I have to be happy with what I have at this point unless I win something. A social security check with age discrimination to boot these days is an extremely high wall to go over and way to wide to go around.

windwalker, that sounds like one hell of a nice axe.

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2007 American Deluxe Strat
'65 Deluxe Reverb RI
POD X3 Live
PreSonus FSP
Studio One Pro

http://soundcloud.com/wally-dow/sets/w
http://reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/371830
http://classicrockersnetwork.com/profile/WallyDow
http://facebook/wallydow

Bluesky; you dont happen to be a skydive are you?? Only reason I ask is because i jumped professionally for a few years, mostly as a camera flyer, and all skydivers tend to end letters or emails with "blue sky's, calm wind, and soft landings", or someting to that affect, i had to stop jumping years ago because my right shoulder (of course the one I use to dump my canopy with) kept falling out of socket in freefall.
Just curious.

When I say "dog" i mostly mean something that may have cheap hardware, a neck in desperate need of a refret (and in the case of Les Paul at one point, a refret and neck reset). I wouldnt buy a Squire and put all kinds of high end parts on it, its like buying a Ford Escort, then dropping in leather seating, moonroof, expensive wheels, etc. The parts are better than the guitar.
But some companies (PRS Imports is the one that I always use as an example). The PRS SE's IMO, come with some so-so pickups, okay tremolo (but TERRIBLE tremolo block, anyone who ownes one, should look into a KCG replacement, I had one when i took it apart, i could see several stress cracks in the block, from normal use. It looks like the top of a pan of brownies), cheap pots and tuners. BUT, the neck/bodies are some of the best built, and more importantly MOST CONSISTENT imports Ive played. MIM's, Epiphones, etc; all seem to be the same; some of them are jewels, and some are the rought. PRS's are consistently well built, and make a fantastic platform to build off of. I have a couple PRS's, I have an old (99) McCarty hollow body, that I bought from Paul Reed Smith's personal collection, when I went to a workshop we needed to go to so we could continue to do warranty work. I told him how much i wanted one (the older ones were about 4"in the middle of the body, and about 3" on the sides. The new ones are much thinner. I also have a Custom 22 (maryland built) on long term loan, and a PRS SE Custom 22 I picked up. I pulled out the SE pickups, and the pots, and replaced them with Fralin Pure PAF's, and some custom tapered pots, along with some custom wiring, and new tuners. I play that guitar now more than the other 2, I love it. And its a sleeper. I pull it out when i jam with various people, and they know i have high end stuff, so they laugh when i pull out an SE..... until they hear it. That seems to shut them up pretty quickly.

It is, and its mine. And i mean MINE. Everything is tailored to me like a tuxedo, the neck profile is made specifically to my hands. While everyone who plays all drool over the neck, they dont realize how much better it is in my hands, just as if i did the same for their hands and playing style.

Hobbiest just means you made a certain amount of posts, it has nothing to do with what you actually are. I was confused with that before myself, at some point it'll change to guitar tech or somethign like that, and on and on. Its all the amount of posts. Some people have been on here just a year, and have thousands of posts, so they move up quick. I think its kind of a dumb system, because it doesnt tell people what you really are.

Nope. Former freelance photographer, "Blue Sky Photography".

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Bill

Btw, I played a Strat with the new pickups, the N3's. I wasn't impressEd at all. They had a real stale tone, no personality, and lacking dynamics. Should have stayed with the SCN's. I want a fan of those, but they had their own tone, just not my tone.

Of course you are already well aware that the number of 'pick's one accrues is merely a tongue in cheek ranking system set up by Brad during the inception of this Forum and in no way intended to characterize a contributors involvement with music. We learn about each other through our commentaries and, as you can well imagine, have already come to recognize that you have quite a bit to offer. With regard to your opinion of the N3's, I heartily concur, remembering quite well the nature of the fanfare when the SCN's were introduced.

Doc

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"Another day in paradise!"

I love my SCNs. But at the same time, it all depends on the sound you're after. I won't knock any of these pickups...they're all noiseless and that's what I was looking for. But at the same time you DO lose some of that sweet classic sound with the SCNs and VNs but I can't speak for the N3s. You should try a stock pickup, definitely from an American guitar first, then the MIM (which actually didn't sound horrible)...but at least for me, the SCNs were a HUGE upgrade to my 2009 Fender Standard Stratocaster. Overall, its a great guitar. I love it and would never sell it. But Fenders are an addiction, so be warned. Looking into buying my 2nd Fender in a couple months. Good luck!