Viewing 27 posts - 41 through 67 (of 67 total)
  • posh (for me) Guitar purchase help..
  • steveoath
    Free Member

    Mates band got an endorsement from Reverend Guitars, they are really nice.

    http://www.reverendguitars.com/category/guitar/

    nedrapier
    Full Member

    Might be interesting viewing for you, OP. A good guitarist talking about some good guitars.

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAoQGSiVsy4[/video]

    Tinners
    Full Member

    Chris Larkin guitars.
    http://www.chrislarkinguitars.com/
    And if you’re in NI then no need to catch a ferry either.

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    supercarp – Member
    £3000 is ridiculous amount.

    fixed that, but each to their own! 😆

    uponthedowns
    Free Member

    I will never be in a band or a public player so wonder really what benefit a proper less paul will be if i play it generally, quiet through an amp or with headphones on..will i get any real benefit from its quality if its not being played loud through a proper amp.

    Which leads me to the accoustic side are they really better sounding/better in general/maybe easier to play than the cheaper offerings.

    Good players can make cheap guitars sound good and crap players will make expensive guitars sound worse than a cheap guitar in the hands of a good player. This is especially true of acoustics. A good player will make a great guitar sound better than an ordinary one.

    These days a £500 guitar properly set up will not be any harder to play than a £3k guitar.

    If you are a competent player then just play loads and buy one that speaks to you.

    If you aren’t a serious player but just want to own a beautiful well built instrument then for £3k there probably aren’t any bad guitars from well known makers such as Gibson, PRS, Taylor, Martin, Lowden etc so just buy one you like the look of- because it will probably end up being looked at more than played. Sorry if that sounds harsh but its true.

    deejayen
    Free Member

    What sort of style(s) do you play?

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    For that money I’d take a trip to Nashville and tour the 2nd hand shops for an old Martin or Taylor parlour acoustic and a nice butterscotch Tele.

    lobby_dosser
    Free Member

    If your dad was going to make you one, why don’t you consider commissioning a good luthier to make one to your own spec rather than off the peg?

    As above. If it was me I would get the luthier to put a subtle reminder, such as an inlay on the twelfth fret, of your old man.

    beanum
    Full Member

    Those James Collins guitars look amazing… If they’re in budget that would be my choice…

    mucker
    Full Member

    Have a look at Michael Ritchie’s stuff if you want an authentic, traditional, unique and beautiful sounding craftsman made acoustic guitar.
    Michael Ritchie

    mc
    Free Member

    If you want endless suggestions on what to spend your money on, try posting over on http://thefretboard.co.uk/
    Lots of helpful posters over there, and even a few luthiers.

    mynamesnotbob
    Free Member

    What do you play?

    Going custom is great, but if you are not sure what you want to play – you could spec in the wrong direction.

    If you want a Gibson, make sure you play it. Their QC is all over the place IMO, but they are better this year than back in 2014.

    Fender Cust Shop and PRS are always well finished, Gibson less so. Not saying you can’t get a good one, there are exceptional guitars, but you have to play and inspect.

    Even if the QC is good, get out and play them. You might not like the neck or general feel, or it doesn’t lend itself to your music. Just play them.

    A really nice guitar is a thing of beauty, something you can play and a piece of art to hang on the wall. I am not ashamed to say I buy guitars that are beautiful as well as play nice, guitars are wonderful cross purpose items blending art, craftsmanship and something to play – so don’t see it as a criticism, there is a lot of reverse snobbery in guitars.

    I love PRS’s with beautiful tops – others hate them. For me I just love playing them so would happily spend the money on them, and am always on the look out for another. I have never sold a guitar so far, and have kept all of them from my first Pacificas through to PRS USA customes with 10 tops, each hold a place in my heart.

    If you are questioning is it worth it. No of course it is not, but you already know that. You will not become a better player with a better guitar, but having something you can not stop picking up and playing will make you a better player. And for me my first expensive guitar was also rooted in lusting over so many expensive guitars as a teen and a twenty something when I couldn’t afford, or had to spend on something else.

    Now having a pedal board the size of a small country, that is silly. But I still keep building them, and throwing money at pedals, because it’s fun, to me anyway

    EhWhoMe
    Full Member

    brilliant and very interesting advice thanks all, just what i was after.

    will be looking at the custom route but im not sure how i would spec it as im not that up on that side of things.

    I realise its a lot of money but like bob i really love the idea of something thats beautifully made and is sort of a piece to have in the house and enjoy in various ways

    I do play and try all kinds of things mainly blues/country and rock i guess , no jazz or classical.

    i agree that it wont make me a great player but im ok with that, my bike doesnt make me a great rider either but i enjoy it and you only live once and at 45 i may not have that long left, a mate of mine didnt even get that far..

    mainly its to reflect my Dad as he loved beautiful wood things and great craftsmanship and a guitar seems fitting to the both of us.

    again thanks all

    llatsni
    Free Member

    I simply can’t understand those recommending brand new electric guitars in that price range. It’s pure madness. Unless you are spending many multiples of the OP’s budget, a new electric will drop 20%+ in value as soon as you walk out of the shop. And unless you buy something that accidentally happens to become very sought after, it will continue to decrease in value. Additionally, I’m really not seeing consistent quality: It’s pot luck.

    There is however exceptional value buying 2nd hand electrics that have been well cared for but are at the bottom of their depreciation.

    BUT, I still stand by acoustics from small Luthiers in that price range, they seem to hold their value exceptionally well – and more importantly will be beautiful instruments for many decades to come.

    mynamesnotbob
    Free Member

    No one has said that he must buy new, apart from those saying a bespoke build.

    I’d look at new and used if I were the OP, and buy the one he likes. Going to a music shop and trying out new ones will help with this, and then make sure the one that is about to be bought is spot on be this new in a shop, or something found on eBay.

    I would always look at used personally, but it’s much harder if you haven’t narrowed it down first. Some peoples perception of an as new guitar leaves a lot to be desired, but as said there are some real gems out there, you just need to accept the search takes a while.

    The OP already stated this is being bought as a keeper, not as an investment. So resale is not important, getting the one that is spot on is – if this is new or used, and ends up being worth 2p when he gets it home is somewhat irrelevant.

    CountZero
    Full Member

    Alan Miller makes beautiful guitars, and many other musical instruments, of quite startling variety:
    http://alanmillerguitars.co.uk
    I’ve spoken to him at some considerable length, and he is very accommodating when it comes to discussing what the future owner wants from the instrument. He does a lot of fan-fretted guitars, and his daughters band feature his guitars and a cello.
    He reckons the average price for a guitar is between £2-3k, and they are truly beautiful.
    His Facebook page is worth looking at because he posts photos during the building process.
    He often posts video of the band playing his instruments live as well, and I’ve seen them being played as well, they sound superb.
    [video]https://youtu.be/CM3KYWCx99E[/video]
    This is just three of the band, with Hannah playing one of her dad’s guitars, she also plays cello, and another band member plays Alan’s guitars as well.
    https://www.facebook.com/Moulettes/info/?entry_point=page_nav_about_item&tab=page_info

    pitchpro2011
    Free Member

    I was in a similar situation about 8 years ago, I went into a guitar shop with every intention of buying a Gibson Les Paul, I played a few top epiphone ultras, the gibson, then a top of the range Tokai, the Tokai blew every guitar in the shop out of the water. However as much as I loved the guitar it did bother me that it didn’t say Gibson on the neck. I sold it 2 years later and will always regret it.

    If I were to have the budget you have, I’d go custom shop fender or PRS, something in tiger eye or elephant grey. You will want the name for that kind of money but IMHO a Gibson won’t have the quality or even be close. I’d spend 1500-2000 on the guitar and 1500 on a kick ass valve amp.

    CaptainSlow
    Full Member

    if you want a guitar that will hold its value well, buy a vintage Gibson. I quite like the idea of an explorer..
    Make sure you know what you are buying though. If you buy right, you’ll have a great guitar that should appreciate in value.

    PRS make great guitars. I’ve only tried the SE line though but based on that experience, I’d quite happily go for a US guitar as the SE I tried I bought. It is fantastic (note how I’ve not said for its price – it really is that good). A PRS won’t hold its value as well as a Gibson, neither will a custom luthier job.

    Have you considered maybe splitting the budget and upgrading your amp as well if it need it or getting some cork sniffing pedals?

    EhWhoMe
    Full Member

    Yeah im thinking if i do go electric i really must upgrade my amp too as as i only have a fender mustang 1 moddeling jobbie been thinking of that even if i just keep the v100..

    Im leaning to accoustic though just feel that would give me what im after in terms of use..

    Or maybe Split the budget and get two, as ive seen there is a les paul 2016 for around 1700..

    But still feel an accoustic would fit the remit best.

    I do love a nice binding and some detail around the hole ..

    YoGrant
    Free Member

    Vox ac30 top boost and a Ricky I tell thee!!

    slowoldman
    Full Member

    I’m no guitar god but I would support the suggestion to take a look at Lowden if you want an acoustic. For electrics I always coveted an Anderson.

    £3000 is ridiculous amount.

    Not really, I just spent that on a secondhand oboe. It would have been about 7500 for a new one. It all depends what your interest is.

    deejayen
    Free Member

    I played one of the original Lowdens years ago, and really liked it – I’d probably try one out if I were looking for a nice acoustic.

    I’m more used to playing Fender electrics, and think that a nice Tele would suit the styles you play. You could probably get a custom shop Tele and a nice wee valve amp for your budget. I think that an amp which suits one’s playing style is maybe even more important than the guitar.

    I bought a new (but 2013 model year) Gibson from an online place earlier this year. The store, in the Netherlands, advertise that all the guitars they sell are set up to the buyer’s preference, but they shipped the guitar to me as soon as they received my money. I’d wanted a few changes made, and had been prepared to pay for them. The guitar is decently put together, but the nut hadn’t been finished correctly (quite common on Gibsons), and the guitar won’t play in tune. I put it away, and booked myself on a guitar maintenance course, but I had to cancel due to work, and I haven’t got around to doing anything about the guitar. The other thing was that I didn’t really like the Gibson’s scale length or the bigger frets. To be honest, I’m happier playing my other guitar, and I’m not sure I’ll ever play the Gibson!

    I also liked a Tom Anderson guitar I tried a few years ago. One of those, or something similar, such as a Suhr, has more of a quality feel.

    I’m not sure about a custom guitar. I’ve heard (and experienced) many stories of delayed delivery (6 years in my case), and it can be quite stressful to deal with some luthiers.

    I suppose a nice acoustic will often improve with age, and would make a lovely keepsake. However, nowadays I find an electric plugged into a great amp gives me a lot of enjoyment.

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    OP do you think your playing has peaked due to a talent limit ot is it you are lacking practice or lessons. Reading back why not spend some of the budget on some lessons from a teacher who specialises in the sort of music you like. Then after this make the purchase decision. This woukd make more sense to me, ie buying when you know a bit more and have improved your playing. As your dad (and you) appreciate the beauty of wood then a focus on the looks makes sense perhaps as much as the sound and technical excellence of the instrument.

    grtdkad
    Full Member

    Hi, if you’re in Co Durham this eBay seller has a shop in Sunderland I believe and regularly sells classic guitars.

    I often monitor his page for when the lottery win comes in. Worth checking out?

    GENUINE ORIGINAL 1963 GIBSON SG LES PAUL

    FWIW Rickenbacker 🙂

    metalheart
    Free Member

    You could pick up a secondhand MIJ Tokai LP copy, upgrade the pick ups/caps and buy a new Laney 15 watt valve amp all for under a grand. I’d bet you in a blind test you’d probably pick this set up over a three grand Gibson/booteek amp combo :mrgreen:

    Man, I regret selling my Laney. It simply sounded better the longer it was switched on…. 😳 (and that was with the stock MIJ pups….).

    CaptainSlow
    Full Member

    If you’re after a laney 15 watter I have an irt studio I could be persuaded to part with.

    brassneck
    Full Member

    Vox ac30 top boost and a Ricky I tell thee!!

    I have half of that – but have free access to my mates 360-12 for serious Harrison-ing 🙂

    (He also has a lovely black 6 string Ric, the Lennon/Peter Buck model whatever that is – bought both from Sunset Strip on holidays, brought them back as hand luggage.. and got caught by the customs men both times who it would appear REALLY know their guitars!)

Viewing 27 posts - 41 through 67 (of 67 total)

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