My gear repairs, refurbs, and mods

[twonabomber]

January was Ibanez month. I found this Talman at Guitar Center out on the west side



Serial number says it's a TC420. Made at the Cort Plant, Korea in May, 1997. Neck is pretty much the same as my '94 MIJ Talman TV650, but the body is real wood, where the TV650 is "Resoncast." Came with a nice non-original hard case, too.

Then at the end of the month I found this at Guitar Center in Youngstown



Fireman FRM150. Paul Gilbert style. Set neck, mahogany body, maple and mahogany neck, DiMarzios. Came with the original fitted case. Not a mark on it anywhere, there's still some plastic under the knobs. Plugged it in to the 6505MH and it's fucking perfect. The body is a little bigger than I'm used to but it's not too bad.

A few days later I found a PS120 at a used shop in Toledo. Paul Stanley Iceman, black with the silver binding. It was gone before I could get there. There will be another...

[twonabomber]

Black guitars seem to be multiplying around here.

Found this SX Tele copy at GC for under $200. Because everyone needs a Tele, right?



The neck is glossy, that's about the only thing I don't like.

Then I found an OLP at the other GC on the west side. Under $150. I loves me some cheap guitars. The description read "disco sparkle." Could be a candidate for a stripe job.



And a few days later this pops up on one of the local FB groups. First Act Paul Westerberg signature model. Price on this one? A whole $60.





Couple years ago I had seen one in a shop close to where I met the seller of this one. I passed on it, went back a week later and it was gone. Might be the same one, who knows. I guess they are becoming rare, being a Westerberg fan I'll keep it.

Was in Toledo a couple weeks ago and stopped at Music Go Round on my way out. They've had this import Hamer Echotone there for a while. Price came down a little so I brought it home. I was in "I don't have one of THOSE!" mode.



Previous owner had a Roland synth pickup installed and screwed it into the body. Ugh. I'll fix the holes later. PO also added coil tap switches. These Korean Echotones are supposedly more desirable than the later ones. Came with a cheap chipboard case that is just good enough to keep the dust off the guitar.

Finally got a pic of the Ravelle and Wolfgang together too. I put the Duncan "Hot Rodded Humbucker" set in the Rav in the spring and it sounds pretty good.



Out of the four I got recently, the only one that's been plugged in at home is the Echotone. Been too busy riding my bike and kayaking. Got all winter to play guitar.

[private parts]

Damn no wonder you haven't played the WG much! Is there professional help for guitar addition?
I've done a lot of kayaking and canoeing this summer, but it's affected my yard work more than my guitar playing/practice.

[twonabomber]

The WG has been living in the case the Talman I bought in January came in. Next to the Fireman in its case, and my '84 Hamer Steve Stevens I. The Fireman is too heavy to hang on the wall, and I put the SS away every now and then. I won't get rid of that one, either.

The Westerberg is closest to where I sit at the PC so it's the first one I grab if I want to play along with something on Sirius. Not plugged in yet. I did noodle around on the Tele yesterday while listening to INXS. Not plugged in. I don't have an amp in here, my friend's old Crate combo is in the living room. I'm off most of next week, I will take them all down into the Loud Room and try 'em out on the 6505MH and maybe the baby Marshall. And the Westerberg and Echotone on the Valve Jr. head and cab I built.

And I just realized I don't have any more straps. Off to Amazon again...

I've done a lot of kayaking and canoeing this summer, but it's affected my yard work more than my guitar playing/practice.

Haven't gotten much rain since the 4th of July here, I'm cutting the grass every 10 to 14 days now. Started out every 5 to 7 days in the spring and early summer.

[twonabomber]

why not?

[Seshmeister]

This thread is a bummer for me now.

I started to read the stuff I had posted early on about Korg and D50s and then realized all the $ prices I was citing were before the fucking Brexit vote before our currency went down the toilet...

[twonabomber]

Guy on the Hamer forum used to claim that the best time to buy toys (guitars, boats, cars, whatever) was April before taxes were due. Some people gotta get rid of shit...also applies to divorces I guess. Been on Reverb looking at a couple synthy things...

I bought a Boss Katana 100 Artist in May and haven't played it yet! Plugging the new Wolfgang into it later.

Guitar Center's used offerings are shit lately. I've searched from Erie to Toledo and down to Columbus. Music Go Round isn't any better, and the two of those in Columbus usually have good stuff. GC must be desperate for used gear, every few weeks there's an "up to $500 for your used gear" email going out.

[Seshmeister]

I saw a Casio CZ1000 on sale today for £325.

I paid that for one new in 1987, amazed it's kept it's value. I (more or less)understand old Rolands being worth $$$ but a Casio?

It's the only synth I ever spent a long time trying to create my own sounds with and it usually surprised people how decent some of them were. The keyboard is crappy and only 4 note Poly though,

[Seshmeister]

[twonabomber]

I saw a Casio CZ1000 on sale today for £325.

I paid that for one new in 1987, amazed it's kept it's value. I (more or less)understand old Rolands being worth $$$ but a Casio?

It's the only synth I ever spent a long time trying to create my own sounds with and it usually surprised people how decent some of them were. The keyboard is crappy and only 4 note Poly though,

I found a 1000 a few years ago. Fixer upper that I haven’t fixed yet. I found the CZ1 a little while after. Still haven’t cracked that one open to change the battery. 8 voice poly on those.

I bought stuff over the last year that I’ve barely played. Gotta take more pics.

[twonabomber]

I don't mind the keybed on the CZ-1. The second board I bought was a CZ-230S and it had the mini keys, no velocity and surely no aftertouch. Still got that one kicking around too. I bought a second one cheap a few years ago.

My favorite keybeds are the mid to late 90's Rolands. Matsushita/Panasonic sourced. I don't like the bed on the DX7, I find it too noisy (clicky? clacky?) Found an Alesis QS8 cheap, it's a Fatar bed and it's okay I guess.

[twonabomber]

And I shoulda kept that Wavestation...

[Seshmeister]

I used to borrow a CZ101 for gigs and MIDI it layering with the CZ1000 to get something approaching a decent sound.

The CZ101 was just a CZ1000 with baby keys. Particularly because it was Casio you would assume it was a toy until you noticed it didn't have any built in speakers...

[twonabomber]

The 230-S had one speaker and 100 preset patches. Last four were editable via MIDI.

[twonabomber]

Well...picked up some new things over the last year and got back into a project I started a while ago. Might get that one wrapped up soon.