Measuring Guitars

[Phelonious Ponk]

Hi everyone, I want to start playing a guitar but I don't have any idea. I might need some help to decide which brand to buy since I don't have much of a budget. I have been searching online and found several reviews like https://musicadvisor.com/?s=guitar+brands
It would be a great help to hear some opinions for those who really plays. I am open to any suggestions. Thanks

What’s your budget?

 

[Purité Audio]

The first Furch Acoustics arrived yesterday, I am not much of a player but they sound and look the part.
https://www.puriteaudio.co.uk/forum/everything-else/furch-guitars-at-purite-audio

Keith

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Just be warned. With high-end guitars, you’re stepping into a world that makes audiophile nervosa look positively rational.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Good luck. Probably easiest to stick with acoustic guitars and measure the difference sizes shapes and materials. When you get into electric you open up an entire set of different variables. You now have different pickup styles, and amplifier types which come into play. When looking you will still see that many players use tube amplifiers. This brings into play the different sounds of the tube amps, Fenders Vox Marshalls Etc. The harmonics interface (loop) between the guitar and amplifier also comes into play to affect the sound. Solid state tries to mimic these effects be imo it is not the same. Maybe good for some but far from traditional. Feel is also an important part of choosing a guitar. Body styles also effect player flexibility, something like a thin line ES225 can be more easily used for different music styles than an L5 as an example.

I’ve owned a couple of vintage Deluxe Reverbs, now own a Vibrolux, but for the last few years, I’ve mostly played Fender Mustang IIIs, solid state digital modeling amps. I can’t speak for the high gain models, because I don’t use them, and the built-in effects don’t, IMO, sound as good as the effects on my pedal board, but plug the board into a good clean model (I use the Twin, Deluxe and 60s British models, carry all three up the stairs in one hand ) and it’s a great gigging amp. Do the models sound and respond exactly like the amps they emulate? No, but they’re so close that I can’t tell in the mix. A lot of nuance is lost in the face of a crash cymbal. Only at home, in a quiet room, is the difference noticable. And honestly, the Vibrolux rarely gets fired up at home these days, because it’s sweet spot is LOUD. I can get better response and tone out of the Mustangs at living room volume. Solid state guitar amps have come a long, long way. My current GAS (guitar acquisition syndrome) is focused on one of the new Roland Blues Cubes, not another tube amp.

Why, one would ask, do all the famous players still play tubes? They have roadies.

 

[Purité Audio]

Tim yes guitars could rival Hi-if , as a complete innocent they look pretty similar and appear to be constructed in a pretty similar way, is there a ‘best’ or Just different?
What do you think of Supro ?
BW Keith

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Tim yes guitars could rival Hi-if , as a complete innocent they look pretty similar and appear to be constructed in a pretty similar way, is there a ‘best’ or Just different?
What do you think of Supro ?
BW Keith

Haven’t spent much time thinking about them, honestly. When I think of Supro, I think of electric guitars and amps. Do they make acoustic guitars?

 

[Purité Audio]

Sorry I meant their amps, I just wanted something with a nice tone, for a smallish room.
Keith

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Sorry I meant their amps, I just wanted something with a nice tone, for a smallish room.
Keith

Oh. My bandmate has one. It’s big, though. Sounds great in his hands. It’s probably not for me. I’m a devotee of the blackface fender sound.

 

[Purité Audio]

Now you are trying to bambozzle me with scientific terms!
It amuses me that I swore I would never have another valve amp here, and yet here I am considering a valve amp, the Roland’s look interesting are they just a fancy modelling amp?
Keith

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Now you are trying to bambozzle me with scientific terms!
It amuses me that I swore I would never have another valve amp here, and yet here I am considering a valve amp, the Roland’s look interesting are they just a fancy modelling amp?
Keith

More like an un-fancy modeling amp. They don’t have a ton of effects, and models of various amps built in, no software to plug into. They operate just like a normal amp, but they get their tube-like sound and touch-sensitive response from modeling. I haven’t played one yet, but they’re getting good reviews and the online demos I’ve seen were really good. And I’m a Roland fan, it’s very well-built stuff.

Sorry for the jargon. Fender has two classic eras of valve amps: tweeds, so called because of their tweed fabric covers. Heavy midrange, early breakup. Then the next generation is called black face for the black control plate, and to distinguish them from the later, less desirable silver face amps. Those have a lot of negative feedback, more headroom before overdrive, and a scooped mid tone profile. Nearly every guitar amp built has begun with one of those two Fender eras as a starting point. They’re legendary.

 

[Wombat]

Just get a basic Fender Champ or Deluxe and mike it. That is the sound on most 50s and 60s rock studio recordings.

Built a 5C1 champ from scratch. When I was about to build a 5F1 I came across this and purchased one:

http://www.joyoaudio.co.uk/JOYO-jta-05-sweet-baby-5-watt-vintage-guitar-tube-amplifier-with-12ax7

I couldn't buy the parts for the price. No complaints.

You can use various tubes for rectifier and output.

My Deluxe is unfinished on the bench. Joyo have a range of products at very keen prices. I have some of their effects units and I am pleased with them.

Roland Cubes are a popular choice for SS amp with on-board effects.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Yeah, I’ve had a couple of Deluxes, and I love them. The personal issue I have with them is I use clean tone a lot, and they don’t have the headroom for it. Yes, you can mic them, but then you’re listening to the monitors, not your amp on stage. And that sweet spot, where you can easily move from clean to crunch with the intensity of pick attack or a small turn of the guitar’s volume control, just isn’t in the right place for me on a Deluxe. A Champ? No. A Vibrolux gets it, but then, there are times when I need, not organic clean to crunch, but crunch to OD. The right pedal is the answer to that question, but with the Mustangs, I can dial in the sweet spot, then set the volume wherever it needs to be. It works for me, and if I’m going to play a party or a jam full of musicians, I have the Vibrolux to maintain my respectability.

I have a Joyo compressor, OD and power supply on my board next to some much more expensive stuff. Great pedals for the money. A little bit noisier than my more expensive ones, but not much. And if you don’t mind the weight, the Power Supply 4 is really good at any price. Versatile, silent and built like a tank. The Chinese will take over the world...

For all of you who don’t play guitar, my apologies for the long-winded diversion.

 

[Purité Audio]

Gibson in trouble,
http://www.ajc.com/news/national/gi...er-116-years-business/OlaIEYdtLEv1rP92RvZFrM/

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Gibson in trouble,
http://www.ajc.com/news/national/gi...er-116-years-business/OlaIEYdtLEv1rP92RvZFrM/

Deep trouble. QC of electrics (acoustics are made 1,000 miles away from corporate management and still seem ok) has gone down the toilet too. I’ve played $3K ES and Les Paul models with problems that would disturb me in a good Chinese guitar.

 

[Purité Audio]

What kind of problems, what would you recommend as a good maker/manufacturer?
Keith

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

What kind of problems, what would you recommend as a good maker/manufacturer?
Keith

Fret work, set up, fit and finish problems. I even saw a high-end Les Paul with a bad neck geometry, which is a very expensive problem on a set neck guitar. I was looking at ES 339s and Les Pauls. I bought Eastmans. Chinese, but small factory, hand built from a company with a history is violin making. They’re expensive for Asian guitars. In the $1k to $2k range, but they’re better than $3k Gibsons, and I take no pleasure in knowing that. I’d show you pictures, but I don’t see a way to upload pics, just link to URLs.

 

[Purité Audio]

I have looked at Eastman they do look good, thanks for all your help.
Keith

 

[Wombat]

Fret work, set up, fit and finish problems. I even saw a high-end Les Paul with a bad neck geometry, which is a very expensive problem on a set neck guitar. I was looking at ES 339s and Les Pauls. I bought Eastmans. Chinese, but small factory, hand built from a company with a history is violin making. They’re expensive for Asian guitars. In the $1k to $2k range, but they’re better than $3k Gibsons, and I take no pleasure in knowing that. I’d show you pictures, but I don’t see a way to upload pics, just link to URLs.

I save a pic to desktop and then use the Upload File button(next to the Post Reply button). You can of course post a pic file from any folder in this way.

 

[SpeedyRodent]

Gibson has been going downhill for years. The "Gibson group" is much larger than the guitar company most people know them for. This group owns well known companies like TEAC, Cerwin Vega, Onkyo and various others. Where this company stumbled financially is they loaded up on too much debt due to some of these acquisitions.

Specific to Gibson guitars, I agree with the comment above on bad quality fretwork, setup and fit/finish. I have seen some Gibson guitars so bad that I have wondered how it got past QC.

 

[Wombat]

Yamaha make excellent guitars at all price points. I have a Yamaha Pacifica 812W that equals fender strats of double the price. Top-end Yamaha guitars are bargains. Because thy don't have the Fender decal on the headstock excellent condition used ones are a steal.