Crazy_About_Guitar

2013 --  October

      I contacted the Ernie Ball Company to see if they would like to have any products reviewed. After checking the CAG web-site out they contacted me and wrote they have some accessories we would like to have reviewed. First off was the MVP Volume / Gain pedal. Their literature reads the Ernie Ball MVP pedal is ideal for precise volume control, along with a 20+ decibel gain which allows the player to really punch their boost when it is needed the most. This past year I have been trying to get more gain than distortion. Making the guitar have an attitude of being a little nasty when pushed. This coming month I am setting up a new pedal board including this pedal at the start of the chain. Alone and with the pedal board should make for an interesting review. Then I will see how it holds up to six months of weekend warrior abuse. The real world test. The pedal looks to be made to with stand the test.
Update 12-09-13 --The first trials of this pedal are coming off great. Volume pedals are always handy. As the years have gone by I rarely use the volume controls on the guitar. The gain is the cool part. When practicing with my band sometimes The guitar sounds a little dull or it could be me. Just a little push on the pedal and the guitar takes on more of an attitude. This always makes my playing better. More of a challenge to push notes and the amp. I can hardly wait for the next two gigs to see how handy the pedal becomes as the gig progresses.
 
      Next is the Cobalt Strings. After reading all the stars saying it is a totally new idea in strings I am a little leary. I go through a set of strings after a two night gig. For some reason the sweat {and I play strings very hard} seems to take the life out of them. I can feel the strings go bad as I am playing. Tone and feeling goes out the window with in one song after I would say eight hours of playing them. The Cobalt's are supposed to last longer -- Have a remarkable tone and feel -- I was told that they make active pick ups really come too life. Looking forward to this test.
UpDate -- 11-13-2013
I put the Cobalt strings {10's} on My Black Les Paul Standard [my old baby] and on my Les Paul Elegant. I was told the strings will bring a shock to me on active pick ups. I fitted Black Standard with EMG 81 /85's a couple years ago. The pick-ups sounded great but the guitar was never the same for doing Classic Rock. More for heavy metal. Well -- First thing was I hit the strings using a Fender Princeton amp and was almost knocked of the stool I was sitting on. At least three times as loud. Attitude / Snarl out the "Wazoo". I have my baby back. I can hardly wait to use it in a band practice. On the Les Paul Elegant with Gibson PAF 57's I have never been happy with that $5,000 guitar's tone. It is one of the L.P.'s that has been hollowed out to lighten the weight which makes the tone suffer terribly if your a true lover of the Les Paul tone. On some of my Les Paul's I wrap the string through and around the top of the stop bar tail piece. This actually give's more tone to the guitar--if needed. The Cobalt's made the Les Paul sound like a Stratocaster in the higher registers of the neck. The bell like tone a Strat gets. A real surprise because I cannot make a Strat sound good. Just my style of playing I guess. Also on both guitars the squeak of your fingers moving up and down the strings changing positions is totally gone. I am really impressed with the difference's and there is more to come. I have a American Deluxe Telecaster, an original 1996 American Lone Star Stratocaster and a hot rodded Strat with Duncan Slash pick-ups in it. That guitar is unbelievable. This should be a good test. Amps--Fender Princeton & a Evil Twin, Marshall JCM 2000 100 Watt head w/higher end 4-12 cab and a Fender 1968 Bandmaster w/2-12 [EV's} original cab. 
Up Date 12-09-13   Really interesting new test. Installed the Cobalt's on one of my Squire hot rodded Strat's with Seymour Duncan Active Black Outs the Duncan company sent to me. The strings have over powered the pick-ups. I am trying to lower the pick-ups to the right height to attempt to tame the pick-ups. These strings on active pick-ups are an entirely new game. Every guitar I have installed the Cobalt strings on has made the instrument come off with a totally great new tone. This is really throwing the existing experience I have. This is an old feeling I have not felt in twenty years. A great new challenge from a manufacturer. I have been pushing manufactures for this since 2008.
  
  Also sent was the Ernie Ball Musicians tool kit. This is a zippered pouch with Allen wrench's for neck adjustments, Multiple tip six in one screw driver {magnetic}, Heavy duty wire cutters for strings, String peg-winder, Micro Fiber polish cloth, different types of wet wipe papers that polish or clean, etc., and most interesting is a ruler that is in standard inch / millimeter. This is extremely handy for checking your pick up heights to the strings. Very important on single coil and humbucker guitars. to get the maximum tone. Especially Stratocaster's single coils. Really great idea. When I saw this I thought "Someone really was using their head putting  this together".

UpDate 11-12-2014 I just added the Cobalt strings. Used all the equipment supplied in this nice tool kit w/nice case. Plus the Battery powered Peg-Winder. All equipment in the tool kit is above standard. The wire cutter's are better that my Sears Craftsman. Now that is saying something. Extremely sharp and tough. The hand peg-winder above average. Thicker plastic and axle. Really makes my regular peg/string winders look and feel totally cheap. Have as of yet to use the ruler for adjusting pick up height and string relief. Again I am impressed with this. Then comes the battery powered peg winder.Talk about spoiling a guitarist. I will add a picture of it shortly. This product has forward and reverse trigger modeled after a power pack drill. Has a wall wart power charger. Just plug it into the base of the winder and it charges in around fifteen minutes. Charge lasts a long time. You can change the strings on four or five guitars and still have reserve power. Every product here is way above average in quality. Even the Allen Wrenches won't strip like the old {what we used to call}oriental manufactured type's. Everytime I used something out of the tool kit I was impressed by even the smallest device that came with it.
     
   

   The last item was the Ernie Ball Power Peg Pro string winder. Sort of a battery powered string winder. Looks and feels like a small battery powered drill. Another handy item. Right now I own thirty-five guitars. I change strings on them fairly regular. As I wrote I prefer new strings when I play. Some times an expensive for my passion in string feel. This should stop any wrist fatigue from a regular string winder.
     This is just the begin of this review. As always stay tuned. In about two weeks I will update this. This review should be interesting and a lot of fun.

Update:  Feb 2015     I have become spoiled by These products. The The tool bag have become indispensable. Every time I turn around I grab the bag so I don't have to search for certain tools. Peg winder I thought was for wimps. Now that I have it I use it every time I change strings. I have been using a GT6 and GT-8 for effects for years. I am putting together a pedal board with the MVP pedal. This should be a killer board with very simple pedals I have bought over the years. A lot of Boss and DOD stomp boxes. I will have picture shortly!

June 2012 --
I up-graded the pick ups on my favorite Les Paul a few years back. This was with the EMG's sent to me for review. The pick ups are out-standing but not for my personal taste. I have not used the guitar due to the music I have been playing does not work with a high and heavy hitter like these pick ups. The guitar looks beautiful. But, as I am getting older I want my old guitar back before I leave the planet. Some day someone else should be able to revel in playing a genuine great guitar. Owning so many nice instruments through my life I have had the luxury of being able to switch up the standard good guitar to what I thought might work better. Here are a couple pics of "what was" and "what is" right now.



This guitar is absolutely stunning when you open the case. How ever I want it to be playable to my taste again. You can tell from the pictures that I am really enjoying the tone and experience. When your playing in your element or zone it shows. First picture is at a band practice the next are at different gigs. I had been using the guitar for slide. This was due to I was having a hard time learning that batteries were changing the tone as the power level dropped in the batteries. Happening in the middle of playing a song. Made playing live a gamble on consistency. This maybe due to my lack of experience with active pick ups or my inability to buy new 9V batterys ever time I wanted to play
 I will show pictures of the change back. I am keeping the black pick guard and the pick ups will be Seymour Duncan Sh-4 in the bridge {JB} and the SH-2 {jazz}in the neck. I still after ten  years of up grading have as of yet found a better bridge pick up than the SH-4 JB. Neck pick ups have been all over the place.

More to come.

Update -- 1-3-14

I decided to keep things as they are due to falling back in love with what I have done.

Update-- 1-23-15

I still have not had a chance to give this guitar a fair shot after adding the EMG's. However I am convinced the EMG 81/85's are a better sounding active pick-up than the Seymour Duncan Black Out's. A not as harsh to my ears. IMO !!!

 10-15 And I just moved this up 10-7-15.

Just E-mailed Eastwood I moved this review up a little.Even though I am getting on in age I will not give in and all way tell the truth as it happens too me and experience with said products. -------I contacted Eastwood Guitars to thank them for sending the after mentioned guitar. This guitar is and I repeat from the review below a "Hoot" too play.

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Below is the original review and I stand by it TODAY !!!  05/27/2018  E-mail me if you disagree. I really believe if you want your moneys worth in today's over priced market where do you go in the guitar world? Eastwood Guitars is a very viable option. I will up date this if they reply back and do not mind my comments, Just being honest. S.C 10-15.

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         As most of my readers know, when I do a review it is in layman's terms. Not a lot of fancy talk about the electrics or the fancy woods it is made out of or what ever. My reviews are -- does the the guitar work and sound good and is it worth the money. {What a concept} Mind you I do know a hell lot about the before mentioned subjects. Also a reminder --  I play in a cover dance band playing up to sometimes seventy songs a night. Punk, funk,country, metal, Classic Rock--You name it. When I try a guitar out at band practice the guitar is put through some pretty heavy challenges. Also one very important note. I just don't do a review and walk off . You will notice I come back with notes on the guitars and equipment. This is because I really use them and the guitar review is not over until I think I have covered all the piece of equipment can do.Unlike other guitar/product reviewers do. Of coarse they only get paid for what they have been told to review. I don't make money at this. My income is not from the guitar world. Also you can E-mail me and argue a point or add another point of view and I "will" return your E-mail with an answer. Okay on with this review.

Specifications
Model Name:	AIRLINE� 3P DLX	Choose Your Color Red White Sunburst Vintage Cream Black Left-Hand White Price :$799.00 US History AIRLINE� Guitars were made in the USA from 1958-68 by VALCO and sold through Montgomery Ward. VALCO also made National and SUPRO brands. Today they are played by people like David Bowie, The Cure, Calexico and White Stripes. Original Res-O-Glas models now sell for $2,000-$3,000.
Colours:	Red, White, Sunburst, Vintage Cream, Black, LH White
Body:	Tone Chambered Mahogany
Neck:	Bound Maple, Bolt-on
Fingerboard:	Rosewood, Block Markers
Scale Length:	25 1/2" (648mm)
Width at Nut:	1 11/16"
Pickups:	Three Alnico Hot-10 Humbuckers
Switching:	5-Way
Controls:	3 Volume, 3 Tone, 1 Master Volume
Bridge:	5-way Adjustable Roller Bridge, BIGSBY Licensed Tremolo
Hardware:	Vintage Kluson Style Nickel/Chrome
Strings:	D'Addario #10
Case:	extra
Unique Features:	BIGSBY Licensed Tremolo
Suggested Retail:	$1029.00 US

I wrote the review below at the end and beginning of 2010 to 2011. After going to a local sell all store and trying out the acoustics in stock -- I am going to redo this review. I was totally let down by what I played. Really disappointing. I gave the Bedell acoustic I own a negative review in the review below. After playing the guitars at this store the Bedell now comes off shining. This is really giving a "huge" negative to the guitars I played at that store. I am going to go back, take pictures and name names. I really want to thank the chain store Best Buy for letting me go into their store. Knowing what I was going about and doing. I prefer them to Guitar Center. Just in the way keep their guitar inventory in good shape. No finger prints or dinged up highly scratched guitars hanging on the walls.
I am probably going to Roast a few manufactures for putting out some products that should be insulting to your (the reader/player) intelligence.
I have not been "pissed off" on this site for a year or so.
So get ready! This is what I promised close to three years ago on page one of this site I will not let you down!


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Acoustic Knowledge

The following guitars are part of my collection. If you play electric guitar you really need an acoustic to add to your rhythm technique. Finding ways to make chords sound better. I always have an acoustic guitar in my TV room. This way I always have a little practice everyday.
    I use electric guitar strings on two of my acoustics ( 9's). This way they play is close to the way my electric guitars do. The other two which are dreadnought size (big) I put the regular bronze 12's on. Great for chord work and building strength and calluses. Another thing is I play with just my fingers instead of a pick. Not always--but-- I really feel more connected to the guitar with my fingers plucking away.
  Okay, here are the victims.

Washburn model D17-S (spruce top) C (cut away) E (electric)
This guitar I bought 19 years ago. It is mint. It is a higher end Washburn.
I paid $660 for it. In today's dollars it would be twice that. The spruce top gave it little harmonic over tones. I have been told that a spruce top becomes more musical the more you play it and as it ages.  I would say the tone of the guitar has at the least doubled from when it was brand new. The neck is more like the 1960's profile neck on a Gibson L.P. Classic. Fast and comfortable. Ebony fret board. Ebony fret boards are supposed to have a brighter sound than rose wood. This one has the Equis  electric pick up system. Five pin and 1/4" plug insert plug hole. Recording or useing and amp. Nice touch. Three band EQ. I really think if your looking for an acoustic guitar that you get back what you paid for it Washburn guitars puts out very affordable ones with great quality. Now this is if your doing what I do. Just screwing around and practicing. If you are planning on playing only acoustic guitar you might want to invest more money. You might want to try out a Martin or Taylor or Guild and of coarse Gibson. There are so many manufactures of acoustic guitars it is easily bewildering. Keep in ming acoustic guitars do one thing. Electric has a ton of different uses from twang to jazz,etc. In the end it is your ears and you hands that will tell. This is the best acoustic I have.
 Ovation Celebrity Deluxe Acoustic-Electric
This has the plum burst finish. The "Multichromatic Wood Epaulet Inlays" (no big sound hole but little ones) spruce top and advertised with a punchy tone. "And" it does have punch. This is one I put electric strings on (9's) and have used for years as my main practice guitar. Great neck and fast. Great tone. This one I have taken out to gigs. I have had people walk up on band break and have to say something about the guitar. It does a great job and you look cool playing it. If you play out you are there to entertain and looking cool helps. The Ovation has looks most people know or have owned one. This starts conversations with audience members during breaks. Which makes the evening more fun for them. Musicians Friend's April 2010 Guitar Buyers Guide had one of this style on their "Hot Buys" back page for $299.
That is a real deal. You get your moneys worth. I have light electric strings [09's] on it and it has great tone. If I put 12's on it the guitar might blow apart from being punchy--that good. It has standard three EQ sliders and three more push in buttons to get the electrified tone you need. If you have a beer belly this is not for you. The back of the guitar is round like a beer belly. So wearing it will be hard to control due to it rolling around on you--No kidding. You would be better off with a square back guitar. Great guitar for noodling around and you can go out and gig with it not worrying about scratching it. As with your regular all wood guitars the back on an Ovation is plastic. A little more road worthy. This is a good solid guitar to own.

Bedell TB-24-G ( I have no idea what these letters and numbers mean)

This is the new kid on the acoustic block. I keep the strings on that it came with. I will use 10's to 12's string gauges on this one. This guitar is loud and boomy.
This is due to the Canadian Red Ceder top. The sides and back are Solid Indian Rosewood. Great sounding guitar. Great tone. Put together expertly. One point of curiosity Bedell advertises that this guitar is totally American made. In fact their advertisement say's they are put together in Aspen, Colorado. Then why on the back of the head stock do they have a sticker that say's "Made In China"?---- I really don't know if the red cedar top grows more tone full with time as a Spruce top does. The only guitar I can compare this with is the old late 1960's Harmony Sovereign. This was top of the line for a cheap guitar. I had one that was stolen or lost. I played the hell out of that guitar. I read an interview of  Jimmy Page where he said that was one of his favorite acoustics. He said "Now that I have said that they probably will all
disappear from the pawn shops and little music stores".  The only negative on this guitar is price. $1600.00  For a non-electric acoustic that is a little over priced to me.
Then again maybe I don't know what I have. Still, this is a nice guitar to own. If you are looking for an new acoustic this might be it. This guitar has a tone where it is up to your ears if you want it. It might be the tone you have been waiting for years--Then again maybe not. Hard to pin down an exact opinion. Best answer-go try one out.
This is an update: I really feel I am not giving this guitar a complete review. I just went back over the guitar. Workmanship is great, Fret dressing great, Everything is great. I still am having problems with the price tag. I am going to call these guys and ask why or what is so "wonderful" about the product. When I call manufacturers both sides get an understanding of each other. When writing words down they can be misunderstood. Sometimes taking the attitude wrong. Hell, I have done that myself. I just personally feel I am not seeing or playing what is advertised as the best new acoustic to come out in a while. More to come on this one.

 Pictures below of these guitars. Pictures Left to Right--Epiphone Hummingbird Bedell  Washburn  Ovation.


Last is the big surprise.
Epiphone none-electric Hummingbird.
I found this in the local pawn shop. Cherry Sunburst finish. Mahogany body with a Spruce top Chrome hardware. This guitar is as good as the Ovation I just reviewed.
Great tone. Neck is fast and slim. They advertise this guitar as being made to match up perfectly with the human voice. {I thought they all did that}This guitar usually lists around $350. P{awn shop wanted $150. I offered $50 and it went home with me. This is another great guitar to put electric strings on and keep it handy to snatch up and play. I keep this one close to my TV chair. In case I get the urge  pick and play for a few minutes. Also the Cherry Sunburst finish is really nice and matches up with a couple others I own {picture below} If you can pick this one up for close to $100 buy it. I played a real Gibson Hummingbird a while back. This guitar sounds just as good if not a hair better. A real surprise!

Now this looks really COOL to me. I took this picture when I was photographing the acoustic shots. I had to add it.


Finally-- Out of these four guitars, if I was to keep only one it would be the Washburn.
It's sound and tone keep getting better with age.
I am trying to get some other manufactures in on this review or the existing makers up date what I am showing here.

 Pretty obvious this guitar was going to be on the cheap side. I decided if I was going to hot rod a guitar again I want one with a new finish. Pawn shop guitars are usually beat up. So, you don't worry about screwing up the guitar when you are learning to solder and upgrade electronics. The finish on this guitar is a photo flame--A picture added to the body of the guitar. Then finished over. This has a beautiful finish. Other than photo flame (big deal) the finish is immaculate. My Res Paul had several fun house mirror blemishes. The neck is very flat and playable--fast. The fret edges (dressing) were almost sharp. But, I didn't need to file them.. Pick-ups are really cheap. I expected that. The Floyd Rose was not a cheap one. You can whammy hard and the guitar stays in tune. This is a perfect guitar for up-grading. This review is short because I am adding a few of Guitar Fetish parts. New speed loader Floyd Rose, Pre-wired pick guard with P-90's and controls. I need what I call a "Stunt"guitar. I thought this would be a good start for the review. Pictures below of original. More information coming as I upgrade the guitar. I have been E-mailed by readers and members that the more expensive the model the better the quality. These are a deal. I would say this is easily equal to a $300 to $400 dollar guitar. This is a Chinese guitar. Even said so on the side of the box. If the Chinese start making Five Thousand dollar guitars. the American or entire industry is in for hard times. Major name manufacturers are going to have an impossible time explaining  what they are charging. They already are! A five grand Chinese guitar would be equal to a ten to twenty grand American guitar in quality. This would hurt a lot of small business clothiers or it would bring in a big competitor to their quality of guitar.

UPDATE ---Nov. 2013
         I still have this guitar. Never used it. It received the P.O.S. {piece of s**t}award. However! -- For $100 you receive a tone of parts you can use on other projects. Great tuners, Pearloid pick guard, a good Floyd Rose Tremolo The body has a great photo flame top and finish. Not a total loss for the being on the cheap. The manufacturers buy the parts buy the rail road car full. Penney's on the dollar. There is a plus to this
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I have order several different combinations of pickups from Guitar-fetish. Also I ordered new tone and volume controls.  I will be adding the more expensive Humbuckers to the Chinese Les Paul and the controls. These they are calling "The Brown Sound" I ordered two more (4) sets of
over-wound double white humbuckers. One set I will put in my S-101-335. I put the
pickups from my Les Paul Classic in the 335 and it's just too much power. If I did hard metal all the time I could make them work. (Maybe) But I play in a cover band. We are all over the place in musical styles. What I am looking for is a pick up that helps my playing with a little personality of it's own. One bar we play--we play for five sets a night. By the fifth set I can use all the help I can get.
 I will be receiving these parts this coming weekend and I am hopeful will have some great answers for all of you a week after. All this stuff cost less that $200 bucks. So we will see. If these work This will save us all a ton of money and keep our passion/obsession fed! (For Now) I have been in touch with Lollar pick-ups. Teye guitars uses there picks ups and Bill Lawrence one of our comments said Lollar pick ups are the best. Teye said he thought they are more musical than Seymour Duncan. Personally I don't think Duncan's are that bad. Great upgrade. But they all cost. Namm is starting next week so all these manufacturers are heading to California and I really can't bug them. So It's up to me this month to keep everything fresh and new. Any idea's about future subjects E-mail me. I'll give you credit for the idea.

S.C.