My guitar, which I call the “More Paul,” started off as a tag sale find that I couldn’t pass up.

I’m mainly a drummer, but have been playing guitar on and off for a few decades. I mainly play Strat-style guitars, and when I got this Epiphone Basher series Les Paul home, I was severely disappointed with the lack of comfort. Prior to buying this, I’d never played a Les Paul-style guitar. Five minutes was all it took for me to decide that something had to be done, so I could play this without rib pain.

I started by taping pieces of 2x4 to the upper and lower portions of the body and shaping them until they felt right while playing the guitar. This gave me a rough template. I glued solid mahogany pieces to the body in the upper rib section (for comfort) and the lower leg cutout (to give the guitar better balance on my leg). I cut a V-groove at the intersection of the old and new wood to give a hint of the original guitar shape.

The new body got the full comfort treatment, similar to a Strat: right armrest on the front, large rib cutout in the back, and a full round-over on all of the edges. I fixed a very bad neck joint that was revealed when I removed the neck.

To fix the Les Paul string friction problem at the nut, I reshaped the headstock, added mahogany edge binding, and repositioned the tuning machines for a straight string path. The neck was stripped of polyurethane, and I gave it a pure tung-oil finish.

The guitar was originally red, but I found a grabber green engine enamel at an auto parts store that looked fantastic. (I’ve always liked Steve Vai’s green Charvel.) It turns out it’s an exact match for green M&Ms, too!

The pickups and electronics sounded great to me, so I left those as is. I countersunk the output jack into the body to eliminate the ugly plastic jack panel. I joke, but maybe Gibson wouldn’t have financial troubles if they fixed the Les Paul like I did.

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A new tool for working on Floyd Rose and tremolo-equipped guitars.

The Tremolo Buddy is a lightweight, durable, and easy-to-use tool designed to simplify necessary maintenance tasks on a Floyd Rose or other tremolo systems! This unique design offers a simple solution to tackling the “BIG FIVE” problematic maintenance areas of a tremolo-equipped guitar by helping to keep tension on the bridge:

• String changes • Intonation adjustments • Bridge height adjustments • Spring claw adjustments • Truss rod adjustments

Using two simple clamps, the Tremolo Buddy allows you to keep the strings on the instrument without having to loosen tension or place blocks under the bridge. This design also works as a stand to flip the guitar on to conveniently work on spring tension adjustments in an upright position. The tool is quickly unclamped by using easy-off triggers so you can get back to tuning or playing in a matter of mere seconds.

In addition to its intended usage for tremolo systems, technicians and musicians have found that the “third hand” is also handy for working on non-tremolo equipped instruments. A durable glass-reinforced nylon body provides lightweight strength, while the rubber TPE foot pads protect the guitar’s body and is safe on all finishes.

The Tremolo Buddy is a lightweight, durable, and easy-to-use tool designed to simplify necessary maintenance tasks on a Floyd Rose or other tremolo systems! This unique design offers a simple solution to tackling the “BIG FIVE” problematic maintenance areas of a tremolo-equipped guitar by helping to keep tension on the bridge.

A new marketplace allowing music makers to buy and sell gently used gear through the trusted online music retailer.

The Sweetwater Gear Exchange creates a new opportunity for musicians to get the equipment and instruments they need to make music by buying and selling gently used gear in a safe and cost effective way through a trusted partner. Through Gear Exchange, there are currently zero seller fees incurred when the seller chooses a Sweetwater gift card as the form of payment.

Since 1979, Sweetwater’s mission has been to provide the best shopping experience possible for customers. That single focus continues to drive every aspect of the company’s operation and is the key to its ongoing success. By understanding and keeping a pulse on what customers want, The Gear Exchange further exemplifies Sweetwater’s ability to provide them with a top-notch experience. Gear Exchange sellers have the opportunity to create their own customized storefront, including setting a store address, outlining policies for returns, and adding a bio to let people learn more about them. Sellers can create listings that include photos of the instruments and gear they no longer need or want.

To maintain safety, Gear Exchange has implemented tight fraud prevention measures including requiring photos of the exact item listed. There will be badges available on the storefront pages showcasing how long Gear Exchange sellers have been verified Sweetwater customers. Additionally, there will be a full team of administrators monitoring the marketplace for any potential security risks. Shipping labels for sellers can be purchased directly through The Gear Exchange, utilizing Sweetwater’s great rates. The cost of the labels can be subtracted from the payout so sellers don’t have to pay shipping bills until they get paid.

For more information, visit https://www.sweetwater.com/used.

Tube Amp Doctor announces the newest addition to their REBASE-tubeline - their 6V6GT-STR.

The TAD 6V6GT-STR REDBASE is the ideal tube for Fender Deluxe Tweed 5E3 or BlackfacePrinceton Reverb amps, single-ended Class A amps like the Fender Tweed Champ, VibroChamp, Fender Champion 600, or the Univalve. Also, many boutique amp builders already use and rely on the TAD 6V6GT-STR REDBASE.

The TAD 6V6GT-STR REDBASE shines with the typical NOS "sweet top end" and a strikingly dense and complex midrange. This special and organic midrange character produces a tonal liveliness that otherwise only NOS 6V6s are able to achieve and which remains unparalleled. When pushed into saturation, there are no harsh upper mids, which is frequently the case with other 6V6s.

The TAD REDBASE series is built on an optimized production line - exclusively for TAD and only for this series. It is therefore a completely new development, combining the latest manufacturing techniques with traditional design and impeccable quality.

In preparation for the unparalleled TAD-premium matching, the TAD REDBASE series tubes receive a special, additional burn-in and formatting process in Germany, optimizing the quality of the cathode emission and achieving an exceptionally detailed sound structure.

For more information, please visit tubeampdoctor.com.