I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
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uOpt
Something Cool
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
Given this collection I think the first step is that you break out of the crowd of Indonesian made axes with bulletproof paint. They all feel a bit generic.
So you want to stay Gibson style? If not, do you need humbuckers? What do you play?
Given this collection I think the first step is that you break out of the crowd of Indonesian made axes with bulletproof paint. They all feel a bit generic.
So you want to stay Gibson style? If not, do you need humbuckers? What do you play?
That90'sGuy
DyzaBoyzologist
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
Yep, my Tele is the "#1" I've been looking for, it just took me 15 years or so and a few amp changes to realize it was the right fit. There's a number of things I've done through the years that I just laugh at now and I'll share a few of them with you.
1) Don't try to find the guitar that does everything. No guitar does everything and it's futile to try (don't get me started on the "modeling" guitars, either). What I've learned over time is to focus on a few really good tones and stick with them.
2) Don't get suckered into online forums. I spent years following other people's rants and raves about stuff and not a single bit of it did me any good. Find your own tone, your own path. People will spend endless hours preaching about x, y or z gear and it shouldn't mean anything to you unless you've tried it yourself and it works for you. I've been disappointed a lot of times by listening to other people when I should have been spending more time actually playing. That's not to say you can't use the internet for some basic research, but take everything with a big grain of salt online unless you really understand a particular person's perspective and really trust them.
that leads me to the next one...
3) Play stuff. Get out there and "run the racks". I used to go into Guitar Centers and randomly start picking up anything that looked interesting and came across some neat surprises. No two guitars, even with identical specs, are ever going to sound the same so find the right pieces that speak to you. Online retailers are going to hate me for this, but ***don't buy stuff sight unseen***. Guitars are so personal that you really need to see what they're all about in person before buying. I don't care if you end up spending more, do it right the first time and forget about it. You'll save A LOT more money in the long run (trust me on this, I spent 15 years of selling... and losing... hundreds on my "upgrades").
Yep, my Tele is the "#1" I've been looking for, it just took me 15 years or so and a few amp changes to realize it was the right fit. There's a number of things I've done through the years that I just laugh at now and I'll share a few of them with you.
1) Don't try to find the guitar that does everything. No guitar does everything and it's futile to try (don't get me started on the "modeling" guitars, either). What I've learned over time is to focus on a few really good tones and stick with them.
2) Don't get suckered into online forums. I spent years following other people's rants and raves about stuff and not a single bit of it did me any good. Find your own tone, your own path. People will spend endless hours preaching about x, y or z gear and it shouldn't mean anything to you unless you've tried it yourself and it works for you. I've been disappointed a lot of times by listening to other people when I should have been spending more time actually playing. That's not to say you can't use the internet for some basic research, but take everything with a big grain of salt online unless you really understand a particular person's perspective and really trust them.
that leads me to the next one...
3) Play stuff. Get out there and "run the racks". I used to go into Guitar Centers and randomly start picking up anything that looked interesting and came across some neat surprises. No two guitars, even with identical specs, are ever going to sound the same so find the right pieces that speak to you. Online retailers are going to hate me for this, but ***don't buy stuff sight unseen***. Guitars are so personal that you really need to see what they're all about in person before buying. I don't care if you end up spending more, do it right the first time and forget about it. You'll save A LOT more money in the long run (trust me on this, I spent 15 years of selling... and losing... hundreds on my "upgrades").
JeffB
Let it B
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
Took me about 30 years to come back nearly full circle to find my "go to" type guitar style.. I wasted tens of thousands of dollars on a multitude of different guitars and just never figured it out...i do not know if it was a mental hangup about the aesthetic,or what. But I simply never bothered to buy one. I grew up playing one,.and borrowed another for a year when I was younger, but....stupid me.
So my suggestion is to go play a bunch of different guitars, listen to a bunch of players you like, narrow things down and find a quality guitar that speaks to you. You will know when ypu play one. And be prepared for tastes to change..it just happens as you get older and more experienced.
Took me about 30 years to come back nearly full circle to find my "go to" type guitar style.. I wasted tens of thousands of dollars on a multitude of different guitars and just never figured it out...i do not know if it was a mental hangup about the aesthetic,or what. But I simply never bothered to buy one. I grew up playing one,.and borrowed another for a year when I was younger, but....stupid me.
So my suggestion is to go play a bunch of different guitars, listen to a bunch of players you like, narrow things down and find a quality guitar that speaks to you. You will know when ypu play one. And be prepared for tastes to change..it just happens as you get older and more experienced.
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
I've been on a quest for a few years searching for a suitable acoustic guitar. I have a 50 year old Japanese Martin knock-off that I've had since it was new. It is more than a little fragile today and I had to stop playing it a few years ago due to its condition. I love the size & the tone but there are plenty of other things I don't like about it. So a few years ago I started shopping. I've found some wonderful guitars along the way but nothing I have been willing to buy. I continue to play my electrics but I miss my old acoustic. So I keep shopping. Most of the acoustics in my price range are crap.
What I've discovered is that the more you play the more you'll find what you like & what you don't. Also, don't ignore the sales team at a REAL guitar/music store. Go where the professional musicians buy their gear. The sales teams there will absolutely help you find a guitar that's right for your. I spent some time at several music stores and worked with the guys to weed through lots of stuff in a hurry. My absolute favorite guitar to date is a Martin D28 Custom OMC. But it's way out of my price range & all I can do is wish. But, after discovering it I was shown a Guild which has 95% of the tone, feel, playability, & character of the Martin at a 1/3 the cost. Unfortunately it was the last one in the store and it had been reserved by a prior customer. Apparently it was an out of production model (new-old stock) and there were no more new ones in the marketplace. I'm still searching the used listings for one. When I find one I'll snag one.
Along the way I fooled around with some of the PRS electrics. The new Studio model is phenomenal. Suits me right down to the ground. I knew after 3 notes it was the guitar for me. But...... Again, it's way out of my price range. As soon as they start showing up in the used listings I'll seriously start shopping for one. They're unbelievable instruments and are absolutely worth playing at least once. The same can be said for the Lawrence Juber Martins. Absolutely worth playing at least once.
Happy shopping.
I've been on a quest for a few years searching for a suitable acoustic guitar. I have a 50 year old Japanese Martin knock-off that I've had since it was new. It is more than a little fragile today and I had to stop playing it a few years ago due to its condition. I love the size & the tone but there are plenty of other things I don't like about it. So a few years ago I started shopping. I've found some wonderful guitars along the way but nothing I have been willing to buy. I continue to play my electrics but I miss my old acoustic. So I keep shopping. Most of the acoustics in my price range are crap.
What I've discovered is that the more you play the more you'll find what you like & what you don't. Also, don't ignore the sales team at a REAL guitar/music store. Go where the professional musicians buy their gear. The sales teams there will absolutely help you find a guitar that's right for your. I spent some time at several music stores and worked with the guys to weed through lots of stuff in a hurry. My absolute favorite guitar to date is a Martin D28 Custom OMC. But it's way out of my price range & all I can do is wish. But, after discovering it I was shown a Guild which has 95% of the tone, feel, playability, & character of the Martin at a 1/3 the cost. Unfortunately it was the last one in the store and it had been reserved by a prior customer. Apparently it was an out of production model (new-old stock) and there were no more new ones in the marketplace. I'm still searching the used listings for one. When I find one I'll snag one.
Along the way I fooled around with some of the PRS electrics. The new Studio model is phenomenal. Suits me right down to the ground. I knew after 3 notes it was the guitar for me. But...... Again, it's way out of my price range. As soon as they start showing up in the used listings I'll seriously start shopping for one. They're unbelievable instruments and are absolutely worth playing at least once. The same can be said for the Lawrence Juber Martins. Absolutely worth playing at least once.
Happy shopping.
Curly
Moe's Bluesman
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
some folks get lucky, and find the 'one' guitar right off the bat, or get one given to them that's just right. Probably the majority of the time, it's like most things, it requires time, patience, and a fair amount of persistence and hard work, searching for the one guitar that's just right. Sometimes though, I feel like some people want to substitute finding the right guitar instead of putting in the hard practice with what they have. Because, the right guitar without the effort it takes to improve won't get you far.
That said, I like a nice guitar as much as anyone. However, I just felt lucky enough to get my first guitar and try to play.
some folks get lucky, and find the 'one' guitar right off the bat, or get one given to them that's just right. Probably the majority of the time, it's like most things, it requires time, patience, and a fair amount of persistence and hard work, searching for the one guitar that's just right. Sometimes though, I feel like some people want to substitute finding the right guitar instead of putting in the hard practice with what they have. Because, the right guitar without the effort it takes to improve won't get you far.
That said, I like a nice guitar as much as anyone. However, I just felt lucky enough to get my first guitar and try to play.
Simon_F
Super Moderator
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
As others have said, you need to take every opportunity to play lots of different guitars to get an idea of what you like best.
The other thing I will say is (and I'm not criticising anyone here because I am just as guilty...) sometimes when you're not feeling inspired it's your playing you need to focus on rather than what guitar is in your hands.
As others have said, you need to take every opportunity to play lots of different guitars to get an idea of what you like best.
The other thing I will say is (and I'm not criticising anyone here because I am just as guilty...) sometimes when you're not feeling inspired it's your playing you need to focus on rather than what guitar is in your hands.
Grindspine
New member
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
As a general rule, I would say most of their imports are pretty junky. The platinum Virgin really is a junk plywood body, however, the body shape and neck feel very comfortable to me. I just have to make sure that I use strongly voiced pickups since there is little wood resonance. Adding a pure copper sustain block to the Floyd did help though.
As far as the USA made model, I do not know if it was Class Axe era, however, it was made in the USA shop and seems to carry a lot of the traditional features. I assume it was made between 1987 and 1990 due to both the serial number and the factory installed Ibanez Edge. I don't think Edge bridges were made before 1987, and the serial number indicates that year range. Either way, it was made in southern California and has top notch fretwork and woodwork, so the luthier(s) who put it together did an amazing job. It was certainly not a production model.
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Concerning the original post, oddly enough my go-to guitar is 24.75" scale, the Virgin is a 25.5" scale, and the Ibanez is a 26.5" scale. However, all of those guitars lengths work well and feel comfortable since I use different tunings and string gauges on them, so string tension is similar between the guitars.
As a general rule, I would say most of their imports are pretty junky. The platinum Virgin really is a junk plywood body, however, the body shape and neck feel very comfortable to me. I just have to make sure that I use strongly voiced pickups since there is little wood resonance. Adding a pure copper sustain block to the Floyd did help though.
As far as the USA made model, I do not know if it was Class Axe era, however, it was made in the USA shop and seems to carry a lot of the traditional features. I assume it was made between 1987 and 1990 due to both the serial number and the factory installed Ibanez Edge. I don't think Edge bridges were made before 1987, and the serial number indicates that year range. Either way, it was made in southern California and has top notch fretwork and woodwork, so the luthier(s) who put it together did an amazing job. It was certainly not a production model.
------------
Concerning the original post, oddly enough my go-to guitar is 24.75" scale, the Virgin is a 25.5" scale, and the Ibanez is a 26.5" scale. However, all of those guitars lengths work well and feel comfortable since I use different tunings and string gauges on them, so string tension is similar between the guitars.
Grindspine
New member
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
Addendum to the above: I have not played the recent imports like the Warlock NJ Deluxe or the Rizzo Stealth, so cannot comment if the quality control is lacking or not. The imports from the 90s (platinum, bronze, rave) were really not good guitars.
The craftsmanship of my USA made Warlock really sets it apart in quality. I do not know exactly how the handmade custom shop is doing now. www.bcrich.com has not updated the handcrafted guitars section in a couple of years. It makes me a little sad. But part of that is why my most recent guitar was a Japanese crafted Ibanez Prestige model.
Addendum to the above: I have not played the recent imports like the Warlock NJ Deluxe or the Rizzo Stealth, so cannot comment if the quality control is lacking or not. The imports from the 90s (platinum, bronze, rave) were really not good guitars.
The craftsmanship of my USA made Warlock really sets it apart in quality. I do not know exactly how the handmade custom shop is doing now. www.bcrich.com has not updated the handcrafted guitars section in a couple of years. It makes me a little sad. But part of that is why my most recent guitar was a Japanese crafted Ibanez Prestige model.
dominus
King Midas to Cheap Guitars
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
Sounds like it was one of the parts guitars of that era. Could have even been an Ed Roman special.
The 90s Platinums I had were all solid bodies, but they had their own tremolo on it that wasn't a Floyd. (It was actually really comfortable for me though, so I sought out those models, at one point owning a Virgin, Warlock, and Ironbird from those days.)
Sounds like it was one of the parts guitars of that era. Could have even been an Ed Roman special.
The 90s Platinums I had were all solid bodies, but they had their own tremolo on it that wasn't a Floyd. (It was actually really comfortable for me though, so I sought out those models, at one point owning a Virgin, Warlock, and Ironbird from those days.)
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
I don't have a 'go to' guitar, nor do I feel like I should. To me that concept is highly overrated. I have guitars that fit my moods, I absolutely do not want to play the same one all the time. I play a little differently on each guitar, and switching them helps keep me from getting in a rut. I love the differences in feel and tone between LP's, SG's, 335's, V's, and hollowbodies. They inspire me when I pick them up.
I used to be a 'one guitar' guy many years ago, and never want to go back to that. Decent guitars are plentiful and affordable these days. No reason not to have a few.
I don't have a 'go to' guitar, nor do I feel like I should. To me that concept is highly overrated. I have guitars that fit my moods, I absolutely do not want to play the same one all the time. I play a little differently on each guitar, and switching them helps keep me from getting in a rut. I love the differences in feel and tone between LP's, SG's, 335's, V's, and hollowbodies. They inspire me when I pick them up.
I used to be a 'one guitar' guy many years ago, and never want to go back to that. Decent guitars are plentiful and affordable these days. No reason not to have a few.
Grindspine
New member
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
Two of mine (white warlock & virgin) were the platinum imports.
The USA made NT standard is completely out of the league of those. After some reading, it looks like B.C. Rich disbanded the custom shop in late '89. All I know for sure on my NT for year is that it was between '87 and '89, so it could have been one of the last USA made ones before the USA shop in Hesperia closed for a few years.
Sounds like it was one of the parts guitars of that era. Could have even been an Ed Roman special.
The 90s Platinums I had were all solid bodies, but they had their own tremolo on it that wasn't a Floyd. (It was actually really comfortable for me though, so I sought out those models, at one point owning a Virgin, Warlock, and Ironbird from those days.)
Two of mine (white warlock & virgin) were the platinum imports.
The USA made NT standard is completely out of the league of those. After some reading, it looks like B.C. Rich disbanded the custom shop in late '89. All I know for sure on my NT for year is that it was between '87 and '89, so it could have been one of the last USA made ones before the USA shop in Hesperia closed for a few years.
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
To the OP:
Dont worry about it.
You are not defined by which guitar you play. You are defined by how you play.
To the OP:
Dont worry about it.
You are not defined by which guitar you play. You are defined by how you play.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
I didn't make it a specific quest. It happened naturally over time and was based on needs. And there isn't just one perfect guitar, but rather several go-to guitars for various kinds of music or sounds that I need. There were at least two paths I went down to find those, however.
One path was to identify what songs I liked, then identify what signal path was used to make it; the guitar, pedals, amp, microphones, studio mixing desk, etc., then pony up the money and get that guitar and amp and mic and mic pre, as close as I could possibly get to the original - but allow for it to be different and discover what I can when I try it, because I can never actually be the people I was inspired by, I can only use them as a starting point. So even though I pursued someone elses rig, I accepted that it would never be their rig, but rather just be a better starting place for me.
The other path I went down was just to get something as close as possible, but as cheap as possible, then work on it until it sounded the way I wanted and it satisfied my needs.
I didn't make it a specific quest. It happened naturally over time and was based on needs. And there isn't just one perfect guitar, but rather several go-to guitars for various kinds of music or sounds that I need. There were at least two paths I went down to find those, however.
One path was to identify what songs I liked, then identify what signal path was used to make it; the guitar, pedals, amp, microphones, studio mixing desk, etc., then pony up the money and get that guitar and amp and mic and mic pre, as close as I could possibly get to the original - but allow for it to be different and discover what I can when I try it, because I can never actually be the people I was inspired by, I can only use them as a starting point. So even though I pursued someone elses rig, I accepted that it would never be their rig, but rather just be a better starting place for me.
The other path I went down was just to get something as close as possible, but as cheap as possible, then work on it until it sounded the way I wanted and it satisfied my needs.
Kramer Guy
New member
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
I own 2 Squier Standard Strats which I've modded along with a Fender MIM Standard Strat , but my No#1 is my Squier Affinity Butterscotch Telecaster which I've modded the hell out of to , pardon the pun, Affinity and beyond. For the longest time, I had a Duncan Designed TE-101B in the bridge position but just last week, I bought a used set of Fender Custom Shop Texas Special pickups on E-Bay for only 80 bucks which was a deal I could not turn down . Once I installed them, the difference between them and the Duncan Designed is like Apples and Oranges .
I own 2 Squier Standard Strats which I've modded along with a Fender MIM Standard Strat , but my No#1 is my Squier Affinity Butterscotch Telecaster which I've modded the hell out of to , pardon the pun, Affinity and beyond. For the longest time, I had a Duncan Designed TE-101B in the bridge position but just last week, I bought a used set of Fender Custom Shop Texas Special pickups on E-Bay for only 80 bucks which was a deal I could not turn down . Once I installed them, the difference between them and the Duncan Designed is like Apples and Oranges .
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
+1. Guitars are the tools. Music comes from the head and hands.
+1. Guitars are the tools. Music comes from the head and hands.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
Well said. If you run across a 'go to' guitar, great. In the meantime: play, play, play.
Well said. If you run across a 'go to' guitar, great. In the meantime: play, play, play.
guitfiddle
firstlessonologist
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
I've played every major style of electric except for super strats...just don't need that many bells and whistles. Strats, Teles, Les Pauls, and full hollow bodies all have their charms, but I noticed that I always seemed to come back to a 335 type. Semi hollow guitars just do what I need them to do, without me having to work at it. It just happens. I dig the smaller size of an LP, so that plus my love for semi hollows led me to the Ibanez AM93 I currently own, and I'm damn happy with it. It lets me think about playing music and not about playing guitar.
I've played every major style of electric except for super strats...just don't need that many bells and whistles. Strats, Teles, Les Pauls, and full hollow bodies all have their charms, but I noticed that I always seemed to come back to a 335 type. Semi hollow guitars just do what I need them to do, without me having to work at it. It just happens. I dig the smaller size of an LP, so that plus my love for semi hollows led me to the Ibanez AM93 I currently own, and I'm damn happy with it. It lets me think about playing music and not about playing guitar.
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GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
My 2 cents . . .
Personally, the longer I spend with a guitar the more it feels like 'my' guitar. Going out and buying something new actually ensures that it doesn't feel like 'my' guitar because it takes a long while before it starts to feel intimate. Pick one of your guitars that you currently have. Play it every day for a year, for at least an hour. Take it with you on trips, vacation, every jam session, and take it with you to all your gigs. You will accumulate some scratches, fretwear, and burn through a lot of sets of strings together.
After that year I guarantee that the instrument you've picked will have started to feel like 'your' guitar. You will have learned how to exploit what it does really well, and how to play around what it isn't the best at. You'll be able to get a wide variety of tones from it, in whatever styles you've played over that year. Most crucially, that year of solid practice and learning will have helped you bond with the guitar far more than any feature set or shiny new finish.
I think that good guitars are so cheap these days that many people end up revolving through dozens of guitars . . . searching for 'that one' without putting in the time and effort needed to really get to know their instrument.
My 2 cents . . .
Personally, the longer I spend with a guitar the more it feels like 'my' guitar. Going out and buying something new actually ensures that it doesn't feel like 'my' guitar because it takes a long while before it starts to feel intimate. Pick one of your guitars that you currently have. Play it every day for a year, for at least an hour. Take it with you on trips, vacation, every jam session, and take it with you to all your gigs. You will accumulate some scratches, fretwear, and burn through a lot of sets of strings together.
After that year I guarantee that the instrument you've picked will have started to feel like 'your' guitar. You will have learned how to exploit what it does really well, and how to play around what it isn't the best at. You'll be able to get a wide variety of tones from it, in whatever styles you've played over that year. Most crucially, that year of solid practice and learning will have helped you bond with the guitar far more than any feature set or shiny new finish.
I think that good guitars are so cheap these days that many people end up revolving through dozens of guitars . . . searching for 'that one' without putting in the time and effort needed to really get to know their instrument.
Aceman
I am your doctor of love!
Re: I need help finding "MY" guitar (nothing is lost)
One of my great guitar life regrets was not buying a KILLER NJ series Warlock in that color - Ultraviolet.
Neck thru, full compliment of phase/blend/tap controls. Wood veneer reverse headstock. Khaler. >sigh<
One of my great guitar life regrets was not buying a KILLER NJ series Warlock in that color - Ultraviolet.
Neck thru, full compliment of phase/blend/tap controls. Wood veneer reverse headstock. Khaler. >sigh<
