Lunch Report Monday, April 18, 2011

[Muleya]

Alrighty, good Monday to everyone! Even though I've tried to catch up on some sleep the last couple of nights, I'm still feeling a little sleep deprived due to staying up too late several nights last week! On top of that, things are really slow at work right now. But I'm hanging in there, and hope you all are, too!

Any folks affected by the storms from the past week? We got 2.5" of rain on Sat, and the ground was already pretty well saturated from the previous storm system earlier in the week. I was muttering to myself as I was using the shop vac to keep water from the unfinished part of my basement from getting into the finished part, which really wasn't too bad...I was successful and it could have been much worse! But as I was muttering to myself, I was thinking I should be grateful it's no worse than it is...some folks don't have a basement left to keep dry! Anyway, here's hoping all you folks in the affected areas came through relatively unscathed!

Today's lunch is leftover sloppy joes. Nothing fancy, my wife bought a couple cans of Manwich a while back and we quickly realized we enjoy those made from scratch quite a bit better, but we needed a quick meal, so I used the second can last week. To go with it are some celery and carrot sticks, grapes and yogurt...trying to keep things somewhat healthy! Should have brought a piece of cake left over from my 5yr olds B-day party this weekend, but forgot!

G&L Question

A discussion the new Serial Number Plates got me thinking here. Darth said one reason for going with the plates was that if the neck was ever replaced, this could be transferred to the new neck, keeping the same SN with the original guitar. So I'm just curious how freqeuntly this happens. How many folks here have replaced the necks on their G&Ls. If so, why? Was it worn out? Frets were worn out? Just wanted something different? And for everyone, whether you have or have not ever replaced a neck on your G&L, what would prompt you to do so?

Non G&L Question

My wife got me some BuckyBalls for my birthday earlier this year. Does anyone else here have any, or had a chance to try them? If so, do you find them fun, or frustrating, or both? And what's the coolest object you've made with them? I find the little buggers both fun and frustrating, and I learned how to make a sphere last week that was pretty cool. If you've never heard of them (I hadn't before I got them), here's a video that shows a bit of what you can do with them: BuckyBalls

Edit: See link in sirmyghin's post for more info on Fullerene...the material in the Buckyballs that makes them so fun!

[darwinohm]

Muleya, welcome aboard this week. Haven't had lunch. I just finished locating a missing cat that escaped while I took the garbage out. He had an hour of freedom but I think he got cold. I met him on the sidewalk by the house and he had probably been chasing squirrels. Many of you would ask, Why find him?? He is a cool cat.

The serial number plate is quite a discussion. I have never had to replace a neck. I would at some point be interested in a fretted neck for my L-2000. It has killer tone and I rarely use it because it is fretless. I could put frets on it. Guitars makers have different way of doing this. I have always thought the neckplate was fine. Some stamp it in the wood on the headstock which I think detracts from the looks. I predict that G&L will rethink this plate and those who have one will own a rarebird. I've been wrong before.

I have no idea on BuckyBalls, but I took a shot in the poll. Have a great day-- Darwin.

[Dick Seacup]

Poll: When I hear BuckyBalls, I think of R. Buckminster Fuller, who is curiously absent from your list of choices. I went with BBs.

G&L: Have never replaced a neck on any guitar. What would prompt me to do so? Hrmm, a broken neck. I mean, you can repair a headstock break (not that they happen with G&L, or at least I've never seen/heard of one happening), so it'd have to be quite bad. Or maybe a warped and twisted neck (not likely with the bi-cut).

Non-G&L: OMG, they really are BBs. Had never seen them. Will have to search them out. I once brought home a big bag of polished hematite stones for my two youngest sons. They had those things stuck everywhere. We're still finding the smaller ones from time to time. I can only imagine what they'd do with BuckyBalls.

[sirmyghin]

There is no reason to replace a neck other than structural damage to the neck (twist, fracture etc), you can refret it otherwise.

Buckyballs eh, looks kind of fun, I can see where they got the name. Bucky balls formally are fullerene, 'ball' like latice structures of carbon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fullerene Fullerene tubes and such are of interest in nanotech and such if I recall.

[BadJaxx]

i don't know anyone named 'Bucky' and would not wish to discuss his balls even if i did...

i've never replaced a neck but have pondered it on a few guitars that i needed a wider neck on...i always just sell it instead...i'd love to put a #3 G&L neck with ebony FB on my CVC Tele...maybe even put a bucker in the neck spot...alas, as usual, it's for sale...LOL

[Muleya]

Thanks for the info, Dick and sirmyghin. I have revised the poll and the original post.

[Dave_P]

I have had a chance to play with Buckyballs..... and found them fun (this is only going to get worse) did not play with them long enough to get frustrated, made some basic structures like cylinders and cubes. They're pretty cool, I wouldn't mind playing with them at my desk in the office to pass some time.

G&L Question: Not crazy about the serial number plates, as many have said no real reason to replace the neck other than twisted/broken. I have thought about replacing the neck on my '90 ASAT, it's nice but I like the newer/chunkier G&L necks better. I don't think I would ever do it though, that guitar sounds too good to mess with

-Dave

[Philby]

G&L Question: How does one get another neck for their G&L? The only reason I ask is because the bi-cut mid-90's neck on my S-500 makes my hand cramp after about 30 min of playing. It feels comfortable in my hand (which is why I bought it) but it's probably too narrow. I've thought about selling the guitar, but putting a more modern G&L neck on it with a different profile might be an option.

Buckyballs: I was doing a higher degree in chemistry when BuckyBalls were discovered. It took quite a while for the structure of them to be figured out if I remember correctly. Once the structure was figured out all chemistry text books had to be re-written because, to that point, the only known forms of carbon were diamond and graphite. Then came the question 'what can we do with them?'. That is still being worked out AFAIK. But making a cool toy out of BuckyBalls seems like a good place to start .

[blargfromouterspace]

I've never heard of BuckyBalls, they look nice. I'd like to see a toilet made out of them.

Like Dave I have thought about replacing the neck on mine to get one I prefer. I wish that I didn't get the GOT neck on my Bluesboy, it doesn't quite match the colour. I can deal with it though and don't think I'm likely to cough up the money for a replacement neck any time soon. The only reason I'd splash out is if the neck became irreparably twisted or if was cracked in the middle.

[Boogie Bill]

We've had the usual rain and drear this winter--no real problems weather-wise--but everyone here is sitting on pins and needles waiting for the next big quake to hit the Pacific Northwest. We know it's coming--just a matter of when.

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Never had to replace the neck on any of my bolt-on guitars. I have one Legacy that has a very, very odd neck profile--and if I could, I definitely would replace it.

My biggest heartbreak was snapping the headstock off my 1975 Martin D-28. Freak accident. Normally, I would have just had the piece glued back on, but: 1) it snapped completely off, leaving just a knob on the end of the neck with very little glueing surface; 2) the break was completely through the rosewood head plate--an much more expensive repair to remove it and replace; 3) the guitar needed new frets; 4) the neck needed a reset; and 5) I didn't really like the neck profile on that guitar. The guitar had required a new over-size bridge back in the late-1980s, so it wasn't ever going to be collectible; and it actually worked out to be a couple of hundred bucks cheaper by just replacing the neck. I decided to have a brand new neck put on the guitar.

So my luthier (Kerry Char here in Portland) ordered the neck, a new low profile neck like on their new D-28s, but it came with a satin finish (my original neck is has a gloss finish) and it had a truss rod. Martin did drill it for my original Grover tuners, but the truss rod meant that a hole had to be drilled through the large cross-brace under the fingerboard. Kerry did a marvelous job, and I was very pleased with the result, although not with the cost, LOL! It really was quite a bit of work. The guitar came back playing and sounding the best it ever had. Kerry told me that the neck's dovetail joint was very loose and popped out faster than any he had seen before. It sure sounds like the neck is better coupled with the body. I kept the old neck and the piece of the headstock.

I love this guitar, we have been through so much. I wish I had the money to do a total restoration. It needs to have the over-sized bridge taken off and a proper repair done to the bridge plate underneath the bridge. The finish is very thick on this guitar, thicker than any Martin I have ever seen, so it really would benefit in the long run being stripped and refinished. The finish has suffered some from the perils of life in a bar, The finish has long fractures--a heavy finish is more susceptible to temperature changes; and I know the heavy finish has a negative impact on the tone. I'd have the old neck repaired and refretted, and the one brace with the truss rod hole replaced. I'd have to consider having the top braces scalloped, too.

It is a beautiful guitar, with excellent color in the East Indian Rosewood, and the most beautiful cross-grain "silk" I've ever seen in any acoustic guitar--ever. But the cost of doing all of this is prohibitive, especially since a 1970's Martin the guitar is not real collectible. There would be very little, if any, payoff. I can honestly say that most of guitars leaving the Martin factory today are better made guitars--but they don't have the mojo or the bawdy life experiences--and memories--of this old guitar.

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I think G&L should do their serial numbers like Glock does. My Glocks have a serial number on a little metal plate imbedded in the polymer frame, just forward of the trigger guard. The same number is stamped on the barrel, visible at the ejection port. I would say it is suspicious when the numbers don't match up like they should. I think G&Ls should have a neck number and a body number that are impossible to remove from either place without serious damage to the instrument, and they should match. (Words from someone who has had three guitars stolen.)

Bill

[CGT]

We had snow in Toronto over the weekend, which meant a very productive day writing/conferencing/editing video and a bit of time to noodle with the Legacy. Sometimes, a good gray day is good for the soul.

Lunch today was a salmon fillet with coleslaw and a baked sweet potato, yummy and nutricious.

I'm not sure I like the idea of the new serial number plates, though I disagree with Darth's logic. I'd tend toward keeping it on the neck being swapped (especially to keep track of neck profile info if one has several instruments). Also, I like things to be visually clean and the plate adds some clutter to the neck. (On the other hand it does remind me of vintage electronics, so maybe it does work visually).

A friend of mine who's an engineer got buckyballs for Christmas and has built some cool stuff out of them. The closest I've come is rare earth magnets purchased at Lee Valley Hardware to secure artwork to the wall. Like buckyballs, they have very strong magnetic fields and I've used them to affix 5 foot x 4 foot photographs to the wall (by hammering nails into the wall to serve as anchors between the images and the magnets). Amazingly, the images stayed up for nearly six months with very little shifting. Ain't science grand?

[sam]

G&L Question
How many folks here have replaced the necks on their G&Ls. If so, why?
Never had to replace a neck or desired to change exisiting neck, but did buy one off fleabay for a 3-bolt project. Now happily residing on my parts ASAT JD-5. Not a fan of the new plates. Too much like an afterthought IMHO.

Non G&L Question
BuckyBalls?
This is my first introduction to the famed balls. Looks like endless fun for engineers or people with far more dexterity and spatial capabilty than me. Bet I could easily be swayed.

[Muleya]

Interesting story about the Martin, Bill...I can certainly understand the dilemma! Good luck!

CGT, very interesting use of magnets...holding up a picture! I like that alot!

And there's definitely an art aspect to the things you can do with these Buckyballs...kind of like origami. I'm not so creative as to come up with much on my own...I did one or two simple things. But it's also fun to mimic things others have madeE

[bassman]

Does anybody have a picture of the new serial number plate on G&Ls?
I would like to see it and I can understand the frustration of having to replace a neck and because of that repair you lose the original serial number of the guitar. Wood is always unpredictable and replaced necks probably happen more often than we consumers ever see. A bad neck may show up during production.
It is handy to have a way of replacing the neck and transferring the serial number. I understand where G&L is coming from on this subject.

My concern is - Does this make it easier for thieves to just remove the plate and sell a stolen G&L guitar without fear of consequences?

Buckyballs_ The secret to flying cars lies within these magnetic toys!

-bassman

[Craig]

Does anybody have a picture of the new serial number plate on G&Ls?

-bassman

see this post: New Serial Number Plates

Hope this helps.

[bassman]

Thanks, Craig. I remember seeing it now. I wouldn't mind a serial number plate on my new G&L.
I say: Go Dave and Steve, keep the G&Ls coming. I think you are making great instruments.

BTW: I have two G&Ls on which, I would like to replace the necks. Bad truss rods are a pain in the ass!

The L-2000 in my Avatar has a neck from one of my L-1000 basses, because of a stripped rod on the original neck.

There are lots of reasons to replace necks.