Freeper Guitar Thread

1/15/6 | me

[chasio649]

Just would like to start a thread and let Freepers list their guitar related equipment, gear they long for or gear they have recently tried....or just anything guitar related.

[SteveH]

I have heard that the microcube sounds suprisingly BIG? any truth to that?

I did not find that to be the case when I used it-- actually, it sounded somewhat soft to me. However, it should be considered that I have no motivation to push it past 5 or 6 since I'm usually running a bass guitar signal through it, and as far as I can discern, there is no literature which claims it is OK to use with a bass. I did look at the construction before I bought it and it seemed built like a canonical tank. I've had several pairs of Roland computer monitor speakers (including most recently the DM-20 micro monitor), and I've also played around with their keyboards, and I really like Roland gear in general-- it's built tough. So... I thought it was worth taking a chance to see if I could get away with using the microcube with a bass, and apparently I can.

I would judge that it's probably fine for hotel practicing on a 6 string, if you don't mind it not being ear-splitting loud. I don't need loud when I practice. The question you pose makes me think of using it on a streetwalk gig. I did not buy it for that so I did not assess it for that, but I think it's an interesting question. I guess it's main competitor would be a Pignose. A nice thing about the microcube is that it can be battery powered, which I think would be an advantage on the sidewalk.

One would need to try it in a store (guitar center carries it) and crank up the volume to 8 or 9 to see if it functions well in that range and is loud enough for your purposes.

[Old Flat Toad]

Hofner 12 string
Washburn 6/12 doubleneck
Dean Backwoods 6 string banjo
Home made 12 string banjolin

[SteveH]

Do you hear a big difference with the flatwound strings? I once tried them on a guitar, and they really didn't sound any different except during a chord change to a different fret, and then only on a clean setting. But I would think they would have some different properties on a bass.

The reason I'm going with flatwound on my basses are three:

First, they eliminate squeak when I move up and down the fretboard doing slide notes. I guess my fingerprints are really ridgy ;-).

Second, the Thomastic flatwounds last forever, while the regular roundwound bass strings only last a couple of months-- so there is an economic advantage.

Third, there is a bit of nostalgia going on with me. In the old days, so far as I can remember, basses were sold only with flatwounds. (I wonder if my recollections are correct, though-- my memory is going bad lately ;-)

For 6 string electrics and all 6 and 12 string acoustics, I still like roundwounds. I don't know that flatwounds exist for 6 strings, although I have a dim recollection that they just might (maybe especially in European venues?).

[SteveH]

I forgot to list my cabs:

Eden 410 XLT
Eden 210 XLT
Fender BXR 60 [integrated-- workhorse for small gig / practice]
AER Basic Performer [integrated-- for the Martin B1 and erhu]

[ovrtaxt]

Just don't buy something crappy. If they get a bad instrument that they have to fight, they will definitely lose interest.

You can find a decent, no frills starter guitar for $2-300. Invest in playability, not bells and whistles. Shop around at different music stores too.

[Fintan]

---

I seem to recall someone from my youth who used to play one of those fairly well...

---

Communist Goals 1963 Congressional Record

[Mr. Jeeves]

Tubes suck dude! LOL!

Actually, I just got tired of lugging tube amps around - they sound great, but the roughly 3% tone improvement over the vastly improved modeling products available these days wasn't worth hurting my back any more.

Current equipment list:

Effects & Modeling: Line 6 PODxt and PODxt Live, DigiTech GNX4, Boss GT-6 (which I never use), Roland VG-88 and GR-33.

Amps: Roland VGA-7, Cube 30, and two KC-550 keyboard amps so I can run them in stereo.

PA/Amp: Bose PS/1 Personal Amplification System.

Guitars: Paul Reed Smith Modern Eagle (coming next week), Custom 24 IRW, Custom 22 IRW; two Brian Moore C90P.13's; Taylor T5, 612CE, and NS62; Carvin DC400, DC727, CT6M and CC275.

Recording: Yamaha AW16, Lexicon Omega.

Software: Steinberg Cubase, Cakewalk Pro Tracks Plus, Sony ACID Pro 5.0.

Yes, I spend way too much money on music... ;)

[Poser]

I'm trying to figure out who that is. He's too skinny to be Leslie West and too bald and old looking to be Eric Clapton. It sure isn't Alvin Lee, Jeff Beck or Jimmy Page.

I've got a picture of Roy Buchanan playing one but he never looked anything like that. It could be Jeff Baxter, but I'm pretty sure he had more hair than that when he would have worn a shirt like that.

It's not John McGlaughlin. Mark Knopfler never had that much hair. It looks like Levon Helm but he doesn't play a Les Paul.

That's got to be Duane Allman. Could that be Jai Johanny Johanson in the background? Yup. Got it.

Duane's playing the Statesboro Blues. Well OK, I'm not sure about that.

[Cedar]

1969 Gibson 12-string acoustic

6-string Goya acoustic (bought in 1980's)

Just bought a "Memphis" electric guitar last year, has a nice smooth sound.

[kpbruinfan]

I don't have a photo but I've been playing a 4-string Hohner B2A Steinberger knockoff(red)for almost 20 years. The only real difference is it's made out of wood instead of graphite and I couldn't afford the real thing. Geddy Lee was using a Steiney in the middle 80's when I bought mine. Now he's got Fender making a Jazz bass model he endorses. I wish I had $1K to get one. I played one at a store and I love it. I also use a 5-string Washburn in the recording studio. Feel free to check out some of the audio clips from the new CD at

www.edagener.com/kp

[Drew68]

I was watching VH1 last night-

Must've been "VH1 Classics" because the only thing on my VH1 last night was Flavor Flav and some stupid "Celebrity Fit" show. Damn! I need digital cable!

[Drew68]

ping

I'll ping ya' to the thread I posted a few days back:

Appellate Court Awards Victory to Paul Reed Smith Guitars (PRS) Over Gibson.

[Drew68]

list their guitar related equipment, gear they long for or gear they have recently tried

Before I went into the Navy, I left my gear with a buddy in Denver. Now he is loath to return it! Haha! I don't blame him. Nonetheless, I have faith I'll see my babies soon.

Gear in Denver:

• Fender Telecaster (Mexican, white, nice little guitar)
• Fender Stratocaster (Japanese, red, rosewood fretboard)
• Fender "Squire" Stratocaster (this one's from the early 1980s when Fender first made instruments overseas in Japan using the Squire name. These are quite sought after these days as they were excellent instruments unlike today's Indonesian made Squires which are very much starter guitars. Mine isn't worth anything because I routed it for a humbucker, put in a Floyd Rose and scalloped the fretboard. Keep in mind, this was the 80s! Haha!)
• Late 80s-early 90s (red knob) Fender Dual Showman tube head and offset 2 x 12" cabinet. This is my baby. 100 watts of screaming tube power. Loud as a Marshall and great reproduction of EVH's famous "Brown Sound." I love this amp. Fender doesn't make them anymore. I want this one back from my buddy more than anything.

Gear in Florida:

• Samick Artist hollow body (Korean made, double cutaway. Don't laugh. Let me tell you the story behind this guitar. I went to boot camp, A-School and did a 6 month cruise not picking up a guitar the whole time. When I returned home I was jonesing to play a guitar. I didn't have much money to spend because I just bought a car and moved into an apartment. I found this little gem in a music store for $250. It is quite pretty. Mahogany body with a carved top capped with a flame maple veneer. Glued in mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard and trapezoid inlays. Cream binding around the whole instrument. Basically, a double-cutaway "Les Paul" style guitar. The thing played perfectly! The only problem were the pickups which I quickly replaced with DiMarzios. The Koreans are building some excellent instruments these days thanks to computerized routing technology. It makes it fun to buy guitars again because you can go out and spend $500 or less and get a quality instrument. I love this little guitar!)
• Epiphone 335 (Red. Not really pleased with this guitar. The action and frets need to be worked and the pickups are weak but I've always wanted a 335 and I found this one used so I grabbed it. Maybe when I get around to it I'll have a tech work the frets and I'll replace the pickups. It spends a lot of time on the guitar stand. Plus, 335s are just strange to play. Big and off-balanced. I leave it in a DGDGAD tuning for when I feel like belting out some Stones.)
• Marshall CDR practice amp (15 watts of screaming Marshall Solid State power! Haha! Actually, this little amp *does* scream! I bought it when I bought my Samick. What good is an electric guitar without an amp? For $130 this is a great little practice amp. Excellent "Marshall" distortion and reverb as well.)
• Marshall 4 x 12" JCM800 series cabinet (top, slanted 4 English made 65 watt, 15 ohms (yes, you read that right, 15 ohms) speakers. I saw this used for $200 and grabbed it. The tolex and speaker cover are ripped to shreds but the speakers themselves are fine. For a while it served as a stand for my practice amp. One day I was screwing around and decided to jerry-rig a 1/4 outlet from my Marshall CDR and, low and behold, that little 15 watt amp drives this monster cabinet! And loud too! If I turn the volume up to the 9 o'clock position my neighbors will be banging on the walls! All I need for it is a head.)
• Crybaby wah pedal (Gotta have one of these. Everybody needs one)
• Boss DS-1 distortion pedal (Bought it on sale for $30. Toyed with it for a couple of days. I never use it anymore.)

Dream Gear:

• My dream amplifier is a Hiwatt DR-103 100 Watt head with the original Partridge transformers and Mullard tubes coupled with a Hiwatt cabinet loaded with Fane loudspeakers. Just like Townshend and Gilmour used. MilSpec wiring, loud as a jet engine! Hiwatt made these throughout the 1970s and into the early 80s. After founder Dan Reeve's death, the company switched gears and started using inferior parts. Quality suffered as a result and in short time, Hiwatt was sold and these amps disappeared altogether. Until now. Hiwatt is now producing the "Custom 100" which is a replica of their old powerhouse. They've wisely returned to using MilSpec wiring and the old transformers and tubes. Unfortunately, the $2500 price tag attached to their head and the roughly $2000 price tag attached to a single cabinet is a bit prohibitive. What do I need a 100 watt Hiwatt stack for anyways? I live in an apartment! Go here for their lackluster web page.
• Marshall DSL 50 all tube head. 50 Watts, 2 channels. Here Marshall attempts to blend their two most famous amps into one package. Their 1959 model (produced from 1966-69) and their standby JCM-800 (produced during the 1980s). The price isn't bad (anywhere from $1000-$1400) and the reviews on Musician's Friend are pretty good. I'd love a JCM-800 but they are expensive new and buying one used is a crapshoot. There is some junk out there. I'm seriously looking at this amp. They make a 100 watt head as well but I really don't need 100 watts.
• Gibson Les Paul Standard. What more is there to say. Sadly, I would never buy one sight unseen as Gibson has serious quality control problems. Too many lemons leave the factory. I'd play 50 of them until I found the right guitar. They are also wildly overpriced these days. I'd settle for a Les Paul Classic which are a little cheaper.
• Fender 1960s model Stratocaster. I love these guitars because they utilize Fender's single coil routing. More wood = more tone! Most Strats these days are routed for humbuckers under the pickguard. Shortsightedness on Fender's part. The 60s model Strats are also made in Mexico. The way I see it, I can pay $600 for a guitar made by hard working Mexicans in Mexico or I can buy one of their American made guitars for twice that price made by hard working Mexicans in California! I miss my Stratocasters. Everyone should have one.
• PRS SE series "Soapbar" model. Korean made, $450. Played one of these. Plays like a dream. I love the sound of P-90 pickups. High output and very unique. Pair this one with my dream Hiwatt and I could reproduce Townshend's bombastic "Live at Leeds" tone. Ooooh!

That's all for now. I'll add more as I think of stuff to keep this thread bumped.

[ovrtaxt]

It was a digital channel.

They'll probably replay it at some point...

[Drew68]

Samick Artist hollow body

That would be "solid" body. The coffee hasn't kicked in yet!

[Squantos]

Ovation Ultra 6 & 12 strings. 6 string set up same as Adrian Legs w/ banjo tuning pegs etc ...... Kottke, Gilowitz and Legg .

[Uncle Jaque]

Good for you!

Mine's a "Victoria" made in NY, possibly circa 1862 although it's hard to tell for sure as the small "Parlor" style was popular up through the early 1920s.

Mine is gut strung (on the tenors - bass 5&6 were wire wrapped silk) which most guitars were in the 19th Century.

[larryjohnson]

Another correction. Mine is a smaller O-15 from 1955.
I have a Martin book which shows a lot of older models like yours but doesn't mention Victoria. This fall I visited the factory and got some insight to mine. I recomend it. You prob know all that they could tell you.

[chasio649]

I wouldn't go much cheaper than this:

http://www.folkmusician.com/Page_1/Blueridge_BR-40_Acoustic_Dreadnought_Guitar_sku_BR-40.html


Heard good reviews on these.....

[chasio649]

I have been thinking about getting a Carvin guitar...are the necks really as good as i hear? I have never had the chance to play one and i don't live in California to go to the shop and browse.