How can I sand inside the horns on my guitar more effectively?

Questions

The Concentration!

You can sand the inside of the horns on your guitar more effectively by using sandpaper of the appropriate grit, wrapping it around a small sanding block or dowel that fits inside the horn, and using gentle, circular motions. You may also find it helpful to use a sanding lubricant, such as furniture wax or mineral oil, to reduce friction and extend the life of the sandpaper. To avoid damaging the wood, it’s important to sand evenly and not apply too much pressure. You should also frequently check your progress and stop sanding once you’ve achieved the desired level of smoothness.

  1. Start with a coarse grit sandpaper (such as 80 or 100 grit) to remove any rough spots or roughing in the material. Then progress to a finer grit (such as 220 or 320) to smooth out the surface.
  2. Clean the area frequently to remove any sawdust and to ensure you can see your progress. A small brush, such as a paintbrush, can be useful for this.
  3. Use a dust mask and eye protection to avoid inhaling sawdust and protect your eyes from dust particles.
  4. Sand in the direction of the grain to avoid creating scratches that would be difficult to remove.
  5. Use sanding blocks of different shapes and sizes to reach all the areas inside the horns, especially hard-to-reach corners and edges.

Remember, sanding is a gradual process. Be patient, work slowly and carefully, and check your progress often to avoid over-sanding or sanding unevenly.

What are the best guitar pickups for heavy metal?

Questions

A sensible playing angle.

There is no single “best” pickup for heavy metal, as the ideal choice depends on the individual player’s style, tone preferences, and the type of guitar they are using. However, some popular options for heavy metal players include:

  1. EMG 81/85: These active pickups are known for their high output and aggressive tone, making them a popular choice among metal guitarists.
  2. Seymour Duncan Blackout AHB-1: These active pickups offer a similar high-output tone to the EMG 81/85, with a slightly warmer and more organic sound.
  3. DiMarzio D Activator: These passive pickups are designed to deliver a high-output tone with minimal noise, making them a popular choice for metal players who prefer a more natural, vintage sound.
  4. Seymour Duncan JB/59: These classic passive pickups are known for their warm, balanced tone and high output, making them a popular choice for metal players who prefer a more classic, vintage sound.

Ultimately, the best way to determine the ideal pickup for your heavy metal playing is to try out different options and find the one that provides the tone you’re looking for.

What are the best tone woods for electric guitars?

Questions

A bit of epoxy would sort that…

My opinion is that tonewoods have a lesser effect on the guitar’s tone but others believe that tonewoods used for electric guitars can greatly affect the sound and tone of the instrument. Some of the most commonly used and highly regarded tonewoods for electric guitar bodies include:

  1. Alder: A popular choice for electric guitars, alder is known for its balanced tone with strong mids and good low end response.
  2. Ash: This tonewood has a bright and articulate tone, with a strong attack and good sustain. Ash is often used for heavier rock and metal styles.
  3. Maple: Maple is a popular choice for electric guitar necks and is known for its bright and tight tone. It is also commonly used for the body of the guitar to add brightness and clarity to the overall sound.
  4. Mahogany: This tonewood has a warm, rich and full tone, with a good low end response and good sustain. It is often used for blues and rock styles.
  5. Basswood: This tonewood has a balanced tone with a good low end response, making it a popular choice for heavier styles of music.
  6. Swamp Ash: Swamp Ash is a lighter and more resonant type of ash, and is known for its bright and airy tone.

It’s important to note that tonewoods can have different characteristics based on factors such as the cut, quality, and age of the wood, as well as the manufacturing process used to make the guitar. Ultimately, the best tonewood for an electric guitar is a matter of personal preference and musical style.

What are the classic fender telecaster colours?

Questions

Vintage Butterscotch

Fender Telecaster has been produced in various colors over the years, some of the most classic colors for Fender Telecasters are:

  • Blonde (also referred to as Butterscotch Blonde)
  • Sunburst
  • Natural (also referred to as Amber)
  • Daphne Blue
  • Lake Placid Blue
  • Black
  • Vintage White
  • Two-tone Sunburst

These colors have been used on classic Fender Telecaster models over the years and remain popular among players and collectors today.

Introducing Franklyn Guitars

Guitars, Luthier

My focus of late has been to build a guitar brand with it’s own models and designs. I feel that focussing of a specific offering is more helpful to a potential Franklyn Guitars guitar owner than a blank canvas*

So we’re starting off with the Skybeam model, my take on a double cutaway twin humbucker electric guitar.

I’ll write more about the company and the models later and why I couldn’t spell Franklin properly and call it Franklin Guitars.

* That said, anyone is free to come at me with their own ideas!

Pine Guitar Challenge 2020

Luthier

I’ve got something in me that wants to build a series of guitars out of one type of wood (in start contrast of the the monstrosity I’m making for the Great Guitar Build Off 2020 out of everything). So when Tomster from IP Guitars announced he and a friend were doing a pine guitar challenge I thought I’d like a piece of that action and invited myself to join in.

I never expected it to stretch over 9 long videos!

What we ended up with was a guitar with a pine body, a pine neck and a pine fretboard. From firewood, an old desk and a floor board respectively.

Months later, despite having a few truss rod tweaks, we have a guitar that I’m still playing on a daily basis. Yay for pine 🙂

Raining 5 Guitars (Guitar Challenge) – Learning to play Episode 15

Chris Learns Guitar

Completely inspired by Mary Spender and Pete Cottrell, I decided that it’s about time I made a video and to further the challenge I wanted to do it from beginning to end in one day. I’m currently trying to learn Raining Blood by Slayer, so it seemed ideal.

It turns out that I had to do it over two evenings (I can’t really start working on anything for YouTube before 8pm) The end product isn’t remotely how I envisioned it, meaning I need a lot more practise at playing, recording, mastering and making videos.

Guitars used:

  • Fenix Jazz Bass (Fender Jazz bass copy)
  • Fender Mexican Stratocaster with a Seymour Duncan hot rail
  • Yamaha Pacifica 120SD, adapted, with Warman G-Rail
  • Brownsville Choirboy with Warman Mini Humbuckers
  • Behringer iAXE 393

Another video for me to use as a marker of progress in the future 🙂

Video Link

The Guitar Show – Birmingham – 2018

General

I’ve never been to a guitar show before so had little idea what to expect. The answer to that is a mixture of guitar store and a jumble sale.  What I wasn’t prepared for was the noise, I don’t like crowds too and whilst some bits were chockablock you were able to chart an irregular course around.

Before going I’d made a list of who I wanted to visit and managed to hit most of them – some just were nowhere to be seen. They might have been cohabiting with another exhibitor – but were not on the plan.

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