Gibson and Heritage
Cleavis
Two that I was really interested in checking out were some of the new Les
Paul Smartwood models, and some Heritage guitars.
The first couple of Smartwood guitars I saw, had some of the worst fret
sprout I'd ever felt on a guitar. I seriously wonder how these things got
out of the factory. The guitars look nice, though, and they have a thinner
body. They're also really lightweight which is good for people who are tired
of breaking their back with a regular Les Paul. The gold hardware is kind of
cheezy looking - I'd prefer chrome myself. I really liked the satin finish
of the guitars. Very nice. I later found a couple of Smartwood guitars at
another dealer booth and the fret ends were perfect. Upon close examination,
you could tell that they had been filed down properly. Whether this had been
done at the factory or at the store, I don't know, but I assume it was the
latter. The guy at the booth told me that they did a set-up on all their
guitars prior to selling them. That makes sense. A good tech would have
fixed the problem right there. The action on these guitars were very good. I
didn't get to plug them in, so I can't comment on the sound.
I got to check out two Heritage guitars, also. They were both double-cutaway
guitars that were kind of a morph between an SG and a DC model. I think the
model number was 170 or something. Both guitars had gorgeous flamed maple
tops and workmanship looked really good. Upon close examination, though,
both guitars fret-sprout like the above mentioned Gibson Les Pauls. The
fret-sprout wasn't as bad as the Gibson models, but it was bad enough to
make me not want to play the guitar.
I had expected more out of the Heritage guitars. To be fair, I played an
H535 that seemed decent, but was nothing special.
Another thing that I noticed at the guitar show was that the Gibson DC
Standards were conspicuously absent. Gibson must not have produced very many
of these. I only saw ONE at the show... Saw a couple of DC Studios, though.
The DC Standards should become collectors items very quickly.
-=Cleavis
http://www.cyberramp.net/~cypher/
George4908
spatulas. More seriously, I have seen inconsistent quality control on the
finish and necks -- just like Gibson. Either way, you have to look 'em over
carefully and hunt for a good one.
nate...@my-dejanews.com
Agree. In addition to the incredibly ugly (pardon the technical marketing
terminology) headstock shape, the heel curve is way too shallow, resulting in
a bunch of maple where there should be a bunch of air. Perhaps this obviates
any future service needs, perhaps it's just the radius of their sander, but
methinks it might occur to them that upper fret access is OK in the
post-Korean war world. If I ever find a Heritage (used, of course) with a big
enough neck for my manly tastes (another gripe, but I suspect I'm in the
minority on neck size preference), the first modification will be to scoop
out the heel to make it more modern and user-friendly, like a ... 1950's
Gibson archtop. - Nate Lamy
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
peatea
James Andrews
: UMmmm What is fret sprout?
: Pt
Basically it's usually where the fingerboard shrinks after the frets are
installed because the wood wasn't dried long enough. The ends of the
frets then stick out of the sides of the neck.
But "fret sprout" in general could mean any situation where the frets are
sticking out of the sides of the neck. IOW, a badly done fret job.
Jas.
-------------------------
James Andrews
Philadelphia, PA
Remove the XX
Polfus
>From: jand...@mail2.sas.upenn.edu (James Andrews)
>peatea (em...@snugcove.com) wrote:
>
>: UMmmm What is fret sprout?
>: Pt
>
>Basically it's usually where the fingerboard shrinks after the frets are
>installed because the wood wasn't dried long enough. The ends of the
>frets then stick out of the sides of the neck.
>
>But "fret sprout" in general could mean any situation where the frets are
>sticking out of the sides of the neck. IOW, a badly done fret job.
>
>Jas.
FWIW, I have played quite a few of the Smartwood Exotic Les Pauls, and I have
not experienced nor felt any "fret sprout" on any of those instruments.
But, we all know Cleavis has fragile fingers....( Band-Aids, anyone?)
Hehehe...
Peace,
Jason
Joe McNamara
<jand...@sXXas.upenn.edu> wrote:
> peatea (em...@snugcove.com) wrote:
>
> : UMmmm What is fret sprout?
> : Pt
>
> >Basically it's usually where the fingerboard shrinks after the frets are
> >installed because the wood wasn't dried long enough. The ends of the
> >frets then stick out of the sides of the neck.
>
>> But "fret sprout" in general could mean any situation where the frets are
> >sticking out of the sides of the neck. IOW, a badly done fret job.
>
> Jas.
Jas,
You're are about half right, but your contention that fret sprout occurs
when >the fingerboard shrinks after the frets are
installed because the wood wasn't dried long enough.< isn't completely
accurate. Even properly cured wood will shrink when improperly humidified
and the best of fret jobs will seem poor under these conditions.. Guitars
like to live in the 45-50% humidity that they are built in, and will
quickly go south when exposed to 35% or lower humidty. As a rep for an
acoustic guitar manufacturer, I spend fair amount of time educating
dealers and owners alike about the dangers of under humidification. On an
acoustic guitar, fret sprout is usually accompanied by dished, corregated
or split tops, as spruce and cedar react more quickly than ebony or
rosewood fingerboards, and by the time the fingerboard shrinks, the top
has very often suffured severely from under humidification. I travel with
a Radio Shack digital hygrometer for exactly this purpose, and have
surprised a lot of dealers who had not paid attention to this important
issue. The $25 you invest in one of these now can save you a lot of
problems and warranty wrangling later.
Joe McNamara
Ron Thompson
This guy kills me.
> You're are about half right, but your contention that fret sprout occurs
> when >the fingerboard shrinks after the frets are
> installed because the wood wasn't dried long enough.< isn't completely
> accurate. Even properly cured wood will shrink when improperly humidified
> and the best of fret jobs will seem poor under these conditions.. Guitars
> like to live in the 45-50% humidity that they are built in, and will
> quickly go south when exposed to 35% or lower humidty. As a rep for an
> acoustic guitar manufacturer, I spend fair amount of time educating
> dealers and owners alike about the dangers of under humidification. On an
> acoustic guitar, fret sprout is usually accompanied by dished, corregated
> or split tops, as spruce and cedar react more quickly than ebony or
> rosewood fingerboards, and by the time the fingerboard shrinks, the top
> has very often suffured severely from under humidification. I travel with
> a Radio Shack digital hygrometer for exactly this purpose, and have
> surprised a lot of dealers who had not paid attention to this important
> issue. The $25 you invest in one of these now can save you a lot of
> problems and warranty wrangling later.
Thanks Joemac. I read that Ritchie Blackmore carries a halved potato in the guitar case for
humidification purposes.
What sez ye to this?
--
rct
The opinions above are mine and mine alone.
Ron Thompson
>
> Thanks for the clarification Joe--he's right folks.
I just wanted to point out that Joemac is always right. He is a voice of reason in the dark, misty
swamps of rmmg. He is a Man among Men. And he works for one of the True Guitar Companies.
Gawd, I'm like bawlin over here.
Joe McNamara
<thom...@admin.tc.faa.gov> wrote:
I think you are about half right, it's a quarter of a potato.
Then again, I've read that Blackmore carries a bag of fries (or what the
English call "lorries", but is pronounced "gaol", go figure) for
humdification/snack purposes and I also read that Yngvie carries a damp
Mr. Potato in the guitar case for humdification/amusement purposes
("Telling me again, Mr. Potato Head fellow, who is most fantastic guitar
playing person, or are you ignorant plastic stupid wet-guy who is knowing
nothing of anything? Out with it, or I will be having your ears AND be
stripping you of your tiny hussar's jacket").
I read it from a regular poster to rmmg, so it's probably true, but I'm
not 100 percent sure. Any video of this?
Joe
"Paganini? Lemme see that - thats "page nine", ya numbskull" - Moe Howard
Ron Thompson
> I think you are about half right, it's a quarter of a potato.
Wrong, loaner lender. Read it and weep:
"I have an Alvarez acoustic, a Lakewood acoustic, and two Taylors, a six- and 12-string.
Lakewood is a German guitar, and they will be a big manufacturer someday. Interestingly,
with the Taylor, you have to watch the weather. Put a potato in your guitar case overnight;
cut it in half and it hydrates the guitar. Taylors are very light, so they need the moisture.
The potato does the same thing as a humidifier, but it also has the benefit of being a conversation
piece. And it's guaranteed to get you stopped at airport customs for at least four hours.
They take you to the side, look at the potato in the case and say, "What? You've got a potato?"
Then they destroy it and take it away and analyze it. Especially if you go through Canada."
Thank you for proving my point.
> Then again, I've read that Blackmore carries a bag of fries (or what the
> English call "lorries", but is pronounced "gaol", go figure)
Wrong again, lymphatic luxate. It is pronounced "throat warbler mangrove", but is spelled
"luxury yacht". Read the book, please.
> for humdification/snack purposes and I also read that Yngvie carries a damp
> Mr. Potato in the guitar case for humdification/amusement purposes
> ("Telling me again, Mr. Potato Head fellow, who is most fantastic guitar
> playing person, or are you ignorant plastic stupid wet-guy who is knowing
> nothing of anything? Out with it, or I will be having your ears AND be
> stripping you of your tiny hussar's jacket").
This, this right here, is comedy. Jeez Us.
> I read it from a regular poster to rmmg,
There are no known regular posters to rmmg, they are all what one would term "highly irregular."
Think about it.
> so it's probably true, but I'm not 100 percent sure.
I agree.
> Any video of this?
No. My Joemac Usenet Posting Demo Video contains only Joemac posts from the 70's. I didn't have
time to get this one in there. I'm swamped with advance orders for my Andrew P. Mullhaupt Usenet
Posting Instructional Video. Thanks for the free advertising though.
Joe McNamara
<thom...@admin.tc.faa.gov> wrote:
> Joe McNamara wrote:
>
> > I think you are about half right, it's a quarter of a potato.
>
> Wrong, loaner lender. Read it and weep:
>
> "I have an Alvarez acoustic, a Lakewood acoustic, and two Taylors, a
six- and 12-string.
> Lakewood is a German guitar, and they will be a big manufacturer
someday. Interestingly,
> with the Taylor, you have to watch the weather. Put a potato in your
guitar case overnight;
> cut it in half and it hydrates the guitar. Taylors are very light, so
they need the moisture.
> The potato does the same thing as a humidifier, but it also has the
benefit of being a conversation
> piece. And it's guaranteed to get you stopped at airport customs for
at least four hours.
> They take you to the side, look at the potato in the case and say,
"What? You've got a potato?"
> Then they destroy it and take it away and analyze it. Especially if
you go through Canada."
>
> Thank you for proving my point.<<
Listen, lanquid lox, my mailbox is overflowing with testamoniuls from
happily hydrated Lakewood owners, many of whom are professionals and
Canadians (as well as a few amatuer Canadians) all of who thank me for my
tuber tutorial and have paid well in advance for my entire tape series.
Next up a "Secrets of The Shriner's Teeny Motorcycle Technique". You're
about to be left behind, again.
>
> > Then again, I've read that Blackmore carries a bag of fries (or what the
> > English call "lorries", but is pronounced "gaol", go figure)
>
> Wrong again, lymphatic luxate. It is pronounced "throat warbler
mangrove", but is spelled
> "luxury yacht". Read the book, please.
Thats sweet. I have had several seances with the late author, who counsels
me to start ignoring you now. I have already begun a campaign of
retro-ignoration, rendering your entire position mute.
>
> > for humdification/snack purposes and I also read that Yngvie carries a damp
> > Mr. Potato in the guitar case for humdification/amusement purposes
> > ("Telling me again, Mr. Potato Head fellow, who is most fantastic guitar
> > playing person, or are you ignorant plastic stupid wet-guy who is knowing
> > nothing of anything? Out with it, or I will be having your ears AND be
> > stripping you of your tiny hussar's jacket").
>
> This, this right here, is comedy. Jeez Us.
Laugh all you want, Pagliacci. I've seen the jacket.
> > I read it from a regular poster to rmmg,
>
> There are no known regular posters to rmmg, they are all what one would
term "highly irregular."
>
> Think about it.
If I've said it (with pride) once, I've said it (with pride) a thousand
times.
Serutan.
> > so it's probably true, but I'm not 100 percent sure.
>
> I agree.
>
> > Any video of this?
>
> No. My Joemac Usenet Posting Demo Video contains only Joemac posts from
the 70's. I didn't have
> time to get this one in there. I'm swamped with advance orders for my
Andrew P. Mullhaupt Usenet
> Posting Instructional Video. Thanks for the free advertising though.
I've never seen Mullhaupt, so he obviously doesn't exist. Why you persist
in evading my questions speaks VOLUMES about your schooling. Want to
compare trailer homes with me, single-wide boy? I didn't think so. How
about charitable donations - how much did YOU get last year? Like I said,
you can't hang.
My posting style has been carefully developed over the last thirty-five
years. I was wearing a stick-on mustache in order to post when I was in
the seventh grade. The posting power trio I'm putting together (with three
other guys) will blow away all previous posting power trios. You can buy
the tape, $40, as soon as my Betamax is back from my world famous tech.
Consider yourself ignored.
Peace,
Barney Rubble-Kessel
--
Joe McNamara
all opinions are mine
!Koi
>
> Serutan.
>
Take Serutan tonite and sleeeeeep....
Safe and restful, sleep, sleep, sleeeeeeeep.
Remember, Serutan is Natures backwards.
(At least that's they way I still hear it in my head. Talk about
effective advertising!!!!)
Joe
Cleavis (Formerly Cypher)
>FWIW, I have played quite a few of the Smartwood Exotic Les Pauls, and I
have
>not experienced nor felt any "fret sprout" on any of those instruments.
>
>But, we all know Cleavis has fragile fingers....( Band-Aids, anyone?)
LOL! Yeah... I learned my lesson. I always feel the edge of the fretboard
now before I play a Gibson. :-) FWIW I played a couple of Smartwood LP's
that didn't have fret-sprout, also. I believe I stated that in my original
post.
-=Cleavis
http://www.cyberramp.net/~cypher/
Cleavis (Formerly Cypher)
>You're are about half right, but your contention that fret sprout occurs
>when >the fingerboard shrinks after the frets are
>installed because the wood wasn't dried long enough.< isn't completely
>accurate. Even properly cured wood will shrink when improperly humidified
>and the best of fret jobs will seem poor under these conditions.. Guitars
>like to live in the 45-50% humidity that they are built in, and will
>quickly go south when exposed to 35% or lower humidty.
We don't have much "lack of humidity" in Dallas.
-=Cleavis
http://www.cyberramp.net/~cypher/
Cleavis (Formerly Cypher)
>"I have an Alvarez acoustic, a Lakewood acoustic, and two Taylors, a six-
and 12-string.
> Lakewood is a German guitar, and they will be a big manufacturer someday.
Interestingly,
> with the Taylor, you have to watch the weather. Put a potato in your
guitar case overnight;
> cut it in half and it hydrates the guitar. Taylors are very light, so
they need the moisture.
> The potato does the same thing as a humidifier, but it also has the
benefit of being a conversation
> piece. And it's guaranteed to get you stopped at airport customs for at
least four hours.
> They take you to the side, look at the potato in the case and say, "What?
You've got a potato?"
> Then they destroy it and take it away and analyze it. Especially if you
go through Canada."
Where in the case do you put the potato? inside the guitar?
:-O
-=Cleavis
http://www.cyberramp.net/~cypher/
Cleavis (Formerly Cypher)
>James Andrews wrote:
>>
>> Thanks for the clarification Joe--he's right folks.
>
>I just wanted to point out that Joemac is always right. He is a voice of
reason in the dark, misty
>swamps of rmmg. He is a Man among Men. And he works for one of the True
Guitar Companies.
You mean... Taylor?
:-O
-=Cleavis
http://www.cyberramp.net/~cypher/
Joe McNamara
Well, you're half right, as is the popular trend. It was "Sominex" that
offered safe and restful sleep, sleep, sleeeep.
Serutan IS Natures, backward. I wouldn't think you'd be too sleepy after a
dose of Serutan and combining it with Sominex could prove disconcerting
upon awakening.
Joe McNamara
"don't bother sending the Serutan and calculator, I sat down and worked
it out with a pencil" - Albert Einstein
Joe McNamara
<450A92FCA77025EE.2987B5AD...@library-proxy.airnews.net>,
"Cleavis (Formerly Cypher)" <guit...@geocities.com> wrote:
.. Guitars
> >like to live in the 45-50% humidity that they are built in, and will
> We don't have much "lack of humidity" in Dallas.
>
> -=Cleavis
> http://www.cyberramp.net/~cypher/
You might be surprised at just how different the humidity can be in a
store, even in one part of a store from another. Last night I visited a
store where the acoustic room was a very suitable 45%. Twenty steps away,
in their vintage room, which has guitars behind glass in a giant "guitar
aquarium", the interior of the display area registered 31%.! I've got to
assume that the combination of incandescent lighting and lack of air
circulation dries out the air pretty efficiently.
!Koi
>
>
> Well, you're half right, as is the popular trend. It was "Sominex" that
> offered safe and restful sleep, sleep, sleeeep.
Of course you are right. I was only a quarter of a spud when I heard
that on the radio.
For some reason, my mind also correlates it with Farmer John
advertising on Dodger. Lil spud in the back seat of Dad's car late at
night.
> Serutan IS Natures, backward. I wouldn't think you'd be too sleepy after a
> dose of Serutan and combining it with Sominex could prove disconcerting
> upon awakening.
>
> Joe McNamara
>
> "don't bother sending the Serutan and calculator, I sat down and worked
> it out with a pencil" - Albert Einstein
I take it, then, that Serutan was/is a laxative? I worked that one out
with a slide rule. Ouch.
Joe
Polfus
>>
>>But, we all know Cleavis has fragile fingers....( Band-Aids, anyone?)
>
>
>LOL! Yeah... I learned my lesson. I always feel the edge of the fretboard
>now before I play a Gibson. :-)
Guess what..because of you, I do too now !!!!!! I don't know why, but I do :)
DOH!!!!!!!!
Hehehe....
Ron Thompson
>
> Joe McNamara wrote:
> >
> > Serutan.
> >
>
> Take Serutan tonite and sleeeeeep....
>
> Safe and restful, sleep, sleep, sleeeeeeeep.
>
> Remember, Serutan is Natures backwards.
>
> (At least that's they way I still hear it in my head. Talk about
> effective advertising!!!!)
I think that Sominex will be happy to hear about how effective their advertising was.
Ron Thompson
>
> Ron Thompson wrote in message <3703B5...@admin.tc.faa.gov>...
> >James Andrews wrote:
> >>
> >> Thanks for the clarification Joe--he's right folks.
> >
> >I just wanted to point out that Joemac is always right. He is a voice of
> reason in the dark, misty
> >swamps of rmmg. He is a Man among Men. And he works for one of the True
> Guitar Companies.
>
> You mean... Taylor?
No, Joemac.
Bill Garlinghouse
>> You mean... Taylor?
>
Taylor isn't mean, just misunderstood . . .