guitarists and gear

One more:

Road Worn Strat and 1958 Gibson GA20T

Guys, thanks for the tips/info. Heading out to Guitar Center in a little bit to see some gear up close. So torn between starting off "cheap" and jumping in "big time"....

Dime, that's some sweet gear you have....:thumbsup:

good stuff, Dime

Well, spent most of yesterday afternoon checking out gear at Guitar Center...a very cool place! Was able to hook up a few guitars to amps and make a little noise...<G> Two that caught my eye: 2015 Gibson Les Paul Junior for $764, including hard case (1 of the 2 sold while I was there) and a Fender Telecaster for $1299....very nice indeed! Picked up a few mags today Guitar Player and The Ultimate Gear Guide-Holiday Edition - some good info, including 15 "electrifying" electric guitars for under $799. Even the cheaper guitars at GC looked nice but only an experienced player could tell the differences.

The LP Jr is another single coil like the Tele, is it not? Interesting that you would gravitate toward the single coil guitars, which have a very unique and bright sound that isn't always the best for rock and roll (although they always seem to just kill it and stand out in a live mix). Anyway, that was another thing that I failed to mention. If you're going to spend some money on a guitar, make sure you know what your preference is in terms of a sound that you are looking for. Pickups affect the sound as much as an amp does.

The Gibson P90 single coil will be 'meatier' than Fender single coils, generally. In the bridge position, as on an LP Jr., while it will be a bit brighter because of its placement, it will 'snarl' more than a Fender single coil....and with a bit more girth; on the whole it's a more powerful pickup. Of course, the extra wood in an LP will fatten things up a bit on its own.

Classic rock 'n' roll has some notable P90 users, among them Leslie West who made that LP Jr absolutely rip in his Mountain days. Townsend with The Who "Live At Leeds" is another good P90 example. As I think of some more, I'll post 'em!

Where good guitars begin to separate themselves from their less expensive counterparts is, in part, in the electronics. Better wire, pots, caps, et cetera (especially caps) can make a difference. It all adds up.

But the wood itself is going to have as much a bearing on the sound as any one factor.

As you begin to plunk around on these electric guitars, be aware of how they sound unplugged. Resonance and vibration can indicate a good one in the offing. If it sounds 'dead', I'd move on to another instrument.

EatLeadCommie said:

The LP Jr is another single coil like the Tele, is it not? Interesting that you would gravitate toward the single coil guitars, which have a very unique and bright sound that isn't always the best for rock and roll (although they always seem to just kill it and stand out in a live mix). Anyway, that was another thing that I failed to mention. If you're going to spend some money on a guitar, make sure you know what your preference is in terms of a sound that you are looking for. Pickups affect the sound as much as an amp does.

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Well, the thing that attracted me to the Les Paul Junior is: price, USA-made, Gibson LP guitar rep, suitable for rock & roll which is my preferred music. Grew up with R&R from the early 60s onward. Realize it does have a single coil. Telecaster? It's a Fender, price is reasonable, one of K Richards' favorites (I'm a HUGE Stones' fan). Not familiar with a lot of the other "quality" brands, though learning (Carvin, ESP, Godin, Gretsch, etc)....figured if I do spend that much it would be on a Gibson or Fender. Or could move down to their little bro's equivalents: Epiphone/Squier and probably not notice much difference (other than cost!) but not real thrilled about a git from Indonesia, China or Mexico and greater possibility of quality issues .... Would rather support USA-made, all things being equal.

mercurydime said:

The Gibson P90 single coil will be 'meatier' than Fender single coils, generally. In the bridge position, as on an LP Jr., while it will be a bit brighter because of its placement, it will 'snarl' more than a Fender single coil....and with a bit more girth; on the whole it's a more powerful pickup. Of course, the extra wood in an LP will fatten things up a bit on its own.

Classic rock 'n' roll has some notable P90 users, among them Leslie West who made that LP Jr absolutely rip in his Mountain days. Townsend with The Who "Live At Leeds" is another good P90 example. As I think of some more, I'll post 'em!

Where good guitars begin to separate themselves from their less expensive counterparts is, in part, in the electronics. Better wire, pots, caps, et cetera (especially caps) can make a difference. It all adds up.

But the wood itself is going to have as much a bearing on the sound as any one factor.

As you begin to plunk around on these electric guitars, be aware of how they sound unplugged. Resonance and vibration can indicate a good one in the offing. If it sounds 'dead', I'd move on to another instrument.

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Thanks for the info...those are nuances which I am obviously not aware of.... but do remember "Mississippi Queen" from my WF days - a close friend was a huge Mountain fan. And have always liked The Who....

One thing I quickly realized yesterday was how quiet they were when not plugged into an amp! Something to remember then.....

TexasDeac71 said:

...One thing I quickly realized yesterday was how quiet they were when not plugged into an amp! Something to remember then.....

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They are quieter when unplugged, but a guitar should have some 'life' in it...even an electric one. Play the open E and A strings and see if you can feel the vibration of those in your fretting hand as you hold the neck. See if you can feel the guitar's body vibrating against your body. Compare as much as possible how well both open strings and fretted strings sustain.

Look for fit and finish issues with any binding, neck joint, and the finish itself...especially around the edges. The guitars you're looking at have different finish bases: The Fender will (most likely in that price range) be polyurethane (and a thicker, harder finish) ; the Gibson will have a nitro-cellulose finish (thinner, softer finish...generally lets wood 'breathe' better...and can often have a pleasant, chocolaty smell )

Have fun and check out as many as you can!

Picked up some gear lately. Figure some of you might appreciate some of this. Clearly, I have a problem. This is just a portion of the gear I've added in the last few months.

Bought Rich Robinson's (of The Black Crowes) Marshall cab. Cab used through most of the 90's up through about 2003. This thing roars and is used to a lot of volume! I am using this live now with my band with a Fuchs Overdrive Supreme 50, primarily.







1977 Gibson SG Olympic white faded to yellow. I am in love with this one. Has the tar back pickups and they are incredible.



Aforementioned Fuchs ODS 50



Gretsch Silver Falcon



Greer Hellfire. If you guys haven't tried Greer amps products made in SC, I highly recommend you do. Fantastic stuff.



Gibson '59 reissue Les Paul



Jackson McFly combo amp.




I built a Billy Joe Armstrong Strat - it now has the stickers all over it but I don't have a pic yet of that.




Gibson CC-335 Chris Cornell Signature with Lollartrons, Gibson DG-335 Dave Grohl sig, and Gibson ES-335 Rich Robinson '63



K-line Springfield Strat. Great boutique maker.



Fender Strat relic build. I love this one.




More to follow

Guitardeac...that is 1 heckuva collection...and here I am worried about buying 1 measly guitar....

Great stuff. Have you played the K-line Truxton or San Bernardino guitardeac? I've been curious about both. I have too many Strats, only one that I really love, but I'm in love with the one Tele that I own.

PM please. said:

Great stuff. Have you played the K-line Truxton or San Bernardino guitardeac? I've been curious about both. I have too many Strats, only one that I really love, but I'm in love with the one Tele that I own.

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I have not. But the quality of this Springfield is outstanding. Absolutely as nice as my Fender Custom Shop Strats. So I would have high expectations for anything by K-Line. I have only recently sort of gotten into Strat style guitars. The other guitar player in m band plays an LP exclusively, so I wanted to play single coil guitars to give us a little separation in tones. So I plat Strats and Teles in the band, with some P90 guitars mixed in.

guitardeac killin' it.

REALLY like that green relic Strat. Did you build that up from scratch? Inquiring minds want to know.

No kidding! I'd be happy with some of the "crumbs" leftover in these collections! Can only imagine the $$$ involved... You guys are def hard-core!

mercurydime said:

guitardeac killin' it.

REALLY like that green relic Strat. Did you build that up from scratch? Inquiring minds want to know.

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That's an MJT body and build. I love that guitar.

I will get some more pics tonight if anyone is interested. I have about 100 guitars. So let me know if anyone has any interest in seeing anything in particular.

That collection is some serious bank!

Can't beat a Les Paul

guitardeac said:

Mercury. like the P90's. I don't have a guitar with P90's yet and I have a bunch of guitars. For some reason, I am fascinated with a Gibson Les Paul Jr with P90's. I has a Jr when I was a kid so maybe that's the reason. The SG looks great.

I play and own mostly acoustic guitars, but have a handful of electrics too. I primarily have Les Pauls and Teles.

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I Play The combo of the Gods a Les Paul plugged into a Marshall jcm800

Please more pics from your collection. Any other hollow body Gibsons, a la the three ES-335s you have above? And how does that Rich Robinson model play?

Some of you guys have some great collections. I have owned and played dozens of guitars over the years. Over the last 10 years most of them have been sold. I am downsizing most things now that my kids are grown. The G&L ASAT mentioned earlier is a great guitar. This is what I have left. My primary guitar is a Taylor 414ce. I also have a Yamaha cedar top nylon string classical that I just love. I think I paid around $100 at a guitar store in Atlanta years ago. It's a bitch to keep tuned but it vibrates great and has a great sound. The only true electric left is a black Dano U2 reissue paired with a Dano nifty fifty amp. I didn't pay much for it and had it set up by a pro. I really like it but don't play it much anymore and have been thinking about selling it as well. 95% of my time is spent on the Taylor. I have owned a few Martins over the years and I prefer the neck on the Taylors.

Not to sound preachy but please don't buy from Guitar Center. Find a local shop in your town and support them. You'll pay a little more but the same people will be there for whatever you need. In Raleigh I recommend Harry's Guitar shop and in Burlington I would recommend Shomaker's guitar. I know enough people that I can get a recommendation about anywhere in NC or even the Southeast. IMO Guitar Center is no better than Walmart. If you want to really learn to play find your local players/teachers and get to know them. Currently I'm obsessed with the flat picking style of Doc Watson. In my youth, I wanted to make as much fast and loud noise as possible.