Your next guitar?

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

an extended scale length conversion neck for a tele sounds like a great idea.

oh, same with a strat with 3 P90s...

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

...interesting story on these Xiangqi guitars:

First, I ordered 3 of these (the minimum the factory will allow), then expected to sell 1 or 2 of them, then buy some more, etc. It didn't really look to be something which would earn money for me, but I like this kind of guitar, so figured maybe a few more of them could be introduced to the public, through Reverb.com.

Anyway, 2 of them arrive and it fairly quickly becomes apparent, that the vibrato bridge is not working with a Paulownia body. The Paulownia sounds great, but it becomes clear that a fixed bridge should have been the design.

Also, on the pickup being in the middle, I'd told the factory rep 'toward the middle' many times, but I should have been more precise. So, the pickups were smack dab in the middle. My preference was about an inch further back toward the bridge.

So, right away the thought is, 'these can't be sold, but they will be good to keep and play'.

In the meantime, I posted pics on the 'Ugly Guitars' group on Facebook. Much to my surprise, there were several 'where can I get these?' replies, and over 100 likes! lol Now, I don't think these guitars are ugly, but they do resemble guitars posted by other people to the same group. The response had me taken aback.

Then I start scrambling... frantic emails to the factory to figure out logistics, starting up gofundme, wondering whether this is a good idea at all (still looks very difficult to get paid anything, and the looming thought of eventually dealing with disappointed customers is there).

Well, I get some things ironed out with the factory, then start a gofundme, and make a youtube video for it, and... no responses.

It's like a 3-day whiplash of emotions.

The GoFundMe has/had '2 tiers': a $250 level where the customer could pick color, body wood, bridge type, and pickup placement; and a $200 level where all of the guitars would be paulownia with fixed bridge, and the pickup about halfway between the bridge and the middle. The $200 level would have all guitars being the same, and choice of sky blue or seafoam green.

Anyway, no responses so, it's actually kind of a relief. The next step is to simplify the gofundme, remove the customization option, and to over time, try and raise enough to buy 10 guitars of the $200 option. I'll just leave that up there and kind of forget about it.

Then, on this end save up to purchase some more of these guitars on my own, and see if they can quietly be sold on Reverb.

Ok, so that is kind of what happened with the Xiangqi guitars.

Check this out though: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BKB0FXK

This is a Stagg 'Tele' guitar. It's got your standard 'T' pickup in the bridge, but a P90 in the neck position. 3-way switch, etc. Here's the thing though; it's got an alder body, which might be intriguing.

Another thing is, these guitars most often go for $180... but, the other day there was one in sunburst for $95, and a couple of days later, one in black for $115. At this point, I wouldn't pay $180 for one of these, but $95 is tempting. Honestly, I've got a Stagg 'slimline Paul Jr.' with P90s, and while the pickups are great, the neck is weak. So, I've got an idea that Staggs have good pickups, but aren't great in other areas. But any time I can get a 'T' guitar -- especially one with a P90 in the neck -- for $95... that's tough to ignore.

Someone (was it you, mike?) might have mentioned that Amazon can kind of be a 'pie in the sky' type of thing, and while I agree in many (most?) cases; watching a lot of various merch can unearth some bargains from time to time...

oh, and I'm really going to have to start checking yard sales for guitars and amps....

[Uncle E]

The next step is to simplify the gofundme, remove the customization option, and to over time, try and raise enough to buy 10 guitars of the $200 option.

Change it to $199. Can you add a neck pickup without increasing your cost too much? It might appeal to more people that way. More color options may also help appeal to more people, especially if you offer black, which is the most popular color.

Check this out though: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BKB0FXK

The Cabronita pickguard with the P90 and traditional bridge looks really cool. You could build that exact guitar using Warmoth parts for around $500 with imported pickups or $600 with Fender or Dimarzio pickups. Yes, that's three times the price of the Chinese guitars but it'd be as good as the best American guitars.

[tapper mike]

Back to Carvin, they ARE a custom guitar. You pick the wood, the pickups, the hardware, the colors, etc. Mostly (unless you go crazy with the eye-candy) they are WAY under market price for lesser gods. I know, I'm trying to get rid of some of those.

Yes, custom guitars that actually hold their value. Try reselling a custom guitar from a luthier. Unless that luthier used well-known parts (Warmoth, USA Custom Guitars, etc.), it's going to be tough.

Did you see the Carvin extended scale length and multi-scale guitars? I've always been after that kind of bell-like, piano tone that bass players are into, except for guitar, and I think an extended scale length might be the thing I've been missing. I'm thinking of getting a Warmoth baritone conversion neck for my Telecaster.

Actually luthiers custom guitars do hold their value but it's not a quick sale. Sort of like Real Estate. The more expensive custom designs say from Chris Forshage or Todd Keehn will take longer to move but hold a higher value if you start with a higher value when you sell.

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

you just gave me an idea... how about a 'karl farbman' guitar?

[tapper mike]

Sorry, no it wasn't me commenting about pie in the sky.

The build quality you are mentioning is the reason why I wouldn't go off on a bargain basement enterprise. Though I do think often about what it would be like to have my own brand of guitars.


For some reason... Matt Raines can lock down quality control for the guitars he has built in China. Same with Raven West Guitars from indonesia.

A funny thing about RW. Forget what they state is the price of the guitar... The sale price is really the sale price. They just use the bigger number to make you think you are getting a deal.
http://www.ravenwestguitar.com/elguit.html

If I had the money....I'd buy the Parker brand name from Jam Industries. Jam industries recently purchased World Music (which owns washburn) They stopped production of the parker line. I think they stopped all production for washburn and are waiting for investors to show up and start it up again.

[tapper mike]

Also... I've seen what you mean in the past about getting a lot of hype from the general public then it withering when it comes to people putting money down. Heck I did that last week when looking at a D'angelico NYL2 I was drooling, I was in love, I couldn't stop talking about it with the sales guy and... There was no way I was going to buy it.

[tapper mike]

.

Check this out though: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BKB0FXK

This is a Stagg 'Tele' guitar. It's got your standard 'T' pickup in the bridge, but a P90 in the neck position. 3-way switch, etc. Here's the thing though; it's got an alder body, which might be intriguing.

Alder and Swamp Ash are identical with regards to tone. Swamp Ash is mostly about showing the grain. My(prevoius) Fender Blacktop Vintage Modified Telecaster (with alnico v pups) had an alder body.

.....

This intrigues me
https://reverb.com/item/3734150-wolf-wl ... ric-guitar


Notice the carefully correct wording Maple Veneer A veneer can be either a very thinly sliced piece of maple or it can simply be... Contact paper.
And it reiterates that with the "two piece mahogany"

[Uncle E]

Alder and Swamp Ash are identical with regards to tone.

FWIW, Warmoth told me alder and swamp ash are usually around the same weight, with swamp ash skewing only slightly lighter.

This intrigues me
https://reverb.com/item/3734150-wolf-wl ... ric-guitar

The problem with Made in Korea these days is a lot of it is actually Made in China and only assembled in Korea. It's a shame because Made in Korea had just started getting really good. For example, I'd bet this ESP EC-400, which was Made in Korea probably around 2005-2010, is absolutely killer:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ESP-LTD-EC-400V ... SwTglYmpPE

[deastman]

Alder and Swamp Ash are identical with regards to tone.

FWIW, Warmoth told me alder and swamp ash are usually around the same weight, with swamp ash skewing only slightly lighter.

This intrigues me
https://reverb.com/item/3734150-wolf-wl ... ric-guitar

The problem with Made in Korea these days is a lot of it is actually Made in China and only assembled in Korea. It's a shame because Made in Korea had just started getting really good. For example, I'd bet this ESP EC-400, which was Made in Korea probably around 2005-2010, is absolutely killer:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ESP-LTD-EC-400V ... SwTglYmpPE

Pretty much the only guitar I play is a Made in Korea special edition Koa Strat. It's a little bright, but I rarely change the strings which helps to compensate. I'm not sure if Fender still has anything manufactured over there these days.

[Jafo]

IIRC (and I probably don't!) the PRS SE guitars are still made in Korea, and I agree that Korean guitars are/were getting really good; I've got a first-run Santana SE, and other than a few of the tuners being a little askew (my e string tuner is noticeably unparallel with the rest), the quality is excellent.

As for my next guitar, I'm probably going to just stick some parts on a 2×4 and call it a lap steel. Maybe I'll use a P90, maybe I'll use an overwound Strat pup (maybe with a steel plate underneath for some Tele magic). Hard to go wrong with a design like that!

[zakufan]

Just got this today. I've been looking for it for a long time. Looks and sounds great but the toggle switch won't go to the lower position. It always bounce back to the middle position. Any idea what the problem is?

[Uncle E]

The inside of the switch must be bent. All you have to do is open it up and bend it back into shape, it should then last you a long time. It's a ridiculous mechanical design and it's amazing that these switches work as well as they do.

[zakufan]

Thanks Uncle E. I will try it this weekend

[tapper mike]

Now that Champman's has two price levels the higher priced ones come from Korea and the lower priced ones come from Indonesia. Which I find funny because Rob Chapman would always easily point out huge flaws in indonesian made guitars.

Guild, Gretsch, Hagstrom, D'angelico and Conti are all made at the Peerless factory in Korea.