What to do?

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Zantos
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What to do?

Post by Zantos »

Old Strat, needs new frets as the rattle and buzz increases. Still gets played hard, but maybe time to retire it?

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Re: What to do?

Post by jeremyb »

Refret? How much do you like it?
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

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Re: What to do?

Post by higainer »

Well if it's a great sounding guitar that you get tons of use from, then I say re-fret.

I had Mr Glyn put stainless steels on my Strat & now it's one of my favourite guitars.
Plus SS frets will last for ages.

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Re: What to do?

Post by Zantos »

jeremyb wrote:Refret? How much do you like it?
Like doesn't really come into the equation! It's like having a vintage car, the old clattery bits do the job and you could replace some bits, but it's about keeping it as authentic as possible!

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Re: What to do?

Post by Slowy »

Zantos wrote:
jeremyb wrote:Refret? How much do you like it?
Like doesn't really come into the equation! It's like having a vintage car, the old clattery bits do the job and you could replace some bits, but it's about keeping it as authentic as possible!
So what are we talking here, a hard working 25 year old American Standard or a 1950's original? I think you would have a different approach to each of those. Even with the 50's you first have to decide if it's a working guitar or an historical artifact.

I was playing a mate's Strat and SG last weekend. Both are from the 1960s and both have just been refretted. I've known those guitars for a long time and they now play and sound better than I've ever heard them before. OK, so they're not original anymore, but they're tools and now they can do their job for another 50 years.
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

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Re: What to do?

Post by Rog »

Well, being pedantic, if anyone changes the strings on their guitar, the guitar is no longer original.... :wink:
He hit a chord that rocked the spinet and disappeared into the infinite ...

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Re: What to do?

Post by Vince »

slowfingers wrote: So what are we talking here, a hard working 25 year old American Standard or a 1950's original? I think you would have a different approach to each of those. Even with the 50's you first have to decide if it's a working guitar or an historical artifact.
Well said. If there's something I've learnt from flicking past The Antiques Roadshow is that not all old things are collectible or worth as much as one thinks. The loss in value from a refret might be offset with the pleasure of having a guitar with a new lease of life.
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Re: What to do?

Post by Zantos »

slowfingers wrote:
Zantos wrote:
jeremyb wrote:Refret? How much do you like it?
Like doesn't really come into the equation! It's like having a vintage car, the old clattery bits do the job and you could replace some bits, but it's about keeping it as authentic as possible!
So what are we talking here, a hard working 25 year old American Standard or a 1950's original? I think you would have a different approach to each of those. Even with the 50's you first have to decide if it's a working guitar or an historical artifact.

I was playing a mate's Strat and SG last weekend. Both are from the 1960s (EDIT: The Strat's a 72. My bad.) and both have just been refretted. I've known those guitars for a long time and they now play and sound better than I've ever heard them before. OK, so they're not original anymore, but they're tools and now they can do their job for another 50 years.[/quote

64 pre CBS. And here lies the real problem! You wouldn't work your granny till she died...unless that's what her punter wanted!

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Re: What to do?

Post by Slowy »

Zantos wrote:[
64 pre CBS. And here lies the real problem! You wouldn't work your granny till she died...unless that's what her punter wanted!
Nice!
Chris Rea retired his 64 Strat. But that was because it had been refretted so many times, there wasn't enough neck left to do it again. IMHO, nothing kills a guitar faster than ignoring it; they were made to be played. Your comments indicate it's not a pristine closet classic so why wouldn't you make it play well and enjoy playing it?

If you don't actually enjoy it all that much, it should yield an easy $15k to find something you do like. Whatever you do, don't bury it! My 2c worth.
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

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Re: What to do?

Post by Slowy »

Rog wrote:Well, being pedantic, if anyone changes the strings on their guitar, the guitar is no longer original.... :wink:
Strings are a consumable item fitted to a guitar.

Being pedantic. :wave:
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

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Re: What to do?

Post by Vince »

slowfingers wrote:
Rog wrote:Well, being pedantic, if anyone changes the strings on their guitar, the guitar is no longer original.... :wink:
Strings are a consumable item fitted to a guitar.

Being pedantic. :wave:
so are tuners and yet, collectors get the shits if you've changed them.
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Re: What to do?

Post by Slowy »

Vince wrote:
so are tuners ......
:think: Really?
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

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Re: What to do?

Post by Vince »

Well, with my first guitar, I tried to get the shop to do something because the tuners weren't holding and I was told that no, it was normal for them to wear out so, no, tuners weren't covered by the warranty.

YMMV

I don't think I got around to talking about being already outside the warranty period anyway.
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Re: What to do?

Post by Slowy »

Hey Zantos, here's the guy who did the Strat and SG. Beautiful work.
http://www.audiozephyr.co.nz/
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

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Re: What to do?

Post by Zantos »

slowfingers wrote:
Zantos wrote:[
64 pre CBS. And here lies the real problem! You wouldn't work your granny till she died...unless that's what her punter wanted!
Nice!
Chris Rea retired his 64 Strat. But that was because it had been refretted so many times, there wasn't enough neck left to do it again. IMHO, nothing kills a guitar faster than ignoring it; they were made to be played. Your comments indicate it's not a pristine closet classic so why wouldn't you make it play well and enjoy playing it?

If you don't actually enjoy it all that much, it should yield an easy $15k to find something you do like. Whatever you do, don't bury it! My 2c worth.
No, I love this guitar and I'm very lucky to have it. 15k buys a new guitar or aToyota, both equally soulless in my opinion!

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