TriflerShawn wrote:Greg_L wrote:I'm trying to understand this scenario and terminology......
Is your string popping out of the steel guide? Mine's never done that. Only guide issue I've ever had was that it came un-glued one time.
Greg, on my 60 Custom the is a zero fret, and then right behind it where the string guide is on yours, there is another fret. This fret had grooves in it for the strings.
Don't have a pic of mine handy, but I found this one...

Well, on my 60 Custom I have the same so called fretwire stringguide.
I never had problem with popping out of it, only once popped out the low E string, not from the string guide but from the roller bridge whe I have made too strong teke-teke rundown playing The Pipeline.
First what we have to learn about the Hallmark (and all Mosrite) type guitars, that they, due to the excellent low action, perfect neck shape, high-output pickus need much less agressive hitting to achieve to desired penetrating sound as you can hear it from Nokie Edwards and all the great guitarmen from Japan.
These guitars are for smoothing, like a nice women, not for hitting with uncontrolled energy. More power in the hits for sure will not result louder sound, but will limit your dinamic. Rather I would recommend to pair the guitar with a proper tube amp, and it is more important, the matching impedance of the amp input.
I have an Excelsior Pro from Fender, it is rated for 13 Watts only, but has a huge sound with this guitar. For lead I found the 1MOhm guitar input as the best, it gives a nice fuzzlike sound, while for rhythm, where I need clean sound, just like Don Wilson, I use the Mic input, it has 200kOhm, as I red on the Internet.
I think Bob shares my opinion, and I would definitely not modify the guitar.
Greetings,
Imre