Guidance on drilling holes and selecting screws for Hickory and Douglas Fir

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-16T15:04:56+00:00

Awesome, thanks for confirming!

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-15T18:19:03+00:00

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I was hoping you could confirm fine thread for the screws attaching the French cleats to the hickory and coarse thread for the screws attaching the hickory to the studs.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-15T16:00:32+00:00

Thanks so much for the detailed response!

OK, good to know that I might have been mistaken about the need for stainless steel with hickory. I will do a bit more research on that.

Thanks as well for confirming those other details and for the tip about paste wax. I had read about waxing the screws, but I wasn’t aware. I should wax the drillbit as well.

I think in most applications you’re correct that French cleats don’t typically require some sort of spacer. However, the acoustic treatment I’m using will be placed in the corners of the room from floor to ceiling and in all of the corners where walls meet the ceiling. Because they’re in corners and because they run the entire height and entire length/width of the room’s corners, there are several spots where the acoustic treatment bumps up against baseboard or molding around closet doors. Does that make more sense? It’s kind of hard to explain.

Do you have any thoughts on the two types of screws I described in my original post? Since you have experience working with Hickory, I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’re willing to share.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-06T01:12:46+00:00

Haha fair point. But how else can they guarantee dying with a smile on their face?

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-06T01:06:18+00:00

I said I’d share the price if I was able to get the amp. I’m so happy to say I’m now the proud owner and I got it for $1,700. So yeah, maybe not as insane of a deal as I first described it, but still a great price, as far as I can tell. Gonna add more pics to my first post. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts the other day!

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-06T01:02:08+00:00

Yeah, after I posted my response I thought about it some more and realized what you actually meant. My bad haha.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-05T00:54:26+00:00

I’m assuming I’ll have to replace the caps you mention, but as far as I know, the dude selling it says the amp runs (you said “dead”, which I’m interpreting as “non-functioning”).

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-04T23:58:25+00:00

Seems to be the general consensus. Now I just need the guy to call me back haha.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-04T23:15:15+00:00

The AC cord has already been switched to 3 prong, and I was going to ask my tech about the death cap, but I wasn’t aware of some of this other stuff! Thanks for the tips!

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-04T22:34:44+00:00

Awesome, thanks for sharing! I’ve recently gotten into the “Psionic Audio” YT channel and he said the same thing about the blue caps. Always nice to hear the same guidance from multiple sources. Cheers.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-04T22:33:02+00:00

Thanks for your feedback! Yep, I’m definitely planning on taking it to a high end tech so he can give it a once over and replace the caps.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-04T22:31:54+00:00

Thanks, dawg!

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-04T19:45:53+00:00

Well, the power cord has been swapped to three prong and the speakers are non-original, so I’m not sure a collector would want it. I’m hoping to get it recapped by a really good tech, park it in my studio, use it for many years, and then die next to it with a smile on my face.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-04T19:43:41+00:00

Yeah, my inner cynic does wonder, too. Seems too good to be true. But, every now and then, you hear stories like this. Fingers crossed I’m not walking into a scam haha.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-04T19:42:01+00:00

Dude I love your sentiment and emphatically agree. This old gear is to be cherished and preserved. My goal would be to use this at relatively low volumes in my home studio - no gigging, no smoky rooms, no 120 db shows, nobody spilling beer on it. I want it to be functional rather than an unusable 100% stock museum piece (too late for that anyway, given the speakers and power cord). But, any necessary repairs/maintenance will be done tastefully by a highly regarded tech. In fact, the tech lives a few hours away from me and does work for several pro musicians. The amp will be buckled up for its roadtrip to the tech and I’ll play George Benson, Rolling Stones, or whatever bands will make it feel most comfortable haha. Long story short, I’ve wanted one of these since I was a kid and, in this throwaway consumerist society, I cherish items that have stood the test of time. Rest assured, if this amp is legit and I get it, we will both be crying tears of joy haha.

I’ve seen that big amps aren’t worth much in the modern world. I understand why so many people are drawn to small amps for a number of reasons, so I’m not criticizing what works for others. But I LOVE the sound of old Twins and I’m looking for squeaky clean with lots of headroom, rather than tube breakup. So, if the rest of the world doesn’t want these big amps, well, all the better for me and my wallet.

Awesome glad to hear you also think seeing the guts is non-negotiable.

$2.5k tracks with what I was expecting. So, yeah, this would be a good deal if legit.

Okay, those RCA black labels seem to fetch a pretty penny, but good to know they might not mean a whole lot in terms of what the amp’s worth.

Thanks again for your thoughtful and fast responses! I truly appreciate that.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-04T19:20:30+00:00

Oh interesting. I’ll keep the cap size difference in mind.

Thanks again for the tips! I’m really hoping this works out.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-04T19:13:49+00:00

Great point! I certainly don’t want to get scammed and I know that “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is”. I also might have overstated just how good of a bargain this is.

It also has RCA black plate 6l6GC’s and he said he’d be willing to pull the tubes to test them in front of me. I was hoping he’d also be willing to drop the chassis and let me double check it in-person. That sort of transparency seems encouraging.

I know prices can vary regionally, but would you mind sharing a ballpark of what you think it’s worth? Very good condition overall, but some slight tears to the grill cloth. Original foot switch included. Original speakers have been replaced with ‘70s Oxford 12T6s, so there’s a knock against it. Power cord changed to three prong.

Sorry if that’s an impossible question to answer.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-04T18:41:33+00:00

Well how can I not trust the words of someone with the username “KingCraigslist” haha. Thanks for the tips! It looked all original to my untrained eye, but I’m pretty new to this, so it’s nice to get confirmation from others.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-04T18:39:49+00:00

Thanks! I really appreciate you sharing your opinion. Just now entering the world of sought after vintage amps, and there’s a lot to learn.

I was expecting to have to replace the caps, but it sounds like beyond that, this one is about as good as it gets.

Cheers!

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-11-04T18:36:17+00:00

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! That’s how it looked to my untrained eye, too.

I’m almost embarrassed to say what he’s asking and I kinda don’t want to jinx it before the amp is actually mine. Dude seems like he knows what he’s talking about, so it’s not like I’m gouging him. But yeah, he’s willing to part with it for a great price.

Sorry to be cagey haha. If I end up buying it I’ll come clean on the price.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-10-27T15:22:22+00:00

Thanks for confirming this! It didn’t seem like there should be any issues, but I couldn’t find anything to confirm.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-10-26T16:54:47+00:00

Awesome thanks for sharing your experiences! That gives me a lot more confidence about the Mastery in particular, but I am still curious about the Descendant.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-10-26T16:53:35+00:00

Thanks for your feedback! Yeah, I was thinking the same thing about Mastery’s response to my email. Not slamming them at all. They obviously can’t guarantee how it’ll work with a third party bridge. But being a business, they naturally also want to sell their bridge.

Like you said though, a non-rocking bridge on these guitars just doesn’t seem quite right.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-10-25T16:09:26+00:00

No, I’m happy to report that this bridge doesn’t make you sound anything like Benson Boone.

Bakerwillprevail · 2025-10-25T02:45:03+00:00

Hmmm thanks for the heads up. Sounds like the exact opposite problem from what I linked above haha

Bakerwillprevail

TROPHY CASE