Your Istruments.........Quality ones or..........????

[timmerman]

My buddies alway dog me for my favorite guitar.......an early 80's Kramer Striker 300 St. In most peoples eyes it a middle of the road guitar, ...........................

Rick

Hello Rick,

The Kramers are American guitars eh, or did Kramer also have a division which made instruments for them in Japan or Korea?

Now Kramers, Jacksons and BC Riches are to me quality guitars, yes they may not be for everyone, and they were very popular during the eighties. I can remember being in guitarshop during the early nineties and only certain shops had the Kramers, BC's and Jacksons. I used to be drawn to those models at that time. One time one shopowner said: "Oh Sir you seem to have an expansive taste............." Well I just thought they looked so much better that what they usually had around during those days.

Eddie

 

[timmerman]

I shop value/quality. That's why for the past 10 years I have played either a Larrivee or Webber acoustic and a Godin LG electric. The Canadians get it.

Hello Tdukex,

When I first learned about Godin I thought the pieco- pickup idea was really cool, so you could mix electric and acoustic tones on a solid-body model. I believe they were one of the first guitars in the 90s which came with that option, later the Parkfly guitar took that idea a little further..............

Eddie

 

[timmerman]

I have to say for me it maybe part looks, but that's not the main part.

1. How I like the sound of the instrument (not what other people rave about).
2. How it feels to me when I'm playing (Comfort).
3. Look of the instrument
4. Cost

I could care less if the instrument is made by Billy Bob or Fender.

Hello Dracon,

Yes it is all about what you think of it yourself eh? So if you dig the sound, feel and look.................just go for it, and the fact that the headstock carries a logo noone has ever heard of may make it even better.

Oh this headstock logo is really something annoying................:

In the 90s when I attended a lot of open jamsessions and workshops and used to get so many comments on my choise of guitar: I had a Custom Les Paul, now to me it is just a guitar, but some folks would say: "Oh ghee, nice guitar you have"..............and I even had those comments from guys with American Stats. To me they are all great, yes different, but all good in their own right.

To get away from this headstock thing I sometimes cover up the headstock with a cloth, just to keep people guessing what it says some of them look like they know what is going on an just smile Heh I really dig that, but yeah, just go to show eh? For some people this status thing is really an issue.

Eddie

 

[timmerman]

I find sometimes there are quality insterments fairly cheap. But most of the time you get what you pay for and if you put 2 guitars side by side 1 cheap and one that is considered top of the line, even though they both play nice the top of the line will give you cleaner suprior tone.

Hi Boomtap,

Yes top of the line instruments will have better pick-ups, better woods and so on.

Eddie

 

[timmerman]

I can proudly say I own a quality guitar with my SG Standard, but at the same time I don't think its a huge step up from my Ibanez.................

Hello Ibanezrocks,

Your Ibanez, is that a Jap or a Korean or ..................and what kind of model?

I have two Ibanez's, one of them I bought new and it is a Joe Satriani model, the other one is a second hand one,it is an Artist one, you know, one of those models with the F-wholes.

Funny story about the Joe Satriani one is: At the time I bought it[ must have been '91] I had a Strat Plus on order, but me living in a small village in the Netherlands, it took the shop more than half a year to get hold of the Fender. So after the 6 months, there was still no Fender, but they did have the Joe model in the shop. I just played it unamplified, and it sounded great, had great ressonance and just felt good. So decided to get that one.

What I do not like about the Satriani model is [ or I should say this is the learning curve.............] the Floyd Rose. They take a long time to set up, and once the guitar is set-up for a certain gauge it is better to stick to this gauge. Nothing wrong with that, but sometimes you do like a change eh? So whenever I change something on the set-up I find myself going back to my guitar tech, to get rid of buzzez and other undefined noises.

Soundwise it is a great guitar, and as mentioned before I also am not too pround to mention to people that Joe plays the same model It is that status thing, oh I like Joe's music, but I did not get it because of him.

The Floyd is good for certain effects, and I am still learing to master it, so I guess I have a life-time of learning and playing here on this planet

Eddie

 

[timmerman]

.................. I have had some great luck recording a cheap Made in Finland Espana. It sounds like an old small body Gibson. I got it for free......

Hi Snipeguy,

A guitar for free, whow great

Eddie

 

[timmerman]

While I appreciate quality, I look at musical gear as tools to generate income. They must pay for themselves within x amount of time...........

So - while I'm willing to pay for quality, I will only pay a working man's wage. I don't need a Farrari if a Chevy can get me the same place with only a slightly less comfortable ride (even if it's a beat up Chevy)!!

Hello Mikeh,

The approach of a prof. eh?

I have a similar attitude, they are your tools and they need to be good but they also need to pay themselves back. I have a story about this one too [heh where is it I have NOT a story about used to go out with a lady and she said: "Eddie has to turn anything into a little story" .........she said this during a time we had some words about something small and irrelevant.................]

One time, while doing a gig at a festival, we were sharing a room with the headlining band [It was Toploader, which had some hits overhere in England a few years ago] anyway, in the room there was our equipment[ some steeldrums, a bass, small drumkit and a small electric piano] next to our humble pile there were the guitars of Toploader: All American Gibsons and Fenders, I looked at each of them and thought to myself:" Ghee these guys have two guitarplayer, but they sure have quite a few guitar to share just among the two of them" Needless to say that it was the recordcompany which owned the instruments eh? You see, if someone is willing to do that for me than I am sure anyone of us will have a large list of " necessary required instruments"

Eddie

 

[timmerman]

has it been that long??...wow

Yes I am affraid it is!

Eddie

 

[timmerman]

Its all down to personal preference and style i suppose! if i try a guitar out and it inspires me to write something then i will probably get it!

Hello kq300325,

Your screenname a serial number or?

Yep it needs to inspire you and anything could do that eh? Same goes for women, some like red ones for others it may be blond, for me it is anything, if she has got what it takes I'll take here if she hasn't I may pass her on to someone else..............

Eddie

 

[timmerman]

I've got me the spendy ones and some of them cheap ones. Hell they all need homes...right? You can't just leave em at the store like that!

Hello Punkin,

Do you give them medical checkups from time to time? and are you making sure they are wrapped up warm during those cold winterdays?

Eddie

 

[timmerman]

Taylor Acoustics..................

Well I guess I'm about the same as everybody else. I love great instruments, and the price is not what makes them great. My 2 best axes are a Taylor 710CE that fairly broke the bank.............

Hello Richard,

Sorry to cut out so much of your reply, most of it relates to what others have said before as well, so .........let us just focus on the Taylors now:

Have you tried their cheaper ones as well? What do you think when you compare their tones to the more prestigious models? [I am thinking of the bigbaby and the models just above and compare them to their more "top of the range" models]

I find Taylors bright, nice though, but yes bright, and it does not matter that much in what price range you are looking. Sure the feel is better on the more expansive models, but the brightness is there to stay. Okay it is one of the trademarks of a Taylor eh?

Eddie

 

[timmerman]

I have guitars that cost me from $35 to $1800, but I don't pick one up because it's either cheap or expensive. The 3 guitars I have the longest relationship with are a Gretsch Country Gent ($425 in '82).................... I'm not a collector, so whatever I have has to get used or it goes.

Hello Mr Lpdeluxe,

Long time no see

Nice to see that you have a Gretsch Country Gent..............it is the Chet Etkins model eh?

So they need to get used otherwise they just collect dust eh? Ah seems that we are all in here for the PLAYING rather than the INVESTMENT or COLLECTING.

Eddie

 

[timmerman]

A quality guitar just feels right when it's in your hands(and ears!)..................................

Yes, I think it's kinda cool that my favorite guitar is an old, beat up Gibson. But if you can find this kind of love with a guitar...any guitar, your time on this planet will definitly be more enjoyable!!!

Hello Goldtopchas,

Another Gibson lover, and one who loves playing from what it seems. I like the idea of having a good guitar and having an enjoyable time on this planet. Do many of us here share that idea? Think we may be in for some serious jamming or songwriting sessions or drinkingsessions or........................no I am not going to mention to you what else I had in mind, it may be better that I keep that as a secret unless you will ask......................

Eddie

 

[jimistone]

I still have the old strat that I bought 29 years ago at age 16 (it was already 10 years old when I bought it). Guitars of varying quality have come and gone through the years. When you have been playing an axe that long, nothing else will stack up. I tried some gibsons (les pauls and SG's)...got rid of them. I tried other strats....got rid of most of them. I still have a mex strat w/texas specials on it, tuned in E for slide.

I think the main thing that new guitars are missing is the feel. I don't care how rounded the neck edges are, from the factory, or how "reliced" a new guitar is....there is just a certain feel and sound to a 40 year old guitar that can't be duplicated thru relicing. Plus, the wood on a guitar that old has done all the warping, twisting, and aging it will do...so, it can handle being left in the trunk of a car in 101 degree weather with 90% humidity (been there done that) or..it can handle being left in the back of a pickup, and covered in ice after an ice storm hits that night (been there done that.....I had to get an ice pick and "chisel" the guitar case out of the truck bed). I rarely tune it...because it never goes out of tune. I can play a gig, (I play hard, with heavy picks), put it back in the case, and 2 weeks later do a gig and the damn thing is still in tune (that never ceases to amaze me).

I almost waited too long on having a refret (I had the frets filed twice after I was told it needed a refret). I was just scared to death that it would play like a "new guitar" after the refret. I took it to a luthier that is known as "the best" in this state (and payed $100 more to have him do it), and it was worth it...class A job.

If you ever find a quality instrument that you like...play it for 20 years and nothing else you put in your hands will stack up and you will be ruined.

 

[timmerman]

heh a reply from jimistone, the legend on this forum..............

Nice man, I like the way you talk about your guitars, and yes I can see a certain attitude there, which can only be acquired by time.

Nice

Eddie

 

[gullfo]

i tend to buy quality because i can't afford to have a cheap instrument that cost me $400 when i could get a solid one for $800 and it will appreciate in value rather than decline in value (as well as play good throughout its life...)

so i tend to buy solid brands: fender, gibson, alverez - my main guitars are 30+ years old... my newer ones: carlos robelli classical is a cheap one but it sounded good and the quality seems good - so i went with it... time will tell... a 2002 fender strat standard - again good brand name, solid reputation and a maple neck - sounds good, plays good, feels solid, i expect good things from this one...

 

[timmerman]

i tend to buy quality because i can't afford to have a cheap instrument that cost me $400 when i could get a solid one for $800 and it will appreciate in value rather than decline in value (as well as play good throughout its life...)

so i tend to buy solid brands: fender, gibson, alverez - my main guitars are 30+ years old... my newer ones: ... a 2002 fender strat standard - again good brand name, solid reputation and a maple neck - sounds good, plays good, feels solid, i expect good things from this one...

Hi Gullfo,

So what do you expect from the Fender Any good offspring which could create some inrows in the music industry or...............

Just joking eh? Okay I know what you mean and..............I agree, no one to disagree with today

Eddie