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[CFMOORE!]

vintage/used acoustic shopping-wise, I am in the market for something. Anyone have suggestions from Gibson/Martin/Taylor? Lets say the budget is up to $1.5k. I never pay attention to acoustics so don't know what models are best and such. thanks! not opposed to new if the newer stuff is BETTER than something older. and when i say vintage, i mean like 80s-90s, which isn't true vintage obviously

 

[sgjackson]

vintage/used acoustic shopping-wise, I am in the market for something. Anyone have suggestions from Gibson/Martin/Taylor? Lets say the budget is up to $1.5k. I never pay attention to acoustics so don't know what models are best and such. thanks! not opposed to new if the newer stuff is BETTER than something older. and when i say vintage, i mean like 80s-90s, which isn't true vintage obviously

this is probably preaching to the choir but the most common martins and the most common taylors have very different sounds and you probably want to listen to one of each in person to see which you like more. taylors are brighter to my ear, martins are warmer, i much prefer the latter, you might not.

when i was acoustic shopping i ended up with a gibson j-15, as it gave me the warmth i liked from the martins i tried but had a little more harmonic richness (maybe cause of the walnut?), so i might see how one of those sounds compared to the more obvious choices.

 

[saizo]

What's the consensus on upgrading the electronics to the guitar as opposed to just buying a new one.

I have an epiphone les paul standard and only play at home, so the amp factor is significantly diminished. That being said I've been wanting to get an american standard but won't really be able to shell out that kinda cash for quite some time.

I know pickups can go for a couple hundred, so I was thinking about doing that.

 

[EVOL 100%]

What's the consensus on upgrading the electronics to the guitar as opposed to just buying a new one.

I have an epiphone les paul standard and only play at home, so the amp factor is significantly diminished. That being said I've been wanting to get an american standard but won't really be able to shell out that kinda cash for quite some time.

I know pickups can go for a couple hundred, so I was thinking about doing that.

Absolutely viable. You don't necessarily have to shell out a ton of money to get good pickups, and they will sound better than the ones that you have right now.

If you like your guitar enough, there isn't really any pragmatic reasons to shell out over a grand to get a marginally (imo) guitar when you can just switch out some hardware and electronics to get exactly what you want.

Then again, modding guitars is half of the fun for me, ymmv

 

[adamsappel]

Nothing wrong with buying Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, or official Fender or Gibson pickups, but there are many boutique pickup companies that have very reasonable prices and will build to your request as well.

BYO Guitar

Pribora

Wilde/Bill Lawrence

Ken Rose

Cavalier

Guitar Fetish

ToneRider

Also, inexpensive Chinese pickups

You might also try adjusting your pickup height first, to see if it helps with whatever you think your current pickups lack.

 

[teruterubozu]

What's the consensus on upgrading the electronics to the guitar as opposed to just buying a new one.

I have an epiphone les paul standard and only play at home, so the amp factor is significantly diminished. That being said I've been wanting to get an american standard but won't really be able to shell out that kinda cash for quite some time.

I know pickups can go for a couple hundred, so I was thinking about doing that.

Like EVOL says you don't have to spend a whole lot to improve on stock pickups (although I personally like the stock pickups in most Epiphones). Of course Seymour Duncans, EMGs, Dimarzios, etc. are the most common upper end upgrades, but there are plenty of affordable pickups that deliver great sounds. Some of the popular budget brand pickups include Guitar Fetish (a.k.a. GFS), Dragonfire and Wilkinson. If you're gonna swap the pickups you might as well change the harness/electronics too with better wires, pots and tone capacitors.

edit: ah adamsappel included some great choices as well.

 

[trebbble]

You might also try adjusting your pickup height first, to see if it helps with whatever you think your current pickups lack.

This. You can change your sound considerably by making relatively small height adjustments. I keep my pickups a bit lower than I used to and it really opened up the volume controls on my guitars.

Gibson and Fender both have setup guidelines on their site that make for good starting points.

 

[TimeEffect]

Guitar is immaterial to it. I'm going to write this out for a song major key (happy!). For a given key, some chords are major and some are minor (and others).

e.g., in C, the chords are C, F, G (or G7), Dm, Em, Am, Bdim. The major chords correspond to the first, fourth, and fifth notes of the scale, while the minor chords are the second, third, and sixth, with a diminished chord being on the seventh. These are commonly denoted with uppercase (major) and lowercase (minor) roman numerals.

So, if you have a song that goes:

| E | B | C#m | A | E | B | E | A |

You can see that you have E, A, B major chords and a C# minor chord. This lines up with E, whose major scale is E F# G# A B C# D# E.

It can get more complicated— e.g. Don't Think Twice by Bob Dylan, which has C, C7, F, G, G7, D7, Am. Mostly it's C, but that D7 sticks out.

Thanks. It seems like the first chord in songs I find in Ultimate-Guitar are the "Key" for most songs.

Now, I know I can find the chords following the key, but what about the notes?

I can't just play the chords in a song as it doesn't sound as good as some songs have notes plucked in, but do I just guess around as to which notes to play, or are there specific notes based on the key?

 

[saizo]

Like EVOL says you don't have to spend a whole lot to improve on stock pickups (although I personally like the stock pickups in most Epiphones). Of course Seymour Duncans, EMGs, Dimarzios, etc. are the most common upper end upgrades, but there are plenty of affordable pickups that deliver great sounds. Some of the popular budget brand pickups include Guitar Fetish (a.k.a. GFS), Dragonfire and Wilkinson. If you're gonna swap the pickups you might as well change the harness/electronics too with better wires, pots and tone capacitors.

edit: ah adamsappel included some great choices as well.

Sweet, I guess I'll have to start doing some research on pickups. I've already heard of Dimarzios quite a bit, so I guess I'll start there. I'm looking to keep the inherent qualities of my les paul in mind, so that'll be a good place to focus on. Thanks for the help guys!

 

[TimeEffect]

Also, I dont know if my guitar is right for me. I cant even seem to hold an Am chord without my fingers muting a string, yet the guitar is pretty big as is (acoustic).

 

[zbarron]

Also, I dont know if my guitar is right for me. I cant even seem to hold an Am chord without my fingers muting a string, yet the guitar is pretty big as is (acoustic).

Are you using your fingertips by the nail or the pads? If you're new to an acoustic it's going to be uncomfortable to play until you build up your callouses, but build them you must. It might also need a setup. If not a lower gauge string might help.

 

[saizo]

Also, I dont know if my guitar is right for me. I cant even seem to hold an Am chord without my fingers muting a string, yet the guitar is pretty big as is (acoustic).

How long have you been playing? I've been playing (wrong) for 10 months now and couldn't get the strings to stop buzzing until I put in some dedicated grinding time into playing chords.

Also just for clarification, are you getting just a muted sound or a buzzing sound?
Buzzing usually means you're too far from the fret and/or not pressing down hard enough.

If you're muting strings you aren't fretting you'll have to work on your finger placement.

 

[TimeEffect]

Are you using your fingertips by the nail or the pads? If you're new to an acoustic it's going to be uncomfortable to play until you build up your callouses, but build them you must. It might also need a setup. If not a lower gauge string might help.

I guess Im using the pads

How long have you been playing? I've been playing (wrong) for 10 months now and couldn't get the strings to stop buzzing until I put in some dedicated grinding time into playing chords.

Also just for clarification, are you getting just a muted sound or a buzzing sound?
Buzzing usually means you're too far from the fret and/or not pressing down hard enough.

If you're muting strings you aren't fretting you'll have to work on your finger placement.

On and off for about... 10 years. Mostly off.

I am terrible man. I think I picked up bad habits and never kicked them so Im trying to relearn everything.

Can read notes and know my chords, but god do I struggle with rhythm, improvising, and I stumble everywhere.

Im so disappointed in myself. I dont even know where to learn and improve from.

 

[SocksAndShoes]

I guess Im using the pads



On and off for about... 10 years. Mostly off.

I am terrible man. I think I picked up bad habits and never kicked them so Im trying to relearn everything.

Can read notes and know my chords, but god do I struggle with rhythm, improvising, and I stumble everywhere.

Im so disappointed in myself. I dont even know where to learn and improve from.

Just keep at it man, I've been playing for 16 years and still learn something new every time I pick up the guitar. It took me a solid decade to be able to do pinch harmonics and some other advanced techniques. I still suck at a lot of stuff.

The first few months of trying to really "get" guitar are definitely the hardest. Just keep plugging away, learn from as many resources as you can, and you'll be fine.

 

[TimeEffect]

Just keep at it man, I've been playing for 16 years and still learn something new every time I pick up the guitar. It took me a solid decade to be able to do pinch harmonics and some other advanced techniques. I still suck at a lot of stuff.

The first few months of trying to really "get" guitar are definitely the hardest. Just keep plugging away, learn from as many resources as you can, and you'll be fine.

Feel like Im overwhelmed with sources and where Im stuck.

I think I need to learn scales and notes off by heart on the fretboard. But Im still not getting how songs are written. They are written in a key, so that means certain notes will be played over and over again to make the melody.

When I try to learn a song, I see the chords on Ultime Guitar. But the chords are not enough as they need to made into notes, and I struggle really hard with that.

I know its practice, but I hate the feeling of learning with no direction.

 

[EVOL 100%]

Feel like Im overwhelmed with sources and where Im stuck.

I think I need to learn scales and notes off by heart on the fretboard. But Im still not getting how songs are written. They are written in a key, so that means certain notes will be played over and over again to make the melody.

When I try to learn a song, I see the chords on Ultime Guitar. But the chords are not enough as they need to made into notes, and I struggle really hard with that.

I know its practice, but I hate the feeling of learning with no direction.

Learning some theory might be good, and transposing yourself instead of relying on tabs/chord charts is difficult at first, but will do you a lot of good.

 

[trebbble]

Does anyone find themselves playing seasonally?

I haven’t played that much this summer, other than a single paid gig. But now that the fall is almost here, I’m getting the itch to play more and more. Anyone else the same? 🎸

 

[CrudeDiatribe]

I know I can find the chords following the key, but what about the notes?

I can't just play the chords in a song as it doesn't sound as good as some songs have notes plucked in, but do I just guess around as to which notes to play, or are there specific notes based on the key?

Yeah; mostly the notes will be be from the scale corresponding to the key. There are variations of course, but this is a good place to start. Once you get comfortable with that you can look up blues, modes, and playing with the changes (three different things).

 

[zbarron]

How good of a deal is this?

https://cleveland.craigslist.org/msg/d/gibson-sg-bass-guitar-with/6340077084.html

 

[adamsappel]

How good of a deal is this?

https://cleveland.craigslist.org/msg/d/gibson-sg-bass-guitar-with/6340077084.html

Looks like it typically sells for around $700-$800.

 

[teruterubozu]

How good of a deal is this?

https://cleveland.craigslist.org/msg/d/gibson-sg-bass-guitar-with/6340077084.html

Very good, but whenever it says Gibson and a low too-good-to-be-true price, 9 times out of 10 it's a Chinese fake. Especially when the seller doesn't post pictures of the headstock, a must when selling a Gibson level guitar/bass.

 

[zbarron]

Looks like it typically sells for around $700-$800.

Very good, but whenever it says Gibson and a low too-good-to-be-true price, 9 times out of 10 it's a Chinese fake. Especially when the seller doesn't post pictures of the headstock, a must when selling a Gibson level guitar/bass.

Thanks. I was afraid of that so I sent this as my email.

Hey. I was wondering if you still had the Gibson SG Bass available. Do you have any more pictures? I would very much like to purchase it.

I'm not even particularly looking for a bass at the moment, but if it is legit, that price just seemed too good to pass up.

 

[teruterubozu]

Thanks. I was afraid of that so I sent this as my email.

I'm not even particularly looking for a bass at the moment, but if it is legit, that price just seemed too good to pass up.

Yeah he's probably ignoring those pic requests. It's been up for 3 days and at that price it should be gone by now.
I picked up the Epiphone version of that bass - the EB-3. $150 with case and shipping off eBay.

I meant to post this earlier but my swirl painted '87 Ibanez Radius is done and I put it back together! The dude did an amazing paint job!

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

I wonder why Guitar Center rarely expands their zero interest financing to used gear. They currently have 36 months zero interest, but only on new gear. They had 48 months a couple weeks back, but it was the same thing. New gear only. I'm curious why.

I assume they are like Gamestop where they make more profits off of used gear. Is that wrong? They do do it on occasion, or at least they did like a year and a half ago, 'cause I got my PRS Singlecut for 24 months interest free. Haven't seen that since.

 

[teruterubozu]

I wonder why Guitar Center rarely expands their zero interest financing to used gear. They currently have 36 months zero interest, but only on new gear. They had 48 months a couple weeks back, but it was the same thing. New gear only. I'm curious why.

I assume they are like Gamestop where they make more profits off of used gear. Is that wrong? They do do it on occasion, or at least they did like a year and a half ago, 'cause I got my PRS Singlecut for 24 months interest free. Haven't seen that since.

Are you sure it was a year and half ago? Cuz they've always done that with used gear. Maybe it was B-stock and not really used? They treat used gear completely different from new. Sale prices like their 25% periods also don't reflect on used gear. If you look hard you can find some amazing deals in the used section though. I scored this Tony Iommi signature for $399 and it usually retails for $800. Still has plastic on the truss rod cover and backplate, completely mint.

 

[30yearsofhurt]

I meant to post this earlier but my swirl painted '87 Ibanez Radius is done and I put it back together! The dude did an amazing paint job!

Is the Radius the hollow-bodied mahogany guitar or am I thinking of something else?

 

[zbarron]

Yeah he's probably ignoring those pic requests. It's been up for 3 days and at that price it should be gone by now.
I picked up the Epiphone version of that bass - the EB-3. $150 with case and shipping off eBay.

I meant to post this earlier but my swirl painted '87 Ibanez Radius is done and I put it back together! The dude did an amazing paint job!

Looks nice. I love the strap with it.

Are you sure it was a year and half ago? Cuz they've always done that with used gear. Maybe it was B-stock and not really used? They treat used gear completely different from new. Sale prices like their 25% periods also don't reflect on used gear. If you look hard you can find some amazing deals in the used section though. I scored this Tony Iommi signature for $399 and it usually retails for $800. Still has plastic on the truss rod cover and backplate, completely mint.

Very nice. What does this bring your collection up to?

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Are you sure it was a year and half ago? Cuz they've always done that with used gear. Maybe it was B-stock and not really used? They treat used gear completely different from new. Sale prices like their 25% periods also don't reflect on used gear. If you look hard you can find some amazing deals in the used section though. I scored this Tony Iommi signature for $399 and it usually retails for $800. Still has plastic on the truss rod cover and backplate, completely mint.

Yep. Just checked my card, it shows 24 months interest free:

and here's the order itself where you can see the used gear:

Now they never seem to extend that to used stuff, which is lame. I can't imagine myself every buying a brand new guitar. It just doesn't make sense to me, since the moment I hold it, it is no longer new.

EDIT: Oh, and just to be clear, I had some gift cards I used for the rest of the order, that's why the totals are different.

 

[Grokbu]

Hey guys!

I'm planning on buying an amp for my electric guitar (currently only using a multi-effect pedal with headphones, but I'm planning on not using that one anymore), and wanted to ask for some advice on what to get. I'm planning on spending a maximum of around $250.
I'm quite bad at explaining what sort of sound I'm looking for, and might even be incorrect in my explanation, so I apologize for that.

The sort of sound I want to be able to achieve is having a distortion while still sounding very clear (as in not 'muddled') and having a bit of 'punch' to it (maybe a bit bassy feel without being 'heavy'?). And I would also like the sound to feel 'hi-fi' as well, as if there's a lot of 'depth' to the sound when playing a chord. Maybe this all contradicts itself in the end. :/

I would like to be able to get the sort of sound through the amp without having to connect it to a PC/mix with DAWs etc.

I've got an example of the sort of sound I would like to be able to achieve though (the general sound of the guitars in this song): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCXjhahk5XU (both rhythm and lead guitars)

The amp speaker itself doesn't have to be too loud, as I'm mostly going to be playing through my headphones. Effects such as phasers, delay and octavers etc. aren't necessary either.

Thanks!

Edit: Ok, there! I'm done editing (for now).

 

[Scottify]

I'm a fan of Blackstar amps. This one seems to have a lot of what you were looking for: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/IDCORE40V2

You can never really go wrong with Marshall and I've heard a lot of good things about their Code series amps. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Code25Combo

 

[TheCochese]

Really like my Code, even though I haven't played much at all since I got it (life issues).

 

[adamsappel]

If you want a tube amp for bigger, gig volume and natural distortion, try the Monoprice 15W, currently on sale for $180 (spend $20 more and get 20% off, so essentially a free $20 to spend). I've read nothing but praise for this amp, except for the reverb tank which has since been upgraded. I have the 5W, which is also nice, but wish I'd gone for the 15W.

I just noticed you want to play with headphones, so I guess that's out. Still a great deal for anyone else!

You want a solid-state amp, then. For $250, I recommend the Boss Katana 50W (on sale for $219, a great price!), the Fender Mustang GT40, the Marshall CODE 50 or a VOX VT40X or VOX AV15 (I have the AV30 and love it). All are able to get the tones you linked, though the Boss and VOX are less "modelers" and more "voiced" amps. The Mustang and CODE can be tweaked to the exact tone, but this can be a PIA if you would rather just plug-in and play. The Boss has the full range of Boss pedals to use in the signal chain as well.

That's just brand new stuff. If you want used, try Craigslist for any of the above, or Guitar Center online for a Fender Champion 100, Boss Katana 50W ($150! Buy it before I do, please), Fender Mustang III.

 

[CFMOORE!]

this is probably preaching to the choir but the most common martins and the most common taylors have very different sounds and you probably want to listen to one of each in person to see which you like more. taylors are brighter to my ear, martins are warmer, i much prefer the latter, you might not.

when i was acoustic shopping i ended up with a gibson j-15, as it gave me the warmth i liked from the martins i tried but had a little more harmonic richness (maybe cause of the walnut?), so i might see how one of those sounds compared to the more obvious choices.

randomly went into a Sam Ash to kill time and decided to go into the acoustic room and fiddle around. i tried a Taylor 110E and a Martin 000X1AE, both in the $600 range new, I was surprised by (shouldn't have been though) by the differences in sound. Even another Taylor compared to the 110E was insanely different and the woods weren't that much different from one another.

I REALLY like the sound and play feel of the Taylor 110E. Anyone have experience with it?

 

[zbarron]

If you want a tube amp for bigger, gig volume and natural distortion, try the Monoprice 15W, currently on sale for $180 (spend $20 more and get 20% off, so essentially a free $20 to spend). I've read nothing but praise for this amp, except for the reverb tank which has since been upgraded. I have the 5W, which is also nice, but wish I'd gone for the 15W.

I was actually just looking at that. Shame the coupon code doesn't work on their guitars.

I didn't know you owned the 5w model. How is it at low volume? I live in an apartment and would like to play it slightly above TV volume levels. Are you still able to get good sounds both dirty and clean at 1 and 5 amps at that level?

 

[Grokbu]

Wow! Thanks a lot for the answers, all!

I'm gonna check up on the amp suggestions, though I did check out the Marshall Code series after it was mentioned, and it looks VERY interesting so far!

 

[zbarron]

Wow! Thanks a lot for the answers, all!

I'm gonna check up on the amp suggestions, though I did check out the Marshall Code series after it was mentioned, and it looks VERY interesting so far!

If you're going to a guitar store to try some out I'll throw my hat in the ring. Try the Orange Crush 20RT. It's what I'm using and it has an amazing clean tone with some great options for the dirty channel. It also has CabSim in the headphone out that's supposed to sound like a mic'd Orange 4x12. I have never experienced an Orange 4x12 but it does sound good.

 

[sankt-Antonio]

After two years on the waiting list I was finally given the chance to order a Analogman King of Tone pedal. I thought I was of the waiting list but hey...

Going to be an expensive experiment, with 70dollars for shipping and 20% customs to get it to Germany.

 

[Grokbu]

If you're going to a guitar store to try some out I'll throw my hat in the ring. Try the Orange Crush 20RT. It's what I'm using and it has an amazing clean tone with some great options for the dirty channel. It also has CabSim in the headphone out that's supposed to sound like a mic'd Orange 4x12. I have never experienced an Orange 4x12 but it does sound good.

Thanks!

And good idea, I might actually go to a store and try some out.

 

[adamsappel]

randomly went into a Sam Ash to kill time and decided to go into the acoustic room and fiddle around. i tried a Taylor 110E and a Martin 000X1AE, both in the $600 range new, I was surprised by (shouldn't have been though) by the differences in sound. Even another Taylor compared to the 110E was insanely different and the woods weren't that much different from one another.

I REALLY like the sound and play feel of the Taylor 110E. Anyone have experience with it?

I have a Taylor 110 (the non-electronic version of your guitar). It's a great acoustic, far more than I deserve as I got the better deal of a trade. There's a great deal of variance with acoustics and you should try a wide range to find the one that speaks to you. Gibsons are usually a bigger sound, as with Martins; Taylors are brighter; despite my love for Fender electrics, I have never heard a good thing about their acoustics (my daughter won one, but I rarely play it because it has signatures on it; it doesn't seem like a great instrument). Breedlove is another top of the line brand.

I was actually just looking at that. Shame the coupon code doesn't work on their guitars.

I didn't know you owned the 5w model. How is it at low volume? I live in an apartment and would like to play it slightly above TV volume levels. Are you still able to get good sounds both dirty and clean at 1 and 5 amps at that level?

I have the original, top control version with the Lo/Hi inputs. It's fine at low volumes, but you're not going to get much grit until you turn it up, though I hear it takes pedals well. I'm more of a clean headroom guy. You can also experiment with pre-amp tubes to find a nice gain level (and I just remembered I have a nicer 8-inch speaker I could try in it). The 15W can also go to 1W and is all-around the better amp to buy. There's not a whole lot of top volume difference between 5W and 15W and even 1W turned up could have your neighbors complaining.

 

[ElTorro]

The sort of sound I want to be able to achieve is having a distortion while still sounding very clear (as in not 'muddled') and having a bit of 'punch' to it (maybe a bit bassy feel without being 'heavy'?). And I would also like the sound to feel 'hi-fi' as well, as if there's a lot of 'depth' to the sound when playing a chord. Maybe this all contradicts itself in the end. :/

I would like to be able to get the sort of sound through the amp without having to connect it to a PC/mix with DAWs etc.

I've got an example of the sort of sound I would like to be able to achieve though (the general sound of the guitars in this song): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCXjhahk5XU (both rhythm and lead guitars)

The amp speaker itself doesn't have to be too loud, as I'm mostly going to be playing through my headphones. Effects such as phasers, delay and octavers etc. aren't necessary either.

I'd recommend the Yamaha THR10X. It's a version of that amp tailored to rock and metal tones. It sounds really great at bedroom levels. It uses HiFi speakers instead of traditional guitar speakers, which helps especially at low volumes.

I also own a Code 50, but I can't really recommend it. The speaker is hot garbage and the volume is hard to control. The THR also has a much better headphone output than the Code.

 

[zbarron]

I have a Taylor 110 (the non-electronic version of your guitar). It's a great acoustic, far more than I deserve as I got the better deal of a trade. There's a great deal of variance with acoustics and you should try a wide range to find the one that speaks to you. Gibsons are usually a bigger sound, as with Martins; Taylors are brighter; despite my love for Fender electrics, I have never heard a good thing about their acoustics (my daughter won one, but I rarely play it because it has signatures on it; it doesn't seem like a great instrument). Breedlove is another top of the line brand.

I have the original, top control version with the Lo/Hi inputs. It's fine at low volumes, but you're not going to get much grit until you turn it up, though I hear it takes pedals well. I'm more of a clean headroom guy. You can also experiment with pre-amp tubes to find a nice gain level (and I just remembered I have a nicer 8-inch speaker I could try in it). The 15W can also go to 1W and is all-around the better amp to buy. There's not a whole lot of top volume difference between 5W and 15W and even 1W turned up could have your neighbors complaining.

Damn. I was hoping to get some nice tube overdrive in the 1W mode and get clean in the 5w/15w mode. I'm not one for pedals and just use a multi-effects pedal which would defeat the purpose of having a tube amp. Thanks for the information.

 

[trebbble]

After two years on the waiting list I was finally given the chance to order a Analogman King of Tone pedal. I thought I was of the waiting list but hey...

Going to be an expensive experiment, with 70dollars for shipping and 20% customs to get it to Germany.

I got one earlier this year. Totally worth the wait. Worst case scenario, you can sell it on eBay for more than you paid.

I doubt you’ll sell it though. I really like mine, and I’m not even a big pedal guy

 

[teruterubozu]

Looks nice. I love the strap with it.


Very nice. What does this bring your collection up to?

Thanks! I'm up to 24 right now, but I've also sold off and traded a bunch of guitars in the last few months. I keep saying to myself I need to trim down then I end up getting more. It's a sickness.

Yep. Just checked my card, it shows 24 months interest free:

and here's the order itself where you can see the used gear:

ow they never seem to extend that to used stuff, which is lame. I can't imagine myself every buying a brand new guitar. It just doesn't make sense to me, since the moment I hold it, it is no longer new.

EDIT: Oh, and just to be clear, I had some gift cards I used for the rest of the order, that's why the totals are different.

Wow interesting. I never heard of them doing financing for used gear. Maybe it's up to the store's manager?
Yeah buying guitars new is a bit self-defeating I think. There's a massive glut of guitars in the used market. People are quitting guitars all the time and selling guitars that are barely touched.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Wow interesting. I never heard of them doing financing for used gear. Maybe it's up to the store's manager?
Yeah buying guitars new is a bit self-defeating I think. There's a massive glut of guitars in the used market. People are quitting guitars all the time and selling guitars that are barely touched.

That stuff was bought online. And it seemed to be everything used at the time, as I looked at a couple of other brands as well before deciding on the PRS. I didn't realize at the time that it was something rare. I have literally not seen it since. Now it's always the standard 6 months only.

Like I said, you'd think their profit margins are larger on used gear. So, I wonder why this is the case.

 

[Grokbu]

I'd recommend the Yamaha THR10X. It's a version of that amp tailored to rock and metal tones. It sounds really great at bedroom levels. It uses HiFi speakers instead of traditional guitar speakers, which helps especially at low volumes.

I also own a Code 50, but I can't really recommend it. The speaker is hot garbage and the volume is hard to control. The THR also has a much better headphone output than the Code.

Oh, really? That's a bummer with the Code 50. Do you think those issues are there on the Code 25 as well?

If I'm mostly going to play with headphones, and only play with speakers on when relatives are going to listen to me play, to get the sort of sound I was talking about is it perhaps better to get a new multi effect pedal instead and connect that to my bookshelf speakers when playing for others? Or maybe an amp head? Or would you guys still recommend getting an amp?

Edit: I apologize if I'm inconveniencing you guys with these questions.

 

[ElTorro]

Oh, really? That's a bummer with the Code 50. Do you think those issues are there on the Code 25 as well?

From what I've read, yes. The Codes are pretty loud, which makes them a good option for gigging, but can become a problem for playing at home. You can turn them down, but the volume knobs have an extremely narrow window for low bedroom volumes, especially when using high gain profiles. And even then it doesn't sound great. The Code's modeling software (made by Softube) is good, but the speaker is as cheap has it gets.

For home use I'd go with a THR10. That amp has been kind of a default recommendation for low volume home practise. It really sounds good at low volumes.

If you want to play mainly on headphones, you might also want to consider using software amp modeling like Bias FX on your laptop/tablet/phone. The main benefit of an amp like the THR, though, is simplicity. You just grab your guitar, plug it into the amp, and go.

In any case, you should just go to a guitar store and try them all out.

 

[CrudeDiatribe]

I apologize if I'm inconveniencing you guys with these questions.

It's a discussion forum, ask away.

Have you seen this Anderton's video on bedroom amps? It's got the base THR10 and not the -X mentioned above, though.

 

[TheCochese]

Haven't noticed any of that with the 25. Of course, I'm not a heavy user or someone looking for really high end sound or anything.

 

[III-V]

I meant to post this earlier but my swirl painted '87 Ibanez Radius is done and I put it back together! The dude did an amazing paint job!

wow thats a stunner

 

[ElTorro]

Haven't noticed any of that with the 25. Of course, I'm not a heavy user or someone looking for really high end sound or anything.

I was a bit hyperbolic about the speaker. Of course the speaker is on the cheap end, but the sound isn't terrible. It produces some buzz at high gain and the overall amp sounds a bit boxy, but it's ok for the price and size of the amp. The Code's amp modeling is good, especially for the Marshall amps. But I think that some of its competitors sound better.

My main issue with the Code as a bedroom/headphone amp is the headphone out and the fact that it's almost impossible to control the volume, especially at high-gain.

To give you all an idea, this is how narrow the volume knob's window really is with something like the JCM800:

Took the pictures from a bad angle, but you should get the idea.

And the "Ok" setting is still pretty loud. The THR can go much lower without losing tone.