Let's see your guitar and bass gear!

First beef jerky, now toilet seats

If I go white, it'll be a nice classic solid white with a black center ply. I've even got one. But my first reaction was like yours, I like the black. Gives the body a bit of visual mass.

PSA - if anyone is within reasonable distance of Fort Wayne, IN I'd suggest heading over to Gearfest at Sweetwater coming up in a couple weeks. It's certainly worth going at least once - there's always at least a couple presentations worth checking out, some incredible deals on gear, and the used tent usually has an eclectic mix of stuff.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

I like the white, but I'm a simple man.

White won out - for now. I might go to black later while also changing the pickup and knob colors. Now we're making friends.

I love it! I think the white looks great! (But the black does too...) That blue is gorgeous. If I didn't already have my white bodied strat I'd be looking for one similarly colored as yours. (See pics of mine a page or 2 ago.)

You may see it with a black guard, pups and knobs soon. I can't help myself. I dig the guard on your white Strat.

It's been interesting learning the different feel of this thing. Compared to the Squier body and neck, it's just so smoooth under my hands. Like it's been dipped in a big candy shell. Some of that is the finished maple neck as opposed to my previous rosewood one, a lot of it is just the finish of the frets and everything else. I'm still coming to grips with that slippery maple, but I'll get there.

I've got some work to do to nail the pickup height, the G is getting yanked around. This is fun.

How to adjust pickup height:

The blue and white is hot.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

I'm gathering parts for a Warmoth Tele that's about the same color. Still debating on the pick guard color but the white looks good.

Picked up new Duncan pickups this morning.

Little more work on the Epi bass project

Stripping the headstock revealed some tuner changes

Wood putty isn't what I want here

The dowels they used were perhaps balsa or cork? I could easily mush it around with my fingernail. I reamed them out to 3/4 and glued in maple plugs.

Covered those up with maple veneer for some reason

and dyed the one on the face ebony

A dozen or so coats of tru oil, redrilled the tuner holes and mounted up the new Wilkinsons

It is getting close!

This thread has been kind of eating at me for a while now.

I have a Squire PJ bass project I picked up a few months ago and haven't really touched it in a long while. It may be time to move it along.

TLDR- is it appropriate to list items for sale here?

paranoid_android74 wrote: is it appropriate to list items for sale here?

Do it! I cant be the only one that might be interested in a PJ.

Now with more black! Yum. This is what I wanted.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

Ok, I was questioning the switch to black, but now I'd definitely say don't go back...

Seriously though, that looks great Keith.

Keith Tanner wrote: Now with more black! Yum. This is what I wanted.

That's basically what I want in a Strat, but I want a HSS. That looks amazing!

The body's routed out for probably an HSH from the looks of things, so maybe I'll try it that way at some point just for fun. But for now, I'm a happy man.

logdog wrote:

paranoid_android74 wrote: is it appropriate to list items for sale here?

Do it! I cant be the only one that might be interested in a PJ.

Ok- if you say it's ok, then I will!

I'll try to get some pics of it tonight.

More Epi ET285 updates

Wired up the pickguard

Used RC car battery quick disconnects for the bridge pickup for ease of service

If these work out I will put them in every new build from here out.

The headstock decal was a hard one to find. The modern Epiphone sticker is everywhere but the only vintage style one I could find was from a supplier in the UK. Neck was finished in Tru-oil. I am unhappy with the shape of the truss rod cover, which is why it isn't screwed in yet. I will probably change it tomorrow. The nut is a precarved bone piece which was like $2 shipped from china and was really close out of the package.

Body is complete. Strap buttons on, bridge pickup ring is shaped and installed

I threw some flatwound slinkys on, gave it a quick intonation set, adjusted the action and plugged it in. Sounds surprisingly good! A little buzzy, truss rod is a bit tight. The 75 year old tone capacitor is noisy, I only used it because it was all I could find. My stash of orange drops is down to just 0.01uf and 0.0047uf.

By taking advantage of guitarfetish sales, ebay sellers with mislabeled items, free shipping from china and anything else I could, I have around than $125 into it. A proper setup, a new tone cap and I will press it into regular use. I dig this thing. I have always loved the Epiphone coronet/wilshire body style and this has that kinda mojo.

Mister Balls, you're making me want to start lurking in pawn shops.

The Wilshire bodies are not really my thing, but I would play the ever loving crap out of that one! Nice work!

A few months ago the owner of our local guitar shop says to me: I just got something in that you're going to love.

It was this:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/N__q0r4ArEs

It was cool but decided to wait. The other day I messaged him: I'll be by to pick one up.

I'm an idiot for waiting so long. I have been playing along with GarageBand, but this feels more natural. Sometimes the Digitech drummer adds a fill or does something organic. Plus the foot switch makes it way easy.

I asked about the Beat Buddy, too. The owner of our shop said he prefers the Trio: The Trio adapts to your playing where you have to adapt to the Beat Buddy's playing.

Last night was my first night with the Trio but I'm already stoked.

Now that is an interesting little doodad for noodling with. Keep us up to date on what it's like to play with, or if the 12 "styles" get old soon. My coworker keeps trying to get me to buy amps, but for my use a little band in a box would be a lot more useful.

Looks like there's a TRIO+ version for about double the money that integrates a looper pedal and has a few more options as well as memory.

That is so cool! I sent it over to a friend that does a good bit of solo stuff. Apparently it works with ukulele too. (My friend does mostly ukulele gigs.)

Makes me want to get better at guitar so I could actually justify getting this. It's not terribly expensive either. ~$200 if you also get the footswitch.

So far I haven't come close to board with it. Once you start changing tempos, those "12 styles" give you a ton of choices.

I have been using it with a bass. I'm running it all through my GK amp.

I might have to check that thing out.

David S. Wallens wrote: So far I haven't come close to board with it. Once you start changing tempos, those "12 styles" give you a ton of choices. I have been using it with a bass. I'm running it all through my GK amp.

So, if you are playing a bass through it, is it creating a guitar line, or do you just have a band with two basses?