My Encounter with Paul Reed Smith & Brian Ewald
- Thread starter RVA
- Start date
OP
RVA
Ambassador
My school boy outfit was at the cleaners, so I went Palmer/DevoWell, if you wanna strangle your tone, I guess that’s your business.
syscokid
Ambassador of War & Peace
You're really confusing me. Let me try again... You're originally using the word "stable". A well built tuner will be stable. An inferior one, will be less stable. Some tuners are heavier than others. Heavier tuners apply more solid mass to the headstock. Besides potential for neck-dive, this may have a positive effect, or it may have a negative effect on the resonance of a guitar. My interpretation of resonance means that sustain and harmonics are affected. I never agreed with PRS's statement that Grovers on a '56 LP makes the guitar NOT sound good. From your posts, PRS did not back up his assertion with any evidence. I submitted possible scenarios as to why he feels so negative about those Grovers.
Sort of...
These gadgets have been around since the 80s. Groove Tubes was the original maker of the Fat Finger. Fender bought Groove Tubes. Fender now sells the $20 Fat Finger:
Fender's marketing statement:
Singing Sustain for All
Clamp the Fatfinger™ sustain enhancer on to the headstock of any guitar or other stringed instrument. The Fatfinger™ adds mass to the weak end of the instrument, so strings ring out longer, louder, and with more balance. Dead spots can be tuned out simply by changing the point of contact to the headstock.
Then, there is the Fat Head. I don't think these are made anymore. There's a couple of these for Gibson headstocks on eBay for around $250:
And NO… I wouldn't buy them or use them. Even if they were free!
OP
RVA
Ambassador
I did a quick search about the Fatfinhgers. The opinions were not favorable. Do you have any laying around I may try? Are you getting any? What are your plans for the final weight of your new Tele headstock? Did you weigh the tuners yet?
Sp8ctre
Ambassador of Steel
So...neck dive is good...the SG is a winner and we all need fishing sinkers on our headstocks! Gotta love marketing gadgets to the seekers of the mysterious tone...
OP
RVA
Ambassador
I still disagree with this as to the tone of the guitar. It reminds me of a tonewood argument then. Are you saying that the tuners affect the resonance of the wood, which affects the tone?
Nope, I missed the last part. My bad.
And in reality, it is all coming from:
- my anger about subjugating myself to the man only to be rejected - my feelings and pride are both wounded
- my remorse for exalting people to "hero" status at my age
- my general bad demeanor.
So, at this point, I would like to thank you again for being a friend and dealing with my bad attitude. I trust your assessment more than Mr Smith, who apparently went from builder to salesman a long time ago.
I've been to a couple of his seminars, he IS rather closed minded and can be a dick. I've owned 3 PRS's, 2 artist series 22's and a custom 24. I just could never could seem to make friends with any of them. Must have been the rubber nit and tuners.
syscokid
Ambassador of War & Peace
The weight (solid mass) might have an effect. Remember that the headstock itself is not a whole lot of wood. Probably weighs about 1/2 lb. Light tuners are about 4 to 5 oz of weight added to the headstock. Heavy tuners, like the Grover Rotomatics with metal buttons are about 11 oz. Almost 1/2 lb more of solid weight added to the headstock. That should make a difference.
As an experiment, find a small C-clamp and secure it to a guitars headstock. It should make a difference acoustically or plugged into a clean or dirty amp.
OP
RVA
Ambassador
Why would a heavier headstock affect tone? Maybe sustain, (heavier being better since the neck would not vibrate as much so the strings could vibrate more, and I am clearly making this up), but TONE? Like an "E" note will have a frequency shift if you put a clamp on the headstock?
eSGEe
Ferengi Ambassador of Trade
PEavey "power plate"
The Peavey Powerplate™ is a new innovation for stringed instruments. The Powerplate is a metal plate that is embedded into the back of the headstock, which increases sustain and volume and eliminates any dead spots on the fingerboard. The Powerplate is mounted using the machine heads and increases the amount of string vibration energy that is projected by the instrument.
dunno how accurate it is-- but I know my VIETNAMESE made Peavey Grind--- has deaper richer tone-- form a bass I paid 150.00 for-- than ANY other bass I own -- some coing close to the 1k mark --
it SLAYS them all....its even LOUDER and fuller than the Hartke ACTIVE bass.
so -- PERHAPS there is some validity to the MASS of the ASS equaling the sum of the,,,,,er wait ladies here NEVER MIND
The Peavey Powerplate™ is a new innovation for stringed instruments. The Powerplate is a metal plate that is embedded into the back of the headstock, which increases sustain and volume and eliminates any dead spots on the fingerboard. The Powerplate is mounted using the machine heads and increases the amount of string vibration energy that is projected by the instrument.
dunno how accurate it is-- but I know my VIETNAMESE made Peavey Grind--- has deaper richer tone-- form a bass I paid 150.00 for-- than ANY other bass I own -- some coing close to the 1k mark --
it SLAYS them all....its even LOUDER and fuller than the Hartke ACTIVE bass.
so -- PERHAPS there is some validity to the MASS of the ASS equaling the sum of the,,,,,er wait ladies here NEVER MIND
Forgive me if I’m in error, I believe that Sysco is alluding to a change in resonant frequency behavior of a particular neck by altering the mass. Those fender, clamp on doodads were supposed to be a solution(bandaid) for a notorious “dead spot” on fender bass guitars. Some Gibson SGs also reportedly suffer from a different “dead spot”.
The little clamp thing effect can be simulated by playing at the “dead spot” with, and without, the offending headstock pressed against a wall.
The little clamp thing effect can be simulated by playing at the “dead spot” with, and without, the offending headstock pressed against a wall.
PEavey "power plate"
The Peavey Powerplate™ is a new innovation for stringed instruments. The Powerplate is a metal plate that is embedded into the back of the headstock, which increases sustain and volume and eliminates any dead spots on the fingerboard. The Powerplate is mounted using the machine heads and increases the amount of string vibration energy that is projected by the instrument.
dunno how accurate it is-- but I know my VIETNAMESE made Peavey Grind--- has deaper richer tone-- form a bass I paid 150.00 for-- than ANY other bass I own -- some coing close to the 1k mark --
it SLAYS them all....its even LOUDER and fuller than the Hartke ACTIVE bass.
so -- PERHAPS there is some validity to the MASS of the ASS equaling the sum of the,,,,,er wait ladies here NEVER MIND
View attachment 17799
I have something similar in my Washburn RB-2002. It has a brass plate that they called a “hammerhead”. I still have, and enjoy, it.
eSGEe
Ferengi Ambassador of Trade
I looked under the hoods to see if the P.O. had slipped some HIGH end pups or something in the Peavey ---thing blows me away-- I leave the amp SET --I can play any of the rest -- all fine mellow boom boom---- but when I plug that thing in I have to turn the guitar volume down cause it shakes pics off the walls --Neck through mahogany and maple--- 24 fret BEAST of a bass...weights a TON-- plays slick as snot---
Sp8ctre
Ambassador of Steel
I'm beginning to find this whole thing very amusing and ludicrous at the same time...
...the guys out there playing for real and making money doing this don't chase tone as much as forum members seem to. The money I've spent alone is ridiculous and maybe that's why I'm in sell mode?
Maybe it's because we need all the help from the tone we can get? Hell I don't know, but I do know that no weight on my headstock is going to improve a damn thing...may give me a backache though...
...the guys out there playing for real and making money doing this don't chase tone as much as forum members seem to. The money I've spent alone is ridiculous and maybe that's why I'm in sell mode?
Maybe it's because we need all the help from the tone we can get? Hell I don't know, but I do know that no weight on my headstock is going to improve a damn thing...may give me a backache though...
syscokid
Ambassador of War & Peace
I think you're right about the "dead spot" thing. I can't find the ad that claims that you need to move the Fatfinger around till you find the sweet spot on the headstock that helps eliminate the dead spot.
Sp8ctre
Ambassador of Steel
Just wait until your new Boom Stick of Green Gloom arrives! Or is that Green Gloom Boom Stick or Green Boom Stick of Gloom???