Nicole killswitch

Since I installed a killswitch on my Dot, I've been using it happily and wondered how I could live without it for so long (I'm currently recording demos, there should be some samples to hear soon - I mean soon in my usual very slow pace...). But after a few thousands clicks, the push button started to be noisy, and I realized that the cheap piece or gear I acquired for less than 1€ wasn't designed for such an intensive use.

So I ordered a Rolls Royce killswitch from French Luthier Nicole for 9 €, and it seems to be serious stuff. The problem is that it's quite wide, and I'm not sure that it will fit on an archtop semi-hollow - because of the curve... So should I make the change or put it on a solid body with a flat front plate? Still thinking... 

a killswitch on my Dot

I'm very happy with the brand new killswitch I just installed on my Epiphone Dot Studio, it's so cool that I wonder why I've been waiting so long to do it!

customized Epiphone Dot Studio and First Act Westerberg

These are two guitars that I recently slightly modified: first an Epiphone Dot Studio (I have generally a very limited use for tone and volume on a guitar - I relay more on pedals to sculpt my tone - so the two knobs Dot Studio fits me better) to which I added a rosewood pickguard (bought more than one year ago), chrome pickup covers and rings, chrome bridge, stoptail and big knobs. I like the discreet bizarreness of the result! I'm considering changing the pickups later for humbucker size P90s.

The one on the left is a First Act Westerberg signature for which I made an aluminium pickguard (another one, but this time I'm getting better at polishing, not perfect yet but it's getting better each time!) It's a cheapo but sounds terrific as soon as I put some overdrive... Also I'm so used to humbuckers that I'm baffled but the brightness of its sound... I also plan to upgrade the pickup though, and ordered a Dream 90 from GFS - it's on its way.

Still have to make alu trussrod covers for both guitars, and file the frets of the First Act - its only but big flaw...

demo

I shot this short impro for a gear giveaway contest and I like it enough to post it here - guitars are just bulky objects until you play them...

Rosewood pickguard

Too busy lately to update this blog regularly, but since I'm busy playing guitar and bass for a series of very cool performances, I won't complain about it!

Anyway, I still found some time to order a rosewood pickguard (and some wood picks) for my Epiphone Dot Studio (that I was playing on stage one hour ago) at Woodguarden.

Epiphone frenzy

Yesterday was a special day, I received two new guitars the very same day, an Epiphone Dot Studio I bought six months ago in the US (thanks to the low dollar and the wrecked car I sold for hardly more than what I paid for the guitar) and that was waiting since a way to cross the Atlantic ocean, and an Epiphone Thunderbird pro IV bass I just acquired for the project I'm currently working on.

Two classic beauties! The Thunderbird pro IV is Epiphone's new neck-through model with transparent black finish and black hardware and pickguards, it has an incredibly rich sound, I'm sorry for my faithful old Musima, but she cannot compete!

The Dot Studio is a simplified version of the Dot with just one volume and one tone controls - but I never use the knobs on guitars anyway. I will replace the pick-ups with some Epiphone SGs chrome cover humbuckers I have around, until I find better - and I consider a ES335 style metal pickguard...

GAS is a good drug and the healthiest of all!

Epiphone Dot Studio

Since this guitar is discontinued in Europe, bought it in the US in April 2009 - so far it's still awaiting in California for a cheap way to come to Berlin. A new attempt to renew my sound, my first semi-hollow body... Not specially aimed at old style blues or jazz - that's also the kind of guitars that made the sound of the Jesus and Mary Chain...