JeffB
Let it B
This weekend I hit 3 Guitar shops...all major chains, and got my hands on a TON of different guitars. And actually sat down and played the heck out of about 12 different ones. Most all of these were imports. But a few USA guitars (inexpensive ones).
BY and large the worst problem was completely dead wood. No resonance at all, like playing a cinderblock. And this was not limited to any one manufacturer or model, but a few companies seemed to turn up more turds than others. But there were also a ton that rang like crazy, as good as anything I've played.
I'll go through the lines of stuff I played now
Epiphone: I played 4 different Les Pauls, a 58 Explorer, a Schenker V. One of the Les Pauls was absolutely the best Epi I've ever played, and tonewise was just fantastic, better than the MIJ clones I've owned. Full, open, loud, and sustain for days. The other 3 were dead as a doornail. Didn't matter if it was MIK or MIC. The Explorer sounded "OK", but the wiring/electronics were all messed up/crap (brand new). The Schenker V I damn near bought. It was VERY heavy (I'd say 8 pounds plus) but I just could not believe how it played, how well it was built (MIK) and how good it sounded. I would have thought this was a Gibson USA V built by someone who cared :laugh2: Awesome plank. Big fat neck.
Ibanez: Talk about hit or miss. I played 3 diff SZ models (520s and a 720). Every single one played super nice, and was built well. All 3 were dead as a door nail. PLugged in the IBZ/Duncan pups helped a bunch for getting a decent tone (I was actually pretty impressed with the pups). I played that new neck through S series strat with tru-duo switching: Dead as doornail, built beautifully. I played 2 artcore semi hollow 335 things. Built very well, both rang out pretty nice. Decent wood, decent prices.
Hamer: prolly my biggest dissapointment of the weekend was a early 90s Hamer USA Diablo. Absolutely, utterly, completely dead as a doornail. I was taken back when I strummed a few chords and basically felt nothing. It was a steal price-wise too for a Diablo. Unfortunate. At the opposite extreme, I played a MIC Standard, and a couple studios. The Hamer Standard, I liked better than the EPI Schenker V. Built extremely well, nice neck, played phenomenal and shook my guts. It was pretty bright being alder bodied, and the Duncan Design pups were "meh", but I know with the right pups, it would be incredible guitar. The 2 MIC studios (mahogany) I played were built & played just as well, but weighed a TON. They also resonanted like mad. The DD pups were an even poorer match in these. Thin and twangy. Some new pups though, and you'd def have a pro quality playing/sounding axe. Oh and a used Hamer Echotone. Decent player, incredible resonance, good build. But the electronics were all goofed up. It very much reminded me of the ES 335 I played for a year or so.
Schecter: Like Ibanez. Hit or miss. Every single one was built as nice as I've seen on any import. Just beautiful attention to detail. They were all C-models. 4 of them never lasted more than 10 seconds playing wise: completely dead as a doornail, compressed and dark. On the other hand, the C-1 exotics, with the "faded" type Gibson finish? HOLY CRAP. Total opposite. I played two and they were identical: built very well, played awesome, and were super loud and resonant. For all the dead ones did to curb any desire for me to own a Schecter, those 2 exotics almost got me to throw down the plastic. Just wish they were 22 frets.
Contd....
BY and large the worst problem was completely dead wood. No resonance at all, like playing a cinderblock. And this was not limited to any one manufacturer or model, but a few companies seemed to turn up more turds than others. But there were also a ton that rang like crazy, as good as anything I've played.
I'll go through the lines of stuff I played now
Epiphone: I played 4 different Les Pauls, a 58 Explorer, a Schenker V. One of the Les Pauls was absolutely the best Epi I've ever played, and tonewise was just fantastic, better than the MIJ clones I've owned. Full, open, loud, and sustain for days. The other 3 were dead as a doornail. Didn't matter if it was MIK or MIC. The Explorer sounded "OK", but the wiring/electronics were all messed up/crap (brand new). The Schenker V I damn near bought. It was VERY heavy (I'd say 8 pounds plus) but I just could not believe how it played, how well it was built (MIK) and how good it sounded. I would have thought this was a Gibson USA V built by someone who cared :laugh2: Awesome plank. Big fat neck.
Ibanez: Talk about hit or miss. I played 3 diff SZ models (520s and a 720). Every single one played super nice, and was built well. All 3 were dead as a door nail. PLugged in the IBZ/Duncan pups helped a bunch for getting a decent tone (I was actually pretty impressed with the pups). I played that new neck through S series strat with tru-duo switching: Dead as doornail, built beautifully. I played 2 artcore semi hollow 335 things. Built very well, both rang out pretty nice. Decent wood, decent prices.
Hamer: prolly my biggest dissapointment of the weekend was a early 90s Hamer USA Diablo. Absolutely, utterly, completely dead as a doornail. I was taken back when I strummed a few chords and basically felt nothing. It was a steal price-wise too for a Diablo. Unfortunate. At the opposite extreme, I played a MIC Standard, and a couple studios. The Hamer Standard, I liked better than the EPI Schenker V. Built extremely well, nice neck, played phenomenal and shook my guts. It was pretty bright being alder bodied, and the Duncan Design pups were "meh", but I know with the right pups, it would be incredible guitar. The 2 MIC studios (mahogany) I played were built & played just as well, but weighed a TON. They also resonanted like mad. The DD pups were an even poorer match in these. Thin and twangy. Some new pups though, and you'd def have a pro quality playing/sounding axe. Oh and a used Hamer Echotone. Decent player, incredible resonance, good build. But the electronics were all goofed up. It very much reminded me of the ES 335 I played for a year or so.
Schecter: Like Ibanez. Hit or miss. Every single one was built as nice as I've seen on any import. Just beautiful attention to detail. They were all C-models. 4 of them never lasted more than 10 seconds playing wise: completely dead as a doornail, compressed and dark. On the other hand, the C-1 exotics, with the "faded" type Gibson finish? HOLY CRAP. Total opposite. I played two and they were identical: built very well, played awesome, and were super loud and resonant. For all the dead ones did to curb any desire for me to own a Schecter, those 2 exotics almost got me to throw down the plastic. Just wish they were 22 frets.
Contd....
