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My problem with these guitars is that I think the Harley Benton equivalent with a decent setup and pickup change could be as good if not better.
I bought a Mexican made Vintera RoadWorn Strat and when it took the neck off therefore extra hols drilledeverywhere, like they had trouble getting it to fit, the string runs didn't line up with the bridge saddles or the fretboard. And that cost £999. It went straight back.
My American build strat is perfectly constructed. I'd rather save and buy the 'better' guitar or buy cheap and intend to upgrade bits.
My used Mexican Strat (£120 in ~1996) is my best performing asset (as long as you don't look at the hundreds of pounds I've ploughed into it getting it nice).
How much timber is there in a guitar, really? The cost of wood must be peanuts in relation to a whole guitar, surely? I'd be surprised if there was £20 of timber in a custom shop strat. Maybe I'm way off.
I have no clue on the raw cost of timber (I do know it is rocketing) but a CS will have someone picking out the timber, drying it, checking for warping etc, before you even start the build process. You're buying labour
How much timber is there in a guitar, really?
With the caveat that this is someone adding their own margin on, plus will not have the economy of scale of fender/ squier/ gibson/ epiphone
Lets say a Strat/ Tele type using mid-priced woods
£56 https://shop.exotichardwoods.co.uk/alder-three-piece-body-blank.html
£50 https://shop.exotichardwoods.co.uk/birdseye-maple-guitar-neck-blank-type-f-medium-figure.html
£18 https://shop.exotichardwoods.co.uk/birds-eye-maple-guitar-fingerboard-strong-figure.html
That's £124 for that
For a Les Paul Type
£150 https://shop.exotichardwoods.co.uk/honduras-mahogany-single-piece-body-blank.html
£52 https://shop.exotichardwoods.co.uk/african-mahogany-guitar-neck-blank-type-f.html
£14 https://shop.exotichardwoods.co.uk/indian-rosewood-guitar-fingerboard-grade-aaa.html
Total of £216
Then all the additional parts plus man hours.
The Anderton's guys did a great tour of the US Fender factory where you see all the work involved from standard stuff right up to custom shop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBDOdXEL3Jw
More music.
Unless you where there in 198y watching The Tube it is hard to imagine the impact of Stanley Jordan.
He really made us aware of the possibilities oftwo handed tapping in a jazz vein. A real ‘drooped my bacon sarnie’ moment.
Yes the alder and maple timbers for my self build Tele cost about what Boarding Bob said. Then pickups, bridge, tuners, nut, fret wire, truss rod, strings, paint...
The parts cost more than a Squier and if I add the tuition cost, more than a basic Fender. Add my own time and we're in American player territory.
It's not perfect but I love playing it and can't walk past it without picking it up. If I'd bought instead the Ultra I tried and fell in love with while figuring out what I wanted to build I'd be £1800 down and being a bit meh about it by now.
edhornby
You’re buying labour
Yep, and that labour costs at every stage, from selecting woods to QC.
My two 'nicest' and most expensive instruments are a Japanese Limited Collection Strat and a Genesis RG550
The Strat has more expensive components (Alder vs Basswood, Rosewood vs Maple, nitro finish, USA pickups etc) but cost twice as much as the Ibanez.
But......it has a (very minor) small paint flaw and the two piece body is badly matched (not fussed, adds character, one of the reasons I chose it).
It's a lovely guitar.
But the Ibanez had more care taken over it.
It feels and plays like it was made by perfectionists.
I doubt I will ever own something so obviously crafted with care.
Sue's Japanese Pink Paisley Tele is the same, as is her Faith acoustic.
Both genuinely, honestly, completely flawless.
They have both been subjected to dog's abuse and both play better than they did when they were new.
Wonderful, perfectly made, exceptional guitars are out there.
FWIW she bought the Tele from Guitars4U (stupid name, lovely bloke) and the Faith from Paul at Pro Solo in Burnley - a small shop, but he chooses his stock carefully and he sets up every guitar to the customer's preference.
Bugger. Thanks to looking at all these Teles I've just bought a Miami Blue Am Pro II Tele to go with the Strat.
I have seen Fender custom shops in lots of different guitar shops and there a massive difference in each level guitar to guitar
Take a look at GAKs custom shops v's Coda - might be made in the same place but are radically different quality
You just have to play as many as you can buy the one that speaks to you and that you can afford
Same for all guitars really
Put in an order with Guitarfetish in the states for some pickups.
A set of gold humbucker sized P90s to replace the Pearly Gates in this:
Always found them a little muddy.
And a white coloured higher output quarter pound-esque bridge pickup for my strat.
The SD pickup is great, but the fact it was black was annoying me and you can't get white covers for them.
Always had great results with GFS pickups.
And wit this, then all my guitars will be "finished".
Other than needing a neck pickup ring for my Tokai Les Paul which I can't find a good one anywhere..
I found a US seller on line doing these 65 vintage Fender branded pick ups ready planted into the scratch plate. Turned a very nice Mex Strat into a very Hendrixy sounding Mex Strat. Quite original combo too with the reddish tortoise shell plate and maple neck.
Such shiny Strats! Love em all.
Just been playing my Tele. First I've ever owned. They are a bit loveable aren't they? 😀
Just been playing my Tele. First I’ve ever owned. They are a bit loveable aren’t they?
They certainly are, so playable and versatile. If I could only own one guitar, it would definitely be a Fender Telecaster. Here's mine
Its the pedal steel bend I'm loving. Pretty much impossible on a trem equipped Strat.
Great colour Tele there.
Late post but my amazing gf got me a vintera modified Jazzmaster for Xmas. I’m in love with it
Nice. That was the colour of my Vintera Strat but with a maple board.
Thanks, I forgot to mention there's some patchy flaming on the neck 
Bonus points for that. Shame no-one else gets to see it much other than the drummer.
Wow, that’s lovely - the neck especially. I’m starting to wonder if I’m a Jazzmaster kind of guy, I seem to be playing it (Squier CV) quite a bit. I’d like to try a Jag for a good while to compare, though.
Just joining (late) to the Tele love-in above 😁
Here's mine, though it's a partscaster, and has an HB in the neck position.
Some other guitar pics too, just because.
Nooooooo.....! Move those poor guitars (especially the acoustics) away from the radiator! You really need to minimise the temperature changes they undergo. Keeping them next to a radiator means they will experience quick changes in temperature and humidity, which can cause all kind of problems, which in the case of the acoustics can cause cracking of the thin timbers in the guitar top.
Nooooooo…..! Move those poor guitars (especially the acoustics) away from the radiator
Fret ye not! I'm not an idiot (well not in this instance anyway)
The radiator is permanently turned off 😉
The room is pretty stable temperature and humidity wise due to its position in the house, but I use a little electric radiator on the other side of the room if heating is needed.
Fret ye not!
We're guitarists. Fretting is what we do.
We’re guitarists. Fretting is what we do.
Badum-tish.
Sorry, just practicing my drumming.
I've had a tour round the Custom Shop and it's very impressive. They have their own separate wood selection and dedicated luthiers. There'll be some variation between guitars, but not that much. Much of what they do is completely bespoke - even if it's for a run of guitars. The 'shopping list' of options you get is enormous - fret size, about 20 different stock neck shapes, edge radius for Teles, or 50s/60s body profiles for Strats... My pal who works there says that one of the hardest issues they have is keeping the 'NOS' stuff from getting dinged as much of what they make is a relic to some degree, so keeping the pristine ones pristine and making sure they don't get knocked in a rack is a hard job...
The US vs Mexican vs Squier levels are measurable in raw materials - US guitars are two or three piece bodies, Mexican ones are often four or five. For a US guitar to be 'US' it has to have its bridge, tuners, pickups all made in the US, whereas the Mexican ones can have a far-eastern-assembled scratchplate bolted in and other OEM stuff. Fender USA still has the original bridge stamping machines from the fifties(!) - It's a great place to visit if you get the chance...
Let's see if I can get this to work... Nope, that's why I don't do the internet here...
Some photos here: https://imgur.com/gallery/ouIRiEF
a different take. An ex-colleague of mine, brilliant physicist (certainly in his time did the definitive temperature measurements), with a rare ability to communicate his science, and as I've just learned, also a guitarist in his spare time. His blog is an interesting take on various subjects, not least the pandemic, but the latest edition is 'how guitar strings work'
And it's surprisingly scientific
https://protonsforbreakfast.wordpress.com/2022/01/24/the-physics-of-guitar-strings/
Interesting read.
Maybe he can me if I should top load my Tele bridge or go through body. And why...
OK. One month on with the Kemper and I can't find a fault with it still.
There are a huge range of amp models freely available for it and it is so simple to understand.
4 effect blocks before the amp and cab and four after. Plus two loops.
I bought 3 amp packs as well as the factory supplied material and I am still blown away.
The Morgan amp profiles from Michael Britt are stunning, as ate the Dumble, Grammatico and a huge bunch of Febder, Marshall and basically ever amp ever.
What is interesting is finding I sort a favourite clean amp, a great edge of breakup amp and a couple of higher gain amps and a few weirder ones and then add the awesome effects before and after the amp block or put pedals in front. I have about 1300 amp profiles available and suddenly I have favourites, just like they are physical amps.
The Morgan and Matchless plus Bassman, Twin and Marshalls are there. All the other slots I leave empty and just tweak them.
So like the real world, but for amps you can't afford to buy.
On the subject of the physics of guitars / strings and other factors that influence tone (E.g. 'tonewood'), here's a cool video where some guy runs some strings between two workbenches. It sounds basically identical to the guitar.
(But NB the huge difference when he changed the cheap kit guitar pickups for Seymour Duncans).
That was very enjoyable, thanks for posting.
I prefer the smoother sound of Yamaha engines on my air guitar rig.
That was an ace video. Not that handy for touring... 🙂
Most old lap steel slide guitars are made of shonky old wood, even MDF in some cases, it just needs to be rigid enough to not move at all when strung up and have enough bite to screw the bridge and tuners in. They still sound great...
I've just ordered an Ivison Dakota, fairly confident that this will be my last guitar purchase
Looking forward to a delivery in 6 months or so
I’ve just ordered an Ivison Dakota
This is the first I've heard of them, but they look lovely. It's impressive how it looks like a Firebird even though it's completely the wrong shape. Spendy, though!
Got a back in stock email from Fender (EU) for the 68 Custom Vibro Champ. Surely can’t be long before my one comes into stock with the shop.
Looking forwards to being able to play with an amp volume set @ >3 and the neighbours still speaking to me...
If anyone fancies a ‘68 Custom’ Princeton I know of one soon to be coming up secondhand 😉😗
TSpendy, though!
I'm concentrating on the looks lovely, sounds great, plays great bit TBF
Acknowledge you could get a really nice guitar for the 10% deposit I've just paid 🙂
That looks stunning. What colour did you go with?
Looking forwards to being able to play with an amp volume set @ >3 and the neighbours still speaking to me…
Have you actually tried one? I haven't played the new one but I grew up playing my dad's 1979 Vibrochamp and it was insanely loud for a 5 watt amp. Even in a detached house I couldn't turn it up past 3 or 4.
My latest Marshall Origin amp has an internal power reduction feature that takes the power from 20 watts to 5 watts or down to 1 watt.
On the 1 watt setting, I can play my strat at full volume without bothering anyone too much but as soon as I plug my Les Paul in, I have to wind the volume down to less than half way. No way I can crank the 5 watt setting on any guitar at home and the 20 watt would probably blow the windows out.
I recently bought a Bugera Power Soak attenuator so I can get the cranked tones of the 5 & 20 watt settings without bothering the missus, dog or the neighbours. It's been a great investment.
I want a bigger house just so I can own and use a proper amp.
Until then, Helix. Which has just been updated with some cool-sounding shimmer reverbs and new looper effects so I'm looking forward to updating it tonight and trying those out.
Have you actually tried one? I haven’t played the new one but I grew up playing my dad’s 1979 Vibrochamp and it was insanely loud for a 5 watt amp. Even in a detached house I couldn’t turn it up past 3 or 4.
Well, I have a 68 Custom Princeton Reverb 12W at the moment that I can crank up to 3.5, 4 on a good day (when the neighbours are on holiday). Plus I had a lend of a mates ‘72 original before that (which is why I bought the Princeton). I am rural so I can go louder than if I were in a flat/terrace.
Anybody else thinking of a Vibro Champ, there is now limited stock in. Shop who is supplying mine advises that there is another Fender price increase on the way and Fender are not honouring original price at time of order (due to the shipping costs at present) so it’s only get more expensive... (applies to anything Fender I guess).
Until then, Helix. Which has just been updated with some cool-sounding shimmer reverbs and new looper effects so I’m looking forward to updating it tonight and trying those out.
Yup. That brilliant moment when your gear gets an unexpected free update with loads of features. My GT1000 Core got one this week. I'm sad I'm selling it.
I'll just have buy the Terra Echo pedal as that's what I'll miss.
Just found a free soundtrack update for the KPA with an accompanying video.
In my head thus is how my playing sounds. Sadly no room in there for stone els do you hear the real me.
Love this though.
I broke a high e string today. Just replace the broken string or best to do all of them?
I'd say depends on how long since you restrung the guitar, recently just replace the high e, ages ago complete restring.
I’d say depends on how long since you restrung the guitar, recently just replace the high e, ages ago complete restring.
Cheers. Was a year or so ago.
I've started using the D'Addario XT coated strings. Three months of heavy usage and they feel as good as when I fitted them. They were recommended by mate who is a heavy sweater who said they lasted twice as long as his previous strings.
My latest creation 🙂 My take on an Esquire.
Maple Tele-style body.
Single Hot-rail Humbucker in the bridge position (debating whether to coil split it, probably will)
Kill-switch (for some Tom Morello fun)
Hipshot through body bridge.
2x4 headstock + locking tuners.
Belly/comfort carve.
Cut away heel for better high fret access.
Laser cut acrylic scratch-plate.
Haven't put the finish on the body or logo on the headstock yet, but otherwise it's pretty much done.
That looks epic!
Really like the headstock.
I’ve seen a couple of faux Esquires of late with a neck pu under the scratch plate. Just an idea for next time. 👍🏼😁
That looks cool. I really want a guitar with a kill switch. I've been playing about with the Jazzmaster switch - which can act as a kill switch but doesn't really feel robust enough for regular / aggressive use.
I've been lusting after one of these recently - a Troy van Leeuwen signature JM. It's got a proper toggle switch for the top circuit so he can do killswitch stuff. Plus, it looks great in that colour with block inlays.
I have been enjoying the new Helix SW release this week, some really nice reverbs and a some nice new amps. The synth sounds are also quite interesting.
I have been mainly recording a cover of Lil Devil by the Cult at I wanted to learn the Solo so I ended up recording all of it with a bass etc. I used the Bandok amp for that 🙂
Love it 🙂
That looks epic!
Really like the headstock.
I’ve seen a couple of faux Esquires of late with a neck pu under the scratch plate. Just an idea for next time. 👍🏼😁
Cheers 😁
Headstock design was for two reasons...
1) I fancied a modern reverse headstock design.
2) I happened to have 2 x rh and 4 x lh tuners left over from a previous project.
Does look cool though!
I like the idea of a hidden beck PU. Wouldn't it be a bit far from the strings though?
Yeah, but you could hide a big bastard humbucker under there and freak folk out.
Spent a few hours in Andertons playing Custom Shop Strats and Teles. Only went to pick up some IEMs and a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 but it seemed rude to just rush out some stunners in there.
just catching up on reading stuff - is the summary of the air guitar video basically that the wood and constructions makes no difference, it's all on p'ups and where / how far they are from the strings?
Can't be......
just catching up on reading stuff – is the summary of the air guitar video basically that the wood and constructions makes no difference, it’s all on p’ups and where / how far they are from the strings?
Pretty much.
Doesn't surprise me, I've got a travel guitar with a CNCed aluminium body and fold out wings (ALP AD-80) and it sounds great, no wood in sight!
I know Gibson had a disastrous attempt at onboard effects with the awful looking Firebird X but I'm surprised more manufacturers haven't introduced electronics into the guitar itself. This new GT RS is at least nice looking. Not the kind of thing I'd use, but it'll be interesting to see if more onboard tech starts to appear
And here's a reminder of how bad the Firebird X looked 😆
Not sure about onboard effects. What happens when you want a different delay or chorus or overdrive?
I’m not against onboard electrics, I have a Variax and my new Strat currently has EMG noiseless active pickups with the mid range boost and the SPC controls. I’d happily go back to the standard pickups and when my extra pick guard turns up I’ll be swapping between the pickups as needed.
But onboard effects just seem a bit of a step back.
What happens when you want a different delay or chorus or overdrive?
There's a footpedal available by the looks of it but essentially it would be limited to a finite amount of presets. It's a handy practice tool and of interest to beginners but can't see experienced players using it (in its current format)
It’s a handy practice tool
I'd agree with that. I use Wazza Air headphones as you just plug the wireless plug into the guitar and put the headphones on. 6 presets at any time plus a app for editing or adding new presets. And I can use it with any guitar.
It's finished 😎
3 coats of Osmo Polyx-oil.
Fitted a normal 500k volume pot for now, but might coil tap it at some point.
Kill switch is fun!
Had to file and dress a few frees, but nothing major, and managed to get a nice action in it.
Intonation is spot on.
Had a terrible buzz on first play. Scratched my head for a bit, and then realised I'd not put in a ground wire from the pot to the bridge. Doh!
Had to fully disassemble it, and drill a hole from bridge to PU cavity. No buzz now though 😊
Real purdy! I'd buy one.
Real purdy! I’d buy one.
Cool, first customer 😁
I'd defo be up for making and selling a few guitars. Not sure I'd want to do it full time though.
Not even sure how much would one charge for something like this?
Good looking guitar. My self-build Tele probably cost as much in parts alone as an average Squier, then adding in labour you get into Fender Player territory. Objectively it's probably not as good as some £150 Harley Benton but boy, I love playing it, tinkering with it and looking at it. My playing hours have definitely increased since I made it.
This is the 3rd guitar I've built - varying degrees of built from scratch though.
Not quite had the courage to do my own neck yet!.
Just costed this out and it was about £160 in wood and parts. Probably 6-7 hours time spent.
The neck was my favourite bit. Amazing what you can achieve with a rasp and sandpaper. And Hawkeye supervision from a master luthier.
And of course (with a bolt on neck) if it doesn't work out you can make another, buy one, or go back to your original without spoiling anything or it costing too much.
Of course bolt on necks aren’t all great. Here’s the neck pocket and heel of my new Vintera 50s road worn Strat when I popped the neck off to adjust the truss rod.
😳
It went straight back to Andertons.
Yikes! I guess that's one of the areas that's easy to miss a QC check as no one will be taking necks off in the factory to check them.
dumb new guitarist question, what's the problem? Badly drilled holes / too many holes I assume, but it's only an assumption?
The four outermost holes on the body are ok. The inner holes are where they screwed on a temporary neck when they painted the body
The neck on the other hand is horror show. They've made an arse of screwing the neck on and you can see they've made 2 holes close together on the right hand side of the neck pick. That's going to cause a lot of neck movement
On a new £1000 guitar finding multiple neckscrew holes that are petty close to overlapping shows a high degree of carelessness.
As for the multiple holes in the neck pocket that is pretty inexcusable. Maybe an extra one for hanging for painting but no more...
I wonder if anyone can help me with maybe some tips or resources to help me?
I've been learning guitar for about 18months now, I've a yamaha pacifica guitar and a Spark amp. and I've been working my way through the justin guitar book as well as picking up a few additional songs as I go along too, I'm now on the second book, but I still don't know any complete songs, I tend to pick a song learn the interesting bits till I'm happy with them move on, but if you asked me to play any single sone start to finish I couldnt. I really dislike the sound of my own voice and am too embarassed to sing even when it's just my wife in the house, so I haven't doen any sinigng at all. So simple 4 chord repeating songs are just very boring (to play and listen too).
I've been practicing techniques, fingerstyle, barre chords scales etc as well as picking up songs that use them but I'm wondering where I'm going, it's fun to find a song learn the bit that's interesting and get it right but it feels kind of empty if someone says 'play something' and I haven't really got anything.
So at the moment a practice session is probably a bit of chord change practice, major scale practice, and maybe power chords, barre chords and some fingerstyle. Then having a go at whatever songs are on my list of ones I want to learn. Currently :-
Lenny Kravitz - Fly away (with barre chords)
Plain White T's - Hey there delilah (fingerstyle)
James Bay - Hold Back the river (fingerstyle)
Tracey Chapman - Fast car (fingerstyle)
Death Cab for Cutie - I will follow you into the Dark (barre chords and muting)
So I kind of feel I've put a lot of effort in to learning and I'm happy with the progress I've made, but there's this horrible nagging feeling that it was a waste of time, It's going nowhere and I'm a crap guitarist as I can't even play one song after all this time.
So I kind of feel I’ve put a lot of effort in to learning and I’m happy with the progress I’ve made, but there’s this horrible nagging feeling that it was a waste of time, It’s going nowhere and I’m a crap guitarist as I can’t even play one song after all this time.
Are you enjoying it? I've had a guitar for 30ish years and all I can do is play bits of songs but I enjoy it so definitely not a waste of time.
May I suggest Hotel California and American Pie for your repetoire, most people are happy to sing along to save embarassment 🙂
Also nice to grab 1 current pop song a month or so? tutorials galore on the tube and keeps things fresh, plus the majority are really basic chordwise.
some blues or rockish backing tracks and just improvising with a few licks n riffs is fun and sets you free.
and yes as long as you are having fun who cares!
Find someone else to play with makes a big difference. Go to a local jam night and meet other guitarists, don't have to take a guitar, just start chatting and ask for advice.
I've found them to be great places to meet like minded folk.
All I can do is play simple chords and keep in time, which is pretty much all I ever wanted to do.
You'd be surprised how many people can't actually do that.
I've never wanted to play lead, it doesn't really interest me.
Making a noise and playing along with family and friends makes me happy. 🙂
I'm 52, never played an instrument of any kind but love music and have a keen ear for indie, classical, blues and rock.
If I go into my local music shop and buy a Korean made 1997 Les Paul Junior tomorrow......will I regret it?
Not likely to lose much money, so why not especially if you buy stuff secondhand. There is a lot of stuff out there and it is a great time to be a guitarist.