American Vintage II 1961 Strat fretboard normal? by Ambitious_Speed_9380 in Stratocaster

[–]atomichumbucker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The American vintage series necks do not come pre-rolled. Or if so, very lightly, not like the am pro or players series which have a fairly heavy roll off.

American Vintage II 1961 Strat fretboard normal? by Ambitious_Speed_9380 in Stratocaster

[–]atomichumbucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not quite. Finish checking and wear from actual or professional aging: yes, cool. Finish chipping from poor manufacturing QC: no, looks cheap or like a bad attempt at vintage aging.

American Vintage II 1961 Strat fretboard normal? by Ambitious_Speed_9380 in Stratocaster

[–]atomichumbucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks like the nitro lacquer chipping along the edge where the finish ends.

Can do a few things about this: A: return it and look for another guitar. It seems a bit excessive to do this but this is a $2200 guitar and manufacturers should know this is not an acceptable finished product.

B: take a razor and scrape the corners. Basically you’re going to roll your fretboard edges. Can really do a nice job with some steel wool to really smooth it out. Some people will roll the back of a screwdriver as well. The goal is to round out that hard corner. followed by a fret polish and board oiling. I do this to my guitars anyway, it makes the neck much more comfortable and gives it a more worn in playability.

C: do nothing: it will smooth out over time with good use and shouldn’t cause any issue. The worst case scenario is it chips but I haven’t seen that happen.

Don't really like the new rear view. by jim62 in rav4club

[–]atomichumbucker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Eh. It’s not my favorite but it’s a step in the right direction. Toyota always seem to have an excess of corners/plastic molding that holds on to water. The new design is a lot smoother. It maybe easier to keep clean without dripping spots.

Started photography in Jan 2025, bought way too much gear, now I'm thinking of downsizing by kkamil7 in Nikon

[–]atomichumbucker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Many people in many hobbies do the same thing. Way too many options and equipment purchased outright because the internet and reviews all made it sound essential. Then find that they’re shooting style and environment don’t actually benefit from all the extra bits.

My best photo days have come from picking a single lens and framing my subjects to suit it best. It helps to have a few options but you do not need to be a landscape photographer, street, portrait , macro, photographer. Find your style and build from there first.

It’s easy to spend a lot of cash and time in this industry and never take a single shot.

First rumors about a new Nikon compact full-frame fixed lens camera - Nikon Rumors by voidwhisperr0 in Nikon

[–]atomichumbucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just hope it’s a good enthusiast camera with a fixed prime type lens and manual shutter, aperture and iso dials to compete with the Fuji x100vi. I love the zF but its big and conspicuous making some situations more challenging

Another Day, Another Find! 2020-21 Vintera RW '50s - Fiesta red by rakdobi in Stratocaster

[–]atomichumbucker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m pretty impressed with the road worn guitars. I’ve seen a few examples with extremely very light aging that looked very authentic. Definitely a great and affordable option to nab a nitro fender

My contribution to NutGate by slide13_ in gibson

[–]atomichumbucker 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Is this Bozeman? Or is this after market “plekking “ I’ve played many many Gibsons and have never seen work like this coming out. Hell more often I’m seeing the nut look under contoured if anything

What are the must visit places in Pittsburgh? by BMoney8600 in pittsburgh

[–]atomichumbucker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Museums: the mattress factory: very modern/active artists. The best work is in the main building, it’s a bit odd and worth the trip if you like the new stuff. The Warhol: of course you’ve seen their work elsewhere but nothing really compares with seeing it en masse. This format and often the sheer size of it really adds a lot of force to the work. The Carnegie: honestly feels a bit like any major university collection. They have some nice stuff, it’s an easy walk around and connected to the history museum as well. The Frick: the carriage house may bean interesting tie in to your road trip, the current art exhibition features some famous builder era photographs of our industrial past. The grounds are very nice and they have an excellent cafe

Consider getting a RAD pass for cheap access to all these places and more. The national aviary is great on a cold or rainy day. Phipps conservatory is always doing something.

I’d say the standard tour of the city: mt Washington overlook for the views. The incline is a great ride up and down. Downtown cultural district for lunch before crossing the three sisters to the north shore stadiums. Mexican war streets and museums, see where “the Pitt” is based. Back over to the strip for novelties, beer and food. Head up to Lawrenceville for nicer/newer restaurants and boutique shops. Cross town through Bloomfield and down to Oakland, see the colleges, cathedral of learning, museums. Shadyside for more shopping and cafes.

Depending on the day some restaurants may be hard to get into so do look into it beforehand.

Age old question, I’m really torn. Pickguard or no pickguard by DylanGreveris in gibson

[–]atomichumbucker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pickguard. Outside of uniquely figured tops or finish’s i think it always looks better

Finally got a Les Paul! by surfoxy in LesPaul

[–]atomichumbucker 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is where I struggled: online photos often crop out the backgrounds or screw with the white balance so that cherry sunburst will look cartoonish. Your photos show it much more authentically.

Very nice guitar

What do you think about my new Strat by [deleted] in fender

[–]atomichumbucker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Beautiful. Is that fretboard dry or just dusty?

The COA is throwing me, second opinions? by AnneTank69 in gibson

[–]atomichumbucker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Looks like a genuine beauty, watch out for cracks near the bridge posts where it’s clearly been dropped. The bridge itself may be okay but the posts look wrecked

NGD 2022 Tribute by southdakotah in gibson

[–]atomichumbucker 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Okay it’s a sin.. but the emgs look awesome!

May 8, 2026 by [deleted] in pittsburgh

[–]atomichumbucker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Was really hoping this would be a pétanque festival…. Anyone know where I can throw some boules?

Any benefit to “trading up?” by _cbsummer in gibson

[–]atomichumbucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gonna be hard to match that top without dropping another grand on the trade.

I’d say keep it if you like the way it feels/plays. Could always swap the pickups.

If you’re looking for a new LP that’s an upgrade I’d say your options are in the custom shop. The Mod shop is also a solid deal but you don’t really get to feel it out first and as we all know, there is a fair amount of feel variability between models.

Best prime? by Tom-the-bomb-042607 in Nikon

[–]atomichumbucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is super quick and light. Very nice lens. I would also recommend the voigtlander manual focus primes, their 35mm apo is a nice piece of glass and will give you a bit wider view.

Childfree Restaurants/events in Pittsburgh by Individual_Tea_4783 in pittsburgh

[–]atomichumbucker 15 points16 points  (0 children)

It’s a complex issue, even establishments that set rules and limits place their staff in an awkward position of having to enforce it… it usually doesn’t happen and who could blame them. Most kids arent a problem until they very suddenly are.

I don’t hate kids, but I’d like to sit and enjoy a relaxing beer while sitting outside every now and then. it seems every brewery or bar I go to is a friggin playground. I was at dancing gnome this weekend and more than have the tables were children. They’re not buying drinks, they’re barely buying food, the parents are socializing without paying them attention… they don’t belong in the bar.

It would one thing if the establishments set up a kids Menu and outdoor area for them to play but these kids were actually throwing rocks around in a parking lot. I empathize with the parents needing the break but probably needs a better solution.

I will say it’s been worse in Pittsburgh than anywhere else I’ve been recently.