Tone. At Home.
The best way to personalise your guitar is to mod it. Whether I’m trying to fix things I don’t like about a guitar, or trying to take a much-loved instrument to another level, this is where I talk about the mods that have worked – and those that haven’t worked out.
After ticking off a whole heap of bucket-list items in July, August was mostly about something on my bucket list that had nothing to do with guitars and gear. Yes, I do have a life away from browsing eBay listings 😂
I did pick up a couple of items, though …
Continue reading “New Arrivals: August 2023”At the end of 2022, I said that I want to revisit some gear that I used to have. Completely by coincidence, I managed to pick up both pedals (one of them pretty rare) this month – along with another pedal off my bucket list, a pedal that I’ve been asked about … and pretty sweet guitar that I plan to gig with.
Read on to see what’s arrived this month.
Continue reading “New Arrivals: July 2023”Earlier today, the fine folks at Andertons posed this question over on Twitter:
I don’t think I’ve talked about this on the blog before, so here’s my take on it.
Continue reading “Worth Upgrading To Locking Tuners? My Experience”
Last year, I picked up Hedgehog (my Squier Esquire 60’s Custom), and it quickly became one of my firm favourites. I’m on a hunt to find the right bridge pickup to bring out the best in it.
I’ve already given the Seymour Duncan Antiquity II a go. Will I be any happier with the Bare Knuckle Pickups True Grit? Read on to find out.
Continue reading “First Impressions: Bare Knuckle Pickups True Grit Telecaster Bridge Pickup”A couple of months ago, I ordered a set of new pickups for my Fender Player HSS Stratocaster. It took a bit of time for them to arrive, and then a bit longer to get them installed.
Now that they’re in the guitar, what are my First Impressions? Read on to find out.
Continue reading “First Impressions: Bare Knuckle Apache & Stormy Monday Pickups In A HSS Strat”You know the old joke about how you wait ages for a bus, and then three turn up at once? It’s been a bit like that with second-hand gear.
Five of my bucket-list items turned up on the second-hand market this month. I could only snag one of them. The three guitars and the amplifier were well outside my budget atm, and the only sensible thing to do was to hope that they bring joy to the people who have bought them. It just isn’t worth going into debt for a hobby, not to me anyway.
What was the one bucket-list item that I did get this month? And what else found its way to the Hermit’s Cave? Read on to find out 🙂
Continue reading “New Arrivals: November 2021”I recently picked up another Antiquity pickup, to go into my other Squier Esquire. The guitar’s now back from the shop … so what do I think? Is this another great mod?
Read on to find out.
Continue reading “First Impressions: Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Telecaster Bridge Pickup”Towards the start of the month, something in me snapped. That’s the best way that I can describe it. I looked at three guitars that have fallen out of favour this year, and said to myself, “why am I not sorting this out?”
All three guitars have the same issue: I just don’t get on with their pickups atm.
One of them (The Squirrel) has a stock pickup that can’t compete with its sister guitar (Hedgehog). One of them (Dexter) has stock pickups that just deeply disappoint. And one of them (the Charvel) is already on its fourth or fifth bridge pickup, and I’m still not happy.
So this month, it’s new (to me) pickups all around. Is this going to be money well-spent, or an expensive disappointment? Read on to find out.
Continue reading “New Arrivals: October 2021”