsA325B4E9...@wheedledeedle.moc>,

Tony Done has used one, he might chime in.
MJRB

[Tony Done]

Beat ya to it!

[jgo...@my-deja.com]

On Tuesday, May 6, 2014 5:47:03 PM UTC-4, Nil wrote:

>I still worry about the guitar's >stability the belly might bulge out again.

>
> device called the "JLD Bridge Doctor"

> Does anyone have any experience with it? Does it do what it advertises?
> Does it affect the sound much? Is it hard to install?

Personally I think of them as sound killers but everyone seems to have their own idea about what a good sound consists off. Why, some people might need to install three or for bridge doctors in their guitar to get a sound they really like.

I read rmmga on google groups which provides topic search and the group archive. A search using the term "JDL" shows that the doctor has been VERY extensively discussed on rmmga. Here is a sample, the writer was working on a Guild and was pleased with the results, his guitar came out sounding more like a Taylor:

TITLE: Review: JLD Bridge System
AUTHOR: Bob Henderson, guit...@bigfoot.com
POSTED TO NEWSGROUP: RMMGA (Recreation.Music.Makers.Guitar.Acoustic)
DATE POSTED: 5/16/97

OVERVIEW

The JLD Bridge System (AKA "Bridge Doctor") is a patented (US PATENT
5-260-505) removable wooden device that is installed inside an acoustic
guitar, underneath the bridge. JLD Guitar Research and Development,
Inc. claims that the device will flatten the top on your "bellied"
guitar, prevent your other guitar’s flat top from ever bellying, improve
your guitar’s balance, make it louder, and improve its sustain. This
review is the result of my buying and testing the JLD Bridge System in
my own guitar.

CONSIDER THE SOURCE

First of all, here’s some background on me so you can "consider the
source" of this review. I am 41 year old microcomputer consultant. I
am not in any way employed by or related to JLD Guitar Research and
Development, Inc., marketers of the JLD Bridge System, or James Oliver,
the inventor and patent holder of the JLD Bridge System (he’s the "J" in
"JLD"). I will get nothing from JLD for having written this review. I
will get nothing from JLD if someone decides to buy the JLD Bridge
Device. I personally paid full price for the JLD Bridge System that I
installed and tested on my own 1978 Guild F-512 guitar for this review.
I also personally paid full price for the JLD Bridge System that I will
be installing and testing in my brand new, incredibly-sounding $4400
custom-built Taylor 955-CE that just arrived last week. I have been
playing the guitar for almost 29 years (boy are my fingers tired);
however, since I am self-taught and play by ear, I’m sure that many of
you who have been playing for ten years are better guitar players than I
am. I’ve followed the RMMGA Newsgroup since 1994, and have gotten a lot
of good guitar advice from many of you, including Charles Tauber, Tom
Loredo, George C. Kaschner, and even Bob Taylor (though I haven’t seen
him here in awhile). This review is my contribution to RMMGA.

THE JLD BRIDGE SYSTEM - MAKE ONE BY HAND

Stretch your arm out full length with your palm facing up. Now, curl
your fingers and thumb into a "U" shape that points up from your palm.
You should now have four fingers side-by-side, making one side of the
"U" while your thumb makes the other side. Next, use that hand to reach
into your guitar through its end pin. Put the tips of your four fingers
right under the bridge saddle and the tip of your thumb right under the
bridge pins. Install five threaded brass bridge pins into the bridge,
using small metal nuts on the inside of the guitar to keep them in place
and to keep your guitar’s bridge from ever pulling off. Insert a sixth
threaded brass bridge pin through the D-string hole of your guitar’s
bridge and screw it into the tip of your thumb. Now, keep your arm
really stiff, and lower your elbow. Notice how you’re using your entire
arm as a lever to push up the saddle side of the bridge and pull down
the bridge pin side of the bridge, flattening your guitar’s bellied
top. Finally, cut off your arm at just the right length to allow your
arm bone to push against your guitar’s end block. If you’ve done
everything correctly, your severed arm will keep the bridge from ever
bellying again. Congratulations -- you’ve just made a human version of
the JLD Bridge System. It may not be pretty or high-tech, but it’s the
perfect solution for anyone who’s ever said, "I’d give my right arm to
be able to fix my old vintage Sears Silvertone guitar…"

THE TEST GUITAR

The guitar I used for this review was a 1978 Guild F-512 jumbo 12-string
that I’ve owned since early 1979. At the time I bought it, it was the
top of the line Guild 12-string guitar. Guild still builds a version of
it, that lists for over $2000 and is available for around $1500. Mine
has Brazilian Rosewood sides and back, and a nicely-aged honey-colored
Sitka Spruce top. After trying several types of strings over the years,
I settled on John Pearse 80/20 lights (.09-.47 gauge) a couple of years
ago, and I keep them tuned up to pitch. The set of strings on the Guild
were about 7 months old and sounded pretty dead. I hadn’t changed them
because I had been expecting my new Taylor guitar any minute (it ended
up being delayed for a few months due to abalone supply problems at
Taylor) and I didn’t feel much motivation to put new strings on the old
guitar. The Guild’s top had about 3/32" belly behind the bridge.

THE AGREEMENT

In the past week, I’ve spent about 8 hours on long distance, talking to
James Oliver, the 52-year-old inventor of the JLD Bridge System, to
learn more about his invention. He told me that Taylor Guitars has been
using a version of his Bridge System to repair bellied Taylors for
years, and Breedlove Guitar Company builds a version of the JLD Bridge
System into every single one of their handmade guitars (you can confirm
this by going to Breedlove’s home page at
http://www.breedloveguitars.com/. Mr. Oliver says he has personally
installed about his Bridge System in about 6,000 guitars over the years
- even some of them in the guitars of famous guitar players who don’t
want anyone to know that they’re using his invention. On Monday, May
12, 1997, I called Mr. Oliver again to order two of his JLD Bridge
Systems. He then asked me to measure the distance between the centers
of my two guitars’ back bridge pins and the centers of their saddles so
that he could make two Bridge Systems specifically for my guitars. As
soon as I finished talking to him, I mailed him a check for $100 to
cover the cost of two Bridge Systems, and Mr. Oliver shipped the systems
to me with his assurance that, if I didn’t like them, he’d take them
back and refund my money. I told him that I was planning to test his
Bridge System in at least one of my guitars and then, whether or not I
thought it worked, I would write a review about it for RMMGA.

THE TEST

Yesterday, Thursday, May 16, 1997, the two systems arrived at my home by
priority mail. Last night, it took me about 40 minutes to install one
of Bridge Systems in my Guild F-512. About half of that time was spent
removing and reinstalling the same curled-up dead strings that had been
on the guitar. As I finger-tightened the "arm bone" part of the device
against my guitar’s end block with the strings removed, I was shocked to
see the 3/32" belly gradually disappear from my guitar’s top. When it
looked nice and flat, I reinstalled the strings and tuned it up to
pitch. Tuning was a whole new experience. As I brought each string up
to pitch using my digital tuner, I could clearly hear the other tuned
strings "singing along" with the newly-tuned string right when it
reached its perfect pitch. Several times, I’d tune one of the strings
up to pitch and then mute it, only to hear its note still resonating
from one or more of the other tuned strings that had started vibrating
sympathetically. At the same time, I heard a lot of overtones and
undertones that I had never heard coming from that guitar before. Once
I got all twelve strings perfectly up to pitch, the first thing I
strummed was a full E major chord. A Guild 12-string is a pretty loud
guitar by nature, but mine was noticeably louder than it had ever been.
I immediately noticed that it sounded a lot more balanced, with more
definition between the different string sounds; a lot like my new Taylor
12-string. Some might argue that it sounded more balanced because it
had lost some bass and treble, but it was clear to me that it had simply
gained a lot of mid-range, giving it a much more balanced sound than the
exaggerated bass and treble mix that I had gotten used to hearing from
it. Sustain was improved as well. With a new set of strings on that
guitar, I was always able to strum a loud E Major chord, put my ear near
the sound hole, and hear it ringing for 20-22 seconds. Last night, I
could hear the E Major chord ring for 26 seconds – with 7 month-old
strings that had sounded dead right before I installed the Bridge
System. I then played some harmonics and was pleased to hear that they
also sustained loud and clear for ten seconds or more. The only down
side I could see was that I had a slight string buzz on the first fret
from a couple of strings when I played it hard. This was due to the
fact that when the Bridge System pulled my guitar’s top back down flat,
it lowered the bridge (and the action) by the 3/16" that the top had
been bellied before. A new saddle will solve that problem.

CONCLUSIONS

The JLD Bridge System does exactly what JLD Guitar Research and
Development, Inc. claims it will do. It flattened the top on my
"bellied" guitar, improved its balance, made it louder, and improved its
sustain. In addition, it appears that it will prevent the top from ever
bellying again. Next, I will be installing one in my new custom Taylor
955-CE. Here’s my reasoning:

1) A 12-string guitar with an Engelmann top is almost certain to belly
with time unless it is braced so heavily that it doesn’t sound good,

2) Taylor’s repair department uses the Bridge System to repair bellied
Taylor guitars,

3) I can either choose to spend $50 on the Bridge System right now to
prevent my new guitar from bellying, or I can wait for it to belly and
then send it back to Taylor to have them install the Bridge System.

To me, it is well worth the $50 right now to prevent problems in the
future.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you want to learn more about the JLD Bridge System on your own, you
can visit the JLD web site at http://netrunner.net/marketing/jld/. The
web pages haven’t been updated in awhile, so they don’t have pictures of
James Oliver’s latest evolution of the Bridge System, but they do have a
lot of valuable information about how the System works. Or, if you feel
like talking to the inventor of the JLD Bridge System, you can call
James Oliver in Avon Park, Florida, at 1-941-452-5239.

[Nil]

On 07 May 2014, jgo...@my-deja.com wrote in
rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic:

> Personally I think of them as sound killers but everyone
> seems to have their own idea about what a good sound consists
> off. Why, some people might need to install three or for
> bridge doctors in their guitar to get a sound they really
> like.

Have you actually heard one in action in order to declare it a
"sound killer", or is it just a matter of principle? I don't think
it's possible to install 3 or 4 in a guitar, just one.

> I read rmmga on google groups which provides topic search and the
> group archive. A search using the term "JDL" shows that
> the doctor has been VERY extensively discussed on rmmga.
> Here is a sample, the writer was working on a Guild and was
> pleased with the results, his guitar came out sounding more
> like a Taylor:
>
> TITLE: Review: JLD Bridge System
> AUTHOR: Bob Henderson, guit...@bigfoot.com
> POSTED TO NEWSGROUP: RMMGA
> (Recreation.Music.Makers.Guitar.Acoustic)
> DATE POSTED: 5/16/97

I didn't realize they had been around that long.

Mine is not an expensive guitar - it's only valuable to me because I
like the sound. I fear it's not very stable, which is why this
inexpensive bit of reinforcement appeals to me, as long as it
doesn't hugely affect the sound. The fact that it's original factory
equipment in Breedloves, which are usually regarded as good-sounding
instruments, is a point in its favor to me.

I sent an email to TLD, and they responded to me today. I didn't learn
anything new, but he assured me that it would increase bass response,
which is the one thing I could use a little more of in this guitar.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to go for it. I've spent $25 on a lot of
more risky projects before.

[Tony Done]

Worth a try, IMO, because of potential bridge rotation problems on
12-strings. Which are you going to try, the bridge pin version or the
screw version? I haven't looked at the JLDs in a long time, do they do a
12-string version? Something to be aware of is that they are most
effective when anchored near the back of the bridge, but on a 12-string
the front of the block might interfere with the front row of pins. <g> I
would make one to reach from the back row of pins to directly under the
saddle.

I'll repeat, don't try cranking the bridge down with the JLD, you could
end up splitting the bridge. The bridge can only effectively be lowered
by the amount it drops when string tension is released - the JLD just
stops it rising again when string tension is applied.

[don hindenach]

Yes. Sorta. Yup. Nope.

It gives you some things at the cost of others. The guitar will seem louder, but it also takes away some of the vibration modes. It's all in where you listen.

I was quite entranced with them for a while, then not so much. I would only use one if I needed to stabilise the top/bridge and didn't want to pay a really good luthier to stabilise it their way.

The JLD is a really cute trick pony, and if you do use one please contact me and I'll tell you the best way to tune the silly thing - their way is less useful than it could be.

--
-donh-
donh at audiosys dot com

[Al Evans]

In article <XnsA326A0FF...@wheedledeedle.moc>,

Nil <redn...@REMOVETHIScomcast.net> wrote:

> Have you actually heard one in action in order to declare it a
> "sound killer", or is it just a matter of principle?

I know that on a Bfreedlove, you can kill tone with it, but only by
adjusting it too tight. As long as you make it just barely snug, it will
be fine. At least that's my experience on a Breedlove C22.

--Al Evans--

[hank alrich]

Nil <redn...@REMOVETHIScomcast.net> wrote:

> The fact that it's original factory
> equipment in Breedloves, which are usually regarded as good-sounding
> instruments, is a point in its favor to me.

I'd think Breedlove considers it part of the design of their instruments
and that the rest of the construction reflects its inclusion.

--
shut up and play your guitar * HankAlrich.Com
HankandShaidriMusic.Com
YouTube.Com/WalkinayMusic

[jgo...@my-deja.com]

On Wednesday, May 7, 2014 3:49:35 PM UTC-4, Nil wrote:

>>Have you actually heard one in action in order to declare it a
>>"sound killer"

Sure. For example, I remember a nice old D35-12 that was turned into a nothing-going-for-it guitar by installation of a doctor, all the well-over-one-hundred-years of thought and experience that Martin put into the guitar erased in a relative instant. The installer was perfectly pleased with the result, apparently having no use for the guitar's original complexity, feeling that a lifeless plink-plunk was just the way an acoustic guitar should sound. After all, you can always add things like reverb and chorus electronically, can't you? Of course you can.

>>it's original factory equipment in Breedloves, which are usually regarded
>>as good-sounding instruments

The Breedlove was more or less designed around the doctor, the thinking being that with it in place the builders could use a thinner top and so get a better sound. The result is a guitar that does sound good except for a weird, gaseous bass that I suspect may be the cause of the company's perpetual struggle for existence and the founders having long since sold out.

[TONEWOODs]

I was sort of feeling the same way because if a bridge brace was such a
good and effective counter to the pull of the steel strings on the top,
why haven't all the great guitar designers and builders of the past and
present incorporated something
similar as a standard design feature? There must be a reason that they
haven't. Maybe it does affect the sound negatively in some important way?
TWs

[Al Evans]

In article <b2dda4bc-5a72-489a...@googlegroups.com>,
jgo...@my-deja.com wrote:

>> weird, gaseous bass

I just thought the phrase "weird, gaseous bass" deserved repeating.

My cedar/mahogany Breedlove C22 sounds great. E to G on the sixth string
are a little unexpected, but I don't consider them weird. I've never
thought about whether they are gaseous or not:-)

Otherwise, it's very sweet and precise, and a bit limited in dynamic
range, as though it had a built-in compressor.

--Al Evans--

[TONEWOODs]

I've become very interested in the Bridge Doctor, and the
compensating nuts like the Earvana, the Graphtech graphite
nut, and other such supposed tone enhancers, etc., etc..
I saw a link to an article by the BBC on another guitar ng
which showed some interesting work being done with special
equipment on the subject of guitar and violin soundboards.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13573631
I wish these investigators would take the Bridge Doctor and
the other devices and do some studies on their effect on
tone and other guitar construction issues.
TWs

[dsi1]

You probably wouldn't stick one of these on a guitar unless you had to.
Any effect on tone would be a secondary consideration. The main function
of this device is to reduce the distortion of the guitar top and lower
the bridge in relation to the fretboard.

The price of the device is a steal if it allows you to play a vintage
guitar that would be unplayable without it. I'd certainly try this
before getting a neck reset.

[Nil]

On 18 May 2014, dsi1 <ds...@eternal-september.invalid> wrote in
rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic:

> You probably wouldn't stick one of these on a guitar unless you
> had to. Any effect on tone would be a secondary consideration. The
> main function of this device is to reduce the distortion of the
> guitar top and lower the bridge in relation to the fretboard.

I think it could also be considered as a prophylactic measure to make a
fragile guitar more gig- or road-worthy. If it allows the benefits of a
thin top and adds more with more structural strength, but doesn't
negatively affect the sound much, I'd say it would be net win. A study
by a neutral party is called for.

> The price of the device is a steal if it allows you to play a
> vintage guitar that would be unplayable without it. I'd certainly
> try this before getting a neck reset.

It could also be a bargain for me, who has an inexpensive guitar that I
like, but that has some inherent structural flaws.

[Tony Done]

IMO it is yes to both of you. I was considering getting a neck reset on
my old L-00, however, regluing the bridge and adding an extra piece of
bridge plate was enough to win back a respectable amount of saddle. So
to keep it that way I put a flying brace in it. It didn't have much
effect on tone in this instance.

Just out of interest I did a bit of research on Breedlove, who use a JLD
in many of their models. Apparently they use lighter bracing in those
that have it than in those that don't, so it is an integral part of the
design, not just a simple add-on.

[dsi1]

On 5/18/2014 8:08 AM, Nil wrote:
> On 18 May 2014, dsi1 <ds...@eternal-september.invalid> wrote in
> rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic:
>
>> You probably wouldn't stick one of these on a guitar unless you
>> had to. Any effect on tone would be a secondary consideration. The
>> main function of this device is to reduce the distortion of the
>> guitar top and lower the bridge in relation to the fretboard.
>
> I think it could also be considered as a prophylactic measure to make a
> fragile guitar more gig- or road-worthy. If it allows the benefits of a
> thin top and adds more with more structural strength, but doesn't
> negatively affect the sound much, I'd say it would be net win. A study
> by a neutral party is called for.

That's the thinking of Breedlove guitars. The better classical guitars
tend to be lightweight, fragile, boxes. Steel string guitars are built a
lot heaver but might benefit from a lightly built top. That's not
practical from a manufacturing standpoint. Breedlove's solution might
work very well, or it might not. I've never seen a Breedlove. OTOH, if I
was building guitars this way, I would stay away from anything that
looked like a retrofit job. It's gotta look like a wonderful piece.

>
>> The price of the device is a steal if it allows you to play a
>> vintage guitar that would be unplayable without it. I'd certainly
>> try this before getting a neck reset.
>
> It could also be a bargain for me, who has an inexpensive guitar that I
> like, but that has some inherent structural flaws.
>

That's certainly true. Good luck.

[Steve Daniels]

On Sun, 18 May 2014 10:44:47 -1000, against all advice, something
compelled dsi1 <ds...@eternal-september.invalid>, to say:

> I've never seen a Breedlove.

I've got one. It does weigh a lot less than you'd think by
looking at it.

[dsi1]

My co-worker got one around 15 years ago. When he told me about it, I said "what the heck is a Breedlove?" I'll have to ask him how it's going with the guitar.

I have a 70s Aria Hummingbird copy that's surprisingly lightweight even though it has a metal tune-o-matic bridge. I like guitars that are lighter than they ought to be.

[Nil]

On 19 May 2014, dsi1 <dsi...@yahoo.com> wrote in
rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic:

> My co-worker got one around 15 years ago. When he told me about
> it, I said "what the heck is a Breedlove?" I'll have to ask him
> how it's going with the guitar.
>
> I have a 70s Aria Hummingbird copy that's surprisingly lightweight
> even though it has a metal tune-o-matic bridge. I like guitars
> that are lighter than they ought to be.

My Guild 12-string, which is the guitar that started this thread, is
incredibly light, too. That makes the guitar very, very loud and
responsive, but also a bit delicate and unstable. That's why I think
the Bridge Doctor might be a good fit for it. I may or may not lose a
little zing, but I think it can afford it and still be a good-sounding
instrument and more durable.

[Steve Daniels]

On Mon, 19 May 2014 17:07:32 -0400, against all advice, something
compelled Nil <redn...@REMOVETHIScomcast.net>, to say:

>My Guild 12-string, which is the guitar that started this thread, is
>incredibly light, too.

My Guild 12-string could knock a moose on its ass.

[Nil]

On 19 May 2014, Steve Daniels <sdan...@gorge.net> wrote in
rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic:

Most "real" Guilds are pretty burly. I really misrepresented mine -
it's a GAD Guild, made in China. Nice-sounding guitar, a moose could
probably break it by breathing on it.

[hank alrich]

How do you deal with the recoil? Seems like a recipe for eternal jingle
jangle.

[Steve Daniels]

On Mon, 19 May 2014 18:43:25 -0700, against all advice, something
compelled walk...@nv.net (hank alrich), to say:

>Steve Daniels <sdan...@gorge.net> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 19 May 2014 17:07:32 -0400, against all advice, something
>> compelled Nil <redn...@REMOVETHIScomcast.net>, to say:
>>
>> >My Guild 12-string, which is the guitar that started this thread, is
>> >incredibly light, too.
>>
>>
>> My Guild 12-string could knock a moose on its ass.
>
>How do you deal with the recoil? Seems like a recipe for eternal jingle
>jangle.

It's El Kabong!

[dsi1]

On Monday, May 19, 2014 11:07:32 AM UTC-10, Nil wrote:
> On 19 May 2014, dsi1 <> wrote in

I've never seen a lightly built 12 string. That sounds a little dangerous.

[Mike Brown]

In article <aq7kn9l3vkqbpk8ld...@4ax.com>,

I played a very expensive one in a shop several years ago, a Cedar and
Myrtle cutaway, I don't remember the model, but it was stunning to look
a t and to play. The $7300 price tag was the problem. The price of good
American guitars over here is always ridiculously high, but my HD28V
only cost me $6200.
MJRB

[Steve Hawkins]

Steve Daniels <sdan...@gorge.net> wrote in

news:9pfln9hgeqop1g2mn...@4ax.com:

Guilds, Les Pauls and P-basses are the preferred Biker Bar instruments.
They can give a lickin' and still be pickin'......

Steve Hawkins

[Nil]

On 20 May 2014, Steve Hawkins
<stephen....@frontier.comREMOVETHIS> wrote in
rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic:

> Guilds, Les Pauls and P-basses are the preferred Biker Bar
> instruments. They can give a lickin' and still be pickin'......

Les Pauls got some oomph behind them, but the necks can crack. For
serious moose-knocking, nothing beats a Telecaster!

http://youtu.be/dv1bM0pp_o4

[dsi1]

Most Gibsons will snap their neck if you look at it mean. I have a Strat
that's heavier than any Les Paul and would be the obvious guitar of
choice in case of a moose attack. That's one heavy cross to bear.

[Tom from Texas]

Moose is getting a little bit nervous about going out on the next Fund collection tour but Spike is offering the use of his heavy duty biker helmet. BTW, Guild used to make electric guitars, too. My old Guild 12-string with the XL body could knock down a brick shithouse. Some of the old Gibson archtops had a neck that felt like someone had sawed a baseball bat (old style not the namby-pamby new ones) in half and stuck it on a body.

How are the other members of the band in a guitar fight? Can a drummer do Ninja tricks with drumsticks? Are keyboardists and leadsingers cannon fodder?

Tom (small target and wiry) from Texas