Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: JamesHealey on August 28, 2007, 08:15:09 AM
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Well i've come to decide I want a great guitar for this year on my degree at LCM.. Choices are.
John Suhr, Pro Series HSS
Les Paul Deluxe Pro (1976) (providing he'll sell it)
or something custom shop, eg a Feline etc.
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feline custom shop
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i would also suggest going custom just because its always nice to have something unique - - although th Suhr would be pretty tempting!
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I'd go custom shop if your sure it's something you're going to want to keep forever.
There's quite a difference between a suhr and a les paul though ; you should really decide what your looking for rather than getting other people to do it
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If I had that kind of money to spend on a guitar I would go custom for sure. I'd go with Jonathan too as you can speak to him personally over the phone rather than have to speak through dealers like some companies.
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Remember though, if you go custom you are not going to be able to play your guitar before buying it. If you're in the position (and you are) where you don't even know what style of guitar you want yet, then buying a custom might be a bad choice: you simply won't know if you like the style of guitar that you'll end up with.
Just go to stores and play some instruments first, find style of guitar you like (i.e. thickness of neck, radius of fretboard, size of frets, variety of pickup). Then, if you really crave a custom, custom order a guitar with the specifications you found you preferred in the store.
Edit: You should also buy a guitar to suit the course. In my experience, Strat style guitars are by far the most flexible, and in addition you're likely to spend most of the course playing funk or jazz based music (simply because that's what the majority of guitar session work consists of, and these courses tend to be session-focused). A degree of intensive guitar will also mean the guitar will be used heavily, so make sure you'd be happy with whatever guitar you buy accumulating a few knocks and dings along the way.
As someone who's just finished a year long accelerated guitar course, you will not want that Les Paul. They're absolutely wonderful for rock, but I'd run out of fingers to count the number of times I had to borrow a Strat from a friend because the Gibson wasn't appropriate.
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yeah, custom is definately more of a choice for people who know what they want and i always encourage people to do a bit of there own research before doing a build for them - i dont mind pointing them in the right direction for ideas but its always better to build from a detailed sepc list than it is a vague idea. Have a look at jonathans website here:
http://www.felineguitars.com/design/design_form.htm
it is a good check list of things that you should be thinking about if you want to go custom
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Guys - I think JamesHealey knows what he likes, and that he likes both Suhrs and Les Pauls... Else he wouldn't have mentioned those two >_>
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suhrs and lp's are very different, god only knows what james would be looking for from a custom - the checklist might help him decide
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yea, i know what i like..
i've got more than one guitar.. I'm just thinking which u guys wud go for?
I've got a Telecaster & RG at the moment, im really tempted by the Suhr coz they fit that kinda super strat ish style guitar that im so fond of.
Never really played a Les Paul for any length of time and this is a guitar I wanna keep forever so I want something special, ordering custom I'd probably just order a strat HSS style..
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i would go with the Suhr then if you can get to play one first and really like it... for a start, if you go custom who is to say it will be done in time to use it on the course anyway!!
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In those kinds of price range - I'd go with a good PRS Custom 24.
Try Every guitarshop near you, and try every Custom 24 untill you get one which is really special.
Imo - A good PRS is one of the best guitars you can ever play - Bare in mind though, most PRSs aren't that special - Which is why you have to try loads untill you find one that is.
You could also check Ebay for a pre-factory era PRS. Those are even better.
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Ever played Tyler strats? - I've always been impressed by their playability. Guitar-Guitar stock 'em, not sure where else does though.
:twisted:
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Try around for a couple of Mavericks too.
You can go for something a bit different with them but still get a very versatile guitar. If you can find a good X-treme or streetfighter you are quids in as those are the highest level products they have ever produced. You would be surprised what they can do despite their appearances.
If you really want an LP style guitar check out the G-series - they are really bloody nice.
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Do you work for Maverick? ;)
AFAIK - Maverick NEVER produced a guitar above the £750 range or of the quality of a Suhr/Tyler/Gibson (lets not go into that kettle of fish) etc
I think Maverick were originally concieved to compete with the Ibanez and ESP of the guitar world.
Oh and by the way
If I had that sort of cash, I'd go for something really special - but not custom. No offence to any of the custom guys out there but I've made up my mind that even though with a custom guitar YOU get what YOU want, you cant play it before you buy it, they tend to have no re-sale value in my experience) and also, what if it's a dud? (Not saying that would happen - I've played on some of Jonathons creations and they are probably some of the best guitars I have EVER played).
So I'd go for something really special - something you have always wanted!
Andy!
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If you were thinking about keeping the guitar forever than yeah go custom.
If you might move it on one day than get the LP.
But other than that everybody has already kinda said what I would say anyway.
Wez has probably given the closest advice as to what I would give. There is nothing wrong with an LP and I for one love them. Just a shame I struggle with the scale length. (being a mostly Fender player)
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If I had that sort of cash, I'd go for something really special - but not custom. No offence to any of the custom guys out there but I've made up my mind that even though with a custom guitar YOU get what YOU want, you cant play it before you buy it, they tend to have no re-sale value in my experience) and also, what if it's a dud? (Not saying that would happen - I've played on some of Jonathons creations and they are probably some of the best guitars I have EVER played).
good points about resale value and not being able to try them! but if you have a good idea of what you want and are preapred to wait you should get better guitars from going custom - partly because a lot more attention goes into each individual guitar so there is little chance of recieving a dud (hand selecting wood plays a big part in that) and partly because they are built to your spec so should fit better than a generic guitar from a shop ever can - like a well tailored suit!!
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In those kinds of price range - I'd go with a good PRS Custom 24.
Try Every guitarshop near you, and try every Custom 24 untill you get one which is really special.
Imo - A good PRS is one of the best guitars you can ever play - Bare in mind though, most PRSs aren't that special - Which is why you have to try loads untill you find one that is.
You could also check Ebay for a pre-factory era PRS. Those are even better.
Absolutely. I love mine to bits, one of the best guitars i've ever touched, played, fondled....... :oops: :lol:
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Do you work for Maverick? ;)
AFAIK - Maverick NEVER produced a guitar above the £750 range or of the quality of a Suhr/Tyler/Gibson (lets not go into that kettle of fish) etc
I think Maverick were originally concieved to compete with the Ibanez and ESP of the guitar world.
Oh and by the way
If I had that sort of cash, I'd go for something really special - but not custom. No offence to any of the custom guys out there but I've made up my mind that even though with a custom guitar YOU get what YOU want, you cant play it before you buy it, they tend to have no re-sale value in my experience) and also, what if it's a dud? (Not saying that would happen - I've played on some of Jonathons creations and they are probably some of the best guitars I have EVER played).
So I'd go for something really special - something you have always wanted!
Andy!
The X-Treme and Matrix models were in the region of £1,000 when originally marketed and Neil Brockelbanks sig guitar was close to £2,000.
And what's to say that price denotes quality. My Maverick prototype kicks the living shite out of a top of the range Ibanez RG. I tried them side by side in the shop and the Maverick was far more playable despite having .11's as opposed to .09's.
Yes the Maverick guitars are primarily designed for rock but they can do so much more than that.
I don't work for Maverick but I do think they make some of the best guitars you will ever find for the £500-1500 price range. To see that in a production guitar is truly special nowadays with companies like PRS and Gibson freeloading on a well known brand name and churning out some truly abysmal instruments for the price tag.
If you are considering Mavericks with Floyds go second hand and try to find one with the old bridge as I have had bad experiences with Wilkinson branded FRs.
Also consider Tokai as they are more consistent in their quality than Gibson will be for the considerable future.
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i'd definitely go custom, unless money truly is no object. I tried a bunch of high-priced guitars recently and the only one even getting close to my legra was a bolt-on tyler at £2700, which is almost twice what my legra cost. Plus, considering that legra could have made me a bolt-on HSS strat like that tyler for about £900-£1000 (at least last time i checked bob's prices on bolt-ons...)...
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That is exactly what I mean Dave. Quite often the more expensive choice is not always the best.
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don't get me wrong, that tyler was badass. definitely the highlight (and i tried suhrs, caparisons, nik hubers (also nice, just i'm more a strat/superstrat guy, i'm coming to realise)). But why pay close to £3000 when legra or feline (or similar) can make you something just as good, which is more personalised, for half the price (or even less)?
yeah, alright, the wait gets annoying, but it's worth it!
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Plus Feline will let you buy on credit if I remember correctly.
Trouble with custom for me is that I would just end up with pretty much the same guitar I have now, just shinier. With my maverick I have found what I consider to be my perfect guitar. The same goes for Dave's Legra. In order to find a guitar which he would consider buying in place of the Legra he had to search through boutique brands; which cost significantly more.
His Legra was built to his specifications. My maverick just happened to match mine and as superstrats go I'd actually be interested to see how it compared to Dave's Legra.
The only downside of buying a maverick I have found is that you really miss the roller knobs when playing on other models designed by other manufacturers. Plus nothing quite has the same vibe.
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I think Maverick were originally concieved to compete with the Ibanez and ESP of the guitar world.
Really?
I've played an F1, an F3 and an X1 - And none of them compare to my ESP, or even my Ibanez :S
I thought they were good guitars for the price - But not really comparable to higher end gear...
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I think Maverick were originally concieved to compete with the Ibanez and ESP of the guitar world.
Really?
I've played an F1, an F3 and an X1 - And none of them compare to my ESP, or even my Ibanez :S
I thought they were good guitars for the price - But not really comparable to higher end gear...
Perhaps the shops aren't setting them up properly because they don't give a great profit margin and also, what age were the mavericks? Mine is an older one.
Perhaps you got lucky on your ESP and your Ibanez. I haven't tried ESPs but I cannot stand Ibanezes (sp?). I find them 'clinical'. They are very, very boring guitars to play compared to mine I find.
Maybe my Maverick just happens to be exceptional as it was from the custom shop and was a prototype guitar and so more time was spent on it than at the factory...
I have to admit that the only other maverick I played which has been on a par with it was a G-series, which was also part of an early run but was a production guitar.
Perhaps you haven't played one that has been properly worn in before.
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I wouldn't call a Maverick a 'special guitar' that would stay with James forever, i'm not taking a side for cheaper or hugely expensive guitars but generally (i know when i did) when you spend more money sometimes it makes it special because you have spent more on it, i would also recommend trying out guitars too. My Explorer is my only real expensive guitar, which i got for my birthday, and the only one i went to try and buy at the guitar store (apart from my first guitar), and it's my favorite guitar to date and best i have ever played and it's special to me.
I don't know if that helps James or not but i tried! haha
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His Legra was built to his specifications. My maverick just happened to match mine and as superstrats go I'd actually be interested to see how it compared to Dave's Legra.
haha, sorry to mislead you, my legra is a king v! That was another reason I went for it, i'm not sure you could get one with a similar spec off the shelf.
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What about a Tom Anderson guitar? they look really special to me, probably play really nice too.
Take a look at some at Coda: http://www.coda-music.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=21_43
Edit: or a Blade RH4 http://machinehead.co.uk/product_info.php/products_id/867
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Maverick guitars recently announced that they are going to cease production, so I don't know how that's going to effect warranties or aftersales service.