Guitar advice..and where to buy..

Is1ldur · 22-12-2004 11:29pm #1

Hi all,
I am looking at getting a decent guitar. I have been using a Les Paul copy and Laney 30W amp for years, never really bothered putting too much money into them. I got the guitar about 10 years ago, the make is Santana, and no, I've never heard of them either. I really like Gibson, so it is gonna be either a Les Paul or SG. However if something else came up I would definitely take a look. I play varying kinds of Heavy Metal, from full on Death and Black Metal through to classics like Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath. Only problem with a Les Paul/SG is the lack of any decent tremolo arms. Anyway, I don't know anything about SG Customs, Specials, Classics, etc, same with Les Pauls, from a materials or pickup point of view, so can someone advise. Also I neeed a decent 50 or 100 watt amp. I was always pretty partial to the Marshall's but people have told me that they are not making them like they used to.
Anyway, that should be enough to be getting on with. All advice/help much appreciated.

Giblet · 22-12-2004 11:41pm

First port of call is the buy and sell

Davkie · 22-12-2004 11:50pm

If you want to buy new I have gotten a far bit of stuff from these guys www.musicstore.de
They ship from Germany but they have a flat rate of 13euro. You will save at least 100euro on any midrange guitar you get from them and there service is excellent.

There is also www.thomann.de but the site isn't as user friendly.

Speedway · 22-12-2004 11:54pm

I just ordered a Takamine EG530SC from www.music123.com The site is brilliant,their prices are the best of anywhere,their service is superb and the delivery is great.i ordered the guitar with 2 stands on a friday evening at 4 and they were in ireland monday morning at 6am,3 days to come from New Jersey.The only thing is cause you are bringing it in from America to Ireland u will have to pay customs on it but its worth it,i saved around €200 on the guitar overall.

Is1ldur · 23-12-2004 1:28am

That music123 looks very good. What customs charge applies, though. Is it just a straight percentage?

Creamy Goodness · 23-12-2004 1:32am

doctorJ knows all about the tax side, he was advising me when i bought my guitar

as far as i can remember you pay 21% tax and 2.5 guitar tax

feylya · 23-12-2004 1:38am

Cremo wrote:

doctorJ knows all about the tax side, he was advising me when i bought my guitar

as far as i can remember you pay 21% tax and 2.5 guitar tax

Guitar Tax??? Damn hippies...

Is1ldur · 23-12-2004 1:46am

This looks nice.

1598EUR

Creamy Goodness · 23-12-2004 1:48am

Is1ldur wrote:

This looks nice.

1598EUR

is that a les paul classic?

if it is then they are cheaper than that here
this is where i got mine, great guitar

Is1ldur · 23-12-2004 1:52am

Jeez, you are right. 1429EUR over there. Excellent. What is the neck like. Think I'll take a trip into town tomorrow to see what I like. What setup do you use?

seank · 23-12-2004 10:40am

I know it's a bit off thread but just saw this on www.musicstore.de ... any wonder it's nearly half price!!

Doctor J · 23-12-2004 10:44am

http://www.chrisguitars.com/

HusseinSarhan · 23-12-2004 7:10pm

PRS custom 24. This seems perfect and is pre '95 so it will only appreciate in value. Thats something to keep in mind also. Brilliant guitar with vibrato. And I'm presuming that you'll like the colour because of your musical interests!

Costs €1,549 with shipping and, in my opinion, is lightyears ahead of the Gibson L.P. classics. Having said that, they are quite different guitars.

Picture here

Karl Hungus · 23-12-2004 9:00pm

I'm sure the others were just waiting for me to say it, but I'd have to say you should check out the BC Rich USA Handmade guitars.

Like this Mockingbird.
I doubt you would ever find a sweeter guitar.

Have a look at the USA Handmade Guitars, pure sweetness, and I hope to own one myself one day soon.

feylya · 23-12-2004 9:08pm

Yes, you could find sweeter guitars.

They are damn fine instruments though!!!

It wasn't me! · 23-12-2004 9:11pm

USA made BC Riches are very high quality. As good as the Gibsons really from a metal point of view.

Karl Hungus · 23-12-2004 9:11pm

Ok, so maybe it is within the realm of possibility to find a sweeter guitar, but damn fine instruments as you say!

Doctor J · 24-12-2004 10:44am

I think HusseinSarhan has the right idea here

€1549 today and if you don't like it, sell it for €2500 tomorrow

HusseinSarhan · 24-12-2004 3:12pm

Doctor J wrote:

€1549 today and if you don't like it, sell it for €2500 tomorrow

Exactly, or sell it anyway for a 1000 euro profit and buy another off chris :cool:

feylya · 24-12-2004 3:13pm

The only problem with doing that is finding someone to buy it

HusseinSarhan · 24-12-2004 3:17pm

feylya wrote:

The only problem with doing that is finding someone to buy it

Thats true. Personally I wouldn't do it. Not really that fair is it, but then again...

It wasn't me! · 24-12-2004 3:34pm

Meh. Good business sense as far as I'm concerned. If you can get away with it, and it's perfectly legal, then why the hell not?!

feylya · 24-12-2004 3:35pm

Oh yeah, if you can sell it, cool. I just wouldn't like to have €1500 tied up in a guitar if I didn't have a buyer for it.

HusseinSarhan · 24-12-2004 3:37pm

feylya wrote:

Oh yeah, if you can sell it, cool. I just wouldn't like to have €1500 tied up in a guitar if I didn't have a buyer for it.

:eek:

It wasn't me! · 24-12-2004 3:38pm

Well it's hardly a tragedy if you can't find a buyer for a guitar like that...

feylya · 24-12-2004 3:41pm

Meh. I just don't like PRSes

Over priced and over rated. That said, I've never played one. Sure they look nice but so do Brian Moores and Tom Andersons.

HusseinSarhan · 24-12-2004 3:43pm

feylya wrote:

Over priced and over rated. That said, I've never played one.

Ha ha ha, thats the best!!

feylya · 24-12-2004 3:45pm

I know. I come out with some good ones. The way I figure it, you're just paying for a name. Given the choice between a PRS or a custom shop guitar for the same price, can you guess where I'm gonna go?

It wasn't me! · 24-12-2004 3:47pm

They're far more overpriced than they are overrated. They're lovely guitars but impractically expensive.

feylya · 24-12-2004 3:48pm

Paying for a name...

HusseinSarhan · 24-12-2004 3:50pm

New, yes. But only in Europe really. Whatever the reason for this, it makes them unaffordable to most. I seriously doubt its shipping and handling costs! There is a very nice Mc Carty Soapbar in musician inc. at the moment but because they are charged a high price for the guitar itself, it is selling at a massive price of something like 2750 euro! Thats WAY too expensive, you can buy the same guitar new in the states for literally half thet price. They are just overpriced in europe.

feylya · 24-12-2004 3:53pm

I reckon, when you get to that sort of price range, there's probably very little difference in the actual guitars. They'll look differently and play differently but they'll all be decent. Can any of you honestly say that you could justify spending €10000 on a private stock guitar when you could get 5 custom LGM's for that price? I know I certainly couldn't and wouldn't.

HusseinSarhan · 24-12-2004 4:00pm

I would never even think about buying a Private stock even if I won the lotto. I'd probably only spend around 10,000 MAXIMUM on musical stuff anyway. I dont have any want or need for **** that expensive. I hate the idea of collecting guitars, they are meant to be played!

feylya · 24-12-2004 4:02pm

Exactly. That's why I reckon PRS are over rated. They're lovely to look at but I seriously doubt they'll look good with battle scars the way an old strat or les paul do.

It wasn't me! · 24-12-2004 4:04pm

Agreed, and the custom one would be yours entirely, rather than a standard model. However, it's nice to be able to play various little variations on what you're looking at.

feylya · 24-12-2004 4:07pm

TBH, you get on stage with a custom Leviathan for instance, people will notice and go ooh.

You get on stage with a PRS, people will think you've too much money.

HusseinSarhan · 24-12-2004 4:09pm

feylya wrote:

TBH, you get on stage with a custom Leviathan for instance, people will notice and go ooh.

You get on stage with a PRS, people will think you've too much money.

Why would that bother you?

feylya · 24-12-2004 4:10pm

TBH, I don't know. I'd just prefer a Leviathan

Anyways, I gotta pack up my stuff. Merry Christmas folks. Have a good one.

It wasn't me! · 24-12-2004 4:12pm

You too man.

Karl Hungus · 24-12-2004 7:10pm

PRS are nice guitars, but I concur that they're both over-rated and over-priced. A nice USA Mockingbird would piss all over them easily.

HusseinSarhan · 24-12-2004 7:27pm

Thats a bit of a broad sweeping statment. For instance, a McCarty soapbar is quite different to a B.C rich mockingbird

They are, in myopinion, the best mass produced guitar on the market, regarless of price. They are however very expensive in europe. In the U.S. they repreent instruments of good value. I think they re brilliant. Over preiced perhaps, but not over rated. Play one and find out.

Doctor J · 24-12-2004 7:42pm

PRS wouldn't sell if they were overrated, they are beautiful and fantastic instruments whose reputation is probably tarnished by the instruments popularity, they are, without question, the most successful 'boutique' guitar manufacturer out there. I think they've been associated with some terrible music, they ae the Nu-Metal guitar of choice, but that shouldn't be held against them, there is a fad for PRS among musicians with moe money than talent, but that's not the fault of the manufacturer. I played a PRS Custom back in 93 which had been set up horribly by its owner, but it was still one of the sweetest guitars I've ever played. The pre 95 PRS's have a reputation for a damn good reason. You've really got to hold one up close to really appreciate just how stunning they really look and the attention to detail which goes into every instrument. Whether you think they play better or worse than a Les Paul is purely down to personal preference, personally I'd take my Eggle over either of them, but make no mistake, PRS, especially the old ones (going on exerience) are really fantastic instruments.

Karl Hungus · 24-12-2004 7:43pm

Different guitars, yes... But this is just me blurbing about preference. I have played PRS guitars before, and yeah they're very sweet guitars, but if I had the choice between a Custom 24 or a USA Mockingbird, there'd be absolutely no question whatsoever. In fact, I'd pretty much take any USA BC Rich over any PRS.

But you are right about them being possibly one of the best mass produced guitars. Still, it would definetly worth the thread starter's time to fire off an email to guitar asylum and inquire on the price of aforementioned Rich.

In the context of what the thread starter is actually looking for though, I'd definetly recommend the BC Rich over all else, especially considering he plays a lot of metal, but at the same time not forgetting that Slash played a Mockingbird, so it would be a perfectly suited guitar for his style. And seeing as he's looking for something with a decent tremelo, provided he's not aversed to Floyd Rose, I definetly stand by my recommendation.

Doctor J · 24-12-2004 7:51pm

In the end it's down to preference, both aesthetic and physical. I can't wait until I get my Ibanez because I have a specific role in mind for it, one which the Eggle or Strat would be less suitable, that's not to say either guitar is better than the other. I think that PRS is a cracking deal and good luck to whoever takes advantage of it, I can't see them being disappointed. That guitar will do Metal and do it well. Maybe doen't look as Metal as other manufacturers

but hey, what can ye do?

Karl Hungus · 24-12-2004 7:59pm

Never said that a PRS wouldn't do metal. Opeth use PRS, and they seem to get on fine with 'em. I don't mean to sound like I'm coming down hard on the PRS guitars though, they are real sweet, and I'd rather a Custom 24 than any other mass produced guitar out there really.

But seriously, I don't mean to poo poo them, just stating my preferance, and giving my honest opinion and recommendation.

HusseinSarhan · 24-12-2004 8:11pm

Karl Hungus wrote:

In the context of what the thread starter is actually looking for though, I'd definetly recommend the BC Rich over all else, especially considering he plays a lot of metal.

You are 100% right there. I would too reccomend the B.C. rich. I just thought that saying one guitar is "better" than an entire brand was a little presumptious. I do understand much more of what you meant due to your last post. Makes sense, different guitars for different tasks. I really like the old mockingbirds of the seventies in natural wood colour and the big "R" logos. I cant stand most modern B.C. rich guitars from an aestheics point of view. That green Mockingbird would be a perfect guitar for the origional poster.

Karl Hungus · 24-12-2004 8:20pm

Yeah, I can come across as a little blunt at times, but I think it's worth keeping in mind what maddox once said: "Everyone already knows it's my opinion by virtue of the fact that I said it." But I think that also works on the other side of the dice so to speak, so I'd never presume to make a grand statement and play like it's fact.

As for the 70's mockingbird, check this funky **** out!
That what you had in mind?

And I do agree with you, some of the BC Rich shapes are a joke. So for every Mockingbird you have an Ironbird. Ugh.

Giblet · 24-12-2004 8:25pm

And to think I've been recommending Mockingbirds for years.

HusseinSarhan · 24-12-2004 8:26pm

That one you posted is lovely. Tasteful not stupidly spikey.

Thses are brilliant also:

By the way... how much does one of these set you back?

Karl Hungus · 24-12-2004 8:31pm

For the USA handmade, guitar asylum seem to have pretty good prices, even if its annoying that you have to inquire for them first. Can't say offhand, but I wouldn't imagine any of the Riches being more than €2000.

Giblet · 24-12-2004 8:32pm

I know someone selling a red one

Guitar advice..and where to buy..

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