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Sounds a good ballpark to me. I remember when you could buy one for about £400. In those days a new MIJ was about £300, and a 70s US model went for about £300. Time change! Squiers in general seem to vary a lot in value as popular notions about certain series ebb and flow; I remember a time when you couldn't give a used Korean Squier away, now certain series like the ProTone are selling for £400 and up, similar money to their MiM Fender contemporaries. You do see a lot of 80s MiJ Squiers with some overly optimistic prices, but anything with a genuine JV series number tends to sell well, constantly. *Especially* these early Squier Series ones, which really were what evolved into MIJ Fender, with the Squier brand being later applied to a lower price-point guitar. The Paisley is definitely a rare birdy. I remember it being considered deeply uncool for a long time, even after James Burton's US built signature model came out. The popular view has really come around to it now, same as happened with Antigua burst. Be interesting to see if this happens with the Blue Floral (which was a contemporary of the original pink paisley Fenders, though I don't think it ever made it across to the Squier range).

The guitarplayer that made me want to learn was Marty McFly, guesting with Marvin Berry and the Starlighters, playing Johnny B Goode. True story! When I actually started playing a few years later, though, I started on acoustic and had recently discovered Dylan (yeah - Bob Dylan turned me acoustic, there's a definite irony in there!), and so that impact the way I play Still does thirty years later - I'm not much in the habit of fooling around with different pickup selections on any one guitar or even using the tone knob much. Just find the sound I like best and then vary that by how I hit it... Mick and Steve Jones with their respective bands had a big influence when I looked back at their influences, which led me variously to early Alice Cooper (so much better than the Trash era!), early 70s Bowie, and old rockabilly. now, though I can't yet sound anything like them, the guitarists I'm most love to sound like and who influence my guitar thinking, at least, are people like Link Wray (who is a huge influence on my liking for oddball guitars, even if most of mine are fairly conventional due to the limits of being a left hander), Joe Moretti (especially on Brand New Cadlliac - that's the Mick Jones influence once removed), the Johnny Burnette Trio, and - full circle - Chuck Berry. Of those, I only had the privilege of seeing Chuck Berry live, but the recordings are immortal.

This Vox is a *close* but just slightly too big for carry-on for me - the symmetrical body could be flipped left handed, though the controls would still be in the way: https://www.voxamps.co.uk/products/sdc1 Good body shape, though. And I like the idea of it being ready to play when I pop the case. I'm leery of the reliability of anything folding and affordable, and once you get into having to reattached and retune necks after travel, it starts to be a lot of hassle for something where I just want a grab and go that might get lifted for a few minutes here and there in a hotel room on a week long worktrip.

I often looked at the Traveler range, https://travelerguitar.com Ugly AF, BUT that's offset by practicality. Years ago, I bought a Steinberger Spirit for using as a travel option. Wouldn't have been my first choice. HSH is just about everything I hate in a guitar set up, but that was the only left handed model they did. It's an ugly guitar, but I really came to appreciate the cleverness of the design. The neck being full scale is a huge plus as that makes it feel like a 'real' guitar. But then they clamped down on sizes of hand luggage for all airlines, and it was just too big. It's largely collected dust ever since, and I should sell it on. It's one of the GU style that have a body shaped like a guitar rather than a paddle, from the Music Yo era. One of only two I've ever seen in the UK, as MY never officially sold here, and the then UK distributor didn't take any of the left handed options. I've considered other options over the years. Basically for a carry-on item, best as I can make out it now needs to be no bigger than a violin. I think the Traveler guitars are fractionally too big, and I wouldn't carry an instrument if I risked being told it was going in the hold. I would very much welcome an option ,though, as currently I'm reduced to taking a harmonic with me when I travel, and my harmonica playing is *even* *worse* than my guitar... The killer app for me, I think, would be something sized closer to a Ukelele, that was either six or 12 string and tuned like a guitar. Brandoni used to make 12 string electric Mandolins which were, essentially, a guitar neck that was tuned to and played like a regular guitar with a capo on the 12th fret. Something like that the right size - even a six string - would appeal as it could have a purpose when not travelling as well. Not trying to make it a full-neck guitar would mean you could avoid odd scale lengths and have it be something with its own character but which feels like a guitar. A solid body ukelele seems like a good solution for a travel item, but it's also a whole new tuning, set-up, chord pattern thing. Shorter learning curve for a guitar player, but still not quite a grab and go. Might also help justify the money to have something that is just different enough to provide something else at home too... As well as concerns about being hand-baggage sized, the Traveler is just expensive enough that I might think twice about taking it on holiday in case of loss or damage, plus its' not something I would lift to play in the house as an alternative to one of my other guitars. So... Maybe a six-string, solid body Ukulele which has a much beefier neck that feels like the top ten frets of a Strat and tunes an octave up from a regular guitar? Bolt on neck, one single coil pickup in the neck position. Or, better: a bottle-top style bugmount** that came with it would be grand by me as long as it was a reliable sound. That would also save significantly on production costs, as it would mean no need to rout the body for pickups or wiring, just give it a decent fixed bridge, something like a Junior style wraparound, though the fully adjustable Wilkinson style. And cut the body to a symmetrical shape. That way you don't need to have a separate left handed version for those of us that need that... If somebody could produce something like that than came in under £200, and for which I could also buy a hard case that was smaller than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm would be the killer app. Chosen those dimensions specifically because a] that's the max size for cabin baggage in Ryanair, the stingiest of all airlines (I'd rather swim, personally, but they're a good guide as to what the extremes are here). ** This sort of thing, though there are a lot of them on the market. https://www.webemusic.com/products/The-Original-Bottle-Cap-Guitar-Pick-Up-18336.html

Eeps. Be interesting to hear what it sounded like.... if he'd played it anyhow and it had sounded good, the web wold be full or people arguing about how best to melt the wax in your pickups, and what tonal difference it made to do it with them still in the guitar, whether to let the wax stay on the sound board because mojo tonez....

Not what you think...yikes!! “Well this is a first…”: Guns N’ Roses guitarist Richard Fortus says it was so hot in Saudi Arabia that his pickups melted | MusicRadar

They really are great. It's a shame they shot up in price when the business changed hands, though I gather they have upped the detail in the finishing process and as instruments they remain as great as they always were. I believe they still have the secret process by which they make maple, one-piece necks with no skunkstripe.

I bought my nephew one a few years back for his birthday. Solid guitar, nothing wrong with it. The necks on Ibanezes are generally pretty good.

They don't really unless they're just playing one bands songs e.g ACDC. Nothing wrong with SS amps though, the Peavey Bandit 112 has been a long held secret find and they're still available for peanuts. The Yamaha G series designed by Paul Rivera was one attempt at including a parametric eq on a guitar amp to help emulate different responses. But perhaps something ahead of it's time as well. The UK's own Session amps were well regarded even if the owner did occasionally go on anti-valve rants. Plus...with modellers or profilers becoming more popular, pedal board amps are experiencing some popularity now with any players who want to stay with traditional cabs.

I have the Silver Horse and would recommend it for anyone wanting an alternative boost to a TS. However I'm using an old Xotic AC Booster for that function these days, there's slightly more harmonic saturation available.

This is a repost of a topic that was lost as a result of the server melt down last month. Only this time I'm going to add to it. Schmoo was the name Mike Landau had on his pedalboard for the chorusy, reverby delay clean sound he, Dann Huff and Michael Thompson made so popular in the eighties and early nineties. Landau apparently had a series of cute nicknames for his patches on his Bradshaw switching unit instead of conventional terms like distortion or delay. According to Dann Huff, Lukather had pornographic names for his patches...but anyway. The Schmoo sound is basically a series of effects that begins with compression, tri or stereo chorus from Dyatronics unit, then dual micropitch detune from the SPX90 (symphony patch), a Lexicon based delay (PCM 70 - Lukather had dual ping pongs going on) and finally reverb (also Lexicon based) The delays and modulation were parallel processed to avoid too much loss in definition and mixed at the end with a dry signal straight from the gain stages. The result is well defined stabs of plucked notes in a broad, stereo field followed by an immersive stereo wash of moderated ping pong repeats and soft reverb tails. In the case of Huff and Thompson, well timed, ambient volume swells that envelope the listener. I've also investigated pedal equivalents of rack units that Huff, Landau and Lukather were using and listed below along with some general settings that can be applied to rack or pedals. Firstly, the signal from the gain section goes into a compressor and is then split three ways. Yes compression after gain, rather than before to preserve how the guitar interacts with the amp (aye, no worthy gain pedals in them days). The first line is dry straight from the gain section. A second line is modulation only so trichorus then micropitch shift. The other line is time effects so delay followed by reverb. To recombine the three signal chains, some form of mini pedal board will be required, Chorus/trichorus - Free The Tone Tri Avatar is probably closest to the original Dytronics rack units but there are a few to choose from by Eventide and TC Electronic. Landau used a slightly defective Arion SCH1 chorus unit which has been replicated by Vertex and can be had for fairly reasonable money. General settings: Rate: 0.3 - 0.6 Hz (slow, subtle movement) Depth: 20-40% Width: 70-100% (wide stereo image) Pre-Delay: 5-15ms (helps clarity) Mix: 25-35% (Alternative pedals: Strymon Ola, TC Electronic Stereo Chorus, TC Electronic Corona, Boss CE-2W, Vertex Landau Stereo Chorus, Free The Tone Tri Avatar, Eventide Tricerasaurus) Micropitch - This is pretty much key to getting the right colouring. The SPX90 symphonic patch was used exclusively and has a distinctive yet essential colouring. The only true SPX90 equivalent is the Yamaha Magic Stomp UB99 BUT...it runs off AC only making it less than ideal for pedalboard applications. Other alternatives are available from Eventide (Micropitch and Pitchfactor pedals) and Zoom. The Zoom MS70CDR can be programmed with four effects to replicate the entire modulation signal path but I've found it can tone suck a little if the tone settings in each patch are not carefully managed. Dimension D and the TC Mimiq double tracking effect are also worth exploring for the same potential. None of the micro pitch effects are directly controllable via MIDI apart from the Pitchfactor. General settings: Detune 1: +5 to +12 cents Detune 2: -5 to -12 cents Mix: 20-30% Pre-Delay: 10-20ms (to avoid phase issues) Feedback: 0% (unless going for a thicker sound) Delay - Much like the SPX90, the Lexicon PCM delays are essential for their algorithms and distinctively nuanced modulation on the repeats. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot out there which is a direct emulation due to IP. However, Eventide offer close approximations in the Timefactor and the Pigtronix Echolution 2 can achieve similar levels of stereo immersion with some tweaking. The pedal now favoured by Lukather is the Digitech DL8 Looper/delay which supposedly has Lexicon algorithms but it's not MIDI controllable like the Time Factor. General settings: Time: 80-120ms (short, for thickening) Feedback: 1-2 repeats Mix: 10-20% High-Cut Filter: ~5kHz (to darken repeats slightly) Pre-Delay: 0-10ms Alternative pedals: Boss DD-500, Strymon El Capistan, TC Flashback, Pigtronix Echolution 2/3 Reverb - Again Lexicon provided the goods. It's rumoured that the Line 6 Verbzilla is based on a Lexicon algorithm but I can't confirm it. Next best alternative is the Boss RV500 which has a dedicated 294 patch but the Timefactor and Strymon Big Sky may offer some suitable alternatives if you want to keep MIDI implementation. General settings: Type: Plate or Hall (smooth decay) Decay Time: 1.8 - 2.5s Pre-Delay: 30-50ms (keeps clarity) Mix: 15-25% High Damping: Slightly rolled off (~8kHz) Early Reflections: Low (if adjustable) (Alternative pedals: Strymon BlueSky, Neunaber Immerse, UA Golden Reverberator) Finally, if you're recording some Post-Processing eq may add a final touch. High-Pass Filter: 80-100Hz (remove mud) Low-Pass Filter: 8-10kHz (smooth highs) Small Mid Dip: -1dB around 800Hz (if needed)

Totally agree. Like you a 6120, Setzer Sig or Hot Rod would be awesome, but

That looks great. Gordon Smith make superb guitars; I owned a single pickup Gypsy many moons ago, an absolute Gibson Junior killer.

They seem to be doing well enough to stay in production. They're not going to fly out the door as a cheap alternative - there's very little price difference. But I wouldn't be entirely surprised if they did start to catch on more broadly. It'll be interesting. I suspect there are a lot more ofc them out there being used on the road than we're aware of. You know the drill - established acts / operations who've had enough of the weight / hassle of a tube amp on tour, these look close enough the average punter isn't gonig to notice.... (on some scenes, the look is as important as the sound. I've seen acts get dismissed on certain scenes for not having the right look - can be especially so on the rockabilly scene where a lot of acts put out vinyl because some of their fanbase won't buy CDs). Younger kids now seem to have come up with a range of new bands that have gone beyond the "tube good, else bad" mindset, so we'll see what they go for. If that's amps at all, that is. We've speculated on this elsewhere on this site as well, but it's not unthinkable that amps as we know them could be out-evolved by alternatives. PAs now are better and cheaper than ever before. The old, macho idea of The Big Amp comes from the days hen you needed that be heard and PAS weren't great. That's no longer the case. I've seen a number of acts recently who used pedal format pre and power amps on footboards, and plugged right into the PA. In the West End musicals in London, a lot of the guitar players have been using stuff like Line 6 Pods for years (when Buddy was last in town, they had empty cabs out front for the look, and were all hooked up to Line 6 pods out of sight). Maybe if younger bands and their audiences get past certain visual expectations, we'll see bands arrive with pedalboards under their arms, and set-up / tear down becoming vastly quicker for everyone. If it still sounds great, I'm not at all opposed to it. My own next move no is, I think, gonig to be a small pedal board with pedals for reverb, gain, preamp, into an A/B box that leads to a headphone pedal amp and a Mooer Baby Bomb preamp. Thinking of tying one of those tweed JHS Vintage 1x12" cabs at about £100 with that, could end up being a solid rig for me as a home player. In the unlikely event I ever played out again, the cab could then go or not depending on availability of monitors. I could see that becoming a norm. The tech is already there - it just needs to convince guitar players who have a tendency to luddism.

Gordon Smith, although better known for their Gibson types, also do a very nice Tele - https://www.gordonsmithguitars.com/shop/stock-guitars/blaggards/ TBH, though, I'm not sure that's how I would go. Clearly you're not looking for a more affordable alternative to Fender's US or CS ranges if you're thinking of spending that sort of custom money anyhow. Now, this is only a personal opinion, but.... for me it would depend a lot on what you want. A tele is such a utilitarian design that if what you want is the standard set-up Tele, it seems to me madness to spend custom-built money on it. If that's the only way - you want something really offbeat like the Jack White signature, or a Trussant Steelcaster, or you have an original 52 that you want to clone so you can leave the vintage piece at home and play a facsimilie out.... then, sure. But if what you want is "just" a Tele, it seems to be it's hard to justify spending vast sums on it.... I'd buy whatever MIM / Tokai / whatever you like and maybe rewired if you want, or track down a CIJ Fender that's good to go as is. (IMO, the top end Japanese Fenders are as good as anything form the US, typically wired the same with the same specs, and usually cheaper - nut much harder to find.) Unless you want something that's just not available otherwise, imo having a custom built Tele is a bit like having a Saville Row tailor copy a pair of 501s for you. They'll be an exquisite example, but....

Lovely job on that. You clearly had the patience to go gently with the clean-up, especially on the headstock, and it has paid dividends.

The 6xxx 'Professional' series are the dream, but they're also crazy money. If the big lotter win came in, of course, I'd tart with a White Falcon, a trad 6120 and maybe of the Brian Setzer Hot Rod types... More realistically, the 5xxx series are great guitars, and fully, imo, capture the spirit of the Gretsch sound. The 2xxx series are nice if, imo, a little more generic in sound. That of course will appeal to some folks if they want something that's a more mainstream sound. If you wanted something that you already new you'd be rewiring and changing pickups in, I'd go for a nice, used 2xxx.

Sounds like a real bargain. I had a quick look on Reverb and other Cox Classix electric guitars are selling from about £150 second hand. Obviously, they aren't covered in stickers with repainted headstocks, but your is now in the same condition after a little work. Well done.

Haha, will do

A clue, certainly, but confirmation that it needs the attention of someone capable of fixing whatever it is that's amiss. It could still be something simple; just take it to a vet guitar tech.

I've just noticed when set to rhythm I can hear it very faintly through the amp at volume, don't know if that's a clue.

Cor, that’s cleaned up really nicely; result!

Yeah, most likely the selector is faulty, loose wire or duff switch.

Thanks fo the advice. I'll check out somewhere to take it in Manchester when I'm back from hols and get it checked out and set up. Hopefully it's something simple. Thanks again

The trap is to access the battery for the built-in tuner (on the bridge pick-up ring...). See here ... But unlike vintage models, the Slash “AFD” Les Paul also comes with a built-in Shadow® E-Tuner built into the bridge pickup mounting ring. The tuner is powered by one #2032 Lithium long-lasting battery, easily accessed from a compartment on the back of the guitar. As for the pick-up, it may well be just the selector switch not adjusted properly, or a wire fallen off inside. I would suggest taking it to a trusted guitar tech, to be checked out and set up properly. It shouldn't cost much for an easy fix, and a good set-up will do wonders for your enjoyment for years to come. It's rare to have a pick-up completely faulty (but does, of course, happen...); it's much more likely to be something very easy for a tech to determine and fix. He/she can also give tips on the other functions of the guitar, such as how to 'split' the pick-ups. Let us know how you get on..? It's a fine guitar with a good reputation; enjoy. Hope this helps.