Is it just me, or does the neck/body attachment look a little odd on that guitar? I’m looking in that Costco picture at the heel of the neck, which has a fairly big angled block where it meets the body. I know some guitars are made with a pretty big attachment piece at the neck heel, but this one looks a little more blocky than I’ve been used to.
Sam: take a good look at access to the higher pitched frets on that guitar when you pick it up next. It looks to my eye like that may be a little problematic. This may or may not be a big deal for you, and its probably a great guitar, but its worth a second look in that area.
Adding: I’m looking at the Lola on the FA web site, and that neck attachment looks a lot less objectionable, so maybe the Costco picture isn’t quite right. But its worth a careful look in any case.
A buddy of mine is circling a Gretsch right now - the Setzer-like design but for $800 US, I think vs. over $2000 US for a Setzer model. He thinks it is a great value - of course is looking into a pickup swap…
I used to have a 1955 Gretsch Country Club (model 6196 in Cadillac Green - it was too mint to play and I need some new gear, so I traded it for a great deal…but I do think about it from time to time…)
I’ve been skimming these threads for fun. I have no real need for any of the information imparted, but it’s still interesting. (I’m just a drummer with an Epiphone SG I bought used for $200. More than I’ll ever need, really.)
Í have been wondering why no mention of Paul Reed Smith guitars? I know they can be pricy, but I’ve always thought of them being to guitars what DW are to drums. (In *way * too simple terms; over-priced, but state-of-the-art.)
I’ve been around enough guitarists to know how subjective an axe can be, but it seems strange to me that the brand has never been mentioned. Am I missing something?
For me, it’s simple. I’ve never really spen t a whole lot of time around PRS’s. I’ve played them here and there. They’re awfully nice, from my limited experience. Didn’t mean to leave 'em out.
Hey Sir - glad you joined us on our group geek out.
I don’t mention PRS because I have limited experience with them - never owned one. I find them to be very, very well constructed guitars - as a rule the fit and finish is second to known.
I know a lot of folks whom I respect who love them - in my experience, however, I have never bonded with one I have played. I am sure there are plenty of reasons, but ultimately (again, this is just me talking) I find them of consistently high quality but not a lot of…something. They just don’t inspire me - in some cases it may be because they are a different design - they have a 25" scale so aren’t Gibson or Fender, and they have different thickness in body type. For me, if I want a hard rock machine, it has to have low-end punch and a Les Paul gives me more vs. PRS. If I want a versatile guitar, I find a Tele does more for me. So they are, for me, a bit of neither/nor…add to that the fact that they are consistent but not inspiring to me and I haven’t found myself seeking them out…it’s weird: Gibsons have the reputation of having wildly inconsistent quality - finish problems, weird set up issues, etc. But when you find a magic one - bam. So for me, I guess I would rather go through a ton of guitars that are 5’s or 6’s to find one that is a 10 vs. try a bunch and all of them are 8’s or even 9’s…not sure if that makes sense but there you go.
Again, this is all just IMHO - I have a lot of respect for the build quality of the PRS’s I have tried…
Apropos almost nothing - my 16 yr old son used his savings to buy a Patrick Eggle ‘Berlin’. Handmade british guitar that is very nice indeed.
Wish I could link…
MiM
The guitar you were looking at on the web site is the cheaper model. This is the one Costco is selling: Lola CE140013. The one you linked to has a ‘basswood’ body and a single pickup - the better one has a mahogany body, American maple neck, a rosewood fingerboard, and two humbuckers. I see what you mean about the large attachment piece at the back of the neck.
Costco also has the Delia SFA for $199 CDN (retail $499 US). It’s a hollow-body electric. I’m kind of torn between that one and the Lola. Any advice on that guitar, or on hollow bodies in general?
I do get what you’re sayin’. The guitarist I play with most says basically the same thing. He’s been working in a guitar store for the last year or so, so has had lots of opportunity to try different guitars. (And you think YOU geek out…I’ve bounced a lot of the things I read here off him. Thanks to you guys he thinks I’m a lot smarter than I really am.)
He has always been a “Strat guy” with occasional forays into Tele country. A few years ago, we saw Santana and I told him “That’s what you need.” I was just kidding, but a couple weeks later he shows up with a new PRS. He still brings it over all the time, but always with two or three other guitars. He says he loves it for certain sounds, but it just isn’t right for others. Guitarists… at least they’re not as bad as singers!
BTW I’ve tried to get him to join us here. He’s an interesting guy and could contribute a lot to threads like these. Lately he’s been building tube amps and speaker cabinets. For Fun!!!
And oh yeah, Zsofia. I think your “power tool philosophy” is very sound policy. I’ve never heard anyone say “I wish I hadn’t bought such a good instument.” I’ve heard a LOT of people complain about wasting money on a lesser instrument. Not that the most expensive is always the best. Not at all. But you do have to spend enough so the guitar will stay in tune and is a minimal cause of any frustration. (There’s enough frustration in just learning to play better without getting annoyed at the switch crackling again or the cord falling out every time you turn to the left or the knob coming off or…)
OK, that makes more sense of why the two pictures had such a different back of the neck profile.
Do look at the higher fret access, Sam. And just for fun, tune the guitar up, then give it a firm but not abusive whack on the back of the headstock and see if the tuning shifts at all – less well-built guitars with iffy neck attachment will go out of tune at the slightest provacation. I’m sure its fine, but caveat emptor and all that. Good luck!
Happy to help you hold your own ground in guitar geekery! Our work here is done!
Oh yeah, get him on here! Send him a thread or two like this - maybe this thread and that Who vs. Zep thread or something…that ought to show him that we fly our geek flag high here on the Dope!
Unfortunately, Costco doesn’t stock these guitars locally - they’re web purchase only. on the good side, Costco has an unbelievable return policy (basically, if you don’t like it, or it breaks, or for whatever reason you can imagine, return it any time).
So I guess I’ll just order one and try it. If it sucks, I’ll return it. I’ll let you know the results.
I just heard some Allan Holdsworth and it got me thinking - I’ve never had a Carvin guitar in my hands, but he seems to do all right with one. Any one out there ever tried a Carvin - factory built or homemade? Any opinions?
I’ve known about them for decades but never had the opportunity to play one. They typically get high marks for fit and finish, but between only being available via buying directly from Carvin and the fact that some of their designs are proprietary - i.e., you can’t easily swap pickups with standard Fender/Gibson replacements - they remain a niche brand with some devoted adherents.
There are so many guitar types I would love to live with for a number of months to really experience - Gretsch, Rickenbacker, Reverend, a number of boutique brands, those quirky Eastwood re-makes. This is why GAS is so pervasive - there really is no such thing as too many guitars.
I went through about a 5-year period where I was actively seeking out “my guitar” - I would identify a trait or two I wanted to try out, such as a semi-hollow body or a superfast, slim neck vs. a chunky neck, etc. - and then research what were good examples. I would try a bunch of models in stores and also buy off eBay. I would live with a guitar until I felt I learned what I needed to from it and was ready to try a different design or feature. I’d then sell the guitar on eBay - always for a profit - and go after the next one. It was a great way to learn about my design preferences. But even with all that effort, I didn’t get to sample many different variations I would like to try out…who knows, maybe I will start with another guitar quest again - it took effort, but it was really fun and educational.
Happy to help you hold your own ground in guitar geekery! Our work here is done!