Favourite Guitar Manufacturers and Why
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Topic: Favourite Guitar Manufacturers and Why
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Subject: Favourite Guitar Manufacturers and Why
Date Posted: December 29 2007 at 22:52
| What brands of guitar do you prefer, what guitar more specifically and why? |
Replies:
Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: January 14 2008 at 12:54
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My favourite brands are Fender and Gretsch (which is owned by Fender!) Why Fender? I love the simplicity of Telecasters and the sound they make through my Marshall Valvestate 100w combo (bass, mid and treble full on and gain at about halfway). It's what an electric guitar should sound like. Why Gretsch? They look amazing! I always dreamed of owning a White Falcon but they're VERY expensive and have far too many controls. Put two switches next to each other and I'll go for the wrong one. Luckily for me there's the 6120 Brian Setzer Hot Rod which only has a volume control and a pickup selector - nothing else. It's great to play and has a unique sound which is enhanced by the Bigsby wobble truncheon, fantastic when the guitar starts to come alive at volume and feedback threatens to take over! ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: January 14 2008 at 17:24
| Paul Reed Smith makes some of the best guitars on the planet-- they play like butter, sound like gold and look like art |
Posted By: asimplemistake
Date Posted: January 14 2008 at 17:34
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Fender and PRS all the way. I own a Fender and love everything about it except that it goes out of tune a lot (classic tremolo bridge). Playing it though is very fun, it's great for bluesy (and jazzy) solos. For Acoustics, I LOVE Ovations. Own one of their acoustic-electrics and its just perfect, although it sounds better unamplified. |
Posted By: flickfan82x
Date Posted: February 01 2008 at 15:24
| Fenders... My first guitar was a Squier I got for Christmas. |
Posted By: N Ellingworth
Date Posted: February 01 2008 at 16:30
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Personally I don't really look at brand, but it just happens that Gibson (plus Epiphone) and Steinberger make guitars which suit me perfectly. From the Gibson style of design my personal favourite is the SG, when tuned to BEADF#B it is staggeringly aggressive and heavy, but also able to produce delicate albeit low pitched tones. The most famous Steinbergers are the 'broom' shaped ones but I prefer the strat style guitars, same sound and feel but they can actually be played comfortably sitting down. I usually use my Steinberger for ambient music as it's crisp tone is great for effect and Ebow abuse. I also play a lapsteel guitar but can't really discuss manufacturers since my knowledge of them is very limited all I know is that I love playing them. |
Posted By: SpaceMonkey
Date Posted: February 02 2008 at 02:20
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Ibanez was the main brand for the past six years, but I finally sold my one six string and I purchased the Ernie Ball Petrucci Special. Last night in fact. Ibanez: I was always a metal, even before becoming exposed to prog and even now, and this brand always seemed to give me what I wanted; whether it was feel, sound, and what not.Ernie Ball; I really enjoyed the petitness of a fender, but was never satisfied with it's sound, the Petrucci is amazing.
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Posted By: mystic fred
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 03:17
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i have tried many different guitars, and have settled for Fenders - i always wanted an SG but had problems with the wide neck, high frets and high string tension. The Les Paul was brilliant, silky smooth tone but i couldn't get used to the wide neck, high bridge and that p/u switch, had a mexican Strat and Telecaster which were great but have come full circle with an American Standard Strat, my only guitar now, it is worth the extra money as it is better finished and has better pickups and hardware than the copies. I also have a Fender Jazz Bass i'm happy with after trying an Ibanez and a Fender Precision copy (that wide neck again), the JB tone is amazing.
Whatever music you play you need to try as many guitars as you can over a long time, find a guitar that seems to have been designed for you personally, then you can forget about gear and concentrate on playing.
 -------------  Prog Archives Tour Van 
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Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 04:26
In retrospect my favorite guitar is a used Jem 555 bk: (this isn't my guitar, I used a wikimedia pic) The only problem is that the tuners are broken, because obviously the previous owner tightened them with a wrench ... I think that I'll order some replacement tuners from Ibanez and start using it again. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Mike" rel="nofollow">Recently listened to: 
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Posted By: activetopics
Date Posted: February 07 2008 at 09:07
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i love fender guitars and amps. they're the most versatile guitar i've ever played with, especially with a bridge humbucker pickup - i go from blues to metal in like all of my songs. im not too experienced with effects- i have an ibanez chorus pedal and a digitech recording device which i use for both guitar and vocal effects. i also have a crybaby wah. |
Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: February 29 2008 at 19:03
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My fave is Vantage. As long as they are ones made in Japan until the early 80s. I picked up a vp795 about 6 years ago for $200. In many comparisons that I've made when trying instruments at music shops, it keeps its' own more than adequately. Neck through body, and sustain for days. In fact about a month after I bought this fire red one, there was another that came into the second hand shop that I frequent. IT was priced at $135 as the neck pickup was scratchy. In my then naive state of guitar knowledge, I didn't want to take a chance so I passed it up. It was sold a week later. The buyer asked the store if they could take out the neck pickup for him, and he would eventually get around buying & having a new one installed. Turns out all that was wrong was some crap around the wiring, and a somewhat loose wire. And the best part ... despite their high quality ( along with their top of the line models, sold under the name Aria Pro), they are not considered collectible. Therefore, you can get them a very good prices. If you see one and it's in good shape, and please ensure that they are japanese made, try them. YOu may be in for a nice surprise. ------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |
Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: February 29 2008 at 19:18
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In case you're interested, here's a good site for Vantage specs. For those who know these things ... http://www.matsumoku.org/guitars.html ------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |
Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: March 04 2008 at 11:53
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Westone are another Matsumoku brand that made some amazing guitars in the early 80s. My first electric was a Thunder 1A, wish I still had it! I bought a Paduak 1 on Ebay for £120.00 a year or so ago, a beautiful guitar. ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: Statutory-Mike
Date Posted: March 04 2008 at 15:30
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I love everything about Gibson. I have an '80 SG (it used to be my dads), and it plays amazing, the fretboard is very smooth and the neck is small (personal preferance I guess though).
I also enjoy Jackson, I have a dinky and it serves very well for a back up guitar, or if I'm attemting something by vai or satch, I use the word "attemt" because no one can really do it like them  ------------- 
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Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: March 04 2008 at 18:11
True, I was just reading that the other night. The best part about a lot of these guitars is that their prices don't come close to reflecting their quality. SO if you're not into the "name" as THE way to determine how good a guitar is, these are a good bet. ------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |
A B Negative wrote:Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: March 04 2008 at 18:25
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Posted By: Trademark
Date Posted: March 05 2008 at 09:06
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"I use the word "attemt" because no one can really do it like them" Or even spell it properly. |
Posted By: Statutory-Mike
Date Posted: March 05 2008 at 12:17
 My mistake! I have seemed to have gone on a typo spree last night.-------------
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Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: March 06 2008 at 20:13
 ------------- 
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Posted By: Philéas
Date Posted: March 09 2008 at 08:10
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I'm not a guitarist, but in terms of basses (which is what I play) my favourites are Fender. Good quality at a (most of the time) reasonable price. I have a Classic-series Jazz bass, and I haven't found a bass that I like better (and I have tried out many high-end basses). Ibanez make some good stuff but there's something soulless about them. I prefer Yamaha. That said, I own an older Ibanez that's lovely (except the mic which I'll replace some day). |
Posted By: Anaon
Date Posted: March 09 2008 at 15:49
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Fender too! I played a lot of different brands but now, I finally found my Fender Strat and I've never played a neck so comfortable (for me) and the clean sound is fantastic!
------------- My music: http://spleenarcana.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - http://spleenarcana.bandcamp.com/ My blog: http://groovesandmemories.com/" rel="nofollow - http://groovesandmemories.com/ |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: March 11 2008 at 11:54
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Acoustics: Rob Armstrong hand-made guitars, including the all polymer guitar featured on Gordon Giltrap's latest album. ------------- The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS. CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php - http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php Host by PA's Dick Heath. |
Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: March 18 2008 at 14:14
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Just in case you're looking at buying an acoustic, here's something I just learned. As Gibson has bought up Garrison guitars, they've also voided all existing warranties on the brand. It seems that because they are made of composites, they don't handle changes in temperature / humidity / i.e. any climate change. The guitar tech at a local music shop tells me that if , for example, you live in a relatively cold & humid climate such as Newfoundland Canada, it is not a good idea to bring a Garrison acoustic with you to say a drier climate like the midwest U.S. . The various composites used in its' construction will expand & contract at different rates. Mind you, if you know you're home to stay, they are still a great buy. Just keep it in mind if you 're a bit nomadic.
------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |
Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: March 19 2008 at 12:24
Strange, I'm sure the composite construction was originally praised for its stability... ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: April 21 2008 at 23:50
Just curious, which strat do you have? I tend to not really like MIM strats, but some of the MIA strats are pretty nice. -------------
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Posted By: Certif1ed
Date Posted: April 22 2008 at 04:07
Matsumoku for me;
In the late 1970s/early 1980s Uncle Matt (as afficionados like to call the Japanese manufacturer) turned out some stunning Fender/Gibson copies that play at least as well as the instruments they were imitating, and sound almost as good - for a fraction of the price.
There followed a lawsuit, naturally - some of the instruments really took the cake with names like LeoPard (in the squiggly writing, this bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain Gibson model... http://imageevent.com/chingo123/april/ariaproiileopardblack3066 - http://imageevent.com/chingo123/april/ariaproiileopardblack3066 , http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/pe/nptype/nptypes.html - http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/pe/nptype/nptypes.html , http://www.guitarsandeffects.com/guitarimages2006/ibanez_lawsuit_lp_custom74/ibanez_lawsuit_lespaul_custom_74_002.jpg - http://www.guitarsandeffects.com/guitarimages2006/ibanez_lawsuit_lp_custom74/ibanez_lawsuit_lespaul_custom_74_002.jpg ), and the company began to turn out some really cool original models.
The Electra MPC guitars are particularly cool, as effects units were produced that actually plug into the guitar - effecting the sound at source.
Matsumoku were responsible for turning out Aria, Ibanez and Westone guitars in the 1980s.
Dave Brock recently sold one of his treasured Paduak guitars on eBay - I've never played one, but they have a better reputation than name.
I currently own a Westone Thunder 1A, a most versatile instrument - and recently acquired the bass version, which competes very well with my Sandberg Basic Ken Taylor in terms of range of sounds.
Still more recently, I obtained a Westone Dimension IV - a slinkier copy of the ESP Random Star/Gibson Explorer, which features very high output UBC (unbalanced coil) humbuckers. Literally, these go up to 11... (11k!). Not quite up there with your Seymour Duncan Invaders, but the UBCs produce much richer harmonics than balanced coils can.
The coil split feature combined with the middle single coil PUP mean that it's quite easy to get a clean strat-like sound as well as a huge dirty Gibson-like sound from this baby.
http://www.westone.info/cats/85dyndimflyer/us02.html - http://www.westone.info/cats/85dyndimflyer/us02.html
Very Metal  ------------- The important thing is not to stop questioning. |
Posted By: jme
Date Posted: April 24 2008 at 11:29
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my first REAL electric guitar was a westbury standard. it was a solid body electric, with two dimarzio humbuckers. it had a gibson les paul special type of feel to it. i played it for many years.
one day, i was turned on to more of a "fender-type" guitar. i got a peavey impact firenza. it was seafoam green, tremolo, one buck on the bridge and two single coils in neck and mid positions. and bolt on neck. i liked the feel of the peavey better. and the twang of the combination of the trem, single coils and bolt on neck grew on me. i have also owned a couple of cheap harmony (or similar, with no name on headstock!) guitars, and a dannelectro, which i really liked! it just came to the place where i was not playing it anymore, so i sold it. a year ago, i bought my first REAL strat! a reverse headstock, 60s style strat. it is made in mexico, which i was told bad things about. but, i LOVE it! it plays so good, it almost plays itself! i pick it up, and it feels like the guitar i should have had all along! ------------- "gravity: it's what's for dinner!" |
Posted By: jme
Date Posted: April 24 2008 at 11:32
i like the "dirty" sound with a fender too! mine has alnico single coil pickups, and they have a life of their own! i like single coils through a cranked tube amp, and a tube overdrive box if needed. an mxr distortion + sounds good too (they sound more like soft overdrive than distortion!). ------------- "gravity: it's what's for dinner!" |
Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: April 27 2008 at 06:16
I have a MIM Strat and I've played a couple of MIM Teles, all of which were great guitars for the price. What is it you don't like about MIM Strats? ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: April 27 2008 at 06:36
It's not so much they are particularly bad guitars, but for the money, I can get a better playing, sounding Japanese or Korean guitar guitar. For example, for the same price as a H-S-S MIM strat, I could get a Jackson DK2, which comes with far nicer pickups in H-S-S (mind you the single coils are noiseless ), nicer finish, plays way way better, and is very versatile (more so than most people imagine a Jackson is capable of) and nothing stays in tune like a floyd, and if you don't like it floating, you can always block the trem, have an essentially fixed bridge and still get the benefits of the tuning stability of a double locked system.-------------
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Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: April 28 2008 at 10:45
It all depends on your style. I hate locking trems and I'm not too keen on pointy headstocks! I got my MIM Strat on Ebay for £200 (about $430 Australian) second hand. It was in almost mint condition and the previous owner had replaced the bridge pickup with a DiMarzio so I reckon I got a bargain. ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: ewblank
Date Posted: April 30 2008 at 08:52
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Hey there, I'm also a fan of the 70's and 80's era Japanese guitars from Ibanez and Aria/Vantage. Don't ask me why - but I just think that those Japanese made guitars were built to last and they age very well. One brand / model I would love to own one day is a Univox Ripper - that's a Japanese strat-style copy from the 80's but with 3 humbucker instead of single coils. I let one of those slip though my fingers about 6 years ago - found it in a pawn shop, but didn't have the cash. When I did go back - it was gone. I've been jonesing for one ever since. cheers, ew |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: May 09 2008 at 09:55
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^I have to agree, MIJ guitars are generally very well built. A lot of people gave Ibanez flack for changing the S Series production from MIJ to MIK a few years back, and when they finally starting making a new MIJ S series for 08, it was much applauded, so go figure on the MIJ quality, not only one how it's actually built, but how we generally perceive how well MIJ guitars will feel to us. -------------
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