Help buying new guitar

[jceg316]

The OLP is the first bass I've bought. I still use it on a regular basis. Even though I've bought 2 other ones since. In all the years I've owned it (15+) I never had any issue with it. Only recently I encouterd some problems with the jack that were an easy fix. The only thing I changed was putting on the fattest strings I could find for a heavier sound.

What sort of music do you play?

How does it feel to play in comparison to a MM?

 

[Arcs]

I luthier guitars of my own and can honestly say that fakes and knock offs aint the big deal breaker they used to be if I am totally honest. Lots of new guitar makers out there and Tomann with their brand of Harley benton guitars are making leaps and bounds with regards to quality and at cheap prices.

I look at any guitar as a point of a piece of wood and then look to mod it to hell because I have that skill and tools to do it. Therefore I can buy what some snobby players with their deeply personal feelings towards guitars and think they are cheap sh*t, and make better of what I have to the price point of £400 I could make a really awesome guitar with just the bare bones.

Ebay has good guitars on sale. Tomann is also a good site with various guitars that are a good price point. Some really nice vintage guitars on Ebay that you could change the pick ups with say some Seymore Duncans or some EMG's.

Stay out of the tonewood argument as I've seen loads of graphs and luthier vids which disprove it. Style really doesn't come into it any more as that also depends on the pick up set up you are really after...So HSS, triple humbucker, Triple single set up, HSH and then it's also the magnets too. Do you want a really nice powerful sound therefore going neodymium magnets with some alnico fives in them?

If in future you are going really nerdy you could check out Fluff's channel on youtube Riffs beards and Gear or even Agufish. There's lots of gear based youtube channels which are gear specific along with some really great luthier based channels too such as crimson guitars, wills easy guitar, Sam Deeks etc. You could also check out guitarfetish.com for some good nice guitars that are cheap too. Good luck bro!

 

[hop-a-long]

To be honest I've never tried a MM, since it was way out of my league financially.
As to what I play, mostly blues and rock.
And if I ever manage to get my hands on a double bass, you can add jazz to those two.

 

[strange-steve]

@Arcs good post :thumba:
I'm not yet brave enough to start pulling apart my guitars for modification, even if they are cheap (relatively speaking, £300-400 is still a lot of money). If I ever do though I'll be picking your brain

As much as I covet a MM Majesty, I couldn't bring myself to spend that much on a hobby, even if I could afford it. I bought a Grainfather at 600 odd quid and even that was an extravagance that I couldn't really justify.

 

[entertheflagon]

To be honest I've never tried a MM, since it was way out of my league financially.
As to what I play, mostly blues and rock.
And if I ever manage to get my hands on a double bass, you can add jazz to those two.

DIY is the way to go.

 

[Arcs]

DIY is the way to go.

Every guitarist and musician should be an amateur luthier of sorts. Nearest one to me is like 60 miles from where I live. Charge is £100 per job. Spent that kinda money on tools and learned from the pro's on youtube and now it's all good

 

[strange-steve]

Arrived today, I haven't had much of a chance to play it yet but I'm pretty chuffed with it. If I get a chance tomorrow I'll post a video of it in action.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Very nice, open g comes to mind Keith Richards style enjoy

 

[Arcs]

Looks good!! I bet those pick ups get changed in time though

 

[denishoffman]

Hey Steve

I have the Schecter hellraiser passive pickups certainly can't complain good build locking tuners had it a few years now with no problems

 

[strange-steve]

Quick little video of the new guitar in action, please excuse the sloppy playing

 

[Clint]

Some Spandex pants and you've cracked it!

 

[Arcs]

Nice stuff there Steve, not the best sounding pickups but that's a personal thing - after all, it's how the bobbins have been wound and with how many k of them it has been wound with. I would have liked to see you switch those pick ups in the bridge position and perhaps give us a low down on the switches, is it 5 switch bud or just three? Good stuff though

 

[strange-steve]

Some Spandex pants and you've cracked it!

Heh, I knew there was something holding me back

Nice stuff there Steve, not the best sounding pickups but that's a personal thing - after all, it's how the bobbins have been wound and with how many k of them it has been wound with. I would have liked to see you switch those pick ups in the bridge position and perhaps give us a low down on the switches, is it 5 switch bud or just three? Good stuff though

Thanks mate, they do sound a lot better in the flesh rather than through my crappy phone mic, and for a £300 guitar I'm well chuffed with it.

It's a 3 position selector switch, I'll maybe get another quick video up at the weekend and let you hear a few other tones. I can actually get a lovely rich clean tone from it, surprisingly for a metal guitar.

 

[Arcs]

Schecters are well known for being really good guitars. Although it's the EMG's and the Seymour Duncan's along with the active Fishman fluence pick ups that seem to be top of the crop these days with most guitarists

 

[johncrobinson]

I played a strat and had problems keeping it in tune.Fixed bridge its true is more stable.I have had a gibson 335 now for 15 yrs put it down once for a few months when i picked it back up was still in tune.Never had that before.I record with protools and can simulate the whammy bar on my recordings.
Having said that i have heard good things about Floyd Rose,The real ones NOT the copies with the cream cheese bearings.

 

[Banbeer]

DIY is the way to go.

He's got the shovel all he needs now is a pick...........

 

[strange-steve]

This reminds me, I'm already on the look out for another new guitar. I'm thinking 7 or possibly even 8-string

This Ibanez 8-string is about £400:

 

[MrSarge]

waaaaa

whats the setup steve? how do i get that sound?

 

[johncrobinson]

Back when i was really into playing leading manufacturers were just starting to bring out digital guitars via midi ect.
Now out of touch so did these guitars "take off "
Just curious.??????