Dave, if you look into “soundslikemusic” thread, you’ll see a link to Transformer flogging the system on Fleeb. Of course, it’s a righty LP. I’ve lost count of people with good ideas that I’ve asked “Will you do a lefty?” and got no reply. Still, must be worth a “ask seller a Q” punt. If they’re after custards, now is the time to step forward.

On the ‘odd tuning’ front; I agree there’s a lot of mileage. My band’s guitarist had this thing where a lot of strings were just off A#. Fabulous ringing – very sitar-like, and I managed a bassline with a 4-string on normal tuning. Also, at our rehearsal place, a guy called Jaz walked in and started singing Hindi wedding songs. Totally barmy; no recognizable key nor time signature (to us), but I was having loads of fun. As soon as he sung the word “Sade” (as in the “Diamond Life” Sade), I knew a 4th-drop was coming and that was all I needed to know. Guitarist wasn’t so keen though, and shooed him out after a coupla weeks. Pity

You are right about odd tunings, it turns you on to totaly different melodies, the drummer in our band likes to record his own stuff on his portastudio, but he cant play guitar very well, so he sets up and accoustic guitar tuning every string to D, i picked it up one night and thought what the hell? but after 5 mins you start exploring those notes and start getting some very unusaly sounds, Who remembers Ravi Shankar when he played live at the Monteray pop festival? he spent 20 mins on stage in front of the audience tuning up his sitar!! at the end of the tuning marathon the audience cheered and applauded, they thought that was his set, i bet he wished he had one of those tuning devices, but then he had something better, Karma! 8)

Thinking about it, the riff I had in mind was the opening to “Elephant Talk” (I don’t play vinyl much these days), not Thela – and I really did think it was Stick. If I can’t play it, I assume it’s because I haven’t got the kit – not because Levin’s better than me 😆 .

The customs thing could be a nightmare. If you send an LP over, US Customs will need convincing it’s not being sold but ‘repaired’. Then, on its way back, HM’s C+E will need convincing it’s yours and will still charge duty on the cost of the ‘repair’. Unless the tuner people can be convinced to downplay the cost (and most bona-fides dislike being asked to do this) then that’s 17.5% on the $3250. I’m afraid they DO notice, especially with a big box. Elsewhere, I advised Lee on how best a trem unit might slip through unnoticed. They still got it.

BTW, I’d very much like Roland’s V-bass. Apart from the stick-on-body pup, I already have a Graphtec piezo bridge that can be upgraded to a hex output. A guy I know who’s expert on the URB reckons even a fretted 34″ makes a reasonable upright simulation through the V-bass. “Stray Cat Strut” time 🙂

With one of those auto tuners in hand, a whole new world of Nick Drake tribute bands await. It does look like a great invention, if you get one post up some pics of the guitar with tuner on.

Dave, what worries me is that $3250 price tag. So, you’ve got to get a guitar, ship it over (might be cheaper to buy one from a US site and get it shipped direct) so that they can install it. Then, it’s got to be shipped back to you and customs will slap 17.5% on the cost of the guitar and the autotuner unit. The courier will also slap on a ‘handling fee’.

You’re looking at a cool $4000 before you even pay for a guitar; and I wouldn’t stick this in a genuine Gibson as it’ll kill the resale value. Is it worth putting a $4000 bit of electromechanics in a $700 guitar, just so you can go to DADGAD? The GK2A + VG88 is cheaper, non-invasive, transferable and does a lot more than change string tunings. I’m sure the DSP on the Roland isn’t as convincing as a real tuning, but blimey – it’s a lot of money.

Edit: forgot to mention – very cool to see a lefty Stick player. How long have you had it? Done “Thela Hun Gingeet” yet? 🙂

Dave, IIRC, the fingerboard radius of a modern Strat is 9.5″ to 10″ but the early vintages were a warperific 7.25″. Unless it’s a “50s reissue”, I think your Silver Series (again, IIRC, these were the remaining Japanese Squiers sold while production shifted to Korea in 1990) is a 9.5″. The Gibson LP is, I’m fairly sure, 14″. A 16″ radius is ultra-flat, 5-string bass territory.

A couple of suggestions. If you like the Squier and are not fussed with Gibby humbuckers and all that, consider bolting on a Strat – style neck with a 14″ radius. You might not find one on Fleeb, but there are those who will make one for about $150 (unvarnished) or £150 if you’re unfortunate enough to be a Brit. Otherwise, apart from the SG Lee mentioned, how about a good LP copy? Even quite affordable ones are set-neck and reasonable facsimiles. The African mahogany often used is less dense (some even might use alder or 🙁 basswood 🙁 , lighter still). Good old Agile/SX (rondomusic.com in the US) leaves loads of money for decent pups (might be bolt-on, can’t remember). A smaller name, but well worth considering, is jim-reed-guitars.com – I have their BE5 bass and it’s terrific. What I’ve seen of the LP copy is very good and, I think, Kent Armstrong pups so no immediate need for replacement.

If you like the Les Pauls some of the 70’s customs were lighter, they used ‘hollow’ chambers to cut down on the weight, all LP’s dont weigh the same, but of course if you want a guitar that realy rocks, with the same neck profile as a les paul, but much lighter and better fret access then there is only 1 guitar… The SG standard. 😈