KVR Audio

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 5:38 am

Look back.

I stated that it was months not years of saving up so I could afford the 335. I was in my teens. Back them I bussed tables and got a portion of the servers tips. I used to get high a lot which is why it took me so long to buy it. I wasn't in a hurry to buy my first guitar or my first car. Yes I was very proud of the 335. I'd earned it and it was the first big purchase with my own money I'd ever made.

Back in the 70's cheap guitars were all pieces of shit. Hondo's, Crestwoods, Kay's, Magnums. Guys I knew who had them would complain about them like mad, The Rondo I have today is way better then any of them and ...it still has faults. I didn't want a shit guitar. 335's weren't that popular in the 70's better made then all the knock off's combined and while still fairly expensive less so then a Les Paul. I did not buy the 335 to look cool nor did having one make me look or be anymore cool. But it was a guitar I could play for hours sounded great to my ears and was something I could take pride in.

In the early 80's when I first started living on my own before I was making serious money I did save a year for the LP Custom. and I did pick up a part time job for it. But I still had my 335 and my jb player. The LP didn't make my career as a guitarist the way I thought it would. It was still a great guitar

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 6:27 am

tapper mike wrote:Look back.

I stated that it was months not years of saving up so I could afford the 335. I was in my teens. Back them I bussed tables and got a portion of the servers tips. I used to get high a lot which is why it took me so long to buy it. I wasn't in a hurry to buy my first guitar or my first car. Yes I was very proud of the 335. I'd earned it and it was the first big purchase with my own money I'd ever made.

Back in the 70's cheap guitars were all pieces of shit. Hondo's, Crestwoods, Kay's, Magnums. Guys I knew who had them would complain about them like mad, The Rondo I have today is way better then any of them and ...it still has faults. I didn't want a shit guitar. 335's weren't that popular in the 70's better made then all the knock off's combined and while still fairly expensive less so then a Les Paul. I did not buy the 335 to look cool nor did having one make me look or be anymore cool. But it was a guitar I could play for hours sounded great to my ears and was something I could take pride in.

In the early 80's when I first started living on my own before I was making serious money I did save a year for the LP Custom. and I did pick up a part time job for it. But I still had my 335 and my jb player. The LP didn't make my career as a guitarist the way I thought it would. It was still a great guitar

which is all awesome dude except for 'a shit guitar' the guitar player makes the guitar...my point is simple...look at my sig...I understand your point but you refused then when we talked about this or now to see my point...you cant see a guy who is a DIY guy learning as much from buying a cheap guitar and learning more than just playing it...things I have used all my life. I went until literally 1998-1999 (for reference I started playing guitar in 1971) before I had two strung and playing electric guitars at any time in my life.

People start talking elitist crap may never get the point or may be masking how well they understand the point, but to steal a quote (and change it a bit) from Uriah Heep (A Year Or a Day) "young man said the old man there is victory in staying alive"...well I'm here to say to all the snobs form gear snobs to the 'other' snobs that there is victory in keeping your passion alive and growing...whether it be with a freakin duck taped squire with wires hanging out and a sansamp or a $7,777 dollar overpriced Ibanez because Steve Vai plays it and a $3500 dollar boutique amp, if you keep that passion alive you're a success.

It' not just you Mike (it's not like we dont get along or anything like that, we have a good history) but the elitist crap like "they wouldn't let you on stage if you didn't play a Fender or a Gibson" is in my past. (the following you is 'you' in general Mike, not you) If you think you're better than I...you are...if you think you're smarter than me you are, if you think your life is better than mine it is, if you have better gear, more knowledge...I dont give a crap...I stipulate that everyone is better than me at everything but one thing...and that's being me. This 'me' loves to play and doesn't need a single person to even care if I play to keep playing, because I have more gear, more talent and far more wisdom as to how to put them to use to better the quality of my life than ever before...so folks get use to the new Hink.

For Mister Natural (a good guy)...I get your point but why do I care? You see when I was in my 20's 30s and even my 40s I was thinking OMG I am never going to make it...you know like so many of you other friends of mine have or will go through. If I could go back to my 20s, 30's or even early 40's and tell myself anything it would be that after I gave up on the pipe dream everything got better ten fold...that's why I care...I want everyone to know there is nothing to fear, the passion keeps growing as long as you nurture it. I wish I knew that back when I was younger, not dreaming about what I am going to be but concentrating on what I can be...well things would have been a lot better for me...that's why I care, not for me.

Those who feel the passion IS the dream and never realize it, I wish them well as we all have our own paths...but for those who get to see this side of the coin it's awesome (with a $8,000 dollar guitar or a 200 dollar hand me down guitar)...in fact for me I think it surpasses the dream because there is a lot more to my life that I may have missed.

If you dont like it...mute me

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 6:57 am

Hink wrote:If I could go back to my 20s, 30's or even early 40's and tell myself anything it would be that after I gave up on the pipe dream everything got better ten fold...

I like that...and agree! I'm actually enjoying reading both your and Mike's stories.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:50 am

Uncle E wrote:
Hink wrote:If I could go back to my 20s, 30's or even early 40's and tell myself anything it would be that after I gave up on the pipe dream everything got better ten fold...
I like that...and agree! I'm actually enjoying reading both your and Mike's stories.

I didn't know I was telling a story, it's just the same rant I have had since KvR has known me

...but this thread I guess is not the place for that...seeing how I doubt I'll be buying and new guitars again in this lifetime this thread just probably isn't the place for me anymore. The truth is I am far more concerned about what will happen to my guitars if I were suddenly gone from this marble than I am concerned with getting more.

Have fun guys

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 4:03 pm

Hink wrote:seeing how I doubt I'll be buying and new guitars again in this lifetime this thread just probably isn't the place for me anymore.

I think "Your next guitar?" could be extrapolated to "How will your guitar be next?", in the case of people modding their instruments. I actually enjoy modding my current guitars more than getting new ones. In fact, after recently discovering my Melancon to have been damaged to the point of being worthless (monetarily-speaking) while in storage, I'm planning to keep that and tweak it to be what I'm looking for rather than spend money on anything new. I'm thinking of swapping the neck pickup for a Dimarzio Virtual Vintage Blues because Dimarzio recommends 500K pots for it and I feel that the current 250K pots are hurting the bridge position Dimarzio Air Classic. Also, I'm hoping the Virtual Vintage Blues will split well thanks to its slightly higher output and middier frequency response. The neck and bridge will both split when blended with the middle and I'm going to add a blend pot for the neck and bridge when they're not in the mix. Finally, I discovered that Fender sells their locking tuners individually now so I'll try swapping out the B and high E tuners with those. If these are the ones I'm thinking of, they're shorter than the other tuners and thus eliminate the need for a string tree, which I feel is where most tuning issues occur.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 7:44 pm

^^^^^which would be great in the DIY forum

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:02 pm

E, reads like you've got some nice projects there.

I was thinking of starting a "Your Current/ Previous Guitar" thread. Where people could give review's of guitars they've already bought.

Re string trees. My strat has roller string trees that don't bind. but the Rondo and the tele have those stupid crimped metal ones. I've actually thought about putting a cylinder bar type thing on the blacktop. and setting it on a slant.

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:17 pm

tapper mike wrote:I was thinking of starting a "Your Current/ Previous Guitar" thread. Where people could give review's of guitars they've already bought.

I'd be into that. There's really only one korina PRS I'm still interested in and that's an old model. After staring at the thousands of them for the past couple years, the maple tops just look cheesy to me now.

Re string trees. My strat has roller string trees that don't bind. but the Rondo and the tele have those stupid crimped metal ones. I've actually thought about putting a cylinder bar type thing on the blacktop. and setting it on a slant.

That's good to hear. I have some graphite trees and those bind terribly. My saber body Ibanez has a tilt headstock and it stays in tune beautifully.

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 4:47 am

I was obsessed with prs guitar for decades and I've only played two.

The first one was used had a huge round neck a bigger body. I just couldn't get comfortable with it. The second had a thin wide neck which I fell in love with (but not enough to buy)

A buddy of mine who owns a guitar store hates prs and hates gibsons... mostly because of the pricing structure. He doesn't want to have to buy ten to put one in his store. But when he speaks of the guitars he avoids mentioning that. He of course loves the samick prs models and the samick avions because he can afford to stock them.

The RWG 450 is no prs semi. It's got a great tone all its own but not in the same league as a prs. Still I love the body style and I like the tone that comes from it. Mostly I love the neck but I didn't when I first got it.

It's funny all these guitars and I don't have a decent amp to play them through. The roland cube doesn't come alive till the volume is past 6 and anything after three the cops come knocking. I want a traynor. I used to have one when I was playing out years ago. And a butler tube driver amp. Hated the tube driver but it was more then sufficently loud enough to play anywhere. Loved the Traynor. Sold them both when I got into restaraunt management and kissed away live gigs.

blueman · Post by **blueman** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 6:19 pm

tapper mike wrote:The RWG 450 is no prs semi. It's got a great tone all its own but not in the same league as a prs.

Which PRS Semi? The SE? Or, the USA version?

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 7:06 pm

Neither.

The RWG has a slim "D" (very slim) profile 24 fret neck. As well I've never really opened up on the rwg. I've always preferred half-wounds clean and soft. the prs semi's are quite a bit more ballsy/edgy and less transparent. They(prs) sound to my ears more like chambered solid bodies then the RWG which sounds more airy. Even though the materials (mahogany back, sides, neck, maple top) is identical. A lot of it has to do with the pickups themselves and some of it has to do with the neck profile.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 10:41 pm

tapper mike wrote:

A buddy of mine who owns a guitar store hates prs and hates gibsons... mostly because of the pricing structure. He doesn't want to have to buy ten to put one in his store. But when he speaks of the guitars he avoids mentioning that. He of course loves the samick prs models and the samick avions because he can afford to stock them.

this is indeed a causality of large brick and mortar stores and even larger online stores, that combined with the fact that no matter what the economy is there are plenty of people still willing to spend way more than a guitar is worth for the name can make it very difficult for the small businessman. Fender around here was pretty strict about who could sell their guitars. I worked in a small chain and the store (Daddy's) I worked at later (but not that location) was just down the street. The only Fenders we could sell were used ones because Daddy's was there first. In our other stores we could sell Fender and we were Fender dealers but they would not allow us at that location to sell them. Meanwhile several other shops just couldn't afford to carry Gibsons (we were not Gibson dealers) and other gear. At that time GC was taking over and MARs just emerging just squeezing out the little guy.

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 12:46 am

It works somewhat like that for smaller brick and mortar stores as well. My Buddy owns Music Castle. In the same city less then two miles away there was aslo. Junkyard Guitars, Gordy's, Royal Music, In the neighboring city there was pick and strum shop and the music stand and wonderland. Wonderland was like Daddy's big as they came till GC moved to town The smaller stores learned how to work without competing.

The other thing is the ten rule. When a store buys a PRS or a Gibson they have to buy ten at a time. If you are a smaller store there is no way in hell your going to move ten USA PRS or Gibsons a year. And you are not going to be able to control markup.

ew · Post by ew » Sun Mar 16, 2014 1:32 am

tapper mike wrote: The other thing is the ten rule. When a store buys a PRS or a Gibson they have to buy ten at a time. If you are a smaller store there is no way in hell your going to move ten USA PRS or Gibsons a year.

Not necessarily true. It all depends on your clientele. While I'll agree that Gibsons are almost all sold at the large stores nowdays, my favorite guitar shop around town does a fairly good business in new PRS guitars because of the people who buy there. Their main business is cool old guitars, so they attract the customers who have the money.

Willie's American Guitars

And you are not going to be able to control markup.

That part is true...

ew

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 1:36 am

tapper mike wrote: And you are not going to be able to control markup.

guess who controls mark-up? (as well as the lowest price you can charge)