Monahan
Attention all planets of the Solar Federation...
Can’t say NG”Day” as this happened one piece at a time last month— which is actually better than a NG”Day” in my book 
Quick background:
Purchased a new green DGT last year and really enjoyed it. The role it was to fill was that of a Les Paul, but with a trem and lighter weight. The pickups sounded okay, and improved by switching to light gauge strings. Writing in the past tense you probably see what’s coming— the DGT has moved on…
For a time the heavier weight of the DGT wasn’t an issue— until I aggravated a lower back injury— leaving me with nerve pain. Yep, that heavy DGT was no longer very fun to play. Side Note; Since buying the DGT, it always felt redundant as I also own a CE24 which to me is the most satisfying traditional humbucker guitar out there.
The New Guitar:
Back in the day my favorite two guitars were a ’58 LP reissue, and a ’52 Telecaster reissue. The LP was in the shop a lot, having every piece of hardware and electronics eventually replaced. It was my #1, but the Tele got more play and was the one I bonded with the most.
The only piece from the photo I still own is the Champ, for which I built a replacement cab many years ago...
Since the DGT was my LP replacement, it seemed only logical that a PRS NF53 takes the place of that old Tele. None available locally, I searched the net for a sub-7Lbs example in one of the two “Doghair” finishes, and a few days later found my new #1
Surprisingly this one is a two-piece body, and only weighs a hair over 6-pounds! The NF53 is everything that my 52 reissue was (which had a humbucker in the neck position), with several things updated that I REALLY appreciate.
“Rig” Part of the Month:
Selling the DGT, and the lower street price of the NF53 left enough to get a new amp: Fender Deluxe Reverb “Tone Master”.
I know there’s a good bit of poo-pooing with these non-tube Fenders; myself included before actually plugging into one of them. This is the blonde version, which has the Bright cap “clipped” and a cream-back speaker. These are shockingly great sounding amps! Back in the day, my favorite was blonde 65 reissue, which was a fantastic amp… until I had a rattle that I couldn’t track down (which included having all the tubes replaced).
Price on these Tone Masters is pretty high when compared to a Boss Katana, or Nextone— both of which I own & enjoy. However, having an amp that’s simply plug-&-play with that clean Fender amp tone straight away, was the biggest selling point. Then there’s the light weight, at only 24 pounds! Remember why I sold the DGT? Light weight is valuable to me these days.
To further justify paying the higher price; if I can get a few years out of this amp without any problems, then it pays for itself. A tube reissue will eventually require new tubes and paying for maintenance every now and then. Money is an issue being retired, I have far less disposable income than when I was working— not to mention that today’s economy is… challenging. All that to say, I’m really happy with the new amp (did I mention it weighs only 24-lbs?!).
In the end, there are better values for amplifiers than the Tone Master series, the Boss Nextone being my favorite. There’s just something about having a new version of my old rig that’s satisfying and A LOT of fun.
What I’ve Been Working On:
There is a thread on the board asking this question. After building my Marshall Shop Cabinet, I needed to verify my table saw was calibrated properly by building a small project. Having just bought the new amp, I needed a stand for it in the home studio/practice space. Thankfully I had several boards of Hemlock in the shop, so I set out to build a “wood crate”, but more in a furniture vein rather than the typical rustic vintage style.
Needless to say, my wife is much happier with this “amp stand” compared to my other two, which are painted risers in the Van Halen stripe pattern. She likes Van Halen, but doesn’t understand the stripe paint scheme LOL!
I do have one piece of the puzzle yet to find: a Boss Blues Driver, but that’s for another day~
Quick background:
Purchased a new green DGT last year and really enjoyed it. The role it was to fill was that of a Les Paul, but with a trem and lighter weight. The pickups sounded okay, and improved by switching to light gauge strings. Writing in the past tense you probably see what’s coming— the DGT has moved on…
For a time the heavier weight of the DGT wasn’t an issue— until I aggravated a lower back injury— leaving me with nerve pain. Yep, that heavy DGT was no longer very fun to play. Side Note; Since buying the DGT, it always felt redundant as I also own a CE24 which to me is the most satisfying traditional humbucker guitar out there.
The New Guitar:
Back in the day my favorite two guitars were a ’58 LP reissue, and a ’52 Telecaster reissue. The LP was in the shop a lot, having every piece of hardware and electronics eventually replaced. It was my #1, but the Tele got more play and was the one I bonded with the most.
The only piece from the photo I still own is the Champ, for which I built a replacement cab many years ago...
Since the DGT was my LP replacement, it seemed only logical that a PRS NF53 takes the place of that old Tele. None available locally, I searched the net for a sub-7Lbs example in one of the two “Doghair” finishes, and a few days later found my new #1
Surprisingly this one is a two-piece body, and only weighs a hair over 6-pounds! The NF53 is everything that my 52 reissue was (which had a humbucker in the neck position), with several things updated that I REALLY appreciate.
- Mild body contours are a big improvement over the standard slab.
- Tele bridge pickup was way to bright/thin sounding (IMO). The NF53 bridge pickup is actually a joy to use on its own
- NF53 electronics are overall the most interactive I’ve come across; using the tone control on the bridge enables me to use it for just about everything.
“Rig” Part of the Month:
Selling the DGT, and the lower street price of the NF53 left enough to get a new amp: Fender Deluxe Reverb “Tone Master”.
I know there’s a good bit of poo-pooing with these non-tube Fenders; myself included before actually plugging into one of them. This is the blonde version, which has the Bright cap “clipped” and a cream-back speaker. These are shockingly great sounding amps! Back in the day, my favorite was blonde 65 reissue, which was a fantastic amp… until I had a rattle that I couldn’t track down (which included having all the tubes replaced).
Price on these Tone Masters is pretty high when compared to a Boss Katana, or Nextone— both of which I own & enjoy. However, having an amp that’s simply plug-&-play with that clean Fender amp tone straight away, was the biggest selling point. Then there’s the light weight, at only 24 pounds! Remember why I sold the DGT? Light weight is valuable to me these days.
To further justify paying the higher price; if I can get a few years out of this amp without any problems, then it pays for itself. A tube reissue will eventually require new tubes and paying for maintenance every now and then. Money is an issue being retired, I have far less disposable income than when I was working— not to mention that today’s economy is… challenging. All that to say, I’m really happy with the new amp (did I mention it weighs only 24-lbs?!).
In the end, there are better values for amplifiers than the Tone Master series, the Boss Nextone being my favorite. There’s just something about having a new version of my old rig that’s satisfying and A LOT of fun.
What I’ve Been Working On:
There is a thread on the board asking this question. After building my Marshall Shop Cabinet, I needed to verify my table saw was calibrated properly by building a small project. Having just bought the new amp, I needed a stand for it in the home studio/practice space. Thankfully I had several boards of Hemlock in the shop, so I set out to build a “wood crate”, but more in a furniture vein rather than the typical rustic vintage style.
Needless to say, my wife is much happier with this “amp stand” compared to my other two, which are painted risers in the Van Halen stripe pattern. She likes Van Halen, but doesn’t understand the stripe paint scheme LOL!
I do have one piece of the puzzle yet to find: a Boss Blues Driver, but that’s for another day~
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