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Recent content by TedB

  1. TedB

    Installed Stephens Design VL2 Pickups and ...

    My '02 R0 is one of those rare birds that has a killer top, and is a stellar sounding example. I don't know the rhyme or reason behind that, but I happened upon this one by sheer luck. When I landed it, I knew I was done buying. I swapped in a '50s style harness, with 500k+ CTS pots and...
  2. TedB

    Worst Album Covers of All Time

    I can truthfully affirm that the collection of album art depicted here includes examples that are positively confounding, dumbfounding, repugnant, and even politically incorrect, but all are irrefutably devoid of aesthetic appeal. http://www.stevecarter.com/albumcovers.htm I scanned these...
  3. TedB

    New Amp Day - '67 Marshall SLP Clone

    I've owned several plexi era Marshalls over the years, including a 10XXX JTM45/100 and a '68 SLP w/caps 'upstairs'. However, I don't recall ever owning a 12XXX series (the 'EVH' amp), so I decided to throw one together. I wasn't attempting to make an aesthetic reproduction of a museum piece...
  4. TedB

    Tested a Few New Preamp Tubes

    While going through a newly purchased '73 Hiwatt DR103, I found the amp contained a hodgepodge of preamp tubes. Wanting to start with a clean slate in the tube department, this gave me a good excuse to buy several different sets of ECC83/12AX7, and put them through audible testing while I was...
  5. TedB

    New (Old) Amp Day - '70s Hiwatt Content

    I recently lucked into a '73 DR103 for under a grand. It was dirty and well used, but with original trannies, and only minor tech work having been performed over the course of its life (filter caps, replaced power tube socket, etc.). The original head cab was looking a bit tired and tatty...
  6. TedB

    I Installed 2" Nickel-Plated Brass ABR Studs and ...

    ... the result was positive. This particular 2002 R0 was already a strong sounding example, and this swap made a nominal improvement to articulation and string energy, but without coloring the sound like stainless steel. I installed a set of 2" plain brass ABR studs on my 'black beauty'...
  7. TedB

    Upgrading Existing CTS Pots to CTS with 500k+ = GOOD!

    I recently came across an Ebay auction for a set of matched CTS pots, which I considered to replace the existing CTS pots in my LP. What I found was a pre-wired assembly from this Ebay seller (strat100)...
  8. TedB

    Vintage Wiring - 3 Pickup Custom

    I'm looking for the correct wiring diagram for a '50s era 3-Pickup Custom, and I've come across this: If anyone out there who can definitively verify this, it would be much appreciated!
  9. TedB

    Hurricane Katrina - Flooded Gear Recovery (Warning: Devastation Photos)

    Like many others, I lost quite few treasured items due to my home receiving 7ft of floodwater, courtesy of Katrina. While I escaped with what I could fit in my car, the rest was left to fate, and a cruel fate it met. My home was under water (and it wasn't Evian) for two weeks. When the...
  10. TedB

    'Mapleflame' Mod for Customs + Brass Posts = Success

    We all know the 'mapleflame' mod makes a difference, but the only thing that held me back from doing my R0 was the fact that the mod uses stainless bridge posts, whereas vintage LPs are nickel plated brass. I'm not a fan of the sound of stainless frets or strings, so that kept me from jumping...
  11. TedB

    What to do about my '64 SG Custom - Your Opinion Wanted

    About 15 years ago, I bought a '64 SG Custom. I got a nice price on the guitar because it's apparent that someone replaced the Maestro Vibrola with a Bigsby, and refinished the instrument. This appears to have been done a loooong time ago. Also, although it's hard to tell, I think there may...
  12. TedB

    Vintage vs Historic - Tailpiece, Bridge, Studs Differences

    I can't seem to locate this information concisely packaged in one place, and some opinions I've come across are questionable if not outright conflicting. If anyone can complete/correct this info with absolute confidence, it would be beneficial to quite a few members. VINTAGE Tailpiece made...
  13. TedB

    The Other, Other Gibsons - Made In China

    Get a beer, sit back, and amuse yourself with this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkTt1CsgNcU&feature=related As confirmed by various online accounts, we have "Gibsons" stamped "Made in USA" coming from China. Same for Fenders: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G8d0WxK2Hs&feature=related...
  14. TedB

    He Must Have Owned a Transistor Amp!

    Because bad tone just puts you to sleep... http://www.949zeta.com/noSeatBelt/noSeatbelt.html
  15. TedB

    Best Sounding Historics Are On Ebay!

    Man, I feel like I missed out. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's noticed that the best sounding Gibson Historics are always sold on Ebay. I keep reading in these auctions that the instrument being offered is the best sounding one the seller ever heard. Also, I noticed that the rarer the...
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