Modifications I made to my Favourite Guitar, Ibanez AR520. Guitar Daily ep 36
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- #guitardaily #nickgranville #ibanez #brightsizelife #sessionmusician
Hi all,
If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do and turn on the notifications bell. Today I decided to show the modifications I made to my Ibanez AR520, which is my number one guitar. It really does work for me. Questions?
I’m now taking private guitar students, so if that’s something you’re interested in hit me up at my website www.nickgranville.com
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about Nick Granville:
Guitarist, Session Musician, Educator and Composer Nick Granville has worked with artists as diverse as Dave Weckl, Bob Mintzer, Dave Mathews, Chris De Burgh, Ronan Keating, Delta Goodrem, Steve Smith, Mike Stern, Joey Defrancesco, Eric Marienthal, Kurt Elling and with the band on New Zealand's "Dancing with the Stars". Nick leads his own groups that play regularly including at the major jazz festivals in NZ and he is a founding member of the Wellington Jazz Orchestra. He has released five CD's as a band leader and has played on many records, film scores, TV programs and radio. He has taught and taken workshops at the New Zealand School of Music, Goodtime Music Academy, Musicworks stores, Christchurch Jazz school (CPIT), Otago University, Auckland University and at jazz festivals all around NZ. Nick has performed around the world and recorded in the best recording studios (including Capitol recording studio A in Los Angeles). He hold a masters degree with first class honours in jazz performance from the University of Auckland. Nick Granville proudly uses and endorses Ibanez Guitars and a Fractal Fm9.
Cheers
Nick
Ps the digital tip jar is open at PayPal is grandscale@xtra.co.nz if you want to support what I do. There are no ads on this channel at present so any support helps.
My channel videos on RUclips are free and always will be.
Can't get enough of this music and seeing that beautiful guitar, thanks for posting.
Glad you enjoy it! Thanks for watching
7:06 True. Owned expensive guitars & after the honeymoon period I’m brought back down to earth & hit with the “ah crap I’ve got to be so delicate and precious with this to retain its value”.
Whereas the cheap ones I’ve got nothing to lose. Don't have to worry & they’re built so well these days. Keep up the daily vids, they’re inspiring!
Thanks! It’s great to have nice tools but they’re just that, tools, so use them. Appreciate the kind words about the daily uploads. Cheers
I finally found a mint one with a case on Reverb for a very reasonable price. I can't wait to get it!
Nice! They’re great guitars, I like mine a lot
Lovely guitar and Mr Glyn makes sweet pickups, I do have a mini humbucker in one of my guitars and a Tele set Cruel Mistress going in a soon to be built one. I also find having a well made bone nut makes a great difference on most guitars that come with a generic plastic one. And of course, great playing again!
Thanks! Agree, Glyn is a Jedi master.
The plastic nut was fine for 10’s, but when I went to 11’s I figured it needed to be recut so swap it out anyways. My tech Rob said the nut only affects the tone of open strings and of course tuning. It’s always worth swapping for a bone or graphtech nut.
Such an amazing instrument. Thx 😊
Thanks, it’s really good isn’t it. Esp for the money. Cheers
The AR range fly a bit under the radar vs the other Ibanez guitars, even though the original was competing with the Yamaha SG2000 range, which itself was being pitched against Gibson's Les Paul. It was on my 'long list', and a few years ago Ibanez were doing 3 which were hardware identical, but differed cosmetically. so I went for a basic black. I wanted the 3 way PU switching, 4 knobs and standard, because I don't have that on any of my other guitars.
I prefer the old style vol knob arrangement, where zeroing one vol doesn't cut both PU output on 'both', so that's the mod I'll be doing. The Ibanez knobs are the most functional around. They look good, have numbers, and a knurled grip. I use the edge of my hand to zero, or max, both vols at once, which you can do with the standard LP diamond layout. Some guitars have reversed the diamond, so defeat that move, and the PRS DGT range have 2 vols but again can't be worked that way.
I think that’s one reason I like the AR520 (and 420) so much, Is that they’re not so common place. Everyone plays a strat or LP, but fewer plat these. Yet they’re great instruments. I’m really happy with mine
I played this guitar in the store the other day in black. After watching your other video I ordered one in violin sunburst, it will be here tomorrow. I was so impressed with this little guitar and your video helped me decide to buy it. Because I've been playing Fenders for decades the 24-3/4" scale has always felt cramped for me, but I'll make an exception for this little beauty. It's the sound that I like, its light weight and the fact that it only has two knobs which I prefer as you do too.
Nice one Steve! Let me know how you get on with it. My favourite guitar, it just suits me - for all the reasons you mentioned. Thanks for watching
Man, you're speaking my language here! I'm a 25.5 guy as well, and I have a couple Artcores that are 24.75, but there's something about them that don't feel as cramped ass your average Gibby, so I may need to grab this guitar too!!
@@NickGranville I dig the mods! I'm with you on a lower wind/clearer neck pickup. You can always darken the tone but you can't get that presence back in a dark pickup without sounding artificial....Have you ever seen this mod?? It's got a treble bleed+ much more...I really want to try this out in one of my strats. It may be cool in a HH guitar as well?
ruclips.net/video/0Wf6ujafogg/видео.html
I haven’t seen that. I’ll check it out. Personally I’m not a fan of treble bleed circuits, as I like the difference in town when I turn down. I use it take off a little top end sometimes
@@NickGranville It has 6 settings, 1 of which is "True Bypass" so it's like no mod, 2 is treble bleed, then the other 4 start coloring your tone...It's interesting....
Nice instrument; great sound. 👍
Many thanks, it’s my favourite
Your review of the AR420 made me buy that one. I don't know why I sold it and I regret it. Now you have tempted me again with the AR520. Maybe I'm being fooled by your beautiful playing.
They’re both great guitars for the money. I think I always regret guitar’s I sell, so now days I hang onto stuff.
Fascinating! (especially the part about roughing up the neck a bit - it almost seems counter-intuitive).
Interesting about the pots too. My Tokai 335 style volume pots have been a little scratchy lately (and it's only about 9 months old). I was going to take it back to the shop ('cos surely it's a warranty issue?) but maybe I should consider talking to Max W about just replacing them with these CTS pots (that I'd never heard of before).
Thanks. I modify all my guitars, as I just see them as tools - so I mod them to my taste. I didn’t rough up the neck though, just sanded off a little of the finish so it feels a little more raw. It’s still smooth, I used a high grit sandpaper. I just find on most guitars I prefer the feel of wood rather than finish, so I sanded most of it back.
Changing the pots can make a big difference. I much prefer the taper of cts pots. But if they’re scratch that just happens. Go to jaycar and buy some contact cleaner (less than $10), and open up the guitar and spray some contact cleaner into the opening on the pot, then wiggle the pot shaft back and forth and that’ll fix it 99% of the time.
Maybe I should do a video on guitar maintenance (basic repairs).
Thanks for the tip on the contact cleaner, although I'd probably be more confident about doing this on a solid body guitar (through the back) than with only the F holes for access. Have you done this on a 335 style guitar?@@NickGranville
Yep, can usually get to the pots via the F Hole. But if you’re not confident then it’s a 2 minutes job for a guitar repairer
If they charge by the hour - or portion thereof - that sounds like a bargain. 😉. But yeah. I guess I'm not confident with that. Wish I was.
Yeah Hollowbody guitars are scary. Tbh I don’t do much with mine either. I just take it to Rob Matthews in Wellington. But there are probably people up the coast where you are who can help with that. Cheers
very lovely guitar. i'm tempted.
Thanks
It's a beautiful axe Nick..... shame they don't do lefties....
Thanks. I just looked it up and can’t see anything about a left-handed version of the AR520 but I did find a few AR420’s which are lefties. It’s a similar guitar and definitely a strong option. Cheers
Great Video.
Thanks!
Wich amp do you use and recomend for these guitar? I just got one
I use a Fractal FM9 on 99% or my gigs/ recordings and all my RUclips videos. It’s awesome. But many people could use the FM3 and be perfectly happy with all it does. Typically if I’m recommending an amp I’d suggest starting with the fender blues junior or deluxe etc. Those are great clean, pedal platforms
@@NickGranville tks but i meant the aplifier
That is the amp I use - the FM9 modeller direct. When I play gigs I go direct too when possible. If I need to bring my own speaker I bring a Headrush 108, which is ok. But I’d recommend a fender fr10, it’s much better (esp form factor). But if you’re starting out then try the fender blues junior - a great little tube amp. Thanks for watching
Nick, do you ever have trouble with the strings hanging in the nut or saddles causing tuning problems? When tuning up the wound stings, the D in particular, will sometimes "pop" and flat as it slips in the nut/saddle.
Hi Tim. I have had that problem in the past but not anymore. It’s usually caused by the nut not being cut properly. I’d suggest taking it to a good luthier and have the slots cut properly. Then what I do is every time I change strings I put pencil lead in the slots. If the nut is cut properly and you put pencil lead in the slots then you shouldn’t have any problems. Thanks for watching