Calling all guitarists

[mhschmieder]

Even though I'm an engineer by trade, I am an extremely good salesperson, as I personalize all of my sales and do the extra research that helps people know what something will do for them.

My Bergantino iP112ER powered 12" bass cabinet sold within an hour of posting it tonight (it was great for live work but I am finding in the studio I really need a 4x10, and Jim stopped making powered cabinets so I am forced to go back to the traditional approach of a dedicated bass head plus non-powered speaker enclosure -- I can't afford to keep both!).

I'm selling my Mustang, as more time on it convinced me I am NEVER going to get comfortable with that neck. The official specs are the same as for the Jaguar, but the actual fretboard length and fret spacing are almost as tight as a Mini-Strat.

It's funny though how I'm "done" with bass (once my Yamaha BB-1025x setup work is completed and I can evaluate whether my BB-415 and/or Squier Jaguar Bass are now redundant -- nothing is being ADDED to the collection, at any rate), as that is my main instrument. I guess I'm less reluctant to "allow" certain "known" bass sounds that I personally detest than with guitar, where I want to cover as many sounds as possible.

[mhschmieder]

The whittling down continues unabated.

Fender Mustang sold yesterday and Squier Jazzmaster sold today.

But the latter will be replaced later this year by the AVRI '62 edition now that I've had a chance to compare.

Although the snappy maple neck is nice on the budget Vintage Modified Jazzmaster model and the pickups are pretty vintage sounding, the neck is WAY better on the high-end AVRI edition and the pickups are more authentic as well as the guitar having more tonal range due to the traditional separate rhythm circuit. As wonderful as the AVRI Jaguar!

I still think the VM JM is way better than ANY JM model under $1100, including the Classic Player edition. Had I been able to try an AVRI at the time, I would have held out, but due to disappointment over the CP edition I went ahead with the Squier, even if only as a placeholder.

What is curious is that I now have some high-end guitars, but all are Fender or Gretsch. I'm just way more getting into the vintage sounds right now than the modern guitar sounds. Somehow I just find more expressivity in those instruments and pickup types.

[twistedtom]

Cool; a few good basses or guitars are more useful than a bunch of lesser ones, IMHO.
I always like the Fender bass guitars, I would love to have an American made one.

[mhschmieder]

I can't stand any of the current Fender bass offerings except for the Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass (original version; not the variants that have come out since) and the Tony Franklin Fretless. In most cases it's the pickups, but in others it's the neck.

The best "Fender" bass I've ever played was a Mike Lull J-Bass last week. My pro-level bassist friends also prefer Lull's basses over anyone else's, when it comes to Fender style instruments. Great fret work, pickups are authentic and versatile in their tonal range, and the necks are fast. But you sure pay for them! Yet not much more than for an American made Fender.

[twistedtom]

I have not played a new Fender Bass but some of the older ones I tried were very nice. I may not have as I am more a guitar player than a bass player. Plus we all have our own tastes in what we like. I played a ton of Strats until I found the one I wanted.

[zed]

I played a ton of Strats until I found the one I wanted.

Was it a Strat with certain specs, or was it just one particular guitar that had that special something? Or maybe both?

[twistedtom]

Both, I was mostly looking for playability and tone.

[zed]

Both, I was mostly looking for playability and tone.

What is the pickup configuration and pickup type on that Strat that ended up being "the one"?

I just put 57/62s on mine and so far I like them. I also switched the middle and bridge pickups to give me tone control on the bridge pickup and added combo position of neck+bridge.

I want another Strat now with a some later 60s pickups akin to what Jimi Hendrix used.

[mhschmieder]

My AVRI '62 Jazzmaster arrived late Friday and I brought it home last night (took BART FRI so had to wait until I drove again). I am so glad I sold the Squier maple fretboard edition, in spite of it being a nice guitar with a fun personality, as this vintage reissue edition is now the most versatile guitar in my collection. I am astounded at its tonal range, and how musical it is at ANY setting! The AVRI Jaguar is fun too, but I am surprised to find that the JM captured my soul.

I compared vs. the Marauder tonight (JM PUP at neck and triplebucker in the bridge) and find that it is still unique -- though less so than it was against the Squier JM. Nevertheless, it has a depth and clarity -- at any setting -- that puts it somewhere between a traditional JM and a Strat. I think it's unlikely that I will ever find it redundant, and it has a great neck.

Unless I decide to take the risk on the AVRI '52 Tele being as versatile as my pine Squier Classic Vibe 50's Tele once its circuitry is switched to allow for pickup blend (out of the box, it instead has a "dark" setting), I'm done with regular 6-string treble guitars at this point. I would have to find money falling out of the sky to justify adding more Les Paul or Gretsch variants. Maybe eventually, but not any time soon; my needs for tonal range are now fully met. The Squier Classic Vibe 50's Strat might eventually be replaced by the Eric Johnson Maple edition (12" radius!), but I don't like Strats enough to care all that much.

Amp-wise, after this weekend I have settled on going for a Vox combo after all vs. separates and/or custom shop stuff from boutique vendors. The one that I fell in love with is the single 12" combo in the hand-wired edition, at 15 watts using Alnico Blues. Pure Heaven! Best clean tone I've ever heard, and extremely versatile with a very musical and progressive breaking up as you push harder. If I get a nice tax return, that will be how it gets spent.

Othwerwise I am focusing on my bass needs at the moment, having upgraded recently to the newer intermediate level Yamaha BB-1025X from my budget BB-415, and having just ordered the 60th Anniversary Precision Bass yesterday -- the best P-Bass I have EVER played, feel-wise and sound-wise. Extremely versatile, and musical at any setting.

I am still searching in vain for a J-Bass that I can stand. The 50th Anniversary Edition looks to be what I would want, but I can't find one; wish I'd known about it last year but I don't remember even seeing it on Fender's site at the time. They're all gone by now. I may go for the Squier Classic Vibe 60's as a placeholder, or take a risk on the AVRI '62 Jazz Bass, which no one has in stock.

My Mesa/Boogie Walkabout bass amp head is the best I've ever worked with, and is a killer combination with the Mesa Powerhouse 1x15 cabinet. Very versatile, covering both vintage and modern sounds -- I think I may be fine with just this single enclosure, but won't know until I go through a bunch of sessions and gigs. I may try to pair it with a Mesa/Boogie Powerhouse 2x12 if I can't otherwise eliminate the slight honkiness I am getting (though I can probably dial that out with the Walkabout's Parametric EQ), but otherwise I'll go with my original plan of the Bergantino 4x10, as an alternate setup when the call arises for super high fidelity fast and accurate tone.

[zed]

What does AVRI stand for? American Vintage... reissue??

I almost bought a Classic Vibe 50's Telecaster on Boxing Day. My music store had one that looked so delicious. The grain on the neck was super-spectacular and popped out in 3D. It was hard for me to look away and let that guitar go just based on how amazing that neck looked. Not sure if that cool woodgrain is common on those guitars or if that was just a very special model that I should have grabbed at the amazing price of around $300. Here I am still thinking about it almost 3 months later.

[mhschmieder]

Yes, you should have grabbed it -- even my most snobbish guitarist friends admit that my Squier Classic Vibe 50's Pine Telecaster is about the sweetest they have ever heard!

The only one that MIGHT be better is the AVRI, but then you have to do the wiring change to allow for the pickup blend as by default it doesn't offer that since the original Tele didn't either (it has a "dark" switch that bypasses the tone control instead, or rather, applies maximum treble trim).

AVRI stands for American Vintage Re-Issue. It's the only series Fender has going that I like and can recommend. I just hope I won't regret getting the 60th Anniversary P-bass vs. taking a blind leap of faith on the '57 AVRI P-Bass. No one had the latter in stock, but I just learned Bananas has it, and as they also have the '62 AVRI J-Bass, I may go up there this Saturday to try out some of the elusive higher-end Fenders.

[mhschmieder]

The AVRI '62 Jazz Bass is awesome, and the first Jazz Bass I have been able to tame so that it isn't so overly bright. Extremely nuanced with a very reactive neck, and on the dark side. The '70's AVRI model is very bright but can be tamed a bit (not a whole lot) and sounds modern, better for slap/pop and also way better for jazz, but a bit redundant with my Dingwall.

I also tried the AVRI '52 Telecaster for the umpteenth time and now know I will eventually do the upgrade from my Classic Vibe 50's Pine Tele. I'll simply need to switch to modern switching so that I have the pickup blend available. It's a great feel and the perfect sound.

Just for kicks, I tried a 60's AVRI Tele as well. Totally different animal! The rosewood fretboard doesn't feel as native to the instrument but is nice enough. Tone is radically different though, and fun in its own right but nothing like a 50's Tele. Very surf-like. In fact, the one I tried was a gorgeous surf green! I wouldn't mind having one but it isn't essential, and I prefer to use other guitars for that surf sound. Very well-made though.

The Classic Vibe 60's Squier Jazz Bass is great for the money and better than most Fender Jazz Basses in terms of the pickups being fairly vintage, but it growls too easily and the tone knob does nothing unless you're high on the neck, meaning it's generally too bright and a bit hard to tame. The neck feels more guitar-like than bass-like. A good recommendation for those on a budget as I find it better than the American Standard or anything else other than the AVRI models.

[mhschmieder]

Yamaha have just revived their 1990's Pacifica line of guitars that feature a P-90 Seymour Duncan PUP at the neck position and a humbucker at the bridge position:

http://europe.yamaha.com/en/products/mu ... pac611hfm/

http://europe.yamaha.com/en/products/mu ... a/pac311h/

These look intriguing, but I doubt anyone will carry them (I had to special order my Yamaha basses).

[monkey man]

Lots happening in the bass department, eh Mark? Ripper man!

Finally ordered my one-and-only guitar (I'll sell my old L6), and it's now due in May (3 delays on shipping). This thing will have to do for some years until I can begin to expand the arsenal of one. It's a... (wait for it... I'm so damned predictable)...

Line6 Tyler Variax 69 (strat-style) in black. The sunburst model looks weird IMHO due to the unusual shape of the scratch plate and the tuning wheel's dark colour on said plate. Oh, and also because of the fact that the hummie and SPs are different colours. Too much going on there. The red and blue models actually look good IMHO; somehow the white SP works on them. However, because I plan to make all sorts of music, I wanted something neutral, so to speak, even if the black model's quite drab and generally ho-hum looking.

The big deal for me, assuming the ruddy thing stays in tune (long history there), is that, equipped with the latest FW update that tweaks the acoustic models, this thing should take care of all my guitar sounds for the next few years. I'd planned on buying a L6 acoustic for several years, but thanks to this new axe I may well be able to truly turn to one guitar for everything. By all accounts the acoustic models absolutely slaughter those on my old V'axe, and should therefore be "acceptable" in the mix. The models on my old guitar literally sound like electro acoustics DI'd into the desk. All piezo and nothing else. Shocking, really. Crazy stuff happening in the high end. All that's gone now, apparently. Yay! In fact, I'm told by the wholesaler that the quality of the models and the fact that they seem to work on the solid-body electrics is the very reason for L6's discontinuing the acoustic line some time back. Even the body resonances are, I'm told, translated - tap the body etc.

I know it'll be a piece of you-know-what to most of you guys, but this is a purely convenience and budget-driven decision. Please feel free to cross your fingers that it works; if it does it'll end a... ahem... 33 year quest littered with radioactive fallout, and mark the "start" of my guitar journey. I think I'm excited all over again.

[zed]

Hey Monkey Man,

It's great to know that you've pulled the trigger. Indeed I wish I had ended up with one of those guitars, but it is going to be a while now with the state of my finances.

Please make sure that you have a 100% return policy and that you don't hesitate to return it if you find anything wrong with that guitar. There have been a lot of recurring issues of quality control, and I recently saw a live demo of these guitars in my city and one of the main issues happened to the demonstrator right before my very eyes. His demonstration was disrupted for 10 minutes while he applied a make-shift solution involving a wad of paper. He was embarrassed, and I was not impressed.

As for the look of the guitars, I initially wanted a JTV-69, even though that pick guard design, the headstock, and the available colours really don't turn my crank. Since cancelling my order, and taking an 7-8 month breather from anticipating it's arrival, I have now decided that unless they come out with new models I will only buy the JTV-59 from the current available models. That is the only one I can hang on my wall and not be constantly reminded of the unpleasing design choices. Drawback--no whammy bar, and a different system for accessing the guitar models.

I would prefer that they just released a new model that is more appealing all around... but that may be years in coming, and perhaps never. I may one day get a custom 69 with a colour scheme that appeals to me and replace the neck, but money will have to no longer be an issue.

I wish you a quick delivery, and hope it is one of the good ones and serves you well. I was just playing my 600 a couple of days ago and marvelling at how for numerous things I like it better than the actual guitars it is emulating. It doesn't emulate every aspect of the guitars and all subtleties of magnetic pickups, but it does what it does very well, and the result often sounds more pleasing and controlled. Wouldn't want to be without it.