diablo175

Well, it needs to be dried out- in a roaring dumpster fire.

I only keep one Hamer in its case. No danger of it going unplayed THAT long. My science knowledge is bit rusty but the photo seems to indicate some moisture was introduced to the case at some point.

If it's not getting played, it doesn't really need new strings. End of story. Next...

No, I don't use it in the conventional manner; it's also a kill switch pot so, I use it that way. Vid from years ago using a kill switch tone pot.

Thanks, I'm quite happy with it!!! Yes, the Sustainiac pickup works as a single coil when the sustain driver isn't engaged. I've heard it referred to as an active pickup?

More shots of the TS Standard 24- this time in late afternoon winter sun. The finish just ignited!

VERY playable and versatile 2020 Mexi-made Charvel DK 24 HH FR. Has a number of upgrades and mods. Mahogany Body, Quilt Maple Top, stoopid comfy oiled Maple Neck/Fretboard, 24 Jumbo frets with plenty of life, 2 Humbucking Pickups, and Floyd Rose Tremolo - Dark Amber. The Usual Diablo-izations here: Swapped out the gold hardware for black, ditched the 5 way blade switch for a 3 way toggle & put it in the tone pot hole. Tuners were replaced with Grover Schaller-style Mini's. German made Orig. Floyd Rose with fat brass block and noiseless coated springs replaced the 1000 Series. Volume pot was replaced with a Kill switch/volume pot. Seymour SH-10 bridge p'up was replaced with a Gravelin custom wound Mongoose double slug variant. Schaller strap locks complete the upgrades. Can include original hardware and electronics for additional $100 if you want to return it to stock. But why would you? Ships in a Charvel gig bag.

We'll call it a musical experiment as well as a textbook example of runaway GAS. Wanted to see if the bigger $ axes somehow were a marked improvement over the mid-line priced ones.

SD (Neck) Hot Rails in the Radioactive LE and a Gravelin Single Coil currently in the Swirly LE. It’s pictured with an earlier Hot Rails

Both of my LE's are highly modded and likely worthless to anyone looking for stock or original Cali's. That said, they look, play and sound fantastic!

I'll bite: Agreed that high priced, fancy schmancy axes don't necessarily denote skill/talent level. However, when you lack whatever the X variable (talent, creativity, super human skill, tenacity, etc) that accounts for being a really good player, you start to look for whatever will help to compensate for the deficiency of X. Better tools do better enable an artist to create. For me, it's merely a matter of hoping to find the Excalibur of guitars that checks all the boxes and enables me to better do what I do. Sure, it's folly and putting pearls on a swine but it's comforting to think that the right tool will elevate my playing ever so slightly.

I'm not fishing for compliments or affirmation but thanks. I think a better way of stating this is: I'm a hack that has played long enough and held enough decent axes to know what I like and what is decent quality within that admittedly limited style of play. And yes, I truly think he did me a favor.

The benefit of being a TINK- Two Incomes, No Kids, coupled with a recent promotion of sorts, is that I can drop 4K on a guitar. I don't rate a 4K guitar but I can afford one.

At the time of ordering it, I wanted one more badass superstrat build. I had one in the works with Charvel Custom Shop (3 years on and yet to be delivered 🙄) and almost simultaneously ordered from Ted Stevenson ( NGD post from Jan. 4) Ted, in stark contrast to the builder referenced in OP, was a pleasure to work with. Congenial, communicative and professional. He really delivered the goods, literally and figuratively. Not saying the other builder wouldn't or couldn't deliver a quality ax but now that I have the Stevenson Std 24 in hand (and it's f-ing awesome, on par with Tyler, Anderson and Suhr I'd reckon) and a CS Charvel en route, I really didn't mind that he nixed this. I suppose if that hadn't been the case, I'd be a whole lot more irked. I just am chagrined that he did it in the manner he did and that he apparently didn't understand why I might have wanted to see that neck being done before all on social media did.

That was my thought as well. His reaction seemed a bit severe and sudden. However, when it comes to investing $4000 on a build, I took this as a sign. 😜

As mentioned on here months back, I ordered a custom guitar from an unknown (to me) builder in NJ. I had seen his work online. Looked pretty damn impressive. Dug around a little bit more and while he didn’t have a huge online presence and rep, there were a handful of testimonials and reviews, all fairly positive about his work. So I took a chance. It bears mentioning that his custom builds are stupid expensive. $4000 for a bolt-on . But I was willing to take the gamble. Put half down & sent him my specs. About a month later, knowing that he hadn’t started, I asked to change my specs up, but only in regards to the finish and the controls layout. Fast forward a few more months, we run into a significant issue with him duplicating the body style I had spec-ed. It was kind of alarming. He really seemed to struggle with the concept of a 24 fret San Dimas Strat and obtaining the templates for one. He really seemed put off by the distinction between a San Dimas for 24 frets vs. 22 vs. a Soloist style body. I started to become a little concerned. A month or 2 after that, he gets a hold of the correct template. A month after that he reported having f-ed up the routing- made a body with dimensions for a 22 fret neck instead of the spec-ed 24. I suggested maybe we should nix the deal at that point. He refused, saying he had already shaped the neck, etc. Weeks later, he sends me photos of the new body, already painted. Good sign. Within less than a day, those photos are up all over his FB page(s). NP. After Thanksgiving, he sends me a couple more photos of the neck profile shaping up nicely. Dec 15 was the last text exchange, with his explaining how busy he was and the holidays, yadda yadda. Then just yesterday, without any contact w/ him, I see a video on FB of my finished neck- oiled, waxed, etc. Admittedly, it looked beautiful but mind you, I’m seeing this on social media without so much as a heads up to me individually. So I razzed him a little bit with a quick text saying in essence, I guess I don’t rate being alerted to developments regarding my build before everybody else on social media does. He got kind of piss-y about the whole thing, telling me there was no need for me to be butthurt, (I wasn't); that he does it for all his clients and they appreciate it. I felt it necessary to point out that apparently not all his clients appreciate it but now that I know how he rolls, I will be better prepared in the future. An hour later I sent him another text, asking if he could give me an idea as to when it would be delivered, figuring to myself, the body and the neck are finished; couldn’t be much longer now. Three hours later, I get a text from him, informing me, in a very business-like tone, that he was terminating our contract/agreement, citing that I seemed to be unsatisfied with his business practices and service. Without so much as a conversation, he refunded all of my money and was sending back all of the components I had sent to him. Wow. Did not expect that. That said, I'm thinking that this is the best possible outcome of this situation but I remain somewhat nonplussed by it. Thoughts?

Nah, my statement stands. It was a hastily (& poorly) executed, off-the-cuff, bit of wankery.

Admittedly, it was a hastily (& poorly) executed, off-the-cuff, bit of wankery, for the purposes of highlighting the guitar's sound and features. In hindsight, maybe best to work something out that doesn't come off like shit and convey a less than favorable impression on the guitar gods here on the HFC.

Do guitars ordered (and paid for) in 2023 but arriving in '24 count as '24 purchases? If not, I'm primed to have a no-new-guitars-bought-year in '24. Hell, I may be selling off a few of the herd as well. Got a tricked-out Mexi-Charvel DK 24 up at the moment and another primed to go. Also seriously contemplating letting go of one of the 2 remaining Hamer Cali LE's.

Missed getting this in time for the 2023 scores, even though technically it was ordered and completed in '23. It got shipped on Jan. 2 '24. But this is everything I expected and hoped it would be and more! Think: top of the line Charvel Custom Shop, Luxxtone, Wayne or Chub Tone. Gawddayum, Ted does amazing work! And the Gravelin Mongoose in it is the perfect complement!!

Chris, it's a Floyd on this Custom Shop LP Axcess.

I spent 12 bucks on the trem stop. Same net effect.

First it was buying a couple of non-Floyded axes. Now this. WTF is the world coming to? 😄

Edge is a different bird altogether. Yes, still a fulcrum, Floyd style trem (unless it's the Ibby ZERO, which is cam-based) and shares a few similarities with th Gotoh- tapered saddle blocks, angled "tail" and similar push in bar and tension controls for the adjusting bar swing. I'm inclined to agree: the Ibby Edge trems I've had, for the most part, have been excellent. Especially the one on my '89 RG 5-something-or-other. I did some amazing shit with that in early '91.

Purely subjective but I don't care for them. This comes after 38 years of playing mostly OFRs and Schaller lic'd Floyds. The Gotoh Floyd bar is actually a little narrower in diameter and feels weird- kinda flimsy. Then 2 of the 3 versions I've had had issues with the bar staying put, even after adjusting the swing tension in the arm housing/base plate. Admittedly, this is only based on 3 occasions but none of the Gotoh's felt as solid nor were as responsive as the OFRs. All that aside, Gotohs are exceptionally made, using quality materials. Just not my cup of tea.