Fenders or Gibsons?

Sincere thanks for the advice, chums!

I'll let you know if/when/how I take the plunge into axesmith superstardom....

C'mon, groupies! Atta girl -- shake hands with it!

Summer of Sixty-nine... Fellow Canuck and all.

danbo wrote: I think quality waivers in the face of mass production, however, the competition has really stepped up when you talk about affordable guitars. It's easier for a smaller company to make the product now, since machining equipment is more affordable than previously. Seems like I see at least four or five kids a day carrying guitar cases, sprawled on the turf at the college or playing in front of the local coffee houses. It's much more common then in my youth. Seems like everyone is playing a guitar, some very well.

The UK is much more DJ culture these days but I notice that the proportion of guitar bands has risen slightly over the last eighteen months. In London we have a road called Denmark Street that is well know for music shops and the activity there recently is almost frenetic.

There's a similar street in New York (where I bought my Ovation) called 53rd street??...

...Hhmm, not sure I got that right but it's a cool place.

I can't fault your logic arcer. You have a realistic yet creative array of instruments for a fraction of the cost that the 'real' thing would cost.

If, for example, you had struck up a huge record deal that would enable you to afford all the wonderful toys you mentioned, I'm not sure that even then, you'd be able to 'get away' with much without falling foul of the sound Nazis.

Your set up sounds great.

thanks sigod, the set-up could be better but I've pretty much got all i need save for a rock solid drummer with incredible feel, adventurous spirit and intelligence (to dream the impossible dream ) and, oh yeah, a good voice and some talent on my part  hahahahahaha!

James, I've always wanted a proper Gibson, but I refuse to pay the crazy prices they command. I'll make do... I think half the people who buy them just prop em up in the corner of the living room for style value anyway!!!

For the tech nerds my full set up is:

3ghz pc with 120gb hard drive 1gb ram, M-audio delta 66 soundcard, m-audio 4 port usb midi thing, running Cubase SX, Recycle and Sound Forge bunch of plug-in effects mostly shareware (why can't i find a good reverb for nothin'!!!!!)

keys/softsynths:

Native Instruments XPRESS B4, Pro 53, FM7, M-Tron, ImpOscar, MDA electric piano plug-in for Rhodes, a bunch of other shareware VST Instruments that are of varying value and an outboard Roland JV1010 with the keys of the 60s and 70s card, all running from a Evolution MK249 mid keyboard

Guitars:

Fender Telecaster, Epiphone G1275 6 and 12 string electric, Hohner st 57, Hohner st 59, Yamaha FG365SE electro-acosutic, Yamaha SA245 classical, a Tanglewood NS1215 12-string acoustic, Vintage AMG1 Resonator guitar (dobro), Cimar electric bass (Ibanez offshoot)

Korg AX100G phsycial modelling amps and fx pedal thing Tube screamer, Sovtek small stone, DOD Overdrive and Stereo Turbo Chorus

Drums:

Boss Dr Rhythm and endless loop and sample CDS

With all that I think I've pretty much covered all the bases, though I always want more toys.... lounge lizard, cs80 etc (and I'm a lousy keyboard player!!!!)

James Lee wrote: I was checking out Les Pauls on eBay last night and I'm shocked at how much even used, recent models are going for. I paid less for each of my first three cars!

Well, I have an older model Gibson Les Paul Jr at my house, which goes for about six grand, acording to the guy I brought it to. However, I've seen similar models on eBay going at about 10,000 U.S. So maybe the guy I took it to was an idiot, but it's more likely the fact that people have this weird obsession with adding Gibsons to their collection.

Anybody have a "one that got away" story?

When I was learning how to play I used to go to every little music shop I could find and some of the oldest, dirtiest and tiniest had some real gems (that I didn't know about until years afterwards). I could have bought an original Big Muff for $45, a TR-909 for $125. Both seemed far too expensive to me for what they were...

I have a story. In the 70's my dad went into a steves music store and saw a beautifull OVATION on display for 360$. He couldnt believe it, but as he anylized it he saw that there was a huge crack along the body. He asked a guy working at the time about it and the guy said; "sure ill get one from upstairs". So the guy went up to get the other one and then my dada realized....."sh*t! its prolly on sale cuz its cracked!" But the guy came down with beautty gitar' in hand and said it was still the same price. But as my dad got his receipt and the manager (Steve)came down he looked at the price on the cash register and saw the guitar in my dads hand and the one still on display.... my dad hitailed it outta there!!! hey, he had his receipt and all, so they couldnt do squat! preatty sweet.... a few weeks later some guy told my dad the guy got fired after quite the outburst by Steve. Hey.. the guy got fired..but....OVATION!! IMHO the best acoustic you can get next to martin (MAN THEY GO FOR ALOT!!!).

Back to the thread... i have to say i prefer Fender. My dad has a Gibson Les Paul and all though it looks orgasmic and has beautifull sustain and has a fuller sound superior to fender... i go with feel any time.. Playing wise, fenders are simply superior, is it a wonder that Hendrix, Gilmour, Vaughn and other greats played them?I just prefer the thiner fast neck of a tele or Strat to the clunkly feel of a Gibson. I love my Tele but my problem with it is the thin sound. You can make a gibson sound like a strat, but you cant make a Fender sound like a Gibson. The pickup control on Gibsons is also superior, but once again: Its all about how the guitar feels. My dad also has a Ibanez Les Paul Copy, its very nice and i personally prefer it to the real thing(thiner neck). Its from the 70's way before they started making their more "stratish" models.We called some moron and he said it was a cheap guitar, no more than 125$, whatever, i cant believe that. Oh yeah, this is REALLY GONNA MAKE YOU GUYS JEALOUS. You know how much my dad got his Gibson for?.....here it comes..................250$!!!!!!!!!! Its crazy ehh?? Some idiot at a pawn shop sold it to him for that price. My dad owns an alarm system company so he instlaled an alarm in the shop (only a days worth of labour) and paid the 250. He was so happy!! for days he was like a fat kid in a candy store. Yup, my dad is a lucky fellow, as oppossed to me who pays 750$ for a tele.

yup...... FENDER HANDS DOWN!