I currently use my Orange OR100 into a 4×12 at home in my flat. Barely on, and use fuzz pedals with the volume down to get my distortion.
If (when) that goes back to the jamroom I’ll use a 15W Randall MTS head into a 1×12″ cab made from its old combo box. It’s fine at home – I can get by without power tube saturation which I feel needs volume to make it sound right (ear-drum distortion too)

I’d agree with the above. My DT25 doesn’t really sound right until its cranked a bit. The low volume mode is solid state ‘flavoured’ by the valves and just isn’t the same.
The Irridium amp model power stages very well and I think the IRs help a lot with the overall tone especially at low playback volumes.
It certainly sounds great through the PA system at bedroom volumes.

Your ear’s frequency response changes with volume, so my opinion is that it’s impossible to get *that* sound at home. No point chasing it. Just accept something that sounds fine (which can be excellent) for home practice and get out to play with a band in a jamroom as often as you can!

Well, the Gretsch went back.

My local tech confirmed the bridge and possibly the neck was out of alignment.

The scary thing was I checked all the other Chinese/Korean Gretsches in the shop and about half had problems, to a greater or lesser extent.

Gutted, but to be fair PMT were superb, they seemed more upset than I was.

So, what to replace it with?
Something to complement an Ibanez RG550 and a P90 loaded Tele……

Still quite fancy something hollow, so possibly a Ibanez Artcore.
The PRS SE Hollowbodies look decent but £1000 for a production line Chinese guitar just feels wrong somehow.
Also going to have a look at Godin, carried by my local shop and always a classy build.

Wish me luck!

Gibson 356?

I have an Ibanez Artcore AS93 and would highly recommend it. Heads and shoulders above the Gibson 335 Studio I tried at twice the money. If you’re used to the RG neck the Artcore neck won’t feel too different as it is quite slim

@Rusty_Spanner – I’m just about to put my Artcore AS93 up for sale – very good (Immaculate) condition if you’re interested. Selling because I’ve just bought an Artstar AS120 because I wanted a violin sunburst colour. Currently it’s got a IronGear Blues Engine pickups in it, but I’d probably put the originals back in for sale unless a purchaser wanted them of course.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2jpiyeR]DSCF1757[/url] by markwsf, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2jpjMtW]DSCF1760[/url] by markwsf, on Flickr

This is the Artstar by the way …

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2jk7TUW]IMG-2619[/url] by markwsf, on Flickr

Browsing my HD this morning and found this from 10 years ago. The contributors are listed below. Would be fun to do another sometime.

DavidB 0:00 – 0:36
grieviuostim 0:36 – 1:11
stratobiker 1:11 – 1:48
lodius 1:48 – 2:26
earl_brutus 2:26 – 3:00
jond 3:00 – 3:35
hummerlicious 3:35 – 4:11
guitarhero 4:11 – end

Sounds good.

Im not a fan of semis but that Artcore looks beautiful.

Has anyone got any recommendations for online guitar learning?

I guess I’m somewhere in the intermediate wilderness. I had a go on the fender site. It seems aimed at rank beginners. I’ve got rocksmith which I enjoy off and on.

I’m happy ish to pay a bit if it motivates me enough to practice and improve.

Cheers
Martin

I tried an AS73 which played really nicely but sounded too muddy. All it needed was some better pickups so the AS93 is the one to have. I bought a black top Tele instead but the pickups whilst better weren’t much good either so I put some Duncans in. With hindsight the 73 with the Duncans would have been a better choice.

YouTube Tall_Martin, if you like a song there’s probably someone who’s done a decent tuto for it.

Wow, yes, that Ibanez is beautiful.

If I didn’t already have a blue-ish guitar, I’d have had that.

Hmm.

Still looking. 🙂

Hi Martin. You probably know this already but JustinGuitar is the usual recommendation and I like what Paul Davids does too.

Justin, you can get for free but I bung him a tenner when I’m particularly pleased with a result, some of Paul’s good stuff requires a Patreon sub.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-dept/electric-guitars/hollow-semi-hollow-body-guitars/reverend-club-king-rb-bigsby-midnight-black

How about this ? A bit pricier than the gretsch but gives that vibe and other colours are available like a lairy orange which I quite like

Or an epi Casino (they also do the coupe at the moment which is a smaller body size) ?

They’re nice Ed.

It’s odd, I think the experience with the Gretsch has put me off a bit.
My local trusted shop has just signed up to be a Tokai dealer, so I might just wait for a bit ’till they get some stock in.

The Ibanez AS93 is a lovely guitar, I’ve played the non flamed top version, the 83 and it was nice. None in stock locally atm.

The one and only time I’ve bought by mail order I got very lucky, that was with the Ibanez RG550, it’s perfect, but being Japanese I’d sort of expect that. I’d tried a few and they were completely consistant in build and feel.

It’s such a personal thing, hollowbodies especially, that I might just hang on ’till I can sit down and play a few.

Still a few other options that float my boat – still have the Strat itch. 🙂

I love Ibanez guitars.

I have a 1981 AS100 semi-hollow. Amazing guitar, beautifully made and stunning tone. Very hard to find now in the second hand market.

For anyone wondering about a cheap guitar/amp set up and how it could sound listen to what £209 can sound like.

I’d not heard of this guy before, then a double whammy as he was interviewed by Andertons this week:

Fascinating vids, it’s rare I watch one right through but the Captain interview was excellent. The Squier Strat was no surprise but that amp was. He comes out with some unconventional ideas but then shuts you up with the sounds he makes. How can you argue againt someone who reckons Plexis never sound the same from one day to the next when he can produce expensive sounds like that from cheap solid state amps. I’ve used an MG and rated it about the worst amp I’ve ever used on the drive channel. If my JCM ever sounds different I’m incapable of noticing.

Marshall MG’s are the worst amps I’ve ever played!!! Hateful things.

My Egnater Rebel that I’m currently using at home during lockdown definitely varies sound on a day to day basis….. fairly sure it’s got an intermittent problem though!

Dave is ace!

Check out the vids where he just goes for a walk around Louth with his family. Spot on. 🙂
As was the Halloween special…..

Love the ‘All the tones you can get out of an Orange Crush’ series too, man’s a genius and a great advocate for talking about mental health.

In other news I am having very bad thoughts regarding ordering a new Gordon Smith……..

In other news I am having very bad thoughts regarding ordering a new Gordon Smith……

Does not compute. How can there be bad thoughts about a new GS?
I’m really taken with the idea of a guitar from Crimson after following the YouTube channel. Top bloke.

@eddiebaby, Do it, I love my Descendant Raw.

It was you posting that pic originally that got me following Ben on Youtube.

Not heard of Dave Simpson, despite living in Louth, so thanks for that. Some great guitar playing, and the Andertons interview is great too.

eddiebaby

Subscriber

Does not compute. How can there be bad thoughts about a new GS?

Er, maybe not a GS 😐
I HAVE played a GS and loved it, but…..

…..I’m seriously thinking of an S-Type.
Swamp ash, thinish maple neck, possibly a rosewood fingerboard. Medium jumbo frets, although I can get on with pretty much all Fender type necks, from vintage to modern.
Vintage style low output pickups, Switchcraft loom & CTS pots. Gotoh bridge.

My only worry is that as a relative beginner, it might be a bit OTT. But I get on with pretty much anything Strat shaped, none of the current Fenders have everything I fancy in one guitar and I like the idea of something handmade.
Sonic Blue or Shell Pink.

Any alternative ideas much appreciated, but apart from a G&L I can’t see anything that comes close for the cash.

My SG fetish demands that I at least consider the Gordon Smith version, but I have a pre Wilkinson Vintage SG that I have plans to refinish, so that plan might be on hold for a while….

So have just joined the club and bought my first guitar andbefore i can even play it i am looking at ways to modify it 🙂
Anyone know some places that can make pickguards?
i want to change it from glossy to satin but dont fancy doing it on the existing one in case i ruin it.

What guitar? There are a million after market guitar part companies.

It’s a Gibson Les Paul Jr tribute DC, and I can’t find any.
Found a nice rosewood PU cover to replace the plastic one though.

Can recommend Jack’s Instrument Services who can make you anything you like. Made me a lovely hot pink scratchplate for my Patrick Eggle

Thanks, looks like he can sort one for me for sure.

I had a TCElectronic PolyTune3 delivered today, so as soon as i’de cleared the desk I banged it on the pedal board and fired it all up. The poly tune was great as we all know but it was so good for tuning the floating Floyd Rose where it is so easy to get the whole thing out of tune and end up going all over the place. Seeing 6 strings at one is brilliant.

I also took advantage of the house being empty to run my rig as a wet/dry set up with the Plethora driving my DT25 with the effects and the effects loop send running into the MojoMojo and Sunset overdrives into the Iridium and then in to a FRFR powered speaker.
Interesting sound and one that has a lot of possibilities to tweak. Sounded much better than running everything in stereo through 2 powered speakers.

Minor epiphany today.

These are the perfect size/ shape for storing guitar strings.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/282245322&ved=2ahUKEwiTyKbty5XrAhUNRBUIHRy4AvwQFjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw0hMlmoTJtW-PDXnm2L3VpE

😛

Minor epiphany today.

These are the perfect size/ shape for storing guitar strings.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/282245322&ved=2ahUKEwiTyKbty5XrAhUNRBUIHRy4AvwQFjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw0hMlmoTJtW-PDXnm2L3VpE

😛

(The solid colour versions are on offer at £1.50)

Nice spot!

Oh God, it’s happened again.

I pick up one of the 9 of these to reach the UK tomorrow morning…….

…..top of the line MIJ 2019 Limited Collection Strat.

…..I couldn’t help it.

Nitro finish on Alder, Modern C, Custom Shop ’69’s, 9.5 radius, hard case and a nice colour.
Pretty much everything I ever wanted in a Strat.

If the quality is anything like ‘er indoors’ Paisley Tele I’ll be well chuffed.

Is excited.

I love Strats and that looks excellent. Very envious now. 👍🏼

If anyone is interested in learning or improving their guitar skills, my guitar teacher has a YouTube account, The Charlie James Music Page.
He teaches online over Zoom or Skype in any style and in my opinion is one of the most expressive players I have ever heard.
It’s worth a look just to hear his version of Nothing Else Matters on classical guitar, yes it’s probably been done to death, but not like this.😎

I love the song Wicked Game and YouTube threw this at me last night. The girl is a bit lightweight in my opinion but Rabea Massaa’s solo is pretty epic.
I only know him from more intense stuff with amazing tone.

So have just joined the club and bought my first guitar andbefore i can even play it i am looking at ways to modify it 🙂
Anyone know some places that can make pickguards?
i want to change it from glossy to satin but dont fancy doing it on the existing one in case i ruin it.

Stop fussing and Learn To Play a damn guitar! All that upgrade stuff will suck yr drive to learn and the guitar will be another step closer to being an expensive ornament/monument to underachieving.

Just recently got my first (cheap) drum kit and practise pad. Promised self that won’t ‘upgrade’ anything for 12 months or until I can play. Caught self looking for a nice chrome ‘stick caddy’ online. Spent an hour on ebay and other places at least. Could/should have been practicing.

Sellotaped a Pringles tube to the rack. Now have stick caddy. I suppose my point is to be careful about getting sucked into upgrading/further purchasing early on – as it can and will be an involuntary excuse/distraction not to tackle the musical rudiments and playing techniques. Upgrading an instrument because it’s inferiority/unsuitability is physically impeding your progress is a different matter. But that’s usually more about fundamental stuff like hand-size vs neck-width, not ‘ I need to buy that 1960s Binson EchoRec otherwise I’ll never be able to nail that ‘Shine On…’ sound‘

Head’s up, knuckles down 😎

Source: Have played in bands/composed electronic music for decades – but realised late on I’ve been many times been thwarted by distractibility and what I later figured out were really ‘excuses’ and ‘if onlys’.

If only I’d practiced every day an hour a day.