Show Us Yer Guitar Quiver

[ripvw]

Sweet! Thanks for all the info. Time to start shopping.

[El Chupacabra]

Sweet! Thanks for all the info. Time to start shopping.

If you're looking at the various Squier models, there's kind of a hierarchy of quality - - the upper end ones (Classic Vibe, Paranormal) are much nicer than the cheapest ones (Bullet, Affinity).

Made in México Fenders (you'll see them labeled as MIM) are a step above all Squiers. These are currently the Player series, probably other names too. The Player Plus are Mexican made one that are really close to American made.

I don't know if you have a preference right now on what sort of sound you generally want out of the electric. That might push you one way or another, particularly in the pickups.

I'll also put in a plug for Gretsch. I've never seen a bad one (of current production), no matter how inexpensive the price. Fender owns Gretsch now, but IMHO entry level Gretsch (Streamliner line) is nicer than any Squier, and usually can be found on a good sale.

[ripvw]

I'm a total guitar JONG, especially when it comes to electrics. Pretty easy to get lost in the weeds with the different pickups/body styles. I think a lot of the subtley would be lost on me. Not going to play metal or punk. Into classic and modern rock and would love to learn some blues. Just want a nice sounding, reliable guitar I can fuck around on. Like to keep the all in cost (guitar and amp) under $500 if I can. Totally open to buying used.

[El Chupacabra]

If you have a Guitar Center near you, probably worth just going in and holding a bunch of different styles, see what feels comfortable. Weights vary quite a bit. Shapes too - - some have "belly cut" shaping or arm slope shapes that can be more comfortable (think Stratocaster). Necks vary, but that may or may not be too noticeable - - to me, the biggest difference is if the neck feels smooth (satin) or has a gloss finish, which can be a little sticky feeling - - maybe you have a preference one way or another.

Also, the spacing between the frets varies ("scale") - most commonly 24.75" (Gibson) or 25.5" (Fender). Spacing between the strings varies a little too (nut width). You can Google what your acoustic has, and then see what feels comfortable to you at the store.

I got rid of a Epiphone Les Paul a little while ago, because I just didn't like the sounds from it (guess I'm not really a humbucker fan) and it weighed a lot. I originally bought it when I had no idea what I was really looking for - and gold top Les Pauls look great. It weighed a fuck ton though.

Your price ballpark of $500 for guitar plus amp is easily doable and for decent stuff.

I'll toss this one out for you:
https://www.adorama.com/gr2806700593...ce=rflaid62905

I have that guitar, and I like it. Build quality is fine - no sharp frets, no electronics issues. I like the P90 sound a *lot*. The bridge pickup (the filtertron type pickup) has a totally different sound. For $200 shipped, you're just not gonna lose money on that if you want to sell it later... and won't be at all worried about devaluing it if you decide to change out the pickups.

[chicken feathers]

New MIM Player Plus maple top

[leroy jenkins]

I'm a total guitar JONG, especially when it comes to electrics. Pretty easy to get lost in the weeds with the different pickups/body styles. I think a lot of the subtley would be lost on me. Not going to play metal or punk. Into classic and modern rock and would love to learn some blues. Just want a nice sounding, reliable guitar I can fuck around on. Like to keep the all in cost (guitar and amp) under $500 if I can. Totally open to buying used.

Heres what you gotta think about for pickups. Single Coils, or Humbuckers, or perhaps P90s/grestch gold foils/a few other things that are basically mini humbuckers.

then, you gotta think what kind of pickup setup you want. SSS, SS, SSH, etc.

Then, if you really want to get into it, think neck shape, try a few and find your favorites.

You do NOT need to think about, well this squier has the 56 pickups and this one has the 57 and bla bla bla. With gibsons, some of their pickups are WAY hotter (higher output) than others, but for most guitars, especially fender/squier, they are built for versatility, and they put decent shit into all of them. Combined with the 5way switching, you can play anything, on a strat.


My previous advice about which models to look for is a bit out of the $500 price range, especially if including amp. Go Mexican Strat. its the best starter guitar for someone who doesn't want to think about gear endlessly, and isn't obsessed with recreating a certain musicians sound, like jimmie paige's les paul (actually recorded with a telecaster). I think grestch is up there in quality, but not quite as good of versatility. They'vemore got their sound.

Elixir polyweb 9s are my suggestion for best strings for a beginner.

[leroy jenkins]

These are kind of 'honorable mentions' for my quiver, and not permanent residents. The 80s Martin Mahogany Dreadnaught is a loner from a friend, more cus it doesn't get played enough than because he thought I need more guitars. The beautiful one peice rosewood necked, American Pro two special run with custom shop pickups is a very sweet axe that I got a way too good to be true price on. Its mint, except for the fact some yahoo wailed way too hard on the trem arm and bent the bridge to the point it just needs to be replaced. So probably returning that unless they want to send me another bridge because that detail was omitted from the ad and reverbs got me covered. But I thought I'd share before these return to whence they came.






You can also see my amp setup. I've got 9 12" speakers and 142W of power for about 100ft of floor space. And yes, my bed is just a mattress on the floor.

[rideit]

Kiddo just came home with a fretless bass, FKNA. Bold choice at 16!

[EWG]

These are kind of 'honorable mentions' for my quiver, and not permanent residents. The 80s Martin Mahogany Dreadnaught is a loner from a friend, more cus it doesn't get played enough than because he thought I need more guitars. The beautiful one peice rosewood necked, American Pro two special run with custom shop pickups is a very sweet axe that I got a way too good to be true price on. Its mint, except for the fact some yahoo wailed way too hard on the trem arm and bent the bridge to the point it just needs to be replaced. So probably returning that unless they want to send me another bridge because that detail was omitted from the ad and reverbs got me covered. But I thought I'd share before these return to whence they came.






You can also see my amp setup. I've got 9 12" speakers and 142W of power for about 100ft of floor space. And yes, my bed is just a mattress on the floor.

Everything about this post makes me happy. Totally awesome. Right down to the bed on the floor next to the jumble of pedals. This is rock and roll right here.

Post of list of those amps.

[leroy jenkins]

You guys are going to fucking hate me. I kind of want to post an updated pic to show off and share the stoke, but man. Its almost embarrassing. I now own two dozen instruments. Even more if you count a couple that friends have insisted on loaning me because they don't play them. and a 100W steel string singer clone, as well as a 20W PRS HRDX, and my ol trusty 20w fender deluxe reverb, and I play through them all simultaneously. Fuzz and wah on the hdrx, distortion and reverb on the fender, and typically clean but the option for reverb delay or fuzz on the SSS, or wah on everything. Its fucking glorious. And I live in an apartment.

And I drive like a $1000 car.

But I'm actually excited to wake up in the morning. Which is something that often can't be bought.

I actually glossed over my amp setup a couple pages back, although the pedals are still a work in progress, trying different things. I've always been fairly minimalist, or really, used that to justify just having too many hobbies and not that much money to spend on music, but also, not much mental energy to spend geeking out on tones and stuff, but its been fun recently to take a deep dive into that.

I've got a honey badger and blues disorder pedals in the mail I'm hoping will mix well with things, probably replace the electro harmonix big fuzz to ratt distortion chain, which I run into the fender amp. Oh and I've added a univibe to the both the hdrx and fender chains.

I really love this sound. Super sensitive low lag responsive clean cleans that cut through anything, no matter how heavy your playing via the SSS. Then obviously I'm cloning hendrix, the HDRX stands for hendrix, and I've got basically his same effects chain without the octave. I do have the settings a lot different though and end up creating a fairly different sound. Its crunchier I guess, and a little darker, its got this big heavy backing sound, but it doesn't overwhelm things too much, getting pretty clear with decent sustain when playing softly, but still not overwhelming things when driving it harder despite having a good heavy punch. I wouldn't say it lacks sustain, but it doens't loiter and clutter things up either. Then the fender has it's internal reverb cranked way up, with distortion on almost always but fairly low and low fuzz sometimes, which gives a much longer lasting sustain for a sort of vintage stoner doom metal blues that hangs out sticks around and does its thing in the background but also doesn't overwhelm.

I can basically just alter my play style, and fuck with the setting on the guitar itself, and not have to change anything amp or effects wise, and just play almost anything I want, strumming open chords with clarity to chugging heavy riffs to cutting lead sounds, usually just with technique and maybe hitting a coil tap. Of course some songs just sound better with some of the pedals off or reverb and delay on the SSS, it has its limits but typically anything that sounds at all heavy while playing single notes sounds cacophonous and unpleasant for chords so its really nice to have one sound that can seamlessly switch back and forth if you finesse it a little.



Theres also a fender rumble studio 40 bass amp on the floor under the HDRX head.


The cabs are 2X12 prs, not the hdrx, something cheaper thats discontinued I can't remember, and a 4X12 both on the HDRX and am amplified nation 2X12 to match the SSS. I don't really need a full stack on the HDRX, but I got both cheap to try them both and now have both so. Oh I and I think the fender deluxe reverb is actually 22w, I had said 20. I really never thought I'd own a 100W amp, but the thing is, i really love the cleans out of the SSS, like people talk about an amps sweet spot in terms of speaker breakup at a certain volume, and its cool to have that option if I really crank it, but I actually like I can get plenty loud and just stay basically crystalline clean. Plus it was a demo on sweetwater for about what a new 20w SSS costs so fuck it.


Oh, and happy news is it turns out I'm not a luthier and don't actually know shit about guitars, and the bridge on the rosewood necked strat is just fine. A friend helped me set it up right, turns out it was just completely decked, but done so with a couple trem springs removed so it was super low tension, meaning the screws had to be turned in even further to deck it, which is just a weird combo. Theres no reason to have springs removed if its decked and you aren't using the trem. So I assumed the springs were removed in an attempt to undeck a bent bridge. Maybe someone wanted it decked but still loose enough they could grab it and trem it with their fingers. I don't know. I just play here. But its happy now. And its found its home.

[El Chupacabra]

You're able to use 2x12 and 4x12 cabinets in an apartment?

[leroy jenkins]

You're able to use 2x12 and 4x12 cabinets in an apartment?

Nah, i play through a 4x12, 2 2x12s and a 1x12 together.

The hdrx has a master volume, and a separate volume for the treble and bass tubes. So you can crank till you get natural gain, at a low volume. it takes some fucking with to get the levels all right, but the whole thing isn't ridiculously loud.

I'm also in a top floor corner unit, and we have outdoor stairwells, so that just means i really just have a next door and downstairs neighbors. Next door is a ski buddy, and downstairs has been empty, but recently became occupied. No one has complained yet. Neighbors all agree this place is pretty well insulted from sound but I think you can probably hear me in the parking lot a little. Meh.

The baritones do kind of shake the earth a bit.

[leroy jenkins]

Suona!

[El Chupacabra]

A friend gave me this Ampeg BA115 bass amp yesterday. A little crackly, a lot of hiss from the tweeter. Price was right though.

My dirt cheap bass rig now consists of a $10 Samick bass, $12 in new pots from Amazon, and a free amp.

[EWG]

Haha awesome

[El Chupacabra]

These Player telecaster are $499 right now. I'm tempted. Convince me I don't need one.

Or that I do.

https://www.adorama.com/fe0144571002.html

[oftpiste]

so many interesting guitars you can buy for $500. Do some shopping. Have some fun wit ur quiver.

[EWG]

I think they just came out with the Player 2. Maybe that's why the older ones are cheaper?

Anyway, yes, great guitars. Also check our PRS SE Custom 22 or 24. Those are great mid range instruments.

[El Chupacabra]

I think they just came out with the Player 2. Maybe that's why the older ones are cheaper?

Anyway, yes, great guitars. Also check our PRS SE Custom 22 or 24. Those are great mid range instruments.

These Telecasters come on sale at Adorama occasionally at this price. They must have a giant back stock of them.

I'm just trying to justify a Tele in addition to a nice Strat that I have...

[EWG]

These Telecasters come on sale at Adorama occasionally at this price. They must have a giant back stock of them.

I'm just trying to justify a Tele in addition to a nice Strat that I have...

I have no idea how you will make it through another day without a tele. It's a moral imperative. You NEED one, obviously...

[heckacali]

Everyone needs:
Strat
Les Paul
Tele
6120

[EWG]

Everyone needs:
Strat
Les Paul
Tele
6120

This.

Better listen to him, Flounder. He's in Pre-Med.

[El Chupacabra]

Everyone needs:
Strat
Les Paul
Tele
6120

I'm sorta going through them -

Had a Les Paul (Epiphone, but a decently nice one) - - sold it, I think I just don't care for humbuckers, and it weighed a lot.

Have a Gretsch 5420T (large hollowbody, filter tron, made in Korea) - sounds great.

Have a Fender Strat, American Pro II. It's really much nicer than anything I need. I like the single coil sound.

So... guess I need that Tele, huh?

[oftpiste]

^find a used one with some soul in it.

[El Chupacabra]

Any of you have a Fender Aerodyne tele? Eying one...

I bought and returned the MIM Tele. Finish was pretty bad - frets so sharp they'd cut your hand if you let the neck slide through your hand.

The made in Japan Fenders are supposed to be really nice. Never played one.