KVR Audio

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 8:16 pm

Most of the issues around Eastwood have to do with their base level traditional jazz guitars like the AR series They are not alone. Every maker who tries to sell a budget to midline jazz guitar has those issues. Mass producing an affordable full jazz box is much more difficult than an acoustic or an electric. I'll be honest I looked for years to find an affordable playable jazz box before I found the one I'm playing now.

As for the Arline series, well there is a long story behind that. What are now airline guitars were designed copying crappy guitars from the past. Harmony, Airline, Kay. I've got memories of those things as far back as the 60's. They were all cheap throw away guitars that weren't good enough to put in a sears catalog. The design flaws were kept. Such as how the strings angle away from the nut. Same with the quality of wood which often times was particle board. That's where they got all that "unique" tone which I hated for many years but now love. It's kitsch. I'd see those things all over the country in dirt towns where people were too broke to pay attention. Every once in awhile someone would play one at a flea market. Laugh at how bad it sounded and put it back.
A buddy of mine owns a midline guitar shop. He's done guitar tech since the late 60's. He'd collect old harmony, kay, airline guitars and fix em up as a hobby. He was too embarrassed to ever display them in his store. He had every model ever made and he'd show them off at guitar shows. One day a guy who was the general manager of a Guitar Center. Bought his collection at an outrageous price. And I believe he went on to head Eastwood and was responsible for them bringing back all those classic models.

About Tim Lerch and his Tuxedo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cONmDl6fBlk

I follow him on FB. My nearest estimate is that he has over 20 Telecasters to date. All american made and some custom built by luthiers for him. Not to mention all the untold jazz boxes he owns. He swapped out pups later on and then eventually sold the tuxedo in order to purchase another Gibson of which I can't guess how many he owns.

To a point you can't recreate a cheap guitar by making an expensive guitar. You try to dress it up to far and it loses it's initial character. As well no one would buy one. And to another point you'll never get the same quality of guitar made in south east asia as you would in the US or Japan. Sorry but it never happens. Just look at how many Ibby's Hibidy sent back over the years
My CIC and MIM fender telecasters are what they are. I prefer the CIC to the MIM with regards to build quality but they will never come close to my USA fender Strat or Tele. The fretwork, the neck profile, the pups the finish the bridge. It doesn't mean I don't like my import tele's but there is a clear difference to the quality of build. Same goes with Eastwood. They can't build guitars marketed for affordable fun and get the super fine details which only come after throwing much more attention to detail and hardware quality.

All that being said.... I still want a tuxedo. It's smaller profile makes that type of aggressive jive blues / rockabilly / Western Swing a possiblity for me that I'd never be able to attain on larger body / longer scale length guitars.

incubus · Post by **incubus** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 9:50 pm

SJ_Digriz wrote:
incubus wrote:God help me.......

http://www.kieselguitars.com/guitars-in-stock/135153
Come on, you know you'll just get it and be pissed because of something like the nut glue is too hard and causes an early reflection echo off the B string.

Meh, I think having cracks on the sides of the neck, non-working parts, and defects are a little more than what you accusing me of

SJ_Digriz · Post by **SJ_Digriz** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 9:57 pm

incubus wrote: Meh, I think having cracks on the sides of the neck, non-working parts, and defects are a little more than what you accusing me of

I'm more just teasing you than accusing you

But, it's a little more than defects ... hatred of certain methods of joining necks to bodies, general dislike for compound radius necks, various distastes for frets, pickups, pot positions, various pot combinations etc... But, I'm really just giving you a hard time.

incubus · Post by **incubus** » Sat Jan 21, 2017 3:15 am

I don't know anything about hate, I'm pissed at the fact that murican deluxe...excuse me, "elite" guitars have a newer shitty heel vs the one I have. Not everyone has Steve Vai hands.

But yeah, I've got lousy luck lately. I'm picky and things go wrong.

But I'm always looking for my next ex-girlfriend

Laguna Rising · Post by **Laguna Rising** » Sat Jan 21, 2017 2:02 pm

http://line6.com/variax-modeling-guitars/shuriken

Not sure about price range... 1200 ?

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Sat Jan 21, 2017 7:44 pm

No way in hell I'd play a 27 inch scale length guitar. Tried that once. That being said. I've grown to love my Variax Standard.

Back to Carvin's for a second... Pretty guitars that play well but sound like crap. Sorry Carvin fans everywhere.

Find or grow a luthier.... Last year about this time I was playing an EJ signature strat that sounded and played awesome. It had a Soft V neck which I thought I'd never like but found myself enjoying nonetheless. It also was a bolt in (not a bolt on with a smooth recessed joint Like you'd find on Washburn-Parkers and others.... My point is that a guitar tech / luthier started with an Eric Johnson Stratocaster then worked his magic for something else on the other side. Everything from replacing the pick guard with one he made so it only had one volume and one pot (If you play close to the bridge on a strat you'd appreciate this) He also replaced the neck with a chandler and went to town elsewhere.

deastman · Post by **deastman** » Sat Jan 21, 2017 7:58 pm

I'm thinking about building a cigar box guitar from scratch. Has anyone else here built one? Any tips?

incubus · Post by **incubus** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 3:27 am

"Have a Tampa" makes the best, most analog material.

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 5:17 am

Touching on "Hands of Steve Vai" Back in the 80's I too was obsessed with Vai's and Paul Gilbert's playing. Bought all the VHS learn metal tapes. Went nuts trying to stretch my fingers. Wasted a lot of time trying to be something / someone I wasn't. Many many years later I picked up a 3/4 size guitar had the time of my life playing things I couldn't play before. Eventually I gave the guitar to my girlfriend.... Who dumped me three months later. If the issue is you don't have supersized hands then the solution is to get a guitar that fits you. (re enter into find a luthier and mikro guitars)

That's not the whole story though. I'd played in various hard rock bands and stuck out like a sore thumb. Playing well doesn't always make you look the part or feel the part. Seriously you put Michael J Fox into a motorcycle gang dress him up in leather and he'll still look like MJF.

So here's where the story turns. Sure I've dabbled in classical, neo-classical melodic metal. Been in Jazz bands been in Rock bands, Been in Blues bands. Been in Fusion Bands. Fore me it always comes back to... Fingerstyle Jazz. Shy of winning the lottery the only thing I think about buying is a Line 6 Firehawk FX as I have no pedals or mfx processors to speak of. And even then I say to myself.... What does this do for what I'm playing now?

It's one of those junctures in life where you can either chase after something you think may bring you happiness or you can make the most of what you have and find happiness in that.

Laguna Rising · Post by **Laguna Rising** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 10:09 am

tapper mike wrote:It's one of those junctures in life where you can either chase after something you think may bring you happiness or you can make the most of what you have and find happiness in that.

I can't stop thinking about it beyond music....

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Wed Jan 25, 2017 3:04 am

It's funny... When I first came to KVR would read all the forums and contribute to many. As my midi based hardware started to die and I decided not to re invest. It killed interest in the daw and instruments forums. The derisive nature of the Theory forum led me away from there. At a point I could no longer involve myself with Hyde Park. Eventually I was left with viewing mostly this (Hardware) forum and specifically this thread. Now I've begun to lose interest in that.

PurpleCatfishBettie · Post by **PurpleCatfishBettie** » Wed Jan 25, 2017 8:09 am

mike, this thread has definitely had a great run though, and you've been a big part of it.

maybe it's 'the end of the internet' when a person loses interest in the forums they like.

i used to hang out in instruments and music cafe quite a bit, but now follow hardware and diy more.

today, i probably spend more time on ebay, buying $5 batches of electronic parts. lol. from the 'frying pan into the fire' over here?

PurpleCatfishBettie · Post by **PurpleCatfishBettie** » Wed Jan 25, 2017 8:43 am

how about a spanky guitar? you get yourself a $40 guitar, and mod it however. on ebay, you can sometimes get a davison for $20, + $20 shipping. $40 guitar. the lightweight wood gives more spank than a heavy wood solid body. try it for yourself.

it's a darker sounding guitar. some people say the bass becomes weak and mushy at higher volumes, but either way these lightweight wood bodied guitars have their own sound. ymmv

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsnpLmO ... RfOdAcz96Y

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Wed Jan 25, 2017 2:09 pm

To each their own I'm not much of a tech. Usually guitar interest starts with.... Can I play it? I'm fair with somethings and not with others when it comes to guitar faults.

Xiangqi wrote:mike, this thread has definitely had a great run though, and you've been a big part of it.

maybe it's 'the end of the internet' when a person loses interest in the forums they like.

i used to hang out in instruments and music cafe quite a bit, but now follow hardware and diy more.

today, i probably spend more time on ebay, buying $5 batches of electronic parts. lol. from the 'frying pan into the fire' over here?

Yeah maybe....
I'll just be around here less. Hopefully wont disappear entirely. I still desire other guitars (though less so) and I'm still interested in what everyone else is interested in. It's the best gear thread on the planet. Somehow people stay respectful of other people even if they disagree with purchase decisions.

Laguna Rising · Post by **Laguna Rising** » Wed Jan 25, 2017 6:59 pm

Hey Mike, this is one my favourites thread, too.
Lately I'm checking 2 forums: Music café (for the contest, and music from people I know) and Hardware, for guitars, fx, and a little more...
My interests are always changing a bit.
I've been playing bass since 1987 and never been interested too much into gear; Last December I discovered Talkbass.com and now I'm checking it everyday and I find it very interesting. Attention is high. Can't be sure it will last...

Your next guitar?