Skip to content
Say hello to the mo...
 
Notifications
Clear all

Say hello to the mongrel . . .

16 Posts
11 Users
0 Likes
1,833 Views
(@yashicamat)
Reputable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 271
Topic starter  

. . . aka my slightly bruised, battered and mutilated Pacifica. :D

Took a few photos today and thought I'd share them:

It was a Yamaha Pacifica 112XJ in natural wood finish when it started. It had a bad accident in May 2007 resulting in bad cracks across the body, I stripped the guitar to bits and rebuilt it from scratch. I resprayed it in black nitro-cellulose paint. Since it has had a few other modifications . . .

The guitar sees a lot of use . . . as can be seen from the scars. But it's like a well worn pair of shoes; looks scruffy but is really nice to use.

Here some of the modifications can be seen. I added the additional switch by the pickup selector switch, which is a coil tap on the bridge pickup. This is a Kent Armstrong Hot Rails which I replaced the stock humbucker with. Using my coil tap switch, I can make it a single coil or a humbucker, so I can get anything from jangly chords to thick rock tones.

I've now set up the guitar properly on D'addario 10-46 nickel strings. The action is nice and low and it plays very well!

It ain't pretty . . . but it's a fine guitar. 8)

:D

Rob

If something's not worth doing it's worth forgetting about.
Epiphone Les Paul Std - Yamaha Pacifica 112XJ - Takamine EG340SC - Taylor Baby - Grainger Hammerhead 50 - Grainger Valve Five
http://www.youtube.com/yashicamatonline


   
Quote
(@dogbite)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 6348
 

I think she's kind of pretty. 10-46 nickel strings are the bomb. I love that gauge.
your action looks sweet. I have an old strat plus. the action is as low as yours if not more. I can hardly get a piece of paper under the strings oon the upper frets. absolutely no buzzing. just pure sound and tone.

I like your attitude. props man.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=644552
http://www.soundclick.com/couleerockinvaders


   
ReplyQuote
(@scrybe)
Famed Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 2241
 

I think she's pretty, and I'm in agreement, 10-46 is the only way to go! Well, I'd go higher, but my wuss-fingers can't bend properly beyond 10s, so.....

but they are some sweet photos,very nice, I was drooling slightly as I scrolled down, lol.

Ra Er Ga.

Ninjazz have SuperChops.

http://www.blipfoto.com/Scrybe


   
ReplyQuote
(@rparker)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5480
 

That's a bad-a** looking axe. Looks like after you're done playing, you good use it as a weapon. 8)

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
ReplyQuote
(@yashicamat)
Reputable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 271
Topic starter  

He he, thanks for the comments. :D

I'm into photography so it gives me an excuse to photograph it anyway! It's actually fast becoming my favourite guitar, partly because it plays really well, but also because it's knocked about a bit I don't feel obliged to treat it like a 200 year old antique so I can quite comfortably sit back playing it and if it knocks against the chair, no worries. 8)

Rob

If something's not worth doing it's worth forgetting about.
Epiphone Les Paul Std - Yamaha Pacifica 112XJ - Takamine EG340SC - Taylor Baby - Grainger Hammerhead 50 - Grainger Valve Five
http://www.youtube.com/yashicamatonline


   
ReplyQuote
(@citizennoir)
Noble Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 1247
 

Hey Rob :D

Speaking of photography - These pics have a pretty interesting tonality to them....
Sort of a cross between B&W, and Desaturated color.

Maybe it's just the lack of grain... I'm used to seeing my 1600 speed B&W FILM.
(Conversely, I use 50 speed color)

Nice shots though 8)

You said about your fisheye pic that you had it 'set' to 1600...
I'm assuming you use digital.
What's the speed on these?
Cause I really can't distinguish the grain from the.... ummm... digital look (Like the strings :| )

What kind of camera do you use?

Sorry - I'm a bit of a FILM buff.... Though I would like to make the move to digital sometime.

Ken

"The man who has begun to live more seriously within
begins to live more simply without"
-Ernest Hemingway

"A genuine individual is an outright nuisance in a factory"
-Orson Welles


   
ReplyQuote
(@yashicamat)
Reputable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 271
Topic starter  

Hey Ken,

Yeah, well they were taken in colour originally on my Canon EOS350D at ISO800 as it happens. I also took them next to a window (on a cloudy day) for the lighting so I had a nice soft, diffused light. I later turned them into a colour tinted monochrome photos. I think this lends a bit of warmth to the photos over straight black and white. Something which is so easy to do in photoshop but I can remember when I had my darkroom functioning it was a lot harder to really do with the chemicals etc.!

I was going to post the photos in colour originally, but decided against it in the end as there isn't an significant colour in the guitar, I thought I may as well add the "monochrome magic". :)

Rob

If something's not worth doing it's worth forgetting about.
Epiphone Les Paul Std - Yamaha Pacifica 112XJ - Takamine EG340SC - Taylor Baby - Grainger Hammerhead 50 - Grainger Valve Five
http://www.youtube.com/yashicamatonline


   
ReplyQuote
(@citizennoir)
Noble Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 1247
 

Ah....
I see.

You made them into B&W and then gave a bit of a single color tint to them....

I'll have to try that.... Tinting B&W, then desaturating them to wash the color out.
Hmmmm....

Thankx Rob :)

Ken

"The man who has begun to live more seriously within
begins to live more simply without"
-Ernest Hemingway

"A genuine individual is an outright nuisance in a factory"
-Orson Welles


   
ReplyQuote
(@yashicamat)
Reputable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 271
Topic starter  

No problem Ken. :) It's a nice effect, I use the "colourize" tool to do this. Either a blue tint or a sepia tint works for me, the latter is what I used on those photos.

Rob

If something's not worth doing it's worth forgetting about.
Epiphone Les Paul Std - Yamaha Pacifica 112XJ - Takamine EG340SC - Taylor Baby - Grainger Hammerhead 50 - Grainger Valve Five
http://www.youtube.com/yashicamatonline


   
ReplyQuote
(@slejhamer)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 3221
 

The photo discussion made me notice the "Yashica" part of your handle. I think I have an old T4 sitting around somewhere ... probably still in a box from our last move. Best p&s film camera ever! Too bad they couldn't replicate it in a digital format.

Nice work on the axe, too! :)

"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."


   
ReplyQuote
(@elecktrablue)
Famed Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 4338
 

I took a few photography courses years ago and my first "real" camera was a Yashica. Can't remember the model, but it was a great camera! It's nice to see that there are so many photography buffs here at GN! :D Cool!

Oh! And, nice guitar, btw! :D

..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´ -:¦:- Elecktrablue -:¦:-

"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"


   
ReplyQuote
(@dogbite)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 6348
 

my favorite camera was an old professional model Pentax SLR. it had the nicest lens. I really understood that camera and took so amazing shots. it was given to me from a friend who was in the Vietnam War. he was a photo army man. the camera was all black and had a war wound. sadly I lost it in a house fire years ago. I then had a Yashica for a while. not a very good one.
digital photography is magical to me. one thing I don't like tho is the size of my digital camera. one of those small ones that when I depress the shutter button the camera moves. I need better technique.

thanks for describing the photo process of your guitar.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=644552
http://www.soundclick.com/couleerockinvaders


   
ReplyQuote
(@cyranodb)
Estimable Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 178
 

Awesome. Sometimes it's the not so pretty mongrels that show us the most love.

"I use heavy strings, tune low, play hard and floor it. Floor it, that's a technical term." - SRV


   
ReplyQuote
(@dommy09)
Trusted Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 74
 

agreed. my first guitar is an old samick that's been round the block a few times and with a few mod's i turned it into a very nice little guitar which i certainly care about, but not too much 8)

"We all have always shared a common belief that music is meant to be played as loud as possible, really raw and raunchy, and I'll punch out anyone who doesn't like it the way I do." -Bon Scott


   
ReplyQuote
(@rahul)
Famed Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 2736
 

I like the 'mongrel'. How does it growl ?


   
ReplyQuote
Page 1 / 2