An apology, a PRS incoming, and a little secret...

[Twinfan]

I know - it's crazy!

Just rung Jon @ Feline and ordered the Emeralds a la Slash with gold screws/poles.  I'm back in the BKP fold  :D

[Philly Q]

The join is fairly easy to spot, so I wonder if they didn't look properly or told me what they thought I'd want to hear.  Same thing happened with McKorina #2 actually  :roll:

Yeah, a lot of the time they do tell you what they think you want to hear!  

I'm always asking eBay sellers and guitar shops about guitar weights and multi-piece bodies.  Very often the info they provide turns out to be wrong.  I know I'm annoying, I know it's a (minor) hassle for them to check, but if they really can't be bothered they should just say so.

Just rung Jon @ Feline and ordered the Emeralds a la Slash with gold screws/poles.  I'm back in the BKP fold  :D

Cool!  8)

Interested to hear what you think and how they sound in the korina.

[Twinfan]

I'll let you know in about a week or so Phil!

[dave_mc]

that sucks about the multi-piece body thing, dave. I mean, 2-piece isn't the end of the world, but you bought it thinking it was one-piece.

I'm always asking sellers questions too- I try my best to ask it in such a way that the seller doesn't know (e.g. I'll ask what the nut width is, hoping the seller won't magically guess my preference :D), but for some questions (like the number of pieces the body is made of) it's pretty obvious what the most desirable answer is.

I don't think it's that much of a hassle philly (though from the way you posted it I suspect you agree with me)- if you want me to buy your multi-hundred (maybe thousand) pound item, i expect you to check some very-easy-to-check details for me. :?

[Philly Q]

I don't think it's that much of a hassle philly (though from the way you posted it I suspect you agree with me)- if you want me to buy your multi-hundred (maybe thousand) pound item, i expect you to check some very-easy-to-check details for me. :?

Yes indeed Dave, I do agree. 

I emailed Guitar Village not long ago (about a PRS) and the guy came back (quite quickly) to say yes, it was a 2-piece.  It didn't look like it to me from their picture, so I phoned up, assistant #2 went to check and it turned out to be a 3-piece.  So assistant #1 had replied without even bothering to look.  What was the point?

[Twinfan]

Well I've set it up and plugged it in, and it's a good 'un!  Very resonant, and it sustains forever  :o

I'm hoping the Emeralds are thick-ish, punchy and clear, which will make it perfect!

[FELINEGUITARS]

Single piece bodies aren't always a good idea

Pieces of wood  that are large enough for a one pice body are often taken from low in the tree and can be full of mineral content which can make them very dense and affect the tone too.

I once had a one piece explorer and my god it was heavy!

[dave_mc]

^ interesting. Is there any optimum number of pieces for tone, or is it just one of those things where it's dependent on each specific piece of wood?

Yes indeed Dave, I do agree.  

I emailed Guitar Village not long ago (about a PRS) and the guy came back (quite quickly) to say yes, it was a 2-piece.  It didn't look like it to me from their picture, so I phoned up, assistant #2 went to check and it turned out to be a 3-piece.  So assistant #1 had replied without even bothering to look.  What was the point?

yeah, exactly. and then, if you had bought it, and tried to return it, they'd probably act like you were the dick :lol:

[FELINEGUITARS]

^ interesting. Is there any optimum number of pieces for tone, or is it just one of those things where it's dependent on each specific piece of wood?

Pretty much what you said - sometimes you get a guitar made of three pieces that is awesome , other times two pieces and sometimes one piece

Usually two piece bodies are made from the same block of wood anyway if the guitar is a small independent luthier, so they end up well matched when glued together

It's always the sum of all the parts that makes the tone - I've had a few great sounding plywood guitars that sounded better than expensive ones in the workshop . You have to let your ears guide you at times (and be able to get over "label Snobbery")

[Philly Q]

^ interesting. Is there any optimum number of pieces for tone, or is it just one of those things where it's dependent on each specific piece of wood?

Pretty much what you said - sometimes you get a guitar made of three pieces that is awesome , other times two pieces and sometimes one piece

I like the idea of a one-piece body, but I'm sure you're right, there are so many other factors. 

In one sense, it seems logical that three-piece would be preferable to (centre-joined) two-piece, because then the neck, pickups and hardware are effectively joined to a single piece of wood (with "wings") rather than straddling two pieces (with a glue line down the middle).  I doubt that's really borne out in practice though! 

[dave_mc]

^ ^ thanks, that's what i thought, jonathan. Plus as you say, there's not much point in buying a two-piece body to avoid the heavy-wood-from-low-down-the-tree syndrome if they were cut from the one piece :lol:

^ yeah i always wonder that too, philly... I hear conflicting reports, and I haven't tried two guitars which were similar enough to really tell either (not that I'm convinced I could hear the difference even if I got two otherwise identical guitars :lol: ). I mean to be really scientific you'd even need the wood to be cut from the same piece (presumably), then use the same neck, hardware etc..

[Twinfan]

Well I'm not too arsed about 1-piece bodies any more - this two piece one is the best sounding of the three McKorina's I've had  :lol:  Very, very nice sounding guitar with immense sustain and resonance, and a super slick playing feel courtesy of the Braz 'board.

Pics or it didn't happen, right?  (Sorry for the rubbish camera phone)




This thing is going to be sweeee-eeeeet with the Emeralds in!

[Philly Q]

It really does look fine.  How much does it weigh, Dave?  I'm just curious to see how much the korina varies.

[Twinfan]

I haven't weighed it yet Phil, sorry!  I'd guess around 7.5-8lbs max, a similar weight to my Modern Eagle and a bit lighter than Francine.  It's near enough the perfect weight in my opinion - comfy to play all night but with enough meat to sound good!

[dave_mc]

very nice :D

badass couch too :D