NGD - My Reclaimed Limited Vela has arrived!

[JimB1]

And for extra points, my new Blackstar Fly 3 stereo pack , also a limited edition, In cream

I am really liking the type D pickup a lot. I think the bridge pickup is a bit too hot for my tastes but it's not bad. I think it gives the guitar more versatility but it doesn't really match the type D well to my ear. I have to play with it more. Maybe it'll grow on me. The type D though won me over quickly. At about a 4 on the tone knob with a little reverb just sounds fantastic! The guitar is very resonant on its own. Just strumming it feels nicely alive.

I like all the little wood imperfections and nail holes too. Feels like it's been beat on and still came back for more Not as wild as some of the ones on here, probably suits me well though. A little worn around the edges but not majorly cracked LOL

I have to say, I love the fretboard wood. I haven't read many people talking about the fretboard with all the attention on the tops but it is a really good choice. The color is a very deep brown to black with tiny streaks of slightly lighter brown in it. Very dense wood too. Not sure how rare this wood is but man it's a winner if they can get a regular source for it.

Now I just need a lot more practice time
-Jim

 

[Basauri]

Congratulations! Looks beautiful

 

[Big Mard]

Congratulations! She's a Beauty

 

[Tosca]

Stellar Vela. And it matches the decor of your music room nicely.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

How is that bottle of Veuve not chillin' in the fridge?

 

[bodia]

How is that bottle of Veuve not chillin' in the fridge?

Eagle eye, no surprise!

Congrats on the Vela!

 

[JimB1]

Stellar Vela. And it matches the decor of your music room nicely.

It's actually the dining room. Our whole house is in earth tones. My man-cave is actually forest green with green moss colored trim. Comfortable but dark for taking pictures

How is that bottle of Veuve not chillin' in the fridge?

We have another one n the fridge already. I'm more of a beer guy and my wife doesn't like wine so we have a lot of stuff that people give us for the holidays and when we have parties that just hangs around until someone takes it home or drinks it at the next party.

-Jim

 

[sergiodeblanc]

We have another one n the fridge already. I'm more of a beer guy and my wife doesn't like wine so we have a lot of stuff that people give us for the holidays and when we have parties that just hangs around until someone takes it home or drinks it at the next party.

Sounds like you guys could use me as a friend.

 

[stratcpo]

I really like that one. Congrats. ENJOY!!!

 

[shinksma]

Nice! Welcome to the "understated but classy" RL SH Vela club. I just can't get over how great yet different all of these RL guitars look!

 

[JimB1]

So now I've had an evening to mess around with it more. I plugged it into my acoustic amp which is an Acus OneForStrings 6t (BTW, awesome acoustic amp if anyone happens to be looking for one ) it is a very clean amp that translates the natural tone very well so it was perfect for getting the nuances of each pickup.

Still absolutely loving the type D and the Starla bridge pickup is growing on me. The bridge pickup still sounds bright and hot to me so it is a night and day sort of transition from the neck to bridge pickup. When using the center switch position I am moving towards using the coil tap on the bridge pickup so it blends a little better.

This is a really comfortable body shape to play seated and the setup from the factory is very good. Intonation seems spot on which is good because I am afraid to mess with the bridge The lightness of the guitar is amazing, very slightly neck heavy but not a fast head drop like some guitars I have tried. The gigbag is pretty good, might get a hard case for it but for now the bag works. It has good headstock protection with a Velcro pad that wraps around the headstock so you can adjust the position to fit.

Really liking this guitar a lot. It's comfortable like an old pair of jeans and sounds great clean or with a little crunch added. Definately fits the bill. It's a unique looking guitar with a sound of its own. I can see a lot of jazz, country and rock guys liking this one too, it's got a very wide range of tone available to it.

Anyone on the fence about it, grab one now if you can! They seem to be flying out of dealer inventory quick...
-Jim

 

[Boogie]

...The bridge pickup still sounds bright and hot to me so it is a night and day sort of transition from the neck to bridge pickup.

The Starla is a bit bright and hot. That's probably the wrong pickup for a full range amp demo, though, and will only emphasize its differences, not its strengths. Through a bass-heavy amp, like a Super Reverb, the Starla comes out as articulate and commanding when wide open, and more of a relaxed conversationalist and gentle when dialed back. The amp needs to match its personality. Turn down the treble control on the guitar first, then the amp. That pickup power will push an overdriven clean amp into the hairy range beautifully. Configure your rig like you would for a Tele...with serious guts.

 

[JimB1]

The Starla is a bit bright and hot. That's probably the wrong pickup for a full range amp demo, though, and will only emphasize its differences, not its strengths. Through a bass-heavy amp, like a Super Reverb, the Starla comes out as articulate and commanding when wide open, and more of a relaxed conversationalist and gentle when dialed back. The amp needs to match its personality. Turn down the treble control on the guitar first, then the amp. That pickup power will push an overdriven clean amp into the hairy range beautifully. Configure your rig like you would for a Tele...with serious guts.

Thanks for the info. I need to mess around with the settings and see how it goes.