A lot of my range was in the first half (heel end), but after some careful adjustment of the LED and LDR (photo transistor in my case), I got it set where only the very last 8th of toe down is dead sweep.

I could alter the cutout in the curtain, but that would void the warranty.

I did also adjust the on/off delay and start point.

Mine are circled in red. Morley has the instruction son their website.

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Nice try. Not a kid and have NO doubt have owned more guitars than you over my 40 years of performing live. And my very first time playing a Murphey '59 was in fact double blind. My buddy at the shop often does this: he'll send me into the high-end amp room, hand me a guitar to play for a bit (in that case it was a Gibson Heritage Reissue R0), and then hand me another guitar to compare (often without telling me what it is). The Murphey was just better. I've owned a LOT of LPs over the years and the dozen or so Murpheys that I've played were all head and shoulders above the rest. You dismissed the mojo that Tom puts into them as simply rack grade instruments that are only aged cosmetically. Well you are FOS when it comes to your assertion.

I've owned 8 Friedman amps and who knows how many other boutique brands. There are differences there from less expensive amps as well. My buddy often sends me home with various guitars and amps to demo and live with for a few days/weeks... so the new store honeymoon has time to wear off and I'm truly able to compare what I'm hearing/playing. I've chosen to take plenty of it back, while sometimes I keep them. The Murpheys are special and so much more than a huge price tag and some finish wear. The only reason that I don't currently own one is because I went nuts buying HK MP5s last year and that ate-up my toy budget. Also, my gigging as of late have been acoustic gigs. Don't want a $5K to $10K instrument that I'm not using. If I choose to join another rock band, I will have at least one Murphey, if not more.

I was born in early 1964 and my parents didn't want me banging on drums. In 1970 I had an acoustic sitting on my bed because of my dad. I took lessons for years and never thing I know I'm playing Classical Gas by Mason Reese in 5th grade.

First electric was a Fender Telecaster and it was a great guitar that matched a Fender Twin Reverb Amp. Then I get a Gibson SG like Angus Young's minus the extra frets. ThenI built a Fender Stratocaster where the body felt good but I did not like the single pickups for what I  liked playing at the time. The Telecaster sounded better.

So, my next was a Kramer Pacer Deluxe that I put a Jeff Beck 57 humbucking in the bridge with a Floyd Rose tremolo system. That guitar did e everything I liked and more. Then I bought two guitars at the same time. One being a 1968 Gibson ES 335 and another Stratocaster. While I  was buying them, Pat Travers walks in with his band and the played a set. Pat played my new Stratocaster and his other guitar player sat down and showed me how to play a song I couldn't figure out. For those that do t know how Pat Travers is, lookup his discography. He was super cool to me and invited me backstage for a gig his band was playing.

Then, I saw the price sheet at Guitar Center and they just got the new Ernie Ball Music Man Eddie Van Halen series guitars and gave them $850 out the door. This is my main guitar to this day. Then I bought a few new amps and the one I kept is a Mesa Boogie MK-4. I sold the Fender, Marshall's and all I need is this one Boogie after dumping a Boogie Rectoverb that was full crunch. Sounding like Dave Mustaine just isn't my deal.

The EVH MM with a Mesa Boogie Mk-4 does anything I like. I keep the Kramer on standby for gigs in case I bust a .009 string on stage. I got away from using effects except a Wah Wah, Flanger and Phase Shifter. I rarely use those except for a few songs. I like just pure raw loud and clean that sounds professional.

Having a professional soundi s what I do and people notice the sound quality. If anyone plays live, you'll laugh at me for not using a sound monitor when I first started. I would look to my left and watch my drummer. I would give the shit eating grin and he would nod his head when I was back in rhythm and I wasn't screwing up. Turning your volume pot off for a few seconds  while air guitaring was the first skill I came up with to save my ass. The rhythm guitarist on the other side of the stage understood this and I would cover him when helost also.

The worst part is guest singers. I would tape set lists on his mic stand and he would look down and say nope, nope, nope to the easy for me Van Halen songs. Everyone knows how to sing a few SRV, ZZTop, AC/DC, Nazareth, and the Southern Rock songs we all knew. Band members are notoriously lazy and don't show up for practice at the drummer's house to get the groove back.

It's fun to play live, but I don't miss waiting on band members showing up to practice for a gig. It got to a point that I burned out. I miss seeing the audiences looking blown away like I did when I was a teenager watching party bands.

So yes to OP, I had a guitar and amp collection. I miss it, yet I don't.

Almost there

Okay, so I'm actually a little baffled here because my comment was a pretty obvious joke; you can't test his guitar builds double blind because he doesn't make guitars.  Tom Murphy hasn't and doesn't build guitars.  He isn't a builder (much less a luthier).  He had a business refinishing and faux-aging guitars, and Gibson hired him to work inside their custom shop developing production methods for faux aging guitars.  Any Murphy lab guitar is simply a custom shop guitar that has gone through a separate finishing and distressing process.

I don't understand why you're saying this guy builds these fantastic guitars when they were all production built in the custom shop by the same team (well obviously some people have come and gone over the years) using the same materials.  He is a middle manager at a guitar company that is responsible for developing aesthetic processes.

Did you honestly not know that?

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wife has named this the Tmobile guitar. Got a 2nd one of this style to keep 2 in D tuning all the time

Who is everyone's go-to YT Guitar guy?

I don't really watch guitar toobers. I'll pick random ones when researching gear though.

I'll sometimes watch KDH for the industry drama. The kid is boring, but his takes on the drama are well thought out.

I mostly watch Glenn Fricker on SpectreSoundStudios for metal stuff on the recording side. Guy comes off as an asshole, but otherwise has good advice. he's become more of an entertainer as time went on. If metal or heavy recording is your thing, he's the guy to get some gear tips from.

Got a good bite on the Roscoe today

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Yep.

Orange O-Bass

I recently bought a LTD M1000HT Black Fade and Soldano Slo mini

I used to watch a bunch of them, but now the only ones that I watch routinely are Uncle Larry (Tom Bukovac) and Matthew Scott.

That's fucking awesome....

Anyone have advice on a first 7 string?  Don't want crap but also don't want to invest a ton into something I'm not sure I'll like.

My Epi Les Standard I purchased years ago. Picked it up and started learning again. Replaced the stock  pickups and electronics:

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Thanks! Also interested in a 7 string but never pulled the trigger. It would be cool to play stuff like Amon Amarth without tuning a 6 string down to baritone/B

Thanks! I had no idea there were adjustments that could be made. Proof that these are great pedals.

No problem!

Keep in mind it does involve bending components, and a little can go a long way.

Might want to watch a video on it instead of just reading their instructions.

bzzzzz bzzzzz

Do you like metal or jazz?
Do you have a need for lower notes beyond just down tuning a 6?
If you down tune a lot, do you miss the string tension?
Do you listen to Korn, Archspire, a lot of prog-metal, Morbid Angel, etc...?

If you have a yes answer to any of those questions I would try a 7. I love my 7. I have 8's and played 9's, but the 8's are only for playing certain songs that need it. Otherwise I'm always on my 7's. I love the extra meat to the neck. Even if I am only playing a 6 string song, I'll use my 7. I'll never buy a 6 again, they feel like playing a 3/4 scale guitar now to me.

There are a lot of good options. I'm partial to the Ibanez prestige series. You'll get your money out of it if you decide to sell it. Schechter makes OK 7's (or at least they used to) in addition to maybe the Jackson guitars.

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7s are cool and all, and I enjoy my 26.5 scale length; but the shorter scale length on an LP or SG combined with a little hotter than PAF type humbucker is where it's at tuned low.

But then again, I love doom and sludge.

They get deep and throaty. Run it through some fuzz or a dirty Orange, Sunn, or other bass heavy amp, and I'm in heaven.

Pix of EBMM Evh not loading. 😉
My all time favorite guitar.. but they didn't make any lefty versions. 😞
No, I'm not buying a lefty Axis Super Sport. The colors were pretty terrible compared to the EVH models in the 90s. Although I'm open to suggestions.
For now I have a somewhat rare in the US, EBMM OLP lefty that almost scratches that itch.

For those the record and mix in the box, I started messing with the Pultec trick of boosting and cutting the same frequency, and it's the best mixed guitar tone I ever got.

Good speaker and micing or IR cab into that, and it brings the low end chug and top end bite out so the guitar cuts without having to turn it up.

I'm using the Analog Obsession Rare plugin, which is free, but now I'm gassing for a real Pultec... but I can't justify spending what my daily driver is worth on an EQ

“Thank you for allowing us to serve musicians like you for 100 years”: Sam Ash Music announces it will be officially closing all its stores https://t.co/SeOqWCc1sv pic.twitter.com/WVVfKmdnqp

Guitar World  (@GuitarWorld) May 3, 2024

"Sam Ash Music has announced “with a heavy heart” it will be closing all of its stores. The family-fun business has been a pillar of the American music industry for 100 years.

An initial 18 stores were closed in March, including its flagship New York store. Speaking to amNew York Metro at the time of those closures, Sam Ash had said the “company must continue to adapt to ensure its continued success” as it looks toward the next 100 years of its operations.

But, as it battles the online boom, Sam Ash has now closed all of its remaining stores, with a closing-down sale currently ongoing.

In a statement posted on its social media channels, the company said: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce that all Sam Ash Music store locations will begin store closing sales today… Thank you for allowing us to serve musicians like you for 100 years.”

The statement also confirmed there will be heavy discounts on its premium range of equipment online."

Never purchased from them, but that fucking sucks.

I'm surprised guitar center is still hanging in there.

My local shops have practically nothing. But they can order and price match what anyone else has, and that's killing them.

This sucks

According to Phil McKnight, they failed to develop their website/online sales all these years and when the shutdown hit everyone else curb stomped them leading to this.

Not really related but I did notice that Music & Arts is owned by same investment capital group as GC but that they were smart enough to work out exclusivity for one of the Fender guitar lines for M&A, I just can't recall which series it it. M&A near me always has some mid-tier Ibanez stuff that the local GC doesn't stock either.

yep, that is a business model that will result in  the business closing.

This is what ultimately happens:

"Do you carry ABC, I can't find any"

"I can order that for you and have it within a week"

I can order it myself and have in in a few days, I came in here to pick it up today, thanks anyway"

The GC I got the 816CE from had a very large selection and a lot of "customers". I was able to search their inventory before going (2 hour trip), actually play the guitars, and they offered a $500 discount that wasn't available through GC online or advertised anywhere.

The shop I got my first guitar and drum kit from sold their building to a mattress seller, then moved to a tiny place.

Now they barely have any strings in stock, let alone guitars, but can order whatever you want literally from a musicians friend catalog.

You used to be able to go in and get any kind of custom set of strings you wanted, but now it's just a place you can walk into to shop online without going online.

It got so bad, their guitar guy quit and started his own business specifically for working on guitars. Dude's a wizard with guitar work. You can give him a vague description of how you want your guitar to play, and he will nail it the first time.
My local GC was good for a good while, then absolute garbage. Then good again.

They are under new management now and it's been cleaned up nicely. They have a propper selection of guitars that are properly set up, instead of the wacked out options that were barely playable. For a good 5 years, it was bottom of the barrel or high end only.

They also always treated you well and offered nice in store only discounts as well.

I have love/hate relationship with my local GC.  I finished a guitar build during covid and I lost my output jack I had ordered months prior for the build.  The Amazon couldn't fulfill one i ordered, followed by them losing another one ordered.  The GC manager, really sweet lady, went and fished a good quality jack from the repair room out for me as their shelf stock was completely out. Also, I was able to pick up a Headrush MX5 there just days before a $100 increase on the pedal, in sealed package. When I bought my Line 6 Catalyst though they refused to give me a discount on the demo that didn't strip the ability of me to return it to the store .  I could tell they just put it on the floor so i paid full price anyway.  Its been a great amp BTW. Anyhow, they have increased their Schecter, Gretsch, and PRS offerings since the shutdown but I still can't reach the nice stuff to play.  I get it, but there's a better way to keep the nice guitars from the little kids they let in to fingerbang gear all day.They need to expand the acoustic room to include the $800+ gear and staff it appropriately.  Let all the kiddies bust up the lower tier Squiers and Epiphones out on the regular sales floor.  Those of us with jobs and the lawyers can go shop the nice stuff in the gallery room.

I'll tell you what you don't want to do.  Absolutely do not buy a Schecter Damien 7.  My son wanted a seven string so I told him I would get him one.  I told him I didn't mind spending $1000-1500 on a nice guitar.  He insisted on the $500 Schecter.  It's a POS.

I do like some Amon Amarth.

I stopped by a guitar shop yesterday on my way home and spoke with the owner.

She said her boyfriend of 25 years is building her a Brazilian RW single-O with a spruce top from a tree that just fell on the Henry Clay estate.

I am going to talk with him about building a Florentine cutaway OM out of mahogany and cedar I have had for 20 years.

And later today I plan on running over to guitar center to see if they want a pedal power 2+ and Fishman Rare Earth humbucker.

I keep toying with the idea of adding another pedal to this board.
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I'm going to have to move the PP3 under it, which is what I planned on doing this summer when I have more free time.

Mine has always had a decent acoustic room.

What's really nice is they don't have 100 spiders on the floor that they push on everyone anymore. Last I was in, they had a good selection of amps.

The 1988 Tobias sold within minutes  

Spicey

Love that color.

Bummer. Will they do clearance sale at the final locations or will they ship all back to a warehouse and sell it online?
One of my wife's social groups is still looking for a battery-operated sound system that would be able to handle small to medium outdoor events.  Cemeteries and memorial parks don't always have a ready supply of electricity.

I agree, unless they are choosing better quality woods and using custom handwound pickups to vintage specs. We all have that tone aficionado friend who says they can hear certain things, though, even if most of us shrug our shoulders. I’m more a believer in feel and no “aged” guitar feels the same as a nice vintage one imo, but they may sound as good or better (all subjective). I like Fender custom shop because they’re quality new guitars with specs I like that sound great. They’re also not 10k + like Gibbys which is outrageous for a non vintage guitar imo.

As Frank Zappa said, “shut up and play yer guitar”

That's too bad. Especially for the Clearwater, FL store, as that's all that was kinda left of that old school Mecca of guitars, Thoroughbred Music. Even Sam Ash was nothing compared to T'bred, but it was a cool vibe with it's weirdly grand venue:

I’ve had a couple Schecters, always been pretty solid guitars and great value for the money

The C1 Platinum is fantastic for the price if you can get it on one of their $500 sales

Also, just saw Amon amarth in Portland last week — they play on six string Jackson’s and ESPs

Definitely avoid the Omen Elite. My seven was an absolute piece of shit, and they didn't give two shits about it. Basically said "fuck off, it's not our fault".

If it wasn't for the wu flu causing stock issues, I would have picked any other 7 that had 26.5" scale length. But no, it was that or a 200 dollar Jackson that were within budget. Unfortunately, the only place that had them in stock at the time had only one more, and it was just as bad.

If I didn't need a 7 right then and there, I would have sent it back. Instead I fixed what I could as I do my own fret work and setups and such, but the sloppy pickup routes still piss me off.

My 150 dollar Squier bullet Tele had better fit, finish, and playability out of the box.

Started working on this, I'm eventually going to build display cases for them all as my office gets really dusty with all the electronics in here. I've got three more hangers coming today.

custom handwound pickups to vintage specs....

trio of J's

Very nice collection.

OK bass newbie here.  On the white one on the left what is that thing on the pickguard that isn't under the strings?

I dont play bass or Fender vintage precision bass but I think that is a Finger Rest

If you're talking about the small, black piece on the pickguard it's known as a "tug bar". Early players hooked their fingers under it and played bass with their thumb.  It was attached until the late '60's.  Many players moved it to the other side of the strings and used it as a thumb REST and played with their fingers.

Thanks.  I was clueless to it's use.  Wondered if it was some kind of pickup to catch higher frequencies.  My brain works in mysterious ways.