Opinions on Purchases ...PLEASE!!!

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bobandshawn

Senior Member
OK Guys,
Many of you may be pissed that in this economy I have the opportunity to expand my holdings...but try to show some love anyway.

I currently have two guitars. 1) My number one, a 2007 American Custom Strat which I Love, Love, Love...I'm mainly a blues guy. 2) A Sunburst Epiphone Les Paul Ultra that is set up and plays much better than many Gibsons I've played. I'm playing through a Fender FM212R.

The Les Paul wants to go. Should I :

1) Trade it in towards a Fender Blues Deluxe and only have one guitar (will I really notice a difference)?

2) Trade towards an American Telecaster (wanting to install a humbucker in the neck position eventually to try and emulate a little Les Paul Growl), and continue to play both through the FM212.

All opinions are welcome...I'll probably make a decision by the end of this weekend!!!

Thanks in advance,
Bob
 
Hate to say it, and I'm not always a follower of my own advice :rolleyes:, but never, ever, get rid of gear you really like to buy something else. I've regretted it a few times.

Keep looking, save your pennies, buy a Tele and a Blues Deluxe when you can, and play them all.
Trust me, you'll likely be a happier fella. ;)
 
Just to add... if you really don't like your Epi Paul, chuck it. But make sure you like the replacement better.
 
I'd definitely go for selling the guitar and getting the Amp. Even though I'm a firm believer of never getting rid of a guitar. But tube power is amazing. Especially if you're a blues guy.


I know you're not looking for this..
But if you want to keep the guitar and get a cheaper amp. I would STRONGLY recommend the Fender Super Champ XD. It is a blues amp. Period. It's amazing. It gets damn loud as well.


There are my thoughts.

Go with the new amp.


Elliot
 
It really all depends on what you are trying to achieve.

If you want a humbucker/solidbody sound, then keep the Epi. Unless, of course, you want a tele sound.

I think a nice little tube amp is great if that's the sound you want. You might consider something a little more flexible, like a small Traynor or something. I played a bunch of those Blues Jr's and the seemed like one trick pony to me... but that's just me.

If it's the sound you're looking for, then it's perfect!

If money's the issue, then you probably would be better off looking at cheaper guitars with multitudes of pickups/body types. So instead of one $800 American Tele with hummers, try a $300 Hamer solid body/hummers, $300 MIM or Affinity Tele with regular single pups, etc.

The main thing is to do a reality check and play the set ups you're thinking about.
 
I would definitely not trade for the Telecaster.You already have a Strat which is very closer to a Tele.I have both and appreciate their differences,but for sake of variety it would be much better to have a Strat and a LP than a Strat and a Tele.
Save some money and trade in you amp,keep the guitars.Gear is like chicks,you always want the stuff you don't have.
 
I used to play on a Fender FM212... but I sold it and replaced it with a Fender Hot Rod Deville...

The resulting difference in tone was unbelievable. The FM sounds good if you're SS and not used to tube tone... but as soon as you get rid of it you'll never go back.
 
teknomike said:
Just to add... if you really don't like your Epi Paul, chuck it. But make sure you like the replacement better.
Click to expand...

A big +1
don't make the mistake of trading for something that you don't like more than what you already own for sure, otherwise you will regret making the trade after about a weeks time.

Been there, Done that and have the T shirt to prove it.
 
bobandshawn said:
I currently have two guitars. 1) My number one, a 2007 American Custom Strat which I Love, Love, Love...I'm mainly a blues guy. 2) A Sunburst Epiphone Les Paul Ultra that is set up and plays much better than many Gibsons I've played. I'm playing through a Fender FM212R.

The Les Paul wants to go. Should I :

1) Trade it in towards a Fender Blues Deluxe and only have one guitar (will I really notice a difference)?

2) Trade towards an American Telecaster (wanting to install a humbucker in the neck position eventually to try and emulate a little Les Paul Growl), and continue to play both through the FM212.

All opinions are welcome...I'll probably make a decision by the end of this weekend!!!

Thanks in advance,
Bob
Click to expand...

There's not enough information here to work with.

Are you gigging, recording, or just getting together and playing music. This speaks to how important a backup instrument is.

What about the Epi isn't working for you?

I'm with Elinore about tube amps, especially for blues. But tone is subjective, and tube amps are not any more generic than guitars. YMMV.

I guess my 2 cents worth is to fine an amp that makes your Strat sound wonderful and then start looking for an axe #2 that compliments your primary rig.

Good Luck

You may want to look at the G&L ASAT bluesboy before you buy a Tele.

What are you looking for in your tone that you're not getting? What about your Epi is falling short?
 
bobandshawn said:
I currently have two guitars. 1) My number one, a 2007 American Custom Strat which I Love, Love, Love...I'm mainly a blues guy. 2) A Sunburst Epiphone Les Paul Ultra that is set up and plays much better than many Gibsons I've played. I'm playing through a Fender FM212R.

The Les Paul wants to go. Should I :

1) Trade it in towards a Fender Blues Deluxe and only have one guitar (will I really notice a difference)?

2) Trade towards an American Telecaster (wanting to install a humbucker in the neck position eventually to try and emulate a little Les Paul Growl), and continue to play both through the FM212.

All opinions are welcome...I'll probably make a decision by the end of this weekend!!!

Thanks in advance,
Bob
Click to expand...

There's not enough information here to work with.

Are you gigging, recording, or just getting together and playing music. This speaks to how important a backup instrument is.

What about the Epi isn't working for you?

I'm with Elinore about tube amps, especially for blues. But tone is subjective, and tube amps are not any more generic than guitars. YMMV.

I guess my 2 cents worth is to fine an amp that makes your Strat sound wonderful and then start looking for an axe #2 that compliments your primary rig.

You may want to look at the G&L ASAT bluesboy before you buy a Tele.

Good Luck
 
1. split-coil the humbuckers on the Epi to get single-coil twang. If you can't split stock pickups (for lack of wires) get better ones (I have GFS Dream 180, they're clear and chimey in dual mode, but coil-split they're crystal clear!). My guitar is akin to the Epi, but not chambered. I can't imagine wanting a Tele with the tones I currently get.

2. Trade in your AMP (not literally "trade in", but "sell in order to buy") for a tube amp - Fender Super Champ XD is a great advice (to stay within the budget) but almost any tube amp will be an improvement. It's probably more about features and $ you can spend.

your "tone quest" will never end lest you get a nice satisfying tube amp.

After about 10 years of constantly changing guitars, pedals, I got me the SCXD (replaced stock speaker with Jensen p10r alnico) and my "tone GAS" is pretty much cured. I can get everything I want from my 1 (and only) guitar (which was a cheap LP-type, set neck, upgraded pickups, Bigsby) and my 1 amp. No pedals. Love it.
 
Roguetitan said:
Why respond to a question with a smart ass remark that has no substance in helping to resolve the OP's dilema?:confused:
Click to expand...

It WAS kind of an arrogant way to start a question, in the dude's defense. I thought it was a little tasteless, too.

I'm not that familiar with the FM212 - is this the amp you're talking about, minus the DSP?

http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=2316600000

If that's the case, and you're a blues guy, then this is probably the weak link in your setup, and something low wattage and tube-y is definitely the way to go. Could you swing the difference if you traded this in for a different amp?

Unless you're simply not playing the Epi, you may want to hold onto it.

Also, the Blues Deluxe is supposed to be a great amp... but 40 tube watts is a LOT of power. Have you given the Blues Jr. a run? It's actually one of my favorite Fenders I've played - at 15 watts, you can get a little bit of bluesy breakup going at sane gigging volumes, yet it's still got enough kick to stay at least semi-clean at drummer volume if you just back off your volume a hair and hit the strings a little softer. Certainly worth a look, and you could probably cover about half the price with your FM on trade, if it's cosmetically clean...
 
All,
You know, I was really just trying to be respectful [humble] about having such a decision to make (oh big winer - I wish I had his problems). Anyway, you can't get away from assholes on message boards no matter how hard you try [right t-dude?].

Moving on, thanks to everyone for your opinions...they really helped. Overwhelmingly I was guided to a tube amp and really fell in love with a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Traded the Epi and my FM212 at Guitar Center. Now I'm down to the Strat (what a sound through the Deluxe) and one acoustic. This gives me a great chance to develop my own sound concentrating on the very specific tools I now have! Eventually I'll realize what I'm missing out on and buy a backup guitar to expand with.

Thanks again...:cool:
 
Oh, a Hot Rod Deluxe? A cool amp too, though very different. I owned one for about a week before I decided I needed something with a little more aggression, but it WAS a nice rig, especially wide open. :D:D
 
bobandshawn said:
All,
You know, I was really just trying to be respectful [humble] about having such a decision to make (oh big winer - I wish I had his problems). Anyway, you can't get away from assholes on message boards no matter how hard you try [right t-dude?].

Moving on, thanks to everyone for your opinions...they really helped. Overwhelmingly I was guided to a tube amp and really fell in love with a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Traded the Epi and my FM212 at Guitar Center. Now I'm down to the Strat (what a sound through the Deluxe) and one acoustic. This gives me a great chance to develop my own sound concentrating on the very specific tools I now have! Eventually I'll realize what I'm missing out on and buy a backup guitar to expand with.

Thanks again...:cool:
Click to expand...

bobandshawn said:
OK Guys,
Many of you may be pissed that in this economy I have the opportunity to expand my holdings...but try to show some love anyway.
Click to expand...

So, you come aboard and imply that many of us can't afford a new guit but since you can we should give you some love anyway. That kind of arrogance makes you the asshole in my book, thus my original post.

Now you comeback trying to cover your ass by saying you were just trying to be humble and respectful. That makes you a liar as well. Right Bobby?
 
I'm still struggling with how owning a Strat and and Epi LP and talking about trading one of them qualifies as "expanding your holdings"... and if you're having to trade something to get something else, then I don't think anyone here has been struck dumb in awe at your powerful financial position....

The pissing match aside, never sell a guitar you like playing el Bobbo. Keep saving... or perhaps as a shortcut launch legal action against tdukex or me for being snarly with you and buy your Fender Blues Deluxe with your winnings...

How much does a FBD cost over there anyway, out of curiosity? What's the shortfall you're facing? Couldn't you sell a kidney or something? You really only need one...
 
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