DESCRIPTION:
It's a long story so sit back, light your pipe...

Background: My friend, Braegen Russell, from Roland/Boss Australia (himself no slouch on ye olde six-string) suggested I do some demos and mucking about on the GR-55 for fun and the amusement of both myself and the masses. I'd be needing a guitar to suit, of course; in this case the Mexican Fender/Roland GC-1. The GC-1 has a built-in Hex pickup, you see, needed to drive the GR-55. The synth and guitar arrived safely, and although they're TONS of fun, I've yet to produce said promised demos. That will happen.

However, I wasn't overly keen on the guitar as it played OK but it did have a few shortfalls like the bridge, switch, pickups and nut. They had to go. Enter one Mr Rob Buitenhuis of Guitars & Things, Frankston (a beach suburb near me). I asked Rob to install, 1. Smitty's Hickups (which he'd sent me to try and which are really his Custom 59 Set), 2. Highwood Guitar Parts saddles (ditto), 3. A Gotoh bridge to accommodate the saddles, and 4. a decent 5-way switch (Switchcraft). Rob, in typical style, managed to do a stellar install of all the above and not without my annoying pestering for certain perfections (I probably drive him crazy). Thanks Rob, you're the best.

The guitar came home. Smitty's pickups sounded amazing and the new nut and Highwood saddles work as prescribed. But despite it all I immediately stripped it back (I know, I'm an idiot) and set it up my favourite way as taught to me by Mr Carl Verheyen on Youtube (link below). I do this to all my Strats. Carl gets it right and now I can too. I actually prefer to set up a vintage tremolo and wang the bejesus out of it knowing it will stay in tune if I use Carl's set-up method rather than resort to a Floyd.

I'm raving, right?

Anyway, I've finished the set-up. The guitar now sounds, plays and looks great. I had to try it. I had a brand new 6 Degrees FX Rodeo Drive Overdrive on the desk as well as some new iPad driven Eventide H9 goodness courtesy of Eventide's V5 firmware that showed up yesterday. So let's rock! And let's record the debut for posterity. Which I did. And here it is.

By the way, special mention must go to Laney Amplification. That old Laney VH-100R and 2x12 cab I run are one of the greatest sounding clean combos EVER and and they make a fine foundation for pedal meddlers like me. Rock on, Laney, and thank you.

Guitar: Modified Fender/Roland CG-1 (Smitty Hickups, Highwood saddles, Gotoh bridge, Switchcraft 5-way).
Amp: Laney VH-100R Clean Channel & LT212 Cabinet (Greenbacks).
Extra effects: 6 Degrees FX Rodeo Drive Overdrive, Eventide H9.
Cables: Providence
Mic: Shure SM57 (amp) Samson Airline77 (me)
Camera : Canon 60D (me) and Sony HDR CX150 (pedal)
Soundcard: AVID Mbox Pro 3
Computer: Apple iMac 27" i7 3.4 GHz 16 GB RAM
Software: Pro Tools 11, Waves CLA Guitars (slight comp over input track), Waves L3-16 Limiter (to keep levels in check at output), Apple Final Cut Pro X (video editing and Youtube compression).

Links:
http://smittyguitars.com
http://www.rolandcorp.com.au/products/details/1189
http://www.laney.co.uk
http://6degreesfx.com
http://www.highwood-guitarparts.com
https://www.eventide.com/AudioDivision/Products/StompBoxes/H9.aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVQCaQxdSH0 (Carl's setup vid)