Sent my J 45 out for a spell. It came back to me last week with hot rod waves among other sound enhancing alterations.
I am loving it!!
Hot Rod Waves
Tell us about the alterations and maybe a MP3 or two or three. would love to hear it and see it post a picture .Explain what hot rod waves is and maybe we might have something we can do to our instruments .
I sent it to Dan Lashbrook to have the same magic done that Bryan Kimsey does and did to Mike’s D18 a while back.
New nut and saddle. New frets (15) These are the large SRV bass frets. some added bracing, pieces parts to the inside.
New Waverly open gear tuners. The tuners have the posts cut down and are shimmed with wood . (hot rod waves) This increases the angle to the tuners from the nut and therefore more down pressure on the nut. Tongue brace removed and new bridge pins. I really like it. I did not mean to sound arrogant in any way when I posted this. Hope it did not sound that way by any means. Thank you welder for asking!
Congratulations on the work. I’m glad you like it! I’m glad to learn some new things. Do they re-drill the string holes in the tuner?
BTW, It didn’t sound arrogant to me at all.
Yes the tuner has the new hole drilled. I was worried to death about the look of the tuners (being short n all) I guess I just thought they might bother me. After a short period of time, I don’t mind the look of them at all.
I did not take that as being arrogant, I was just ignorant of what hot rod waves was is are and wanted to know . I would love to have this Martin reworked but alas Papaw has no money for that at the present . Maybe in a far and distant land far and far away where money grows on trees and the ducks swim in the sky and purple elephants slide around on the ground I will be able to pay for a rework . PLINK!
I think the land you refer to is the Big Rock Candy Mountains… “in the Big Rock Candy Mountains, all the cops have wooden legs, and the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the hens lay soft boiled eggs.”
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The tuners have the posts cut down and are shimmed with wood . (hot rod waves)
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When you say shimmed, do you mean they come up through the headstock at an angle instead of perpendicular with the face of the headstock? Wouldn’t this cause the bushings to have a gap on one side, or did he counter sink the bushings to be flush with the headstock?
I don’t think you sounded arrogant at all. It sounds like you’re happy with your guitar. That’s a good thing.
— Begin quote from "mreisz"
“in the Big Rock Candy Mountains, all the cops have wooden legs, and the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the hens lay soft boiled eggs.”
— End quote
… and you can buy all the guitars, mandolins and banjos you want, because there’s no need for money in the Big Rock Candy Mountains! Wonder if that would have fit into the original version? 
I feel like a politician. I clearly mis-spoke.
Don’t ask me how I wrote shimmed with wood. I simply meant new brass bushings were made so the tuners are in contact with the wood of the headstock. I am still learning…every day!
A picture speaks a thousand words, especially in this case.
If you get a chance, would you take a few pictures (and post them) of the work on the headstock that you are referring to? The more you clarify, the more confused I am and would love to see what was done. A few different angles to show the extent of the work would be great!
Much thanks!
Mike
Ditto…would love to see pics. I have a J45 Std. 09 model that is and has been my favorite guitar. Like it better than my Bourgeois Vintage D for playability. Seems like Gibson stumbled on the perfect neck shape and scale length…IMO. :mrgreen:
Sorry if my clarification confused you guys
Love is never having to say you’re sorry… 
I consider English my only foreign language, mostly because it gets me into trouble on a regular basis. I often tell my students that with around 8 billion people in the world, each of them with their own mind and thoughts, I am stunned that we can possibly communicate anything meaningful, one person to the next. You never have to say your sorry; we’re all just Bozos on this bus. 
Just picture a short post (enough post for two wraps max of the low E) sticking up perpendicular to the headstock as usual. It is that simple.
I will try to post a pic when I get time. Headin’ out for a gig right now… woohoo!
Looks like I need a lesson on how to post a picture. Do I need permission to do so? who said we are all bozos on this bus? lol
No permission needed to post a picture. Just click on the “Upload attachment” tab below where you are editing a message. The click on the “Choose File” button to chose a file you want to upload. After that, click the “Add the file” button.
Bryan Kimsey may have done something similar to the shimming you are referring to. Back in the “golden era” the tuning post came through the headstock with a relatively tight fit. In modern times, the hole is oversized. Bryan plugged my existing tuner post holes and re-drilled them with a smaller bit so the tuner post is in direct contact with the wood. In theory, it eliminates a small amount of energy loss. I’m not sure it would be audible, but while he was doing a bunch of other stuff I figured, “why not.”
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I never realized how tough it is to get a good photo where detail isn’t lost by glossy sheen. I’ll try to get a better one by tomorrow.
I can tell there is a slant to the tuners ,parallax of vision is another problem with photos and angles. I can tell what was done and thank you for your time in posting it. maybe a side view would do well on this one . If it ain’t to much trouble would like to see the whole guitar. But this one cured my curiosity .