Here’s a question that’s never been asked before. (:rolleyes: ). As the guitar lessons progress and skills improve, I’m seeing the limitations of my present instruments. They work fine for what I’m doing now, but eventually I’m going to want to upgrade. Right now I have an electric telecaster type that was made by somebody locally, and a Brazilian acoustic 6-string that I mentioned before in this thread, I think.
So I need recommendations for a purchase, preferably under $2K. I’d like it to be electric/acoustic (with a cutaway), I think, just to cut down on money outlay for two guitars. There are so many different makes/models out there that it seems impossible to choose. One thing I don’t want is a wide neck, as arthritic joints make my present acoustic neck problematic. The likelihood of me ever gigging is about as remote as time travel, so this will be strictly for my own entertainment.
There are a number of guitar shops around here (one of which has an entire wall of Taylors and another full of Martins), so I can probably find a shop where I can try out any recommended models. If there is a previous series of posts addressing this question, perhaps somebody can direct me there, as searching through 73 pages just ain’t happening. Thanks for any help.
Just a point for consideration but if you like thicker picks I’d have a look at VPicks. I really like them and they come in a variety of styles. The customer service is top notch, as well, which is something I also value highly.
If you are at the point where your playing is better than your guitar,Chefguy, you probably know that really the only way to figure out what’s next is to spend a few afternoons at your local guitar shop and try a bunch out. The price point you are at gives you a lot of options, none of them will be bad. Make sure that you have a proper case and a means of maintaining temps and humidity for your new prize; higher end guitars tend to be less forgiving of changes in environment. Think of it as trading your Chevy for a Ferrari; the car is far better performing until the snow flies if you see what I mean.
Personally, I like Taylors but only your wallet, ears and wrists will be able to tell you for sure.
I was afraid of that. My teacher has a Taylor, and I really like the sound and feel of it, but I think I checked on that model and it’s well beyond what I want to spend, given my mad skilz. Guess I’ll have to actually get off my butt and go try out a few.
Ahh, poor you having to go and try out guitars. How about you send me the money and I’ll take all that worry off your hands… Don’t forget to give some of the cf guitars a whirl too, they are definitely within your budget. Look for used, as well. A lot of times you can get a really good guitar for not a lot of money.
Nothing to add - enjoy the process Chefguy and pick a guitar that you think you will want to play for the longest! Both Taylor and Martin make wonderful guitars with great build quality, so that is a good place to start. If you can try a Gibson J-35, they are in your price range and every one I have played I have been impressed with. They just started reissuing them about a year ago - the originals were from the early 40’s.
I believe in this thread, I have discussed Super Expensive Douchebag, er, Blue Chip picks. They cost $35 per pick.
Why, yes, I have 2, thankyouverymuch
They are actually excellent. Made of some material used to make circuit boards or something. Great tone, and very grippy, but no clue how the grippiness works.
Are they so much more amazingly amazing vs. the V-Picks? I truly, truly doubt it - but they are really excellent picks. Biggest issue is that they are so hard (they never wear out - seriously I am very hard on picks and have seen no wear) but you have to be careful because if you have moments of sloppy strumming, you can nail your guitar.
There’s a store in Portland that handles Gibson, so I’ll try that also, but it’s not a cutaway style, which kind of makes the higher frets more difficult. Unless it has a longer neck, of course.
To be clear: you should get what you want and enjoy it! I am just curious. Do you spend a lot of time up there?
For me, I do just fine with no cutaway on my acoustics - every now and then I need to break out Ramble On, so need to be able to do an E up at the 12th fret, but a non-cutaway guitar can handle that, as long as it is a modern one that joins the body at the 14th fret, vs. an older style that joins at the 12th fret (currently getting a lot of popularity in some guitar geek circles…)
One piece of advice: depending on the things you want out of your electric guitar, it may well be impossible to get the tones you want out of an acoustic-electric, regardless of price.
Case in point: if I want chunky palm-muted heavy metal sound out of my guitar, of the 1980s variety (Metallica), let alone the 1990s variety (Pantera) or the 2000s variety (Lamb of God?), I need a solid body electric with huge output and a pretty mid-focused EQ signature, to crank through my high gain, fairly mid-scooped amp. There is no hollow-bodied guitar, at any price, that is going to achieve that for me.
If your idea of “crunch” starts and stops at Led Zeppelin, on the other hand, you might be fine with one semi-hollow guitar and a few minor compromises.
Well, not really; it was just more of a convenience thing. Some solos, like Hendrix on “Wind Cries Mary” go to about 13, as do some blues riffs, which isn’t impossible with a regular body. Then again, the intro to something like Hall and Oates’ “Sara Smile” goes to 17, which is a different matter. But you’re right, it’s not often enough to where I should limit myself. I’d rather have beautiful tone at 12 than worry about hitting the stratosphere.
OneCentStamp: I get it. As mentioned, I’m trying to avoid buying two guitars, so I’m looking for something that will give me versatility without sacrificing quality. For one thing, I’ve no idea at this point how far I’ll be going with this, especially since I’m picking it up for the first time in 20 years, and probably only have about that long left on the planet.
So I have a repair / fix / don’tscrewwithit conundrum on a classic guitar. It’s more woodworky than luthiery I think, but am not sure. You see, there’s hammers, there’s nails, and there’s wood underneath–somehow houses, guitars, and sailboats are created from these simple rules. Damned if I know how.
I have a 70’s Fender Tele Thinline that is delaminating on the headstock with the…ummm…lacquer (that’s french for shellacque I think). Some has already flaked off, and there is noticeable separation on many areas and around the tuner peg holes.
I’m worried about it propagating and worsening beyond the top surface of the headstock, where it is limited to at present, to further along or around the head/neck.
Any thoughts? Please shoot holes in my “Dip it in Elmer’s and wipe” carpentry project plan…semi-joking but I really am pretty ignorant about woodworking and finishing.
Guitar lacquers are normally applied using spray guns, and usually in several coats, which makes hand repairs kind of a bitch because you would need to apply (hand rub) 6-12 layers to make it look right. I would take it to a repair place that can not only repair the lacquer, but blend it so you don’t see the cracks.
I feel for you, I struggled for a long time with not being happy with the particular guitars that I have owned. Gone through a Strat, a Les Paul, and a Takamine acoustic. In retrospect, I think I was feeling that I was “supposed” to like the traditional familiar shapes and styles, but deep down I’m a freak and don’t want the same thing as the other kids have.
At some point I stumbled across this page of old weird guitars, something went sproing in my head, and I found my niche. They speak to me, they want me. I also discovered that many of these off-brand weirdos can be had for dirt cheap and can be turned into a dream guitar with only a $100 or so of guitar-tech-setup lovin’.
Chefguy - cutaways: cool; try a bunch with and without. Some guitars will speak to you more than others - it will be interesting to hear about what you find yourself drawn to. And don’t sweat being down - we all feel our mortality at times.
They make replicas of those old funky guitars, often better than the original in terms of quality (in some cases that wouldn’t be hard ;)). They’re made in Asia, so the prices are decent. Often a better bet vs. buying an old somewhat collectible version.
As for the headstock - was that lacquer back then, or had Fender switched to polyurethane by then? I think they had - in which case, I don’t believe woodworking-competent civilians like us can repair them. I am very open to hearing someone prove me wrong, but either way, make sure you know exactly what finish you are dealing with.
A quick Google search makes me think you’re right on 70s Fender finishes. An amateur could repair it, but it’s probably going to look like an amateur repaired it. Poly has its uses, but I don’t think guitar bodies (or at least hollow bodies) are among them.
GargoyleWB, I would recommend you take it to a good guitar shop and let them play with the head stock. It will be a catalysed polyurethane finish if I remember correctly and unless you’re willing to strip the headstock, sand it and refinish the whole thing it will look “repaired”, and not in a good way. A decent shop will make it look like it was never a problem for minimal cash outlay. Chefguy, what Wordman said. You’ll know it when you hear it. Try a bunch and have fun with it. You may even want to try out a few archtops like the Epi 335 or the newly reissued D’Angelicos if you can find a dealer. Don’t be afraid to stretch your expectations a little…
Thanks for the feedback about the lacquering, there are a couple of classic guitar shop folks in the area and I’ll see what they say. It’s one of my keepers that I don’t plan to sell, so I mostly want to protect it from further damage without it looking like a repair job. I prefer age-induced ugly over human-induced ugly
Unfortunately, 70’s Fenders’ finishes are part of the “why 70’s Fenders sucked so bad” legend. The great news is that Tele’s from the 70’s still usually had 4-bolt necks and other features that were changed on 70’s Strats, so you don’t have to deal with those issue, but the finishes were questionable at best. My first electric was a 70’s Fender Lead that was red…to begin with. The finish started turning milky a few years later, and finish separation with those early poly finishes were just another complication.
If you like the guitar, awesome - Keef played the crap out of his 70’s Tele’s and they are starting to command collectors’ premiums. But I wouldn’t expect a lot in terms of preservation.
My teacher has a Taylor, and I really like the sound and feel of it, but I think I checked on that model and it’s well beyond what I want to spend, given my mad skilz. Guess I’ll have to actually get off my butt and go try out a few.
Don’t forget to give some of the cf guitars a whirl too, they are definitely within your budget. Look for used, as well. A lot of times you can get a really good guitar for not a lot of money.
