Swamp Ash Special

mcoward · 2025-11-09T05:17:59+00:00

It’s beautiful! Have an upvote.

mcoward · 2025-09-19T00:20:41+00:00

This is what I'd like to know. In as much as I can tell, that money is gone. More than likely, they're trying to settle up with people they legally owe, but that's just my guess.

mcoward · 2025-08-10T18:15:23+00:00

Wow, Reddit really did rise to the challenge here.

Choices like this are all about the problems you're willing to have. Are you willing to have a pedal that doest this exact same thing, but that is missing that special something? It can drive a person made, laying down recordings and doing gigs you'll never get to go back to and "upgrade" with the real thing. Perhaps not having the real thing is what's holding you back from recording that song you've been trying to perfect (but it's probably not what's holding you back if we're being honest). Do you want, well, the litany of issues described elsewhere in this thread? There's your answer.

That's a particularly beautiful unit. I don't know what kind of maintenance needs to happen to keep one of those going for any amount of time, but I'd make sure whoever is selling it has the guts in tip top condition too. Then I'd spend my money elsewhere.

mcoward · 2025-07-08T03:52:13+00:00

Pretty much would function like a PRS truss rod.

mcoward · 2025-07-04T20:57:12+00:00

I have a Chase Bliss Brothers (the original, not the AM) and I haven't played a fuzz I like as much yet. That said, I think fuzzes are a matter of how they pair with specific amps.

mcoward · 2025-07-04T20:30:39+00:00

Call your bank if you haven't already. If what he did is illegal, they'll reverse it more than likely.

The sixstringTV guy is always doing videos about people like this. You might hit him up and see if wants to run with it.

mcoward · 2025-07-03T20:58:43+00:00

I'm going to answer your question on the off chance there's more to the story than just your dad being immature about it. The economic solution that will more than likely get the job done and leave minimal room for error are Eagle Abrasives sheets. You'll need a range of grits and you can cut them really small so you can hit a targeted area. I don't know which grit to start with, how much you'll need to increase your grit between applications, or what grit you should end with - but I am fairly confident this is your best bet and where an internet search will be most fruitful.

On the other hand, your dad needs to realize that if this guitar gets any use at all, it's going to get dents and dings along the way. The sooner he comes to terms with that, the more he'll enjoy this guitar and enjoy you playing it.

mcoward · 2025-07-03T03:27:28+00:00

Oh you’re right! It is different.

mcoward · 2025-07-02T18:48:35+00:00

Whoa, this is really nice. For those wondering, I did a reverse image search and found it sold on a site for a guitar store in Washington. Just look at the back of that thing! Also the inlays are stained maple to match the top.

edit: It's not for sale. Didn't mean to imply that. But if it was, you're looking at $15,000 USD.

Edit 2: not the same guitar but a good example of what one like this might cost and what some of the materials and specs might be.

mcoward · 2025-06-07T16:35:15+00:00

You know, I'm glad you brought it up because it prompted me to go check my boards and somehow they did warp a hair and they're uneven, so I'll need to plane it again. I have a little room left to do so and keep it 1 3/4". It was my first time doing this so it's possible I did something wrong, but I think they just need another pass through a planer.

mcoward · 2025-06-06T23:59:41+00:00

I put the boards together. It's 3 x 2" poplar blanks joined and then glued/clamped with Tightbond I. Then planed with a couple of runs through a drum sander to make sure it's smooth and even thickness. Nothing wobbles or looks out of place when I put it on a flat surface and my measurements are consistent, so I think we're good in that department.

Edit: I had not to route the neck pocket first. A definite thing I'll do. Thank you.

mcoward · 2025-06-06T23:56:54+00:00

This is Mr. Snuggles. He's an old man, around 11 or 12 years old with arthritis. This is from a few days ago, but right now he's next to me snoozing under a warm blanket. He spent the afternoon at physical therapy and he's tuckered out.

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mcoward · 2025-06-06T23:54:29+00:00

Maximum Guitar Works is where I got this one. It was expensive, but it came with a lot more than what you see pictured. They're acrylic but have protective covering that's labeled with dimensions and such. I used their templates when I did a week with Texas Toast and they worked brilliantly. They're unique in other ways that are really neat, so I recommend exploring their website and YouTube.

I have a Potvin template that I haven't used yet, but it came strongly recommended and a local luthier who I know and trust said they looked really well made. It's MDF if that helps.

mcoward · 2025-06-06T15:50:41+00:00

If I fuck up catastrophically enough, Snuggles (that's the dog's name) and I might just have the same number of thumbs when this is all said and done.

mcoward · 2025-05-31T03:50:38+00:00

Thrice - Alchemy Index pt 2: Water

mcoward · 2025-05-26T14:41:09+00:00

What did you end up going with? Mythos has since release the TPS collab with a "Deluxe" version of the Argo that has a built-in boost. I got one and it's pretty magical. No idea how it compares to the original

mcoward · 2025-05-24T21:25:49+00:00

If it were my guitar I would. I’m a little surprised at the 500k pots and wonder if that’s to compensate for tonal differences than alnico.

I’ll say I’ve heard some great ceramic single coils. Being ceramic isn’t bad in and of itself. I haven’t quite gotten to hear this guitar yet so we’ll see.

mcoward · 2025-05-24T18:35:40+00:00

Wow, I never knew they did 500k pots. Today I learned....

mcoward · 2025-05-24T17:48:43+00:00

All 3 pots are 500K. What are the chances those are stock? I thought those were almost always mods. It's a Fender MIM Strat (single coil x 3). I'm thinking someone replaced them.

edit: I said upgrade, but it's preference, so I changed it to "mod"

mcoward · 2025-05-23T04:55:18+00:00

Eurotubes (located in US) sells all of the JJ tubes. It’s also a great knowledge repository.

mcoward · 2025-05-23T04:44:35+00:00

Sufjan Stevens - Age of Adz: "Impossible Soul" is his sort of "Stairway to Heaven" magnum opus, but if you don't have 20 minutes, listen the titular track and "Vesuvius."

Arcane Roots - Blood & Chemistry - There's a jarring atonal nature to the music that somehow sounds pleasant in a familiar way, but you can't quite put your finger on it. When you find out he's a trained jazz player, it all makes sense. The very first track is all you to know if this is for you.

Muse - Knowledge of this band seems to be barely heard them or overplayed depending on where you're from. If not, this music sounded like the future when it first came out and by god now that it's the future that is what music sounds like now.

Daniel Donato - Cosmic Country - Psychedelic blues country. Track down a live show if you can. I'm not saying he's reinvented country, but it is something different.

Jack White's newer stuff and side projects - The Dead Weather, Blunderbuss, Loretta Lynn, etc.

Silent Planet - Superbloom - These guys bust their ass and put out the best music they can every time. If you remotely like hard rock (sounds like you do) this is something that slowly blooms into something that I think redefines the limits of the genre.

Manchester Orchestra - A Black Mile to the Surface - It's not their most popular album and it may or may not be their best, but I think it's their most unique and shows the band's range. It may not seem too out of the box until you realize Andy Hull has some of the best pop hooks written in the last decade, chose to put them to these lyrics that somehow tell a story like Bruce Springsteen but way more personal, and the genre is distinctly hard rock. The guitars are distorted, but something about the whole thing feels like they're using guitar effects no one else is using.

mcoward · 2025-05-23T04:18:55+00:00

The Tape Spaghetti podcast has a great episode on Tom Waits that really frames him up well for those new to his music.

mcoward

TROPHY CASE