Guitarists of Singletrack…

the problem I seem to have is that the grip on the back doesn’t fit the neck well so no matter how I put it on, if seems to ‘twist’ slightly around and pulls and bends the strings.

It works better at higher frets, where the neck is thicker

Damn you Gibson. Now I have to buy a lottery ticket.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/brands/gibson/gibson-custom-shop-guitars/murphy-lab-collection?utm_campaign=GTT-4368-email-gibson-murphy&utm_source=emarsysemail&utm_medium=email&sc_src=email_8855822&sc_lid=422664272&sc_uid=EhiknAPoWf&sc_llid=67235&sc_eh=b2f781c67d6817491&#facet:&productBeginIndex:0&facetLimit:&orderBy:&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:96&

Or any extra 2k for the road worn version 🤪

Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab 1963 Firebird V with Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged in Antique Frost Blue

Thats about slightly more than the degree of wear on my Relic 50s Strat. The one I psted has just the sheen taken off the finish but being honest I wouldn’t kick either out of bed.

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 work with someone who spends all his time saving up for Rolex’s and Omega’s which go straight into his sock draw never to be seen again. At least my Stingray would be on display in the living room! Maybe a 40th birthday present to myself. By then I’ll be good enough to play it or I’ll have quit.

There’s is no way to justify the costs of some shaped wood and metal.

But I love my guitars anyway

There’s is no way to justify the costs of some shaped wood and metal.

I’ve spent too many years riding bikes, so the quality of guitars for the price of an entry level bike is something I find astonishing.

I don’t actually have a guitar at the minute but this is for sale just around the corner from me… http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/product/epiphone-sg-classic-worn-p-90s-worn-cherry

I’ve always fancied an SG but I’ve never played guitar so have no desire for an ‘ultimate’ keeper version like the Stingray. I’m just worried that if I start messing with a guitar along side the bass it’ll pull too much time away from 4 strings and I’ll be forever terrible at both.

Moved house during lockdown, new neighbour has a veritable fleet of guitars and amps. Easily 30+, some really cool stuff, including an EGC Steve Albini model.

He kindly lent me a Mesa Boogie Transatlantic combo a few months ago – mind blowingly versatile amp – getting some amazing sounds with a 1971 Ibanez Les Paul recording straight into it.

1971 Ibanez Les Paul recording

Blimey that’s a bit of history. Does it have the low impedence pickups?

…including an EGC Steve Albini model.

Oooooooh, I was looking at these the other day. Proper cool.

Love the transparent SG shape EGC John Dwyer has too.

Eddiebaby (sorry can’t work out how to make it quote !) It doesn’t now – apparently they weren’t terribly good. It’s got Lollar P90’s and a bigsby on it just now. Seriously “chewy” tones, definitely the first time I think I’ve truly gelled with a P90 equipped guitar.

It’s the oldest guitar in the room just now, just edging out my 1977 Guild B301 – I’m a lefty and believe that the guild is 1 of around 4 they made that year !

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.

Fancy a stingray too but the cost is ridiculous these days.

I picked up a sterling sub ray4 for around £330 last year and I’m pretty impressed with it, the gap has definitely narrowed between the budget instruments and the more expensive US made stuff.

This girl uses one and it’s not holding her back!

Any love for short scale basses? I bought Miss OTS a Squire Mini P bass for christmas which I’ve been dabbling with and loving as a bit of contrast to the Fender Jazz Bass and Yamaha regular scales I’ve got.

I’m now toying with the idea of buying a slightly higher spec short scale for me.
Contenders are:
1. G&L Tribute Fallout Short Scale Bass – https://www.andertons.co.uk/bass-dept/bass-guitars/short-scale-bass-guitars/g-l-tribute-fallout-short-scale-bass-jet-black

2. Sire Version 2 Marcus Miller U5 Short Scale – https://www.andertons.co.uk/bass-dept/bass-guitars/short-scale-bass-guitars/sire-version-2-marcus-miller-u5-short-scale-alder-4-mint

3. Sterling by Music Man Stingray Short Scale Bass – https://www.andertons.co.uk/bass-dept/bass-guitars/short-scale-bass-guitars/music-man-stingray-short-scale-bass-in-daphne-blue

I think the G&L is the current favourite – but there’s not much between them 🤔

https://www.andertons.co.uk/bass-dept/bass-guitars/retro-bass-guitars/chowny-swb1-bass-in-natural-ash

would this fit the bill ? you get the option of active as well as passive

Disclosure, I know Scott (used to play in a band with him) but he’s a real bass nerd and has spent a lot of time working with chowny to finesse the spec

Blimey!
For the price this looks impressive.

That Chowny is interesting. I’m not quite sold on the almost SG look though.

I tried listening to one of the Chowny 338 vs 335 vids blind. I decided the more mellow and warmer one must be the 335. Wrong.

I’ve vowed not to buy another Chinese guitar though. Good as the ones I own are (a classic vibe Tele and an Ibanez acoustic) there are too many socio-economic negatives to give them any more of my money.

Some of my cousin’s cousins are very good guitarists so are my cousins and my uncles.

Are good guitar players also good musicians? My cousins etc can play all the difficult covers without missing a note.

Guess what they all sounded awful, yes, they can play very well (exactly like the covers) but there is no music in the brilliance.

The last time I bought some guitar albums (no singing please coz I can’t stand people singing most of the time) was the released of the silver surfer from Joe Satriani and later Steve Vai because my cousins introduced them to me. That’s it really.

However, I recently stumbled upon Khruangbin while on YouTube and they are brilliant and I don’t say brilliant to most music often. Not showing off all the complicated moves but actually producing good music. Funny thing is that I only started listening to them because some of their guitar sound/music whatever remind me of music from my region of SE Asia. They basically “upgraded” them to 21 century. Well done! Brilliant 3 piece band. Yes, No singing. Only lead, bass and drums.

Now all my brilliant cousins with their expensive guitars (Gibson, Fenders and Ibanez whatever) can only play covers … ya … that’s what I called guitar players. They are no musicians. Can’t even make their own music but relying on copying covers.

As for Khurangbin yes I would buy all their albums … think the last album I bought was more than 30 years ago.

Their 3rd songs – Dem Kala makes me laugh as it reminds me of music from home …

I agree with Chewkw (at last!)
All the stuff on guitar websites is about gear, shredding, improv over minor pentatonic etc. etc.
I’d rather hear any decent musician on an out of tune piece of crap playing an actual song that they’ve actually practised than Danish Pete and the Captain (lovely as they are) noodling on Custom Shop heavy relics and PRSs.

I get the impression the Chewy is against all cover musicians, even competent ones like his cousins.

Thing is Chewkw, try playing people your own stuff. They’ve never heard it before and soon lose interest. However, play them Here Comes the Sun, 99 Luftballons or New York avec Toi and they’ll get into it and might even join in if they know the words.

My most successful recent live in terms of audience response was an end of year party at Madame’s school, I handed out lyrics to Je m’en Vais by Vianney. Every female present sang along.

I went to an open stage night. The first act was a brilliant singer-guitarist doing his own repetoire, audience response zero, they stood around chatting. We followed and finished on Pretty Vacant which the audience loved even if the club owner wondered waht the **** was going on – it’s one of those slightly pretentious blues rock places. The next band started on AC DC, audience happy.

Coming at this from a possible tangent there is a huge gap between songwriting ability and ability to play a guitar.
I recently saw the film Yesterday wherein you see a lot of (fictious) people exposed to stripped down versions of Lennon and McCartney’s finest. Even an average quitarist with a moderate voice can make their stuff work.
If Steve Vai was ripping out even his most ‘accessible’ stuff in front of them there would be a few seconds of ‘Oh, that’s cool” followed by a glazing over of eyes. Even first time round the real classics work and some, like Edukator’s examples above are simply ingrained into our ears/hearts.
So if you are not Paul McCartney just you simply never play? I’d rather hear a reasonably band playing covers I like than say the band Chewy linked who did nothing for me and would have me hitting the bar by about the third song.

I’d rather hear any decent musician on an out of tune piece of crap playing an actual song that they’ve actually practised than Danish Pete and the Captain (lovely as they are) noodling on Custom Shop heavy relics and PRSs.

I agree, however I do really enjoy Nathan & Lee jamming on Anderton’s All About the Bass videos. The energy and chemistry between those two is great.

Anderton’s get into trouble with copyright if they play more than a few seconds of anything recognisable. Most of us Youtubers get away with it because we don’t monetise and get half a dozen hits – fair use. But Lee and Danish Pete can’t play anything recognisable that isn’t their own without paying big bills or getting the vid taken down.

I had one of my vids red flagged, I just took it down myself. Some are orange flagged and are still up there. I started doing the vids for my mates so they could work on their parts and we wasted less time getting synchro, the latest ones have just been for this thread because I’ve only played with anyone else twice in the last year due to Covid. 🙁

Any love for short scale basses? I bought Miss OTS a Squire Mini P bass for christmas which I’ve been dabbling with and loving as a bit of contrast to the Fender Jazz Bass and Yamaha regular scales I’ve got.

I started on a full size Ibanez, but I have a shoulder issue and although my arms are long enough something about the reach was giving me gip. One of the techs in Andertons (pre lockdown, obvs) let me have a go on a £900 American Performer Mustang bass and it was just so much easier.

Sadly, couldn’t stretch to / justify the price but got the Squier version for £300-odd instead.

(incidentally, my Squier has a flat white pickguard but I’d love to get a pearlescent one instead…..any recommendations for anyone that makes them?)

@theotherjonv a squire is also an option although what I really want is this

the yellow doesn’t do it for me – my (two now) guitars are wall hanging so need to look nice as well – but that Candy Apple red one’s quite pretty.

RE the drive pedal question the other day, I treated myself to a few effects I’d been hankering after (Sub ‘n’ Up, Oceans 11, NUX Horseman) and I am proper impressed with the Horseman!

It’s a Centaur clone, so does what you’d expect, but it’s got some real nice sizzle to it. Also, features a “silver mode” which, from what I can work out (who needs instructions), adds a bit of drive/volume. More loud is more good. Hold the footswitch for a second or so and it goes changes mode, so I’ve been using it like an extra boost, rather than leaving it in any particular setting. It’s also tiny, so fits nicely on my modest board. Can’t compare to a Soul Food, it’ll be similar territory.

But yeah, to summarise, £40 well spent. 4.5 BigMuffs out of 5, would stomp.

Decision made – and none of the above. A MIM Fender Mustang in Gold should arrive tomorrow from GuitarGuitar. Got a bargain price; lower than they are going for on eBay – madness. 🤪

It’s now definitely time to step away from the Anderton’s videos!

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:

https://maybach-guitars.de/fr

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.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/brands/fender/american-professional-ii-series/american-professional-ii-stratocaster-guitars?#facet:&productBeginIndex:0&facetLimit:&orderBy:&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:48&

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