What? No SGs?Originally Posted by otaypanky
What's wrong with people these days?
I did! "I'm Spartacus!"Originally Posted by otaypanky
Truth be told, I have Guitar Slut Envy. Only a qualified guitar-playing doctor can accurately diagnose the condition. Many people have been mis-diagnosed golf playing doctors.
The two guitars that intrigue me the most in the photo are the double cut semi-hollow Gibson on the far left, and the Bombshell. The LP's on the left are also magnetizing.
Guitar: Gibson SG Standard Natural Burst, Squier CV 50's Tele, Hell Guitars No. 2, Squier CV 50's Strat, Reverend Club King 290, Taylor 522e 12-Fret mahogany,
Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Short Scale
Amp: Fender Super Champ X2 Head, Egnater Tweaker 15, Fender Mustang I, Acoustic B20 1x12 bass amp
Pedal: Budda Budwah wah, Wampler Ego Compressor, Electro-Harmonix Soul Food, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Wampler Velvet Fuzz, Seven Sisters Eve Tremolo, TC Electronics Gravy Tri Chorus & Vibrato, Catalinbread Echorec, TC Electronic Alter Ego 2 Delay, Hardwire Supernatural Ambient Verb, MXR Carbon Copy, Catalinbread RAH, Big Muff Pi with Tone Wicker, BYOC Mouse 2.0 Distortion, BYOC Boost/OD-2
What? No SGs?Originally Posted by otaypanky
What's wrong with people these days?
Electrics: '07 Gibson Les Paul Classic Antique, Oscar Schmidt OE40N Hollowbody aka. "Fat Girl"
Acoustic: Ibanez AEL20E-TRS
Bass: Ibanez GIO GSR200
Amplification: Marshall TSL JCM 2000 head & 1960a cab, Fender Hotrod Deluxe Silverface, Ibanez Soundwave SWX65
Effects: Boss Chorus, Bad Monkey, BSIABII, Rabid Rodent, Crybaby GCB-95, Rocktron Talk Box
Apparently everyone in AC/DC is a gnome too. - Reverend Rawk
DOUBLETAP - 'Northern Maine's Premier Blues Band'.
My first "proper" electric guitar was a sunburst American Series (or was it American Standard? can't remember) Fender Stratocaster. Before that I've been using a beat up Washburn Asian-made electric guitar for years.
I blame SRV and Jimi Hendrix for the purchase (and it was pretty expensive too, at least for my financial resources at the time), but the guy most responsible for my purchase is Mike McCready from Pearl Jam who played one in "Live at the Garden". Well, almost - he had a gazillion dollars one from 1959. But hey - they were both sunburst.
I then proceeded to force myself to love it in spite of the fact that I felt it sounded like 90% of whatever music was playing on the radio at the time, and (more importantly) I felt that it just wasn't the best fit for me tonally. I had no problem with the shape of the guitar, or it's neck or the tone, it just wasn't what I heard in my head - and the fact that everyone and his brother was using one everywhere I turned to look didn't help matters much either, but I concede that's not a proper reason.
I've tried solid-state amps, and tube amps, and tube screamers and delays and all the gadgets I could both think of and afford.
Then I bought a second-hand Fender Telecaster, made my peace with the Stratocaster and sold it to a nice fellow who's been very happy with it to this very day. I still see the guitar every day on TV - he's playing in a band for a live TV show. Can't say I miss it much though.
I don't think the problem is in the instrument itself, surely there are more imaginative uses for a Stratocaster other than trying to be Hendrix or SRV. I really like Ron Wood's work with a Stratocaster. Bob Dylan sounds nice with one too. I'm still wondering if a vintage one or a vintage reissue would have been a better fit, but I doubt it and I can't afford to shell out that kind of coin to find out.
As for going away from Stratocasters to Les Pauls: I don't see how running from the Hendrix crowd into the arms of the Slash/Page crowd makes things any better .
But I do like Gibsons. But the ones that sound closer to Fenders. Like Melody Makers and Les Paul Jrs/Specials with P90s. My best friend now is the Telecaster.
My Strats are just other colors on the pallette - there when I need them. To paraphrase a well known guitar maker, sometimes, only a Strat is good enough.
Guitars: 2008 Gibson SG Classic, 2006 Gibson Les Paul Standard LE, 2002 Gibson SG Supreme, 2001 Gibson Les Paul Studio Plus, 1996 Les Paul Studio Gem, American Deluxe Double Fat Strat, Bluesville "Super" Strat Copy, MIK Fender "Limited Edition" Tele, JD Bluesville "Night Pilot", Yamaha AES 820, Steinberger Spirit GT Pro, Taylor 355CE, Ovation 1897 Adamas, Ovation CC057 Celebrity
Amps: Axe FX centered rack rig, Mesa 4x12 cab. Germino Club 40, Johnson JM150 Millennium, Johnson JM250 Millennium, Gibson Titan Medalist Frankenstein.
Effects: Tonebone Trimode, EH Holy Grail, Boss CH-1, Dunlop Crybaby Classic, Framptone Amp Switcher, THD Hot Plate, Yamaha AG Stomp Acoustic Processor, Boss BCB-60 Pedal Board.
A Strat is a classic that has stood the test of time... I don't think I could ever become bored with a guitar style. The Strat continues to be one of the most versatile guitars ever manufactured. Sure I like humbuckers, but they can't come close to that crystal clear tone of a single coil.
If only we spent more time playing than drooling over what guitar to buy next... just saying.
Gearlist:
Electric: Ibanez 'AS103', Fender Dlx Nash Pwr Tele, Fender Squier '62 JV Strat, Squier '51, Squier 60's Classic Vibe Strat, Epi Elite LP Studio, Hagstrom Swede Acoustic: Larrivee LV-03RE, A&L AMI, Yamaha FG340-T Bass: Yamaha BB 450 Amps: Roland JC-120, JC-50, Peavey Classic 30, Fender Super Champ XD Pedals: Marshall Guv'nor Plus, Danelectro Cool Cat Drive, Transparent Overdrive, Digitech Digiverb, Bad Monkey, Ibanez TS-9, Boss AC-2, CE-5, CS-2, DD-3, DF-2, DS-1, FV-100, GE-7, OC-2, PSM-5, SD-1, TU-2, DVM~BYOC 'Lush Puppy' Chorus
Now this is what every Strat should be.Originally Posted by wingsdad
I wish Fender would make these again.
Guitar: Gibson SG Standard Natural Burst, Squier CV 50's Tele, Hell Guitars No. 2, Squier CV 50's Strat, Reverend Club King 290, Taylor 522e 12-Fret mahogany,
Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Short Scale
Amp: Fender Super Champ X2 Head, Egnater Tweaker 15, Fender Mustang I, Acoustic B20 1x12 bass amp
Pedal: Budda Budwah wah, Wampler Ego Compressor, Electro-Harmonix Soul Food, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Wampler Velvet Fuzz, Seven Sisters Eve Tremolo, TC Electronics Gravy Tri Chorus & Vibrato, Catalinbread Echorec, TC Electronic Alter Ego 2 Delay, Hardwire Supernatural Ambient Verb, MXR Carbon Copy, Catalinbread RAH, Big Muff Pi with Tone Wicker, BYOC Mouse 2.0 Distortion, BYOC Boost/OD-2
That one looks really cool, and is from my high school graduating year. I have always liked seeing pics of that one.Originally Posted by Tig
Steve Thompson
Sun Valley, Idaho
Guitars: Fender 60th Anniversary Std. Strat, Squier CVC Tele Hagstrom Viking Semi-hollow, Joshua beach guitar, Martin SPD-16TR Dreadnought
Amphs: Peavey Classic 30, '61 Fender Concert
Effects and such: Boss: DS-1, CE-5, NS-2 and RC20XL looper, Digitech Bad Monkey, Korg AX1G Multi-effects, Berhinger: TU100 tuner, PB100 Clean Boost, Line 6 Toneport UX2, Electro Harmonix Little Big Muff Pi, DuhVoodooMan's Rabid Rodent Rat Clone, Zonkin Yellow Screamer Mk. II, MXR Carbon Copy Delay
love is the answer, at least for most of the questions in my heart. . .
- j. johnson
The way they're going, they probably will.Originally Posted by Tig
Electric: Fat strat > Korg PB > TS7 > DS1 > DD-20 > Cube 60 (Fender model)
Acoustic: Guitar > microphone > audience
Indeed, I much prefer single coils to humbuckers myself, to the point where the only humbucker-style pickup I have in a guitar now is a Firebird pickup that sounds more like a good Stratocaster neck pickup than a regular humbucker. But I think the comparison here was Stratocasters vs. other guitar styles, not necessarily humbuckers vs. single coils. Fender also makes lots Stratocaster with humbuckers.Originally Posted by Algonquin
And of course you are absolutely right that playing counts for much more than changing gear around, but, (I might be wrong) what most of the nice folks in this thread seem to me to be saying is, to paraphrase Frank Zappa, that when they don't really like the sound that comes out of their amps, they tend not to wiggle their fingers. And that translates into less playing time, so there's somewhat of a vicious circle.
Don't ever quit! Dial in some new tones or add some pedals, but play!
(I like my roadhouse strats. )
Guitars
Wilburn Versatare, '52 FrankenTele(Fender licensed parts), Fender USA Roadhouse Strat, Fender USA Standard B-bender Telecaster, Agile AL 3000 w/ WCR pickups, Ibanez MIJ V300 Acoustic, Squier Precision Bass,
Amps
Ceriatone Overtone Special, Musicman 212 Sixty-Five, Fender Blues Jr., Peavey Classic 30, Fender Super Reverb, Traynor YCV-40 WR Anniversary w/ matching 1x12 ext. cab, Epiphone SoCal 50w head w/ matching 4x12 cab (Lady Luck speakers), Avatar 2x12 semi-open back cab w/ Celestion speakers
Pedals
Digitech Bad Monkey, Digitech Jamman, DVM's ZYS, Goodrich volume pedal
Hmm. That's a really good point.Originally Posted by red
Guitars: Gibson LP Studio, MIA Fender Precision, Carvin C350Originally Posted by Spudman
Amps: Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 + Avatar B212 / Genzler 12-3, Acoustic B20
Pedals: Pod HD500X, Diamond Compressor, Tech 21 VT Bass, Sonic Research Turbo Tuner
Originally Posted by sunvalleylawOriginally Posted by TigIf they ever do, this is what they'd have to recreate:Originally Posted by markb
With stock 250K audio taper vol & tone pots and .05MFD cap on the master tone pot, these are the 4 additional pickup combos the STRAT produces in the alternate mode (the bridge only pup is available in both modes) that made (make) it so incredibly versatile, ones that never existed before in a strat and generally, until they came up with the S1 system, to this day require aftermarket rewiring and modding to get:
- neck and middle pickups in series - humbucking
- middle and bridge pickups in series - humbucking
- neck and bridge pickups in parallel (that 'jangly' sound of a Tele's middle position)
- neck and bridge pickups in parellel, with the middle pickup in series (essentially/effectively acts to combine those first 2 and give you a 2-humbucker guitar)
The STRAT was only made from '80-'83. I bought mine in Sept. of '81. The only 'mod' I ever made to it was immediately installing Schaller Straplocks. (I did get the frets dressed 15 years ago -- not replaced, just leveled & recrowned to get the ruts out.) The oddball mix of the gold-plated bridge/knobs with chrome (Schaller for Fender) tuners, etc. is stock as that's how the earliest STRATS were produced in only 2 color options: Lake Placid Blue, and the Candy Apple Red (over gold) like mine.
These earlybirds like mine are a heavy alder body....mine weighs a hair under 11 lbs... this boat anchor makes an LP a relative lightweight, but definitely a factor in putting some meat on the 'classic' thinnish single coil Strat sound that apparently bores some folks to hating it, while others love it.
Look at mine carefully and you'll notice the middle pup is set lower than the bridge pup; this is a setup trick I learned when I bought it. Fiddling with the height of the middle pup varies the 'degree of quack' of the #2 pup position. Want more quack? Lower it. Too quacky? Raise it. I have the neck pup at about the same height as the middle pup because for me, as my forever-#1 axe, this makes those 1st and last 'humbucking' positions about as 'true' as a real 'bucker.
A bit later they added Arctic White and finally got the gold-plated (but same) tuners, pup selector switch cap, pg screws, string trees and strap buttons. The gold plating and expensive (for that time, labor intensive) custom wiring) made the STRAT a limited production model. They added an all-Walnut model and other custom finish options, so it was a major money-loser (as in not profitable) for Fender and they finally killed it.
And while I hope you're right, mark, in today's Fender guitar-making world of 'artist signature' models, distressed reissues that fake being 50 years old or worn out like it belonged to Andy Summers, EC or SRV, a model for every taste, that's probably why Fender won't make it again...it's too versatile.
I played Strats for three decades before I branched out into bucker guitars -- not because I was bored but because I could finally afford to have more than a couple of guitars.
Loved my pawnshop special 70s LP (got stolen). Still really like my PRS guitars. But when it came time to decide on guitars that would be most practical and versatile for the current band (blues rock, from taj mahal, los lobos, Allmans, EC, Walter Trout, Santana, Fab Tbirds, Colin James, King Biscuit Boy), I turned back to the #1 Strat, bucker in the bridge, S1 switching. I don't find it thin at all, not with a well-set up amp and something like a TS9 for add a little girth where needed. And when you want a lead solo to scream, you can't beat a Strat, in my view.
But I never did think I'd be partial to Teles, too, and yet that's the other guitar I use onstage, very nice for older blues, funk and cleaner stuff.
helliott in Hamilton
Guitars -- 2 PRS CE 24s 85/15 pups, PRS semi-hollow CE 22, Fender Baja Telecaster; Gibson Les Paul Standard; 80s Strat updated with custom 69 pups, Anniversary Strat with Fat 50s, Epiphone Sheraton re-issue; Yamaha 5-string bass; Yamaha TBS 6 and 12 string acoustics,Takamine acoustic, Fender nylon string acoustic
Amps -- Mesa Boogie Lone Star; Boss Katana 100, Peavey Blueamaster 2x10, Line 6 Helix
Pedals etc: Mosfet Full Drive 2; Ibanez Tube Screamer; Fairfield Barbershop OD, Diamond Compressor; Voodo Sparkledrive, Boss Digital Delay DD7; Boss TU2 Chromatic Tuner; Cry Baby wah
A good Strat is like your favorite burger joint, you always go back no matter what else you might try.
Thank you, Eric.Originally Posted by Eric
Scorpions guitarist Matthias Jabsmight want to add it to his candy apple red Strat collection, so keep it hidden!Originally Posted by wingsdad
Guitar: Gibson SG Standard Natural Burst, Squier CV 50's Tele, Hell Guitars No. 2, Squier CV 50's Strat, Reverend Club King 290, Taylor 522e 12-Fret mahogany,
Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Short Scale
Amp: Fender Super Champ X2 Head, Egnater Tweaker 15, Fender Mustang I, Acoustic B20 1x12 bass amp
Pedal: Budda Budwah wah, Wampler Ego Compressor, Electro-Harmonix Soul Food, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Wampler Velvet Fuzz, Seven Sisters Eve Tremolo, TC Electronics Gravy Tri Chorus & Vibrato, Catalinbread Echorec, TC Electronic Alter Ego 2 Delay, Hardwire Supernatural Ambient Verb, MXR Carbon Copy, Catalinbread RAH, Big Muff Pi with Tone Wicker, BYOC Mouse 2.0 Distortion, BYOC Boost/OD-2
Amen to that! Starting at about 4:40:Originally Posted by helliott
Whenever I go to the music store I always flirt with different brands and models. Some may have a little easier action for me to play or have a finish I dig, but no matter what I always find myself going back to Fenders and Strats.
They're just in my blood and they NEVER get old to me.
"It's funny the way most people love the dead. Once you are dead, you are made for life." - Jimi Hendrix
I would not say "bored with strats" but it has taken me several years to bond with one, I presently own a 1987 Strat plus, lace sensor pickups and a wilkerson roller nut, I absolutely dig the guitar. I think the nut adds sustain and of course it did not hurt that mine was mad by John Page right before he wen to the custom shop, 2 piece alder body, plain rock hard maple neck. great guitar.
May all your days be memorable, all your friends stay true and all your riffs be killer....