Firefly FFLG P90 - Houston We Have A Problem, But Not Really.

[@gtr1952]

You have probably heard this a million times, but compared to what we had in the 60's and 70's for "beginner guitars" that is really good! A lot of people gave up due to high action and very poor quality. When my 'collecting' reached ~25 guitars I had to start learning to do my own work. It just got too $$. Then I realized I loved doing it, so I've been repairing and building guitars for the last ~40 years. Everyone has a way, and materials that work for them. Like I use 'lemon pledge' on the fretboard and guitar, for as long as I can remember. Works great, no problems at all. I hope everyone at least tries, I don't think you can actually hurt the guitar. They may find they actually enjoy doing it! Thanks, --gary

[@AngelMartinez-qs3cf]

I know a guy who bought a Jackson King V guitar. Really cool, costs $250. He spent about $450 in upgrades. He upgraded the guitar to Sperzel Locking Tuners, Tone Pros Locking Metric Bridge, a Tailpiece Plate, and DiMarzio Titan Pickups. So I told him with all the upgrades why don't you just get a $700 guitar? He says that's a good point but the particular parts he ordered are only found on the higher end guitars. Those guitars cost around $2,000. So he says he saving a lot of money. I guess I can't argue there. Thank you for posting this video. Really cool and informative.

[@2bikemikesguitartopics145]

Jack uses the same sponges I do, mostly the same way, especially the fret edges. But even on my $200 guitars I still tape up the fretboard as well. I also do a little more work on leveling more traditionally but I've used the sponges and grades of sandpaper to Crown the frets. I also use the steel wool after I reached the 2000 grit sandpaper on the frets and polish at the end. I also subscribe to lemon oil on my brown type unsealed fretboards. The rest of the body depending on the condition I may go to a soft compound to remove Grime and swirl marks that may be in the Finish First with different grade sponge pads on my drill followed by Simoniz or Maguire's mirror like polish. I also like to do the work at the nut to make sure the angles are cut properly if it comes with a bone or graphite not and if it didn't I'll change it to one of those or a tusk and the get the heights proper as well which for me is 18 thou for the wound strings over the first fret and 16th thou for the non-wound over the first fret. I would swear Jack was watching my videos and copied most of my stuff. Smart fellow that Jack and amusing.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Thanks Mike. All great tips.

[@jacksguitarcheology9066]

The funny thing is that I also thought I invented this sponge leveling method. Great minds! lol

[@2bikemikesguitartopics145]

@@jacksguitarcheology9066 Jack, I had some sponge Sanders left over from a drywall project I did and I was looking in my sanding bag to get some sandpaper out to work on a neck and I thought wonder what I can do with the sponges and turns out fixing the ends of frets is pretty good with it and it also helps to roll the edge of the fretboard at the same time and it doesn't show a lot of damage work done to the edge of the fretboard either. If it's a maple glossy fretboard I do tape it up first so that I'm only getting the fret ends and the tape protect the gloss so it doesn't show any damage there.

[@LightWingStudios]

Great video Keith! Jack is super and knows his stuff. Terrific sense of Humor too! The Presonus M7 arrived perfect. We have to send you a few of our "AxeShield Shrouds". :)

[@TheTapeFarm]

Awesome. Thanks dude!

[@ronnisullivan9794]

Enjoyable. Thanks for showing the set up process

[@nankypooh655]

I got this exact model for Easter. Other than being out of tune, it played perfectly out of the box, but I understand not everybody has the same luck or experience. I like mine.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Absolutely. The idea behind the video wasn’t to say the guitar was “bad”… the idea was that every guitar is different and if you get one that’s not perfect like I did, it’s not the end of the world and likely an easy fix.

[@nankypooh655]

@@TheTapeFarm I understand. I didn't think that you were saying that they were "Bad' but pointing out that some guitars might need a once over like a set up, truss rod adjustment, fret filing, whatever. After all, I think you pointed out that these guitars get shipped from overseas, and that can alter the body and neck in lots of ways from minor adjustments to major problems. I was lucky, and only had to tune mine, but others might have other problems like I mentioned, and demonstrated in this video. I think we're on the same page here. 🙂

[@TyRoxYaMan]

That thing sounds amazing!

[@TheTapeFarm]

P90s are awesome.

[@HotDominicanDad]

great video, finally learned what a set up is and it wasn't terribly boring!

[@hotcakesman]

Keith.. wonderful video thank you so much. Such great tech insight. Was cool to see the differences in how I do a set up compared to a pro. Thanks Again!

[@hotcakesman]

I bought the Tremonti SE new version.. was a mess on arrival. I should have returned it, but did the work. Uneven frets, sharp frets.. did a level, new nut and perfection.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Sometimes doing the work makes the guitar something special. I know that’s not for everyone. But for those who enjoy working with their hands it’s just something we do. We’d rather make a thing than buy a thing. I think that’s why I enjoy cheaper guitars… not for what they are, but what I can make of them.

[@gasaddict]

Multisided nail files is what I use to fix and polish frets.

[@TheTapeFarm]

I’ve used those as well.

[@svart_kors]

what a fun and cool video. thanks for this!

[@TheTapeFarm]

Thanks!

[@Yougotadollar]

Great video. Thanks!

[@vanshankguitars]

I think shielding is overrated. Good quality pickups are crafted to reduce noise. Unless you have a metal cover on the pickup, the pickup is the most likely source of hum and noise. The few inches of wire in the guitar from the pickup to the output jack is very unlikely to act as even a very poor antenna. Your average single coil pickup is very much like and AM antenna.

[@jackbrunson4964]

Honestly I tend to agree, but I do it anyway as a form of due diligence

[@vanshankguitars]

@@jackbrunson4964 sure, but I only do it if the client insists.

[@TheTapeFarm]

It’s like chicken soup when you’re sick… it couldn’t hurt. I would agree in most cases but being around some really bad electrical system in my day, and living on a farm with an electric fence sending clicks of RF all over the place, it’s pretty much a must for me.

[@rofflestomp684]

Epiphone has a "Special" version with a bolt on neck for $180. I have found the budget Eppi's pretty good. But the same setup issues always apply.

[@karlmcvay1429]

Great vid! Jack is the best!

[@jacksguitarcheology9066]

Love you, Pat.

[@sharky6128]

HI, this was my first time watching your channel and it was awesome, very informative and fun !!! you have a new subscriber :) Cheers, Keep up the great work. By the way Jack was awesome !!!

[@TheTapeFarm]

Thanks!

[@michaelbrown941]

Firefly for me on this style of music. Smooth and round. But another style may call for that jangle from the GFS. I’d say either. A guy could always use the tone knobby to mellow out the GFS.

[@aj81ds]

I really enjoyed this video and seeing Jack in this video. I love following Jack to see what kind of JACK'd mods he comes up with. Also loved the demo song you played. BTW, what year and make is that bass? Kind of looks like a Squier or Fender?

[@TheTapeFarm]

It’s a short scale Fender P bass from the 80’s. It one of those rare years when all the Fenders where made in Japan. I think that was ‘84 thru ‘87 but someone much smarter than me might know better.

[@aj81ds]

Thanks for the info. I love that cream color. I saw one of those on Reverb during the summer but I couldn't pull the trigger on the $999 price tag with no return policy, you know just in case I didn't like it.

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@aj81ds oh yeah. Buying instruments mail order is always a bit of a risk and when you get into that price range…😖

[@GothicXlightning]

legit brother, Cliff Burton would be proud of yah so am doing the fretboard cleaning process with Lemon essential Oil can you give me any suggestion on how often i should do the cleaning process all over again? respects for your work comrade

[@mickeymessstudios109]

Firefly, Harley Benton and other 200 - 400 $ Guitars built in China and Indonesia are using modern day factory tools and generally reliable quality. Now I have bought some 750 - 1200 $ guitars as well as a bunch of Firefly and Harley Bentons. In the reviews for these guitars we always hear how good these guitars are "for the money". In your opinion , what really would it take to make these "cheaper" guitars as good as a 3000 $ Gibson ?

[@TheTapeFarm]

Better hardware (bridge, tuners, etc). Better pickups, more exacting tolerances. That is where most (but not all) of the cost differences are.

[@jetteroheller]

Firefly apparently only makes guitars when Jupiter is in the fifth house or something.

[@TheTapeFarm]

That explains a lot.

[@stevepelham9010]

I fully agree, well a 200 dollar guitar. I use a fretfile and a nailfile to sort frets out on any guitar as i am playing.

[@ghostcircuitry]

I just received my first Firefly guitar. A sparkly green Les Paul. It's pretty much unplayable out of the box. Multiple uneven and scratchy frets, the neck pickup was deep inside the pickup cavity (not fitting snug where it's supposed to be. My dad is pretty decent at fixing up guitars and I'm learning myself to do so, so this will be a good guinea pig. I just wanted to add in that not all of these arrive in wonderful condition.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Yes. Pretty much any budget level guitar is going to need some work. Some more than others as you can attest.

[@greg6509]

Great video, I just wish you weren't talking over him so much. Sometimes you're not letting him finish his sentences and I don't hear what he's saying 😂 Firefly and IYV did he say? Anyways, first video of yours I've seen and I got value from it. Thank you Sir!

[@davidledford3522]

I have the guitar on jacks logo Silverstone they used to come with a case that has a little tube Amp in it ive only seen two like it my whole lfe

[@jameslanclos568]

23:45 - I bought a Gibson SG Standard about 6 months ago, and I still haven't peeled the "peely stuff" off yet, not even the pickguard !!!

[@TheTapeFarm]

That’s commitment though. You know it’s real when you takeoff the peely stuff.

[@felixayala05]

Great video. Subscribed.

[@Edward1312]

Be grateful to the internet and mail order and that the Chinese are now able to give you a decent quality SG copy for peanuts (compared with American makers/brands equivalents) because there is no way Gibson would allow this if they could stop it for example they would never allow Fireflys to be sold in a retail store in the US that's why you cant buy them new in any store. As you admit most of the issues you identified are easy fixes. Worth noting again that some of those issues you encountered even Gibson's come with out of the box. It also worth noting that Firefly's are not licensed (by Gibson) where as the Squires that are mention are licensed (by fender) so they are not comparable.

[@scottnipper7334]

The string alignment seems off. The low E has a lot of space between the string and the top of the fretboard where the high E seems to be really close to the edge. Do you find that to be true and are you experiencing any slippage of the high E off the fretboard?

[@TheTapeFarm]

Not on this guitar. But I did find that issue on a 40th Anniversary Squier Telecaster. Ended up replacing the nut due to that and other issues.

[@TheMerc1950]

Nothing wrong with a micro Terror! I run wet/dry/wet with a micro dark/blues Jr/micro Terror ;)

[@TheTapeFarm]

Love them.

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

SGs are undervalued with LPs taking all the hipster limelight so why not just buy a used Gibbo SG?

[@TheTapeFarm]

SGs are such a different animal than a LP. So to each his own. But I think you’re right, SGs are a better value on the used market.

[@shawnawesome7770]

Hey! I have that exact guitar !

[@TheTapeFarm]

What do you think of yours?

[@shawnawesome7770]

@@TheTapeFarm luckily mine came fine with just a setup needed. I basically wanted it for the p90s and it was great.

[@shawnawesome7770]

@@TheTapeFarm just incase you didn't know, the pick guard is in the box between the Styrofoam and cardboard.

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@shawnawesome7770 yup got it

[@blackwolf8044]

I really been eyeing there sg. Double necks. The price is great and u get a hard shell case. !!! And I just started in this band. 3 peace and I just went from always wanting a double neck to now I really need it. !!! 😂. U hard core. Lifer pickers understand 😅

[@ctcards2636]

I got lucky with my FF's all of them have come intonated very well and the necks are fine. But as i said im lucky i guess, some of yall folks didnt get a nice guitar out of the box it seems. Has anyone figured out what the F338 models FB material is ?

[@ctcards2636]

I use brass whool instead of steel as its not magnetic ;-) just a heads up because that steel will stick to everything magnetic and can make a mess.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Good call on the brass wool.

[@ctcards2636]

@@TheTapeFarm My dad pointed that out to me decades ago when i was using steel whool, when he told me a light bulb of feeling really dumb lit up in my brain haha.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Dad wisdom… hard to beat.

[@jackbrunson4964]

@CTCards Man, thanks for the brass wool tip. The steel wool works great but it is stuck to all my tools!

[@bradshannon862]

Jack Black is your guitar tech?

[@jameslanclos568]

I clicked your link to Guitars Garden, and I've previously visited the site many times. However, all they show is the doubleneck SG model. I would like to get the single SG model, so what to do? How did you get yours? Are they just temporarily out of stock? Thanks.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Yeah, out of stock. They produce them in batches usually. Just keep an eye out.

[@tenaadams5973]

I have a fflg walnut finish feels good and fun to play but i can not get the string buzz to stop. any suggestion I adjusted the truss rod i replaced bridge changed the strings and cleaned the fret board nothing seems to completely stop it. adjusted the string height now action very high and still buzz. What did you think of the p90's ?

[@jimthethirdprobably]

try giving the frets a level

[@TheTapeFarm]

The P90s are really good. A bit microphonic but not horrible. Man that buzz sounds maddening. Is it buzzing on open strings? It sounds like you did everything I would try. Usually replacing the bridge fixes it for me. If it’s buzzing on open strings there’s three things it could be, the bridge, the nut, or on internal vibration, like the truss rod. It sounds like the only thing you have checked is possible the nut. And sort of uneven or rough surface could cause a buzz. After that… I’d bring it to a tech and see what they can find. Good luck with it.

[@jacksguitarcheology9066]

For what my opinion is worth, I was a little floored by the pickups. I was telling Keith I would probably rewire it with CTS, etc before I would change those pups. They really scream.

[@AngelMartinez-qs3cf]

Hey if I were to buy a firefly like that one or any other Firefly guitar and do the kind of mods/upgrades that the guy is doing, how much would all of that cost? I am not a tech, not by any stretch of imagination, including to change the pickups, caps, pots, re-wiring to the Seymoun Duncan Hot Rod Pickup Set or DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups? Just curious.

[@TheTapeFarm]

That would depend on where you live honestly. Here in Nashville there are A LOT of guitar techs. Because of that competition in the market place the prices are pretty reasonable. In my location a set up like that would run between $50-75. It might be more where you live. That said it’s just a good idea to forge a relationship with a local tech, even if you can do much of the work yourself.

[@AngelMartinez-qs3cf]

@@TheTapeFarm I live in the New York City area. Do you know any tech that lives in New York City, (Queens)?

[@someone_else303]

A good luthier treats every instrument equally, whether $200 or $2000.

[@NS-hs6lt]

That’s bullshit. If you have a rare vintage guitar you need to pay a premium to make sure all is done right. What 4 hours vs. 2 hours for a cheap guitar? Time and experience don’t come cheap. It sounds a lot to me you were born with a silver spoon or you don’t value yourself. Which is it?

[@mtnentertainment3454]

@@NS-hs6lt I think you took this the opposite of what he was meaning. He wasn't saying that a rare vintage guitar should get treated poorly as if it were a cheap piece of junk, he was saying that a good luthier who does honest work won't cut corners just because the guitar he's servicing costs $200 and is not a multi-thousand dollar rare antique relic of a guitar, they will still put their best work in on it to make it perform to the best it possibly can.

[@cliffanderson7544]

Where did you find it?

[@TheTapeFarm]

GuitarsGarden.com I think they are sold out of the P90 versions, but they’ll be back eventually.

[@1959LP4U]

Don't believe 6.5lbs = 6.9kg. More like 2.95kg!

[@TheTapeFarm]

Congratulations you won the find the typo contest! There is no prize… other than that feeling of self satisfaction. Enjoy!

[@1959LP4U]

@@TheTapeFarm Sorry you got triggered. Wasn't going for a gotcha moment! Had already subscribed and enjoyed your content. Delete my comment if you want to, no hard feelings on my part!

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@1959LP4U no biggie. I took it as a tongue in cheek jab, my reply was meant the same way. Just dudes being dudes.

[@popsfereal]

Steel wool? lol, I stopped watching at that point.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Ok.

[@gasaddict]

I don't recall Keith saying he was a professional Luther? Steel wool is perfectly fine for these inexpensive guitars and for the average DIYer

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@gasaddict Yeah... guys like that are hard to talk down. Those who live in absolutes, who can't accept that there might be more than one way to do something are generally people not worth listening too.

[@rofflestomp684]

Steelwool finishes frets just fine. Even on 3000 dollar guitars. It leaves the hight and fretwork leveling quite intact. What you would do to the fretboad is another matter depending on the type of wood. Playability is the only real issue at the end of the day.