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What are you guys using? What do you recommend? My current neck rest consists of a hollowed-out, cork lined chunk of 4X4 - which works, mind you, and has gotten me through several setup and fret jobs - but I'm looking for other options. I know the basic options - LMI's Bunny Ear rest, StewMac's rocking neck rest, the good ol' bag-o-shot recipe, etc. Just looking for feedback.

I'm half way across the country from my shop living in a motel room, so I'm really not tooled up to build one. I brought all my setup and fretting tools and I'm about to take on three fret jobs, though.

So if you were going to do it all over, knowing what you know now, which route would you go?

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

Been doing some internet shopping. Interesting......

The LMI Bunny Ear Neck Rest at $49.40:



http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=Fretting&NameProdHeader=Bunny+Ear+Neck+Rest



Cabela's leather shooting bag at $14.99:



http://www.cabelas.com/benches-rests-hyskore-leather-front-shooting-bag.shtml?type=product&WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleBaseUSA&WT.z_mc_id1=1168217&rid=40&mr:trackingCode=E6A0683A-1221-E011-8E88-001B21631C34&mr:referralID=NA



All the way down to this one at $10.99



http://www.warehousedeals.com/Stoney-Point-Standard-Rear-Bag-BlackTan/M/B00162NWN8.htm?traffic_src=froogle&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=froogle



$14.90

http://www.amazon.com/Stoney-Point-Compact-Rear-Shooting/dp/B000G3D7RE/ref=sr_1_26?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1302998052&sr=1-26



$19.99

http://www.amazon.com/Shooters-Ridge-Leather-Rear-Sand/dp/B000PW3M6C/ref=sr_1_37?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1302998052&sr=1-37



$25.99

http://www.amazon.com/Shooters-Ridge-Two-Tone-Rear-Pre-Filled/dp/B001GXAFRS/ref=sr_1_75?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1302998268&sr=1-75

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

I bought the one LMI sells from the manufacture in Pa. for about 1/2 that price. Search out gun rests on google, the shipping is much cheaper if you buy it without the sand and put your own in.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

But where can I order pink Brazillian sand with which to fill it?

Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

Found the link, Filippo. The manufacturer is Protektor.

http://protektormodel.com/

Now, having done some shopping around, it is only fair to say that there ARE cheaper options - but the LMI markup isn't as extreme as it seems. I noticed in a local gun shop that the cheaper bags, for the most part, seemed a good bit smaller. The one they had that appeared to be similar size and heft and made of very nice leather was $69, best I recall. Overkill? Maybe. Maybe not. It is certainly a durable tool that should last a long time. Granted, I will still probably go with a cheaper option right now, but just wanted to point out that all bags are not created equal. Also, I have not handled the LMI bag, this is just going by pictures and my local experience.

My gut tells me it would be wise to spend the money on the heavier bag, if that is the direction you want to take. I'm thinking mine may be a temporary option to get me through these fret jobs on the road (now have added another setup and possible refret to the work scope). Thinking of building something like this when I get home. I remember a few guys building similar setups a while back. Seems like Rod kicked it off from something he had gotten from David Collins?

This seems like a nice rig to take on the road for setups, etc.





Or, I could buy one. Only $199....

http://www.chrisguitars.com/workbench.html

I know we got off a bit on the bags, but I'm also looking for feedback on other options, too. What are you guys using?

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

Which model is the LMI one ?

http://protektormodel.com/

This one ?

(14A) Heavy Bottom Bunny Ear Rear Bag at $32 filled ?

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

Maybe? Hopefully someone who owns it can speak up. I was assuming it was the 14B at $45 filled or $57.50 "heavy sand filled". Common sense, though, tells me to get it empty, save on shipping costs, and buy a $1 bag of play sand to fill it.

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

25 lb Bag o' shot covered in duct tape, with a hunk o' wood underneath if I need to jack it up higher. I got this mainly for fretting, which I do with the neck on the guitar, but use it for everything since I have it.

The guy in the gun shop had me so pegged when I went in to get the shot. I had never been there before, so it is sort of a strange and alien place. I walked in, went right to the counter and asked for a 25 lb bag of no. 6 (I think that is what it is) bird shot. He looked at me and said "you're using it for some sort of counterweight?" No kidding. He was interested in hearing about hammering frets, though.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I bought the model that LMI carrys from Protektor, empty and filled it with some construction grade sand. It's very nice. Definitely an upgrade from my square block of mahogany covered by an old sock.

I bought the model 14A a couple of years ago, since it looked the most like the LMI model, and couldn't be happier. For my acoustics it is just the right height, it is nice and heavy so it won't slip around, and is compact enough so it is easy to quickly grab and put in place and then move when needed.

Kent

I bought a set of two from WalMart, and they are great. I think I may have paid as much as $30 for the set. They came clipped together. They are rough leather, don't know what you call that, but like Buckskins.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

you guys are making me feel bad - I've been using a piece of 4x4 with a folded up shop towel taped on top. Been meaning to get back to the gun shop and get some shot, they were out last time I was there.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Does anybody here use Stew Mac's rocking neck rest? I can't imagine they'd be that hard to build. Even to buy, they're cheaper than a lot of these options at $22.85. How well do they work?




http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for_Inspection/Rock-n-Roller_Neck_Rest.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=711

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

My bag of shot finally sprang a leak and has been sitting in a grocery bag for a few weeks. Thanks for the links. I've been considering replacement for a while. I wonder if it would be too hard to fill one of those cheapies with shot.

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.