The Builder's Bench

Playing live and getting the best sound from the...

Nervous NGD x2

Bill Frisell - Moon River on 1958 Bigsby

StewMac Alnico II Neck Gold Humbucker $70

Shift Line Twin MkIIIs tube preamp/DI/headphone...

I put JS112 strings on an Ibanez AS200 once. It sounded great for jazz but I think it took the instrument outside it's design parameters. One thing I like about roundwound .010s on the yamaha is that...

Cantalope Island 1996 Gibson L4CES vs 2016 Yamaha SA2200, which do you like?

The Epiphone Howard Roberts archtop was specified with a carved spruce top, oval soundhole, and a 25 1/2" scale length. It's possible that some made it out with 24 3/4" scale boards, but I'm more...

Nervous NGD x2

I like the Yamaha. I'd really like to hear it with the TI 12's. I suspect it might really shine.

Cantalope Island 1996 Gibson L4CES vs 2016 Yamaha SA2200, which do you like?

Guitar, cable, amp. Done. I would suggest you get rid of that Fishman amp if you want breakup tone, instead of putting an overdrive ahead of it.

Playing live and getting the best sound from the guitar

Fender amps don’t have 0.5 guys.

65 Fender Princeton Reverb vs Vox AC15C1?

Here are a couple of things I tried this afternoon. 1. I actually could not identify the 12AX7 that came with the amp, though it definitely sounded good. The EL34 is a TAD Redbase, and it seems...

Koch Little Gristle - Killer amp for intensive daily use in (and out) of jazz

My action is certainly more than that, so if your action at the nut is OK to there doesn't seem to be much reason for a neck reset!

Giving the Loar some love - new saddle

Well, I'm not so sure that even the heaviest of jazz guitar players and composers really "recognise" every tone in a chord. At least that I ever played with. They've just got a lot of experience...

Holy ****, my (musical) ears are bad

My basic action height adjustment is 2.0mm for the high E and 2.5mm for the low E. That's the starting point, the final height depends on many factors of the guitar, the strings, the player, the...

Action height for acoustic fingerstyle archtop?

I have decided to sell the Sienna Burst Sadowky Frank Vignola that I bought. I've decided that Ilike nitro lacquered guitars. The FV is similar to an SS-15...but it has two pickups instead of one but...

Sadowsky SS15 or Jimmy Bruno

The guitar arrived. The guitar was stripped of strings and padding was put around the tailpiece and under the pickguard. FedEx did the rest and checked the guitar. It arrived the next day at...

Incoming a second time: Heritage Johnny Smith

As it happens my bridge on the high e is less less 20mm but more than 19! Action is 1.7mm. So not too bad.

Giving the Loar some love - new saddle

I look forward to hearing more your stuff.

Chet Baker - Let's Get Lost, Guitar Solo Transcription

Yes I think it's in C! I didn't saw transcriptions, I learned by ear but I should start to write them...! I don't have enough time and patience to write them properly... But transcribing solos or...

Chet Baker - Let's Get Lost, Guitar Solo Transcription

I posted Poinciana which, ironically, is one of the few Bruno performances to make an impression. But I do see your point. Barney had so much feeling, swing, texture, personality and guitaristic...

Barney Kessel Appreciation Thread

How to play over Min7b5 (half diminished) chords, Gibson 175, FractalAudio

Anyone handled the new Epis?

Who's Your Favorite Bass Player?

Incoming 1968 Gibson Johnny Smith

Aint Misbehavin chord meldy theory help

Nylon Stringed Electrics?

Benedetto Bravo Deluxe or Gibson WesMo Crimson

Dorian b5 and Mixolydian b9 scales. Why not?

What are your rules when having to criticise?

New appreciation for Steely Dan

Ibanez GB10 vs Gibson L4CES over Doxy - which do you like better?

Help, this theory question is blowing my mind

Passing chord C --> Em7