Thurs Oct 3 New Guitar day

Today's Lunch.

Salmon and Salad. I do love Salmon, not the kind you find in a can that was raised on a farm and is labeled "Wild Salmon".
You fooled me once before. Never again.


Annoying Cell phone rings.
I heard someone cell phone rings to "Für Elise"
We all like that melody, but as it was ringing, people joined in singing. Nuts. That just rubs me the wrong way.

I thought about another type of Cell phone ring.
I think Louis should set his phone to this.
[youtube]UHjpS83aH9U[/youtube]

What is your Cell phone ring set to? anything special?


While back I said
"Are you brave enough to do a custom order with G&L with quilt/maple top? I'm not."
You can read it right here
http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=101&t=5127&p=31273&hilit=quilt#p31273

Apparently I don't stick to my word. As I did buy a new guitar. Quilt.



imo, the LemonDrop does not look so lemon. More like Butterscotch.

It is my first Deluxe.
As I tried my best to shield.
Here

and here


I find the metal Pickguard on this one, below, does a better job at reducing hum.



I think this is so because the Deluxe does not cover the PU as well as a metal PG.

The new Deluxe is 1.75". And I do like it.

Do you like G&L Deluxe models? Which ones?


Project Amp

El 84.
Here she is


This is before I tidy the place up.


2 Torodial transformers.
There is a "CAT" switch for when I want to inflict pain on my neighbor cats. (j/k)

DRIV - Drive
FIX - Fixed Bias
CAT - Cathode Bias
MV - Master Volume
T - Triode
U - Ulta linear
P - Pentode
GMX - a KOC term

The kit is found here
http://www.londonpower.com/power-amp/el-84-pa84

Ulta Linear is an interesting way to run your tubes. It really never took off. The sound is different, but people tend to gravitate toward Pentode and Triode.

Have you ever tried Ulta Linear on your amp?


Anyone here like EL 84 in their power amp?
Only 25W. Small power is key here.
With all knobs dialed into 10. I do not hear a change of "tube break up". It only sounds louder, not different.
This might be because of design.

Anyone into building Power Amps? Dangerous isn't it.

I think Louis should set his phone to this.

I guess we'll have to wait another 29 days to find out. IMO I think Will Ray was instilling some friction on purpose,Louis was just
offering help in his own way. I'll miss the straight up input.

What is your Cell phone ring set to? anything special?

I made my own ringtone , me playing the early 80's MTV theme ...it's cool hearing a G&L everytime the phone rings.

That's a beautiful deluxe, love the depth of that wood.
All the Lemon Drops I have seen were very yellow, is that what you ordered and expected?

Can you tell a difference with the steel saddles and block? Does the low E saddle edge dig in to your right hand when resting on the bridge? (they look sharper on the edges)
I'm jealous...I'd love to have a deluxe, but they all have too many neck bolts these days,

I guess we'll have to wait another 29 days to find out. IMO I think Will Ray was instilling some friction on purpose,Louis was just
offering help in his own way. I'll miss the straight up input.

I did not see the post until later in the day. No wonder why it got so quiet around here.

I made my own ringtone , me playing the early 80's MTV theme ...it's cool hearing a G&L everytime the phone rings.

That is cool. Sometime I would like to do that.

All the Lemon Drops I have seen were very yellow, is that what you ordered and expected?

I expected a little more LP or brighter. IN all honesty, I don't care, it is just a color and I can live with it.

Can you tell a difference with the steel saddles and block? Does the low E saddle edge dig in to your right hand when resting on the bridge? (they look sharper on the edges)

I never noticed. No difference as far as I know.

My phone ringtone is one of the presets. For me, my phone has to sound like a phone, or I won't hear it. I used to have a Kelly Joe Phelps song as a ringtone, it was weird...

Actually, I have an S-500 deluxe (see my avatar), and I love it more and more. Of all the deluxe G&L it's the S-500 and the ASAT that I like the most, I'm not very fond of quilted maple, it makes me feel sort of seasick (whatever the brand of the guitar).

I have an EL84 amp, a Mesa Boogie F30, it's a great, light little amp, very versatile. Though not the most revered of the EL84 amps I do like it.

My phone ringtone is one of the presets. For me, my phone has to sound like a phone, or I won't hear it.

Yes, if it does not sound like a phone, then it is a car passing by.

IActually, I have an S-500 deluxe (see my avatar), and I love it more and more. Of all the deluxe G&L it's the S-500 and the ASAT that I like the most, I'm not very fond of quilted maple,

Quilted maple is hit or miss. Your guitar in the sun sure looks sharp. I do like the different shades. Did you shield it?

Apparently I don't stick to my word. As I did buy a new guitar. Quilt.

Wow, that quilted Legacy is great! I wish G&L would do a no-pickguard Comanche like that.

Have you ever tried Ulta Linear on your amp?

Anyone here like EL 84 in their power amp?

Funnily enough, I'm trying both at the moment, but with an ultralinear option in the preamp.
Designed the amp myself, it's got a 6GH8 (a triode and pentode in the same bottle, they were originally TV tubes) in the preamp and a single-ended EL84 power amp. The "ultralinear" thing is for the pentode, it's something dreamed up by Merlin Blencowe (the Valve Wizard). Some amps have a switch that allows you to short the screen grid to the anode, to turn a pentode into a triode. Merlin's version uses a pot to sweep from pentode to triode instead and at about 25% rotation from the triode setting it goes into ultralinear mode.
I've heard good things about it from people that have built something similar, so I'm looking forward to trying it out.

Oh and my ringtone is just a buzz - the ringtone was too distracting, so I just leave the phone set on "vibrate"

Wow, that quilted Legacy is great! I wish G&L would do a no-pickguard Comanche like that.

I like both metal PG and Deluxe about the same. Not as much the plastic.
Thumbs no longer makes metal PG for the S500. If he did, I would have bought more.

Have you ever tried Ulta Linear on your amp?

Anyone here like EL 84 in their power amp?

Funnily enough, I'm trying both at the moment, but with an ultralinear option in the preamp.
Designed the amp myself, it's got a 6GH8 (a triode and pentode in the same bottle, they were originally TV tubes) in the preamp and a single-ended EL84 power amp. The "ultralinear" thing is for the pentode, it's something dreamed up by Merlin Blencowe (the Valve Wizard). Some amps have a switch that allows you to short the screen grid to the anode, to turn a pentode into a triode. Merlin's version uses a pot to sweep from pentode to triode instead and at about 25% rotation from the triode setting it goes into ultralinear mode.
I've heard good things about it from people that have built something similar, so I'm looking forward to trying it out.

I have put The Wizards grounding scheme into my amps. The ones I build are rack mount and the double diode, cap towards ground will get rid of ground loops.
THe Ultalinear thing I know of is the power tubes connected to the transformer. I am not familiar with pre-amp tubes having ultalinear capacity.
Good luck and tell us how it goes.

No, I didn't shield my S-500 but I don't feel the need to do it because :
it seems problems with the 50Hz (yes in france it is 50) are far less present than in the US , at least that's what I've been told.
I don't record my self so much... Maybe I'll feel the need to shield it, but I'll let my luthier do it.

No, I didn't shield my S-500 but I don't feel the need to do it because :
it seems problems with the 50Hz (yes in france it is 50) are far less present than in the US , at least that's what I've been told.
I don't record my self so much... Maybe I'll feel the need to shield it, but I'll let my luthier do it.

Ok, if you ever decide to. Easy to do.
1. Remove everything except ground wire.
2. Nickel paint worked the best for me, cover ground wire with tape, and protect rest of guitar with painters tape.
3. Put everything back.

I have put The Wizards grounding scheme into my amps. The ones I build are rack mount and the double diode, cap towards ground will get rid of ground loops.
THe Ultalinear thing I know of is the power tubes connected to the transformer. I am not familiar with pre-amp tubes having ultalinear capacity.
Good luck and tell us how it goes.

Will do! The Wizard's been a fantastic resource for this project, I got started with the info on his website and then got the book, too. Very handy, it helped me to debug some stuff during the design stage that would have flummoxed me if I was trying to troubleshoot it once it was built.

I do love Salmon

I had no idea!

...not the kind you find in a can that was raised on a farm and is labeled "Wild Salmon".
You fooled me once before. Never again.

Aside from the source of color, which is typically compensated with dye in farm raised, once canned there is nothing retained distinguishing wild caught and farm raised salmon. It all becomes homogenized and comparing the same substance fresh and canned is as though the two are not even the same thing. Canned fish is dominated by the consequences of the process. Yuck, even a traditional tuna sandwich grosses me out, it's canned and it needs so much mayo. Speaking of fish, see below**

Lunch was a slice of ham and some oatmeal cookies on the run after a more substantial breakfast of a bacon & egg taco followed by coffee and a danish.

Cell phone rings: mine is on vibrate. IMO the only way a phone call coming in is not rude is when it is the business phones and you are at the place of business or it is a land line in a home and you are in the home. Cell phones are inherently rude and intrusive. The fancy rings are a selfish disruption. Everything comes to a halt momentarily while people comprehend what is going on. First they hear a disruption, then they hear the song and try to figure out whether they recognize it, then they probably want it silenced and they don't want to listen to your half of a conversation most of the time.

I am extremely annoyed when in the vicinity of half a conversation while someone talks on a phone as though they are the only person in the room. Observing half a conversation also has a way of revealing the best and worst in the person talking. You really have a chance to see whether someone is genuine or full of poo.

G&L Deluxe models: I have been considering a Deluxe S500.

Ordering a quilt or flame top: I think you are in the same boat with anything other than a solid simple color. Wood grain can make or break a transparent finish. The bursts can be done with care or done robotic-like without any sense of aesthetics. I have seen many bursts that were ruined when the opaque edge was applied. Sometimes there seems to be no awareness of how that solid color is interacting with the transparent area inside. I will not custom order a burst that includes a solid edge. I am only willing to gamble on a 100% transparent burst finish. You can only hope to receive a balanced and interesting quilt or flame. I am preparing for a custom order probably without a flame or quilt top and am choosing a transparent finish that is beautiful enough to provide some boost if the wood grain turns out to be mediocre or worse.

Lemondrop: I have seen cool yellow lemondrop but I agree that your lemondrop looks like more orange was in the mix and it is on the warmer butterscotch blonde side. Actually when I saw the picture I thought it was the quilted honey S500 that was recently on ebay.

Amp Building: I stay away from electronic projects. Regarding personal projects, I can end up with something good but I tend to get there adjusting to mistakes along the way. I don't trust myself with electricity.

So what happened to Louis and Will? Were they banned for 30 days? I like those guys. People have said to repeat something for 40 days and it becomes a habit or routine. With the changing perception of the speed of time I feel like this has been reduced to 30 days or less. A ban for that long could be the end for some people and they might not ever come back. I hope this isn't the case. I had been reading a lot of old posts here and I like a lot of what Louis and Will have contributed. Maybe I am jumping to conclusions? Anyone care to brief me in a PM? Please?

**Fish: Read labels and know the source of your fish. Avoid shrimp, crab meat, tilapia and catfish imported from Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia. These countries process fish in appalling conditions equal to sewage.

that is simply an incredible guitar. Congrats!

Continuing with the fishy theme, Monterey Aquarium has info about which is sustainable and which isn't: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_regional.aspx. There's an app, too

I have an ASAT Deluxe, my only ASAT. It has a beautiful flame top, nice tight tiger stripes and perfectly bookmatched, in three-color sunburst.

I have two 4X EL-84 amps, my Mesa DC-112 combo and my Maverick 212 combo. They sound very different, the Maverick is Class A and the DC-3 has Mesa's Dyna-Watt power section, making its 35 watts sound more like 50. The 84s have a nice creaminess to them, but I am much more used to the full range of 6L6s.

Bill

I hear that in many places in Japan it is considered super rude to have your cellphone set to anything but vibrate.

Also to my own preference I set my cell to vibrate.

I own an ASAT Special Deluxe so...

I like it

And hey, no fuss over what pickguard you have to put on it

Lemondrop: I have seen cool yellow lemondrop but I agree that your lemondrop looks like more orange was in the mix and it is on the warmer butterscotch blonde side. Actually when I saw the picture I thought it was the quilted honey S500 that was recently on ebay.

I thought the same thing. Honey. Taking a closer look. I do not see any yellow. Just brown and light brown.
Fred the Finisher is having his own discussion on Viking Blue. To be fair with G&L, images of lemon drop look very similar to mine. Naming convention is wrong or someone is color blind.
I can live with it. Just do a google image search on lemondrop and you will see a whole different color.

So what happened to Louis and Will?

See Introduction forum about Louis. As for Will, I shipped him some cigars and never heard back. That was some time ago. That is all I know.

Wow, I think that deluxe is spectacular. I wouldn't care what they call it. It is gorgeous. It pairs well with the L-2500.-- Darwin

that is simply an incredible guitar. Congrats!

+1

Meow, I just looked at the G&L color charts and I think you have Lemon Drop. They show a flamed top and I think that it looks just like yours. Look at your build sheet. What does it say?-- Darwin

Meow, I just looked at the G&L color charts and I think you have Lemon Drop. They show a flamed top and I think that it looks just like yours. Look at your build sheet. What does it say?-- Darwin

Lemon drop is what I ordered. I did see the G&L color chart before I ordered, so I can't complain.
I heard 7-11% of male population is color blind. It looks brown + light brown to me. Lemon? Nah!
The back looks like lemon in the pics above. The maple quilt must have an effect on it.

It's still one of the coolest looking tops I've seen on a G&L lately, name aside( and what other woods would do with
the same stain )...it looks like a choice ,well seasoned , aged Maple board.

And I'm still jealous

elwood