michael saulnier Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 A while ago I posted a "Guitar you couldn't live without" thread, and many of you shared your thoughts about your favorites... Some were guitars I had owned or played, and a few were "custom" or "homemade" ones. I realized nobody listed any of the high end boutique builders like McNaught, Melancon, Grosh, Anderson, (Chip mentioned them, but doesn't own one), Suhr, McInturff, Warrior, or others... Most of these guitars are not mainstream, and typically aren't sold through the mass marketers. They all have loyal supporters who proudly love the tone, high quality construction, woods and figured tops, and high-end electronics used in them. They're usually pretty expensive, often starting at a few thousand and going up from there. You can often order "exactly" the guitar you want with every possible option available as long as you're willing to pay for it... Anyway, does anyone have experiences with any of these "dream" builders?Can they make a guitar that's "noticeably" superior to Gibson or Fender? If you had to pick shape, wood, pickups, neck type and size, bridge type and other features... what would be your "dream"? Is it even right to think that having one "dream" guitar that costs say $3000 to, $5000 could be "better" than 5 to 7 guitars that cost between $500 and $1500 each? How big a factor is cosmetics to your "dream" meaning AAAAA tops, or inlays in the fretboard and so on? Right now I'd say my "dream" would be a semi-hollow body or chambered alder body with quilted maple top, probably strat shaped, with a fairly fat maple neck with rosewood fretboard and Jumbo frets, Kinman noiseless strat-type pickups and a Wilkinson type vibrato system with locking nuts. Probably also add a mid-range boost ala Clapton strat. Make my quilted top blonde, and highly figured... and if I'm going all the way, a cool custom inlay on the fretboard... Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't buy a guitar on cosmetics alone, but if I'm going to go to this level, I think I want a "knockout". How about you? guitplayer I'm still "guitplayer"! Check out my music if you like... http://www.michaelsaulnier.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 Geez Guitarplayer you sure know how to tax the old gray cells on a friday man!!! Dream guitars are a very hard question, mostly because I have to say, my dreams focus on old classics rather than custom built newbies. If ya start talkin 56 Les Paul Standards then I'm your man other than this kinda thing I cannot think of anything new I would relly go for, with thew exception of a Yamaha SG2000 reissue!!! Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK_dup2 Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 Ah yes, Mine fellas would be a '62 Olympic White strat. Slabboard ,All original with the guard nice and green. God I love the Stratocaster. It mezmerizes me like a woman's Hips. God I love women's hips. Yee Hahhhhh-- BK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 BK Whilst we all love and adore womens hips ( and i guess you'd better be careful here 'cos Lee will get ya for this one ). Some of us don't quite love the Strat to this degree!!!! Now if you're talkin Les Pauls that's a different matter!!!!!!!!!! Simon http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK_dup2 Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 Senior Simon, Paul - Shmaul. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/tongue.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/tongue.gif HE HE HE HE http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Seriously, I have a severe gear acquisition syndrome thing with Strats. I only have three now but it used to be much worse -much much worse. I have never owned a Paul. Thats gunna change for my Birthday this year though. Gold Top all the way baby.. B(strat)K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 >>God I love women's hips. Me too, and I don't think us guys need to be apologetic to Ms. Flier, as I'm sure she'll say something about some piece of gear somewhere reminding her of some guy with tight buns...so we can babble all we want.. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif A good friend of mine owns one of my dream guitars... a '59 cherry sunburst Les Paul Standard. But, as for my others...I like retro...a nice Gretsch Tennesseean or White Falcon... But I reeeeeaaaally want something along the lines of a Jaguar with an bright pearloid aqua sparkle finish...and white pearl pickguard. Like, surf's up, du-uude...that and some old blackface or tweed Fender amp. "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHAN Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 My brother, (an aspiring luthier) crafted my "Les Paul" from a '58 template from Stew Mac. All Mahogany with a Teak top. Loaded for bear with Duncan Classic '59ers . We also put on a Mike Christian Elec. Acoustic Bridge with piezo transducers in each saddle.. Flick the switch, instant Ovation sound. All on one guitar... So Many Drummers. So Little Time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK_dup2 Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 Khan, Super Sweet. How does the bridge compare tonewise to the New Tele with the Fishman transducer. BK This message has been edited by BK on 02-08-2001 at 06:56 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHAN Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 BK, send me one of those Tele's, and I'll let you know http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Seriously, I've never tried one of the Fishman's, but mine sounds D--Y--N--O--M--I--T--E ! ! ! So Many Drummers. So Little Time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanner Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 o k, i'm dreamin right? a <1963 fender stratocaster> sunburst w/ rosewood fingerboard,original pick-ups w/ synchronized tremolo, patent #2573254 god that would be heaven on earth oh, sorry-i already got it-mybad AMPSSOUNDBETTERLOUDER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jef5f Posted February 10, 2001 Share Posted February 10, 2001 My dream guitar would make me play better and nobody would notice the guitar, just ME. Oh, I sound like Dick Solomon on Third Rock from the Sun. I have two dream guitars. One is a 1962 Gibson SG. Cherry finish. Chrome hardware. When I fell in love with guitar, it was an electic and the guy playing on the stage played a fire engine red SG style guitar (early 70s). I don't know what brand it was, but from that point, I had to play electric. Recently, I had a buddy whose grandma gave him a 1962 Gibson SG in Cherry. It was in mint condition. She bought it new back when and played it to back up his grandpa who played country and bluegrass fiddle. Not a scratch. Even the original chipboard case was mint (even had the tags). I couldn't afford what he deserved for the guitar. My other dream is a PRS Santana, but without the wierd inlay in the headstock. I want a highly flamed top with an amber or a cherry sunburst finish. Chrome hardware, gold with the amber. I think Hamer has out Santana'd PRS. Their Studio and Artist models fit the description and at a fraction of the cost (now I sound like a furniture & mobile home salesman on tv). Oh yeah, and the guitar would make me rich and famous, but noone would notice the guitar, just ME! PS I did forget to note that the 62 SG had P-90 pickups. The sweetest sounding pickups i've ever heard. This message has been edited by jef5f on 02-10-2001 at 02:38 PM Psalm 33:3 The best instrument you have, is your heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott from MA Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 My idea of the "dream" guitar keeps changing every time I get the itch to build a new one. Here's the latest dream that I'm working on: Chambered swamp-ash Tele body, rear-routed (no pickguard). Seymour Duncan Custom p-90's. A Strat-style hardtail bridge. The neck that is going on it is actually a WD lefty Tele neck (yes, the guitar is right-handed), maple with a 12" radius. My friend (a lefty) bought it for a Tele that he was building, but then changed his mind and got a Warmoth compound-radius neck. I had originally intended on putting on a rosewood neck, but I have this one laying here. Besides, I think the string-path of the reverse headstock will make for a unique tone through the P-90's. Once the newness of this guitar wears off, I'll be dreaming up my next creation! Scott (just another cantankerous bastard) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kabrijjhotmail.com Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 if we're going all out here, money is no object... jeez..... i think id want a nice floyd rose bridge, because the one i have now is hideous... but i would want a neck-thru, 24 frets, headstock and neck white-binding... not sure of the body type... I have played an ESP that matched the aforementioned criteria, for around like $620.... which i desperately want to buy, cuz even i can afford that! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBENNVAhotmail.com Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 Peeps, I really really want a Royal Purple Tom Anderson/Hollow T as far as what's available in the 6 string department. An all black Ibanez/UV-777 would be it for me in the 7 string department. These would be the last two electrics I'd want or need. Ever. At least at this point in time of what's available from guitar makers. If you're talking acoustic. 6 string would be a Martin/D-28, 12 string would have to be a Taylor/955. That's all folks. Quantum! C/O DBENNVA@hotmail.com This message has been edited by DBENNVA@hotmail.com on 02-10-2001 at 06:18 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave251 Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 I'll take a different flavor...the closest I can get to the classic Gibson L-5C archtop, straight acoustic, but with the harmonic complexity of a 30's Martin dread(I've played maybe 5 guitars in 38 years of playing that have this)....Have you EVER played one of those jazz giants with huge strings and action like butter? Quite an eye(ear!!) opener. I don't care about inlay or wood figure...give me a TON of TONE!!!!!! The thing that's REALLY cool about a straight acoustic is it won't let you lie to yourself about what kind of a player you are...nothing between you and the music but your hands and ears...no bullshit allowed...either you cut it or you don't, cause it ain't the amplifier, or the pickups, or the stompbox... There is nothing so humbling, nor so uplifting, as the beauty of flesh on wood and steel.... This message has been edited by dave@electrocoustic.com on 02-10-2001 at 10:02 PM Dave Wendler Instruments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip McDonald Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 Originally posted by guitplayer: realized nobody listed any of the high end boutique builders like McNaught, Melancon, Grosh, Anderson, (Chip mentioned them, but doesn't own one), Suhr, McInturff, Warrior, or others... "Living" is relative... Can they make a guitar that's "noticeably" superior to Gibson or Fender? Absolutely, unless you're talking about a Custom Shop Fender - but then you'll also be talking about Custom Shop prices... Is it even right to think that having one "dream" guitar that costs say $3000 to, $5000 could be "better" than 5 to 7 guitars that cost between $500 and $1500 Approaching diminishing returns "better", but better. Actually right now, I don't know any "mainstream" company, unless one counts Carvin, that makes a chambered/semi-hollow guitar like the Andersons. Even if Ibanez copied one it still probably wouldn't have the consistency in tone across the neck I think, at least based on my experiences with Andersons. each? How big a factor is cosmetics to your "dream" meaning AAAAA tops, or inlays in the fretboard and so on? Would I want a Porsche Boxster S with a primer paint job? If it meant I could afford one.... Right now I'd say my "dream" would be a semi-hollow body or chambered alder body with quilted maple top, probably strat shaped, with a fairly fat maple neck with rosewood fretboard and Jumbo frets, Kinman noiseless strat-type pickups and a Wilkinson type vibrato system with locking nuts. Have you played one of the Carvin Holdsworths? Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't buy a guitar on cosmetics alone, but if I'm going to go to this level, I think I want a "knockout". If one is going to spend $1,500+ on a guitar, quibbling over a $150 option shouldn't happen I think. Additionally - if I could afford such a guitar, I'd want it to *look* expensive: otherwise I'm going to walk around the house with it, banging into the refridgerator, accidentally walking into the high hats with it, leaning it against the amp without a stand, etc... In other words, it will get dinged up. Which is why I'm not going to worry about it right now: my guitars at the present have to be workhorses, I don't want to worry about such things... http://www.mp3.com/chipmcdonald Guitar Lessons in Augusta Georgia: www.chipmcdonald.com Eccentric blog: https://chipmcdonaldblog.blogspot.com/ / "big ass windbag" - Bruce Swedien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 Know those Burger King commercials, always late at night, designed to make you want to rush out and buy a Whopper at 1 am... Well, I made the mistake of surfing over to the Gretsch website, and now I'm hungry for a White Falcon or a Tennessean... Who deals in Gretsch guitars, though? I mean, they're hard to find... "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josephandrews.edu Posted February 12, 2001 Share Posted February 12, 2001 It would sound really nice. A really small body, and some wicked flaming inlays that i haven't seen on any guitar yet. It's all in my brain!! I could draw you guys a picture... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricongacharter.net Posted February 13, 2001 Share Posted February 13, 2001 Dave@elecrocoustic, what you describe is an original D'angelico the finest jazz box ever made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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