sad day

[CitizensBandFan]

A local music store is relocating and they have a Les Paul standard Plus for $1,899 on sale. They also have a white LP Custom for $2000.

They are relocating the store within a month, that is too early for me to get enough money to even put it on layaway

[CitizensBandFan]

Well, Fk it. Fk Gibson and their expensive ass guitars until, I graduate from college and pay off tuition. I'll just start lookin for a good Fender. I don't like the cheap ass fretboard on the Gibson anyway. Anyone feel that way too?

 

I like the Gibson neck, it's probably the best neck I've felt, but the damn fretboard feels rough. I like Fender's smooth necks

[patrick_dont_fret]

Yeah, screw Gibson. They are too expensive for what you get. Just slap some HBs in a good guitar and you're rockin' harder than any LP could. Even the Epiphones are too expensive for what you get. Screw them... Get a good Fender, not the American, those are too expensive, too. You get the same thing, possibly better, for a Mexi- or Jap-made guitar.

[Cowbell]

I feel the same way. They are so overpriced it's not funny....nobody can afford them. I love LP necks though.

 

Ok, I have a few thoughts on this. For the money,Fender is a way to go. You could buy their new Highway1 series, made in the US, for $600. Nice alder body with a satin finish. Beautiful. You could also buy the American Deluxe series with Noiseless pickups,but still single-coil sound. I think this is also the same with the G&L Comanche. Look at that,man. Those are just too cool.

 

Another choice is Carvin. Custom made. Factory-direct. You can't go wrong there either. They make a

Les Paul Double Cut-Away for $720. Ebony fingerboard, mahogany body with a maple top, it's very cool. They just came out with the Contour 66 ,which is a bolt-on neck, alder body with a 5mm thick maple top,ebony fingerboard, and body-binding.

 

A great thing about Carvin is that there are so many options,you can make your perfect guitar. Tons of models like Teles,Strats,Pauls, and etc. Everything to your choice of wood,hardware,pickups(including piezo),fingerboards,inlays,and colors.

[CitizensBandFan]

Before considering overpriced Gibson, I was really interested in a Fender Fat Strat Texas Special. Not sure if this is the best fender to get for the money or not. $1000 is prolly the about max I'm willing to spend.

 

There are so many choices when it comes to Fender.

choices I'm considering:

1) American Fat Strat Texas Special

2) American Strat Texas Special

3) American Deluxe Fat Strat (no locking trem)

4) American Deluxe Strat

5) American Strat Hard Tail

 

I ranked these in order to my preference with no real playing experience of these models. I guess what I want to ask about these guitars is:

 

1st- Texas Special vs Vintage noiseless pickups?

2nd- Fat Strat vs regular 3 single coils?

Pros/Cons?

 

Fender is the Player's guitar

[CitizensBandFan]

Matter of fact, today I received the Carvin catalog in the mail

I've heard Carvin acoustics are good, but never really heard much about their electric stuff.

The DC150 is a great and i mean GREAT deal if it really can make a LP tone or a PRS Tone

 

PLEASE Read my MessagE i JuSt pOsTeD ABOVE

[Salty Tonk]

Any of the guitars on your list work for me.If your a rock player I would say go with one of the Fat guitars.They are a little more versatile in the rock vein.As far as the pups go I would go with Texas Specials over the noiseless.I've played on both.The noiseless pickups do cut out noise but you have to keep the volume knob on the guitar cranked.The TX specials have a helluva kick to'em.My .02$

[CitizensBandFan]

that's why i'm really considering the Texas Special pickups. My uncle had a Texas Special Fat Strat before he traded it in for a Tele. He didn't say much about it except it was fun to play and the pickups were hot.

 

I was wondering if i would still be able to get a nice warm rich tone from them, don't want them to be too bright. I don't play metal. I luv playing classic rock, BLUES (texas blues SRV), and alt. country.

 

Texas Special Pickups are most likely what I want, but what about having the 3 single coils being staggard versus the 2 singles horizontally and the Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates HB?

 

I would think having the HB would give the guitar more sustain and tone versatility, what are your thoughts?

[Cowbell]

If your looking at the Fender Texas Special........and you play blues and country...you want that.

 

The Texas Special pups are what Stevie had in #1. But you know where Pearly Gates comes from right? Billy Gibbons '58 Les Paul. Thats the humbucker in his Les Pauls. They are AMAZING.

 

And yeah, the Carvin perfectly models the LP. I have one, and an old Carvin Mesa Boogie knockoff that sounds like a Mesa cept better. I can get a great Santana sound off it,and a great Cream sound as well.

 

Get the Texas Fat Strat, if your looking at Fenders.

[CitizensBandFan]

couldn't help but notice Salty Tonk that your band plays alternative country? I'll have to listen to your mp3.com songs. I'm just starting to get into that genre. No one at the local record stores knows about alt country so if you could give me the name of some good cds that would be awesome. I already know Old 97s (Rhett Miller) and Slobberbone.

 

My uncle's band (Citizens Band) plays this kinda music in Indianapolis, In and have already expanded their playing experience into Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta,& Cincinatti. Check them out, you'll like 'em, guaranteed (they also have cds for sale):

 

www.citizensbandmusic.com

[CitizensBandFan]

sweet, Thanx CowboyAllen for your help, you've responded to my questions more than anyone else.

I'm just trying to make my 2nd guitar purchase a really good one since I'm still in college and can't afford to screw it up by spending a lot of money on something I will end up hating later on down the road.

 

I guess I was curious about the PURPOSE of the single coils being in the guitar diagnally on the regular 3SC setup, while the SCs on the Fat Strat are straight across horizontally.

 

By the way, love that SNL skit.

[Cowbell]

Ummm.... just a little confused. Are you talking about the bridge pickup? Or all of them?

 

The neck and middle pup are always straight across, and with 3SCs the brisge goes diagonal. Maybe someone else here will know....I sure don't.

 

Could you clarify that for me?

[CitizensBandFan]

yeah, why are the neck and middle single coils diagnaly placed on the regular strats, while the fat strats neck and middle single coils are straight horizontally? Just wondering if that changes sound.

[CitizensBandFan]

Also, Alder body is better than Ash,

and Rosewood fretboard is better than Maple right?

[Cowbell]

Errrr...no to several things.

 

The neck and middle pups are always horizontal. On reg Strats the bridge is diagonal. They do this for....reason unknown.

 

Also,about the alder,ash,maple,rosewood type thing.....it's all about your taste. Some favor maple,others ebony, some wenge, it's all diff. Same with body. Alder,mahogany w/ maple top, ash, and koa are all very nice woods. But then,like Mexi Fenders poplar is a good sunding wood for the money.

 

It all depends on taste....time for bed

[Space_Ace113]

go on ebay and find yourself a vintage les paul standard or custom, you will thank yourself later, as fars as the new ones after the factory relocated to nashvill tn from kalamazoo MI the quality really went downhill.

[Gato]

I've got a Fat Strat Deluxe and its the best, even than my Strat 74 with a set up of Texas Specials.

[Jotown]

Originally posted by patrick_dont_fret:

Yeah, screw Gibson. They are too expensive for what you get. Just slap some HBs in a good guitar and you're rockin' harder than any LP could.

Ok Patrick. I'm gonna assume that you had too much holiday turkey or something and pretend that you didn't just say that.

 

There is so much more than a humbucker pickup, that goes into making a guitar sound a certain way. Two Les Pauls with consecutive serial number can, and do sound very different.

[t-noah]

hi citizensbandfan,

i would have to say, ebony fretboard may be the best and most durable, but then i'm no expert.

 

as far as good guitars, carvin makes great electric guitars. i have a tl60 and am very happy with it!

 

if you want that LP sound, probably buy a les paul. but as cowbellallen has said, he feels he gets that lp souund on his. alot has to do with your pups and amp, but i also say that with carvin guitars you can customize your pickups, and also the tonewood that you select. that is very important. for example, to get closer to the lp sound, you might select a mahagany body, and maybe even a maog neck, and humbuckers.

 

i think the holdsworth hf2 fatboy would probably get you close to the lp sound. and you could ask around and educate yourself on the tonewoods, and some of the options you have to choose from (with carvin).

 

the carvin bbs (bulletin board) can help you out "if" you are seriously wanting to learn more about carvin guitars. the folks there are very helpful and nice.

 

ask alot of questions, don't make quick decisions. most people will be happy to help out. then "you" decide what's best for you...

[clockwirk]

Originally posted by t-noah:

i think the holdsworth hf2 fatboy would probably get you close to the lp sound.

Isn't the holdsworth a semi hollowbody guitar? I don't know if that would get you the tone you want. I've never heard Holdsworth get a classic lp sound before.

[t-noah]

Isn't the holdsworth a semi hollowbody guitar? [/QB]

you are correct, sir. just mho about the tone/ sound though. i thought LP's, at least some of them, were chambered, also? i'm probably showing my ignorance, again.

 

anyway, if you want the lp sound, get an lp. other guitars have their own distinct tone, including carvin, many of which have neck-through design.

[t-noah]

just for the fun of it...

 

http://www.carvin.com/cgi-bin/Isearch.exe?CFG=2&P2=HF2&P1=GTR

 

t-noah,

and no, i'm not a carvin salesman. btw, if the image above didn't come out, it is just a pic, and specs of the HF2 Fatboy (carvin).

[patrick_dont_fret]

Originally posted by Space_Ace113:

go on ebay and find yourself a vintage les paul standard or custom, you will thank yourself later, as fars as the new ones after the factory relocated to nashvill tn from kalamazoo MI the quality really went downhill.

There's a Gibson plant here in Memphis now, too. Right on the river. So if it ever overflows, expect a price boost as the try and recover from the losses. You'd think as crazy as Memphis is weather-wise, they would be smarter than to put a plant here, but then again, those places are sealed tighter than a Ziploc bag.

[jetboy]

Originally posted by CowbellAllen:

Errrr...no to several things.

 

The neck and middle pups are always horizontal. On reg Strats the bridge is diagonal. They do this for....reason unknown.

 

Also,about the alder,ash,maple,rosewood type thing.....it's all about your taste. Some favor maple,others ebony, some wenge, it's all diff. Same with body. Alder,mahogany w/ maple top, ash, and koa are all very nice woods. But then,like Mexi Fenders poplar is a good sunding wood for the money.

 

It all depends on taste....time for bed

the reason the bridge pickup is slanted is to get more bass out of the bridge pickup. that close to the bridge the bass strings don't vibrate as much and you get lower output to the pickup, with the pickup slanted you get a touch more output and a bassier sound. at other positions the distance from the bridge is not as critical.

 

all tone woods sound slightly different, even within a specific type the wood is denser or more open structurally. makes for slight variations in tone across lines of guitars and within lines of guitars. clearly not all lp or strats sound alike. same with fret boards and neck woods. solid maple is going to generally sound brighter than mahogany, rosewood over maple is in between, ebony over mahogany is different than rosewood over mahogany.

 

it is the combination of all these things that give a guitar a general tone and specifics within a specific guitar give the individual character.

 

go to the store, play 5 strats of the same type, ie mexi, us etc. they will all be just a little different, one may really sing while another may sound dead. the rest will be fairly close. add different pickup combos, different string gauge and they sound quite different.

 

just find one that speaks to you and that is a good guitar whatever the price. generally the higher the price the better components and workmanship so your chances of getting a loser is slightly less but that doesn't mean that there aren't bad high priced guitars.

 

think about a mint vintage guitar, was it in a closet because it was a player, players generally are beat to shit because someone played it alot...

[Skip_dup1]

roughly speaking, rosewood is more dense than maple, ebony is more dense than rosewood. Mahogany is probably close to the ebony end of things. Alder bodies tend to be more affordable than ash but some people prefer alder.

[DanYmaL X]

If you want a good quality alternative for an expensive guitar, here's an idea:

Raven West Guitars

I know they're not a big name, but I bought a 5 String Bass from them last year and I love it... I've played all of my gigs with it and the quality is equal to a high end Ibanez 5 string for less than half the price...( I think they use the same manufacturer in Korea) I haven't tried any of their guitars out, but if they are as good as my bass, you could do a lot worse. I only had to do a few minor adjustments to the action out of the box, and it palys like a dream.

They have a good selection of guitar styles- check out their reviews on Harmony Central...

Bass

or

Guitars

 

And they sell on eBay too...

 

Danymal_X

[Dave da Dude]

I'll second the Raven idea. I bought a Raven six-string last January, sight unseen (actually I saw the pics on ebay, let's say sound unheard).

 

When I got it, I was VERY pleasantly surprised. Very nice action, good quality AND a good sound, both acoustically (which I think is still important on an electric) and through the amp. It's a H-S-H set up with a tremolo bar and holds tune pretty well. A work acquaintence who has an American Strat tried it out (unplugged) and was pretty impressed.

 

AND, here's the REALLY good part, it cost only $350!

 

If you're hooked on the Gibson and Les Paul name, by all means spend your money. It will help stimulate the economy (and fill Gibson's pockets). BUT, if you want a good VALUE, a good guitar for the money, try the Raven, Carvin or a Samick. The Carvin and Samick are pretty well established as being as good or better than the "Big" names.

 

Just my two cents worth, Dave.

[Fender Bender_dup1]

Gibson smibsons.....

 

A US STD strat has more to offer IMO

 

I have an 88 STD & an 89 Plus

 

Both kick ass..esp the 88

 

Anyone who thinks a strat isnt the ultimate

metal improv guitar should check out Gary Moore's

early work..like Shapes of Things on We Want Moore

 

Why GM never made it in the US still perplexes

me .......

 

Happiest Returns

[DanYmaL X]

Originally posted by Fender Bender:

Gibson smibsons.....

 

A US STD strat has more to offer IMO.....

 

.....Anyone who thinks a strat isnt the ultimate

metal improv guitar should check out Gary Moore's.....

 

 

Happiest Returns

You can name names all you want... look at Jimmy Page... ONE of the most influential guitarist in Rock history... talk about versatility... he could make a LP do things you'd never hear from a srtat... but then there's Jimi, and Stevie Ray, equally great, they made their Strats sing... and Clapton, who has played both ... but what about Frehley, Zakk, Slash, Van Zant... Eddie... Richards... Perry... Young... Yngwie... Santana... Miller... Walsh... May... ETC. ETC. ETC.

All you have to do is look at the signature lines of each brand to see that there are great names associated with both guitars.

Comparing a Strat to a LP is like comparing a G2 racer to a IHRA top fuel dragster... both cost a lot, are awesome machines and go really really fast... but they are designed completely different, run and handle differently, and have a completely different culture associated with them...

It all comes down to the sound and feel you want... not the sound someone else has... or what someone else feels is a better guitar

The strat will never have that sweet tone you get from the neck pickup of a set-neck LP, but on the other hand, the Strat is by far the most widely played and emulated axe accross all genres of music... from country to metal.

Apples and oranges, dude... I like orange juice, but I like apple pie too. Sometimes they even go good together.

I have both a Strat and a LP hanging on my wall. But guess what... I'm a bass player, so I don't play either that much anymore. But when the mood strikes me I play whichever one calls me at the moment. Its all about what's in your soul...

Danymal_X

[Cowbell]

Shapes of Things? The only versions I've heard was Yardbirds and Jeff Beck on the Truth album.

 

Gary more wasn't a heavy metal player really. I place him in my classic rock section. I mean, listen to Cowboy Song and some of Thin Lizzy's other stuff. I don't think it;s metal.

 

Oh, and the arguement about best metal guitar, that's kinda ridiculous I think. I mean, all you need to make metal is a stick and can with 2 strings on it, a toaster oven amp, and a distortion/fuzz pedal.

 

These metal guys today, they don't have to be good. They just crank up the fuzz and let it hide their mistakes.

 

And people in the 60's thought Hendrix was too distorted........Metalheads make Hendrix seem clean.