Gearhead

[WalshFan88]

Well - at least until they get tired of one another.

[WalshFan88]

So I'm looking and I'm thinking about going to put some nickel pickup covers on "Ruby".... Right now she's naked/uncovered. The ones I want are the non shiny ones, to make it look more like a vintage guitar. I'm going to work on a client's computer this week to change out a hard drive and I'm hoping to take the money from that call and buy some covers!

In case you are wondering WTH I'm talking about - here is a Les Paul (the kind of guitar Ruby is) UNCOVERED:



And here is a Les Paul COVERED:



You can see the silver/nickel covers in the middle of the guitar. Right now Ruby looks like the first pic, and I'm gonna make her look like the second pic when I get done with her!

[WalshFan88]

Just so you can see what Ruby herself looks like right now, I took this pic. I put it into B&W but you can still see the exposed pickups with no covers as I mentioned above. I think she'd be even better looking with some "raw nickel" covers.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Okay Austin - you baited me right into this. First of all, I have no idea what the purpose of those covers are. But more importantly, it is totally a mind-blowing experience to hear a man complaining about Ruby being naked.

[WalshFan88]

Okay Austin - you baited me right into this. First of all, I have no idea what the purpose of those covers are. But more importantly, it is totally a mind-blowing experience to hear a man complaining about Ruby being naked.

It's mainly to make the guitar look more like the "Holy Grail Les Paul", the '59 Standard which typically had those covers on it. The modern look is to have the covers off. When I got her, she had no covers. I decided to install new pickups which came without them also. Now I decided I would prefer it look more like a vintage guitar and have that smoother sound you get with covers on. It tames some of the treble/high end you get from the sound. So it actually makes a difference in the sound too. Believe me she sounds fine and looks fine right now naked (and I don't mind a bit! ) but I'm going for that '59 Les Paul look and sound.

[WalshFan88]

I just bought a box of 11 gauge strings. Making the move slowly but surely. Love 11s for that thick bluesy tone.

[WalshFan88]

Wow, I feel kind of alone here in this thread lately! I feel like I'm talking to myself! In all seriousness, I hope Mike is okay and doing well. I really miss his insight and our conversations and debates about gear and tech.

In the world of Gearland at my studio, right now I'm working on getting some more stompboxes for my big "play" pedalboard that I use for home or BIG gigs and I typically use a smaller board that I pick pedals off of the big board to take with me to a particular show. I'm wanting to get some more Wampler Pedals as well as a Fulltone OCD and Plimsoul. I also am really obsessing over Tweed 50s era Fender amps right now too and want a Tweed Deluxe something awful!

[EaglesKiwi]

Wow, I feel kind of alone here in this thread lately! I feel like I'm talking to myself! In all seriousness, I hope Mike is okay and doing well. I really miss his insight and our conversations and debates about gear and tech.

Not talking to yourself ... I just don't have any insight about gear & tech to make it a conversation!

[sodascouts]

I'm afraid I don't have much insight to offer either - but I do read it and find it interesting.

[MikeA]

I'm fine Austin...just burried in work. Our staff has been cut pretty radically and we've brought on three new clients (one being a rather large Automobile Manufacturer). Those of us left are having to really pick up a lot of slack and it doesn't leave me much time to get out on the Internet and play. Bummer too with the new computer screaming to be used!

I think it was in "Crossfire" that I read that SRV used really heavy gauge strings on his ole beat up Strat. In more than one instance, he literally cut the callouses of the tips of the fingers on his left hand and once in Fort Worth, sent a roadie to a drug store to buy Superglue to glue the ends of his fingers back on so he could finish his gig. You wouldn't do that with lightweight strings. But SRV would play most all night in the clubs and then go to school and sleep during classes. Einstein he wasn't, but he sure could make a guitar sing!