TalismanRich

Let me write out the receipt: Guitar $500 Hand delivery $4500 (I can't let a priceless gem like this get in the hands of those monsters at UPS or Fed Ex!!!!) Total: $5000 Cash only! (for an extra $350 I'll detail it, wax it, rotate the knobs, give it a tune up, polish the chrome, change the lemon oil)

I've got an '87 H140. If yours gets stolen, I'll sell you mine for $5000. I'll even put new strings on it. Seriously, you can find H140s in the $1000 to $1500 range regularly. I don't think that being an '87 really puts a premium on the price.

Its hard to pick a favorite. I've got 5 different ones, and I like what each of them does. If I go strictly on which one I play the most, that would be the 535 and 140. They get about equal playtime. If I go for sentimental attachment, then definitely it would be the 157. I think its also the best looking one. The Mille LE 2000 is great as well, and when the urge hits, none of the others will do what the 525 does. So how do I pick?

Yes, over the years, there have been a few variations of the stamp on the back. There have been some with just the serial # and USA, some with the letter above the number. Sometimes I wonder if a stamp gets messed up and they need to get a new one. That's might also be the reason that sometimes the stamps are hard to read. A little wear plus a smear can make it hard to read. I might ask about that at PSP.

I agree with Dave. Brent's done several of them and has the tools needed. Or, if you want to have the finish fixed as well, you might check with Aaron Cowles' shop in VIcksburg. His son is still doing repair work. I'm sure he could make it a seamless repair.

I would have to get a drill press first, and I really don't need one. I've got other projects that are more pressing (like a new garage door and house painting). Plus, its not like I can't play a guitar with Seths. My Mille has Seths, and I put Sheptone Tributes in my 535 and Alnico Pro IIs in my H140. I've also looked at some other pickups, but it just isn't a priority. That's the nice thing about having a bunch of guitars! Besides, I don't think the Schallers are bad, but I've only lived with them for 17 years. I might feel differently after I play it a bit longer!

What should I use to fill the hole when I cut just a bit too deep?

I've got a set of gold Seth Lovers in the basement. I was going to put them in my 157 a few years ago, but the rout isn't deep enough for the long legs. I put the Schallers back in and figured at some time I would order a different set of pickups. Two years later, I'm still playing the Schallers. Some day I'll order a set of gold pickups... I swear I will.

The real answer to the problem is to NEVER SELL ANYTHING! After all, you can always add a new wing to the house, or convert the garage to a climate controlled studio/guitar storage area. No sale... no seller remorse!

I'm pretty sure that the bridge has been reversed. If you look closely at the saddles, the "thicker" ones are on the wound strings, and the thinner ones are on the plain strings. Look closely at the saddles on the left of the bridge below. You see thinner walls on the left saddles than those on the right. Yours look to be the reverse of that. Look closely at the 3rd and 4th strings. Also, my guitars with trapeze type tailpieces have a "ringing" sound from the strings behind the bridge. One is a 525, the other is a DeArmond/Guild Starfire. You can easily dampen the ringing by weaving a bit of felt or other material through the strings. A hanky will work but it looks a bit funny hanging in there. I find that the ringing is part of the unique sound on those guitars.

If you can get a number off the transformer (you said it was a Mercury Mag unit) I would contact them to see if they have a spec sheet for it. That said, PaulC should know what he put in those amps. And, yes, I know how nicely they are put together. I"ve got a Patriot. The workmanship is fabulous. Its not out of the realm of possibility that they sourced 240v transformers for the overseas market. I think I would opt for the stepdown transformer. You can get them for under $100. Otherwise you are risking burning out the unit. It would be a shame for all that lovely work to go up in smoke!

Very nice. I think you'll enjoy that one for a long time. One comment, I wouldn't use the stand that you have in the pictures for very long. The tubing on those is PVC which is not good for a nitrocellulose finish. At the very least, I would put some cotton over the tubing, until you can get a stand with a nitro safe foam. The Hercules stands are good, and the On Stage stands with the black Velveteen foam are safe.

Very nice playing, Tad. I love that kind of sound in a jazz guitar.

I remember when you really didn't have OD. It was fuzz or nothing. My first three were Fuzz Face, Fender Blender and Jordan Bosstone. LIke others back then, it just sounded better when the volume control on my Guild Thunderbird was set at 10. I thought I might like going back to a fuzz a while back, but after playing with it a bit, I went back to my Tubescreamer and Soul Food. Fuzz just sounds too "raspy" for me.

Something about Steve Vai that I always thought was unique was his use of the Fernandez Sustainer pickup in Flo. I once played a Fernandez at a store in SC and the Sustainer was really a cool toy to play with. I wonder why very few people use them. As for the module system, the store where I bought my H157 carried the Randall modular amps. Cool idea, but it seemed to be a bit pricey.