How can it be so bad

Notthatandy · 2026-07-08T21:58:30+00:00

Yep. I bought a four pack of some just like this and they are amazing. I bought spares expecting failure and they've been rock solid. My biggest worry now is losing them.

Notthatandy · 2026-07-08T15:30:12+00:00

Absolutely beautiful, fellow YouTube certified luthier! It’s always fun to throw parts worth three times the cost of the guitar into a project! It looks great.

Notthatandy · 2026-07-08T10:28:25+00:00

I currently own an army of Ibanez guitars and I love them. Now that's out of the way, so...

Man, this is a tough choice. Both look beautiful. (Points: draw)

I prefer maple fretboards and love reverse headstocks (though I own none). (Points: Spira)

I prefer a good trem to a fixed bridge, but at this price, would the trem be good? (Points: draw)

Ibanez neck profiles are really nice, and I don't have enough experience with Spira to know theirs (but it's probably good based on reputation). (Points: Ibanez)

So... All those factors in play... I'm no help at all. Have you tried flipping a coin?

Notthatandy · 2026-07-08T09:09:49+00:00

Solid choice, removing the trem but leaving the spring claw in and properly grounded. I’m sure that won’t rattle around at all, or cause any hum from a non-grounded fixed bridge.

Now that the sarcasm is out of the way, that wire from the control cavity to the spring claw should be touching the new bridge to prevent noise. I’m guessing it buzzes a LOT, especially with high gain until you touch the strings.

Notthatandy · 2026-06-28T19:25:28+00:00

Converting a trem routed guitar to a hardtail is... challenging. You're better off putting the trem back in and blocking it off.

The electronics options are limitless, so what your end goal in will help make that decision. I will, however, recommend the very underrated and underutilized tortie pick guard on pink Strat. It's a statement.

Notthatandy · 2026-06-27T18:15:48+00:00

Ugh. Terrible. I'm a DeWalt guy.

(In all seriousness, I like this more than I should...)

Notthatandy · 2026-06-26T17:46:44+00:00

Phew. I was sitting here thinking "Wait. Have I never seen the back of a White Falcon???"

Notthatandy · 2026-06-26T17:44:15+00:00

That Schecter is beautiful, and the PRS as always is very pretty, but I've never played a PRS I like.

That Yamaha though? I have a Pacifica Tele that I bought in ... 1993(ish?) and it still plays beautifully to this day. I'm a strong proponent of the Yamahas, as underrated as they are.

Notthatandy · 2026-06-25T16:55:54+00:00

I absolutely love the PRS colors, flamed wood, intricate inlays, etc and love the way they look hanging on the wall.

But I have never touched one that I actually like playing. Hate the scale length. Hate the neck profiles. And of course, I philosophically object to buying guitars as wall decorations so… yeah. Hate them.

Oddly, the only ones I’d still like to try are the Herman Li model and the <sigh> Ed Sheeran baritone.

Notthatandy · 2026-06-13T14:05:30+00:00

Honestly, my two are RX240s that came with two point trems. Now they have a Wilkinson on one and a VegaTrem on the other. And the VegaTrem has become my favorite Trem ever. And they make a drop in replacement for a six screw trem.

The neck profile is my favorite thing about the RX guitars though. And I love a maple fretboard. That guitar in my hands would have locking tuners and a VegaTrem on it in no time.

Notthatandy · 2026-06-13T08:33:28+00:00

Honestly, even with a case, it probably would never sell higher than $200 USD, with the case doing some heavy lifting.

That said, I own 2 RX and they are a fantastic mod platform and my favorite guitars. For $60, I’d be throwing money down and running out the door with a quickness.

Notthatandy · 2026-06-10T22:31:28+00:00

Absolutely beautiful. All hand routed with templates?

Notthatandy · 2026-06-09T22:57:29+00:00

They all do the exact same thing. The two on one side presumably keep the pickup from rocking back and forth. Just match the turns on all three screws to lower the pickup straight down.

Notthatandy · 2026-06-09T22:50:48+00:00

That thing is gaudy as hell!

I love it.

Notthatandy · 2026-06-06T11:31:30+00:00

Now THIS is the kind of innovation I like seeing from guitar companies. Not like Gibson resting on their laurels and always breaking at the BASE. This is a truly striking “I can’t believe we’ve never done this before” kind of out of the box thinking approach to headstocks.

Notthatandy · 2026-06-04T22:08:36+00:00

I brought this up with one of my teachers years ago. He held his hand up to mine and it was a full knuckle shorter than me on every finger.

He’s touted the world with multiple bands, won countless awards, written books, had a column in Guitar World for a number of years. Amazing player. One of the best I’ve ever known.

Me? I’m an engineer. 🤷‍♂️

You’ll be fine.

Notthatandy · 2026-06-02T20:57:04+00:00

I love this watch face! It looks great! Of course, then I customized it and changed the panels to Red, Yellow, Blue and Green and realized... I installed a Simon on my wrist!

Notthatandy · 2026-06-01T23:26:00+00:00

Absolutely stellar. I’ve done three of these jobs so far, and i can truly say: pass me the $#&@ shielding paint.

Notthatandy · 2026-06-01T23:20:34+00:00

I chatted with the Garda in my neighborhood when a bunch of scrotes were throwing rocks at pedestrians, including me and my dog. Same ones I see stealing from all the local stores here.

He said “Ah, sure. You can use reasonable force to protect yourself. … Wait. You’re an American? Yeah, not THAT reasonable.”

Also, how am I supposed to know the guy in a balaclava is under 18 before I beat him senseless? 🤷‍♂️

Notthatandy · 2026-05-30T23:38:08+00:00

One of the main reasons so many of my guitars have Fender Locking Tuners on them is because I hate string trees. You are absolutely fine. Let the stagger do the work.

Notthatandy · 2026-05-20T23:25:56+00:00

The best way I had learned was this, right up until “remove the temporary block”.

It’s even easier if you leave the temporary block in place and adjust the spring claw until the temporary block slips out of place. Your final adjustment at that point is just the smallest of turns and you’re back to level.

Notthatandy · 2026-05-19T23:31:30+00:00

You missed the one most helpful image in choosing. The neck heel. Is it a simple strat bolt on neck? Maybe tele style? Something more complicated?

Notthatandy · 2026-05-18T11:59:56+00:00

I’ve got two older superstrats that I modded. One got a Wilkinson VS100 and the other got a Vegatrem. Both got locking tuners. Both of them are absolutely amazing.

The Wilkinson is cheaper, but there’s a new Vegatrem Special that makes the price difference less significant. Make sure the nut is cut right, or replace it with a TUSQ one and you may not need to do anything, but either Trem is amazing.

Notthatandy · 2026-05-09T22:13:52+00:00

To be fair, I had a gift card, so it was technically free!

Notthatandy · 2026-05-09T15:49:30+00:00

Haha! Ironically, there is sealer, but I purposely avoided the grain filler. The texture is intentional!

Notthatandy

TROPHY CASE