New Guitar Day: Agile Interceptor 725, My First Seven String Guitar

So it finally happened.  For those who know me, know I started my musical life in 1988.  That's when I picked up and learned to play the cello.  In 1998, I bought my first guitar, and started playing it.  But now, in the year 2019, I bought my first seven string guitar.

I had been wanting one for a while.  I mean, I don't play Korn or anything that would require a seven string, but I had been wanting one just so I could scratch that musical itch.  One thing that kept me from purchasing a seven string was the cost and availability.  There's just not that many manufacturers that make seven strings.  So the decently made seven string guitars on the market are a bit pricy.

The other thing I kept running into was that a lot of them had Floyd Rose tremolos.  And honestly, I didn't want to deal with that if I didn't have to.  Also, a lot of seven string guitars tend to be really pointy and 80's looking.  I wanted to avoid that as well.  So it's good that I know what I want, but I've really painted myself in a corner with what I want.

I was searching on Facebook Marketplace when I saw a seller offering an Agile 725 Interceptor seven string guitar.  We agreed to meet at Guitar Center so I could test it out.  Long story short, I was more than happy with it and bought it from him.  Here's the photos:

The 725 model refers to a 25.5 inch scale length.  The 727 model refers to a 27.5 inch scale length.  I know a lot of players would prefer the longer scale length, but I found the shorter/standard length to be just fine.

There were a few nice upgrades on this guitar when I bought it.  First up, someone had installed the Seymour Duncan AHB-3 Blackouts active pickup set.  The fret numbers are actually aftermarket stickers attached to the fretboard.

I personally love the blue/green color.  It's not a standard death metal color.  Remember when I talked about painting myself into a tiny little corner with what I wanted?  Well, this color is the perfect color for me.

I also changed the knobs to a green abalone set that I had sitting in my drawer for a few years.

They are a perfect match for this guitar.  Although technically, the chrome should be black to match the black hardware, but I'm not sweating it.

The guitar did need a set-up, but overall it was about 95% the way there.  The truss rod had never been set.  I only had to turn it a very small amount for it to be perfect.  I also moved the pickups closer to the strings.  It's very important to do that with active pickups.  Here's how I did that with direct mount pickups.

As you can see, the pickups are not as close as they should be to the strings.

So I took some foam padding, cut it into shape, and put it underneath the pickups.

Now let's take a look.

Yeah, that's much better.

I was aiming to fret-dress the guitar, but all notes are nicely playable.  Even with the strings being really close to the frets.  Heck, I haven't even changed the strings yet.  I have to say I love the sound.  Once I played it for the first time I just felt something come over me.  I immediately had to play angry music.  It feels like a new musical door opened for me.  I'm going to have to see what's through that door.

For those who are interested in Agile Guitars they can be ordered directly from the manufacturer.  Here's the link:

https://www.rondomusic.com/

New Amplifier Cabinet Day: The Sound of Rock N'Roll

Yes, it's true.  I've acquired more musical equipment.  I also have to say my title is a bit misleading.  It's not really been a new cabinet day since this acquisition took place over a few months.  But let me start at the beginning.

I was watching a YouTube video that was reviewing the best 2X12 cabinet on the market (for the money.)  It was a Harley Benton G212 Vintage cabinet that came stock with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers.  It's sold through Thomann Music for $205 plus shipping of $33 from Germany.  Here's the link:

https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_g212_vintage.htm

For any of my music gearheads, you know you can't even buy the Celestion speakers for that price, much less an equipped cabinet with speakers.  I had been wanting a 2X12 cabinet to pair with my Genz Benz El Diablo 100 amplifier.  This was the perfect cabinet so I ordered it.  It was on backorder so I had to wait a month to receive it.

Looks great, right?  However, there is something I forgot to mention.  I personally hate Celestion Vintage 30 speakers.  They sound unfocused, and have a weird high-mid spike.  I just can not for the life of me EQ an amp properly with them.  But I had a plan.

I took them out, and put up an ad on Craigslist.  I said I was aiming to trade the speakers more than I was to sell.  To be honest, musical instruments aren't selling on Craigslist right now so I didn't really have to worry about that.

However, there was one thing I ran into that I hadn't run into before.  Usually when I would receive trade offers they would be pretty fair.  This time around I was offered a whole lot of crap.  I mean, it was stuff that wasn't even close to being worth my time.  I won't go into details as it's pretty depressing, but I finally got the offer I had been looking for.

A musician up the road had what I really wanted.  A pair of Celestion G12T-75 speakers.  He agreed to come on over, and I tested out all the speakers.  We were both happy, so the trade worked out for everyone.

So I installed the G12T-75 speakers, and I have to say it sounds awesome.  To me the Celestion 75's are the sound of rock n' roll.  I recently purchased my first seven string guitar.  I have to say that the Genz Benz El Diablo 100 and the Celestion 75's are perfect for it.  Not to mention that it's a great set-up for all my guitars.

So I am really excited for this purchase.  Remember, I bought this new for $238 (U.S. dollars.)  To buy the equivalent of this set-up I would have to purchase a Marshall 1936 cabinet which is now $799 new from Sweetwater.  Here's the link:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/1936--marshall-1936-150-watt-2x12-inch-extension-cabinet

So yeah, this is by far a much better deal.  I haven't had a chance to turn her up really loud yet, but one of these days I may drag my set-up outside to see just what she can do at full blast.  If I turned the volume all the way up inside the house I'd probably kill the fish.  And I really don't want to do that.

Strange Tradings: New Guitar Day: Gretsch Edition

It all began with a Craigslist ad.  No!  Not that kind of ad you pervert!  I was browsing the musical instruments on Craigslist when I saw an add that interested me.

It said, "Gretsch 135th Anniversary Edition G5420TG FS/FT."  I had to click on it.  I knew I couldn't buy it, but something told me I had to take a peek.  The photos were great.

A two-tone Gretsch in Ruby Red and Gold Sparkle?  That's a pretty kick ass guitar!  I was reading the description when something caught my attention.  It said, "Will consider trades of multiple guitars for this guitar."

So I made a few offers to the seller.  He was receiving multiple offers so he wasn't sure which one to go with.  I made a second offer for three guitars and two cases for his Gretsch and case.  I also agreed to meet him at Guitar Center which was halfway for both of us.  It was also the closest meeting place that someone (me) had offered to me him at.  Everyone else seemed to be fifty miles away from him.

So here's what I offered.

I had just traded a Tele for this 2004 MIM Stratocaster.  I looked the Strat up on the Fender Serial Number Lookup.  It showed it exactly as pictured.  The only difference was someone had added Fender Locking Tuners.  I also traded a generic hardshell case with it.

An Agile 2500 Les Paul style guitar.

And an Epiphone ES-335 Pro with GFS hardshell case.

I realize that some might say that I overpaid/over-traded for the Gretsch, but there is a method to my madness.  90's to 2000's Fender MIM Strats are great guitars.  I've had a few, and I really dig them.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of them on the market, so they don't command high prices.  Well, let me say, sellers ask a good amount for them, but I never see them selling for what they are asking. 

The Agile I managed to snag for a good deal.  It needed one of my fabulous fret-dressings and set-ups, but after that it played well.  I just couldn't bond with it. 

The Epiphone I also received a good deal on.  I did add a lot of things such as new pickups, a bone nut, strap-locks, fancy knobs, and of course the GFS paisley hardshell case.  

The trader brought a family member to check out the guitars.  He was really impressed with how I had them set up.  He gave the gentleman the okay to make the trade.  I glanced over the Gretsch.  It didn't have a mark on it.  The neck wasn't perfectly straight like a Japanese made one would be, but the frets were all even, and all notes were playable.  

So I think it worked out for everyone.  The Orlando Guitar Show is coming up, and everyone is trying to sell gear before the show comes.  So the buying market is terrible right now.  That's one reason I was glad to trade off three guitars.  I didn't have to worry about trying to sell them individually.  

It worked out well for both of us, and in the end, that's what's important.  I hope he had fun with them.  I know I will.  Let's all just keep on rock'in.  

New Bass Day: My First Schecter

Today has been a good day.  After hounding a guy for (today included) three days I have a new bass.  Despite having upteen guitars in my lifetime, I have only had four (including this one) basses in my life. 

Here's the story.  I was checking late at night on Craigslist, and saw a listing that simply said, "Bass Guitar - $120."  So I clicked on it.  After checking reading the ad, I had to do some research.  He didn't actually list what kind of bass it was.  I could see the Schecter logo on the headstock, but I had to blow up the image to see the model it was.  It was a Damien 4.

I saw that they weren't made anymore, but when they were new they cost $550 new.  On the used market they were going for $250 to $350.  So this was a good deal.... maybe.

I still had to check it out.  I admit, I broke a couple of my own rules in buying this bass.  The guy had been given the bass to him for his son to try out.  His son didn't like it, and it sat unplayed for a quite a while.  So when I checked it out I noticed the neck was pretty bowed.  But I ended up getting "Luthier muscles" and thought, "I can fix anything!!!!!"

So I met the guy in a Walgreens parking lot.  This also broke another  rule in that, I didn't test the bass out through an amp.  I'll admit, I was 50/50 on buying the bass.  The neck was bowed, and it hadn't been played in a while.  But that part of me couldn't let go, so I went ahead and bought it.

When I got it home it didn't work, but I was expecting that.  I was sure the battery was dead.  I performed the tongue test, and the 9 volt battery was completely dead.  So I slapped a new battery in it, and it started to work.  However, the electronics needed cleaned out.  I got to that later, and the pots worked just fine.

The big problem was the neck.  It was really bowed.  So I did my usual luthier thing, and was not happy with myself.  The neck did not want to bend.  So I walked away for a bit, and checked the online videos from the Godfather of guitar repair himself, Dan Erlewine. 

I realized that I was in fact, human, and had made a mistake (which I won't say what it was here.)  So I went back out to the workshop, performed my super secret repair, and managed to get the neck as straight as it was going to get.  It's no Tobias or Modulus, but it's much better than a Squier.  Due to the truss rod not being set for years, it was going to have a little warpage.  However, I still have it set up better than 90% of the basses at Guitar Center. 

Next, it cleaned it up a bit.  Since it hadn't been played, it was pretty dusty.  I gave it a moderately good cleaning.  It still has a few dings, dents, and marks, but I'm not overly worried about that.

The other good part about this deal was that I received a Roadrunner bass soft case and a Levi's guitar strap along with the bass.  I think Guitar Center wants $40 for a bass case, and $20 for the strap, so I really can't complain about the deal.  Well, I can't complain now that I have the neck straightened out. 

So now, onto the pictures!!!!!

New Guitar Day: Boy I Really Have A Problem

It's true.  I really do have a problem.  I just can't pass up a good deal.  I can't even believe I was able to snag this.  I mean, it's not as good a catch as getting the Dean Gran Sport for $96, or the Dean Hardtail with case for $180.  However, I managed to snag a Ebony Epiphone Les Paul for $165.  They originally sold for $499 plus tax.  So I was ecstatic to get this one for that price.

Onto the pictures!!!!

I mean, this deal was just made for me.  First, the seller had it listed for $175, but I let it pass.  I knew I shouldn't be spending money on even more guitars.  Then, he lowered it three days later on Craigslist to $165.  I gave him a call, and he said that the one guy who was coming over for it said he couldn't make it.  So I jumped on that chance.

I think a lot of my deals are due to me being able to drive a bit out of the way.  This seller lived in Holiday, which is right next to Tarpon Springs.  He was only a mile or so from the water.  Since I am in Lutz, he was 25 miles from me.  So for people in Tampa, he could be 40 miles from them.  I had the day off, so I was happy to make the drive. 

Now the guitar isn't perfect, but for a 2005 model it's in pretty good shape.  It has belt buckle scratches, and the tailpiece is nicked up.  But I have to admit, it was one of the best set up guitars I have ever bought used.  Someone did a really good job on that.  I made a few personal adjustments, but I could have lived with the original set up. 

Now, part of me says, "Yeah, buy it now, and flip it for $300."  But part of me wants to keep it.  And since I'm closer to Tampa, I might be able to flip it locally.  But we'll really see what I do with it.  I'll sit on it for a few weeks. 

Guitar Trade Day: Fender Stratocaster

Read here to understand a bit of what's going on in this post.

http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/09/new-guitar-day-dean-gran-sport.html

So I bought the Dean Gran Sport with the intention of selling it.  Namely, I don't care for the active pickups that it comes with, not to mention it's not really my style.  So, I tried to sell it on Craigslist and Reverb.com.  However, with the economy being what it is most musicians are equipment heavy, and cash poor.  In other words, musicians are trying to sell equipment, but no one has any money to buy.  So we end up trading instead of buying/selling. 

The last time I tried to move out some guitars, I ended up trading for other musical equipment and only managed to sell one.  And the one I sold, the guy wanted to return it like I was Guitar Center or something.  Really, I can't make that up.  In the end I had put five guitars up for sale, and only sold the one. 

So this time, I put an ad on Craigslist saying that I was more than willing to trade.  I listed some specific things I was interested in.  One of them being a Black Fender Stratocaster.  Well, to make a long story short, one guy had one and offered to trade it for the Dean. 

We met at Guitar Center which was halfway between us, and we were both happy.  Now for the guitar pron.

I've had a tortoiseshell pickguard sitting in my parts drawer with three Dimarzio pickups in it.  I think they will look nice on this guitar.  So look forward to me blogging about that. 

Craigslist: Strange Tradings, Part 2

For this to make sense, it might help to read this blog post first:

Craigslist: Strange Tradings
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/03/craigslist-strange-tradings.html

I have been trying to sell guitars on Craigslist for a few weeks now, but I am having a little trouble.  As I stated in the earlier post I have been "going sideways" in getting rid of guitars.  I've been getting rid of them.... by trading.  So I'm not actually going down in the number of guitars I own.  I kind of find it funny.

In the last post I talked about trading for the Jackson Dinky DK2M.  I'll admit, I'm just not a Jackson guy.  I'm not much of a Floyd Rose guy either.  So I knew I was going to trade the Jackson.  It turns out I was able to trade it much faster than I thought.

You see, I am a huge fan of Dean Guitars, but they just sit on the market.  A small percentage of people like them, and a lot don't.  So the re-sale value of them is jack squat.  So I found a Dean 79 ML Redwood on Craigslist, and offered the guy a trade for the Jackson.  He had one guy who was supposed to pay cash for it, but never got around to it.  Sine he could sell the Jackson for $100 more than he could the Dean, he agreed to the trade.

Well, he made it over, and we traded straight up.  I was more than happy after hearing his story about the Dean.  It seems that he got it from a Dean rep, and then it sat collecting dust.  The back control plates still had plastic on them, and they hadn't made this model in years.  I set it up, re-strung it, and checked out the electronics.  I also took my brush to it to knock off quite a bit of dust off of it.

It's much lighter in weight than my Dean ML Select from 1998.  It's also thinner, with a few changes.  The body is a touch smaller, the headstock bigger, and the dimensions just a touch different.  Dean has gone through different "series" of the ML, and this one is just a touch different, but I think easier to play.  At least it's not like a boat anchor like the other one.  This one was made in Korea at the Unsung plant.  They are known for their good work. 

So here's the pictures, cause as we know by internet's rule, pics or it didn't happen.