# The Great Ongoing Guitar Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [January 31, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172 "2010-01-31T23:20:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 50
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/981 "2010-12-01T18:42:56Z")
Eh, I’m in NY, I can bring it down sometime. I got nothing better to do. The custom tone site is down half the time, it looks like. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/982 "2010-12-01T18:56:04Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I gotta check out one of those PODs sometime; when I have in the past, I just focus on how they aren’t as touch-responsive, but there are so many sounds in 'em… Yeah, that is the thing with the modelers – your guitar volume control is fairly useless. Turn it up all the way. However, some of the models are fairly articulate, so picking style/power does make a difference in tone, although not in a way you’d be immediately used to. ---
**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/983 "2010-12-02T06:22:46Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Just bought a Pocket Pod (My Black Friday present to me). My god, it’s gorgeous. The sounds… > [Line 6 | Pocket POD | Portable Guitar Processor](http://line6.com/pocketpod/) > The one with the LCD, but not the X3. Hmmm my Christmas list just got longer. ---
**Author:** ![winterwinter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f475e1/32.png) [@winterwinter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/winterwinter)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/984 "2010-12-02T07:46:31Z")
> [@kevlaw](#): > > Hmmm my Christmas list just got longer. I wanna buy myself a nice guitar for Christmas. What ya think about this Peavey 6 String Acoustic Guitar? Good or not? You know, its my first guitar. I’m confusing what to choose. What do u suggest to go with? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/985 "2010-12-02T13:32:41Z")
> [@winterwinter](#): > > I wanna buy myself a nice guitar for Christmas. What ya think about this Peavey 6 String Acoustic Guitar? Good or not? You know, its my first guitar. I’m confusing what to choose. What do u suggest to go with? I’ve never played one of those specific models, but Peavey have a reputation for decent quality control on high-volume, low-priced music products. If you get one that has a decent set up (get it checked by a guitar tech: 1) neck at good angle?; 2) action (string-to-fretboard distance) correct?; 3) any intonation/tuning stability issues?) then it is likely a solid place to start. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/986 "2010-12-02T14:01:33Z")
> [@winterwinter](#): > > I wanna buy myself a nice guitar for Christmas. What ya think about this Peavey 6 String Acoustic Guitar? Good or not? You know, its my first guitar. I’m confusing what to choose. What do u suggest to go with? Note that it’s an electric/acoustic and includes an amp. The price for that package screams “low quality” to me. I suspect this package is made by someone else who licenses Peavey’s name. Peavey only has a couple of acoustic guitars on its web site and no acoustic/electrics; cheapest is $380. You don’t need an acoustic/electric unless you’re going to be performing. You should look for an acoustic-only at the same price point from a company known for making guitars. [Take a look at this](http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone-PR-150-Acoustic-Guitar-102321213-i1172560.gc), frexample. Also, and it may be my personal bias showing, but I would never consider buying a musical instrument from Best Buy. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/987 "2010-12-02T14:02:43Z")
I can’t argue with anything \*\*Cooking with Gas \*\*says. It is always better to work with a friend/family member who at least knows a little bit about guitars… ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/988 "2010-12-02T14:26:58Z")
[Gleena is over in IMHO](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=587648)with a question about getting her son started on guitar - I suspect it will end up in Cafe Society but can you all help her out too? ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/989 "2010-12-02T15:05:32Z")
> [@winterwinter](#): > > I wanna buy myself a nice guitar for Christmas. What ya think about this Peavey 6 String Acoustic Guitar? Good or not? You know, its my first guitar. I’m confusing what to choose. What do u suggest to go with? I suggest going to Guitar Center and checking out several guitars. A good starter guitar that will serve you well is the Ibanez V70CE ($200) and you can pick up blemished models for $150. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/990 "2010-12-02T15:11:28Z")
Beat me to it, WordMan. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/991 "2010-12-02T22:21:22Z")
The Acoustic Guitar Forum founders have [selected their 2010 Guitar of the Year](http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=201079). (link to thread) Given how reasonably-priced it is - [Amazon Link](http://www.amazon.com/Loar-Acoustic-Guitar-Sunburst-Finish/dp/B001BM6YA6)- and my experiences playing Recording King and Loar guitars (GREAT value for the money, IMHO), I thought I would share. It looks very similar to small-bodied Gibsons from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s - like the kind bluesman [Robert Johnson was pictured with](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fretbase.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/robert_johnson_pic-10-56-37.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.fretbase.com/blog/2008/08/robert-johnsons/&usg=__F9v3oIOHcc579xDPcKHNhv11vEo=&h=624&w=800&sz=226&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=G5KiqQUuRP756M:&tbnh=141&tbnw=207&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drobert%2Bjohnson%2Bguitar%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1T4GGLL_enUS388US389%26biw%3D988%26bih%3D796%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=542&ei=Kxv4TNm9KcX6lweIgoGNAg&oei=Kxv4TNm9KcX6lweIgoGNAg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=103&ty=84). Fwiw, “Recording King” was a make MADE by Gibson but sold at Montgomery Wards back in the day; “Loar” is a reference to Lloyd Loar, the legendary genius who worked at Gibson in the 20’s and was responsible for many of the great guitar, mandolin and other designs that are revered to this day…I don’t believe this current company is affiliated with Gibson at all, but you can tell what vibe they are going for 😉 ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/992 "2010-12-02T23:31:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Given how reasonably-priced it is - [Amazon Link](http://www.amazon.com/Loar-Acoustic-Guitar-Sunburst-Finish/dp/B001BM6YA6)- and my experiences playing Recording King and Loar guitars (GREAT value for the money, IMHO), I thought I would share. Your amazon link shows it not available, and no price. [Here’s an Google Shopping list](http://www.google.com/search?q=Loar+Small+Body+Acoustic+Guitar&hl=en&safe=off&sa=G&prmd=s&source=univ&tbs=shop:1&tbo=u&ei=BSz4TPDiJ4G4sQPsn6CUAQ&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CEgQrQQwAg&biw=1323&bih=908) which shows it clocking in around low $500’s. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/993 "2010-12-03T03:40:35Z")
[Amplifer Buzz](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=571952) revisited. I brought my guitar ([this is basically the culprit](http://www.buytopguitar.com/detail/p_B000OT94UE/Best-deal-First-Act-Delia-CE540-Electric-Guitar---Midnight-Blue-onsale.html)) in for a once over. The top pick up was dead somehow, so I thought that may have had something to do with the buzz. He cleaned things out and checked all the grounding etc. and everything is pretty solid with the guitar. He did get the pick up working again. The next week at band practice – no buzz. It was beautiful. Last week at band practice – buzz like a melon farmer. Although … it seems the jack on the amp might be the issue. The cord doesn’t ‘click’ in. I did get rid of the buzz after unplugging and replugging a number of times. I hope I have it figured out, as the band is playing a charity gig up in the mountains this weekend. There’s a comedian … and then there’s us … for as long as they keep serving drinks. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/994 "2010-12-03T04:46:51Z")
You tried swapping the cord out? It can’t hoit. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/995 "2010-12-03T11:18:17Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Although … it seems the jack on the amp might be the issue. The cord doesn’t ‘click’ in. I did get rid of the buzz after unplugging and replugging a number of times. Poor or dirty contacts in the jack? Pick up a can of contact cleaner (Radio Shack), give it a shot (doesn’t take much), and immediately plug and unplug a few times. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/996 "2010-12-03T14:57:31Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Your amazon link shows it not available, and no price. [Here’s an Google Shopping list](http://www.google.com/search?q=Loar+Small+Body+Acoustic+Guitar&hl=en&safe=off&sa=G&prmd=s&source=univ&tbs=shop:1&tbo=u&ei=BSz4TPDiJ4G4sQPsn6CUAQ&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CEgQrQQwAg&biw=1323&bih=908) which shows it clocking in around low $500’s. Thanks. And **Jack Batty**? All I can add to the already-covered-it posts here is that sometimes a jack male just doesn’t fit right into the female socket - \*that \*cord with \*that \*effect or \*that \*cord with \*that \*amp. No rhyme or reason; some combo of spec variance and age/damage (why do so many of my cords have a slight cock to the jack angle? Oy, pardon the double-entendre, but I guess this is rock and roll…). Anyway, I just get in the habit of avoiding those matches or making VERY sure the jack is fully “in”/latched into place. Also, when I built my Parts-o-Caster Teles, the Electro-Socket jacks were new and took a bit to flex in; they’d kick out the jack if I wasn’t paying attention and getting it fully in. All that leads to static and noise. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/997 "2010-12-03T17:05:16Z")
I actually like a guitar cable I got at Radio Shack. It’s not expensive, but it had a right angle head and curls up nicely. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/998 "2010-12-03T17:56:16Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > I actually like a guitar cable I got at Radio Shack. It’s not expensive, but it had a right angle head and curls up nicely. Don’t get me started on guitar-cord geekery ;). I think I have mentioned in other threads where you see both extremes: guys who spend hundreds of bucks on cords where the jacks are made of gold anodized in the blood of Carpathian virgins :eek: - and on the other hand you hear stories of Stevie Ray Vaughn seeking out your favorite old-school Radio Shack curly cords because Jimi used them AND because they are poorly made and inefficient and cut the treble a bit as a result - so his tone wasn’t as bitey. [Link to thread about Cake’s new single](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=587862). Cake has had a few guitar players, IIRC - I think the band is basically like the Pretenders where it is built around the singer. However, the guitar tones on both songs I link to in that thread - Sick of You and Short Skirt/Long Jacket - just oooze old school tubey-farty coolness. I can’t listen without immediately thinking “ooo - hollowbody guitar (looks like a Guild Starfire; their ES 335/330 equivalent) played through an overdrive Tweed Fender, neck pickup maybe a fuzzbox and the Tone dialed down a bit”…just classic retro goodness… ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/999 "2010-12-03T20:58:43Z")
Sorry for over-posting, but I am in Hurry up and Wait mode at work while we get an important presentation together… Check out [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=587605&page=2)on doo-wop songs; Doper \*\*Johnny Angel \*\*had recommended a song by the Four J’s which I found - see post #62 - really great early-rock lead guitar work in it!! ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/1000 "2010-12-04T05:36:31Z")
New equipment! Well, sorta. I just picked up a deal on POD Farm Platinum. Amazon sells Pod Farm Platinum 1 for $129, and Line 6 will upgrade you from that POD Farm Platinum 2 for free. Compare to buying PFP2 from Line 6’s site at $299. Score! My only complaint is having to buy a $40 dollar dongle (iLok) to activate the thing. But I still saved $170. Anyway, I’ve had it for maybe 3 days, maybe enough time to spend a 3 hours or so with it in the evenings. At first I was disappointed, the settings I tried sounded really harsh and crappy. Then I remembered that that was my first impression of my beloved POD 2.0, and that there were only a few amp models that sounded reasonably good to me, but the ones I liked, I _really_ liked, so I had to dig in and find tones like that in PFP2. So, having dug in more, I 've found some wonderful tones, and appreciate the flexibility of the software. The Blackface model combined with a preamp and a little 'verb has this warm clean tone that’s just wonderful. The Brit 18 with a little fiddling comes much closer to the Beano tone, and I re-amped my almost complete Hideaway set, and it really beat out the Guitar Rig tone I had been using. Anyway, I’m still digging in, finding more tones. There are a lot of amps (78!), some of which sound cool, some sound kinda awful, and a vast middle ground that probably sound okay with some tweaking. The amount of FX that come with are impressive, though obviously some are useful and many are fluff. You can also do dual tones, where you have a whole amp/fx chain and can mix them together. But Guitar Rig also did this, and I never got much out of it. Random Rant: why do all these things have presets with excessive delay and fluff added? PFP2 has quite a bit of this, but on my son’s G-DEC, _every_ preset seems to have Huge Hall reverb or multiple delay delay dealy, so reasonably good tones are converted to total crap! [/rant] Afterword for **WordMan** : no, I haven’t tossed my Blue’s Jr in the crawl space, and turned to the Dark Side; my tube amp is also a beloved friend and hella fun. However, using modeling software lets me indulge myself by recording songs really easily, and also gives me the joys of re-amping my performance later. Very cool stuff. It doesn’t replace the Real Thing, it’s kinda it’s own thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172.md?page=49) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172.md?page=51)