Tom Wanderer wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 7:57 am

TylerDeadPine wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 9:53 pm

Tom Wanderer wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:13 am

I've shimmed a few necks and it's been relatively easy. Not doing pro setups, mind you, just making guitars comfortable to play to the best of my ability. I've used plastic coated playing cards cut into a thin strip (with one edge slightly rounded to fit nicely into the heel of the pocket). Even with something that thin, you can often get away with just one or two layers. You can buy special shims of brass or wood or just DIY. There are a lot of suggestions out there. Start with just a little bit of thickness, one ply of a card or something thin like that, and see how far it takes you. It usually doesn't take much.

^ this is good advice - Sometimes high end wood supply places will have little veneer card sample packs. They're great

Ah! Yes, I have used that exact thing a long time ago. Pretty much ideal. I need to find where those went. You might even be able to get something like that at a hardware store. Anything that has a display of samples for door/countertop/cabinet finishes usually has those sample "cards". About 3"x5". I think I saw some at Menards last time I was buying a door.

And now you're still working in the Menard's labour camps to work off the door-debt. God dammit doors are expensive.

Maksym Giza wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2023 5:41 am Can anybody suggest good currently being produced alternatives to AKG C451 EB/C452? I'm looking for SDCs with brighter, more detailed sound for snare, OH, some acoustic instruments etc.
I was thinking about Audio-Technica 4051b (not sure how different it is from 4051a) or Josephson C42.

Oktava 012 are still my favorite go to SDC for literally everything. One of my fav tom mics, guitar, I've even used them on vocal. I like my SM81's but they are so much bigger I never reach for them. we have Neuman 184's at work and I've never thought I'd rather have them than the Oktavas. for the price I think they may be the best mic you can get for per dollar spent.

While I would second the recommendation of Oktava MC/MK-012s just to have around, I wouldn't consider them as bright and detailed as 451s.

Why not just buy a current production C451 B? Yeah, they're not exactly the same as the older EBs, but neither is any alternative. 451s kind of have their own distinct thing going on in the top end.

Shabby SG neck shimmed up no problem, it's not an electric guitar yet, I need pots and a toggle switch, but it plays just fine. Me and Mrs MSE are solidly Team Fender, this guy's the only Gibson-style in the house:

Assuming you have the option on the gear you’re using - you prefer to roll off low end at the mic, preamp, or elsewhere?

My pres have the option, but so do quite a few mics.

I understand the script Sennheiser 421-U I have is smoother than the more recent versions - it took me a while to realize I had to use the 5-position switch to get the treble out of the mic I was going for. It sounded good on the full ‘music’ setting, but I was trying to use it to cover a different trebly sound than I would get with a condenser. It worked well mixed with another mic on a baritone with lipsticks through a Super Reverb, which is a really interesting and percussive sound.

As much as I like playing with switches and high pass filters all day, I thought I’d check in with yall.

Maksym Giza wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2023 5:41 am Can anybody suggest good currently being produced alternatives to AKG C451 EB/C452? I'm looking for SDCs with brighter, more detailed sound for snare, OH, some acoustic instruments etc.
I was thinking about Audio-Technica 4051b (not sure how different it is from 4051a) or Josephson C42.

If we're being spendy the Josephson E22 is a gorgeous drum mic, but also great on guitar amps and acoustic.

Much cheaper the Shure ksm 141 is slightly flatter (clear accurate top end, not bright) very versatile. Ditch the Omni for cardioid only and save even more on the ksm137. I've mic'd bagpipes, banjos, mandolins and Fender twins with those things. A pair in ortf over a drum kit is the most reliable, straight forward drum overhead I can use. Maybe not the most impressive or visceral but guaranteed to not be a problem later when mixing.

+1 on the ksm141, solid mics you can use on almost anything. The flat high freq response makes them very friendly.

+1 on a pair of KSM137 (and KSM141 if you need the omni)

Am I being stupid here? This is a 12 string trem bridge (already arguably a kinda stupid idea). The low E is jacked up really high, so that the action is horrible and impossible to intonate, but the design of the bridge means that the height screws touch the string if it's any lower.





My fix is to saw off the screws a little but it seems like a massive design flaw to put height screws where they will touch the strings. Am I missing something really obvious here?

I would just get a shorter saddle height screw. A few different lengths, in pairs, and see what works.