TalismanRich

It doesn't matter if they offered it. They would get changed anyway. I have realized that it doesn't matter what the factory uses. If they use SD, they get swapped for Dimarzios. If they use Dimarzio, they get swapped for Lollars, IF an amp company uses JJs, they get swapped for TungSols. If it came with TungSols, then it really needs TADs. If it has a Jensen speaker, it really should have a Celestion. If it has a Celestion, it gets swapped for an Eminence or Warehouse. Heck if it has GHS strings, it really should have D'Addarios or Ernie Balls. Mojotone makes the P90 that Josh had them put in the HOC 137. They sounded pretty darn good. It's a pain in the butt to change pickups in a semi or hollow body, but it can be done with a bit of patience.

THe only way I can see going direct to PA/FOH is if you have in ear monitors, which I don't. If you've got high dollar, big time PA, IEM, etc. then it probably can work. You can have your roadie take care of all the particulars to make sure everything is up to snuff for the show. U2 does it. When I get together at my drummer friend's house, we use headphones, no amps. I tried using my old PodXT but it had some real noise issues. I grabbed a Strymon Iridium from a local fellow, and it does fine. It's not the same as having an amp, but it's just for a few guys jamming. For actually playing on a small stage in front of people, having an amp is still preferred for me.

I'm very fond of the appointments of the CC 535 and 530. The blocks and inlay give it an extra touch of class.

We saw the Pelham blue at PSP. It's a cool looking color. Enjoy your new guitar. It looks like a winner.

I was discussing this elsewhere. Marshall has two manufacturing sites, Milton Keynes and Dong Nai, Viet Nam, near Ho Chi Minh city (old Saigon). Have you got any Marshall amps built in China? I figure they might subcontract some things, but it doesn't appear that they have a full manufacturing site. Marshall was sold to the Swedish Zounds group, and the Altor bought a large share of that. I think the Swedes changed things more, when they started selling headphones, bluetooth speakers and drums. In any case, it's just another equity firm buying and selling a company, not much different from when Ford bought Jaguar, then sold it to Tata of India. They still make the Jaguars in England. HongShan also owns large shares of Byd (EVs) ByteDance (TikTok) Genesis MedTech, Monzo (digital banking) and over a hundred other companies. It seems to be a big difference from what Ming has done building up an empire of music related companies.

#1 - Wooden pickguards RULE! #2 - Bound headstock look better than unbound! #3 - That neck with the stripe really fits the guitar. Outstanding guitar... too bad you have to give it back.

I remember some years back when the 59/JB was supposed to be the hot combo. The JB is a hot pickup so it can give some punch, the 59 is more of your conventional PAF. Those things change every year. It's like the latest viral cat video.

Short of buying a Custom Core model, the only place you can get the 225s is via the second hand market. There just happens to be a set here on the HOC. I'm not big into changing pickups, although I've changed them in my H140 and 535. I have a pair of gold Seth Lovers on the shelf that I was going to put in my H157, but the legs are too long for the rout, and I'm not going to butcher the wood to install them. The Schallers are short leg, and the Seths are long leg. I've got Seth Loves in my Millennium LE, so I can always play that one.

I wondered the same thing. It looked normal to me.

Since Wilson was so deeply involved with the Gibson Custom Shop, and then setting up the Custom Core line, you would expect them to be quite similar. The man apparently was VERY good at what he did. I"m hoping that Kuz doesn't run into any of the issues with the nitro peeling that some folks with Murphy Lab guitars have experienced. I know he takes extraordinary care of his guitars, so it there's a problem, it won't be from his lack of care.

You're a good Grandpa, MG. Passing along a love of music and fine instruments to make it is a fine legacy.

Mark, good to hear from you again. Glad to hear you're enjoying your time. I missed reading your tales (sometimes good, sometimes tales of woe). Should there come a day that you get the bug, you'll surely find some like-minded mates to scratch the itch. Don't stay away so long next time.

Lordy Mark, Do you have a black cloud floating somewhere over your head? I remember what it was like when my leg was in a cast for 6 weeks. UGH! Hope you heal up quickly!

Wow, you were looking to replace a guitar player, and you end up with a rotation of drummers! That stinks that your man had to bow out because of arthritis. This aging stuff just sneaks up and bites us when we're just having fun. Hopefully the days of drama and drunken spouses are far behind you. Perhaps you can grace us with some videos of the new band.

I can't think of a more eloquent way of putting the HOC and PSP in perspective. Yes, this is a hobby for most of us, but the friendships are what make it all worthwhile. Well said!

You mention the neck/body junction, but I don't see a photo of that joint. Perhaps I am not understanding the nature of the problem. Is the problem only with the binding, or is there a more structural issue with the neck joint? While I personally would not have an issue with the offcenter dots, it clearly is a fault. Your best recourse is to deal with the seller. If he is an authorized dealer, he should act as the bridge between you and the factory. Having modified the guitar with the Bigsby may present a problem. Changing the binding on the neck would be one way to remedy the situation, and I fear that it could result in more visible flaws. The dots are knocked in by hand, so the dot could be drilled out by hand, filled and redrilled for the new dot.