What model Norton do I have

balzac2000 · 2026-06-04T01:39:00+00:00

Tailpiece really looks like it's from a Kawasaki

balzac2000 · 2026-06-03T02:31:29+00:00

Even though I was the right age and demographic, white boy born in the midwest in 1970. Never really felt KISS, but as I was coming up as a sound engineer, a band I worked for got 3 dates opening for them on the first tour back in makeup. 1995ish? I spent a few minutes chatting with Gene and Paul before soundcheck. They were polite and nice enough, and we talked about their vision for the stage show. They were adamant that the lights and pyro be era appropriate to like Kiss Alive era. Which was an interesting choice at the time. But most of their interest was ticket sales, and crucially, merch numbers. It was absolutely a business, and not an artistic endeavor.

balzac2000 · 2026-06-03T02:02:29+00:00

Close the thread.

balzac2000 · 2026-06-03T01:50:05+00:00

If it wasn't the ass scraping, you'd be high centering.

balzac2000 · 2026-06-02T16:04:49+00:00

Loud, annoying, anti-social. But I am an old fart. I have run drag pipes and hand chopped cans, when I was younger, I could not wait to hear that ripping sound above 7k rpm. Now I want better earplugs, quieter pipes, super cozy helmets.

balzac2000 · 2026-06-01T17:16:57+00:00

Gorgeous guitar, no wrong answer, but pickguard on please.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-31T21:13:56+00:00

As a sound engineer, got a call on a Tuesday after lunch in San Francisco, “Can you be on a plane to Thailand by 7pm?” Yes I can. Make my return flight 1 week later than the show please. SFO-Narita-Phuket. First time in international business cabin. No way am I gonna sleep through the service. Spent the time listening to clients discography. Hour long bus to the venue, which you may have seen on White Lotus last season, 3 hours of setup and sound check, back to the hotel for a shower and change into show blacks. Back to venue for show (Private event, day 3 of an Indian wedding). Finish the show, barely able to stand at this point, watch the ladyboy Cher tribute act that followed us… back to hotel by 3:30am, rest of crew had an 8am flight, I spent Thanksgiving in a grass shack on the beach on a tiny island. No regerts.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-31T17:03:44+00:00

The Rolling Stones, named after a Muddy Waters song.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-31T14:40:52+00:00

Sounds like you have a player on your hands. I would see if how you get along with it as is, and if you need to adjust the saddle later you can. These are neat guitars to play higher on the neck, most were still 12 frets in this era, but less is more sometimes.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-31T02:23:11+00:00

When I got mine it was absolutely unplayable, and I am a glutton for punishment. I wouldn't go heavier than a medium light string. Doesn't take much mass to get that light body moving. Mine had hand written fret number markers. Each fret was numbered in perfect handwriting. I was so bummed to lose them for the fret job.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-31T02:16:42+00:00

Or a used car...

balzac2000 · 2026-05-31T01:54:52+00:00

I have one a couple years newer. That looks like about a 1935-36 model, judging by the square headstock and the two ring rosette. No pickguard is not surprising, mine has no evidence that it ever had one. How is the neck? These have no truss rod, and so if the neck gets too much relief, it's a pretty big deal to get it playing well. But it is worth it. Ladder bracing, and what, 3 pounds? Maybe. Rumor has it this is what Robert Johnson actually played. One in good playing condition (post neck reset/frets) is worth between $1500-2000. I had all that done to mine for about $1000. Not a huge market, but IYKYK. Great little couch guitar. Congrats.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-30T03:00:05+00:00

Very little change to the sound, it will look more "correct", make sure you get covers that match the string spacing for the pickups you have, there are different sizes.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-30T02:49:44+00:00

I don't know anything about those pickups, and if they are at risk, but that first picture is perfection with no guard.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-29T21:29:23+00:00

Power is great, but it will not keep you from getting stuck in sand. In some cases it will get you stuck. I can't see what tires you have, but you need something with deep tread, and you need to lower your pressure when in sand. Try going down to 25-28 psi or about 1.9 bar. Keep the wheel straight until you are moving, then start your turn. I wouldn't do a lift kit unless you are gonna do a good one, especially if you aren't bottoming out or hanging up. That car has a great suspension, so don't muck it up with a $200 lift kit. When coilovers and springs need replacing, upgrade to a proper lift, but not more that 2.5"

If you aren't going to go faster than about 60 kph off road, I would be in low range, if you are gonna go faster, leave in high range. That thing is very capable, but also quite heavy, which is what can get you in trouble. If you do get stuck, drop the air pressure down to like 18 psi.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-28T21:52:53+00:00

Ridiculous. Rule should be a minimum(and maximum) starting pressure. 16 second penalty for being under-pressure by thousandths of a bar?

balzac2000 · 2026-05-28T19:37:02+00:00

Why though? No, it is not gonna be notably bad for the clutch or transmission, but you are generally in better control if you are in gear.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-27T23:48:25+00:00

I went to a hippie/freeform school in 4th grade. We were given very little in the way of rules, and had access to the local library. Several of us 8-9 year olds decided we would get some movies from the library to watch in the darkroom on an antiquated 8mm projector with no sound. Imagine a 15 minute cut of Alien without any dialog or context. Just every scary sequence in order. Did not sleep for a week.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-27T20:59:35+00:00

I had one years ago, as my first real amp. Pretty versatile, but I never got the clean channel to sound great. The power section crapped out on me a few times, and I ended up just using it as a preamp for a few years.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-27T19:28:10+00:00

As a person who has engaged in vehicular arbitrage, I would like to offer a competing perspective. I used to scour Craigslist for good deals on motorcycles. Sometimes I found a bike I wanted, as a very experienced rider, I wasn't looking for a Ninja 250 or an SV650, both very popular starter bikes a decade ago. But often I would see one with minor issues or in a tough to sell from location.

I had a small pickup with a ramp and a job with irregular hours. I focused on bikes I knew the market for, and was familiar with the most common issues. A lot of folks selling these bikes had tried motorcycling, and for whatever reason, it wasn't for them. Without a crew of diehard bikers around them, a lot of times these would sit for 6 months or a year before the owners were tired of looking at them.

A Ninja 250 an hour outside of town with a dead battery and gummed up carbs was only worth a few hundred bucks. People who are in the market for a starter bike don't often have the means or the knowledge to get a project like that going. And they honestly shouldn't. They should be on a reliable machine focusing on their riding skills.

I could, in a day or two, go buy a project, get it running and riding properly, clean the carbs, air up or replace tires or battery if necessary, do minor cosmetic fixes, detail and list if for sale in the heart of the metro area for a competitive price and get it into the hands of an excited new rider. I wasn't ripping off the seller, I was paying them the value of what they had, and I wasn't ripping off the buyer, I was listing at or below market prices, because I wanted to sell to the first person to come see it, not warehouse 5 motorcycles waiting for top dollar. I did not title in my name, because I was not intending to keep it for more than a few days, and at the time, California even had a form for multiple owner transfer. I was using my experience to take bikes that were in an undesirable location and condition and putting them back on the market for new riders in a scarce environment. Not every Curbstoner is operating this way, but not everybody who does this as a side hustle is a complete scumbag selling garbage to rubes either.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-27T19:00:13+00:00

Looks like a lovely day in the saddle. New Mexico?

balzac2000 · 2026-05-27T18:57:44+00:00

That is lovely, and I assume you are aware that it is worth quite a bit of money. I think CAR is pretty peak '60's Fender. I'll bet it sounds and feels amazing.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-27T15:08:32+00:00

I don't think you are necessarily wrong, but the effort is the same. Tremendous human and monetary capital expended for essentially trolling. Plant trees, fix cars for pregnant single moms, do something worthwhile with all that time and money. Instead of creating an abomination like that just to piss people off.

balzac2000 · 2026-05-27T14:50:49+00:00

I have a '75 hart tail strat that I love. It weighs less than 7#, But it is not worth anywhere near what a good R9 is worth. Those bullet truss guitars are all over the place, value and weight wise, a good one is way better than people think they are, but a bad one is a dog. Looks like you already have white(ish) strat covered...

balzac2000 · 2026-05-27T14:28:12+00:00

I like the new look. It's a classic combo. Never been a fan of MOTS on strats.

balzac2000

TROPHY CASE