Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: hhcave on October 06, 2008, 01:13:14 PM
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Hi,
I've got my birthday coming up soon and im looking to get myself a new guitar! I currently own a Gibson Les Paul Custom (with MMs) which is fantastic but im looking for a different tone and ive recently been listening a lot to strat players and really want a similar guitar!
I will be using it mainly for jazz fusion/instrumental rock stuff (think eric johnson/scott henderson) and the only requirements i have at the moment are: S/S/S, maple neck & fretboard (preferably lacquered)... the rest i'd prefer to be classic (vintage spec_ but i dont really mind too much
My budget is anything up to say... £1800 at most but i wouldnt mind spending less for a great instrument :)
Ive been looking at the Suhr classics, Fender american strats and the Eric Johnson strat but out of these i've only really played the american strats - please advise!
Thanks
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If your budget is that high, I'd really recommend the Eric Johnson Strat. It must be one of the best Strats ever produced. Just amazing, the tone, feel, everything.
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If you are not too bothered about the finish or name you could go for a partscaster from allparts or USA Custom Guitars. Add BKP's, Callaham hardware and you would have a top quality Strat for less than a grand. You could then either finish it in Nitro from Manchester Guitar Tech or True oil, either way you would have a thin resonant finish. Or you could buy a ready finished one and still come in around a £1K all in.
I think that is the best way to go for the most quality/£, but if you don't want to go that route G&L would be the best option. For the best 'Vibe' it would have to be Fender Custom Shop.
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I have tried an Tom Anderson Strat (rosewood board not maple) which was great.
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No brainer- Suhr classic!
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Im in love with Suhr so I'm biased :P
Check out Melancon too.
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I've had a look at the Melancon website and they seem like the type of guitar im looking for... Is it possible to order direct from them and specify? (eg. woods, colour etc.) Also, could someone tell me roughly how much the Pro Artist costs? There is a guitar shop i can check out which stocks Melancons but i won't be able to go until next month or so...
Thanks
Also, is the Suhr PBSSC System worth getting installed as well with the single coils? It seems useful however i really don't want the tone to be affected much...
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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Tom-Anderson-Hollow-Classic-Tobacco-Burst-Guitar_W0QQitemZ310081884318QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item310081884318&_trkparms=72%3A1298|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
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i'd say at that amount of money try everything you can, even things quite a bit below budget, but also a bit above too (not much point in setting an arbitrary limit of £1800 if, say, your perfect guitar can be had for £1900)...
i'd be trying all those boutique guys like melancon, rahbek, suhr, etc., also fender custom shop, G&L... also stuff like musicman if it doesn't have to be the exact strat shape...
can you get a tyler for £1800? i really liked one of those i tried, but it was £2700 ( :lol: ) and also HSS rather than SSS... but if he does a more vintage strat, it would presumably be worth a try...
if you have very precise specs, and you're willing to wait, a custom-build would be worth considering too... :)
EDIT: i would also say, take your time, there's no rush. when you're spending that amount of money you want to be sure it's what you want...
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Go Custom. I wouldn't think twice about it. And Stratocasters are easy customs.
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Like some of the guys before have said, partocaster, you could get a fantastic Warmoth built body and neck and do whatever you want with the rest (its what i plan on starting with some of next months pay).
As for ready built, I know the Eric Johnson one is supposed to be the best 50s Fender you can get (from Fender), but another one i would consider is the Vintage Hot Rod 62, thin nitro finish, medium jumbo frets and a flatter 12 radius, with a thick C contour. Which might be good for you if you're coming from Gibson territory? It also sounds the business.
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Yes, go custom!
And if you enjoy DIY: Warmoth...
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I've played a second hand Tom Anderson in a store, and I wasn't very impressed. It had a needlessly fiddly pickup switching system, and was very difficult to play - it fought back too much. I've also played a Johnson Strat, which was a lovely guitar. Sounded great and played very nicely indeed. I found the neck a bit sticky, because it's nitro-cellulose gloss finished, including on the fingerboard, but that's what you're after so it's all good.
For true flexibility, and if your budget will allow, it's worth exploring the custom route, and also having a good look at Warmoth guitars - there are literally thousands of different combinations of options, and the quality is excellent. You could even do what I did and cheat - have a tech put it together for you!
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Just to add information:
Warmoth does not make nitro/lacquer finish, just poly... as you want it, you would have to dyi or ask somebody to do it...
But the quality is top notch, guys more experienced than me said it's at least at Fender Custom Shop standard... As I've never GOT CLOSE to a custom nor vintage, I only quote it :lol:
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How much would a Warmoth be, in £? Finished body, neck, few custom bits here and there, no parts however.
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How much would a Warmoth be, in £? Finished body, neck, few custom bits here and there, no parts however.
Depends... You can choose many different woods and the figuring of the woods and this can make the price go on and on :lol:
I would say an all maple neck finished from showcase: from £150 (0A) to £ 343 (birdseye, about 5A)
Body: from £155 (Ash, black) to £742 (1 piece flamed Koa, natural)...
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How much would a Warmoth be, in £? Finished body, neck, few custom bits here and there, no parts however.
Depends... You can choose many different woods and the figuring of the woods and this can make the price go on and on :lol:
I would say an all maple neck finished from showcase: from £150 (0A) to £ 343 (birdseye, about 5A)
Body: from £155 (Ash, black) to £742 (1 piece flamed Koa, natural)...
Yeah, there are big variations in price!
If you look in their Showcase there are lots of search options so you can narrow down to particular shapes, timbers, finished or unfinished, then sort them in order of price or body weight. Hours of fun! :D
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Sounds like the grown man's Lego.
I'd probably look for.. a Les Paul finished, the usual mahogany and stuff, hopefully not chambers, a nice ebony neck. Nothing fancy, just want a nice looking playable Les Paul.
Or I could just save every for a custom Telecaster OR EVEN save more for an ESP Forrest which I must say looks fan-$%&#ing-tastic. Yummy.
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Sounds like the grown man's Lego.
:lol: Yes!
I'd probably look for.. a Les Paul finished, the usual mahogany and stuff, hopefully not chambers, a nice ebony neck. Nothing fancy, just want a nice looking playable Les Paul.
Or I could just save every for a custom Telecaster OR EVEN save more for an ESP Forrest which I must say looks fan-$%&#ing-tastic. Yummy.
I might say that the LP from Warmoth are going expensive in Showcase... Because they're puting a veneer of 5A Quilted Maple on the top (said that it's almost unpaiable a 5/8" Quilt top nowaways, don't know, perhaps I'll make an quote to a seller...)
Like about £570 one body... If you go custom order on a AA Flame Maple + Mahogany finished in burst, i about £300... If you ask for more A's it will increasing badly... Last time I quote 3A was about +£140... :(
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Go Custom. I wouldn't think twice about it. And Stratocasters are easy customs.
Custom all the way.
You could get an absolute demon of a guitar from legra or feline for 1800.
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Go Custom. I wouldn't think twice about it. And Stratocasters are easy customs.
Custom all the way.
You could get an absolute demon of a guitar from legra or feline for 1800.
I must admit, I'm coming round to that way of thinking too. A while back I'd have said "you could get 2 decent Japanese Fender re-issues for that, BKP them both, fret dress and set up and maybe still have change".
But now, if I had 1800 to spend on a single guitar, I'd be visiting Feline to see how interested he could make me :D
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Whereabouts are you located? I would go local builder or custom shop. You in Europe or the US of A?
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Suhr or Fender Custom Shop.
We have a Fender Custom Shop that we picked up 2nd hand and it plays like a dream. But then I've also heard great things about Suhr. We also have a Feline Tele and that is a great guitar too.
Hmm.. that didn't help did it?
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Go Custom. I wouldn't think twice about it. And Stratocasters are easy customs.
YES. PERIOD. Plus with that kind of money you will surely be able to get a nice top wood of say anything from Quilt, Flame, Birdseye Maple to Zebra wood, even Sapele or maybe Cocobolo. I give a very firm second to Jonny's suggestion.
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Go Custom. I wouldn't think twice about it. And Stratocasters are easy customs.
YES. PERIOD. Plus with that kind of money you will surely be able to get a nice top wood of say anything from Quilt, Flame, Birdseye Maple to Zebra wood, even Sapele or maybe Cocobolo. I give a very firm second to Jonny's suggestion.
Aww, why thank you :D
Did you ever sell that Nailbomb?
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Well im based in the UK so i could go custom...
Im pretty sure its going to be either a Melancon Pro Artist, Suhr Classic or possibly a Fender Custom Shop (but how much are these roughly speaking for a fairly standard vintage strat build?)
I think the Suhr and Fender may well be out of my price range... are they not?
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Tried a Melancon T something in Coda the other day- didn't think it was worth the money at all. But that was 2nd hand, and just a single T model, so may not be a fair reflection at all.
For what it's worth, I'd go custom.
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Well im based in the UK so i could go custom...
Im pretty sure its going to be either a Melancon Pro Artist, Suhr Classic or possibly a Fender Custom Shop (but how much are these roughly speaking for a fairly standard vintage strat build?)
I think the Suhr and Fender may well be out of my price range... are they not?
Would you not be looking for something like this (excuse the relic)
http://www.absolutemusic.co.uk/shop/view_product.php?product=bst2usfenmarykaye
Don't know about Suhrs. Most I can find are well £2000+ then again I can't find many
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Well im based in the UK so i could go custom...
Im pretty sure its going to be either a Melancon Pro Artist, Suhr Classic or possibly a Fender Custom Shop (but how much are these roughly speaking for a fairly standard vintage strat build?)
I think the Suhr and Fender may well be out of my price range... are they not?
Would you not be looking for something like this (excuse the relic)
http://www.absolutemusic.co.uk/shop/view_product.php?product=bst2usfenmarykaye
Don't know about Suhrs. Most I can find are well £2000+ then again I can't find many
ahh yes something like that would be fantastic...without the relic! How much would a new (made to order) fender custom shop set me back assuming no quilted top/birdseye maple etc etc?
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I can't remember for sure, but I'm pretty sure Sue spec'd up our Strat when we got it and it came out around 1800 new.
A basic suhr will come in between 1500 and 2000 I think.
So both are within your reach I'd say.
Go check the websites!
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take yer pick!
http://www.soundsgreatmusic.com/electric_guitars/elecguitarbymanufacturer.asp?brnID=77&pk=
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wow nice! too bad so many of the custom shops are relics... to place an order for a custom shop strat i would i have to go to a fender retailer and place the order through them right?
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wow nice! too bad so many of the custom shops are relics... to place an order for a custom shop strat i would i have to go to a fender retailer and place the order through them right?
Yes.
But as it usually goes through my head most of the time - $%&# Fender, Go Suhr, (Suhr, yes sir *ahem*)
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I imagine so. The Fender site has a dealer locator on it though.
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Mmm well i'll be playing a good few fenders/suhrs before i splash the cash! Im surprised nobody mentioned Don Grosh, Nash or Vinetto guitars - these no good for what i'm after?
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I like the look of DeTemple guitars, no idea what they'd cost you though:
http://www.detempleguitars.com/ (http://www.detempleguitars.com/)
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Go Custom. I wouldn't think twice about it. And Stratocasters are easy customs.
YES. PERIOD. Plus with that kind of money you will surely be able to get a nice top wood of say anything from Quilt, Flame, Birdseye Maple to Zebra wood, even Sapele or maybe Cocobolo. I give a very firm second to Jonny's suggestion.
Aww, why thank you :D
Did you ever sell that Nailbomb?
No, never did, and i am at school again :(
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Go Custom. I wouldn't think twice about it. And Stratocasters are easy customs.
YES. PERIOD. Plus with that kind of money you will surely be able to get a nice top wood of say anything from Quilt, Flame, Birdseye Maple to Zebra wood, even Sapele or maybe Cocobolo. I give a very firm second to Jonny's suggestion.
Aww, why thank you :D
Did you ever sell that Nailbomb?
No, never did, and i am at school again :(
ROFL, damn. Well I'm always here :D
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If it were my money I'd be looking at a Suhr first. But that's only my choice.
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Yeah i think Suhr is coming out top at the moment closely followed by a fender custom shop... However i return to Hong Kong (where i live) for a week next week and there is a somewhat renouned (in hong kong at least) luthier who made a guitar for a friend of mine (it was a strat) so i'll check that out before making any decisions - thanks for all the advice!
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Mmm well i'll be playing a good few fenders/suhrs before i splash the cash! Im surprised nobody mentioned Don Grosh, Nash or Vinetto guitars - these no good for what i'm after?
those were covered by my "etc.", in my first post. :lol: I haven't tried half of those guys, the vast majority of shops here seem to considering MIM standard fenders as "high-end"... :(
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Try a musicman silhouette.I have two old 6 bolts from 89 and 90.I have had MIA,MIJ and MIM strats and teles.Gibsons,A Ibanez Jap custom and these are the best built easiest to play by far.Love Em. (http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/marantz1300/100_0594.jpg)
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Nice Music Men! :)
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Nice Music Men! :)
It's Music Mans!
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Nice Music Men! :)
It's Music Mans!
Music Mans, Music schmans. Tomayto, tomarto. I like 'em anyway.
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Nice Music Men! :)
It's Music Mans!
Music Mans, Music schmans. Tomayto, tomarto. I like 'em anyway.
So do I. (http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/marantz1300/100_0595.jpg)
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I like the look of DeTemple guitars, no idea what they'd cost you though:
http://www.detempleguitars.com/ (http://www.detempleguitars.com/)
I like his website...
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Holy Moley!
Just saw his prices...
DeTemple ’56™ Base Price -- $6268.00
:(