Ibanez Benson, helix stomp, surgery recovery day 22

**jzucker** · 06-16-2023, 05:55 PM

Softly - Performed on a 2000's Ibanez Benson GB10, going through helix (grammatico amp model), grammatico EV12L speaker)

Trying to learn to play this guitar again. It was a gift from my OG bowie friend, Jim Roberts. Given to me at my dad's memorial service. I hope I do it, my dad and Jim justice. Both Jim and my dad are my life's inspiration. I need to log about 50 more hours to be totally comfortable on this axe. It's just fundamentally different feeling with different pick geometry than my kessel or 175 but I totally dig it. It might be my favorite axe of all time, though I'm still trying to dial it in.

Regarding surgery recovery, feeling better every day. Tape came off of the incision today. Just a few more days before the outside will be totally healed. Pain levels pretty low. Still having a lot of muscle pain, cramping but trying to minimize pain killers at this point.

**tpandela** · 06-16-2023, 06:49 PM

I like your tone Jack. Is that guitar stock?

**starjasmine** · 06-16-2023, 06:59 PM

Hey, Jack, glad you are doing so well! You sound great, and I'm pleased to see you standing with a guitar on a strap, too, after what you've endured! I hope you continue to recover completely and quickly :-)

SJ

**Herbie** · 06-17-2023, 05:18 AM

Great song and playing and extra points for the necktie!

Painkillers are good for a while but not in the long run. It’s also good to get the focus away from the surgery, playing is good for that.

Ride on!

**jzucker** · 06-17-2023, 07:16 AM

Originally Posted by starjasmine

Hey, Jack, glad you are doing so well! You sound great, and I'm pleased to see you standing with a guitar on a strap, too, after what you've endured! I hope you continue to recover completely and quickly :-)

SJ

I can only stand for about 10-15 minutes but it's progress!

**jzucker** · 06-17-2023, 07:19 AM

Originally Posted by tpandela

I like your tone Jack. Is that guitar stock?

Yep, other than the strap button (didn't come with one)

I really don't care for the pickups though. ibanez uses dimarzio and around 20 years ago, dimarzio switched their minis from alnico 5 to ceramic which are super bright. I'd love to switch these out but don't feel like spending $500...

**Woody Sound** · 06-17-2023, 07:43 AM

There's a guy at the Y that I go to who has a nasty scar all the way down the center. Sounds great, hope you recover fully.

ps - I am very comfortable with my Sadowsky JB 15", I know what you mean about the pick angle. Because I've always used more of a "Benson" picking angle, I am fine with it. The smaller body lends itself to that.

**northernbreed** · 06-17-2023, 09:40 AM

THAT was some really fine playing to wake up to this morning. And the guitar sounds great as well - you seem really at home with it. Thank you.

**jzucker** · 06-17-2023, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

There's a guy at the Y that I go to who has a nasty scar all the way down the center. Sounds great, hope you recover fully.

ps - I am very comfortable with my Sadowsky JB 15", I know what you mean about the pick angle. Because I've always used more of a "Benson" picking angle, I am fine with it. The smaller body lends itself to that.

Ah yeah, i've tried to do the benson thing but when I had my previous spinal injury in 2002, it left me with permanent right bicep nerve damage so I was never able to get the benson picking working. It's why I play from the elbow now.

Originally Posted by northernbreed

THAT was some really fine playing to wake up to this morning. And the guitar sounds great as well - you seem really at home with it. Thank you.

Thanks very much! Still struggling a bit with it. There's something about the small body that makes the pick geometry a bit different. And part of the problem is that the tone sounds like benson and it makes me want to "TRY" to play benson licks which is a total failure for me!

**Woody Sound** · 06-17-2023, 11:13 AM

When I started playing around 9yo, I kinda self taught because I was already playing clarinet (same range and notation). For some reason as a novice I naturally started playing in the "Benson" position (before I knew anything about Benson or guitar) with the pick angled upward, because I thought it sounded softer/darker/smoother. I've tried to change to a more traditional angle, but I can't. The up angle really hinders speed, especially on upstrokes, but at my age I'm not going to bother. And GB still amazes.

**jzucker** · 06-17-2023, 01:07 PM

I wish I could do it. I like the sound better but I too am too old to learn new tricks.

**Skip Ellis** · 06-17-2023, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

Yep, other than the strap button (didn't come with one)

I really don't care for the pickups though. ibanez uses dimarzio and around 20 years ago, dimarzio switched their minis from alnico 5 to ceramic which are super bright. I'd love to switch these out but don't feel like spending $500...

I'll find one of these I can afford one day - I've played two in my lifetime and remember them both - best neck ever. I also didn't care for the pickups, especially the bridge which I probably wouldn't use anyway. You might check with Pete Biltoft at Vintage Vibe - I think he can dis-assemble those pickups and rewind them to whatever you want - seems like he told me that once upon a time. Not sure what it would cost. Sounds good though and glad you're on the mend.

**jzucker** · 06-17-2023, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by Skip Ellis

I'll find one of these I can afford one day - I've played two in my lifetime and remember them both - best neck ever. I also didn't care for the pickups, especially the bridge which I probably wouldn't use anyway. You might check with Pete Biltoft at Vintage Vibe - I think he can dis-assemble those pickups and rewind them to whatever you want - seems like he told me that once upon a time. Not sure what it would cost. Sounds good though and glad you're on the mend.

I'm pretty sure the gibson pickups will fit on there so I'd probably just go with those since I love the sound of their mini humbuckers. The problem is that because it's a full hollow without pickup holes, it's very tricky to get the wiring done so the quote I got was $200 to do the wiring and pickup swapping and the gibson pickups are $260ish. So basically $500ish to do the swap.

I'll just stick with the existing pickups i guess...

**yebdox** · 06-18-2023, 01:36 PM

I have an early 2000's GB10 as well, Jack. I really like the tone you get here, sounds great! I've not been bothered by the ceramics, but if I ever wanted to swap, I would probably just do the neck pickup and keep the cost down that way. I will look forward to you trying that first, so I can hear what it sounds like

**jzucker** · 06-19-2023, 08:40 AM

that's not a bad idea. Lately, I've just decided to live with it as is.

**lawson-stone** · 06-19-2023, 08:44 AM

First thing I heard this morning. You playing makes the internet seem like a really good thing! So glad to see you mending so well. Take it slow and careful. Great sound and lines!

**jzucker** · 06-19-2023, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

First thing I heard this morning. You playing makes the internet seem like a really good thing! So glad to see you mending so well. Take it slow and careful. Great sound and lines!

Thanks, yesterday and today have been a dumpster-fire of pain. It's weird I can feel so good and so crapy in such a short span. Pain relievers and muscle relaxer did nothing the last couple days. I had to help a friend which his phone and laptop and I spent a solid 2 hours supporting my head and looking down so I think that is what caused this. It was after that that my neck has been killing me....