Guitar thread

[Jeffy]

Originally Posted by Tripped1

5w?

I have a 60w (with powerbrake) practice amp and a 120w tube half-stack.

....Well ok both are really to loud, I just don't care.

I'm getting a little tired of my HT-5. It's a really good amp for the money but I'm looking for something different. Too Marshally, I guess. (Blackstar was started by a bunch of ex-Marshall engineers.) I'm thinking about building a Blackface Vibro Champ. 5w but all tube Class AB. Fender's EC Vibro-Champ is really nice but not $2000 nice. Especially when an amp kit is only $400 and has better parts.

[David_Moen]

I got my son an Epiphone LP Ultra II a couple of years ago, it is a nifty guitar, he plays lots of classic rock stuff on it, but when he wants to mellow things out the neck pickup really sounds nice.

[Tripped1]

Originally Posted by David_Moen

I got my son an Epiphone LP Ultra II a couple of years ago, it is a nifty guitar, he plays lots of classic rock stuff on it, but when he wants to mellow things out the neck pickup really sounds nice.

I just got one of http://www.prsguitars.com/secustom24/ for $550.

It does mild to wild without missing a beat I can literally go from a barely warmed blues tone to AC/DC with the tap and the volume knob....biggest complaint is that it carries so much more mid range then my Les Paul that I have to redo almost all of my amp settings.

The pedal for my Vox stores something like 32 settings....I need to get the one that stores 64 now with three guitars to account for.

[Jeffy]

Originally Posted by David_Moen

I got my son an Epiphone LP Ultra II a couple of years ago, it is a nifty guitar, he plays lots of classic rock stuff on it, but when he wants to mellow things out the neck pickup really sounds nice.

Interesting things with the Ultra is that it was made with the collaboration of Nancy Wilson.

[Tripped1]

Originally Posted by Jeffy

Interesting things with the Ultra is that it was made with the collaboration of Nancy Wilson.

That I didn't know.

[assquatch20]

Originally Posted by Jeffy

Interesting things with the Ultra is that it was made with the collaboration of Nancy Wilson.

I remember that. At the time I wasn't aware of Piezo technology though. I just thought it was some willy nilly signature model.

[Tripped1]

Originally Posted by assquatch20

I remember that. At the time I wasn't aware of Piezo technology though. I just thought it was some willy nilly signature model.

Yeah I forgot about that myself.

I knew the Parker and PRS had it. Both sound pretty good, they aren't a Martin D12, but then again, that D12 doesn't have a set up humbuckers on it either.

From the little looking I have done the Epihone Ultra is the only solid body you are getting the Piezo pick up on for under $2000.

[Jeffy]

Originally Posted by assquatch20

I remember that. At the time I wasn't aware of Piezo technology though. I just thought it was some willy nilly signature model.

Well they aren't perfect but as long as your not too picky they're usable.

I think the more popular setup is the fishman bridge. On the flip side I've seen a setup where they mounted a humbucker in an acoustic.

[assquatch20]

Originally Posted by Tripped1

Yeah I forgot about that myself.

I knew the Parker and PRS had it. Both sound pretty good, they aren't a Martin D12, but then again, that D12 doesn't have a set up humbuckers on it either.

From the little looking I have done the Epihone Ultra is the only solid body you are getting the Piezo pick up on for under $2000.

Heck I'm seeing some under $400 on eBay. The only bad thing I can say about Epiphone is how ugly the headstock is. Vintage Epi's are neat, but the headstock, I think, is almost a strategy to make you buy a Gibson.

[Tripped1]

Originally Posted by assquatch20

Heck I'm seeing some under $400 on eBay. The only bad thing I can say about Epiphone is how ugly the headstock is. Vintage Epi's are neat, but the headstock, I think, is almost a strategy to make you buy a Gibson.

Meh, I listened way back in the day when Marty Friedman said that every metal guitarist is looking for the sound of a Les Paul through a marshal.

....That has made Gibson a fair amount of money from me I've had 4 and sold off three of them.

Even then, I think I would take a Maryland PRS over a LP Standard, the things just sing. I can hotwire a studio and get the sound, and I don't really care about binding.

[Dismount]

Originally Posted by assquatch20

Heck I'm seeing some under $400 on eBay. The only bad thing I can say about Epiphone is how ugly the headstock is. Vintage Epi's are neat, but the headstock, I think, is almost a strategy to make you buy a Gibson.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Store...94-i2774673.gc

[josjor]

Sorry, guys. I'm just not getting the $2,500.00 and up Gibson love. I sell a lot of different brands of guitars, and no, I'm not a Gibson dealer. But I take them on trade or buy them from people all the time. I have to say it: You can get a better guitar from about 20 other manufacturers for half the price.

There was a time when Gibson actually gave a damn about quality. Maybe they still do on something. But the fit and finish on every modern day Gibson I've had through my shop was barely at or even below the standards I see from other manufacturers $500.00 guitars.

IMHO, Gibson is the Harley of guitars: Nothing really all that special, but for some completely unexplainable reason, people are willing to pay a premium price for a mediocre product.

Flame on.

[Tripped1]

Originally Posted by josjor

Sorry, guys. I'm just not getting the $2,500.00 and up Gibson love. I sell a lot of different brands of guitars, and no, I'm not a Gibson dealer. But I take them on trade or buy them from people all the time. I have to say it: You can get a better guitar from about 20 other manufacturers for half the price.

There was a time when Gibson actually gave a damn about quality. Maybe they still do on something. But the fit and finish on every modern day Gibson I've had through my shop was barely at or even below the standards I see from other manufacturers $500.00 guitars.

IMHO, Gibson is the Harley of guitars: Nothing really all that special, but for some completely unexplainable reason, people are willing to pay a premium price for a mediocre product.

Flame on.

Not going to hear a lot of arguments from me.

I'm not really looking for new one, an older standard sure. The Les Paul Standard is the bar that electrics solid bodies are measured against. Even if the new one suck, there is 50 years of Les Pauls that DON'T suck floating around, its just a matter of finding one.

Plus fit and finish aren't everything, there are a couple tones you really can't get out of anything else, and guys are willing to pay for it.

Are there better out there? Sure, but they aren't Les Pauls.

You can make the same argument for Fenders, I've seen piles and piles of American Teles and Strats that a mid level Jackon or High(ish) end Ibanez make look like tinker toys. But dude plunk down $1,600 for that American SSS that they KNOW isn't going to stay in tune if you don't deal with the tremelo system, 0 fucks given.


(I used to work in a shop as well)

[FPGT72]

I have an epi LP and like it quite a bit. It was my second real guitar....and when I was shopping I was also looking at the gibson as well. I had the money in hand for the gibson and after going back and forth dozens of times I walked out with the epi and a great deal of extra cash in my pocket. Same thing happened a few weeks ago when I was strat shopping....I still could not find a strat that I could warm up to....fender or squire, so I looked at a few others, Jags and Jazzmasters....both Fender and squire again.....and again same deal I had the money for the Fender, and walked out with a Squire. People say well this or that is different and makes it better....perhaps it does, but with tinnitus from hanging around too darn many race cars and being just not that great a player I just could not tell the difference....so I bought the one my fingers liked the best.

Here is a pic of both the epi LP and the Squire Jazzmaster......Now I am thinking hard about the Jag.....always liked jags.

[josjor]

Originally Posted by Tripped1

Plus fit and finish aren't everything, there are a couple tones you really can't get out of anything else, and guys are willing to pay for it.

I'd maybe argue a bit with that. I think there are many, many models from many, many manufacturers that, in a true blind test, you wouldn't be able to pick out which one was the Les Paul and which one wasn't. The same is true for Tele's and Strats.

What is simply amazing to me is the blindness of consumers to brand loyalty. I can have that Fender or Gibson hanging on the wall next to other brands that exceed the quality in EVERY aspect including price, and people will buy the Fender or Gibson first and pay me more for the privilege of doing so.

Oh, well. It pays my bills.