GEAR 23_COVER - JHS

Whether you’re perplexed by PA, fired up by Fret-Kings or resurrecting
a rusty Rodriguez classical, you can tell us about it on this page.
Write to Gear at Salem House, Parkinson Approach, Garforth, Leeds
LS25 2HR, or email gear@jhs.co.uk
Dear Gear
I have been self taught to play a guitar for the
past twelve years and am a big fan of Spanish
classical and Spanish flamenco guitar music.
I have only just come across a full-sized
acoustic nylon string Manuel Rodriguez
Caballeros model. I found it in a second hand
shop, and it had hardly been used. I purchased
it despite the strings looking rather worn so
I bought some new normal tension strings for
it. I must admit that I am going to enjoy many
years of proud ownership of my Rodriguez guitar,
just as much as I am having great pleasure in
playing it. It’s an excellent quality classical guitar
with a fantastic sound and is a great addition
to my small collection of classical guitars.
Mr Julian P. Priestly
Bridlington
Dear Gear
I've just purchased a Fret-King Super 60 SP and
it knocks the pants off my American Standard
Stratocaster. I played it solid for 2 hours last
night with some whammy bar nonsense going
on and it stayed in tune. Class! I love the sound
and setup of the guitar and was wondering
what make and gauge of strings they ship from
the factory. I am assuming they are 9's of some
description but want to replace them like for like.
Good work by you guys for making a good guitar
(the Strat®) into a great guitar. Look forward to
your response and keep up the good work!
Fraser Coull
via email
Fitting a set of Dunlop 9-46 (Light/Heavy
Bottom) strings will keep your Super 60 feeling
as good to play as it does now, Fraser. It’s a nice
guitar to look at and play, thanks to high quality
finishing and performance Wilkinson hardware
(designed by Trev Wilkinson)– that vibrato system’s
a beauty, and in conjunction with the staggeredheight
Gotoh tuners providing an even string
break angle over the nut, plus no friction causing
headstock string tree, keeps it all sounding sweet
and in tune, as you’ve discovered!
Dear Gear
I recently visited an old friend who told me he
had taken up playing the guitar. After he gave
me a spare copy of Gear magazine, he then
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produced a high quality flight case which
he opened revealing a beautiful cherry red
semi-acoustic electric 335®-style guitar. It
had the gold ‘Vintage’ logo on the headstock.
I thought this guitar was unique as it was
fitted with three black Wilkinson pickups and
also featured one of the control knobs having
push/pull facility to enable coil-splitting the
pickups from humbucking to single coil.
After looking through your mag, I’m
guessing that this guitar may be
from your Vintage AV3 range?
I. G. Purdie
Hawick
Indeed it is from
the Vintage range,
and the guitar is
in fact a Trev
Wilkinson designed
Vintage AV3PFCR.
Fitted with
Wilkinson three
black, stacked P90
humbuckers, these can be
taken to single coil mode via
an innovative rotary ‘Roll Control’ making this
guitar a particularly versatile tone machine,
which retails at £479.00. An attractive carved
flame maple top (not a veneer) on a semiacoustic
body also makes it comfortable to hold
and easy to play.
Dear Gear
Regarding your Vintage left handed LEST96, I
have recently purchased one and would like to
say I am very impressed with the high quality
workmanship.
The bass is beautiful and made to a high
standard. It’s now becoming the most played
bass I own. It's everything I wanted in a bass
and now I have found it, I can stop looking.
Trying to find a nice left-handed bass is very
difficult – so thanks for considering us left
handers out there.
Please thank the people on the factory floor
from me.
Neon River
via email
AV3PFCR k
Thanks for letting us know you’ve found a bass
which you really love! Information on more
brand new left-handed additions to the Vintage
guitar and bass range can be found on page 45.
Dear Gear
Alongside playing in a duo and a four
piece folk-rock band I also do functions
like birthday parties and wedding receptions
as a DJ, which all keeps me pretty busy
most weekends. As a result I seem to have
accumulated lots of bits of amps and PA gear
which is a nightmare to - (a) keep at home,
(b) transport in my car and (c) connect up at
gigs with wires absolutely all over the place.
Got to admit, it looks ‘unprofessional’ and, if
I’m being honest’ slightly dangerous. Health &
Safety would not be happy. Is there one system
you can recommend that can do these gigs
and let me get some space back at home?
Kenny Mitchell
Warminster
Wow, that’s a busy schedule, Kenny – we’re
impressed! But it’s easy to keep adding and
adding stuff as you’ve done to keep up with
what’s needed, but there will always come a
point where you want to start afresh! We reckon
the best option for you is probably the HK Audio
L.U.C.A.S IMPACT. A subwoofer + 2 x satellites
system (get the stands to go with it to make life
easier) it’s rated at 1,200 watts and has a
seriously professional high quality sound with
loads of thumping bottom end power for your
DJ work, and will easily cope with your other
gigs. It’ll take up hardly any space at home, fits
in your car and if you also get the covers set it
will keep it as good as new for years to come!
You’ll also need a front end mixer of course,
Allen & Heath’s ZED or PA series will do the trick.
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