GregP

I don't know the thread in question; however, it gives me the chance to comment that I really liked what one poster did recently (can't remember who it was, but it was someone new) in putting thumbnails of the larger pics. JPGs that small are only about 3k in size, which isn't enough to cripple even dial-up users. Would the mod team consider allowing thumbnailed pictures to exceed the normal quantity rules? Even 10 of those thumbnails will be less size than some of the single pics I've seen around here. Greg

Definitely not for me. I spend much more time in neck-pickup land than bridge-pickup ville. If I had a one-pickup guitar, it would be neck-pickup only. Greg

There's definitely 'something' there-- a darker binding or whatever.

My fingers and other arm joints have been in much better shape ever since switching to a Microsoft "natural" keyboard. I thought it would take getting used to, but it didn't really, and now I like it so so so much better than normal keyboards. Funny how they never fully "caught on" in the mainstream, though. Really, they're far better than any normal keyboard. Greg

Very cool stuff! I had to add a "www" at the beginning to get the link to work, but no worries. Man, I gotta make myself a supa-skinny guitar like that sometime. Greg

To me, the tricky part isn't cutting out the cover. The tricky part is, how do you break the magnetic contact? Where's the handle? Greg

I lowered my action fairly recently. Although I can't say for sure, I'm of the opinion that it plays in tune better now. That might just be placebo effect, though, because I know that in theory it should be playing more in tune and I'm projecting that knowledge onto what I hear. Either way, I'm preferring the action. I still don't have it way down as low as it goes, because I don't like the way it feels when I bend. I like the strings that are "in the way" to contact my fingernails rather than my fingertips, ya know? Greg

Jivin - fair enough! jmrentis - Ron - Hope you stop by more often. Lots of people here that could benefit from any knowledge you could share.

I always thought Microplane were most well-known for their rasps! They are excellent compared to conventional rasps. Just like the claim for the RoboSander-type thing you shared with us, it removes small shavings rather than a bunch of dust. It works very quickly and yet not so quickly that you can't control the work. I got mine with an offset handle and 2 'inserts' so I can do either flat or curved rasping. The offset handle makes it easier to work without banging your knuckles up. They're definitely the hand tool that gets used the most in my project, and is second in usefulness only to a router overall. I've only used it on maple and limba so far (well, and MDF. ) and it's been great. I don't imagine it would be effective on ebony because of ebony's grain and 'brittleness', but that's a matter of knowing the wood and tools, AND-- I could be wrong since I haven't actually tried it. Can't imagine many situations in which you'd need it for fingerboard materials anyhow. Greg

Nice find! I've quite enjoyed my experiences with my Microplane rasps, so I'd be curious to try this one out. Greg

Wes - I see what you mean about the Straploc. I'm sure Rob planned it out and has tested them before and all that shenanigans; however, with a normal Dunlop style straploc (or am I getting them mixed up, is this the Schaller type?) the centre bit is just for keeping it clipped in place, not for bearing a load, which is still done by the outside of the clip (or at least in combination with the inner part). Primal - For real? You must be like me, then, preferring absolutely plain guitars. BUT, in the world of 'ornate' guitars, I find this one to be fairly simple. If you take a step back from the monitor, you don't even notice the detail/fanciness. The wood is uniform instead of a really fancy affair, and despite the details which are in theory more 'intricate' than a plain ol' "figured-top special" I find the overall impression to be simpler than something with one of those figured maple tops. Greg

The disc isn't 'sharp', it's overlapping bits of sandpaper. I believe it's called a flap sanding disc. I finally found some but they don't fit on my wannabe grinder, so I'm going to have to consider buying an actual grinder if I want to try this method out. Greg

I can't truly speak for Wes, but I can say this: As impressed as I've been with other guitars (complete guitars, not just elements), this is the "ornate guitar" (ie. bearing in mind that in truth, I prefer plain guitars like Telecasters!) that has most impressed me with the execution of thematic content. It screams Native American, and yet it didn't do anything cheesy with the concept. The obsessive attention to details is admirable. There's not a single bit of it that is "out of place" in my opinion, though I'm not sure how well that wooden StrapLoc is going to hold up under duress. Or from another perspective: I am extremely impressed by things like Boggs' first attempt, and his adherence to his plan despite us telling him the body style was ugly. I am thrilled to read about newbies doing new things and succeeding, and I hope people feel the same way about my small accomplishments. But only rarely do I look at a guitar and sigh contentedly at the... holistic accomplishment... for lack of a proper term. I've definitely gotten the same feeling from seeing some of David Myka's work (those spruce-topped Dragonflies... <wibble>) and the work of other artists mentioned in this thread, like Craig Lavin or some of Drak's finishes... I'm just rehashing what Wes has already clarified, I guess, but I hope we all remember that verbal communication is a really poor way of expressing feelings (particularly TYPED and on a forum!). I think I relate very strongly to the same thing Wes was feeling about this guitar, and it could have accidentally have been ME saying things like that; however, I wouldn't have meant anything negative about other peoples' work, either. And if I WOULD have (luckily, the thread had already progressed by the time I had arrived) it would have been primarily as a reaction against people who didn't really understand the singular accomplishment of realizing a thematic vision, which includes the use of tuquoise inlay by necessity and by design! It's such an obvious choice that it would have been a mistake to NOT use it!! Greg

That guitar is awesome, period. I'd play it. Too much wood for some people, sure, but isn't the title of the thread "For you Wood Nuts"? Greg

I bought mine from PG's own Universal Jems-- http://www.universaljems.com Greg

Yes, the cost is fairly prohibitive, for me at least. Greg

I don't mind lack of onboard sounds-- my computer is my MIDI device. Looks like a cool product. Greg

MIDI is just information. It can be generated by a "real" guitar, too, combined with the right technology. That would be my ideal-- a real guitar with MIDI control that has accurate tracking. It seems to me that some of the guitar synths can already output as MIDI data instead of as an audio stream. The guitar synth doesn't just alter the sound of your guitar. It takes your notes, turns them into data, and then uses this data to trigger onboard sounds. The only difference with MIDI would be that instead of triggering onboard sounds you could trigger any MIDI-capable device, including sound modules stored on your computer; and, you could save the note information as MIDI so that you can change instruments later. (maybe a trombone would have sounded better than a sax. ) Greg

Cool, thanks for the viewpoint, GM. I didn't know about that Graphite, for starters. Greg

Awesome! I would be happy with that cheap outdated synth.... I can't seem to get any decent sounds going with this MIDI guitar. Wicked-sweet! Greg

How many guitars have you built so far? If this is your first, I wouldn't do a 12-string. Not because they're particularly more difficult (the only differences in difficulty are fairly easily surmountable compared to the project as a whole, I would think) but because an electric 12-string (and IMO even an acoustic 12-string) only has limited appeal. If you want a 'player', make a 6-string. Greg

Waitasec... This ain't no normal Saskatchewan weather: Dammit, Matt, put that thing away, at least until you're done making it!

Tried ASIO4ALL yet? Greg

As a knuckle-popper, I've asked every doctor, nurse, or other kind of health expert if I'm upping my chances for arthritis, and they all say that it's a myth. All you're doing is moving fluids and causing then relieving pressure. Arthritis isn't really 'caused' by that sort of thing. A quick Google comes up with a guy's comments who has done much more concentrated research than your dad (or my mother) has done. After exploring all the possibilities, the conclusion was "there's vague and inconclusive evidence that it can cause SOME sort of joint damage" (worn-out ligaments being the most likely, but even then it's an outside chance and a guess without evidence) but that there is "NO correlation between knuckle-popping and arthritis." The conclusion: Basically, the conclusion seems to be: it doesn't seem to really be harmful, but since it's an ugly habit with no positive benefits, why bother continuing? I dunno about this guy, but sometimes I need to pop my knuckles just to play properly. That seems to be a positive end result. Greg

It all depends on your soundcard. In your control panel somewhere there should be an option for sound settings. Or maybe there's a "standalone" mixer that your soundcard uses. Somewhere in the soup of Windows config there will be an option to turn it on. Usually only one or the other is enabled by default. Your line in may be enabled, meaning the mic in is NOT. This is all just guesswork, though, not being right in front of your system. Greg