Your next guitar?

[Cheeso]

I just got one of these:
http://www2.gibson.com/Images/Products/ ... This=true&
Sounds good with a Vox Mini3 amp, but needs new strings. Fun to play in JamUp Pro through a Marshall amp with the gain cranked up!

[Uncle E]

So awesome!!!

btw, reunited and it feels so good. I just got my 3120 out of storage and it plays just as amazingly as I remembered:

[Hink]

what a crock...all the responses to my post...eric I mod my guitars because I can take pride in the job I do...I can't take no pride from pulling a guitar off a rack and having enough money to but it (you can, so that's good for you)...that's not pride for me, that's a show off...I am not that. But I do not care for anyone who acts better than others by bragging about how awesome gear they bought is. There becomes a point where you are not buying a guitar for what it will do for your playing but what it does for your image...I value my guitar playing far more than that.

SJ_Digriz, I do not hate all things boutique (have you seen my three Frenzel amps, oh but wait they are not botiques even though they are handmade because Jim does not charge you two legs and an arm right?) so keep your words out of my mouth...I post an awesome strat and someone comes along and says my Suhr blows it away...well bully bully for him. How many times are you going to see an original 56 strat in that shape? Comparing that to a Suhr is rediculous on many levels and only serves one purpose TO BRAG...sorry if that bothers you for some reason...I think we elder musicians send a piss poor message to younger musicians...you gotta have an expensive guitar (great message for the music dealer though huh? )

I dont and I may not be the greatest guitar player in the eyes of many I am guitar playing is and had been my life for longer than many here have even been breathing and I will tell you one thing for sure my friend...nobody on earth is better at making me happy playing guitar than I am because that's all it is about for me MY PASSION...not your passion, not Eric's passion, not anyone's passion other than mine...is it okay that I share that on KvR and share it often? You see I see people all the time buy a new Les Paul, or think a USA strat is so much better than a Mexican strat...all I am saying is that it really depends on whose hands it's in doesn't it?

I went 30 years at least of playing 99% of that time with only one guitar and an amp that I could afford. Instead of buying my sound I had to work to get the sound I wanted and I wouldn't change any of that ever. But I do wonder when I read all this gear snob crap not just here but everywhere what it is really about. For me learning as I did was the greatest gift, knowledge and understanding blows away having gear people drool over.

My gear is better than yours, my playing is better than yours, my choice of genre is better than yours, my taste in general is better than yours, I am better than you...it gets old.

I'm just me, no need to take me to seriously in fact you can hate me or love me, I dont really care all that much because the two are not all that different. Sometimes I vent...so????????????? I'm not lying, I dont even hang out with musicians in the real world..you know why? They all revert back to jr high when talking about their gear.

My gear isn't better than anyone's, but it is all very well suited for me and that's all that matters (because of my musical background I learned how to make this happen myself, I didn't buy iy). My playing isnt better than anyone's. but I have nothing to prove there so that doesnt matter either because music literally has been my life and believe it or not actually saved my life...I bet you very few people here can say this.

What is funny is how many people get upset when I say these things, but ir proves my point 1000%...man I miss Ian, I think one of about maybe at best 5 KvR members who do not walk around thinking that the best way to impress other musicians is to have better gear than them (I dont care who I impress besides myself)...it's so ass backwards it isnt even funny...if one can play on a cheap guitar one can play on any guitar (within reason of ocurse there are some truly bad guitars out there)...if you cant play on any guitar and just have to have the best guitars than I feel very, very, very, very, very, sorry for that person.

4lb kitty, I do like hibidy very much but I am not another anyone...I am me...like me or hate me that's what I am...a man who had/has a passion and has stayed true to that passion for 42 years...THAT IS SUCCESS IMHO.

I do wonder how many of you would have stayed with it when in my late 30s and after playing gutar for well over two decades I went into a music store after not having a guitar for a while, kicking a serious coke habit and bought a 200 dollar Kramer Striker that was laminate wood inside and total junk...I also bought a Charvel solid state amp that was terrible but all I could afford but I knew I could keep playing and I knew I could put a rose on that guitar, change the pups and make it better which I did...from that day I built what I have now for a studio and it wasn't until I was 44 or 45 that I actually had two 6 string electric guitars I could play...that's a success story...not "I spent a lot on this gear so I must be good"...I've heard that for 42 years and I really dont care.

Oh Eric, that striker is a perfect example of a sub 500 dollar guitar that is awesome...another is the guitar that I was to rebuild (scarface)...199.99, all it had was one pup (an emg 81, my first) a FR and no name on it...it was an esp body with a warmoth neck. I cannot think of too many times I enjoyed playing more than when I had gone without playing for a while and bought those guitars (the striker replace the esp bodied guitar). It's all relative and different for everyone, I would hope a music gear dealer wold understand that point...I know when I was in retail though it didn't make me as much money I would rather sell someone what the really needed, not what I needed them to buy...but then I sold benefits over features and one benefit is saving money in this world so i can support my family too

[hibidy]

Wow

[Uncle E]

eric I mod my guitars because I can take pride in the job I do...

You don't do it because you want your guitar to be better? Is the modding itself a hobby for you? If so, you're right and I apologize for misunderstanding before.

...I post an awesome strat and someone comes along and says my Suhr blows it away...

I'm sorry that it sounded like this is what I was trying to say. It's not the case. Suhr's can be amazing guitars for people (like me) who are looking for that combination of qualities but they're certainly not all things to all people. I know plenty of people who prefer chunky necks, traditional non-humbucking pickups, and traditional tremolos, they're going to prefer a different instrument than a Suhr.

btw, my Warmoth tele has a chunky neck, traditional non-humbucking pickups, and a traditional hardtail bridge with brass saddles. It's an awesome instrument, just something very different from a Suhr.

You see I see people all the time buy a new Les Paul, or think a USA strat is so much better than a Mexican strat...all I am saying is that it really depends on whose hands it's in doesn't it?

Well, I've only ever found one Mexican strat that sounded great stock and even that one didn't play all that great. The cheap American Highway One strats I've played, OTOH, have been pretty good. Given these experiences, I really do think most players would find themselves able to do more with an American strat than a Mexican one. I think most great players (from a shred point of view) would find themselves able to do even more with an Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Strat or a Suhr.

What is funny is how many people get upset when I say these things, but ir proves my point 1000%...man I miss Ian, I think one of about maybe at best 5 KvR members who do not walk around thinking that the best way to impress other musicians is to have better gear than them (I dont care who I impress besides myself)...it's so ass backwards it isnt even funny...

I honestly don't think many musicians do this. Yes, we may often times get won over by brand names or by what our favorite artists are using but that's not the same thing as trying to impress other musicians with our gear.

btw, this reminds me of an article from Guitar Player magazine about 20 years ago where the writer said a semi-hollow Harmony would complement The Edge's sound better than his strats do. The case he was making is that a lot of players get swept up in tradition and don't look beyond to find things that might actually suit us better. I think you would have liked that guy's perspective.

Oh Eric, that striker is a perfect example of a sub 500 dollar guitar that is awesome...another is the guitar that I was to rebuild (scarface)...199.99, all it had was one pup (an emg 81, my first) a FR and no name on it...it was an esp body with a warmoth neck. I cannot think of too many times I enjoyed playing more than when I had gone without playing for a while and bought those guitars (the striker replace the esp bodied guitar).

Got it. I thought you were referring to new guitars. I don't think I've paid more than $500 for any of my Warmoth's and most of them have indeed been ridiculously good instruments. My wenge body/wenge neck Warmoth J-Bass makes me sound like the smoothest RnB player on the planet.

[Hink]

eric I mod my guitars because I can take pride in the job I do...

You don't do it because you want your guitar to be better? Is the modding itself a hobby for you? If so, you're right and I apologize for misunderstanding before.

...I post an awesome strat and someone comes along and says my Suhr blows it away...

I'm sorry that it sounded like this is what I was trying to say. It's not the case. Suhr's can be amazing guitars for people (like me) who are looking for that combination of qualities but they're certainly not all things to all people. I know plenty of people who prefer chunky necks, traditional non-humbucking pickups, and traditional tremolos, they're going to prefer a different instrument than a Suhr.

btw, my Warmoth tele has a chunky neck, traditional non-humbucking pickups, and a traditional hardtail bridge with brass saddles. It's an awesome instrument, just something very different from a Suhr.

You see I see people all the time buy a new Les Paul, or think a USA strat is so much better than a Mexican strat...all I am saying is that it really depends on whose hands it's in doesn't it?

Well, I've only ever found one Mexican strat that sounded great stock and even that one didn't play all that great. The cheap American Highway One strats I've played, OTOH, have been pretty good. Given these experiences, I really do think most players would find themselves able to do more with an American strat than a Mexican one. I think most great players (from a shred point of view) would find themselves able to do even more with an Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Strat or a Suhr.

What is funny is how many people get upset when I say these things, but ir proves my point 1000%...man I miss Ian, I think one of about maybe at best 5 KvR members who do not walk around thinking that the best way to impress other musicians is to have better gear than them (I dont care who I impress besides myself)...it's so ass backwards it isnt even funny...

I honestly don't think many musicians do this. Yes, we may often times get won over by brand names or by what our favorite artists are using but that's not the same thing as trying to impress other musicians with our gear.

btw, this reminds me of an article from Guitar Player magazine about 20 years ago where the writer said a semi-hollow Harmony would complement The Edge's sound better than his strats do. The case he was making is that a lot of players get swept up in tradition and don't look beyond to find things that might actually suit us better. I think you would have liked that guy's perspective.

Oh Eric, that striker is a perfect example of a sub 500 dollar guitar that is awesome...another is the guitar that I was to rebuild (scarface)...199.99, all it had was one pup (an emg 81, my first) a FR and no name on it...it was an esp body with a warmoth neck. I cannot think of too many times I enjoyed playing more than when I had gone without playing for a while and bought those guitars (the striker replace the esp bodied guitar).

Got it. I thought you were referring to new guitars. I don't think I've paid more than $500 for any of my Warmoth's and most of them have indeed been ridiculously good instruments. My wenge body/wenge neck Warmoth J-Bass makes me sound like the smoothest RnB player on the planet.

Eric I'm not going to pick apart every quote...my bad you didn't say a Suhr blows away the strat you said it stomps all over it.

As for people being able to do more with an American Strat than a Fender Strat...really? That's the biggest line of bull I have heard in months and really a salesman should never make such blanketed statements (if people feel that way I understand why they quit after a few years. myself no guitar is better than I am...end of story and if it were I would quit too)...perhaps times are different now, but when I had to face a musician and look him/her in the eyes it was a different story. Above all else, nothing else matters at all over this one point...this is key FOR ME...the customer must walk out of the store with what they were looking for and they WILL walk out of the store with a new friend if they are a first time customer.

Now if someone is coming in the store and they want to spend a lot on any instrument it's my pleasure to sell it to them if that's what they want. But my first step is to get to know a customer, believe it or not it's not about me or my gear so I dont bring that up unless asked. When I was in retail we had constant training on how to ask the RIGHT questions to determine what the customer wanted and needed and then I took it from there.

Sure that may not always result in a huge sale but it did keep me with steady customers, in fact I worked in Natick Mass which is abut halfway between NH and RI, I had one customer call on the phone and ask if he could make an appointment to talk to someone because he wanted to set up a studio and he would pay me for the time. I told him to come on in but he couldn't pay me for my time, it was my pleasure. He bought a lot from me and he disappeared for a while, he was from RI so I figured he found someone closer and that was fine but the truth was over two years he bought so much gear from me he wanted a bigger studio so he bought a bigger house (of course that was his story, I'm sure he just could not afford stuff while buying a house).

I left the store in natick Mass and went to NH on the Mass border, he went into the Natick store, asked for me but I had left so from that day on he traveled from RI, through Mass to NH to buy from me because I gave him the straight "poop"...I would never say to him or any of the other customers I had (he was not the only one to follow me to NH) "this stomps all over" whatever they were interested in, I feel that i soffensive. Instead if I felt that way I was tactful and open. "Okay I hear what you are saying, I know you want this but judging from what you have, what you are looking for and what I know about you I think this might suit you better, what do you think?"..If they still wanted what they started out with great but often enough they went with my suggestion which often was cheaper and less PM for me. Benefits over features, "this might suit you better because of xxxx and xxx"..example cardioid and super-cardioid patterns and monitor placement when used in live applications and how to avoid feedback. Often that meant selling the mic with less "juice"...like Shure which of course you know does not extend a lot of PM for their mics. But never "my gear stomps all over it"...sorry (and I am sorry if it bothers you) blanketed statements like that are a pet peeve...that's why I use "IMO" or "IMHO"...just because you can play it better doesn't mean it will make ME a better player...in fact I believe a crap guitar in the end will make me a better player.

I didn't say I didn't want my guitars to be better in fact I didn't come close, I said that Suhrs were awesome guitars. I said I do not see the value in Suhrs (of course if resale is your thing that's different, I dont typically sell my gear..I play it and keep it), yes you're right I do want to make the guitar better...not buy it that way because when I do it myself it's a couple hundred dollars more and if I bought a 5k guitar (or 2500.00) it's still just a couple hundred dollars worth better...face it, Suhr brags about his blower switch which is less than a ten dollar mod.

You obviously have considerably more money than I will ever have. That does not change a thing, I am as good as you and everyone else whether I am playing a piece of plywood with pick-ups or or the most sought after guitar in the world and I dont need you or anyone else to tell what is better for me because I know far better than you what it best for me...if that upsets you..well too bad.

I dont buy things based on the name on them, but yes I do question things when they want me to..as I see it when a company reaches the top and makes the so-called "best" there is only one way to go and that's down...and when I see someone saying this "stomps all over it" it's an embellishment and I am smart enough to see through the crap (I also become suspect of all embellishments quickly, but then I have kids )...you like it better which is all that matters...there is no need to put down the other instrument like that...sorry I am such an ass but that's how I am

oh btw, sorry I confused you about used guitars, that's on me as I buy used a lot...I dont get discounts like I did in retail so I have to go with what I can afford and often used is by far the better value. I dont have to hunt and peck for just the right guitar, I'll find many guitars I do not like at first but see the value in them or see the potential and them. I'm not supporting the overpricing of gear and big business which is another plus. If there is something wrong with a guitar that I cant fix I will know right away...take you example of MIM strats...you never found one you liked how it played. I can fix that and as for the sound I can fix that too, for cheaper than the difference between a MIM and a USA and I will feel better about it as I cannot justify the extra cost vs my means

[hibidy]

I think I'm going to have to give up on the mayones. It's just too much money and too hard to find something I really want. Plus, I wouldn't be able to play it first. Yeah, I'll keep my eyes open, maybe some day something will pop up up I don't see it working out any time soon.

BUT........

I love my strat SO MUCH I've been wondering about getting her a twin'ish

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/ ... ric-guitar (In olympic white with the rosewood fretboard)

I think it might fit my needs possibly. I'm not sure the neck is exactly the same but if it is it would be a wonderful edition. Fender quality has gone UP. I can't get over how well made it is. And even with the stock pups, it sounds REALLY good. Puts all my ibbys to shame.

[Uncle E]

Suhr brags about his blower switch which is less than a ten dollar mod.

Agreed, things like that are lame. It's the Silent Single Coil Backplate System that I'm mostly impressed with. They didn't even develop it, it's made by a company called Ilitch, but it's cool that they install it since it does require routing.

...if that upsets you..well too bad.

I'm not upset. Are you upset?

oh btw, sorry I confused you about used guitars, that's on me as I buy used a lot...

Yeah, me, too. My Warmoth's were all purchased second-hand, that's why they were under $500. Even though I do get the retail discounts you're talking about, it's usually still cheaper to buy second-hand. Most of the guitar inventory at JRR is second-hand, we just happen to sell the majority of it on eBay and Craig's List, not on our site.

[Uncle E]

I think I'm going to have to give up on the mayones. It's just too much money and too hard to find something I really want. Plus, I wouldn't be able to play it first. Yeah, I'll keep my eyes open, maybe some day something will pop up up I don't see it working out any time soon.

Someone's selling a used one down the street from us:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mayones-Blakkhe ... 232e552c45

[hibidy]

I don't think I want one with those fret markers

[Hink]

Suhr brags about his blower switch which is less than a ten dollar mod.

Agreed, things like that are lame. It's the Silent Single Coil Backplate System that I'm mostly impressed with. They didn't even develop it, it's made by a company called Ilitch, but it's cool that they install it since it does require routing.

...if that upsets you..well too bad.

I'm not upset. Are you upset?

oh btw, sorry I confused you about used guitars, that's on me as I buy used a lot...

Yeah, me, too. My Warmoth's were all purchased second-hand, that's why they were under $500. Even though I do get the retail discounts you're talking about, it's usually still cheaper to buy second-hand. Most of the guitar inventory at JRR is second-hand, we just happen to sell the majority of it on eBay and Craig's List, not on our site.

upset? No frustrated yes...only because I posted a pic of something unique and got a blast of pretentious...I surely did not intend to compare a 57 year old guitar to a 21st century design guitar.

Now dont think I am picking on you or Suhr but there is a point where one is buying a guitar for prestige and Suhr is just the company de jour as it were (trust me I have a lot of likes on FB of many such companies). I see no value in someone doing the routing for me if I want it bad enough. I cite putting a kahler on a 72 black tele custom which I did with a drill, a wood chisel and on an old farm workbench in a very old barn...it was my first ever locking nut tremolo and if you took the kahler off it might not look pretty underneath it but in place it looked and worked perfect. (wouldn't you know the washburn wonder bar came out like months later )

The Strat BPNCS by Ilitch starts at 250 and goes up to 270 bux and the Strat PGNCS-S price starts at 270 and goes to 290 bux. I'm not sure if this is the system you speak of, I just googled it and I'm glad I did (I'll explain in a sec)...but here's my dilemma...this is a Surh that my friend was in love with



this is my LTD I paid like 650 for (in a three way tie for the most I have paid for a guitar but of the three the only new one, the Daion and Ibby are the others)



do you really expect me to believe that spending as much as three times as much for a guitar would yeild noticeable results in my playing after all these years? I think I'll add a blower to it one day for S&G (no really because I think it's a good idea) I added two switches to my LTD after this picture, one is a PA-2 pre-amp (total overkill) and the other is a 9v/18v switch but I like it on 18v so either could go leaving a hole that needs something and a blower switch is a good idea.

Now back to the Ilitch, the reason I'm glad I googled them is that pick guard is perfct for my next guitar...sort of..I have decided to expand sideways. I played a David Gilmour strat and liked the tone but not enough to buy one, nor would I want to get the pick guard and put it on say my Warmoth because I wouldn't want it as my only option.

But I wouldn't have to make it my only option would I? In fact I could buy the DG EMG pre-wired pick guard and just create my own plug and play system (EMG already has this so no prob)...but I can go further. I can add several pick guards to my collection and swap them out with ease. So I can have a DG, I can have a stock Fender Strat, I can have my two EMGs like I have now and much, much more including the Ilitch...all with my one guitar.

But it still gets better, years ago I replaced the slant jack on my Warmoth strat with flat pick guard material so I could have my PA-2 pre-amp there instead of the in the guard (because of the trimpot, removing two screws beats 11 and the strings) but since have changed it back. That same idea means I could also have a modular jack plate. One jack could have a pre but if I didn't want that I could go all passive in minutes.

One thing though, this Warmoth is a hardtail and that's a bit limiting. So in a few months I am going to start work on a sister guitar to the Warmoth with a rose (BTW the Warmoth wizard I prefer to the Ibby) with the same system which means I can swap and match between two guitars but in reality I could have many guitars...not just two...and two modify a guitar to do this will cost less than my breakfast (the extra pick guards and pups will cost a lot but the system for swapping is easy and cheap to make). So thanx for that heads up

[Hink]

now what I saw today from the same people as the 56 strat and the cool beat up 59



edit: and this (I never heard of the term for this before )

[Uncle E]

That'd look even better with Ibanez Cosmo Chrome hardware:



btw, that new LTD Elite has a similar vibe:

[Hink]

my LTD has black nickle finish, my ibby has the cosmo chrome and as they look very similar I would have to say I agree 100%...but as I have said before, I am not a big fan of chrome (regular ol' chrome) on guitars...but that's just me and has no basis in anything besides chrome belongs on bikes and cars, not on my guitars

still that would never be a deal breaker

[Uncle E]

Check out what Warmoth's got: