Kiwi

Rich Lasner designed the Pacifica 1412 and 1421 guitars which are boutique level quality (and sadly now, fetch boutique level prices).  It's not possible to generalise about Pacifica models, they span the full range of price points.  But yes, they're all well made.  I like Yamaha guitars a lot.

Old Japanese guitars like Aria and Yamaha are worth a look.  Yamaha's SC700 or Super Session for example.  Or Aria's Pro series, all unfashionable stuff from the 80's.  

They feel very nice.  Low string tension when set up properly.  I have a hankering for an Artcore AS93 at some point.

On 14/10/2018 at 19:08, leftybassman392 said:

Pure coincidence, but I was just thinking about Lukather. Mighty impressive songwriting and producing CV too.

He's an incredibly expressive player!  And it might seem like he's fairly laid back in interviews but when he brings it to the table, it stays brung.

Just my luck for the photo to be at an odd angle.  Mine's pretty simple and set up about 80's sounds.  The Amptweaker Tight Rock is at the centre of it all.  The sidetrak channel goes into a Keeley Seeing Eye modded Boss DS1 (or sometimes a Joyo JF14 American Sound).  Before the Tight Rock is (in order) an Xotic Wah, Effectrode PC2 Compressor, Empress Parametric eq (which may go back to the bass board it came from).  The Tight Rock then goes into a Nux Chorus Core (featuring stereo tri-chorus) and then a Mooer Ocean Machine for reverb and dual delays.  I still have a Lexicon MPXG2 in storage which may replace some of it one day.  This board does everything I ask of it from funky chorussed, scratched clean chords in the 4th strat position to Highway To The Danger Zone type distortion.

Gibson actually made something pretty close, the Paul Jackson signature model (ES-346).  But mine has more modern stuff going on. 

I'm firmly entrenched in the 80's...Nile Rodgers, Alan Murphy, Steve Lukather, Joe Satriani, Billy Gibbons, Prince..perhaps Brian May.

Mine would essentially be a Yamaha MSG but hollowbody in a PRS McCarty style with HSH noiseless pickup configuration and Wilkinson VS100CV trem, binding, maybe some active electronics like SPC or EXG circuits.

I bought a 12 string acoustic for work a couple of months ago.  It looked good on paper - sapele neck, spruce top, rosewood back and a truss rod.  But the nut was an abomination...someone had cut it undersquare and attempted to correct the height with a bodge of glue.  The finish leaves quite a bit to be desired also.  HOWEVER I have not played any musical instrument as much as this in the last 10 years.  I ended up downloading a pack of 12 string based chords - Give a Little Bit (Supertramp), Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi), Hotel California (Eagles) and play every day.  I have carpal tunnel flaring up in my wrist though and my finger tip callouses are pretty thick now.

They're stunning instruments to look at but I've never actually played one...really wish that will change at some point in the future.

I have a 12 string with the same problem.  Seller was a dick about returns and the problem was structural.  Basically the manufacturer had mated a 12 string neck to a body that had been braced for a 6 string.  That is, it needed double x bracing.  Stewmac do a bridge doctor brace thing which attaches under the bridge and tensions off the tail block for US$22 so I may end up giving it a go.

On 20/08/2018 at 04:37, SH73 said:

Have you looked at irongear pick ups? 

Not yet, are they worth checking out?  The market seems flooded these days.

I want to make 2 guitars:

1)  A version of a PRS 509 but semi hollow with a bound neck and Yamaha MSG body shape. Limba chambered body, laminated flame maple and limba through neck.  Not sure about pickups yet but i want to have a jazzy archtop sound in the neck, strat positions 2 and 4 and Les Paul in the bridge.  Probably will get a set of custom wound Armstrongs.

2)  A version of the Suhr Custom. Mahogany or limba solid body with set in flame maple neck, Lace HSS Sensors, TBX and EXG circuits.

Both will have the ludicrously rare Wilkinson VS100C convertible trem, flamed maple carved tops front and back.