Guitar ?'s

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wish4hemi

wish4hemi

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I am in the market for a new (or slightly used) guitar and have a few questions. Right now I have a well used Strat Squier Affinity.
I play stuff along the lines of ZZ Top, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver, and some country every once and a while.

1. Has anyone installed a Sustainiac or Fernandes Sustainer in something like a Strat? Any preferences comparing Sustainiac/Fernanes Sustainer?

2. Anyone have any experience with Xaviere guitars? http://store.guitarfetish.com/xaviereguitars.html

3. Anyone have any experience with Fernandes guitars? They are slightly out of my price range of $500-700, but I might be able to save up a little more if they are a quality guitar (with Sustainer).

4. What would be a good place to get a new, ready-to-install neck for my Strat?

I'm still trying to decide if I should put $700 in to a new guitar or put money in to my Strat and get some humbucker pickups, a new neck, and maybe a Sustainer. I know the Strat will never be worth much, but I don't plan on selling it.
 
How about hitting craigslist and some other similar sites to find an Amercian Strat?

I wouldnt put a lot into what you already have because it wouldnt be worth the money. It would be more feasible and cost effective to look for another ax to add what you have now.

Unfortunately a lot of people are hurting for money right now and there are good deals out there. Just make sure you check out what you are getting really well. Or have someone wiht more experience check it out for you.

Good luck and let me know what you decide to do.
 
how many frets on that squire...

I would say 1st, get a mexican strat, for the money they are good.

an old or upper end fernando is alright , kinda like dean though dean had some really good stuff.
 
21 frets on the Squier.
What is the difference between the American and Mexican Strats? Right now I'm kind of leaning towards either the Classis Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe (http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/...-Telecaster-Deluxe-Electric-Guitar?sku=511141) or the Deluxe Fat Strat HSS (http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/-Deluxe-Fat-Strat-HSS-Electric-Guitar-Black?sku=510477). I think I would like to have something with a humbucker. Heard that they are good for stuff with distortion? Forgot to mention the guitar goes through a DigiTech RP70 pedal to a Crate amp. Don't know what the Crate amp is, but I originally got it for my keyboard.
 
I got a barley used new strings guitar case and amp with the wires its a fender squierblack and white pm me if ur interested i can send u picks
 
Bump for the Sunday crowd. Thought there were several guitar players around here?
 
guitars are personal preference.

Most rockers around here are using les paul's, paul reed smith, fender strats.

I'm just a drummer who strums once in while to arrange songs & come up with catchy hooks.
 
You could easily hotrod the guitar you have for way less money than a "Brand Name" guitar. I've build a few from parts off of ebay. I would stick with the strat-based guitar because there's about 10x as many parts available for them. (Plus they're really comfortable and versatile.)
First thing, pull the pickguard off, see how the body is routed. Probably the "swiming pool" that will allow any pick up combination. Buy a pre-loaded pickguard from GFS or a MightyMite $50 - $60. Hardest part literally is choosing colour and pickup options. 11 screws, and 3 soldered connections and your on your way. You'll have to drill a few pickguard screw holes, becuase they NEVER line up. Single best upgrade for a cheap guitar.
Next step would be better tuners, 'cause the Squier ones seem pretty feeble. A little bit of searching on ebay and you can find some decent ones for $20 - $30.
You can also get a good neck for around $150. I recently got a MightyMite maple v-profile neck, licensed by Fender, so it has the "correct" headstock shape. Stay away from the $25 chinese ones, I've had a 50% success rate, one good, and one bad.
 
I'm a Telecaster kinda guy myself but as dusterglenn said you can buy many parts including necks off of ebay, some genuine Fender pieces too. There is also Warmoth, WD Music and others that sell necks and loaded pickguards. If you like ebony fret boards and larger frets you could buy a neck from Carvin, it won't have the Fender headstock but they are really nice with graphite nuts too. Carvin also sells pickguards and pickups, their humbuckers are very nice.
 
Here is a pic of my Telecaster I built with a Warmoth body, Lindy Fralin vintage pickups, American Fender pickguard, pots, switch and bridge. The neck is from a Mexican Fender 69 Thinline because I wanted it to be just like my old 69 Telecaster, I got it off of ebay for $100 IIRC.

286150046.jpg
 
I have a few schecters that are pretty nice in the $400 range, I also have a Epiphone Les Paul I paid $300 for used but it has a nice set of pick ups and a few other things done to it, Its Now my main guitar. I also have a Gibson Les Paul Studio which would probably be in the $700 range used.

I would look in to Agiles though. For the money you cant beat them.

http://www.rondomusic.com/
 
Check out Stewart-Macdonald for all your insturment needs. They have a ton of prewired pickguard plates, replacement necks, etc. And their prices are pretty good, all new stuff. Yea, you could do ebay and craigslist too, but with the recent rash of shady deals here and there, I'm a little leary of buying anything site unseen!!! Good luck hotrodding that baby, it'll make a world of difference using quality electronics!!! Geof
 
wish4hemi said:
I am in the market for a new (or slightly used) guitar and have a few questions. Right now I have a well used Strat Squier Affinity.
I play stuff along the lines of ZZ Top, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver, and some country every once and a while.

1. Has anyone installed a Sustainiac or Fernandes Sustainer in something like a Strat? Any preferences comparing Sustainiac/Fernanes Sustainer?

2. Anyone have any experience with Xaviere guitars? http://store.guitarfetish.com/xaviereguitars.html

3. Anyone have any experience with Fernandes guitars? They are slightly out of my price range of $500-700, but I might be able to save up a little more if they are a quality guitar (with Sustainer).

4. What would be a good place to get a new, ready-to-install neck for my Strat?

I'm still trying to decide if I should put $700 in to a new guitar or put money in to my Strat and get some humbucker pickups, a new neck, and maybe a Sustainer. I know the Strat will never be worth much, but I don't plan on selling it.
Click to expand...

Warmoth makes good replacement strat necks. I have one on an old strat.
Was like it was born to be there. I put 2 guitars together with mostly their parts in the early 90s and they were good then. I dont know about now...

As far as those sustainer things...blah!
A good guitar has good sustain by default.
DiMarzio PAFs are my friend.

As far as what brand of guitar having a good rep...hell, I've played guitars that they wanted thousands for that sucked.

I find it hit and miss. I dont look at the brand anymore, sometimes not even the color. I pick it up and play it. I play it for a while...if I like it, I buy it. Brand doesnt matter.

About the only guitars I find where brand is important is avoustic fingerstyle like I play...I had a chance to play a jose ramirez classical at sam ash in NY...they were about to tell me it was time to go...lol. I told them I'd take it. I payed A LOT OF MONEY for it, but it was just one of those things where they are touted as one of the best, and damn are they right.

As far as electrics go, I have found that the best ones for me, are the Ibanez RG series guitars from the mid 80s...I freaking love them. And it's to my detriment too since they all came in vary feminine colors. I have one that is this pink/purple flip flop color with a pink mirror pickguard. But I didnt buy it for the color. I find it to be one of the most awesome strat style guitars ever made. Back then they were made precise and well in Japan, and contrary to popular thought, the japs know their way around a good guitar. I snatch them up if I find them. The pink one I have had since I was a kid. I am 37 now.

OK that's enough, I went off on tangent. It's rare when I get to talk about this stuff with other people...:-D


P.S. when I was a kid, I had a squier bullet....that thing was awesome!
 
Guitar Jones said:
Thanks Adam, now you got me wanting one of those Agile semi hollow bodies. lol
Click to expand...

I have a beautiful gibson ES-335 I play a lot of jazz stuff with.
When I think hollowbody, this guitar is the benchmark all others measure up to in my mind.

This one is a late 60s model I believe. It was my father's.

But gibson still makes really good stuff even today.
 
AdamR said:
I have a few schecters that are pretty nice in the $400 range, I also have a Epiphone Les Paul I paid $300 for used but it has a nice set of pick ups and a few other things done to it, Its Now my main guitar. I also have a Gibson Les Paul Studio which would probably be in the $700 range used.

I would look in to Agiles though. For the money you cant beat them.

http://www.rondomusic.com/
Click to expand...


It's funny, I've gotten out of equipment shopping over the last 10 years and more into playing. I was unaware this brand even existed.

They dont look like bad guitars...maybe someday I'll try one. Where are they made?
 
A lot of great suggestions... I'll tell ya... Fender Vibe series guitars are probably the nicest cheap guitars I've ever played. you can get them for about $275 used on ebay or $350 new at Guitar Center or Sam Ash.

You can get a new neck on ebay for about $100 bucks fender licensed ...

sustainer ...why????
 
POS Dakota said:
It's funny, I've gotten out of equipment shopping over the last 10 years and more into playing. I was unaware this brand even existed.

They dont look like bad guitars...maybe someday I'll try one. Where are they made?
Click to expand...

I haven't bought any guitar equipment in a long time either. In fact I sold off a lot of my stuff (original 71 Tele, tweed Princeton, and about 7 other guitars and 3 amps) to fund some of the Scamp build. I just couldn't part with the Duster.
 
Thanks for all the input. I'll take everything into account while I'm shopping around. Yesterday I went to the local guitar place and tested out a Blackout Telecaster ($600) and a Jackson DK2S Dinky w/ Sustainiac ($875). The Sustainiac was neat, but I don't think it's a must. Couldn't hardly stand the looks of the Jackson anyway. The Telecaster had a really good feel to it though, so something Tele is the direction I'm pointed in for now. Maybe I should buy a Tele body and neck and pick up som GFS Crunchy pickups for it? Not real sure what is involved in the electronics though as far as putting something together. I could probably put together a big block Mopar with my eyes closed, but I don't have much of an idea on electronics.

I would just as soon not buy much used, especially off ebay, because you're never sure what you're really going to get. Thanks again for any input anyone has.
 
This is interesting thread, as I haven't touched a guitar in 20 years. Never heard of a 24 fret, just went and checked. My 73 ash strat is 21 fret.
The Peavy wolfgang is 22 frets.
 
Guitar Jones said:
I haven't bought any guitar equipment in a long time either. In fact I sold off a lot of my stuff (original 71 Tele, tweed Princeton, and about 7 other guitars and 3 amps) to fund some of the Scamp build. I just couldn't part with the Duster.
Click to expand...


I wanted a princeton when I was a kid, but didnt have the money at the time. They are a really versatile amp with a nice tone for sure though.

I do have a few marshalls though. One that is called a 200 watt major. I havent had it up over 2. I don't think that these days many understand just what 200 watts out of an old marshall can be. It can kill and break things in the house.

The newest amp I have is a line6 vetta 2 combo with the floor controller.
I am not normally into crap like that, but it's the best piece of crap I have played with in recent years! Awesome what it can do, and how well it does sound. I'll have to check on the website to see if there is any new software for it. I've had it I think for like 5 years now.

Puts out an awesome array of input signals for direct recording too.
 
AdamR said:
I would look in to Agiles though. For the money you cant beat them.

http://www.rondomusic.com/
Click to expand...

Those are some pretty good looking, affordable guitars. Watched a few reviews on YouTube. A couple guys said they changed out the nut and leveled the frets. Is this really needed, or is it more personal preference? At $400, I would still have a little cash left in the budget for some upgrades as needed. Any other thoughts on Agiles?
 
I would just go to music stores, the real ones small places run by musicians, not the big chain stores, although they have there place, and just play any guitar that looks interesting, when you find the right one you will know it, you will just feel it, all my best guitars just felt right in my hand as soon as I picked it up and started to play, that said the mexican fenders can be nice when you find a good one, and dont be afraid to swap out pickups until you find some that sound good to you, a humbucker in the bridge with 2 single coils is a very versatile combo.
 
I strongly agree with caferacerx. Go to the stores and try out LOTS of different guitars. It's all about what you think it should feel like, play like and sound like. Same thing for an amplifier. Play lots and lots of guitars and amp combinations (hey, it's free to try right?), then make your decision, based upon the funding you have available. I'm a Les Paul player myself, but have owned/played MANY different brand names before selecting LP's. Good luck and let me know what you bought!
 
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