Your gonna hate me, maybe even ban me... - Page 4

satchbo · #46 04-20-2008, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Well. There ya go. Spend all you want. But if you suck. You're going to suck on a hand made guitar. But if you can take care of business, you'll sound great on even a Squire.

I agree with that statement. Although if you are a good player(not saying
thats me) you might like the differences better quality wood,hardware,electonics and more attention to detail bring to your playing.
I don't think you need to spend several grand to get this though.

shreddersymphony · #47 04-20-2008, 01:52 PM

I still reiterate that the only guitars that are priced in the 4 digit range that are worth it IMO are custom guitars. Everyone pointed this out in my old thread about why Jems and the like are so expensive - they said that you have to factor in the "Ibanez name" and the advertising costs and etc etc. To me, I'd rather take the percentage of my money that would be going to feed those costs (if i bought a jem) and take it to a custom builder and get a one of a kind instrument built 100% to my specs. Jems are certainly great guitars, but to me I would never spend 2000+ on a JEM when I can have a guitar of equal tonal and playability quality (and in my eyes of course since I am the one to design it for myself, a cosmetically superior one) that will be one of a kind and will have every single thing I want and nothing I don't.

Jemwielder · #48 04-20-2008, 02:35 PM

I have a teacher who purposely searches out those old silvertone electrics. You know the ones with the masonite tops. Awful terrible playing guitar, but holy cow can he play!!! He sounds amazing no matter what. Much like Vai or Satch would on a cheaper instrument. His (my teachers) advice to me was: "Don't be an angel fish, an angel fish needs just the right conditions to survive, you want to be more like a goldfish, or something that can adapt to changing conditions. Be it the gear you have to use, the musical environment you may have to play in or whatever." Words to live by my friends. Play those expensive guitars, just know that if you can rip on em it's cuz of you not the guitar (or at least that should be how it goes.)

Paul Warren · #49 04-20-2008, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jemwielder

His (my teachers) advice to me was: "Don't be an angel fish, an angel fish needs just the right conditions to survive, you want to be more like a goldfish, or something that can adapt to changing conditions. Be it the gear you have to use, the musical environment you may have to play in or whatever." Words to live by my friends.

It's a cool metaphor until you think about the part where so many people flush goldfish down the toilet or swallow them at frat parties.

Jus' kiddin'.

I think it goes without saying that we should all strive to play the best we can on whatever instrument we can afford. But I've had some real pieces of garbage called guitars over the years and I'll take the better built more expensive ones any day, heh heh. It doesn't make you a better player, but it does make it easier (in the fatigue sort of way) and more comfortable to play and sound good if you've got a finely crafted instrument.

paul

mike570 · #50 04-20-2008, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jemwielder

I have a teacher who purposely searches out those old silvertone electrics. You know the ones with the masonite tops. Awful terrible playing guitar, but holy cow can he play!!! He sounds amazing no matter what. Much like Vai or Satch would on a cheaper instrument. His (my teachers) advice to me was: "Don't be an angel fish, an angel fish needs just the right conditions to survive, you want to be more like a goldfish, or something that can adapt to changing conditions. Be it the gear you have to use, the musical environment you may have to play in or whatever." Words to live by my friends. Play those expensive guitars, just know that if you can rip on em it's cuz of you not the guitar (or at least that should be how it goes.)

Awesome advice! I always tried to keep this mentality since I started playing. It bugged me when I encountered players who had to have everything just so to play. Then again, I understand Jeff Beck is as particular, or at least used to be. Different strokes I suppose.
It also bugs me people burn on the lower-end models. Seriously! My black RG350, having a proper setup, is proving to be an AK-47 in my collection. I pulled her out after about two months in a gig bag and she was still in damned-near perfect tune!
I can't see myself paying over $1k for a guitar. My girl digs the 7VWH every time we go to Sam Ash, but I'm NOT about to spend $2k+ on any instrument.

Racerx2k · #51 04-20-2008, 07:03 PM

I have an RG220, that I play, live, on a regular basis. Only variation from stock is I changed the pickups. That said, at the end of the night, whether I'm playing an expensive Jem, or just my bargain-basement RG, it's STILL gonna sound like me, it's STILL going back into the case, and I'm STILL making small change, playing local clubs. The difference is, I'm content, knowing the outcome would've been the same with either guitar, but I chose the RG, and saved myself alot of dough.

ScottB · #52 04-20-2008, 10:27 PM

My everyday rehearsal guitar is a RG321MH w/ DiMarzios. Under $400, including the pickups.

Bezial · #53 04-21-2008, 06:42 AM

Hi all . i own 3 squiers now (one 84) and have to say i love them , i have jems , j customs high end strats and gibsons , the list goes one , they sound ok , play good with a little set up and hey look dam good to

i would spend 500 au $ any day for a workable sit on the sofa and not worry if the dog drools on it

mi2tom · #54 04-22-2008, 02:17 AM

I'd rather have awesome skillz than awesome guitars.

DavyH · #55 04-22-2008, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mi2tom

I'd rather have awesome skillz than awesome guitars.

So would I, but since I don't I'll just have to settle for the guitars.

mi2tom · #56 04-22-2008, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavyH

So would I, but since I don't I'll just have to settle for the guitars.

LOL! But there are freaks who have both.

Ibateur · #57 04-22-2008, 05:51 AM

I have so so guitars (2) and AWE-----------ful skills.

Scratching a blackboard is music compared to what I can do

Jemwielder · #58 04-22-2008, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike570

Awesome advice! I always tried to keep this mentality since I started playing. It bugged me when I encountered players who had to have everything just so to play. Then again, I understand Jeff Beck is as particular, or at least used to be. Different strokes I suppose.
It also bugs me people burn on the lower-end models. Seriously! My black RG350, having a proper setup, is proving to be an AK-47 in my collection. I pulled her out after about two months in a gig bag and she was still in damned-near perfect tune!
I can't see myself paying over $1k for a guitar. My girl digs the 7VWH every time we go to Sam Ash, but I'm NOT about to spend $2k+ on any instrument.

Cool story about Jeff Beck: He showed up to play on one someones record (can't remember who exactly) and there wasn't an amp in the studio save for a crappy roland keyboard amp. Naturally JB wasn't going to go for that, so he called a guy he knew in the area who had a nice marshall to bring it over for him to play thru. The guy was kind of busy but seeing as it was JB he was willing to make the trip out to help him. He gets there and Hears this outstanding guitar playing, beautiful tone just classic JB. Naturally he's pretty pissed cuz he realizes that Jeff must've called some other cat to bring him an amp. Once he got into where Jeff was playing he realized that Jeff was in fact plugged straight into the aforementioned keyboard amp. Although I'm pretty sure Jeff is one of those people who could make an out of tune uke sound sublime.
I've got a hand built First Act with all the bells and whistles. Spalted maple top, high quality honduran mahogany body and neck, flame maple neck binding, walnut headstock overlay, hand wound pickups, you get the idea. I've also got an old korean made fender FMT tele with 2 seymour duncan humbuckers. It has a mahogany body as well. The tone between the two is very similar. They both sound great and I wouldn't trade either for anything in the world, since they both have a good deal of sentimental value. I got the tele the day I started dating this girl whom the guitar is named after. And if you look at the First Act it's hard not to get sentimental looking at all that gorgeous wood and how well it's crafted

Sorry for the lengthy post.

Vim Fuego · #59 04-22-2008, 09:36 AM

Years ago I inherited some money and with that I decided to trade up from my second hand RG470 to a JEM7VWH, I didn't try it out before I ordered it, just took it on trust that it would be great!
When I got the guitar I really felt at home with it, can't describe it really...
Did it make me a better player? Not really.
Can I justify the expense compared to cheaper guitars? Not completely.
Would I have spent the money if I had *earned* it? Possibly not.
What do I take to every band rehearsal? The 7VWH
If the house caught fire what would I grab after the Wife and Kids above all other possessions? The 7VWH.
Is it the most valuable guitar I have? No, my BFP and 777 Fede Swirl that I got more recently are more valuable, VWHs are as common as muck!
In all honestly I'll admit that another, cheaper guitar *could* have had the same effect on me, especially as they seem well made now, but the 7VWH does it for me and that alone justifies the price.
Jim
(better sign off now, getting emotional...

)

tt0511 · #60 04-22-2008, 10:50 AM

I agree that there have been several very accurate points made here.

You should buy and play the instrument that calls out to you personally and caters to your creativity and makes you want to practice.

A $2000 guitar is not "necessarily" any better than a $200 guitar. I've owned several $2000+ guitars and cheaper guitars. Quite frankly, several of the cheaper guitars felt and sounded better but the quality craftsmanship of the higher end guitars was noticeable.

The biggest difference I've come to notice on foreign vs. domestic guitars is the hardware. I had a korean peavey wolfgang and the difference in the bridge on that guitar when compared to my friend's american wolfgang was daylight vs. dark. The korean bridge didn't tune well, the drop-d tuner didn't function slick or stay in tune well but his did. There is a difference in my mexi strat and american strat, most notably in the bridge and springs.

It may be that the hardware can be switched out for the better quality parts and you still have a killer axe for a lot less money. I'm not sure if the holes are all drilled with the same spacing and such to allow swapping out foreign to american hardware that just feels and functions better.

There is a difference in wood curing, but not necessarily in the assembly/construction. I have a close friend who works for Epiphone Gibson as a manager. He said he would NEVER own a Gibson because he's overseen both construction lines and there's just no real difference. He got me an epi les paul std. for $170 and put all Gibson electronics in it for me. I like that les paul, and that's saying a lot since I've hated every Gibson l.p. I've picked up with the exception of one or two I liked. However, there most certainly IS a difference in polyurethane clear and nitrocellulose clear when it comes to tone and there is most certainly a difference in cheaper tuners and quality tuners. The audience will never know the difference, but the player will. So it really comes down to how much these little things bother you (if you consider them "little").

I want an instrument that feels perfect, that I don't struggle with in certain locations of the neck, that has quality tuners and bridge which can be felt and be noticed. If that's a $200 guitar, so be it. If it's a $2000 guitar, so be it.

But there is no doubt that for $500-$800 you can have one heck of a solid guitar if you find the right one for you. In that price range the differences seem to be purely pots and pickups most of the time. I have a Highway One strat I recently purchased in this price range that is nothing but quality, and I've compared a bunch of them. The pups could be a little better, but the strat still sounds amazing and plays like a dream (and it still hasn't been setup!). It just boils down to individuality. My best playing guitar is still my custom jem Herc Swirl that was made from scratch. The neck is like none other and I got lucky to place a custom order that resulted in a neck that just so happened to be the most perfect for my hands and fingers. Someone else may pick it up and think it's crap. It's just too personal to squibble over those individual preferences. But component quality is very important, ...at least to me since I can easily and instantly feel the difference.