KVR Audio

attalal · Post by **attalal** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:47 pm

I realize KVR may not be the ultimate place to ask this question, but it's the only forum I frequently visit, so I'll try here first anyway.

I recently moved and had to leave my guitars behind, which means I now have to get a new guitar (e-guitar btw). Not being extremely well off, it should be quite cheap...more or less as cheap as they come really.

So, I went and tried various cheap guitars, and didn't find many that I really enjoyed playing. One I found kind of nice was a Squier Tele custom II (with P-90's):
http://www.squierguitars.com/products/s ... 0327602506
As far as I tried it, it played and sounded quite ok. Some frets were sticking out slightly to the side of the neck though, but otherwise it was ok. It seems I can get this in a shop for £169.

Since I'm rather stupid, I proceeded with trying some not-as-cheap guitars, and quickly decided that things like eating, paying rent, etc. are waaay overrated. One I really liked playing, and, as far as I could tell, also sounded ok, was an Ibanez SZ320MH:
http://www.ibanez.co.jp/world/products/ ... a_e_u.html
In store that would set me back something like £350, but it seems I can get that online (if I dare...) for £280.

So, does anyone here own one of these? In that case, are there any specific problems?
Alternative recommendations? I would really have liked to try out the Pacifica 120, but it wasn't available in any of the shops, and I didn't really like look

of the 112 model.
Of course, if I decide to go for the Ibanez, I might end up really annoyed that another £100 would have gotten me a PRS SE ...and I quite like the Santana model.
So, please....

Oh, btw I'll probably be using the guitar for recording, but more importantly just for fiddling every now and then without plugging in.

birrbits · Post by **birrbits** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:50 pm

theres always ebay....

edit: meaning, look for a nice used guitar....

dry bones · Post by **dry bones** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:05 pm

£280 on ebay will get you a good guitar, for example:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Yamaha-SG1000_W0Q ... dZViewItem

attalal · Post by **attalal** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:18 pm

Thanks for the replies,

true that ...about ebay I mean. On the other hand it's always nice to have played the guitar (which is a stupid comment since I mention getting the Ibanez online..)

Right, I should look at ebay...

metalsvinet · Post by **metalsvinet** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:36 pm

attalal wrote:One I found kind of nice was a Squier Tele custom II (with P-90's):
http://www.squierguitars.com/products/s ... 0327602506
As far as I tried it, it played and sounded quite ok. Some frets were sticking out slightly to the side of the neck though, but otherwise it was ok.

My choice. The P90s are sweet, especially the bridge one.

attalal · Post by **attalal** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:41 pm

metalsvinet wrote:
attalal wrote:One I found kind of nice was a Squier Tele custom II (with P-90's):
http://www.squierguitars.com/products/s ... 0327602506
As far as I tried it, it played and sounded quite ok. Some frets were sticking out slightly to the side of the neck though, but otherwise it was ok.
My choice. The P90s are sweet, especially the bridge one.

Oh, nice. How is it otherwise, any peculiarities? What about the frets?

jens · Post by **jens** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:43 pm

I've got one of these:

http://www.godinguitars.com/godinradp.htm

the parts are handcrafted in Canada and then assembled in the U.S.A. and they're incredibly inexpensive, lovely sounding and very playable - imo they're much more bang for the bucks than a Squier Telecasters!

attalal · Post by **attalal** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:48 pm

jens wrote:I've got one of these:

http://www.godinguitars.com/godinradp.htm

the parts are handcrafted in Canada and then assembled in the U.S.A. and they're incredibly inexpensive, lovely sounding and very playable - imo they're much more bang for the bucks than a Squier Telecasters!

Looks potentially interesting. How would you describe the sound of it?
I played a solidac once, and liked it a lot...a bit more expensive than the radiator though.

jens · Post by **jens** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:10 pm

attalal wrote:
jens wrote:I've got one of these:

http://www.godinguitars.com/godinradp.htm

the parts are handcrafted in Canada and then assembled in the U.S.A. and they're incredibly inexpensive, lovely sounding and very playable - imo they're much more bang for the bucks than a Squier Telecasters!
Looks potentially interesting. How would you describe the sound of it?
I played a solidac once, and liked it a lot...a bit more expensive than the radiator though.

well, first of all it's rather percussive - this is due to the body being hollow below the pickguard - but it's far from being thin...

puh - well, it's really hard for me to descriibe the sound of a guitar...

you could listen to this tune of mine:

http://www.zone-x-music.com/mp3/last_here.mp3

apart from the western-guitar chords and the bit of tremoloed chords in the refrain it's all my Radiator... (ahorn-fretboard)

disclaimer: I use 13-54 strings on it!

it also sounds very good and full dry - but it misses a tremolo so I have planned to add a tremolo with an included piezo-pickup...

attalal · Post by **attalal** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:26 pm

jens wrote:
attalal wrote:
jens wrote:I've got one of these:

http://www.godinguitars.com/godinradp.htm

the parts are handcrafted in Canada and then assembled in the U.S.A. and they're incredibly inexpensive, lovely sounding and very playable - imo they're much more bang for the bucks than a Squier Telecasters!
Looks potentially interesting. How would you describe the sound of it?
I played a solidac once, and liked it a lot...a bit more expensive than the radiator though.
well, first of all it's rather percussive - this is due to the body being hollow below the pickguard - but it's far from being thin...

puh - well, it's really hard for me to descriibe the sound of a guitar...

you could listen to this tune of mine:

http://www.zone-x-music.com/mp3/last_here.mp3

apart from the western-guitar chords and the bit of tremoloed chords in the refrain it's all my Radiator... (ahorn-fretboard)

disclaimer: I use 13-54 strings on it!

it also sounds very good and full dry - but it misses a tremolo so I have planned to add a tremolo with an included piezo-pickup...

Hey, thanks a bunch for the info, and cool tune!

I think I kind of get the idea about the tone...but as you say, it really is difficult describing such stuff.

Wouldn't dare bying one without trying it first, I get the feeling I might either love it or hate it.

jens · Post by **jens** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:35 pm

yeah - you should try any guitar you might buy in any case...

- shouldn't be to difficult in the UK though to find a shop where you could put your hands on it!

oh and just let me add: of course it sounds also great with all kinds of distorted stuff - but imo it's harder to get a lovely clean sound...

greendoor · Post by **greendoor** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:52 pm

Recording electric guitars can be harder than you think, especially if you have bad AC power. You might be lucky, but bad AC power is very common. Electric guitar designs are pretty much unchanged since the 1940's, and they are sadly wanting. You might be extremely lucky, and be able to plug in a single coil guitar and have zero hum/buzz. Or, you might not care enough to worry about it. If you are unlucky enough to have bad AC, and to care, you could be in for a frustrating experience. This is relevant because I think there are lots of cheap electric guitars that have a useful sound - IF - you can eliminate the hum. Humbucker pickups are not always the answer - especially if you like bright clean sounds. Cheap guitars are never shielded, and hum like a dog. The better guitars have better electrics and shielding. But sometimes, with the quietest pickups and electronics on earth, your electric guitar will still hum/buzz. This is because the electrical ground in many areas is contaminated. It should be a silent 0 Volts - but often there can be stray voltages and noises. You guitar cable shield is always connected to electrical ground - so it it's contaminated, nothin you do will remove the noise. The cure can be expensive. Seriously - the good studios often have spent a fortune dealing with these issues. Exotic power transformers, grounding schemes, faraday cages. A workaround solution is the Line6 Variax guitars, which use piezo pickups and are immune from hum. Worth considering if you are home-recording. Battery guitar amps are also worth considering for home recording - you don't need a lot of volume to drive a mic. Currently i'm working on my studio to eliminate all stray EMI. Phone lines can be shockingly bad. My goal is to create a space where I can record any guitar - no matter how poorly shielded. Just my 2 cents.

attalal · Post by **attalal** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:13 pm

greendoor wrote: ...

So, you're suggesting I should consider a variax? Actually, that's something I haven't thought about so far. Only the cheapest model would be in my price range though, and I haven't tried it.
In any case, right now recording is not the main purpose, I'm most of all in really bad need of holding a guitar, at least once a day.

jens wrote: - shouldn't be to difficult in the UK though to find a shop where you could put your hands on it!

I didn't see one when I went looking, but you're probably right. Just need to search outside my immediate neighbourhood probably...

Still very much interested what anyone has to say about the specific models above, in particular the SZ...

jens · Post by **jens** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:31 pm

attalal wrote: Still very much interested what anyone has to say about the specific models above, in particular the SZ...

personally I'd rather go for one of the (much cheaper) Jet Kings (I'm a big Ibanez fan and think they're all good & usable intruments

)

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:34 pm

where in the uk are you?

recommendation on guitar?