All Things Guitar

[Wes Mantooth]

I've done something like this before on the old boards but I thought I'd fire up a new one over here.

Any new gear for anyone, any Christmas presents? What are you rocking with?

[Wes Mantooth]

I used to have an absolute shit ton of gear. And as I got older (and more adult bills came and went) I parted ways with most of it. Up until recently I only had a Frankenstrat I pieced together and a MIJ Aria Les Paul type, that I played though a POD or a little Kustom Hybrid.

Fast forward to this year... The old bug bit me again, and I started piecing together more gear these last few months. Here's what I've added:

-Fender Tele (American Special in Vintage Blonde). Man, did I miss having a maple fingerboard and a good old USofA Fender.
-Fender Blues Junior (Tweed NOS). Mmmm...Fender guitars sound great though Fender Amps.
-Epiphone Les Paul Standard. You know, I always had Les Pauls and I missed my old ones. So I went the cheaper route. This thing plays ***** great. I can't say enough about how impressed I am with a 500 dollar guitar.
-I added a Fulltone OCD and a Carbon Copy because I didn't have many pedals left (All I still had was a Crybaby and a Phase 90) and I wasn't going to run a POD in front of my new tube amp.

Digging my set-up right now. It really simple and sounds killer. Perfect for me just jamming at the house. Eventually I'll probably snag an old US Peavey Wolfgang Special. Love the necks on those and would like one guitar aith a Floyd.

[Storer50]

Just got a minifooger chorus. Anyone going to the Columbus guitar show Sunday?

[Wes Mantooth]

(01-08-2016, 12:11 AM)Storer50 Wrote: Just got a minifooger chorus. Anyone going to the Columbus guitar show Sunday?

You like it?  What else you working with?

You know, I haven't been to a guitar show in a long, long time.  I went to a C-bus show way back in the day.  Are the prices at those pretty good?  

[Bengalfan69]

My main gear is Line 6 head(bogner) tube with two different cabs deending what I need. A 2x12 Crate and a 4x12 Crate.
A line 6 spider 120w combo amp.
4 Ibanez electrics.
1975 Alvarez 6 string acoustic.
Dean 6 string acoustic with plug in.
Fender 12 string with plug in.
Fender copy bass and amp.
10 channel PA with speakers.

I just picked up two guitars from my fathers house last week. He passed away one year ago on Jan 2 2015. I was just able to go get some stuff.
One is a Jay Turser that looks like a Fender Squier. Its cheap.
The other is a real nice Jay Turser Hollow body that is pretty sweet guitar. Played it a few time. Nice Blues/Jazz sound to it.

[Wes Mantooth]

(01-08-2016, 11:11 AM)Bengalfan69 Wrote: 4 Ibanez electrics.

Nice.  I've owed a few throughout the years.  My two favs were one of the original Ibanez Les Paul's from the 70's (one of the lawsuit one's with the Gibson logo) and one of these bad boys, which I still miss to this day.  Played really fast:

[Wes Mantooth]

(01-08-2016, 11:11 AM)Bengalfan69 Wrote: I just picked up two guitars from my fathers house last week. He passed away one year ago on Jan 2 2015. I was just able to go get some stuff.
One is a Jay Turser that looks like a Fender Squier. Its cheap.
The other is a real nice Jay Turser Hollow body that is pretty sweet guitar. Played it a few time. Nice Blues/Jazz sound to it.

For whatever it's worth, sorry to hear that.  I don't know why but I always think it's cool when a guy inherits his old man's gear.  Just seems like something more personal and sentimental about an instrument than most other things.  

You know, years ago when I was still at my old job (I was a sales rep for a few guitar and amp companies) a ton of my accounts were carrying Jay Turser stuff.  I know a lot of the independent stores we're looking for lines that weren't in the box stores and online and they all had really good things about the Turser stuff.  That and the Greg Bennett Samicks, Blueridge acoustics, Reverend for something a little different.  And I can distinctly remember one guy always raving about this semi-hollow body Turser he brought in for himself.   Sounds like a cool piece.

[BengalsRocker]

I've got too damn many guitars.  Not the worst problem to have right?

1) 2015 Fender American Deluxe HSS Strat w/s1 switching & fast lane.  



2) 1998 Fender MIM HSS Strat w/floyd rose



3) Line 6 JTV



4) Ibanez RBM Voyager



5) Epiphone LP Prophecy



6) Epiphone 60s Tribute w/american pickups



7) PRS Tremonti SE with american pickups



8) PRS ZM



9) LTD EC 1000 w/evertune bridge and Duncans




10) LTD EC 1000 w/Floyd and EMGs

[Shake n Blake]

I can't really afford anything super nice (and with my kids, it'd probably get damaged anyway), but I'm happy with the cheap little setup I have:

Epiphone LP special II (translucent blue)



Roland Cube 30 (just big enough to jam with a drummer if I ever get back into it)



I'm planning out swapping out the pickups at some point this year. Also, I can't possibly understate how excited I'll be when I get this piece of gear at tax time:



If you're not familiar with this pedal (the Digitech Trio), it's basically a backing band in a pedal. You plug your guitar in, play some chords and the pedal will come up with a bass line and drums that match the chord progression. Such a neat tool for songwriting, making demos or practicing lead. Here's a demonstration of the pedal:

[Wes Mantooth]

(01-09-2016, 05:27 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I can't really afford anything super nice (and with my kids, it'd probably get damaged anyway), but I'm happy with the cheap little setup I have:

Epiphone LP special II (translucent blue)



Roland Cube 30 (just big enough to jam with a drummer if I ever get back into it)



I'm planning out swapping out the pickups at some point this year. Also, I can't possibly understate how excited I'll be when I get this piece of gear at tax time:



If you're not familiar with this pedal (the Digitech Trio), it's basically a backing band in a pedal. You plug your guitar in, play some chords and the pedal will come up with a bass line and drums that match the chord progression. Such a neat tool for songwriting, making demos or practicing lead. Here's a demonstration of the pedal:

Shake, I was just reading about those Trio's a few weeks ago.  Pretty cool.  Amazing what they can do nowadays.

[BengalsRocker]

Pretty cool on the Trio. I really like that it's on the fly too.

I just got a Boss DR 880 drum machine which is pretty awesome.

It has built in bass that you can change in progressions. You have to program it though.

I'll definitely check this Trio out. I love writing at the spur of the moment, so it would be great to have.

The past few months I decided to go old school with drum machines and stand alone multi-tracking.

Not to say I won't use a DAW again but I just like the manual feel of stuff instead of being glued to a computer.

Probably the biggest advantage for DAW recording is easy editing and fades.

[BengalsRocker]

Nothing wrong with the gear ya got Shake.

I've always been someone who is anti-gear snob.

I've made some really great things and performed in the past with cheaper gear and am proud of it.

I've also known some people who have really expensive gear who couldn't play a lick or knew how to use it.

Just throwing this out there to anyone who might be reading... anyone believe in "bone tone"? (Yes I know LOL)

I do. I think someone who plays a certain way can get sounds out of even the cheapest gear.

That is why when some might play your guitar or you play theirs sometimes it sounds much different.

Not just talking style or talent either.

[Shake n Blake]

(01-09-2016, 05:34 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Shake, I was just reading about those Trio's a few weeks ago.  Pretty cool.  Amazing what they can do nowadays.

Ikr? In the late 90's I thought it was cool just to have your own 4 track to record with. The advancements over the last 10+ years have been pretty amazing.

(01-09-2016, 06:11 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: The past few months I decided to go old school with drum machines and stand alone multi-tracking.

Not to say I won't use a DAW again but I just like the manual feel of stuff instead of being glued to a computer.

Probably the biggest advantage for DAW recording is easy editing and fades.

I'm still recording with Audacity. Mainly because it's easy and free. The reverb on the latest version is a little better. I bought a Snowball USB condenser mic and it works great. 

I know what you mean with the "manual feel" though.

[BengalsRocker]

(01-08-2016, 11:08 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Nice.  I've owed a few throughout the years.  My two favs were one of the original Ibanez Les Paul's from the 70's (one of the lawsuit one's with the Gibson logo) and one of these bad boys, which I still miss to this day.  Played really fast:

Yeah that guitar smoked.  I used to own one in a see-thru red.

Until I got the RBM again(sold my first one) I didn't realize how easy those necks are to play on the Ibanez.

The LTDs I got have really fast necks too.  Those two and my Epi Tribute are metal machines.

Strats will always be my first love though.  Like you said...  nothing compares to a Fender through a Fender amp. 

Great cleans and funky tones.

Shake hates Strats because of where the switch and knobs are.  I hear that from some other guitar players I know as well.

[Shake n Blake]

(01-09-2016, 06:30 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: Shake hates Strats because of where the switch and knobs are.  I hear that from some other guitar players I know as well.

I'm surprised you remember that. Yeah I used to love them until I got in a band and started playing them standing up. My hand would always hit that volume knob.

[jfkbengals]

(01-08-2016, 12:04 AM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: I used to have an absolute shit ton of gear.  And as I got older (and more adult bills came and went) I parted ways with most of it.  Up until recently I only had a Frankenstrat I pieced together and a MIJ Aria Les Paul type, that I played though a POD or a little Kustom Hybrid.

Fast forward to this year... The old bug bit me again, and I started piecing together more gear these last few months.  Here's what I've added:

-Fender Tele (American Special in Vintage Blonde).  Man, did I miss having a maple fingerboard and a good old USofA Fender.
-Fender Blues Junior (Tweed NOS).  Mmmm...Fender guitars sound great though Fender Amps.  
-Epiphone Les Paul Standard.  You know, I always had Les Pauls and I missed my old ones.  So I went the cheaper route.  This thing plays ***** great.  I can't say enough about how impressed I am with a 500 dollar guitar.
-I added a Fulltone OCD and a Carbon Copy because I didn't have many pedals left (All I still had was a Crybaby and a Phase 90) and I wasn't going to run a POD in front of my new tube amp.

Digging my set-up right now.  It really simple and sounds killer.  Perfect for me just jamming at the house.  Eventually I'll probably snag an old US Peavey Wolfgang Special.  Love the necks on those and would like one guitar aith a Floyd.

How do you like it?

I too have been bitten again, and I've been considering one of these as all of my electrics are cheap knockoff brands.

I still run my Son of Boogie amp that I've had since '90 or so, and during that time I had a '51 Broadcaster for a period*.  It sounded fantastic with that amp, so I've been considering getting a Telecaster, and that one stood out to me.


*The Broadcaster story.  My acoustic guitar at that time was an Alvarez that I paid $99 for.  Nice big sound to it.  The elderly couple next door had a very musically oriented family (One of their sons wrote and performed a Billboard Top 10 single in the mid 80s and wrote for many household names).  The youngest son who still lived in town would come watch their house when they were off traveling the county visiting the rest of their 8 kids and their families.  We would jam together when he would stay there.  He'd always bring his Tele, and sometimes I'd just loan him my practice amp so he wouldn't have to lug his amp.

One day he asks me if he could borrow the Alvarez, as he hadn't had an acoustic in years and was kind of jonesing to play one and really liked the sound from mine.  While I was thinking about it, he said he'd leave me the Fender as collateral.  I said no problem and he left with the acoustic, leaving the Fender behind.  It didn't see him again for at least 4 months, and it was closer to 6 before he brought the acoustic back.  I had grown fond of the Fender, but I was ready to have an acoustic again.

It was when I walked over and said "here's your Tele" that he let me in on a little secret.  It was no Tele, it was a '51 Broadcaster that his dad had bought brand new and it had passed around the family over the years.  I was hesitant to believe him at first, but he pulled out the appraisal he had gotten in Nashville the last time he was there visiting his brother (the one with the Top 10 hit).  I was FLOORED.  This man had no problem trading me a guitar that today is valued in excess of $50k for a guitar that only cost me $99.

[Wes Mantooth]

(01-09-2016, 08:09 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: How do you like it?

Really dig it.  I was able to find one for 700 bucks, so that's why I pulled the trigger.  I just wanted a basic, standard tele.  Didn't need a compound radius or n3 switching or any of that.

It's got Texas Specials in it so it's got a little more dirt to it that some of the others in the American line.  It also has the brass 3 saddle bridge.  A lot of guys swear this gives you a little more twang.  The only drawback is you'll never get the intonation totally perfect.  But I got mine iclose enough for it not to matter.  Oh, the one big thing is these have jumbo frets.  They're great for bends and it plays super smooth.  But if you're not used to them you have to be careful about fretting too hard, as it will go out out of tune.  Need just a little lighter touch.

I've heard great things about the MIM stuff now too.  And believe or not, I keep hearing really nice things about the "Classic Vibe" Squiers too.

[Wes Mantooth]

(01-09-2016, 08:09 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: *The Broadcaster story.  My acoustic guitar at that time was an Alvarez that I paid $99 for.  Nice big sound to it.  The elderly couple next door had a very musically oriented family (One of their sons wrote and performed a Billboard Top 10 single in the mid 80s and wrote for many household names).  The youngest son who still lived in town would come watch their house when they were off traveling the county visiting the rest of their 8 kids and their families.  We would jam together when he would stay there.  He'd always bring his Tele, and sometimes I'd just loan him my practice amp so he wouldn't have to lug his amp.

One day he asks me if he could borrow the Alvarez, as he hadn't had an acoustic in years and was kind of jonesing to play one and really liked the sound from mine.  While I was thinking about it, he said he'd leave me the Fender as collateral.  I said no problem and he left with the acoustic, leaving the Fender behind.  It didn't see him again for at least 4 months, and it was closer to 6 before he brought the acoustic back.  I had grown fond of the Fender, but I was ready to have an acoustic again.

It was when I walked over and said "here's your Tele" that he let me in on a little secret.  It was no Tele, it was a '51 Broadcaster that his dad had bought brand new and it had passed around the family over the years.  I was hesitant to believe him at first, but he pulled out the appraisal he had gotten in Nashville the last time he was there visiting his brother (the one with the Top 10 hit).  I was FLOORED.  This man had no problem trading me a guitar that today is valued in excess of $50k for a guitar that only cost me $99.

Ha. WOW.  So did you like it?  I'd love to hear a truly unbiased opinion, which you would be especially since you didn't know what it was.  I often wonder if people would really swear an old strat or Tele sounds better if they did a blind test of sorts.

I kind have a similar story. A guy I used to work with was pretty high up in Gibson for a long time.  Anyhoo, he comes in one day and tells me to check out what's in case.  Surprise, it's an older Gibson.  So I ask him while I'm nooding around with it what it is and he tells me it's a 54 Goldtop that was a refin.  I couldn't put it back in the case fast enough.  Even though it wasn't totally original it was probably still a 30-40k guitar. (This was the height of the vintage market back around 06) Then he tells I can take it home if I want.  I politely declined.  I just kept imagining what would happen if it I got in a wreck with that in back seat.

"Hello, Progressive.  I'd like to report an accident and file a claim.  My 12k Accord was just rear-ended so I'm going to need that covered.  Oh, and by the way, I had a 40k guitar in the back seat that was damaged.  Can I get that all in one check?" l

[Wes Mantooth]

Thought it might be cool for people to either share new guitar stuff they recently discovered or share their influences, people they think are underapreciated, little know tracks, etc. Just cool music...

Any of you guys heard of this "math rock" stuff? I guess it just kind of just like newer Progressive. (Think modern King Crimson) Check these guys out:

[Wes Mantooth]

(01-09-2016, 06:35 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I'm surprised you remember that. Yeah I used to love them until I got in a band and started playing them standing up. My hand would always hit that volume knob.

There's an easy fix to that if it really bugs you, but you still like everything else about them.

1.) Just make the 1st knob a dummy pot.  Leave it there, and have nothing hooked to it.  Wire up your 2nd knob as the volume and just have one Tone.

2.) If having it there all together just bothers you they make Strat pickguards that just have the two holes where the tone knobs are.  Just wire it the same as above.