Your next guitar?

[Hink]

Instead of a power soak, I recommend getting the VHT Special 6 EL84 adapter instead:

https://www.jrrshop.com/vht-amplificati ... 84-adapter

The VHT only has a single 12AX7, which means it is either using half the tube as a phase inverter or it's using a solid state phase inverter. My guess is it's the former, which is actually a good thing, but that also means you only have half a preamp tube amplifying into the power section, and your amp ought to sound and respond much better with an EL84 than a 6V6 in that case.

Instead of a power soak, I recommend getting the VHT Special 6 EL84 adapter instead:

https://www.jrrshop.com/vht-amplificati ... 84-adapter

The VHT only has a single 12AX7, which means it is either using half the tube as a phase inverter or it's using a solid state phase inverter. My guess is it's the former, which is actually a good thing, but that also means you only have half a preamp tube amplifying into the power section, and your amp ought to sound and respond much better with an EL84 than a 6V6 in that case.

I have a couple of those kicking around here some place, fedexnman forgive me but I checked to see if we're on the same continent and if I can find them I'll send you one if you like...but I cant promise I know where they are after my move, I'll look in the morning

[fedexnman]

You guys are great thanks , I actually have that el84 tube and adapter already . It just distorts earlier than the 6v6 tube basically . I have the amp on an amp stand that I use to gig with an acoustic amp , kinda a mini PA . I think I'm gonna put the amp on the floor and face the amp away from the other rooms of the house . My wife said it wasn't too loud and didn't bother her , or my mother-in-law today . So I think I'm good on keeping it now . I have a really small house and no garage . It's been fun . I'm not much of an electric player but I figured I'd make it a new hobby to learn an play electric better . It's a different learning curve , I know what I like in acoustic guitar , electrics are a different beast you have amps , pickups , effects , speakers , tubes , etc etc .. it's like Baskin Robbins and then some .. the VHT is a weird beast too you make it distort by turning the watts knob down and the volume knob up .. mine also has an Ultra channel that I guess is another gain stage for distortion , I don't use it it makes it way to loud .. Most people don't use the Ultra channel from what I've read online also .

[incubus]

Rant:

You know what? 7 years ago when this thread was started, you could get a "cheap POS" and it was fine. Now, 1600 bucks gets you a cheap POS.

It's not static, but it's close.

Case in point:



Many people would think that even if it's not their taste, it's a nice looking guitar. 1599 street price, and it's not a MIJ "prestige" but a MII "premium"

Now, when I was buying "premiums" they were.........cheap. I think the most expensive one I had was 799 street and it was a good guitar.

1599?

So I played one tonight. Shit quality. Why Vai would lend his name to this is beyond me. If you've seen the story of "woodie" then you know that these are NOT sent to him with the same specs.

First off, the cheap-ass edge II trem. I was wondering that since they ditched fly wheel (which is a great concept, but not my thing) it would be cool. Nope. The arm (like most FR'S, which I hate) doesn't stay put.

Second, the neck was basically plywood. It was unsanded, had fret sprout that felt like viagra was added, and petered out pretty easy. Embarrassing.

Didn't plug it in so have no idea how it sounds, but those two reasons are more than enough to laugh my ass off. It's junk. Really expensive trash.

But the vids all make it sound like it's a very nice piece.

Thank god I have my 1520A. It's shizzle. I'll stick with that (until I find another one in "poisoned pumpkin" for a good price)

[Uncle E]

I actually have that el84 tube and adapter already . It just distorts earlier than the 6v6 tube basically .

Yes, that's the idea, that way you don't have to turn it up as loud to get the same saturation.

I think I'm gonna put the amp on the floor and face the amp away from the other rooms of the house .

If you're DI'ing it, you can put pillows in front of the speaker. Putting the speaker right against the wall might just make the wall resonate.

the VHT is a weird beast too you make it distort by turning the watts knob down and the volume knob up ..

I believe it's a post phase inverter master volume. If so, it's much better than master volumes of the past and you shouldn't be afraid to use it.

mine also has an Ultra channel that I guess is another gain stage for distortion , I don't use it it makes it way to loud .. Most people don't use the Ultra channel from what I've read online also .

The pull Boost on the volume knob is probably worth using. I imagine it's similar to using a clean boost pedal, which ought to give that preamp tube some life. I bet it sounds quite good, actually.

[Uncle E]

You know what? 7 years ago when this thread was started, you could get a "cheap POS" and it was fine. Now, 1600 bucks gets you a cheap POS.

My blue Prestige is still my favorite Ibanez, even compared to the more expensive models I've played. Like you, I paid under $800 for it. I've kept a Bad Horsie for investment purposes but I don't like it nearly as much.

I still remember being 14 years old in 1987, staring through the barred up window of a closed guitar shop at a green JEM on the wall. It was the first guitar I ever loved. My first guitar magazine was a Guitar Player that had Joe Walsh on the cover with his sunburst Les Paul Standard. That guitar is probably worth half a million dollars now but it had nothing on that JEM to a 14 year old Uncle E.

[fedexnman]

The made in Korea Ibanez that were made in the early to mid 90s we're cheap but played very well .. I had a strat copy Ibanez with a S S H layout back in 95 .. I could probably have changed the pickups out and had an awesome guitar shame I sold it . They were dirt cheap back then .

[tapper mike]

I'll bet even money that Vai doesn't play a ibanez factory built guitar. The ones he plays are prolly ghost built. http://www.edroman.com/rants/ghost.htm scroll down to Ibanez. As far as making a buck off of Ibanez, I'm sure he has no problems with guitars he never sees so long as he earns money from the endorsement. Sorry just because they are guitar heroes don't make them guitar saints.


There are better manufacturers out there who respect that when you plop down hard earned cash you expect quality. They aren't always the big names and they produce in Asia with finishing in the US.

Sure I'm often caught in brand identity / star identity like everyone else but I'm not beyond looking past that to find the guitar that works for me.

[tapper mike]

It's too bad that Made in Korea doesn't mean what it used to (with the exception of maybe Peerless)
The other Korean builders (Samick, Cort) off shore everything to indonesia. Cort and Samick Cort was the ghost builder for the "P" series of Parker guitars "under Washburn" Both of them had a pretty good run until it was found out they were importing guitars and selling them back as made in Korea to the original companies. (Gibson, Washburn, Yamaha, Ibanez, etc) At that point all the major players decided that they wanted to go direct to the builders rather than Cort/Samick and went to China, India, Indonesia etc for moderately priced guitars.

[Uncle E]

There are better manufacturers out there who respect that when you plop down hard earned cash you expect quality. They aren't always the big names and they produce in Asia with finishing in the US.

Suhr told me that every guitar from their Chinese-built Rasmus line had to be completely worked over in the US factory. They said that when all was said and done, the US factory was doing almost as much work on them as if they'd built-in themselves from the beginning.

I really liked the Korean-made ESP 400-series guitars I played around 2005 or so.

[fedexnman]

Funny story ... I bought a P90 Gibson Melody Maker 2014 120th anniversary model ... I've never really bonded with the guitar I bought it mail order I think Zzounds or MF or something can't remember .. anyhow . The action on the guitar is kinda a pain . I've lowered the bridge a tad but it seems crap .. Alot of shortcuts in the build of this guitar that was supposed to be made in USA it says USA on the back of headstock. Funny thing I never dug the warranty card or truss wrench or Gibson booklet out of the soft gigbag it came with til the other day and noticed a QC checklist that was in both Espanol and Ingles ... Lolz I wonder if this thing was made in Mexico or something ? ... USA on back of headstock ? .. I thought Gibson factory was in Nashville ? ..

[Uncle E]

I don't know about Gibson but I'd say that at least half the people at Fender's Corona factory speak Spanish.

I bet your Melody Maker can be made to be pretty spectacular after a fret dress and setup.

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

ok, but that's pretty much always been 'a thing' though right? ...that so many guitars from so many factories, need to be set up after delivery, in order to work properly. it almost seems like, no matter what the price point, the majority of guitars are not entirely optimized, right out of the factory.

be that as it may, speaking of building 'offshore', and finishing in the usa, one of those brands might be AXL. they've got a lineup of guitars where they do that...

[fedexnman]

I don't know about Gibson but I'd say that at least half the people at Fender's Corona factory speak Spanish.

I bet your Melody Maker can be made to be pretty spectacular after a fret dress and setup.

The frets are level , I checked I believe the instrument or just the neck went thru the plek machine .. I may take it to get a proper setup before I decide an sell it .. It blows my mind the way guitars get sent out not even close to being setup descently . And I don't buy the personal preference of setups . I have acoustics that play better than this guitar .

[incubus]

There are better manufacturers out there who respect that when you plop down hard earned cash you expect quality. They aren't always the big names and they produce in Asia with finishing in the US.

Suhr told me that every guitar from their Chinese-built Rasmus line had to be completely worked over in the US factory. They said that when all was said and done, the US factory was doing almost as much work on them as if they'd built-in themselves from the beginning.

I really liked the Korean-made ESP 400-series guitars I played around 2005 or so.

They are long gone though. If you like super-strats your are really limited.

When I first got my E-II I really liked it. As time went on, I began to hate it. It was just off. But what I really hated was the FR. They don't simply make a drop-in replacement. Pro's and 1000's are different sizes I believe, and you can put a couple of ibanez models that "fit" but you have to have the know how.

The point is, I really like Ibanez trems much much better (edge/pro/lopro), which is why I keep looking into them.

For a hardtail, I'll stick to Carvin/Kiesel. I know what I'm going to get there.

[incubus]

ok, but that's pretty much always been 'a thing' though right? ...that so many guitars from so many factories, need to be set up after delivery, in order to work properly. it almost seems like, no matter what the price point, the majority of guitars are not entirely optimized, right out of the factory.

be that as it may, speaking of building 'offshore', and finishing in the usa, one of those brands might be AXL. they've got a lineup of guitars where they do that...

No question, but unfortunately, that may not be enough.

I love all the eye-candy! It's why I post so much here, pictures of guitars that look cool (even if I'm not going to get it)

I guess I'll just have to keep scowering for older "team j-craft" models since they are not ridiculously priced anymore.