Your next guitar?

[The Noodlist]

I beg of you don't go for a bottom of the barrel tele. I've got a story in this thread about mine maybe 200 pages back or so.

Instead at least consider a mid priced tele. The cheap ones like... SX furian by hondo will fall apart before the week is out. You'll spend more money simply making it playable than you would by simply buying something decent. (CIC febder tele's are actually great players)

It's just the way I roll, I agree somewhat.

It's like clothing, razors, etc, I can't justify over-paying for a logo or brand. There are exceptions if the quality is there. Pickups, for examples.

Like you say, "Buy cheap, buy twice" usually applies. I once bought a new Bullet Strat at £69, and after 14 months of regular playing, it needed a refret, not a dress.
A refret would have cost more than the guitar cost, I gave it to a work colleague who was considering learning to play.

When I was in bands, I used to to practise almost daily, then gig at weekends. I think stainless/harder fret is the way to go.

I'm currently using a £30 pawnshop Squier Stagemaster V2 as my current guitar, and it's not bad at all construction wise, a noticeable step up from some entry priced stuff.

The best I've owned was an Ibanez RGT 42 with Seymour Duncan pups and a RG 550, both second hand. Sold or traded for peanuts when I was broke.

I have a Tokai Love Rock, Springy Sound and a Vox Standard 25 that all need refretting. Two being made in Japan, the other in Korea.
I should really try to sort these out myself. The cost of paying someone £200 x 3, brings a tear to my eye. DIY is my current option, darn luthier tools, also overpriced.

As for the Tele, I might consider fitting pull/push pots mods on the Tokai Strat to get other sounds, it's has got Tonerider pups fitted, the others have Seymour Duncan Hot rails, DiMarzio, and a hot rodded humbucker set in the Love Rock, with push/pull serial. Wish I'd gone for PAF.

The LTD in my previous post looks a bargain, good specs. Yamaha also offers quality and value for money.

Thanks for the reality check

[Bombadil]

I have a slight urge for a Yamaha Pacifica 12 sting. There's one on ebay Classifieds. I have the cheapo Harley Benton electric 12, but I'd like something a little better.

It's been almost 2 years with no new guitars!

I had three 12 strings back in the late 70's till the early 80's None had electonics. All had issues revolving around string tension in time. I loved strumming them and one was my bread earner when I was busking. I found that I couldn't play electric guitars as well after spending time ham fisted holding down chords on 12 strings. Because of the string tension issues I'd had with acoustics in general and the issues I had with mic'ing I stopped playing acoustics for decades. The closest thing that I cam to play was an LR Baggs model Godin (predecessor to the acoustcaster) that thing was amazing. I'd never played a faster neck (ust as fast but not faster) It had a super thin neck profile and was intended for electric 09 gauge strings. It wasn't till recently that I'd even thought about going back to playing an acoustic. The Recording King that I bought a few moths back. It's a great "novelty" guitar but I'm not drawn to it like my electrics. I love playing 1930's and 40's standards on it.

If your hearts really into having a 12 string I'd say go for it. But I'd also caution that 12 string guitars rarely last forever. If you're lucky you may get a decade out of it.

Thanks for all that. I already have an expensive Lakewood (German make) acoustic 12 string. Picked it up one day in a shop, started playing Supertramp's 'Even in the Quietest Moments,' many heads turned, I fell in love with it, went home, told my wife (who said go for it), and went back to work out the terms for a €2,500 12 string ( I got it for €2,250). Bought 6 years ago now. I check the neck angle a couple of times a year. So far, so good. Admittedly, more 12 string than I need. However, its action is as good as my 6 strings (I've had access to a luthier who's worked on most of my guitars, not a tech, the real deal), and when I am in good playing form, can play that 12 string for hours. It has great dynamic range, from a gentle jangle to all-out full-blast, in your face 12 string goodness.
My experience has been the opposite regarding the effect a 12 string has on my electric or 6 string playing. It strengthens my fingers and hands, and after a brief interval of adjustment, a couple of minutes, really, I can play an electric or 6 string more easily and fluently. It's only when I have been lax in my playing is it any kind of effort to play, which is par for the course with any guitar.

The Pacifica 12'er is an electric 12er. I have a very cheap Harley Benton (Thomann house brand), that is ok, especially after the pro setup, but getting the strings into the tailpiece is a PITA. That is one reason why I want the Pacifica. Stringing is more straightforward.

[donkey tugger]

My experience has been the opposite regarding the effect a 12 string has on my electric or 6 string playing. It strengthens my fingers and hands, and after a brief interval of adjustment, a couple of minutes, really, I can play an electric or 6 string more easily and fluently. It's only when I have been lax in my playing is it any kind of effort to play, which is par for the course with any guitar.

There are more strings - easier to be abler to hit at least some of them correctly....

I'm pretty much the same, never find it an issue. Plus, I cheat a bit and always have them tuned down a tone with a capo at the 2nd fret, to relax the tension.

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

New Chapman ML-3 hollow tele with P90s: https://www.guitarcenter.com/Chapman/ML ... 0220264.gc

[tapper mike]

New Chapman ML-3 hollow tele with P90s: https://www.guitarcenter.com/Chapman/ML ... 0220264.gc

Do you like a lot of relief?
Every guitar ever made has limits on setup. Some guitars you simply can't take down the action and have a playable guitar. I was watching a video the other day of a guitar tech setting up a Jackson js34 and during the course of the setup he had mentioned Chapman guitars setup chart. Which was pretty high for a modern electric guitar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCnhAF_6xI8

[Bombadil]

I had a LP that I couldn't get the action right on. Luthier couldn't, either. He even did a re-fret, and it wasn't better. I took a nice loss on it.

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

'a lot of relief'...so that means 'high action'? i wonder what chapman's reasoning is. meh, at that price, i probably wouldn't be a 'chapman person' anyway, but the tele with P90s looks intriguing... you know, maybe if it were $299 it'd be worth experimenting.

[tapper mike]

I had a LP that I couldn't get the action right on. Luthier couldn't, either. He even did a re-fret, and it wasn't better. I took a nice loss on it.

Epi varietes or LP's are notorious for that. Mostly it has to do with the pitch (nut to tuner) as well as the headstock tenon I had a 57 Gold top but it came from the tailpiece. Later stop tail piece corrected it.

[resynthesis]

Just picked up an Epiphone '56 LP P90 Pro. Forum chat has been pretty positive about them and this came up at a good price second hand so...

Only had a short bash through Amplitube so far (damn half-term Disneyland) but it seems a nice guitar for the price. Pics to follow (not that there aren't loads around already).

[Bombadil]

One of the black ones? I tried one in a shop, and it was good. Tried another one, needed a fret dress and the maple top was wobbly.

What I'd really like, and passed on when I had the chance, was the Epi ES-275. anyway, I've had bad luck with Gibsons. I have 2 Casinos, and they're great guitars through the right amp.

[tapper mike]

'a lot of relief'...so that means 'high action'? i wonder what chapman's reasoning is. meh, at that price, i probably wouldn't be a 'chapman person' anyway, but the tele with P90s looks intriguing... you know, maybe if it were $299 it'd be worth experimenting.

Well, floppy high action at the 12th fret with a lot of bow. Some guys with a really aggressive style of playing like that type of resistance. Back in the 80's a sales guy who was strongly influenced by SRV tried to sell me on lots of relief higher action and thicker strings. I didn't bite.

On the other hand my previous 17 inch jazz box has to have a lot of relief. It doesn't sound "40's swing without it. The difference is that the old school tailpiece eases the tension. On the 16 inch box (es 175 type) the action is lower still but still not super fast. Any lower action on a box and you need a thinner box to compensate. the thinner and smaller the jazz box the less "jazzy" it sounds.
If you go thin but big... It doesn't have the depth of tone.
Conti's are the creme of the crop for low action larger jazz guitars. It's also considerably brighter and it's not a semi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPoLXBO_o4o

Smaller boxes like George Benson's D"angelico's, FGN MFA's and even es-275's get tubby before they get warm. So it's always a balancing act for low action boxes. Sometimes I'd love to trade warmth for sparkle and still have fast action (Conti) Sometimes I'm more than happy to sacrifice action for the warmth of an L5 with CC's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hqBisCN82Q

Super straight low action without fret buzz is possible on fixed / stop tailpiece designs but... It can also feel very stiff. Especially on 24 fret guitars. I've got minimal relief going on my variax and it feels very stiff even with 09's

[tapper mike]

One of the black ones? I tried one in a shop, and it was good. Tried another one, needed a fret dress and the maple top was wobbly.

What I'd really like, and passed on when I had the chance, was the Epi ES-275. anyway, I've had bad luck with Gibsons. I have 2 Casinos, and they're great guitars through the right amp.

All the epi's I've ever heard or played have been crap compared to real Gibson's or knock off's The only epi I'd ever consider is a Joe Pass.

This is my Eddie Durham JX16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVUgekAwmDo

Bought it for $300 compare it to an epi 175 action is amazing, tone is amazing.

Jere's my jx17 that I also got for $3oo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_QPCHZzS3k

Gibson doesn't like to push good quality epi's out the door because it detracts from the more expensive Gibby's. The only difference were the Orville's which gibby denied owning for awhile.
Gibson didn't want orville's entering the US or EU market.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yHo4O3LkTM

[resynthesis]

One of the black ones? I tried one in a shop, and it was good. Tried another one, needed a fret dress and the maple top was wobbly.

What I'd really like, and passed on when I had the chance, was the Epi ES-275. anyway, I've had bad luck with Gibsons. I have 2 Casinos, and they're great guitars through the right amp.

No, it's a Gold Top and mahogany only I believe. The build is pretty good but the finish is that thick, glodgy poly - it looks like it's been dipped in Envirotex The neck finish doesn't seem too sticky though so we'll see. I'm no P90 expert but the chat on the forums has been pretty positive and they sound (to me) like I imagined a P90 should.

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index ... e.1535622/

Comparison with "The Real Thing?" The fretting is better than the last couple of cheaper LPs I've played. I looked at a Tribute a couple of months ago and that was a horror show; frets rough and one lifting, pickup rings wonky, intermittent switch. Sounded OK though.

[Bombadil]

For the most part, I'd agree with you. I think you'd be impressed with my 'Inspired By John Lennon' Revolution Casino. Hollowbody, American-made P90s, light as a feather, sounds nice even unplugged. Plays itself, practically. Can do jazz to really gnarly distortion. I have 8 electrics, and this is in my top 3. I don't remember if the Casino is a 330 knockoff, or it's the other way around, but I think Epiphone does a better job on the models that were independently developed by Epiphone, rather than their LP and other Gibson model knockoffs.

I don't own any crap guitars. I am pretty fussy about what I find acceptable. I sold all the ones that didn't meet my standards, and I'm glad I'm not doing that anymore. I came to hate the whole acquisition process, from the hunt to the re-sale and schlepping the guitar carton to the post office.

Another decent choice at a low price, if you can find one, is the Fender Squire P90 Custom II. Something like that. I had one, but sold it when I got my SG Classic (P90 model). My SG Classic is also in my top 3 electrics.

[digitalboytn]

I had an original Epiphone Casino back in the day....

Pre Henry

Nice guitar