INGD: #4
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Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
LTD?
LTD >>>>> Jackson, IMO
LTD >>>>> Jackson, IMO
Maaaybeee....
Hsb
Well-known member
Absolutely, had a Jackson, never could gel with it, got it gone for my blue LTD
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Even if they are, I suspect every company that uses that factory has different standards.
All my LTD's made in the World factory have beeng great. Most my PRS SE's made in the World factory have been subpar.
Tracking says Wednesday, we shall see.
I ordered this from a small music store with good online presence. Pics of guitar look great, i was able to ask some questions, but you never really know. I hope its not shop worn, looks brand spanking new in pics, but you never really know. There were a few reasons i wanted to see the guitar i was ordering this time, instead of ordering blind from a major reseller. Great deal too, but you never really know.
I ordered this from a small music store with good online presence. Pics of guitar look great, i was able to ask some questions, but you never really know. I hope its not shop worn, looks brand spanking new in pics, but you never really know. There were a few reasons i wanted to see the guitar i was ordering this time, instead of ordering blind from a major reseller. Great deal too, but you never really know.
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Hope it works out this time. It really was a shame about the Jackson Crackle's..
Though I'm wondering why you don't just go down to a store in person & play them before you buy them. It's not always the easiest thing for me to do here....but that's what I always try and do..
Though I'm wondering why you don't just go down to a store in person & play them before you buy them. It's not always the easiest thing for me to do here....but that's what I always try and do..
There is only one local dealer in nearest major city, and they only have usa models and customs.
There are three Guitar Centers in driving distance, but they dont have the guitars i want, and if they did they are floor models/ returns, so i wouldnt buy them anyway. Actually a local gc did have a floor model crackle, but i wasnt driving an hour to see it.
Guitar Center is worse than you imagine. The guitars within reach on bottom two rows are dented, grimy, and scratched up. they have boxed guitars, but usually only popular beginner models. Guitar center is more like a semi-used scratch and dent lot that they use to resell MF returns, with some expensive Gibsons hung out of reach. it didnt used to be that way.
Guitar Center ran out of business most of the local dealers, then their quality dropped like a rock. They have nib gadgets like fx processors, katana amps, tons of beginner guitars, some used gear, thats about it.
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Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Yeah, that's what the local stores are like here...but every now and then they surprise you with something worth checking out. That's why I keep dropping in. 2 of them are pretty much just a 5 min walk from my place anyway..
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
We don't have GC here, but I love walking into the local store here. They don't have a lot of variety, but they do have a lot of Gibson, Fender, and their subsidiary brands. We usually don't get stores that big in my hometown. Plus we usually get lower-end instruments only. And if they do get a Les Paul Studio or something, forget it if you want to try without comitting to buy it.
I want to buy an LTD these days, but personally, I'd rather just buy something similar from Gibson or one of the Gibson brands just to be able to go into the store and try it. There's something romantic about leaving the store with the guitar you bonded with, and I think it's less of a gamble than ordering online.
I want to buy an LTD these days, but personally, I'd rather just buy something similar from Gibson or one of the Gibson brands just to be able to go into the store and try it. There's something romantic about leaving the store with the guitar you bonded with, and I think it's less of a gamble than ordering online.
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You know what I bond with? All I need is a good neck, and no manufacturing defects.
If it looks like it does in pics, has a good neck, and no major defects, I'm going to enjoy it.
Mojo and feel come from amazing fretwork, and that can be addressed later if the factory didn't get it perfect.
Every guitar has a personality and I'm pretty liberal in what I accept. If they were identical, then there wouldn't be any point in owning more than one.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Each to his own. I can let go a few defects fly as long as they're cosmetic and don't affect playability. I've NEVER had a perfect guitar. Not even my Ibanez Prestige.
That being said, I personally did walk out of that store once with a guitar that I ended up not liking because it had a defect I didn't notice when I bought it because I got all excited about walking out of the door with my first Les Paul (other than the POS Epi Les Paul Special that I had as a second guitar). It was a... surprise surprise... Epi, LOL. I did end up taking it back, and getting a Gibson instead. It's far from perfect cosmetically, but it's plek'd so it plays as well as a guitar with a thick-ish neck and small-ish frets can, but it sounds incredible.
I personally have a hard time justifying the expense of a fretjob on a new guitar. The store that I usually buy from here usually includes that in the price of buying new. Their fretwork is decent. It's not plek'ing, but it's brought some cheapie guitars like my Squier into great players. But if I had to factor in the cost of fretwork to the price of an already 800-1000 dollar guitar, I'd just be pissed. I ought to learn how to do it, honestly.
LTD's for me have been the most consistent in that regard. None have needed an urgent fretjob when new.
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I used to get my guitars plekked, now i level them myself. Can turn results very close to a fresh plek job. And indistinguishable from a plek job six months on. I aim for < 1.5mm low E, 1.3mm high E at 12th fret. My guitars are better than anything i got from factory.
I recommend every player buy the tools, its not rocket science but does take some analysis skills. Need a steel leveling beam, diamond files, papers, tape, diy neck jig. $100 or less for everything. also need patience and attention to detail.
The two ltds i own, the m400 was perfect, the m1000 was playable but needed some spot levels. I will do a full level on it soon. I think the 3piece ltd neck design is stable.
What i mean by personality is tone and pickups. I generally roll with what it has because i like tonal diversity.
I recommend every player buy the tools, its not rocket science but does take some analysis skills. Need a steel leveling beam, diamond files, papers, tape, diy neck jig. $100 or less for everything. also need patience and attention to detail.
The two ltds i own, the m400 was perfect, the m1000 was playable but needed some spot levels. I will do a full level on it soon. I think the 3piece ltd neck design is stable.
What i mean by personality is tone and pickups. I generally roll with what it has because i like tonal diversity.
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Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Yeah, I always think factory setups are ridiculous. 2mm is the stock setting for a Les Paul... in E Standard... pffff. And I've read that's considered "medium" action. I guess if someone wants absolutely no buzz at all when they're playing 100% clean and BEATING on the strings? I'm sure you can get a lot lower than that if it's plek'd. I have mine set to 1.25 mm on the lowest string well below that in C with no fretting out at all and pulling off 1 whole tone bends no issues.
But LTD's for me always get me consistently low action on all I've had. I've never had anything other than Korean LTD's, though. But even if those don't have super flat fretboards like Ibanez, I've gotten LTD's action consistently lower than Ibanez.
But LTD's for me always get me consistently low action on all I've had. I've never had anything other than Korean LTD's, though. But even if those don't have super flat fretboards like Ibanez, I've gotten LTD's action consistently lower than Ibanez.
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Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
I don't really measure my action. Just get it as low as it goes w/o buzzing or otherwise adversely affecting tone.. I hate buzz. Even a little...I actually prefer a slightly higher action as well, cause tone suffers when the action's too low imo...also bends (which I do a lot of) are easier.whn you don't have your strings scraping against the fretboard.
. So with a combination of some truss rod & bridge height adjusment I just get it to where it's nice and fast and feels comfortable and then don't get super anal about getting it any lower..in some cases I let it be higher than it could be for the reasons mentioned above..
. So with a combination of some truss rod & bridge height adjusment I just get it to where it's nice and fast and feels comfortable and then don't get super anal about getting it any lower..in some cases I let it be higher than it could be for the reasons mentioned above..
Larger gauge strings can be set lower.
Plek is too expensive with shipping, unless there is a plek machine in your area.
I have had several guitars plekked, and never again. The machine can mess up a guitar by cutting a profile that significantly lowers the bridge. I found that the plek operators try to save their bits to keep their expenses low, so they will do the guitar in a way that removes the least fret material instead of leveling the frets equally with the board.
And after the guitar goes through seasonal changes, the minute changes to the wood wipe out any benefit of a plek job over traditional.
I am happy with the results I get, but I'm always looking to improve my technique. I may buy one of the Erlewine Jigs next time they go on sale.
