Calling all guitarists

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cowtothesky
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by cowtothesky »

One of the nicest guitars I've ever played was a 1982 '57 Reissue Strat. I would highly recommend trying one out. It is a very expressive guitar and not too bad in price.

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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by zed »

cowtothesky wrote:One of the nicest guitars I've ever played was a 1982 '57 Reissue Strat. I would highly recommend trying one out. It is a very expressive guitar and not too bad in price.
From what I understand (and I may not have the whole story) Fender's 57/62 pickups are named as such because they are true to the original specs of pickups put in both their '57 and '62 Strats. Therefore, you could make almost any Strat (or Squier) sound like a '57 Strat by installing the very affordable 57/62 pickups on it. I did this with a Squier, just to see if I could, and I love the results.

I wonder what would be different on an actual '57 Strat or on a '57 Reissue Strat, aside from potentially better woods and construction. I'd love to compare a mod and the real thing side by side.
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by mhschmieder »

I'm wondering the difference vs. '54 as apparently the new Select Series Strat uses '54 style PUP's, and I think the Eric Johnson signature either uses modified '54 or '57 PUPS. I'm torn between them, but there are other differences with the Select Strat that may give it a slight leg up (and not just due to the neck, which has variable radius).

All that I know is that anything past '62 sounds sterile to me in comparison, which is why I have recently been going for 50's and early 60's vintage PUP's in my Fender/Squier collection.

All of the other variables have an effect, from what I can tell after comparing dozens of different models, but I am convinced the PUP's make the largest difference of all in terms of basic timbre and range (as well as the switching, impedance, and balance -- which are easily modified, of course, and in the case of the '52 Tele they give you a switching kit to install).

Some of the variables, of course, have more to do with playability and the trade-off between rhythm and lead playing or fast runs vs. note bends.
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by mhschmieder »

We got a bonus on Friday and I spent a good portion of it Saturday on a different bass than I had originally lined up. :-)

After two hours of careful comparisons, my gut instinct told me to bring the better bass home, vs. the one that initially seemed a little closer to vintage sound. The AVRI 62 Jazz bass had some dead spots on the neck, growled too easily, and felt like it was playing me vs. me playing it -- although I should point out that it is WAY better than ANY of Fender's other current offerings. The "D" string seemed weak, even though it was set up properly, and the "E" string didn't have much depth to it. Yet it was overall pleasing to play and sounded authentic.

Enter the brand-new just-arrived Fender Select Jazz Bass! For $800 more, you get a bass that is four times as good. It was a no-brainer, but only due to the company bonus. Once I got it home though, it was clear I made the right choice. Bananas has dreadfully bad bass amps, but this bass really opened up on my Mesa Walkabout. I couldn't put it down for four hours! It is my most versatile bass next to my Dingwall Afterburner, and is incredibly inspiring and fun to play. Every tiny nuance of my playing shines through, and I feel like it is already making me a better player. But yikes, the price tag: $2300!

It's a beauty too. And all modern amenities like jumbo frets, string retainer on the "A" string, through-body strings with high mass bridge, etc. I would say this ranks with a Mike Lull!
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by mhschmieder »

Back to guitars, the Fender Select Series is also winning me over in that department.

I've already decided the Select Strat takes most of the Eric Johnson ideas a step further and has more modern design elements to make it an even more professional instrument.

Tele-wise, I was unsure, because I only had five minutes to try the one at bananas, and couldn't dial out the ice pick in that time. I was unfamiliar with the amp, which hurt.

At GC yesterday, they had the non-chambered version of the Select Tele Maple, which uses light Empress wood (whereas the chambered version uses Ash, but also has a gorgeous birdseye maple neck). Pickups are the same, but I was able to try this one ($400 more, I might add) through a Vox AC15 1x12 Alnico Blue combo amp, which is a familiar sound.

Against the '52 AVRI Tele, this one now wins out in my book, as it has a way more professional body and overall construction, feels great (all the Select Series have compound radius necks), is good for every technique (again, due to the compound radius), and has the best bridge pickup I've ever heard. You can tame it for rock or go all-out country with this baby. And the neck pickup is deep, so you get a good balance if you need to use this for heavier music.

All of the Select Series guitars use no-load balanced tone controls, and as a result, I feel that almost any setting is a "sweet spot".

These are expensive instruments, but in my view worth it. My guitar tech feels differently and has some boutique brands he wants me to try first, but I suspect I won't like them as well as I go for personality over clinical (he's a great techie but sometimes I think techies get a bit too perfectionist :-)). The AVRI's are nice too, but I always felt over-priced for what they are.

The point is that the AVRI's don't compare to boutique brands; whereas the Select Series does and yet is cheaper. So this is why I say they are a good buy for what they are: modern instruments that are versatile enough to cover authentic vintage 50's/60's tone while also delving into new tonal territory. And very playable, like a good custom shop instrument.

As for the Tele, I'm a bit in a pickle as to which to get, but will probably return to Bananas at some point when I'm not under time pressure and compare to the '52 AVRI there, hoping to find an amp I am familiar with (they do carry Vox but had just sold their stock and hadn't replenished yet). I'm confused about the $400 price difference -- especially as Empress is a cheap wood (though I suppose Ash is as well) and I thought chambered cost more in labour!
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by Frodo »

mhschmieder wrote:
As for the Tele, I'm a bit in a pickle as to which to get...
Seems like you're "all but" sold on which to get. Go with yer gut!

All I know is that I'd like to pop by the mhschmieder guitar museum one day to feast my eyes before the collection changes over!! :P
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by mhschmieder »

Well, if you're ever in my neck of the woods, you're always free to give a ring (although not THAT ring, of course :-)).
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by Frodo »

mhschmieder wrote:Well, if you're ever in my neck of the woods, you're always free to give a ring (although not THAT ring, of course :-)).
:lol: :lol: :lol:

The Ring is MINE (in more ways than one)!!! :lol: :lol:
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by mhschmieder »

I compared my AVRI '62 Jaguar to the 50th Anniversary edition (in gorgeous burgundy) today, and was surprised how close they sound, given the hotter PUPS in the 50th. If you account for this in the amp level, you can get the two very close, with the AVRI having a slight edge in jangliness and a somewhat wider tonal range.

The 50th is initially a bit easier to play due to the modern neck and fretwork, but ultimately I find the AVRI more comfortable, even though I usually prefer modern necks. Bottom line, I have no regrets over buying the AVRI '62 Jaguar two weeks before the 50th Anniversary model came out. The latter is less authentic with the trem placement and the hotter PUPS, but is MUCH closer in feel and sound than I expected. They're the same price.
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by mhschmieder »

I was able to do a shootout tonight between the chambered body Tele Select and the empress wood Tele Select using the same Royal Atlantic amp head I have at home, then dial in the same sounds with the same Mesa Rectifier 2x12 cabinet at home with my Squier Classic Vibe 50's Tele to try to come to some conclusion.

It's such a tough pick as they're all great, but of course the Squier is a placeholder -- great value for the money and better as well as more authentic than most current Fender Teles, but I'm getting better on guitar after my long absence away from the instrument and so am starting to notice the difference between a beginner instrument and a pro instrument.

The chambered body Tele is the more classic of the two Select Series Teles, looks-wise, in terms of woods, and probably tonally as well. It has more upper mid focus and seems to have a larger tonal range, but the empress wood Tele has a bit more body to the sound, while not necessarily having as much detail in the mid tones. It's actually a bit closer to my Classic Vibe in tone. Same pickups in both Select Series Teles, but the body type and wood makes a bigger difference than I expected.

At first, I liked the empress wood Tele better, in spite of being non-traditional with an arched top and no pickguard, partly due to the depth of tone as well as the smoother neck (flatter finish). But the birdseye maple on the chambered Tele is much prettier, of course. They aren't that different in feel either; I think it's just up to the individuality of any two guitars.

After two hours of playing, I had shifted towards the chambered body as probably the more authentic. Two friends who just happened to be in the store at the same time that I was agreed (it's also much prettier; the more expensive one looks a bit weird). But the empress wood Tele can get into SG territory easily. But is that really the role of a Tele? I'm still debating, and may bring my Squier to the store tomorrow for a final shootout (I plan to walk away with one of them tomorrow, if I can afford it after selling a bunch of stuff on CL).

I think both are better than the '52 AVRI and I'd be happy with either one, and would find both better for building my technique than the Squier (though it has a fairly good neck for a budget guitar). The Tele and Jazzmaster are pretty much my favourite guitar tones these days, so the Tele takes priority for an upgrade.

I'll upgrade my Strat later on, also to a Select Series model. The Tele is tricky due to the number of choices. I even like the '62 rosewood AVRI surf-oriented Tele (especially in Surf Green), and may feel it not at all redundant to have two Tele's (even if it means the other is the koa topped rosewood fretboard edition of the empress body Select Series Tele).
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by mhschmieder »

I did it -- I took advantage of my Lucky Day (Friday the 13th) to use a coupon on the violin-burst chambered-body ash Fender Select Telecaster. It was a bit of a financial risk to buy it this soon after the J-Bass, but I only have a few days where I'm not insulated against extreme emergencies. :-) Once the decision was made, it was time to buy, as this is a limited edition.

It took a few more hours to really confirm the choice in terms of a priority purchase, but only a few minutes to decide on the chambered body ash vs. the solid body arch-top editions made from Empress wood. Those are nice too, but the cheaper edition just seems more iconically Telecaster in its sound and feel. The main thing was I needed to compare vs. my Squier 50's Classic Vibe "Pinecaster", but ultimately the Fender Select showed itself to have more depth, more complexity to the tone, and a more professional neck. Both are great guitars though.

The Fender Select Strat isn't such a slam-dunk upgrade from my Squier 50's Classic Vibe Stratocaster, as the latter feels and sounds more high-end than the 50's CV Tele (though both are great bargains for what they deliver). Also, as the Select Strat isn't quartersawn and the Eric Johnson model is, I'm inclined to stick with that choice (the used EJ has sold so I couldn't re-compare, but I remember it being more or less a draw the last time, with the two feeling and sounding very similar as though the Select was modeled after the EJ).

Someone was trying the AVRI 62 Jaguar vs. the 50th Anniversary Jaguar, which made it easier for me top judge than when I was playing them myself (due to distance, a better player, and not being distracted by how they felt). Night and day; I have no regrets over having bought the AVRI a few weeks before the 50th came out. More characteristic of a Jag overall, and feel-wise it ultimately is more versatile even though it has the vintage frets and 7.5" radius.

The Tele has become my favourite guitar sound of late, as I now find it the most versatile of all guitars. The Jazzmaster is a close second, followed by the Strat (which I still don't like as much as I should, but that is starting to change now that I'm getting used to how a properly specced Strat should sound and feel).
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by bayswater »

Does anyone have an opinion or advice on this?

http://www.gretschguitars.com/products/ ... 2517210537

I came across a left handed one today at a very good price, and played it for a while. Left handed guitars don't show up that often around here, so if you want to try before you buy, there aren't a lot of options.

The action was set too low and it buzzed a lot, and the balance knob fell off while I was playing it, so I was not really impressed with the setup. But I suppose that can be fixed.

I saw a youtube review that said the intonation on the A string was off from the seventh fret up. But that was a model with the Bigsby.

The sound on the bridge pickup was clearly "Gretsch", but the other sounds were not anything I recognized. It was very quiet.

Any comments very welcome.
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by mhschmieder »

Haven't tried that exact model (even the right-handed version), but the FilterTron PUP's are some of the most versatile and vintage mid-60's-ish of all of the Gretsch PUP's I've tried.
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by Frodo »

It's already a matter of cherry picking where choosing a good guitar goes. Choosing a LH model? That's even harder.

There are some aspects which could benefit from a professional setup calibration. String height/buzz/fret filing?--- those are all adjustable. Knobs "just" falling off a Gretsch? That's not a brand name issue and sounds like an instrument with stories to tell in the hands of a previous owner (or a floor model or rental item) which you may not want to hear.

One thing for sure is that your gut will always tell you when an instrument is right. It doesn't sound like the expense of the extra care on top of the cost of the instrument would hold up to the price of another one which has been under careful custody (or a new one). But I wouldn't consider the flaws for this particular instrument too quickly as ones that were related to the manufacturer.

You spotted a yummy instrument indeed. I hope you find one in great condition "to have and to hold"-- and to strum.
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Re: Calling all guitarists

Post by zed »

bayswater wrote:I saw a youtube review that said the intonation on the A string was off from the seventh fret up. But that was a model with the Bigsby.
But can you live with the fact that you would have a Gretsch that doesn't have a Bigsby?

I don't know how good the deal is that you're looking at, but if the price is right this could be a must-have, given the fact that it is a lefty. I'd love to have a guitar with FilterTron pickups, so I can understand why you might not want to pass up on this!
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