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A whole bunch of seriously cheap pedals tested. I’m liking most of them.
@sharkattack - I'm shortly going to be selling a (genuinely worn...) Gibson SG with P90s soon for not much more than that... 😉
Mind you, it's black and not cherry...
In other news, I've asked Mark if we can add a 'Musical Instruments' category to the Classifieds. Expect me to start jamming it up with stuff, though, as we're moving house soon from a big, draughty old place into a smaller and less draughty old place. I don't reckon that all the guitar gear is going to be able to follow me, so it'll be appearing here first... (or there ---> in the Classifieds, anyway)
Did you sell the reliced Strat partscaster BTW?
Not for me, but it was a lovely piece of kit.
I quite fancy a Bullet Mustang as a mod project.
Anyone tried one?
The Sonic Blue one? No. At the moment it's got a different neck on, but yes, that's one of the guitars I need to leave behind...
Ooh pics of the Strat please. I always love a Strat.
Help me spend £2K!!!
50th coming up in a month or so and looking to get a new guitar, budget up to the 2 grand mark. If my budget was double that I would be going down the Patrick James Eggle Macon route but it isn't so.....
Things I've looked at and considered so far:
One of the new 70's reissue Les Paul gold tops. Not played a really nice Les Paul for a while so not sure about this option.
PRS S2 Mcarty Singlecut. Didn't get on with my Custom 24 but this looks nice. Don't like the birds though.
What would you buy with £2K to spend? Ideas needed
£2k is nowhere land, not enough to get you a European built custom such as the Eggle but more than I'd be prepared to spend on something mass produced on another continent. Except:
My riding buddy got a Maybach Strat for his 60th. Very nice too though I'd have prefered new to artificially aged which I found unconvincing and a bit naff. Playability and pickups excellent once set up - crazy that a Squier Strat leaves the factory better set up.
Or a Mexican Strat with a splitable humbucker in the bridge and rewiring with just one tone pot.
For me it would have to be a Strat.
I'd love to try one of these- the American Professional II. There seems to be quite a good buzz about them, but there always is from the pro reviewers.
Loads of colours but I'd have to go with the maple board. Lots of money left over for a really good setup.
Having listened to Guitarhero's style that would need a humbucker in the bridge, even a powered one. They did/do one, Roadhouse? I too like a maple neck but don't find the American ones any better than the Mexicans.
You can build a Warmoth custom for about a grand. It requires some work though, they leave you to round the fret ends to taste, remove the excess nitro, cut the nut if you like it deeper than standard and polish to taste. You get a choice of neck shapes/fret size and metal/radius/compound radius, type of truss rod... Between junior and myself we've got three, all great pieces of wood perfectly fretted and nutted.
Not ruling out a strat but I'm leaning more towards the Les Paul style. The Pelham Blue Maybach looks stunning but not a fan of the aged finish.
The other option is to sell my Crimson and maybe AN Other and get the Eggle that I really want. As my 5 year goal is based around recording, my current collection, although not particularly sexy, is versatile enough to cover most bases.
Crimson 'Tele'
Gibson LP DC Special
Ibanez AS93
Eggle New York
Freshman GGAC500
Check out some Suhr stuff.....I reckon you'd get on nicely with one of their humbucker equipped offerings. The ones that I've played have been awesome.
Patrick Eggle stuff is amazing too....I actually chatted to them about an artist deal (literally the lowest they offer, not becoming their new poster boy!) Again, their stuff would really suit your style from what I've heard.
You'd struggle to get a Suhr for £2K. Very impressed with the Classic that I tried. Much better finish and set up than Fender managed.
"I’ve spent a lot of time recently drooling over the new Stingray Special. What a machine. It would be a ridiculous purchase for someone at my level but I’d keep it forever and I’m finding ways to justify it."
I've had my Stingray Special for about a year now and it really is a very nice machine indeed. I didn't pay for it but we sent Ernie Ball a couple of Barefaced cabs so it was a fair trade.
Regarding the price, two things to bear in mind:
1. They are really really really well made - Fenders etc at similar prices are nowhere near.
2. They are made in the USA in a modern safe clean factory by staff who love their jobs because of the pay, conditions, etc.
If you can get similar quality for less money then there's a very high probability that there's either an element of sweatshop labour or a gifted one-man-band who hasn't got a name yet and is working for below minimum wage for the love of it.
It blows my mind how cheap many guitars are nowadays - have a look at what they used to cost in the '50s and adjust for inflation.
What would you buy with £2K to spend? Ideas needed
Oooooh, an Ibanez AZ2402 in Pearl White or something top spec from Gordon Smith.
What would you buy with £2K to spend? Ideas needed
I would probably buy an epiphone 59 les paul, a vintera strat and some pedals 🙂
If I can find another £1.5k this would be my dream guitar
Ooo that looks lovely 🙂
I love the feel and playability of my Tyler Variax 59. I’d definitely be looking at a conventional Tyler if I could.
You'd get a nice old Yamaha SG2000 for £2k or so
You could also see what Dean Zelinksy is doing with his own brand stuff:
https://deanzelinsky.com/
^ I'm planning on picking one up next time I'm in the USA
I’ve had my Stingray Special for about a year now and it really is a very nice machine indeed. I didn’t pay for it but we sent Ernie Ball a couple of Barefaced cabs so it was a fair trade.
Regarding the price, two things to bear in mind:
..............
You know what? You're absolutely right!
Those are among the reasons I want one. I don't spend money on anything else, I've got cheap taste in everything and I haven't spent a penny on bikes in a couple of years.
The only thing stopping me is that I'm still firmly in the early stages of playing and it would be an obscene luxury. I know loads of people vastly more talented than me who are happily blazing away on their Squires and Sterlings. I'll get one eventually when I've got more hours under my belt.
The hardest part will be choosing a colour.
In the meantime I really would like a P bass to play with. So realistically for my next purchase I'll be using my student discount again to buy a Squier 70's style Precision.
Crimson do an LP kit, have you asked them how much it would cost for them to complete build one?
"The only thing stopping me is that I’m still firmly in the early stages of playing and it would be an obscene luxury. I know loads of people vastly more talented than me who are happily blazing away on their Squires and Sterlings. I’ll get one eventually when I’ve got more hours under my belt."
I started playing bass just before I turned 18 and decided to get a good bass for my 21st. I clocked up a lot of hours in those three years! I think it was a good way to go about things.
Ironically most of my playing now is on a cheap 5-string ABG I got as an experiment, as that's my bass at home that I write on.
I spent so long choosing my Stingray colour, it was between sparkle grey, sparkle turquoise and metallic green (which I chose).
One aside for this guitarist thread - I've been putting together a new project for the last year, which appears to be coming into shape. And it looks (to my surprise) that that shape might not have any guitars, just drums, bass, two lead vocalists (in harmony) and a backing vocal or two. Currently getting my head around filling up even more space than I already do on bass!
I find videos of people making things very relaxing. Don’t worry, I’m not linking to Crimson Guitars again. This is something that popped up on my feed earlier and I’ve bookmarked the channel.
Ken Parker, designer of the high tech Parker Fly is making beautiful arch top jazz guitars and in this show it is just a quick overview of the process teasing us with his use of carbon fibre and stunning veneers plus unique ideas for the neck joint. All on an otherwise traditional jazz box.
A stunning craftsmen who makes the right tool for the job before doing it.
Give it a try.
Help me spend £2K!!!
50th coming up in a month or so and looking to get a new guitar, budget up to the 2 grand mark. If my budget was double that I would be going down the Patrick James Eggle Macon route but it isn’t so…..
Things I’ve looked at and considered so far:
One of the new 70’s reissue Les Paul gold tops. Not played a really nice Les Paul for a while so not sure about this option.
PRS S2 Mcarty Singlecut. Didn’t get on with my Custom 24 but this looks nice. Don’t like the birds though.
What would you buy with £2K to spend? Ideas needed
Smitty Custom
Lovely guy, amazing guitars
Smitty Custom
They look very nice. The only problem with the smaller builders is getting a chance to try one. At least with the big players you can usually get your hands on one for a few minutes. Well you could until a year ago...
Well just changed around the virtual pickups on a few guitar models on the Variax again but the most fun I've been having is open tunings and being able to turn strings off so you can have a 5 or 4 string guitar for slide with less effort of muting unwanted strings. Good for Kieth Richards riffing too.
If you get a chance to play with one do so. The Standard is often available at decent prices, I've seen them in the past at around £450 new which isn't too bad for a Pacifica but secondhand the prices can drop well below that.
The only problem with the smaller builders is getting a chance to try one.
anyone is welcome to try mine - hertford area
If you get a chance to play with one do so
No lefties innit
Some cool suggestions of things I've not heard of. The Dean Zelinksy particularly looks really interesting.
I agree that at £2K my budget may be a little low for what I want so if I can resist, I may hang on until the end of the year when (hopefully) gigging can resume and I can add some gig money to the budget and get the Eggle that I really want. In the meantime, once guitar shops re-open it will be fun to try stuff and you never know what you'll stumble across and fall in love with.
Avid reader but don't post much...
Always worth a look at second hand market, for 2k you could get something ace. A used Suhr perhaps if you really want a Humbucking super strat, maybe even worth looking at Fender Custom shop HSS for nearer the 3k mark.
If you are having something made, I'd look at Iveson guitars available through ATB guitars. Hands down the best luthier in the UK at the moment.
I've bought a couple of second-hand guitars when nearly new, as in no fret wear. All the others, including some really nice ones got dismissed because I detest small frets and 80% of fret remaining I don't consider enough. When I included the cost of a refret it was no longer bargain.
Just had had an email about a heritage guitars from Andertons. Always loved these.
I think @chipps may possibly have just agreed to sell me this '96 Olympic White MIJ Strat with rosewood board and Texas Specials 🙂
Dammit! I might have done...
Japanesse Strats have lovely necks on them. I tried one that was one of the nicest guitars I've played eyes shut. Thing was it was blue, clear blue everything, the finger board, the neck, head, body. I couldn't hand over money for something that blue.
Bite his hand off, Simon.
Bite his hand off, Simon.
I have 🙂
Silent lurker here but have been reading this thread with interest for that last few months and you’ve all inspired me to pick up the bass again. I’ve even started messing with a £25 Squire Strat I picked up locally and really enjoying it.
If I had your budget guitarhero I would be looking for an SG. Always fancied one since I saw Tony playing one in Sabbath.
Anyone tried one of the recent Epiphone SG’s? It’s our 5th wedding anniversary coming up and apparently the theme is wood!
Anyone tried one of the recent Epiphone SG’s?
I haven't, but I love my one from the late '90s 🙂
The most recent Epiphones seem to have been getting stellar reviews... It's not doing good things for my vow to cut down on my guitar collection... 🙂
@eddiebaby - A friend of mine has had a Heritage 535 (their 335) and it's lovely. They're not cheap though and for the money, I'd be tempted by an older Tokai or similar (Burney/Orville/Edwards) or even a new Eastman. It depends on how much stock you place in the 'Made in USA' label, I guess. I'm not sure I like what Heritage have done with their headstock shape though - seems a little more Gibsony rather than the nice slim shape they used to have.
Thanks and congrats on getting that lovely strat!
I know that battle well Chipps, I keep thinking about selling my Thunderbird but it just has too much character. I don’t play it for weeks but it brings a smile to my face when I do.
I played one about 30 years ago when they hadn't long been making them. Working a lot in Soho I tried a couple in Denmark Street and despite liking Strats thought them amazing comfortable. Built by ex-Gibson guys in the old Gibson factory AND Gary Moore had one (maybe a signature model?). Lovely to play back then and they look good now.
Price doesn't look too bad for an LP like guitar but obviously I have no idea how good they are now...
Nice bit of flame on that neck Simon. Very tasty. 👍🏼
Any opinions on this as a toy to mess around on for a total beginner? I've never heard of the brand.
www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/417732266001137
It doesn't have to be incredible but I don't have the knowledge to tell if it's more Apollo, Carerra or Boardman if you know what I mean.
The included amp is probably terrible but I'll mostly plug into the laptop.
Any opinions on this as a toy to mess around on for a total beginner?
Well it looks pretty fine which is one of the main things 🙂
My opinion is never buy a guitar you have not had a chance to hold and play, what it looks like is of no concern to me.
if you are not shure what you want go to a shop and spend the day checking stuff out,
if they have a problem with that, find another shop.
Gibsons are alright but they are heavy uncomfortable and often a bit unbalanced IMO