guitarists

[Gordon Street]

do any forum members play guitar? What do you play? What is your rig? Do you gig?

[YCKonstantine]

I have a Gibson Les Paul Studio that I would play through an Orange CR120 head and 2x12 cab. 

Pedals: Walrus Audio Voyager, Electro-Harmonix Freeze, Electro-Harmonix Cathedral Reverb, Boss TU-2 Tuner, Line 6 Wirelass pack all through a T-Rex Fuel Tank power bank.

Band broke up a few years ago, but played pretty much the length and breadth of England, 4 music videos and just under half a million Spotify plays.

[Farmduck]

I have:

Fender USA Strat

Fender Japan Strat

Fender MIM Strat

Fender Jap Tele

Ashton Hollowbody jazzbox (x2. Don't ask me why but I have 2 of them)

Ashton Strat

Ibanez RX170

Ibanez AG95

Highland Bopcat

Charvel strat-type

Samick JZ2 - fat jazzbox/White Falcon type

Gibson LP Studio

Gibson 335

Artist Cherry 335

Cort Larry Coryell

No-name Jazz

Freedom LP hollow

Epiphone ES 135

Chinese “Fender” that says “Made in Mexico”

Greg Bennett acoustic

Rivolta Mondata

Gretsch White Falcon

 

I have 2 amps:

Farfisa Model 20 - probably early 60s

Laney LX12

 

I don't play anywhere.

 

Here's a video I made back in 2009 for a competition on the old guitar.com site where we had 90 seconds to play something.

 

[Farmduck]

I forgot I also will soon have an Eastwood/Airline copy of a Harmony H59. I've paid for it but I'm still waiting for the next production batch to be sent to Eastwood.

[Mumby Magic]

Phil on here plays a mean bass.

[Gerrumonside ref]

I’ve a copy of a cream Fender Stratocaster.

Its actually not bad, but all I can really do is thrash around with it hopelessly.

My musician mates once used it to play on a big stage at Glastonbury and various other festival gigs.

It’s really more an ornament in the front room than an instrument now.

[DOGFATHER]

1970s Gibson SG

1978 Ibanez Artist Super Edition

But my weapon of choice is a JHS Vintage brand Jackson/Charvel-esque copy, I picked up really cheap on ebay, it plays so well.

Laney GC 120C with a few different Boss pedals (Distortion, Chorus, delay, Phaser, flanger)  but I tend to play through POD farm and Guitar Rig on my laptop since the kids were born, as it is a little easier to keep the noise levels down. 

 

[Wolford6]

I have zero talent in any given field. My son is a brilliant bass guitarist and has packed his band in. He produces solo music using guitars, keyboards and (I think) a drum machine.

NB: I have no idea who the woman is in this video.

 

[graveyard johnny]

I have several air guitars - every time I put one down though I can never find it again!

[Gordon Street]

I play

a made in USA telecaster

a squier telecaster custom

an epiphone blues hawk

an epiphone L100 electro acoustic parlour guitar.

through a fender Princeton 100

I play blues mainly but rock and a lot of Dylan. I play guitar to accompany myself. The squier is easily as good to play as the fender. I don't gig any more but even at my advanced age I wouldn't mind hooking up with somebody to get into it again for fun

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by Gordon Street

[Futtocks]

Many years ago, a TRL member posted details of a guitar he's had custom made, and it was a really nice one too. Can't remember if it's a current member or not, though.

[Wolford6]

6 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

Many years ago, a TRL member posted details of a guitar he's had custom made, and it was a really nice one too. Can't remember if it's a current member or not, though.

Don't fret about it.

[Phil]

Fender Jazz Baas in electric blue

Peavey Fender style active circuit bass in invisible black 

played through a Fender Rumble 100w combo

our band is called Oil City, we play rhythm and blues in the Dr Feelgood style 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2022 by Phil

[Gordon Street]

13 minutes ago, Phil said:

Fender Jazz Baas in electric blue

Peaver Fender style active circuit bass in invisible black 

played through a Fender Rumble 100w combo

our band is called Oil City, we play rhythm and blues in the Dr Feelgood style 

 

 

once tried out for a Doctor Feelgood style band. I was terrible. Tried too hard. 

[Farmduck]

10 hours ago, Gordon Street said:

I play blues mainly but rock and a lot of Dylan. I play guitar to accompany myself. The squier is easily as good to play as the fender. I don't gig any more but event my advanced age I wouldn't mind hooking up with somebody to get into it again for fun

 

This comes up so much on guitar YT. It's almost as prevalent as Fender v Gibson, USA v Asian-made, and "Gibson - not like the old ones." I don't know why. You play whatever you have at the time. If all you can afford is a $50 pawn shop axe then that's your guitar and you play it, whether it's made in USA or Uzbekistan.

My guitars range from $129 to $3700 and were made in USA, Japan, Indonesia, Korea and China and it still comes down to feel and tone. Sometimes you pick up a guitar and it just feels right or just gives you a tone you love. The first time I played a $199 Indonesian Squier Strat I was stunned by how good it was. I wouldn't buy one but that's because I already have 6 Strat-type guitars so that area is covered. (Mind you, those Suhr Strats do sound nice.)

As for old Gibsons, who cares? I can't afford them and I'm mainly a Strat person anyway. I think the history of Gibson should be taught in business schools as a saga of how a market-leading company can be dragged into bankruptcy (twice) by bad management. It's hard to think of a car or appliance business whose best strategy today would be to remake their products from the 1950s and 1960s and yet, that is Gibson's last remaining meal ticket. (Oh, and budget line Epiphones from China but let's not admit that.)

[Gordon Street]

4 hours ago, Farmduck said:

This comes up so much on guitar YT. It's almost as prevalent as Fender v Gibson, USA v Asian-made, and "Gibson - not like the old ones." I don't know why. You play whatever you have at the time. If all you can afford is a $50 pawn shop axe then that's your guitar and you play it, whether it's made in USA or Uzbekistan.

My guitars range from $129 to $3700 and were made in USA, Japan, Indonesia, Korea and China and it still comes down to feel and tone. Sometimes you pick up a guitar and it just feels right or just gives you a tone you love. The first time I played a $199 Indonesian Squier Strat I was stunned by how good it was. I wouldn't buy one but that's because I already have 6 Strat-type guitars so that area is covered. (Mind you, those Suhr Strats do sound nice.)

As for old Gibsons, who cares? I can't afford them and I'm mainly a Strat person anyway. I think the history of Gibson should be taught in business schools as a saga of how a market-leading company can be dragged into bankruptcy (twice) by bad management. It's hard to think of a car or appliance business whose best strategy today would be to remake their products from the 1950s and 1960s and yet, that is Gibson's last remaining meal ticket. (Oh, and budget line Epiphones from China but let's not admit that.)

the fender clearly has better quality components than the squier and it's a beautiful thing that I love owning and playing. But I get as much pleasure from playing the squier.

[Gordon Street]

artificially ageing; 'relicing' guitars goes beyond pathetic. 

Edited September 13, 2022 by Gordon Street

[Wolford6]

My son prefers Fenders to Gibsons because the Gibson neck is wider

[Gordon Street]

15 hours ago, graveyard johnny said:

I have several air guitars - every time I put one down though I can never find it again!

don't worry. You can easily get another one

[Farmduck]

50 minutes ago, Gordon Street said:

the fender clearly has better quality components than the squier and it's a beautiful thing that I love owning and playing. But I get as much pleasure from playing the squier.

Do they really though? (have better components)  I've never owned a Squier but I've owned other cheap Strat copies like Samick and the only problem I had was with the tuners but, by then, it was at least 20 years old.

1 hour ago, Wolford6 said:

My son prefers Fenders to Gibsons because the Gibson neck is wider

This is one of those things some guitarists obsess about. The nut width on a Les Paul is 43.05mm and on Fenders it's 42.8mm. Now when you divide that difference between your 6 strings that's a tiny difference.

Even so, after years of playing Strats and archtops with 25.5" scale length, I noticed the difference immediately when I bought a Gibson with 24.75" scale length - and that's divided between 24 frets. It's not always a whole Gibson thing. My Les Paul feels small to me but my 335 feels just normal.

1 hour ago, Gordon Street said:

artificially ageing; 'relicing' guitars goes beyond pathetic. 

Uggh! My Rivolta had a small ding in it so they knocked $300 off the price. If it had 30 dings in it, they would have upped the price $1000

[Gordon Street]

1 hour ago, Farmduck said:

Do they really though? (have better components)  I've never owned a Squier but I've owned other cheap Strat copies like Samick and the only problem I had was with the tuners but, by then, it was at least 20 years old.

This is one of those things some guitarists obsess about. The nut width on a Les Paul is 43.05mm and on Fenders it's 42.8mm. Now when you divide that difference between your 6 strings that's a tiny difference.

Even so, after years of playing Strats and archtops with 25.5" scale length, I noticed the difference immediately when I bought a Gibson with 24.75" scale length - and that's divided between 24 frets. It's not always a whole Gibson thing. My Les Paul feels small to me but my 335 feels just normal.

Uggh! My Rivolta had a small ding in it so they knocked $300 off the price. If it had 30 dings in it, they would have upped the price $1000

just by physically comparing the two, the components seem better, and the custom is high up the squier range. I adore them both.

[Robin Evans]

I currently have access to a telecaster USA and an epiphone LP.

I play most days and have for 40 years. I'm terrible. Absolutely terrible. I enjoy it.

[Futtocks]

In musical instruments as in many things, the standard of the affordable stuff has skyrocketed over the last 50 years. Better manufacturing technology and quality control puts better instruments in the hands of more budding musicians.

Musical legends of the past often tell stories about learning their craft on instruments that were, even by the standards of the day, trash.

I flirted briefly with guitar a while back before deciding string instruments still weren't my thing. I got a bottom-of-the-range Washburn electric and the neck and general action were pretty damn great for the price, even if I wasn't.

[Gordon Street]

15 hours ago, Futtocks said:

In musical instruments as in many things, the standard of the affordable stuff has skyrocketed over the last 50 years. Better manufacturing technology and quality control puts better instruments in the hands of more budding musicians.

Musical legends of the past often tell stories about learning their craft on instruments that were, even by the standards of the day, trash.

I flirted briefly with guitar a while back before deciding string instruments still weren't my thing. I got a bottom-of-the-range Washburn electric and the neck and general action were pretty damn great for the price, even if I wasn't.

Washburn have a good reputation. 

[Gordon Street]

19 hours ago, Robin Evans said:

I currently have access to a telecaster USA and an epiphone LP.

I play most days and have for 40 years. I'm terrible. Absolutely terrible. I enjoy it.

pretty much the same with me. There seems to be a stage, a crossroads if you like where you subconsciously ask yourself how far do I want to go with this? I suspect I reached that state and settled for what I had. Although yesterday I found a new way of playing 'I'll be your baby tonight' using e shape barre chords, which I really like.