I've got the greatest guitar of them all!

reitze said:
Hi Howie, he probably didn't hear me very well. But it did work better than nothing. I'm missing the mic option too (another thing to buy).

Talman-Amp-Blown
BTW, I somehow blew the Rolland MC amp for the Talman :facepalm:
will have to get another since its sooo close... just the cash-thing slowing the progress.
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Well finally I have it up and working. Its nice and proves the acoustic class. It weighs in at 6.7lbs.

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Help!I'maRock! said:
starting to look better. :thu:
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Thanks Howie,
It plays better than those first 3 acoustic deans and this time the speaker location doesn't cause RF feedback, and neither does the amp. So it's the cleanest sounding yet built - and ligh weight too. With the sharp appearance those here may consider it the best of them all... IDK I do like it since it's the lightest weight... though the electric bodies are pretty good too... guess it's more a matter of my mood. We'll see. Meanwhile as compared to a standard acoustic, it still does play acousticly but once one can have power with the flip of a switch... I'm glad I spent the $ to finish it up. Seems I'm feeling a lot like it's either this one or "1 of" the others (electrics). I do still have the 1st dean and it is sort-of-playable - but the amp crackles with the pickup short-to-holder and other garbage going on. So even more than the bragging rights and looks,etc... I get a great guitar out of it.

Of coarse if anyone is desperate... I could be persuaded to part with it (would then quick make another). I already have an ovation celebrety for my next one. I was holding back while figuring which amp I'd like it to have. Well with this one I'm thinking of sticking with the Roland MC for the acoustic-based guitars. For the electrics it's still a pretty close select between the vox and line 6's depending on the player (my instructor likes the Vox, me the Line 6).
 
Red Wine - Power Guitar #9

Looking at the Ovation it was too thin to build with a Roland Micro Cube. I had the Fender Micro amp laying around since I had previously destroyed it and then fixed it after replacing with the upgraded Roland MC into the original Dean. Anyway... I used a speaker from a blown line 6 too. Here's a couple pics and a vid is uploading now.

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edit, +vid:

Note near the end of the video I switch off the amp play a little bit and then switch it back on... quite a difference, and further this guitar build proves the speaker matters as much or more than the amp. I was also happy to "get away with" keeping the original piezo pickup. I do think the electric bridge pickup is best for things like the chime with live strings - though these 2 acoustic builds are pretty nice. I am considering selling the Talman build since my instructor was so funny about it. He drooled all over that one but can't come up with the cash for a guitar.
 
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reitze! That's a beautiful picture of the windmill, especially since you built it with your father. I've got a couple of new nature shots along Lake Erie that I want to get online, but my residential online is off, another wrongful disruption of my service that's being investigated. Anyway, I'm glad to see you playing with a drummer. It's one thing to build guitars, it's another to play them. You're going to have to provide a similar bass to attract a bassist.

I'm in an office environment right now and can't listen, so that limits my ability to comment.
You're in a nice location to get out and see the fall colours, so I hope your next ride is a good one.
 
Wow, the last two acoustic models really look good. I know you don't care so much about the appearance of these, unless the function is impacted, but the acoustic models are really looking almost like a factory installed option. Not something I want, but certainly getting closer to the look of a product your could sell to those who do.
 
John Watt said:
reitze! That's a beautiful picture of the windmill, especially since you built it with your father. I've got a couple of new nature shots along Lake Erie that I want to get online, but my residential online is off, another wrongful disruption of my service that's being investigated. Anyway, I'm glad to see you playing with a drummer. It's one thing to build guitars, it's another to play them. You're going to have to provide a similar bass to attract a bassist.

I'm in an office environment right now and can't listen, so that limits my ability to comment.
You're in a nice location to get out and see the fall colours, so I hope your next ride is a good one.
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Thanks John,
I traded my acoustic bass for the Alverez purchase. But the way it's going with the acoustic-based builds it could become worth doing. The speaker out from under the strings lets high gain noise free happen - so would be worth it and the larger body cavity of acoustics are a lot easier to fit amps into.
 
Tiltsta said:
Wow, the last two acoustic models really look good. I know you don't care so much about the appearance of these, unless the function is impacted, but the acoustic models are really looking almost like a factory installed option. Not something I want, but certainly getting closer to the look of a product your could sell to those who do.
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Thanks Tiltsta.
My guitar instructor drooled all over the Talman and then didn't even want to borrow the ovation. To me it was quite amazing in that I didn't expect to see someone that emotional over guitar appearances and the ovation IMHO looks fine. Anyway, if he really wants it he can buy it. I decided that it's "too nice" for me to feel comfortable taking it on canoe rides and all that. And obviously I'm pretty hard on my guitars. SOoooo ...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260680543287&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

I could be persuaded to sell the Ovation for less. Still wanna have an acoustic around. The Ovation has the cheaper amp in it which I'm going with for my Classic NY Pro guiltar - and an oval car-speaker (tested - works gr8).

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I finished up the NY Pro Classic today. Love how it plays

I used a car speaker with a Honeytone amp.

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Video uploading soon (sequenced).

edit1: more pics:
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The ultimate build - my all time favorite guitar getting modified

Well this is it. I'm converting my all time favorite home-play guitar. I was convinced once the ovation so thoroughly kicked it's but via that Fender Twin Amp. So a Roland Micro Cube with a 6x9" speaker... 3 pickups (2 singles and a Piezo). The stickers came off but there's still some pickguard glue that didn't come off. Still got lots of soldering and wiring to do and get the good amp out of it's shell.

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Power On The Carlos - nice!

Here's a "finished for the moment" pic:
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Playability wise it's very nice - though takes much more comprehension of how to work the amp WITH the guitar for the desired amount of guitar resonance - and WHEN it's enough. That means setting the volume and gains together with guitar vib augmentation (that nice sound it starts with).

In contrast the smaller speaker on the other acoustic bodies produce a distorted and more piercing sort of sound that "seems louder" but really isn't. I get more power from the Carlos than the others but that's clean power and pushing to high-gain feeds back sooner if the base isn't cut and muffled. The solid-body based guitars get more power out before feedback just being solid-based.

The Piezo is really nice but only works well with a few of the amp-models. I'm still contemplating adding a P-90 with a switch to/with the Piezo. Also figuring to add a honeytone with a mic. May try adding some anti-vib-bracing while I'm at it.

So far the weight is 8.2 lbs..
 
Upgraded the Carlos with the P90

Well this is the guitar I bought from a deaf person in college in 1984 for $80. At the time the guitar wasn't new either - but played nice like it still does.

I put the P90 in but am still wanting a humbucker.
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Sorry it took me so long getting used to playing it before I wanted to upload a video. There are a couple more uploading I will edit/add when they're done uploading.


[youtube]-evl13pqQKk[/youtube]
 
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Best Electric? ... depends on what/when... ergo, power, ...

Ergonomically and playability wise I like the Alverez/Line 6 the best. Updated pic:

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The other 3 electric built guitars play louder/stronger than this one primarily because of the bigger speaker. So does the Carlos. So the only thing this guitar really has going for it is the ergonomic layout and nice wood-feel of the neck. The Dean/Vox has 24 frets.

Underneath the SX/Star Line6 plays very nicely. But I don't like it's ergo's with the amp top-side so much. It is playable that way though. I didn't make accessible the tap button or turner display. After it's weight reduction (smaller back-side -see pics above - the Natural). Biggest negative is the speaker location - when playing it loud it's right in my face at the same time and its also a feedback challange with the mic.

The Laguna was the best in-home for a long time since the ergonomics were workable enough, speaker wasn't right in my face. I've recently loaned it to the studio/music-ctr and brought home the Dean/Vox. Though must admit current Natural rebuild still isn't quite as nice and the Alverez doesn't have the same drive with the smaller speaker (bought a pair of 4x10" car speak's may try one).
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The Dean/Vox just came home from being on loan at the studio. It's a really solid guitar and IDK maybe the speaker-mount isn't as solid as I'd like cause it's a little hard to get it into live-string feedback. Which I know normally a no-want but with Power Guitars there's a ballance... want them to feedback within what the amp can do but not too much. anyway, it's as playable as the Vox/DA5 and Dean w/ 24 frets are (gr8), though must admit I'm more comfortable with the Roland and Line 6 amps and controls for the effects especially. Vox only lets you select pairs and then depth. Line 6 assumes the depth and varys the effects. Neither is perfect and seems what one gets used to. For me the L6 was fast to get the tone I wanted, but my instructor liked the Vox better.
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reitze said:
Well this is the guitar I bought from a deaf person in college in 1984 for $80. At the time the guitar wasn't new either - but played nice like it still does.

I put the P90 in but am still wanting a humbucker.
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I've redone the speaker-mount now so that the speaker is held from the backside via a sungy piece of foam and also added a brace front-to-back next to the speaker and it stopps the base-lockup that it had - so now it really kicks out the sound - and oh so warm and nice too. Here are a few vids I just did with it. The electrics are nice for electric playing and the Line 6 is a slightly better amp (imho) but for acoustics and being able to build fairly easy... it doesn't hurt that that specific guitar is the 1 and only of mine that has great centimental value having had it on over 100 canoe trips and 30 years of abuse... now this :facepalm: ...but wow! this is a hot setup!



I like this one (as in my playing seems to be improving in this one - and chime-effect via tap):

edit: Its interesting that I can still here a little bit of buzz in the background comming from the P-90 pickup and the computer in the same room. Its gone on humbuckers and piezos but unavoidable with single coils. At least I sat away from the PC.

Here's Just Some Blues:


The speaker is now in from the back side:
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