EdwardMarlowe

Yip, a replacement body was going to be my suggestion. I used to be a big proponent of 'don't do any irreversible mods, keep all the bits in case you sell', but the way the market has gone in the last ten years, it's often more profitable to sell a parted-out Fender or Squier than sell it complete on the used market if it's not a very rare model. Which is a big advantage. With a little patience, I'd expect a standard Fender MIM body in very good condition to sell for upwards of £150 on ebay. The original pups will also be very saleable, I should think. Even Squier bits seem to fetch surprisingly high prices (it's common on ebay in my experience to see Squier Strat necks selling for more than complete Squier guitars). You could well find that you sell your extraneous bits for enough to cover the cost of their replacements. 

On 16/04/2022 at 00:08, Crusoe said:

Hi there, I'm Gary. I have recently taken possession of a new Harley Benton TE-20 SB Standard, with amp, so I'm hoping to pick up some useful tips from you all. Oh, and I also found my way here from Basschat. 

Not the Gary Robinson, alumnus of Carrick Grammar???

On 16/04/2022 at 12:21, Crusoe said:

I bought my Harley Benton online, but only because I'm a beginner and didn't want to shell out a lot of money only to decide I didn't like it. If I do decide to upgrade, it will be from a physical shop. Funnily, like @EdwardMarlowe, Matchetts would be my local shop. There's also Bairds and Belfast Music Supplies. I'm sure Edward remembers Session Music, on the Dublin Road. There was also Marcus Music, which became Dawsons, but sadly they have now closed.

I remember Session well..... I was at school with a guy who went by the same handle as you who once bought a Squier Silver Series Jazz bass in there, I think.... not you by any chance? This would have been in 1992ish.... 

Bairds are out by York Street train station, aren't they? Used to have a wander round there, though never bought in it. Picked up a few bits here and there in Marcus - nearly bought a 78 SG in there in 1996/7 when I was a student, but couldn't come up with the £450 they wanted. I'm sure it's close to double that now. Sorry to hear they are gone. Belfast Music Supplies is a name I remember.... were they out Upper Newtonards Road way? I remember visiting in about 2015 and there was a cracking shop in Shaftesbury square, don't recall the name, but it's gone now as well, I think. The other one I can vaguely recall was Crymbles(? Something like that), down Ormeau Ave, past the Limelight, but I think they went before even Session. 

I remember when I first took up guitar in 1991, there were always older guys around then wishing that the beginner options we had available were around in their day. Now I'm that old guy.... it's incredible, really, how serviceable an instrument you can get for much less money nowadays. 

What took me a long time to figure out was the biggest lesson of all: 

The different guitar types really aren't as different as we like to make out, and you don't "need" All The Options. There's little I hate more in guitar world than pretentious paens to "having the full palette of sounds". Once you get beyond playable and functional in a guitar, 90% of it is whether you personally like its look and feel. Most of your sound - especially if you like pedals - will come from the amp. The first Led Zep album. Everybody knows page played an LP.... except when he didn't. Even Page can't tell now what was the Telecaster and what was the LP on that record. Jimi Used Strats. Except when he didn't: all the leads on Purple Haze  were played on a borrowed Telecaster. I'm not saying don't have different guitars, or don't try different guitars. Just go into it with the perspective that you're looking for a guitar or guitars that work for you, and you don't have to own all the different styles. Better three near identical Strats if that's what you'll play than five different guitars, only two of which you ever play. 

I've owned probably 15 guitars over the years, got around 11 or 12 currently. The bulk of them will be sold: I'm keeping my two Fenders and maybe my Epi LP Standard (unless, of course, the Korean made ones from the 90s suddenly become vintage and sell for collectable money.... I'm kinda over Les Pauls now, look and feel..... and I've also learned I'm just not that much a fan of humbuckers either). Ironically, at the time I bought it I could have bought a Dano U2 for half the price, but I had it in my head that I "needed" a Les Paul as one of "the basics", and the Dano was "a third or fourth guitar". In all honesty, I'd rather have the Dano now. (And still would even if that LP had been a Gibson). 

The trick is to try as many different guitars as possible without having to buy them first (my excuse is that this is much harder when you're a southpaw...). 

I'm also now setting myself an upper limit of ten (including acoustic and bass), though that's because I'm a recovering hoarder, and "collection" can get out of control fast for me. 

On 29/03/2022 at 09:08, police squad said:

I did a bit of googling and the serial number can also be on the neck plate

I never knew there were some usa made squiers

Me neither! I remember the Mexican ones in the middle 90s (as memory serves, they were made with a big Fender logo and a small Squier one, they were Squiers, but were made when Fender were between Far Eastern facilities, and by reputation are very good). 

This is the guy in Stratford upon Avon, isn't it? I've watched a fair few of his videos on the Vintage brand guitars. His take on those is that they are excellent value for money, they have their shortcomings, but law of diminishing returns and all that... Always seemed to be to have a very fair and balanced take on the more affordable guitars and their qualities, without the OTT "THIS IS BETTER THAN FENDER CUSTOM SHOP AND ONLY TEN POUNDZ BARGAINZ!" kind of hype you can sometimes see online. 

Will have a look at this one later, can't look at video where am now... 

On 18/03/2022 at 18:15, Ando1985 said:

That would be great Thank you. Very excited to go guitar shop next weekend 

If you're interested in a Jazzmaster style, in this sort of price range the Squire CV version is nice, but see also the Vintage V65 model, which comes in options both with the traditional F-style trem and a fixed bridge model. Enjoy shopping!  

The Squier Classic Vibe series are a different beast than the Players, really. The Player series represent a fairly contemporary take on the instruments concerned (albeit in a fairly classic flavour), whereas the CVs replicate (after a fashion - they're not as exacting in spec as the US made reissue models, for obvious reasons) vintage styles of particular eras. The Players are built to a higher price point so in theory should be better. That said, I've always found with Squier that they vary (inevitably, QC is more tolerant at a lower price point, so there's much greater variation). I'd consider buying a Player by mail from a trusted supplier; the Squier, I'd probably want to play first. The CVs seem to do well on resale value, so if that's a consideration for you, proportionate to new price you won't be likely to lose more selling a used CV Squier than a used Fender Player. There seems to be a popular notion that the CVs made in China are markedly better than the ones made in Indonesia, but to be honest I haven't played enough of both to want to make a call on that. If you are looking for something Fendery, it would also be worth having a look at the Vintage branded guitars from JHS. In and around the same price as the CV Squiers, very competitive for what they sell at. 

As ever, a used Player will sell for about the same price as a new CV, but then a used CV will sell for less again, so....  I think the best thing you can do is head to a big guitar store that will have all the options you fancy, try them all, and then when you find what speaks to you most, try as many of that specific model as you can til one hits the spot. 

The PRS SE guitars are nicely made ime, though not my personal style. The only reason I wouldn't buy one is subjective personal preference, though - they seem nice across the board if they are what you're looking for in a guitar. 

I do love me some TV Yellow, though TBH I think with a guitar as (at least in my experience) rare as these now are, I'd consider reverting it to standard. Does it still have the Dirty Fingers pups in it? As memory serves, that's what they came with, though a lot of them got switched out over time. I believe they can be quite collectable now, as DFs have been reappraised in recent years... 

Precious few thru-necks around these days.... any brands currently doing them aside from Ric and the higher-end Thunderbirds/Firebirds? 

Never owned one, would be interested one day, though I suspect a Ric will remain out of reach for the foreseeable. Would especially love a Ric bass... 

Interesting concept, the thinline dreadnought. Never seen one before, but the logic seems to stack up: thinner but wider, probably has the same volume inside as some smaller guitars.... The impression I have is that the top is about the tone, the depth gives more in the way of volume. The worst acoustic I ever played in terms of tone was a Martin -one of those Martin backpackers. There was just something.... off.... about the sound, which I always figured had to do with the tiny, oddly-shaped top. 

Me, I'd love to see an acoustic jumbo with a 2.5" deep body and f holes instead of a traditional acoustic soundhole. Not a style you see around these days outside of specialist jazz archtops, but I think it would be cool. Somehow a budget version appeals more than a high end type because it would be closer to the scuzzy guitars played on those early blues and proto-rock and roll records. 

On 11/02/2022 at 23:27, Jesterminute17 said:

I can't believe people would buy a guitar online without having played it!?  It's so bizarre to me.   It's like shopping for a book based on the best cover.   You might never find the best fit for you and just assume this guitar you chose online is the guitar for you.  It's insane!  

 

I've just posted a topic on advice on where to go for a guitar in the uk. (im in scotland but would travel)  Maybe Guitar Guitar Glasgow...but wasn't impressed with Edinburgh's selection at all in two shops i went to; very limited .  

 

I want to go into a shop and play 10 different teles used or new and then go yep that is a beauty.... Maybe a new Ultra is the best fit for me, or maybe I want to try a 7.25 radius and not 9.5.  

That's definitely the ideal, but I think it's a bit of a vicious circle, really: online places are able to sell cheaper, so a lot of people buy from them, so more bricks and mortar go out of business, so more and more of us have to go online as that's the only option.... With better stuff, it worries me less as the instrument is much more likely to have had some proper attention, as distinct from buying budget bottom line where a lot of places will sent it out without unboxing, or even have it drop-shipped. I think the fact that the private second-hand market has been so taken over by online sales has also helped to normalise it. Course, I am perhaps less freaked out by this (even if I agree it's not ideal) because being left handed I've so often hand to commit to buying something without having seen it. Before I bought my US Std Strat in 1994 - and after two years of saving for it - I found one with a maple board (I wanted rosewood) in a store in Belfast. That was the sole example I'd had the chance to play before I ordered mine, and was financially committed such that once it arrived, unless there was an obvious fault, that was it. 

Also worth noting that the Distance Selling Regulations (unless or until they are thrown on the post-Brexit bonfire) mean that if you order something from a store online and don't like it, you are legally entitled to return it without having to give any reason as long as you do it within seven working days. Yes, if there's no fault and it is what you ordered you have to pay for that return postage, BUT for a lot of folks that might be worth the gamble over the old situation where you love something in the shop but get it home and try it with your own gear, and it's a dud...

All depends what you're after sound-wise, though the most impressive I've encountered was the Fishman Blend, which from memory combined an under-saddle with a mic-based one tucked under the soundhole for the best of both varieties. Unless you want to go for a dedicated amp, I'd also suggest a decent stomp-box style DI/processor. A friend had one some years back that was an Award Session Gordon Giltrap signature model that was very impressive indeed. 

On 17/02/2022 at 20:30, chyc said:

 

I've found the manual online:

 

 

So there's some proof  I'm not making it up. You can alter the headphone loudness by twiddling the gain knob, then then obviously that affects the gain!

Aha! Yeah, sounds like it's a function of the headphone jack and the direct line-out being one and the same. Interesting! I wonder how many people buy these used (or don't read the manual when it comes new) and think there's a fault in it! Nice design once it's explained - be interesting to compare the sound in phones with an otherwise identical amp with a regular headphone socket... 

4 hours ago, chyc said:

Possibly. It's intentional though, because the instructions make mention of that. Means volume controls don't work for headphones.

 

I'd need to double check, but the line-out feed *does* cut the speakers, but then if you plug your headphones into it it only comes out one ear. So infuriating.

That does sound odd! There must be a reason for it, though, if it's designed that way! 

On 06/02/2022 at 09:25, chyc said:

I have one, along with a Burns Brian May guitar. Definitely could sound like the man himself if I could play like him. I just choose not to (practise).

 

The original Deacy I believe was a speaker and a battery, so no volume or gain. The VOX one has all the knobs you'd expect from a combo, but there are some really odd design decisions. One that for the life of me I cannot understand is that using the headphone output doesn't cut the speaker output, so you  put some headphones on and your neighbours will still hear you.

 

Reliability wise, the thing has failed on me and been repaired. It's old, but I hardly play it so that's not a ringing endorsement. If you like near Oxford you're welcome to come try it. It's currently gathering dust under my desk at work.

As memory serves, these were designed so they could be used either as an amp on their own, or as a pre-amp (I believe May's original is exclusively a pre-amp). Could some wiring quirk around that be why the headphones work oddly that way? 

On 07/02/2022 at 21:27, bouvier said:

Here is my extended family.....   A few Gibsons, Bravewoods, Fender and Iveson.   The Iveson guitars really are a treat, fabulous!!!

 

Which size is the Supro amp second from right on the shelf there? I'm seriously considering the 1 watt model once I've sold a bunch of stuff.... 

On 09/02/2022 at 13:11, Badscrew said:

Hi all!

Is anyone here who prefers 12 fret necks on their acoustics?

 

I find these more suitable for my style of playing (fingerpicking, rhythm guitar) and more comfortable, and I pretty much never venture to the "dusty end of the fretboard" anyway 

 

If you're like me, what are your guitars? 

 

Let's chat and shun those 14 fretters with their useless long necks 

Honestly not sure. I'll tell you one thing I've really grown to dislike, though: cutaways on an acoustic guitar body. Purely a cosmetic thing. Same as I don't like the look of the neck angle from the player's pov on a Les Paul, or a slimmed-down neck joint on the back of a Strat, or a 22nd fret on a Fender style. Some of these are not dealbreakers, but I really wouldn't want an acoustic with a cutaway. 

On 04/02/2022 at 20:30, T-Bay said:

Bob Mould, most underrated musician of all time in my humble opinion

Kurt Cobain, not the most complex but just the right sound at the right time

Billy Duffy, just love that sound

What I always liked about Cobain was how his playing served the song rather than dominated it. That's something I prize as when I listen to music I want to hear a band working as a whole - I'm just not interested in listening to one part dominating the whole and drawing all the attention, all the time. 

On 17/09/2021 at 13:24, Matt P said:

mooer have quite a range of micro preamp pedals as well, most of the famous amps are accounted for.

 

there are also plenty of multi-effects units that have decent amp models built in with the added bonus of some effects as well (i used to use a Zoom 3030 back when i was playing electric in church) the newer zoom units are really pretty good, some will include a Di output as well which removes the exttrra connection and frees up a DI box for use elsewhere.

 

I'm currently researching acoustic preamp/DI units to get a better sound now that we've swapped to IEMs rather than on stage amps (i was using a Trace Acoustic Cube)

 

Matt

 

 

The Mooer series are really cool - http://www.mooeraudio.com/product/Pre-amp-18 If I were looking at playing out again, I'd be tempted to pick up a couple of those plus the respective power amp pedal, and either use those with a monitor direct into the PA, or I suppose use a nice 1 or 2 x12" cab with them. A lot easier and lighter than lugging a tube amp around! 

I can think of a few guitars that would give a smaller or narrower neck option, though most will be pricier. The Bonnie Raitt Strat had a pretty narrow neck (designed to her original, and in particular with female players in mind as they tend to have smaller hands, and Raitt wanted to attract more women to guitar). Johnny Ramone's Mosrites had narrower than average necks, which he liked because he played almost exclusively barrre chords. A number of Fenders and Squiers are short-scale, including Duosonics, Mustangs, and Supersonics. 

Alas, all of these will be pricier than OP's set budget, even used, BUT.... Squier have now introduced the Bullet Mustang HH, with a 24" scale and somewhat smaller neck like all Mustangs / Duosonics: 

https://www.fender.com/en-US/squier-electric-guitars/mustang/bullet-mustang-hh/0371220548.html

https://www.fender.com/en-US/squier-electric-guitars/mustang/bullet-mustang-hh/0371220548.html

My first inclination, TBH, would be to find a way around it and gradually get used to the "normal" necks as it won't limit your choice of guitars so much going forwards. THat said - and speaking as a left handed player - a limited choice is always better than giving up, so if it makes that much difference... 

 

Interesting to read this experience with your equipment. My church is a large, Georgian building, and when it comes to the hymns, if you listen very closely, the balcony are just a fraction of a second ahead of the main seating area in the ground floor, owing to the organ pipes being up on the balcony. It's a fascinating delay if you notice it - though you have to be listening out carefully for it or you wouldn't notice. These aspects of the relationship between the physical space and the player's equipment are fascinating, imo. 

On 20/01/2022 at 12:47, police squad said:

I have a Gibson Les Paul AFD guitar from 2010. It's not that I am a massive Slash fan, I just thought it would look good. However mine doesn't have the reverse chevron flame but it sounds amazing. I particularly like how it cleans up (both pickups on) when you roll the volume back. 

I bought it new, unseen and almost returned it because I don't like the top very much.

What a great guitar and they only made 600 of them.

 

I have a Jerry Donahue Vintage telecaster. It cost peanuts really. Again not a JD fan but the wiring and 5 way switch made this guitar very appealing to me. It is also a great guitar

 

I also have a Brian May red special guitar. I use this in my 80s duo. An interesting sounding guitar, nothing like a strat really but still a really useable guitar. I use it exclusively in my 80s thing.

 

and a Justin Meldel Johnson Fender Mustang bass. No idea who JMJ is, they got great reviews on basschat, so I bought one, again, unseen. It is my favourite bass and is my goto instrument.

 

Signature models sometimes offer a different flavour on a given guitar, which will suit some people but not others.

 

Just enjoy

I rather liked the bass that was a sig model for ones of the guys in Blink 182, I think? It was a J bass body and neck, but with a single P-bass pickup and pots. A real 'could have been'. That sort of thing is fun. I don't think I've ever been completely put off a guitar I'd otherwise have liked but for the name association... Oh, though.... There is that Lowden "budget" (for them) model that's branded a 'Sheeran' Guitar... Eh. 

 

On 20/01/2022 at 12:53, police squad said:

fairly decent amps can be bought 2nd hand quite cheaply. At the moment Andertons are offering the vox mv50-ac plus a cab for 160 quid. A very good deal and a very nice bit of kit. I have the MV50 ac and have been gigging it through a 1x12 cab. More than loud enough for the function band I play with

Those look like really nice little amps. How are you finding the - "microtubes", isn't that what they call them? - compare to 'regular' tubes? I've read a lot about them, but not had the chance to try one. Did sound like an interesting evolution of the technology, though - especially if they could develop them to fit into an amp built for standard tubes. 

Interesting guitar. I have a couple of Westones which I plan in due course to sell. They're not the most fashionable style these days, but Matsumoko made guitars are starting to develop something of a cult following, so the value is slowly picking up. The wide, flat neck is definitely something that isn't entirely for me - though I'm told it's great for eighties-style shred stuff like Vai and Satriani and such. The active boost engaged on my Westone Thunder I-A, and it sounds fantastic, like a great Les Paul or SG "should" to my ear (in my hands, they always sound like mud). Good bonus them taking pp3 batteries as well - this modern trend at the high end (see e.g. the US Acoustasonics) to have a guitar charge an inner battery like a phone has too much potential to go wrong, imo... 

With the eighties retro thing having been fashionable in almost all other areas for so long, it's only a matter of time imo before these Matsumokos become hugely sought after. KNowing my luck, their value will sore the week after I sell mine!