Reissues vs originals

[Davey]

There is a good chance this has already been covered but I didn't see it in the poll section so let's go for it.

There seems to be a bit of a myth that 'original' guitars are always better, personally I think that's a load of crap (or at least as far as the new Ibanez go.) Yeah the wood/pickups/plastic/whatever may have aged to give the guitar a certain tone/feel/look/whatever, but does it really make it better?

Those jerks from Curly Music have got it plastered all over their e-bay ads, THIS IS NOT A RE-ISSUE as though there is something wrong with re-issues, but they aren't the only ones doing that (and by the way they aren't jerks for that reason only, they're liars, but that is another story for another time,) so it seems like it's more of a selling point thing. Then again some people actually do prefer an aged guitar. The bit that REALLY gets me (and again this is specific to the Ibanez reissues) is that some people make out like they aren't made up to the same quality as the originals... rubbish. I'd take one of the new 5-piece Wizard reissues over the original 'bolt-through nut' version any day of the week.

What do you guys think? and which do you prefer?

[DEADTUNES666]

It depends on the guitar for me...

The Jems all around seemed to have been built better IMO around 87-93

For Gibson/Fender the originals will bring more of a monetary return than a reissue will. The guitar being a player rather than collector, makes a difference. Having a certain sound that you can't duplicate with modern technology, or having an older piece not being able to stand up sonically, is an issue. You can rerecord all of the Beatles tunes on Protools but it won't sound the same, you can even go back and rerecord them analog on four tracks, but it still won't be the same. Because you aren't in the same exact moment you can't recreate the past. Martin Luther King Jr's I have a dream speech, or Abbot & Costellos' Who's on first routine can never be duplicated the same way because of the timing. Guitars are similar in a way...

Now if you're talking reissue relics, new everytime for me!

New for playing, old for collecting...

[Jaden]

well its not like the old fuzz box pedal type re-issue problem where the components are different.. no germanium transistors etc etc.
if anything the new ones should have addressed some of the issues that the old models have and kept all the best bits, which I think is pretty much the case.

EDIT: having said that, I play everything I own so I really dont care as long as it plays great !

[waylay00]

For a lot of guitars, it makes a huge difference. For some guitars, they just don't make them like they used to (especially Les Pauls at the old Kalamazoo factory). But that's not to say you can't get a great reissue.

[DEADTUNES666]

It's also personal preference...I love all my old records, I think there is something special about vinyl with it's crackling and imperfect sound that makes it sound more pleasing to me. I also don't see the difference between Bluray and DVD...It seems (once again) to me that TV was a bit more special when you used the antennae on the roof and got a scratchy @ss picture. Early imperfect Fender Amps compared to newer digital ones are probably similar to some people...

[ken_r152]

I like the sound of aged pickups for their warmer tones, which is what the original craze was for the vintage guitars. As pickups age, the magnets lose some of their magnetism, which alters the tone in a nice way, and reduces some of the string pull. This can also be simulated artificially, which is why DiMarzio came out with the "Area" series pickups. But otherwise new versus reissued doesn't make much difference to me. Also, some reissues have minor tweaks to take care of problems that the originals had. Something else to watch out for with older gear is safety, like the old, old, old capacitors that you might find in some truly vintage amplifiers that can short out.

[indeedido]

The nice thing about a reissue is you don't have to be afraid to play it. Some originals may make you less likely to play them or abuse them in a loving way. With a reissue you don't have to worry about it. Play the guts out of it.

[alecmm61]

can't decide they bot hhave there up and down things on em

[mike570]

I owned a '91 RG570 bought new back in the dayand the new RG550 reissue.
They're pretty close to being the same guitar except for the pickguard.
All around, I think the RG550 reissue is better.

[Rodney James]

Depends on what's important I guess.

I found the old 770DX's to sound better, yet the new ones to feel better. Both are great!

[ken_r152]

Originally Posted by Rodney James

Depends on what's important I guess.

I found the old 770DX's to sound better, yet the new ones to feel better. Both are great!

Do you mean the older 770DX's sounded better back "then," or do you mean the older 770DX's sound better, as played now? It might be because the pickups have aged a little and gotten mellower. (Or the pickups might have a slightly different design these days)

[kotornut]

I don't know how to answer this. I tend to judge each guitar on it's own. Even mass produced ones. I know a lot has to do with set up, but every strat feels different to me even identical models and specs. I have no idea why. So I'd say that I'd have to compare the original to the reissue and see.

[HeavyMetal4Ever]

Originally Posted by kotornut

I don't know how to answer this. I tend to judge each guitar on it's own. Even mass produced ones. I know a lot has to do with set up, but every strat feels different to me even identical models and specs. I have no idea why. So I'd say that I'd have to compare the original to the reissue and see.

Well said. To me, every guitar has it's own unique mojo, even amongst mass produced models/brands. How many of us have played "that" RG550 that just seems to slay all the others you played? Maybe it got the best piece of body wood, or maybe the person putting it together was having a good day, but for whatever reason, some guitars just seem better than others of the same model with the same specs imho.

Rock on!

[Rodney James]

Originally Posted by ken_r152

Do you mean the older 770DX's sounded better back "then," or do you mean the older 770DX's sound better, as played now? It might be because the pickups have aged a little and gotten mellower. (Or the pickups might have a slightly different design these days)

well, i have only played a dozen or so original early 90's 770DX's, new and aged, and 4 of the new 770DX's, perhaps the pickups change over time and they way they are produced, the neck wood does age, the body of course is frozen with the poly. I think it's the combo of all the elements, woods used back then, etc...The new 5 & 7pc necks sound much different than the old design. So, from my experience,none of the new guitars to date speak like the old models.

yet both old & new are fun and have things to offer...And...for me the Jem20th is the only interesting machine since the DNA, so it's all preference and perspective i spose...