EdwardMarlowe

Like a resonator dialled back a bit. I'm lukewarm on the shape, but very much sold on the sound!

As long as a guitar feels good and has a good clean sound, imo that's all you need to play jazz. The only reason to get caught up in what is "right" is if you're playing out to audiences that require the right "look".... A lot of hardcore rockabillies, for example, won't go and see a band that plays very modern look equipment as they won't have the right look - very much part of the package. Happens all over the musical spectrum - audiences expect the look as much as anything. Branding / marketing aside, I say use whatever you like. Sometimes some resl creativity can spirng from using the "wrong" guitar...

I'd hazardc a guess it's passed through the hands of a lefty t soem point, given the orientation of the Dimarzio sticker on the headstock. Looks nice. Purists may be funny aboutg the bolt on neck, but it;'s certainly gonig to be less fragile than a Gibson SG!

I've never had the opportunity to try a left-handed one, so my playing experience of these is limited, however.... Ibanez do seem to make a very nice budget semi indeed. If memory serves, the ones I've seen were all at least as good as the better equivalent Epiphones, even if a bit cheaper. In a funny sort of way, they're much more representative of the sort of guitar Ibanez started making when they were another Japanese copyist / better than the by then lazy real thing outfit like Tokai in the late 70s / early eighties. Not as nice as the 5xxx series Gretsches, but half the price. I always recollect Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown played an Ibanez 3x5alike in preference to a Gibson (I believe he was an endorsee, but unlike some where they'll pull the guitar out for a couple of numbers then switch to what they prefer, he played his exclusively from what I saw, at least).

In all truth I listened to the whole thing wanting the Vintage to be the better sounding one, but thinking 'oh noes, I'll have to admit the Gibby wins.' Then I discovered when they did the reveal I was completely wrong - the one I thought was the Gibby, and preferred, was the Vintage. To be fair to both, it really was a case of which sound I preferred rather than one or the other being qualitatively superior. Interesting time for me to be thinking about this: when I first moved to London, I bought myself a new (made in 1998) Epi LP Std, in a configuration which would nowadays be the "Plus" version. I've resisted the idea of selling it for years as it's a particularly nice (and left handed) one, but I just don't play it any more.... I'm just *so* *over* Les Pauls.... I do know that were I to be buying a new LP type nowadays, it'd probably be between one of the higher end Vintages and a Gordon Smith. I'd love to play the two myself back to back and see how the Gibby and the Vintage compare as a playing experience. I'd also love to see what the Vintage factory could do given exactly the same base materials as the Gibson. Often the labour cost is not the only difference - though TBH my impression is that the quality of materials in the higher-end of the budget price range is much closer "the real thing" than was the case back in the early 90s.

AFAIK, the 30w Hot doesn't have that option, but I am intrigued by the concept. I remember trying a Cube (non-blues) some years ago and being well impressed with the COSM sound, though. Thanks.

I should say from the off I've never been a valve purist... tbh, one of the reasons I lost interest in another guitar based forum was the luddite behaviour of most of the participants when it came to anything 'new' (I remember one particularly shameful thread where those who considered themselves True Musicians fell over themsleves to be the first to sneer "enjoy your toy, it's not a real guitar" anytime anyone admitted to buying a Variax). That said.... about a decade ago, I bought one of the original Vox Valvetronix 120VT jobs - the top of the line, AC30 sized one. With the 212 extension cab, and the VC12 foot controller. As it turn out, I've only ever used the amp itself, never the foot controller (it's literally never been used, though I always meant to...), or the extension cab. Mostly I use the amp set to its 2x1w. It sounds great.... but I only ever use one sound. It rather feels like the amp is wasted on me. Indeed, I'd probably have sold it already if they were still in production (you know, the old fear of selling off something that you later regret but can't replace... Funnily enough, I've never actually had any regret about anything I've sold, but I still fear it far too much. Part, I suspect, of a wider hoarding problem I've been dealing with...). What I really want is a nice little amp, something tweedy and about thirty watts, with a master volume. But I really don't want to be bothered with traditional tubes. The Roland Blues Cube - the small one, the Hot(?) looks like a go-er. I'm also impressed with what I've seen / heard of the Award Session Blues Baby - considering the kit version of that with a speaker and pine cab from Watford Valves. The other option is perhaps one of the Vox MV50 AC miniheads, with a 2x12" or 1x12" tweed cab. I've got a nagging instinct that the AS is what would be my best option, though it seems to be impossible to try one out without gonig to Basingstoke... Hmn. No need for anything huge volume wise... chances are if I was ever to play out again (now I'm 45 and still fairly crap, I've long resigned myself to the fact I'll never be the next Hendrix, nor will I in all likelihood ever be part of a cult punkabilly band that will release one, sought-after, legendary 7" of the quality of Brand New Cadillac) I'd be using some sort of preamp pedal into a pa anyhow, so I'm not looking for a gigging workhorse. Curious to hear the experiences / opinions of other folks who've been in the same boat, and what you picked up on. I've long been somewhat bemused that most amp makers seem to assume that if you're open to digital you want soem sort of do it all package, rather than one, good sound...

The only fault I can pick in the CVs is that they're chasing the bottom end of the MIM Fender priceband, which can, unfairly, make them look like "expensive Squiers" rather than "budget Fenders", but that's purely subjective. I've long fasncied the 50s Strat and Tele variants. Especially tmepted tp pick up one of the Teles and turn it into an Esquier... not sure if they've dropped the lefties, though, since the revamp? Looking at the website a few days ago they didn't seem to be there any longer.

Been looking at that one on eBay myself. I have a few of those cheap mini-pedals. So far they're as well-built as anything else I've handled, and sound as good. WE'll see if they last as long, though TBH in my experience as long as they're in a decent shell one pedal is much the same as another (asided form the subjectives of 'good sound') until you're into the big money. For some reason, I often feel more creative with cheapos.

Logically, I think most seasoned gigging musicians if they can find a sound they're happy with will increasingly be avoiding the hassle of having to transport a heavy amp. I have a silverface Bassman 100 that I shouldn't have bought years ago; too damn loud for playing at home, but getting it there nearly gave me a hernia! The future for modellers / nutubes / COSM / W.h.y. imo is going to be along the lines of simplicity. I currently have a Vox AD120VT - gorgerous amp, but tbh I don'tg use the half of its potential. I don't care for on board effects, and all I want to do is make it sound like something old and tweedy. Got to shift stuff and move house first, but in the next few years I can see me ending up with either a Blues Cube, or one of those Award Session Blues whatsits. The kit for the latter in a real old school tweedy-pine cabinet from Watford Valves is lookingh very good on paper. Do one sound, do it well. If ever I was to be playing out again, I can see me looking for a pedal version of the same thing....

Course, the easy answer to SG neck dive if it happens is just to add a Bigsby, which also has the bonus of adding about a million cool points to any guitar, really...

If you're open to an electro-acoustic option, I remember being impressed by a 12 string Eko from Brandoni some years ago. The bolt-on neck version, Rannger XII or something.

He did; as memory serves, it was very much customised to his tastes, and significantly influenced the guitars PRS made for him later on/.

Are you sure it isn't a one-of project that somebody made at home, and put their own 'brand' on? I've never seen a budget guitar with a true neck-thru construction, tbh. I wodner did a(n aspiring) luthier make it as a homebrew project, and just use whateverf hardware was around for a build? If the neck and body are well finished and play great, it could be worth upgrading. (Though if you ppour money into new part,s keep the old stuff to hand so if you everr sell it you can return it to original spec, as upgrade projects rarely make their money back ime).

That's the only danger I can see: if you leave it too near a Panda, they might eat it. Srsly, though, if I could ban one word from the guitarist lexicon, it would be 'tonewood'. Different woods colour the sound slightly.... as does design, finish, fit, hardware, electronics, the pedals and amps you use.... The miniscule difference that the actual wood makes to the tone (as part of the melee of all things that make up the overall tone) is merely that - a difference. The idea that any one wood's contribution to the overall sound is objectively qualitatively better than another is bunk. All else is superstition.

If you're scrupulously polite about it and the get arsey, I'd then wodner whether I wanted to spend my money there...

A lot depends on the store and the guitar. Most places I've managed to walk away with 10-15% off, or, if the guitar was already on sale, a significant discount on a hardcase (not all come with one - in fact, I'veo nly every bought one guitar where it came as standar, but I'm not a high-end buyer). Basically, I fidn it doesn't hurt to ask. I would definitely ask for a 'cash price', i.e. if you're paying straight up rather than putting it on a credit card, they might offer a discount on the basis of not paying cc fees.

Nice guitar to start on! Is your daughter something of a Joan Jett fan by any chancE?

Maybe a pair of HB-sized p90s might be more to your tastes?

It's funny, I remember when I started looking at guitars and playing around 1991, all the guys who'd been playinmg for years then used to eulogise about how great beginner guitars were then compared to their early days, raving about how great the standard Squiers (then made in Korea mostly, but there were some still Japanese in 1990) were and so on... Now, closing in on thirty years later, I'm one of the old farts who can't believe how much better beginner guitars are now. I wodner if it will ever get to the point where the high end big names like Gibson will be forced to do more affrdable stuff because there isn't the same market from non-pros for the expensive stuff? (At that, in my experience it's always been well-heeled amateurs in my experience that buy the pricey stuff; 90% of professional, working musos I know tend to be almost make do and mend about a lot of their gear, given for most it's not exactly big money time...).

Btoh make a decent guitar. The Chinese Epiphones were considered to be a step down from the Korean ones for the first year or two, but really by this point while some collectors still prefer the MIKs (here's hoping - I have one I'm planning to sell in a few months!), the Chinese ones are very nice guitars indeed. Personally, I have a slight preference for the Tokai - I find they tend to have better resale (YMMV, just my experience), better range of chocie of finish if you buy new rather than Epiphone (cosmetic preference, of course, but I'm just *so* over figured wood and bursts.... I'm a solid colour man nowadays). Tokai also laways look closer to a "real" Les Paul to my eye, as they don't deliberately make the headstock shapel ook markedly different or things like that the way Gibson do (obviously Gibby know there's a chunk of the market will pay out the money for the Gibson that might be happy with the Epi if it had the "right" headstock and a "MIC Gibson" type brand). But either, all other things being equal, will be a decent LP type. It would also be worth your while looking into the Vintage V100 model range. Cracking guitars with Wilkinson hardware; I lean to the view they're probably the best value LP type on the market at the minute, and at least sonically / tonewise, imo they can readily hold their own against the top end Gibsons at several grand a pop.

With their three price band rtanges, Gretsch are now playing a blinder. I've never had a Gretsch because of the megabucks cost of the Pro range, but the 5xxx Electromatic ones are really very nice indeed now - and, like Fender, Gretsch themselves show them enough respect not to push them as 'cheapos'. Even the 2xxx Streamliners aren't so bad - if i was looking for one I knew I wanted to rewire / fit with new pups and whatever, basis for ap rojec,t one of those could be the birdy. I'm currently GASing badly myself for the LE lefty G5240 in blue with the trem..... My number one next purchase was going to be a Player Strat, but I think this has jumped it in the queue..... Course, they'll likely not be around any more by the time I sell off a load of gear to afford it, but....

It's a nicer headstock, too. Not that that should matter, but....

Those Vintyage VS6s are really impressive. I used to play a lot with a guy who owned one, and I found it every bit the equal of the Epiphone models, though they sell for much less.

Remidns me of the Kramer semi with the diamond 'f holes' that Dave Grohl played for a bit. Doesn't a guy from Queens of the Stone Age also play a semi now? THen there was Malcom Young.... so this type of thing has a bit of hard rock pedigree. I've only owned Tanglewood acoustics, but I have handled a few of thyeir electrics and they are always impressive for the money.