BadgerDave

Good idea, Johnny, except if I do as you suggest, he gets the money for my first order plus the money for my second order in advance, without shipping anything. If he never ships, I'm out the first payment because I dropped the dispute. I can dispute the second payment, but it will take another 45-60 days to resolve. My main issue now is trust. I don't beleive he has any product to ship and he's just trying to to keep as much money as he can before PayPal shuts the door on his ability to bill. This was the Snake Oil endgame. In the meantime, I've ordered one of these for 1/3 the price of the Mann bridge:

On the other hand, this demonstrates that PayPal does not always suck.

As those of you who have been following the progress of the sparkley Stike-o-caster thread are aware, I've been having difficulty receiving a bridge I ordered from John Mann at MannMade USA. I ordered one of these: from this website: MannMade Website in October, paying via PayPal. Within a couple of days after ordering I received an e-mail from John promising to ship within 10 days. After a few weeks, I hadn't received the bridge and I sent a few e-mails. I then politely informed John that I was going to open a dispute with PayPal. I received a response, promising to ship if I didn't open the dispute. I waited until the last possible day before I would lose the right to open a dispute before initiating it. John's position now is that he will ship if I drop the dispute. My response is that I will drop the dispute the moment I have the bridge in my hands. Here's his last communication: Dave As stated previously, I would be happy to ship the bridge this week and will confirm with a USPS tracking #. I will pack the bridge, prepare it for shipment, give you the tracking #. Once you have the tracking #, I need you drop the dispute as resolved and re-instate payment. Regards, John Mann Why do you suppose he wants me to drop the dispute before I have the bridge?

It's better than John Mayer.

I apologize for quoting myself, but this works. Try it - if you don't get the strings you will at least get your money back.

He is aware. The way to get strings from SOS is to pay via paypal. Then wait until the 45 day time limit for disputes is nearly over and file a dispute. I did this and Dean called me personally asking me to withdraw the dispute. He was all, "Hey dude, that was uncool". I told him I would withdraw the dispute the moment my strings arrived. I got them the next day by express mail. I think I can live with being uncool.

No. My credit card was charged in November. I've inquired many times, nver got a response, no strings.

Alice Cooper! One of the best shows I've seen in years.

Believe me, if there was a local shop or a dealer here who could provide this product, I'd buy a lifetime supply today. Very interesting comments about other string choices. I used Fender Super Bullets for a decade and thought they were the schnizit. I stopped using them when I was playing Hamer Specials exclusively because the bullet ends stuck out of the string ferrules on the back of the guitar. I'll pick up another set and reaquaint myself. I have used Thomastik-Infeld Power Brights, DR Blues and Pyramid strings. I liked all of them, had issues with DRs - the wrappings on the wound strings were defective on about 25% of the sets I bought, and have a bit of sticker shock at the current price of the others. I may end up ordering a few sets of Pyramids and hoping for an eventual shipment from Dean.

They really are excellent strings. I don't know technically what the difference is, but they feel more elastic than other brands, without any looseness or sloppiness. Hard to explain, but there's a real and easily discernable "trampoline effect" that's very positive. Far more subjective, but IMO, also present, is a very harmonically full and pleasing tone. I don't want to insult anyone's string of choice, but, for example, D'Addario strings sound and feel "cheap" to me. The tone is kind of "clangy" and the wound strings don't feel completely polished out. The SOS strings definitely feel more refined. I also believe that they sound better, but I can't completely dismiss the halo or placebo effect if I'm being completely honest.

This probably is old news, but I'm finally irritated enough to post about it. I placed an order for 10 sets of Snake Oil strings through the SOS online store in November. I knew the wait would be significant, but I assumed I would get the strings within a few months. Nope. Dean processed my credit card payment immediately and I still haven't gotten the strings nor a response to any of my e-mail inquiries. Now it's far too late to dispute the charge and, unless I want to file a criminal complaint I'll just have to live with the fact that this massingillsack stole $100 from me. Stay away. As good as the strings are, they've become vaporware. SOS is the new Vintique.

ALoft for me as well. I need to be at the airport stupidly early on Sunday, so the proximity to the light rail line sealed the deal. Reasonably priced, too.

Yes. For me, it's not a single factor, it's a combination. A "keeper" has to resonate naturally and sound good unplugged. I need to feel it in my chest when I play it. It also has to sound good plugged in through a variety of amps. I've found that a guitar that sounds great through an old Fender amp with absolutely no distortion will sound good through just about any other combination of amp and effects, so that's my primary test. It also has to look cool and make me look cool when I play it -even if I'm by myself in my basement Oh, and it can't be a Peavey.

+1 +2 Except for Johnny B. Goode. I don't know that one. I'm home! What a trip. Songs, let's see, what sounds good on a Talladega? Anything with three chords, of course! Like: I Hate My Job Apologize I Wish I Wasn't Human Pineola (No need to look these up, you won't find them, and they're only 3 chords anyway, which allows for plenty of jammin) Is MC Chris coming? Vicious Live With Me Amerika (Version 6.0) Bohemian Like You More later.... Welcome home, Bruce. You forgot: Bambi Came Home! Yes, assuming we survive the road trip, Chris and I will be there.

I only know Bruce McBride songs. Or Johnny B. Goode

One of my first posts on this board (back in 1999 IIRC) was about a very cool Daytona formerly owned by ex Jesus Lizard and Hank Williams III guitarist Duane Denison. I found out about the Denison connection when I noticed the "Jesus Lizard" logo stenciled on the case, did a google search and turned up photos of Duane playing the guitar. Increased the value by 60% - from $450 to $750!

Obigatory Calibird photo:

I've done the paper towel and Elmer's repair on small tears. It works Perfectly so long as the tear is limited to the paper cone and there isn't any cone material missing.

I'm nearly positive that Eclipses were out of production before the Hipshot BabtGrand bridge was introduced. Studs and inserts come threaded to either U.S. (5/16-24) or metric (M8 x 1.25) spec. The Hipshot uses U.S. studs and inserts. You probably just need a set of U.S. threaded studs from Tone Pros or an old set of Gibson studs. Can you simply use the Hipshot studs with your new bridge? The stud spacing should be identical since the Hipshot was made to retrofit "Gibson" stud spacing.

MannMade website The MannMade trems are now available as replacements.

Talledega with a 6 in-line headstock (no binding) and omit the victory inlay at the 12th fret. Boomers would be a bonus, but I'm trying to be realistic.

Roll out the barrel . . . Happy birthday, young one. I have it on good authority that the Lions are going to win one for you. Someday.

I'm 15 minutes from O'Hare. Someone coming from the south side might could swing by Midway and pick you up.