Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Searcher on March 28, 2006, 08:25:27 AM
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I was just browsing online and came across some interesting guitar sites. Check these out:
Soloway Guitars (http://www.jimsoloway.com/Gallery.htm)
Thorn Guitars (http://www.thornguitars.com/galleryhtm/navajo.htm)
There was another place as well that had guitars starting from nearly $6000 USD, but they also made pickups, so I won't link there.
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Those Thorn guitars look awesome. If i were a rich man, I'd seriously consider ordering one.
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yer they both look awesome...
have you seen that guys review though? further down the thorn page...
theres a few spelling mistakes :lol: :P
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The craftsmanship looks great, but I really don't dig those kind of fancy dan guitars with all fancy inlays etc. Except on an acoustic, when I think they have a kind of elegance. But on an electric, an instrument that for me is indelibly associated with rock and metal and banging things around, it just seems like overkill. I really dislike flame-maple on electrics, and don't get me started on quilted, it's just not something that I like at all...
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^ willo!!!!- quilted and flame tops- YES!!!! finally someone who shares my disgust for them
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I WANT that thorn 8)
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Yeah, I'm not into inlays much myself--but you guys don't even like figured maple?! Ah, c'mon! That stuff is just made to go on top of guitars.
Gotta say though, I'm not big on spalted maple. That just makes a guitar look like furniture.
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lol yer spalted maple is really quite strange...
figured maple looks cool, but i dont think its good on guitars, to me it makes them look synthetic and plasticy.... almost not real.... plus natural quilted maple can look like an unfinished picture in a kids colouring book
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I love guitars with a lovely grain wood finish. It all comes down to personal taste....and age I expect!
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I also love guitars that have a big emphasis on woods. Just earthy and real and preferably with no clear coat but also gracefull with a classy subtle look to them.
But yeah its down to personal taste and neither of those guitar makers realy grab me.
The Soloway, i just dont dig the top horm or the flat body and the Thorn is just way to much with the inlay work when its in such a horid colour.
To me a guitar is a thing of beauty and grace not something to bash music out on but again realy that all comes down to you personal view of music and what you play....
Its all good imo.
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To me a guitar is a thing of beauty and grace not something to bash music out on but again realy that all comes down to you personal view of music and what you play....
True, true. For me, though, the most beautiful guitars are ones like John Frusciante, SRV or Rory Gallagher's strats - so battered that you know the owners love them and use them all the time. I think that's a beautiful thing.
My problem with quilted maple, is that it just looks like something that was cool at first but now so many people have got it that its almost passe. I don't mean to offend anyone here who has/likes it, I just think though it's unnecessarily showy - it doesn't do anything for the sound, it's just something that people buy if they can afford it. In that sense, it just seems faintly bourgeiosie, and not really coming from the place that I think great guitar players come from. I love the romance of guitar players and the blues, playing on a busted old guitar in some smokey ol' jazz club; not dropping £2000 on a guitar and keeping it in a vacuum case.
As I said though, it's just my opinion!
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To me a guitar is a thing of beauty and grace not something to bash music out on but again realy that all comes down to you personal view of music and what you play....
True, true. For me, though, the most beautiful guitars are ones like John Frusciante, SRV or Rory Gallagher's strats - so battered that you know the owners love them and use them all the time. I think that's a beautiful thing.
My problem with quilted maple, is that it just looks like something that was cool at first but now so many people have got it that its almost passe. I don't mean to offend anyone here who has/likes it, I just think though it's unnecessarily showy - it doesn't do anything for the sound, it's just something that people buy if they can afford it. In that sense, it just seems faintly bourgeiosie, and not really coming from the place that I think great guitar players come from. I love the romance of guitar players and the blues, playing on a busted old guitar in some smokey ol' jazz club; not dropping £2000 on a guitar and keeping it in a vacuum case.
As I said though, it's just my opinion!
I like a well lived in guitar too Willo but even a lot of them aren't genuine with the custom shop ageing that some people are eager to get ripped off for. Jeff Beck Tele 8 grand!! It's a piece of wood and wire! It's the bourgeoisie paying vast sums to be proles! :roll:
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To me a guitar is a thing of beauty and grace not something to bash music out on but again realy that all comes down to you personal view of music and what you play....
True, true. For me, though, the most beautiful guitars are ones like John Frusciante, SRV or Rory Gallagher's strats - so battered that you know the owners love them and use them all the time. I think that's a beautiful thing.
My problem with quilted maple, is that it just looks like something that was cool at first but now so many people have got it that its almost passe. I don't mean to offend anyone here who has/likes it, I just think though it's unnecessarily showy - it doesn't do anything for the sound, it's just something that people buy if they can afford it. In that sense, it just seems faintly bourgeiosie, and not really coming from the place that I think great guitar players come from. I love the romance of guitar players and the blues, playing on a busted old guitar in some smokey ol' jazz club; not dropping £2000 on a guitar and keeping it in a vacuum case.
As I said though, it's just my opinion!
I love that stuff as well dude but its a part of those players.
Im a pretty bluesy player myself in a way and i have guitars that cost alot and one has a quited maple top.....never have i had a guitar i loved so much or played a guitar with such tone (not saying thats from the top but one things for sure it certainly makes a difference on some level to the tone) or a guitar that looked so good or played so well.......
(http://thumb7.webshots.com/t/26/26/4/87/23/346548723thNuzx_th.jpg) (http://community.webshots.com/photo/1346548723053004167thNuzx)
I love how it looks and it is in some sort of harmony with my style as a player (just like those great guitars you spoke of) and one things for sure it spends it life on a stand ready to be picked right up and played and is played every single day.
Again its each to there own and im not arguing just chatting about the diff ways of looking at it realy.
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yer its all preference....
i personally prefer spartan looking guitars.... not necessarily battered... maybe aged slightly.... but just simple... not over complicated...
thats why ive got a melody maker which is flat-top, one pup, rectangular headstock, very limited controls and plain black finish... i love it to bits...
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I knew you wouldn't be able to resist an Organic plug stu!
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^ thats an organic?!?!?!? kool, they're pretty sweet guitars...
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Heh well dispite what it may have looked like it wasnt a plug just a display of a stunning top and the only quilt top guitar i happen to own.
Yeh i love Organics thats for sure tho.
I like alot of very stripped down guitars as well but for me personaly i like a guitar to look very earthy and classy but understaited...realy is just taste. There are many great guitars around for any taste or standpoint :) .
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^ yer agree with you on that one- many great guitars for every taste and opinion....
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It's a piece of wood and wire! It's the bourgeoisie paying vast sums to be proles! :roll:
Ha ha! That's spot on! I love a nice worn in guitar as I said but even I was struck by how bizarre the process of spending extra money on a guitar so it is in worse condition is... :lol: I'm looking forward to getting my guitar worn in, but only by natural processes!
Again its each to there own and im not arguing just chatting about the diff ways of looking at it realy.
Oh, definitely, no problem. I think it's important that people have different opinions and are welcome to discuss them all. Different strokes for different folks, isn't it?
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That thorn's the ugliest thing I've ever seen. I mean it's impressive, but to me it's just completely over the top. The inlays reminded me of some of the http://www.mcnaughtguitars.com stuff.
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Ah, c'mon! I've seen uglier guitars than the Thorn! Not that I like it much, but it's kinda impressive. His other guitars aren't so gaudy (Linky (http://www.thornguitars.com/customguitarhtm/customguitars.htm)) if you wanna check them out.
Those guitars you linked to look alright. I like that subtle yellow burst on the Tele.
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Yeah, the guitar that gripped me was the Artisan Standard not the super busy one.
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Good morning to all. I came across a link ot this thread while I was doing some maintenance on our website this morning and I thought I'd pop by and say hello.
BTW, one thing I found a little surprising: all of the comments seem to be about the appearance with no commentary at all on the tone. In the end, that seems to me to be a lot more important than inlays or fancy wood tops (or conversely, the lack thereof).
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sure but we can have both tone AND the looks 8)
flamed maple = the business ;) quilted maple... hmm not too sure.
also disliked spalted maple until i saw this guitar:
http://www.deanguitars.com/exotic_ml_v_z/images/v_natural_big.jpg
i personally reckon thats a gorgeous axe!
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BTW, one thing I found a little surprising: all of the comments seem to be about the appearance with no commentary at all on the tone. In the end, that seems to me to be a lot more important than inlays or fancy wood tops (or conversely, the lack thereof).
+1
The guitars i use i use first and formost for there sheer quality of tone and wood quality plays a huge part in that.
also disliked spalted maple until i saw this guitar:
http://www.deanguitars.com/exotic_ml_v_z/images/v_natural_big.jpg
i personally reckon thats a gorgeous axe!
Hehe i love spalted maple....
This may been seen as an organic plug by some lol :roll: , But truth is they are what i play and own and this is my spalted one.
(http://thumb7.webshots.com/t/61/61/0/12/15/532301215tMoNLT_th.jpg) (http://community.webshots.com/photo/1532301215053004167tMoNLT)
And this guitar like the others has serious TONE believe me.
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BTW, one thing I found a little surprising: all of the comments seem to be about the appearance with no commentary at all on the tone.
Yeah, me too. I liked that nearly all the Soloway guitars in the first link had clips. I listened to probably half of them all at once.
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^ woops sorry jim didnt see any clips....
will go back and listen to em in a sec,
and even though the appearance isnt to my taste, they're still awesomely built and finished guitars- fine job my good sir.
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So now that we're talking, how about someone filling me in on Bare Knuckle pickups. What's the scoop?
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Ah, c'mon! I've seen uglier guitars than the Thorn! Not that I like it much, but it's kinda impressive. His other guitars aren't so gaudy (Linky (http://www.thornguitars.com/customguitarhtm/customguitars.htm)) if you wanna check them out.
Those guitars you linked to look alright. I like that subtle yellow burst on the Tele.
I hate wood covered pickups, but some of those are quite nice. This one (http://www.thornguitars.com/galleryhtm/dc023.htm) is pretty nice.
Some of the mcnaught ones I like the look of:
http://www.mcnaughtguitars.com/100_3581m.jpg
http://www.mcnaughtguitars.com/100_1075m.jpg
http://www.mcnaughtguitars.com/100_3776m.jpg
And especially:
http://www.mcnaughtguitars.com/graphics/gallery%20dtm%20019-2.jpg
(can't be bothered posting them properly)
Tone is great and all, but sometimes it's all about how she looks.
edit - that said, after listening to some of those swan clips, well, I want one.
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So now that we're talking, how about someone filling me in on Bare Knuckle pickups. What's the scoop?
:lol: That's a really broad question! You can email Tim, the owner, from the link on the Bare Knuckle homepage to get more specifics, but from my perspective they're the best-sounding pickups I've played. My little list of pickups I've owned is:
Bare Knuckle
Lollar
Kinman
DiMarzio
Seymour Duncan
And stock pickups in Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, and other guitars.
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Ive used many pickups and bkp are just the best by a considerable margin.
The sheer complexity of tone you get and how dynamic/responsive and very transparent they are are the best things about them imo....
I have 3 main guitars currently all in different woods but with the same pickups (bkp organic customs) and the charecter of the woods shines right through..they all have very different personalitys and personaly thats what i like in a pickup. I want to hear the guitar and the player through them as clear as possible.