|
|
Post by NoFilterChuck on Jul 19, 2015 23:02:04 GMT -6
Anyone use 'em? hate 'em? Love 'em? back in 2009 I bought one of those '57 reissue fender strats as a bday present to myself as well as an instrument I wouldn't outgrow for a long time. it's 2015 now, and the instrument is just not inspiring. The neck has what seems like an inch of lacquer on it, so it's slow, sticky and not fun to play. Every guitarist that has come over to track always picks it up and comments on how shitty the neck feels, so I know i'm not alone in the sentiment. the holes for the pick guard weren't drilled properly so the pick guard was warped when screwed down causing the pickups to not sit evenly. To get it to sit level, I had to ditch a screw, and hack up the guard where it touches the neck. Basically, it's kind of a lemon. Now, I know that 99% of the tone is in the hands, but an easy instrument to play is an inspiring instrument to play. Whenever I am on wedding gigs and talk with the guitarist (my man amadou) and mess around with his strat, I realize how much this instrument I own sucks because of these flaws in the construction. I bought it for a grand back then, cuz it was on sale from 1300 or so. Also, this thing just will not stay in tune. I'm currently thinking that I'd rather sell it and invest in a better instrument that will make me want to practice without needing a bunch of aftermarket mods. The only reason I'm looking at PRS guitars is because of this vid: Thoughts? comments? y'all know I am a sax and keyboard player, so this would be an instrument I'd be learning on. as you can see here, I can't even do vibrato yet but I can punch in 2 bars at a time in the DAW lol http://instagram.com/p/ratoiuQUfq |
|
|
|
Post by tonycamphd on Jul 19, 2015 23:39:29 GMT -6
Your best bet would to get the guitar you have set up by a pro, and sand the back of the neck down before you give it to him, strats are a PITA, and they rarely stay in tune and behave themselves ime. If it was me, i'd sell it and get the greatest E guitar ever made for plug and play recording, staying in tune, never giving you any shit, the venerable telecaster. They sit in mixes better than any guitar i've ever messed with, and the tone is just killer.
IMV
Les Paul's are trying to be basses
Strats are for guys that are so good it's silly (hendrix/J Beck)
Tele's are good enough for a beast like James Burton, and surely the rest of us mere mortals.
|
|
|
|
Post by LesC on Jul 19, 2015 23:42:39 GMT -6
I can't stand PRS guitars, the necks feel like crap to me. Of course, lots of guitarists love them, it's just a matter of taste.
My favorite guitar, and the best neck I've ever played, is my Music Man JPX. I like it so much that I decided instead of buying more guitars I would just customize it to be the guitar of my dreams, which it now is. I designed the electronics, but I had a tech do the install which required a lot of routing. He did an amazing job. He also did complete measurements of the neck because he liked it so much that he will emulate it on his uber-expensive custom guitars.
But even stock, the JPX just beats the hell out of all the Strats and Les Pauls and others than I own or have owned. Of course, some guitarists would hate it.
|
|
|
|
Post by b1 on Jul 20, 2015 0:37:26 GMT -6
The Strat you bought most certainly needs setup out of the box, as most guitars do regardless of price range, unless the custom builder want to go that extra mile and do it. A good Luthier can strip the neck and put tung oil on it, install humbuckers with coil tapping to get the widest tone ranges, and installing locking tuners will take care of the tuning problem for the biggest part. A little extra TLC will get it in great shape.
IMO, the Epiphone ES-335 PRO is the biggest sleeper guitar out there today. A little setup and the tone will inspire you. I soon realized that I needed to start videoing my sessions with the 335, because the tone was driving me in different directions to new ideas. I bought it for a new song, but now I'm working on 4 new songs in two days. So videoing will help me recall what I was doing without losing the new stuff. It's a gas! Even though the Epi literature said it was set-up for the best performance, it wasn't. Mayer's guitar was probably set-up for him. I don't think the average Joe will get a guitar handed to him with the same cushy treatment as some get. But, I haven't tried a PRS...
|
|
|
|
Post by NoFilterChuck on Jul 20, 2015 1:01:53 GMT -6
that seems like the best idea to be honest, b1. I'll ask my guitar friends who they'd recommend to make this into a great instrument. On a separate note, i am messing around with the ENGL E765 RetroTube from UA. I really like it as a guitar amp sim! anyone else used it? |
|
|
|
Post by b1 on Jul 20, 2015 1:17:24 GMT -6
A lot of people like Tru-oil, but I haven't used it. Some like Formby's Tung Oil. The description given is "buttery smooth". I'm going to order a custom Tele neck and give it a whirl.
I haven't tried that plugin; I'll check it out. I use a tube DI and one of my own unreleased plugs, plus a LOT of great freeware stuff, in addition to stomp boxes. Always experimenting.
|
|
|
|
Post by NoFilterChuck on Jul 20, 2015 1:30:58 GMT -6
all I know is my friend Amadou's strat feels like there's nothing on the neck at all, it's like suuuper smooth bone dry wood that's been sanded with 600+ grit sand paper for a couple weeks. So, that's the place i'm hoping to get, in terms of neck feel. I might investigate one of those ES335s you mentioned b1. they're like $360 from MusiciansFriend.com right now, all available colors too.. |
|
|
|
Post by b1 on Jul 20, 2015 1:47:29 GMT -6
bannedchuck, I think the oil is more like a sealer. I don't believe it's going to buttery "moist", just smooth. After the 600 grit, the oil will seal the wood instead of a poly/lacquer finish. If you are comfortable with the neck profile on the back, that would be the cheapest route I think. If not, you can always order a different shaped neck and set your old one aside. Or if you like it better, sell the old one. Under $300.00 for a custom neck will get you where we're talking also. Just have someone cut the nut and your ready to go! Already sealed without the finish.
|
|
ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 16,107 
|
Post by ericn on Jul 20, 2015 6:58:19 GMT -6
all I know is my friend Amadou's strat feels like there's nothing on the neck at all, it's like suuuper smooth bone dry wood that's been sanded with 600+ grit sand paper for a couple weeks. So, that's the place i'm hoping to get, in terms of neck feel. I might investigate one of those ES335s you mentioned b1. they're like $360 from MusiciansFriend.com right now, all available colors too.. If you can buy it local from somebody who can set it up to taste! It will be cheaper than buying from MF then having it set up! And set up is what makes these Epiphones great rather than just ok! |
|
|
|
Post by Ward on Jul 20, 2015 7:04:49 GMT -6
WE do have a guitar and bass section here. Just saying.
|
|
|
|
Post by jcoutu1 on Jul 20, 2015 7:12:10 GMT -6
all I know is my friend Amadou's strat feels like there's nothing on the neck at all, it's like suuuper smooth bone dry wood that's been sanded with 600+ grit sand paper for a couple weeks. So, that's the place i'm hoping to get, in terms of neck feel. I might investigate one of those ES335s you mentioned b1. they're like $360 from MusiciansFriend.com right now, all available colors too.. If you can buy it local from somebody who can set it up to taste! It will be cheaper than buying from MF then having it set up! And set up is what makes these Epiphones great rather than just ok! Or at least call/email them and probably end up getting it for $300. |
|
|
|
Post by tonycamphd on Jul 20, 2015 8:29:53 GMT -6
I personally would NEVER!!! Buy a guitar I never touched, let alone through the mail, just sayin...
|
|
ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 16,107
|
Post by ericn on Jul 20, 2015 8:47:40 GMT -6
I personally would NEVER!!! Buy a guitar I never touched, let alone through the mail, just sayin... Even as a non player I will always have a friend I trust play any guitar or bass I buy before hand, unless it's from a dealer I know well and have a relationship with! |
|
|
|
Post by jcoutu1 on Jul 20, 2015 9:16:02 GMT -6
I personally would NEVER!!! Buy a guitar I never touched, let alone through the mail, just sayin... Pfff....30 days money back. No good, ship it back! |
|
|
|
Post by jimwilliams on Jul 20, 2015 9:21:03 GMT -6
Never warmed up to those, been playing since 1963. Better choices are available, for less $.
BTW, look at that video of JM. You can tell he was either self taught or taught by a rock player. Look at that pinky. See it all curled up when not used? That's a sign of self taugh or rock taught. I was taught by a jazz guitarist and he corrected that every time I did it. My pinky is extended all the time, ready for full use. Look at other guitarists and the fluid players don't curl the pinky finger.
John Mclaughlin (Mahavisnu Orchestra)gave me some great tips when Rex Bogue and I were building those custom guitars back in the 1970's. He taught me to drop off the index finger like it was gone and learn to play with fingers 2,3, and 4. Use the Bird finger as the new index finger, try it, it's not easy, but once mastered you to will be truly fluid as a player.
|
|
|
|
Post by lpedrum on Jul 20, 2015 10:53:12 GMT -6
I've had the privilege of working with many great guitarists up here in New England--Kevin Barry, Ronnie Earl, Duke Levine, Bobby Keyes, Milt Reder, Jim Chapdelaine, Lyle Brewer and many others. Not once have I seen any of them pull out a PRS to play. Maybe it's just a regional bias--I couldn't say. If you play a PRS and love it buy it! But it always struck me as the kind of item that dentists or collectors would buy, not actual working guitarists.
|
|
|
|
Post by jcoutu1 on Jul 20, 2015 10:59:44 GMT -6
I've had the privilege of working with many great guitarists up here in New England--Kevin Barry, Ronnie Earl, Duke Levine, Bobby Keyes, Milt Reder, Jim Chapdelaine, Lyle Brewer and many others. Not once have I seen any of them pull out a PRS to play. Maybe it's just a regional bias--I couldn't say. If you play a PRS and love it buy it! But it always struck me as the kind of item that dentists or collectors would buy, not actual working guitarists. This ^ +1. Plenty of tele or strat style, some LP's or hollow bodies. 0 PRS guitars. |
|
|
|
Post by keymod on Jul 20, 2015 15:03:52 GMT -6
I personally would NEVER!!! Buy a guitar I never touched, let alone through the mail, just sayin... I bought a top-of-the-line Carvin LB75 bass, with all the bells and whistles, almost twenty years ago - sight unseen, for use in the studio. What a beauty, and everyone who plays it loves it. |
|
|
|
Post by wiz on Jul 20, 2015 15:08:17 GMT -6
I personally would NEVER!!! Buy a guitar I never touched, let alone through the mail, just sayin... In Oz, if I did this...I would have only a couple of guitars 8) I currently own 18 guitars of which 14 of them I never got to play first before buying... "I regret nothing......" 8) cheers Wiz |
|
|
|
Post by 79sg on Jul 20, 2015 15:10:56 GMT -6
I have a bunch of guitars, one of them is a 1995 PRS Custom 24 and it's one of my favorites. Very nice guitar. As a guitar player, different types of guitars inspire me to play differently. You can never own too many guitars (or microphones, or compressors, eq's, so on and so forth........  ) |
|
|
|
Post by mobeach on Jul 20, 2015 15:51:30 GMT -6
They sounds pretty transparent to me, with a slight muddiness.
|
|
|
|
Post by LesC on Jul 20, 2015 16:17:37 GMT -6
WE do have a guitar and bass section here. Just saying. It's interesting that you say that. I always go to "Recently Updated Threads" using a bookmark. In one page there is every new thread and post for the last couple of days, regardless of what section it's in. I used to waste time going into each section one at a time, but this is so much quicker. Of course to start a new thread you need to be in a specific section. |
|
|
|
Post by NoFilterChuck on Jul 20, 2015 16:47:01 GMT -6
|
|
|
|
Post by b1 on Jul 20, 2015 17:05:09 GMT -6
I love the color and the maple neck. It might be a shame to get rid of the single coil pickups on a Strat.  |
|
ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 16,107
|
Post by ericn on Jul 20, 2015 18:36:01 GMT -6
I personally would NEVER!!! Buy a guitar I never touched, let alone through the mail, just sayin... In Oz, if I did this...I would have only a couple of guitars 8) I currently own 18 guitars of which 14 of them I never got to play first before buying... "I regret nothing......" 8) cheers Well yeah, everything is upside down in OZ! Wiz |
|
)
