Guitars, Guitars!

My new 4001 cost me £295.00 back in '73 the semi acoustic was about £230.00. My first LP12 from the same year cost £69.00 ( not a typo! ) Those were the days.......

Bob..

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

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calling Mike Hanson

and speaking of fretless, Mike Hanson are you still playing yours?

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Yes, I still plunk away on them, although I'm just a "groover" (i.e. I don't know what I'm doing, but I try to add to the groove of the song without screwing up too much). My best friend is a much better bassist than I am, so I've been letting him do most of the playing for our recording sessions. When we just jam, though, I still enjoy taking my turn (while he flounders on the keys ).

I just happened to check back in with this thread because I was considering getting an electric guitar. I've not managed to retrieve my Hohner Telecaster copy yet, and even if I do I know that it won't be suitable for all of the guitar work that I would like to do.

What's a good, versatile guitar that I can add to my stable, preferably something that can change its sound to match my needs? There are so many guitars out there, that I don't even know where to start.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

[This message was edited by Mike Hanson on TUESDAY 12 February 2002 at 20:53.]

Regards Graham.

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What's a good versatile guitar that I can add to my stable, preferably something that can change its sound to match my needs? There are so many guitars out there, that I don't even know where to start.

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I firmly believe in buying guitars using the right side of the brain not the left, a guitar is something to be loved not analysed. Using a very analytical selection process will almost certainly result in a more than slightly bland ‘jack of all trades’ instrument. Guitars are like vintage synths (another subject close to my heart), the things that make them great are actually the things that are “wrong” with them, the imperfection is the character. Bring on the imperfection.

Assuming your Telecaster copy actually sounds something remotely like a Telecaster then you have something of the Fender single coil sound – bright, thin, pure and jangly. The exact opposite of this is the thick solid warm sound of a humbucking pickup, think Gibson Les Paul or SG. There are many guitars that attempt to combine both sounds on one instrument, but incredibly few that I personally like (Shergold Masquerader!).

I fall very much into the “find a good sound and make it your own” school of guitar shopping – my basses could not be more simple with their single pickups and simple volume and tone controls, they don’t have much tonal variation, but if the sound is right in the first place why worry?

I would advise that once you have tried a few out and discovered a sound, feel, and look that you like that you buy the “real” instrument second hand rather than a cheaper copy. A well chosen guitar will easily keep pace with inflation and is a nice thing to have lying around, so if you fancy a Strat, Les Paul, or Rickenbacker, or whatever, then buy the real thing, not a clone. Ebay looks stunning for people in the US and Canada who want a great guitar.

Go find the right one…

Tony.

Graham.

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Assuming your Telecaster copy actually sounds something remotely like a Telecaster then you have something of the Fender single coil sound – bright, thin, pure and jangly.

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The guitar player in my band of twenty years ago had a "real" Telecaster, and I liked the sound of it. That's why I bought the copy, and it does sound very similar. The next guitar my friend got was a Gibson Les Paul, so that he could do the "rockier" stuff. The two guitars definitely had different personalities!

Lately I've been falling in love with the look and sound of big-bodied, hollow electrics. I'll have to try them out to see what they're like.

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I would advise that once you have tried a few out and discovered a sound, feel, and look that you like that you buy the “real” instrument second hand rather than a cheaper copy. A well chosen guitar will easily keep pace with inflation and is a nice thing to have lying around, so if you fancy a Strat, Les Paul, or Rickenbacker, or whatever, then buy the real thing, not a clone. Ebay looks stunning for people in the US and Canada who want a great guitar.

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That's good advice. I picked up both of my basses on ebay, for pretty reasonable prices (about $150US for the Ibanez, and $200 for the Steinberger). I'm considering a Ricky 4001 right now, and I'll probably sell my Ibanez fretless if I get it (since my Ibanez sounds a lot like a Rickenbacker, just not as good). I've always loved that snappy sound in a bass guitar. If it's a fretless, I prefer a more subdued approach, and my Steinberger does the business in that department.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

Thomas

Graham.

I also scooped a Godin LGX on eBay, which should be arriving on Monday. Here's a picture from the previous owner:

It's a beauty! I love the sound of the LGX: very full and complex, much like a Strat. It's also got that "electric acoustic" feature, which I'll have to play with to see how it sounds.

Now I have to practice my bass and guitar playing more. Speaking of that, I recently got some software called Band In A Box. Astonishingly, it can play music in a "natural", improvised fashion. It's great for boning up on playing with the various styles; you don't have to get your buddies together for a jam session. If you're interested, check out www.bandinabox.com.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

Speaking of desirable guitars, I'm also interested in some kind of hollowbody "jazz" guitar, like a Gibson 335 or maybe a good copy from Silvertone. Again, I'll wait until I can play it better (unless I happen upon a deal, of course ).

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

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Now I'm trying to decide whether to keep my Ibanez fretless. The tone is alright and it's great for slapping, but the intonation is currently atrocious. I don't know whether a setup would help it enough.

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Slapping (on an Ibanez fretless)?!?

If you've changed string gauges since the bass was last properly set up, the bridge will need an adjustment to compensate for changes in diameter (check to make sure that all strings seat properly in the nut, if using a heavier gauge than "stock"); any other problems related to intonation are in your hands (quite literally).

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Slapping (on an Ibanez fretless)?!?

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It's really quite silly. I know twat all about slapping, yet when I pick up this bass it just starts happening. With most basses I have to find a "sweet spot" to do the slapping, but this one allows nifty, percussive effects almost anywhere.

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If you've changed string gauges since the bass was last properly set up, the bridge will need an adjustment to compensate for changes in diameter (check to make sure that all strings seat properly in the nut, if using a heavier gauge than "stock")

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Actually, I've never changed the strings (even though I've owned the bass for over a year). I purchased it around the same time as my Steinberger, and I always liked playing the Steinberger more. Coincidentally, I was just playing the Ibanez, and I noticed that the strings shed myriad bits of black "dust" onto my fingers. So it probably needs a new set of strings badly! However, I don't want to put any money into it if I'm about to sell it. I'll wait to see what the guitar tech says, then make my decision.

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any other problems related to intonation are in your hands (quite literally)

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Although that's theoretically true with a fretless, I'm still at the point where I use the fretlines as a guide. When you check the open string, its octave, then its second octave above that, there's an extreme difference between the middle note and the outer two. (Curiously, the open string and second octave are quite close.)

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

Chances are I will be able to get a new neck (and therefore nut) under warranty. Lucky I now have too many guitars, as this one will be out of action for a while .....

Dozy

dozy

BTW, I broke down and bought a Gibson Epiphone ES-335 Dot on eBay. It plays very well, and it looks lovely too. It's a whole lot cheaper than the 60's vintage Gibson that I had my eye on (although it's not quite in the same league).

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

[This message was edited by Mike Hanson on FRIDAY 12 April 2002 at 08:48.]

You epi dot sounds great. What sort of finish does it have?

dozy

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

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Olympic White is a new Fender colour to the UK. I had to order it in. I was tempted to get a sunburst but they are very common and deservedly so, but, being me as soon as I heard the white was hard to get I knew it was the one for me.

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