Steve Haynie

Seventeen is the only cheezy song. If you see Winger live this fall, all those old songs are going to stand out better than you remember them. When this thread started earlier this afternoon it was odd how no one mentioned Glenn Hughes right from the start.

The Bernie Worrell Orchestra stuff is a great find! Thanks!

Ha! Done that: At the time I was thinking how playing in a rock band would be waaaay better. That was the wrong way to mic an electric guitar.

The Petrucci neck profile always catches me a little off guard because it is so different from the guitars in my collection. The tremolo on those guitars is absolutely wonderful. If only Music Man would put that trem on an Axis model! You got a good 'un!

Getting a correct bridge is not impossible. Be patient and enjoy that one.

Yup! Every time mine comes out of the case it reminds me why I keep it. I need a gig where I can stand up with that guitar.

Putting on pants after taking the photos should have been a clue something was wrong.

How about some Ultimate T-shirt replicas, or "tribute" shirts?

Paul needs to show us here on the board when he is ready to let the world know what he is up to!

Ooops. The mahogany Standards slipped past me. To get rid of the shadow of the old guard on your mahogany Standard you might be able to leave it in sunlight during the summer to see if it fades away to match the rest of the body.

Tradition. Gibson did it in the 50's. That is what other manufacturers copy. When guitars were all acoustics with spruce tops a pickguard made more sense. Electric guitars other than lap steels were acoustics with pickups added. Over time the pickguard was kept and worked into the overall look. There is no need for a pickguard on a harder wood like mahogany or maple. It takes a LOT of playing to make a groove in those types of wood. Hamer got it right when the Standard was created. Dean left off the pickguard on the Z. Gibson kept true to their original design, even on the maple veneered E2 Explorers in the early 80's. When Hamer did the run of korina Standards in 1995 the guitars had pickguards. They were Hamer's way of proving a top notch 50's Explorer copy did not have to have an $11,000.00 list price. Has Hamer ever put a pickguard on any other version of the Standard other than the natural finish korina models? Bacchus decided to go the traditional route. Another manufacturer might use the same mango wood and leave off the pickguard. Right now we need a tone report on these guitars anyway.

Yeah. Who cares if it cannot play a U note?

Our country is becoming Balkanized, so there is no need for the U that stands for "United."

Changing tuner buttons helps a lot. A wider strap can make a difference.

Maybe we do not fool ourselves, but we do listen to Ace in context.

The song was written by Russ Ballard who had a good run writing songs in the 70's. Here is the original version of New York Groove.

Yeah. A friend and I had a discussion this morning about concerts by older bands sometimes relying on rock and roll schtick. Ten years ago I made the joke that Paul now smashes a guitar over a dead horse. The thing is, Paul Stanley kept KISS going when Gene was trying to be a TV and movie star. Paul put out a solo album and a tour while KISS was taking a break. Ace makes jokes about how if he knew he was going to be so big in rock and roll he would have practiced more. Well? What has been stopping him over the years? If someone wanted to put together a super group, Ace will not get the call. He is what he is.

If Ace tours in support of his new album, I will go like the KISS zombie that I am. Sadly, Ace is coasting along on his KISS notoriety.

Are mango wood and Robin's fakimba the same wood?

The bridge angle is throwing you off.

Maybe you just need to see the right piece of mango wood. The three guitars shown have such a variation that there is possibly some mango out there that would be right for you. If the mango makes a good sounding guitar with a grain pattern that irritates you, you can always have it finished with Seafoam Green lacquer. Seafoam Green can make anything look good.

Um, would you take a 1989 Mazda, an AMC Gremlin (not sure of the year), and a 1981 Dodge K car in trade?

If it sounds good, why not use mango wood? Let the tone snobs argue all day.

Wonderful! Frampton did the right thing!

Do not worry about finding period correct parts if they do not magically appear soon. Just put in good electronics and make that bass stage ready. Play it! Play it! Play it! At least you have the right bridge. If you need a tracing of an original pickguard to have one made let me know. Make sure there is no neck problem. Someone stripped that bass for a reason.