The wide neck guitar criminal!

thermionic

I can see that the neck looks wider than usual, but is the spacing on the bridge and pickups different to take account of the wider neck?

GuitarMonkey

If the strings being directly over the poles mattered, bending strings on higher frets would cause a variation in volume as the string moved between pole pieces. We don't hear any difference in volume ergo it doesn't make a bit of difference.

FelineGuitars

the player had no problem with the spacing at the bridge - although we used about 55-56mm

So an f-spaced pickup was perfect and as there was less taper overall, the neck pickup had wider spacing too.

The string spacing remains nearly this wide all the way up the neck

There is still a little taper but much less taper than if it were a 43mm nut width.

Bidley

mike_l said:

2. Imagine you're a beginner to guitar, you get one of those guitars that look like they've been attacked with an axe, would you want to pick it up and play it?

No, but you'd know this before you bought it, by looking at the clear photographs in the eBay listing.

underdog

Bidley;206026" said:

mike_l said:

2. Imagine you're a beginner to guitar, you get one of those guitars that look like they've been attacked with an axe, would you want to pick it up and play it?



No, but you'd know this before you bought it, by looking at the clear photographs in the eBay listing.

True but as a beginner reading this listing the guitar has been set up and customised by a pro, so you'd think how it looked was correct.

DamianP

GSPBASSES said:

I think your wrong in this case the more times @mdphillps appalling work is mention the more likely the un-knowing will find him on a google search and that might stop some one getting rip off.  

 

This seems to be the popular view.   You consider the behaviour exhibited here to be justified because you are pointing out things you perceive as flaws in another builders methods and results.

Is it ok to ask where do we draw the line with this?   

 

What if someone decided to critique your work in the same way?  would that be ok?   

Are you happy to receive unsolicited "advice"?

What of the other "experts"?    

Personally, I reckon it would be a pretty poor way to behave.  

Do we really want to continually focus on the worst and the cheapest, to trawl through the very lowest rent emporia looking for "flaws" in the very cheapest of instrument?   Look what I found on ebay!!!  It`s shitt!!   how much?!!  Pat me on the back I`ve wasted hours of my life looking for crap I have no intention of buying!!!! booo, shame!!  I hate this, I hate that, join in, what do you hate, it`s crap, he`s crap, he`s a thief, What a terrible colour!!!   only 5pence, made in China, it`s a bargain, on ebay.

Is that it?  

 

frankus

This forum got played like a cheap drum.

Oct is a member of a bunch of luthier forums where helpful advice and guidance are reliably given.
mdphillips was asked here because the inhabitants of this forum are predictable in a different way.

ESchap

frankus said:

This forum got played like a cheap drum.

Oct is a member of a bunch of luthier forums where helpful advice and guidance are reliably given.
mdphillips was asked here because the inhabitants of this forum are predictable in a different way.

Totally agree, pretty shabby really.

Octahedron

I have been following these threads for some time but only just signed up to the forum. 

I have to say, as a forum 'outsider'/n00b, I'm really stuck for words. The instruments discussed within these threads are of great interest. I'm not in it to join any side or to say either party is right or wrong, but it's provided some of the most interesting reading in the two threads of mention alone. 

Some pearls of wisdom have been shared. Many I agree with, many I disagree with.

It's so vast and in some cases outrageous and direct that I actually don't think I can possibly have an opinion because there's just so much disagreement in here.

In an ideal world, as soon as I saw that the 'wide neck guitar criminal' himself joined up and posted, I hoped "maybe this could actually be productive!". I think that was unfortunately wishful thinking. Again, I'm not siding with either party. There's some real crackers on both sides and there's been some funny moments too but the overall feel is all against one and neither party is winning. 

There's dangers to closing the thread and there's also dangers to leaving it open. But I don't know what to think anymore.  

And that's my two cents and my little intro ditty.

Adam_MD

Welcome to the forum @Octahedron there is some excellent threads on this forum and it's a handy resource to tap into. Not all threads are like this one.

octatonic

frankus said:

This forum got played like a cheap drum.

Oct is a member of a bunch of luthier forums where helpful advice and guidance are reliably given.
mdphillips was asked here because the inhabitants of this forum are predictable in a different way.

There was already a thread about him, for a few months, before this thread. I am only a member of one lutherie forum, fwiw.

WezV

Octahedron said:

In an ideal world, as soon as I saw that the 'wide neck guitar criminal' himself joined up and posted, I hoped "maybe this could actually be productive!". I think that was unfortunately wishful thinking. Again, I'm not siding with either party. There's some real crackers on both sides and there's been some funny moments too but the overall feel is all against one and neither party is winning. 

 

I think thats a pretty accurate assessment.

blueskunk

Give it a fookin rest guys.

TTony

I'd prefer not to get all modminny about this, and close the thread (it's served, or failed to serve, any purpose that it might originally have had).

But I'd suggest that we all just let it sink naturally into the depths of page 2, 3, 4 and beyond by refraining from adding any more comment.

blueskunk

At last @TTony

mdphillips1956

Hello everyone,

I didn't expect so many ruffled feathers to be caused by my particular form of sinning... but actually I am not as much in denial or disagreement as the site en-mass seems to believe.

Yes I am a master-bodger and certainly have never ever aspired to being a luthier... in fact apart from doing a bit of local guitar tech work I cannot see what the function of a full luthier is these days, when you can have perfect fine timber bodies built for you in a Chinese factory for a moderate price.

Nice of course to have some thoughtful support from Frankus... someone who dares to be different, and to raise their head above the parapet on this sharp-shooting site!

I apologise for calling some of the sharp-shooters nerds... I didn't really mean it, but when you are instantly pushed into a corner so stuff can be hurled at you it makes you wave your arms around a lot!

It is ungracious perhaps of me not to say thank you, in reply to the offer further back by what I take to be an extra big-cheese luthier, to devote one whole hour of detailed evaluation to one of my guitars so it can be ascertained once and for all if they are of value or not... and to think it takes me best part of an hour just to get a guitar properly in tune!  Though was this offer a kind favour or just seeking a further opportunity to hold forth with additional authority.

As this site seems to thrive on the process of one member stating something, followed by another agreeing and adding his own two-penniworth, I will follow... but yes Frankus is right, in saying that nothing is ascertibly wrong in guitars,  just different.

Even if Fender and Gibson had slowly morphosed till they made just one model with a 25 inch string length and one of each others pickups and all luthiers agreed there should be nothing made but this from this day on... I would still want to chop it around and change it, because that's who I am and I have little or no respect for traditions.

I think by nature luthiers are more likely to be people from a conservative tradition who have studied wood craft in instruments and constructing and now maybe seeing it all slipping towards irrelevance with computer guided machines have to turn to set ups and Les Paul head re fixing to earn a crust, so find they are now fighting their corners against oiks like me with zero respect for tradition who just want to get on with experimenting with a few new but fairly unremakable ideas.

So yes undoubtedly I am wrong and I wouldn't advise anyone to emulate or follow me, if for no other reason that I change my ways week by week so there is nothing to follow.

And I repeat again: I am not a luthier and would never want to be one; yes they have wonderful carpentry skills, but charging thousands for a guitar that plays no better than a £200 Chinese one... you all say I rip off beginners who know no better, but I am a complete light-weight beside luthier's whose website price guides that say under 'Prices': 'From £3,000'.

Thanks for reading,

Mark.............

underdog

Oh I think you may have blown the whole leaving this thread to die thing with the suggestion a hand crafted guitar made of the finest woods is a rip off because you can buy a 200 pound Chinese guitar

JAYJO

mdphillips1956 said:

Hello everyone,

I didn't expect so many ruffled feathers to be caused by my particular form of sinning... but actually I am not as much in denial or disagreement as the site en-mass seems to believe.

Yes I am a master-bodger and certainly have never ever aspired to being a luthier... in fact apart from doing a bit of local guitar tech work I cannot see what the function of a full luthier is these days, when you can have perfect fine timber bodies built for you in a Chinese factory for a moderate price.

Nice of course to have some thoughtful support from Frankus... someone who dares to be different, and to raise their head above the parapet on this sharp-shooting site!

I apologise for calling some of the sharp-shooters nerds... I didn't really mean it, but when you are instantly pushed into a corner so stuff can be hurled at you it makes you wave your arms around a lot!

It is ungracious perhaps of me not to say thank you, in reply to the offer further back by what I take to be an extra big-cheese luthier, to devote one whole hour of detailed evaluation to one of my guitars so it can be ascertained once and for all if they are of value or not... and to think it takes me best part of an hour just to get a guitar properly in tune!  Though was this offer a kind favour or just seeking a further opportunity to hold forth with additional authority.

As this site seems to thrive on the process of one member stating something, followed by another agreeing and adding his own two-penniworth, I will follow... but yes Frankus is right, in saying that nothing is ascertibly wrong in guitars,  just different.

Even if Fender and Gibson had slowly morphosed till they made just one model with a 25 inch string length and one of each others pickups and all luthiers agreed there should be nothing made but this from this day on... I would still want to chop it around and change it, because that's who I am and I have little or no respect for traditions.

I think by nature luthiers are more likely to be people from a conservative tradition who have studied wood craft in instruments and constructing and now maybe seeing it all slipping towards irrelevance with computer guided machines have to turn to set ups and Les Paul head re fixing to earn a crust, so find they are now fighting their corners against oiks like me with zero respect for tradition who just want to get on with experimenting with a few new but fairly unremakable ideas.

So yes undoubtedly I am wrong and I wouldn't advise anyone to emulate or follow me, if for no other reason that I change my ways week by week so there is nothing to follow.

And I repeat again: I am not a luthier and would never want to be one; yes they have wonderful carpentry skills, but charging thousands for a guitar that plays no better than a £200 Chinese one... you all say I rip off beginners who know no better, but I am a complete light-weight beside luthier's whose website price guides that say under 'Prices': 'From £3,000'.

Thanks for reading,

Mark.............

 You wouldnt let it liiiie!!!!!       He wouldnt let it liiiiiiiiie!!!!

randomhandclaps

The problems with burying a thread in a Pet Sematary.

Skipped

I don't know who mdphillips is.
How is that possible?
Well.....it is probably because my  ebay saved searched are narrowly focus on the guitars that interest me, or on locations near to me. Of course I have seen comments about mdphillips and I have just seen a whole lot more.

I am posting on this thread to disagree with the OP about this forum. He says this is a scary place to come for anyone who doesn't just live to slag people off 24/7.
I say that the % of Slagging Off Just For The Sake Of It posts on the Fretboard forums is much lower than other online forums - both Music related and General forums- and I say it is noticeably lower than the forum formerly known as Music Radar.