OT: Thread About Nothing (TaN #...lost count)

[JK3]

i mentioned a while back about redoing a guitar i put together years ago out of random parts from a pile of piles or whatever... i was around 25... never did any electric guitar wiring or whatever.... it was based on johnny ramones mosrite

i made some mistakes while learning and at the same time discovered things that still form how i do things, approach projects.......make shit....

the idea was there. the delivery was off. at 47, it was time to bring it back.

it was weeks... and hours...

and days in between sometimes

_____

single coil was unplayable, the squelch feedback neutered its basic usefulness .....the whole thing was ungrounded ....i was a f***ing hack

...also mention that those holes for bridge were drilled with a corded drill and off

i wanted to keep as much original...


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to the restore/rebuild... time to get wise. ..... body work

wood dowels and filler...sanding.....photos out of order .....dont matter.....it ends up with 10 coats of spray....(and a couple of touch ups in spots due to drinkin)

its not a f***ing 'candy apple' hard cover gloss ....this will wear out with play


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_________


pickguard repair to resize and recut so no gaps when pickup is installed. (a great view of the back can be had later in wiring picture)

its a fine line and my shop was a mess... it was so cold out and everything was brittle as f***...... hooked up a hair dryer on a bungee above to pull down and keep things warm-ish ....but eventually it was done

yes theres too many holes in the pickguard......makes sense later

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wiring.

i look at a schematic and wonder. it took a bit to take apart what i was looking and understand what it is im looking .... a way i process some types of information

moving on.

this is me drilling out the original cover to match the new single coil

i dont want a pickup that looks like a dentist's bleached teeth on this old friend


*new black cheap pickup in photo was changed out for a better one...but no photos....


View attachment 689651


_______


original cover gets the damn right solder iron melt bend treatment.......it sucked .....i was sooo cold out there

black line it the uncut part which i would eventually do to shorten the height


View attachment 689652


_________


again, wiring.... and lo and behold.... i figured it out

B 500k pots ...all 3 linear.... (on what they do?? later)

*note structural plastic parts from aforementioned pickguard repair and cheat sheet sharpie wiring drawings..... and f***! ..... that hanging hot solder on the top right of the photo....like pavlov's dog i learned to stop hitting with the back of my hand while dangled there from the ceiling...f***




View attachment 689653


________


the bridge.


the reason a guitar can suck hard and be no better than fuel for a f***ing camp hotdog cook out is intonation.

older style of bridges (this type) only gave you one chance to hit the right spot.....now the 2 post have a tolerance due to the slotted post hole which are adjustable forward/back to essentially 'calibrate' the setup with allen key


(jumping ahead here in the story to finished guitar........the intonation is dead on)


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_________



ok. lets neck!


from an old pile.... someone did some homemade job before i got it....


frets are intentionally flat in style.....the headstock has some gloss finish which i kept but i hated it on the back of the neck so i sanded it ....


it took not even 10 minutes by hand for the back of the neck (insert TWSS joke)

but its smooth ...much better feel


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the nut!


things get exciting now.....if one thinks two and a half hours of cutting and sanding is fun

... it smells like burning bone.....its deer antler

but its hard as f*** and perfect for instruments


before .....the old one was done

View attachment 689661


after... but before shaping and notching

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completed back

yes, unpainted like original

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front.... missing the knobs in the photo


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________

________


its f***ing back!


humbucker enjoys the unconventional vertically stacked dials.. volume and tone.

single coil just gets a volume ...and yes, it's angled the other way compared to how most singles at the bridge are on guitars... gives a bit more room for right hand to deal with the volume knob for neck pickup

same old top hat dials from then years ago...real smooth and space, three fingers can run the 2 knobs....

the 3 channel switch also from then...i remember lopping off the metal part and using a torch to 'weld' on the plastic knob...... i wanted a shorter toggle to keep out of the way of my paw hands.....


the body was reshaped from old something.....its solid.


i could go on.. (and ive missed out on plenty of things im sure).... this was the minimum i could write about this to give enough of the story behind the guitar



____


rip it up!


View attachment 689666

Hell yeah dude that came out nice!

I’ve painted a couple of guitars over the years, never rewired anything though.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

@My3Sons @Based Anime Fan

I‘ve been wanting to learn to hit at a driving range. Any recs on a good beginner’s driver?

 

[Based Anime Fan]

@My3Sons @Based Anime Fan

I‘ve been wanting to learn to hit at a driving range. Any recs on a good beginner’s driver?

Find a 2nd hand Taylormade Sim or Cobra F9.

Or any ping G4xx

 

[My3Sons]

@My3Sons @Based Anime Fan

I‘ve been wanting to learn to hit at a driving range. Any recs on a good beginner’s driver?

I wouldn't start with a driver. Go on eBay or find some used irons to start. Shorter clubs are easier to hit. You can buy a two year old 7 or 8 or 9 iron pretty easily. Maybe get a sand wedge as well. Go to swingyard.com and look at what year any set of irons or driver was released. Do a quick google search on a review that discusses how forgiving they are before you buy any club(s). Just make sure they are cavity backed perimeter weighted clubs if you get a few irons. I'd probably suck it up and get two or three clubs from different makers to see what I liked. I'd probably see about a used 4 hybrid if you wanted to start to swing a longer club. TaylorMade Sim hybrids are reasonably forgiving and shouldn't be that expensive. Give those a month and then start figuring out what to do. The average used driver from the past few years is probably still close to $200 so it's not worth investing that much in a club until you really know what you'd like. If you can find older models of Callaway like the XR16 they are still going to be about $100 a club and I wouldn't want to go much older than that.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

I wouldn't start with a driver. Go on eBay or find some used irons to start. Shorter clubs are easier to hit. You can buy a two year old 7 or 8 or 9 iron pretty easily. Maybe get a sand wedge as well. Go to swingyard.com and look at what year any set of irons or driver was released. Do a quick google search on a review that discusses how forgiving they are before you buy any club(s). Just make sure they are cavity backed perimeter weighted clubs if you get a few irons. I'd probably suck it up and get two or three clubs from different makers to see what I liked. I'd probably see about a used 4 hybrid if you wanted to start to swing a longer club. TaylorMade Sim hybrids are reasonably forgiving and shouldn't be that expensive. Give those a month and then start figuring out what to do. The average used driver from the past few years is probably still close to $200 so it's not worth investing that much in a club until you really know what you'd like. If you can find older models of Callaway like the XR16 they are still going to be about $100 a club and I wouldn't want to go much older than that.

This is great, thank you! Bookmarked.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Take a lesson. I took 2 lessons from an hockey goalie from the local minor league team who was the "pro" at the local course and he did like 5 basic things from addressing the ball, grip, weight transfer from backswing to follow through and finish position that completely changed everything for me and unlocked my game. I went from trying to power swing at the ball like it was a baseball to learning your arms are noodles and you hold the club just enough it doesn't fly out of your hands and proper grip so you aren't slicing 50 yards every drive.

The stance for each iron and how far back the ball should be to your feet and knee bend, etc. It was magical and all makes sense when someone shows you and takes the time. He told me I'm not going to get into swing mechanics - that takes years to perfect and "fix" swings. He said how you start and how you finish I can teach you in an hour everything else in between is "your swing" and you can monkey around with that stuff later.

Then I spent a summer (after getting laid off and nice severance package) playing golf 3-5 times a week and just putting in the hours that eventually got my game scores from like 100-110 down to 84-88 on a course I know. The clubs make a tiny bit of difference when you're learning the basics so like My3Sons said - find a used set made for rec players that are forgiving and have a big sweet spot with those cavity back irons. No you won't be shaping your shots like players with forged clubs but I started with a set of those that my grandfather left me and they suck trying to learn the game.

Also find a course that has practice greens and holes with sand you can pitch/approach on. I had one of those and would spend hours getting out of sand, getting up and down with a bucket of balls. Lots of other guys polishing their skills would offer great tips on how to get the ball up and stop short or carry that I wouldn't have figured out on my own. Things like fast in - slow out with swing speeds or vice versa if you want to pop the ball up and die as soon as it hits the green.

See if you can find a used set of one of these if you decide to go all in. Good luck - it's a great game and hobby.

Golf Clubs for Beginners & High Handicappers - Golf Circuit

You're ready to upgrade now that you've excelled through the golf basics. Pick up the best golf clubs for beginners at GolfCircuit.com

golfcircuit.com

 

[My3Sons]

Take a lesson. I took 2 lessons from an hockey goalie from the local minor league team who was the "pro" at the local course and he did like 5 basic things from addressing the ball, grip, weight transfer from backswing to follow through and finish position that completely changed everything for me and unlocked my game. I went from trying to power swing at the ball like it was a baseball to learning your arms are noodles and you hold the club just enough it doesn't fly out of your hands and proper grip so you aren't slicing 50 yards every drive.

The stance for each iron and how far back the ball should be to your feet and knee bend, etc. It was magical and all makes sense when someone shows you and takes the time. He told me I'm not going to get into swing mechanics - that takes years to perfect and "fix" swings. He said how you start and how you finish I can teach you in an hour everything else in between is "your swing" and you can monkey around with that stuff later.

Then I spent a summer (after getting laid off and nice severance package) playing golf 3-5 times a week and just putting in the hours that eventually got my game scores from like 100-110 down to 84-88 on a course I know. The clubs make a tiny bit of difference when you're learning the basics so like My3Sons said - find a used set made for rec players that are forgiving and have a big sweet spot with those cavity back irons. No you won't be shaping your shots like players with forged clubs but I started with a set of those that my grandfather left me and they suck trying to learn the game.

Also find a course that has practice greens and holes with sand you can pitch/approach on. I had one of those and would spend hours getting out of sand, getting up and down with a bucket of balls. Lots of other guys polishing their skills would offer great tips on how to get the ball up and stop short or carry that I wouldn't have figured out on my own. Things like fast in - slow out with swing speeds or vice versa if you want to pop the ball up and die as soon as it hits the green.

See if you can find a used set of one of these if you decide to go all in. Good luck - it's a great game and hobby.

Golf Clubs for Beginners & High Handicappers - Golf Circuit

You're ready to upgrade now that you've excelled through the golf basics. Pick up the best golf clubs for beginners at GolfCircuit.com

golfcircuit.com

All good advice. Golf is very expensive these days. I’d have a hard time dropping over a grand on a beginner set brand new.

 

[JimEIV]

Sorry...not important or really relevant.

 

[JimEIV]

So I slammed my thumb in the car door in November, it turned black, part of the nail fell off and it got real gross. It took 6 months to get back to normal... it's really not even fully back, there is about an 1/8 of inch, maybe smaller at the very end that still needs to grow out but it's barely noticeable.

All during that time I have been taking pictures of how it progressed and saving the pictures in a folder on my phone. It's literally a thumb nail gallery. That cracks me up.

 

[njdevils1982]

gordon lightfoot has died

 

[My3Sons]

gordon lightfoot has died

Ugh. Thanks for sharing that. He was underrated since he wasn’t an all out rocker but he was a talented songwriter.

 

[devilsblood]

Anyone have thoughts on those fitness smart watches? I'm thinking about getting one.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

All good advice. Golf is very expensive these days. I’d have a hard time dropping over a grand on a beginner set brand new.

I wouldn't buy a set cold - after playing some and making sure it's a hobby you're committed to and enjoy thoroughly but then yes. And the Strata set retails for less than $400

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Oh golf talk! For drivers, I do very much like the TaylorMade SIM line, but there is just something so beautiful about the M2. I just can't let mine go. Highly recommended if you can find one. Should be relatively cheap at this point too.

I also echo the sentiment of not dropping a grand plus until you know if you are going to stick with it. Look for used sets of name brands (TaylorMade, Callaway, Ping, etc.). Name brands over super cheap package sets will make a difference even if the name brand stuff is many years old and the package set is brand new.

My best advice is simply not to listen to advice from random folks at the driving range or even friends. 1 lesson with a pro will be infinitely more valuable. Advice from friends might actively hurt your game. One of the "tips" that makes me laugh the most is "keep your head down".

 

[My3Sons]

A quick scan of eBay suggests a set of Taylor Made M4 irons are about $400. You can buy the M4 hybrids at $60 per club more or less. Add a putter and a driver for about $50 for thr putter and $75 for the driver and you are looking at about $600-$650 for a forgiving set from soup to nuts that will work for a beginner and grow into an intermediate golfer with ease. I’d just scrounge some random clubs for an introduction for a couple of months at the range. Maybe rent clubs or borrow someone’s old clubs for a couple of months and then once you know you like it I’d look at the sort of used equipment I mentioned. You can get some Callaway clubs of similar age (Epic irons) for a similar price.

 

[njdevils1982]

only play a few times a years for 30 bucks a pop on the par 3 course near me... 3 hours to do a round

i rock some vintage spaulding executive clubs with beautiful art deco numbers....these. but picture them in lefty version as i play that way. (free from my cousin in hamilton...someone left them at his place eons ago and he gave them to me like 15 years ago)

i also have a real wood 3 wood in my bag ... ....and a putter one might find at a f***ing mini putt place

 

[My3Sons]

only play a few times a years for 30 bucks a pop on the par 3 course near me... 3 hours to do a round

i rock some vintage spaulding executive clubs with beautiful art deco numbers....these. but picture them in lefty version as i play that way. (free from my cousin in hamilton...someone left them at his place eons ago and he gave them to me like 15 years ago)

i also have a real wood 3 wood in my bag ...


View attachment 702995

That was my first set of irons. I also play lefty.

 

[njdevils1982]

That was my first set of irons. I also play lefty.

i've seen photos of the SE set with different more 'normal' font numbers....but i just love mine.... at least the grips are nice leather...(i have an extra PW with the other font with some god awful plastic-whatever grip on it.....its my backyard for fun club i keep out back in the shop/shed)

and i dont give a shit if they're not great clubs.....i cant drop money into a real set and real courses

 

[My3Sons]

i've seen photos of the SE set with different more 'normal' font numbers....but i just love mine....

and i dont give a shit if they're not great clubs.....i cant drop money into a real set and real courses

They’re fine for a par three course. They are basic cavity backed irons that are consistent and easy to swing. For a longer course maybe something newer would help because you have to swing harder. That said my brother gave his Ping Eye 2 clubs from the 1980s to his son and he said they hold up very well.

 

[njdevils1982]

They’re fine for a par three course. They are basic cavity backed irons that are consistent and easy to swing. For a longer course maybe something newer would help because you have to swing harder. That said my brother gave his Ping Eye 2 clubs from the 1980s to his son and he said they hold up very well.

ya, unless someone give me newer clubs, im good....

i do have a new-ish aluminum driver someone gave me.....its massive and i only bring it out on the range to smash balls and watch how bad i can launch them all over the 'heat map' (dont know what kind it is)

....also the local range are pure morons......half the balls out of the machine are yellow range balls..... and in the evening facing east with the sun at your back and a few clouds once you hit the yellows it downright f***ing impossible to track when you look up.

things i notice....

 

[My3Sons]

ya, unless someone give me newer clubs, im good....

i do have a new-ish aluminum driver someone gave me.....its massive and i only bring it out on the range to smash balls and watch how bad i can launch them all over the 'heat map' (dont know what kind it is)

....also the local range are pure morons......half the balls out of the machine are yellow range balls..... and in the evening facing east if there is sun and a few clouds once you hit the yellows it downright f***ing impossible to track when you look up.

things i notice....

I don’t own a driver anymore. I swing too much like a baseball swing with them and either pull them or spray them the other way. I just got a new 3 wood to use off thr tee. The new titanium fairway woods easily go well over 225 yards and a good swing goes over 250. Plenty of distance since it’s much more under control for me.

 

[JimEIV]

I've been in in Charlottesville drinking since 3:00. This is a mess.

 

[My3Sons]

I've been in in Charlottesville drinking since 3:00. This is a mess.

Near UVA?

 

[njdevils1982]

I don’t own a driver anymore. I swing too much like a baseball swing with them and either pull them or spray them the other way. I just got a new 3 wood to use off thr tee. The new titanium fairway woods easily go well over 225 yards and a good swing goes over 250. Plenty of distance since it’s much more under control for me.

2590 yd, par 58

longest holes - 252 241 221 208 159

shortest holes - 75 96 100 107 110


a driver does nothing for me... the 7 gets worked plenty on this course

 

[Davegarri]

Oh golf talk! For drivers, I do very much like the TaylorMade SIM line, but there is just something so beautiful about the M2. I just can't let mine go. Highly recommended if you can find one. Should be relatively cheap at this point too.

I also echo the sentiment of not dropping a grand plus until you know if you are going to stick with it. Look for used sets of name brands (TaylorMade, Callaway, Ping, etc.). Name brands over super cheap package sets will make a difference even if the name brand stuff is many years old and the package set is brand new.

My best advice is simply not to listen to advice from random folks at the driving range or even friends. 1 lesson with a pro will be infinitely more valuable. Advice from friends might actively hurt your game. One of the "tips" that makes me laugh the most is "keep your head down".

I love some of the "older" taylor made clubs, and by older I mean like 5-10 years. Some of those irons hit like butter. I wasn't a fan of some of the newer test clubs I've used from them though. I've always been a callaway guy though, I love my xhot 2 pro 8.5 driver. I can consistently mash that thing dead straight around 300. I've had it for 8 or 9 years now and it hasn't lost any pop.

I definitely agree with start with used. You can get some good used club deals certified by Callaway. @Its Always Sundstrom check out callawaypreowned.com. I got a like new one year old 3 wood for 50% off full price and it didn't have a single scratch on it. Also just got a 60 degree lob wedge for a good price off there since I lost my vokey.

As for tips, I can't really help anyone out there. I'm not good at giving golf advice, I just go based off feel and muscle memory for myself. I have never gotten a lesson and somehow shoot pretty well. Best thing I can say is have fun! lol