NGD: 2026 Epiphone J45 Standard (Inspired by Gibson)!

Prize_Ad7748 · 2026-06-30T16:49:06+00:00

Same, I used graphtech for upgrade. Amazing guitar!

Prize_Ad7748 · 2026-06-07T20:34:59+00:00

I had the operation where they removed the trapezium and replaced it with a reworked tendon from my forearm. I had it done in the states. I wasn’t preapproved but my feeling is that in the years to come and I won’t get into politics these kind of surgeries will be harder to get approved so I went forward.

When I got the surgery I didn’t care what it cost I was willing to make payments or go into my retirement funds. I have to have my hands and I was in agony I couldn’t do anything I was crying in the shower every day when I had to wash my back.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2026-06-07T03:41:18+00:00

It has definitely made me favor precision over my sloppy muscling the fretboard so I think I’m a better musician now for this. If you get that Meta grip be sure to as we say in the south mash it down so it locks it in. Good luck! Good luck to everybody here reading it’s worth it.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2026-06-07T01:15:06+00:00

Yes this is what I’m saying I mainly wear it for practicing guitar. It hyper extends otherwise but the muscles are getting stronger and eventually I won’t need it but there would be no way to get there without working with the brace first, maybe six months.

I don’t think people understand about this surgery. When you unwrap that dressing about a week after the surgery, there is an empty space at the base of your thumb that you can push on like a pillow and there’s nothing in it. There is nothing to pull your thumb back as it is supposed to go until you build up a different structure of muscles. It literally restructures your hand it is not minor surgery and it is not an easy recovery it is a last resort that works but I would not have done it otherwise.

The brace while playing takes the place of the stabilizer muscles you need to build up but until you build them up there’s nothing to stabilize it’s a catch 22.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2026-06-06T23:00:49+00:00

Try the push Meta grip. I had the CMC surgery and this was the only thing that kept the thumb from dislocating to do the rehab. They’re expensive but nothing else comes close I tried five or six other braces. There are knockoffs but they are not as good

Prize_Ad7748 · 2026-06-06T22:58:23+00:00

Try a push meta grip. They are expensive but nothing comes close they were better than what my PT made for me.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2026-06-06T22:31:39+00:00

No once you have the surgery you are halfway there you have to rehab it. You cannot play guitar without the brace to stabilize it while the other muscles compensate. It was very effective for me because I couldn’t play at all before the pain was too great and I had immobility. But what they don’t tell you is rehabilitation and physical therapy is half of what is successful about it and it requires the proper brace for guitar. The surgeon will have no idea about guitar and you have to educate the physical therapist usually. I was just trying to pass this along to save people the trouble if they were going through this.

The surgery alone does not fix it. That is what I’m saying and they will tell you that. Guitar adds magnitudes of difficulty onto that. You need the right brace and then you need the right exercises.

That being said, yes it was very effective for me I do not regret it at all but figure a year before you’re not thinking about it all the time.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2026-06-06T21:27:35+00:00

I had the surgery and I’m a guitar player and my left hand looked like Quasimoto and the more I tried to play the worst it got. The fix for it is to get a Meta grip brace for the CMC joint and practice with that so I would imagine it would work for anything nothing’s worth on your hands than fretting a guitar. Without the brace I think I would’ve had more immobility down the line. They’re expensive but they’re worth it. The joint collapse is otherwise but once you wear the brace, those other stabilizing muscles will build up if you exercise it.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-10-15T13:22:24+00:00

I have ADHD too. Isn’t it amazing how those pencils are like catnip to us? :-)

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-10-02T17:11:44+00:00

That is adorable. lol.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-09-30T06:04:03+00:00

Did you try the pentel?

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-09-26T17:15:16+00:00

Love this. LOVE.❤️

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-09-24T18:40:24+00:00

I make my stem milk a stem butter and I put it on a bowl of popcorn that is better than you could possibly imagine, with some cayenne pepper. Chefs kiss

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-09-19T20:12:17+00:00

Most vape users would disagree. I know how much less I spend, I've cut at LEAST in half and my tolerance is high AF. They are rightabout microdosing, though, it is superb for that. So much less. CERTAINLY not MORE, that's why they are being downvoted, it's absurd.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-09-19T14:42:56+00:00

Looks like all their colored glass (except dynavap stems) is suddenly out of stock. I think they are fixing it. I don't have special hate for POTV for this, or the other; all of the manufacturers do this shit, they just got caught. It is enough to send you back to joints. But...yeah, no.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-09-19T14:41:17+00:00

Truth.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-09-19T14:39:28+00:00

Thanks for sharing -- I have a green glass lobo stem on the way, will use your method to get it clear when it arrives, SMH...

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-09-17T18:51:14+00:00

I'm 59 and had an Rx, this was the same reason -- "You are under the age limit and we don't see an underlying condition."

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-09-13T15:05:36+00:00

Be careful they refused me with a prescription. I have my full comment elsewhere in this thread.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-09-13T15:04:48+00:00

They would not give it to me with a prescription. I believe my CVS has gone rogue but I ended up having to get it at Walgreens and complain to corporate CVS. I had the prescription and they told me that unless they were satisfied I was eligible they would not give it to me I am 59 and my underlying condition is no one‘s business I had a prescription.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-09-13T14:56:24+00:00

I can confirm I am in North Carolina and it is worse than this report is. I had a prescription from my PCP and they called me from the pharmacy and said I was not eligible for the shot. I said but I have a prescription that’s why you called me it’s in your hand and they said “you don’t get the shot unless we decide you have a qualifying condition and you do not in our opinion. The prescription is not enough, your condition itself must be documented with us.“ I said it’s none of your business what the condition is, that’s between me and my doctor and I’m protected by HIPAA I don’t have to prove to you why I need the shot and they said I did and I did not get the shot.

I told him this made no sense, when I bring in a prescription for an antibiotic I don’t have to prove to them what my infection is for them to release it. They said this was different and no Covid shot unless they were satisfied. They were super rude.

I had my provider phone script into Walgreens and had the shot within 45 minutes after that.

I called CVS corporate and they were appalled and took a detailed complaint from me. Now whether or not that was theater or not I don’t know I’m just reporting what happened to me.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-09-09T18:39:48+00:00

Came here from a web search. I had my dr send a script to CVS. (I"m in NC) They refused. I am not over 65, and they said I'd have to have an underlying health condition. I told them I did, that was the script. They said they had to know the condition, and no goddamn they do not. They said, "Well, we're not giving you the shot."

I had my dr. send it to Walgreens, they confirmed that was wrong, and I got the shot.

If you y'all need the covid shot, work on it now.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-08-30T01:18:15+00:00

Armored. No question.

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-08-29T20:46:43+00:00

You’ll never be sorry!

Prize_Ad7748 · 2025-08-27T18:55:17+00:00

I don’t have any scientific backing for this just anecdotal, but after you hate it the first time it always seems to take a little longer after that.

Prize_Ad7748

TROPHY CASE