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GMC Forum _ GEAR & PRODUCTION _ New Guitars

Posted by: calgary1 Mar 9 2009, 05:29 AM

Don't be fooled!!!


So you out there, in the shops hunting a new guitar. They are all shinny, and your looking for the one your favorite guitar hero is playing. You want to buy it because thats what he plays. Stop: don't do it. Find the guitar thats right for you. And what does that mean:


1. Forget the name on the headstock, who gives a crap, the name does not always mean a great axe

2. Try them out when there is no crowd. Its hard to try out a guitar when the store is full of other shredders.

3. Research before you go into a music store and have a reasonable idea of what you want at what price.

4. Salesman are liers ( not always) but mostly.

5. The guitar will have problems. I have never seen a new guitar that does not have issues. Usually the frets are not seated. That means they rock( move up and down a bit) and this will affect its playabilty.

6. Most shops will set up you new guitar for you. Don't trust it. Go to a luthier for your setups its worth the extra bucks.

7. Don't get sucked in. Price does not mean a better guitar. I have played cheap mexican tele's on the road for years, and I have made alot of money with them. Playing the most expensive Jackson or Gibson will not make you a better player. I have played tons of shredder rock on a tele: yes a telecaster.

8. Buy used, better price, more realistic.


Just a question for the shredders: how many of you dip you pickups in hotwax, and do you know why you should?

Posted by: Sircraigery Mar 9 2009, 06:29 AM

I'm not a shredder, but I'm intrigued....

ps - Hi5 for Alberta!

Posted by: 29a Mar 9 2009, 10:29 AM

QUOTE ("calgary1")
Just a question for the shredders: how many of you dip you pickups in hotwax, and do you know why you should?
I don't do it because either they've already been dipped into wax (SD/DiMarzio) or they are sealed in Epoxy (EMG). happy.gif

Jonas

Posted by: David Wallimann Mar 9 2009, 01:45 PM

These are excellent suggestions!

Posted by: Sensible Jones Mar 9 2009, 04:23 PM

QUOTE (calgary1 @ Mar 9 2009, 04:29 AM) *
5. The guitar will have problems. I have never seen a new guitar that does not have issues. Usually the frets are not seated. That means they rock( move up and down a bit) and this will affect its playabilty.

I agree with all your points except this one!! I have a G&L Asat that is as superb a player now as it was when i walked out of the shop with it! I've never had to do anything to it and it's had some serious abuse in the 15 or so years that I've owned it!!!!

QUOTE (calgary1 @ Mar 9 2009, 04:29 AM) *
7. Don't get sucked in. Price does not mean a better guitar. I have played cheap mexican tele's on the road for years, and I have made alot of money with them. Playing the most expensive Jackson or Gibson will not make you a better player. I have played tons of shredder rock on a tele: yes a telecaster.

A very good point indeed!!! I have a MIJ 72 Thinline. One of the best Teles (apart from my G&L) that I've ever played!!!!
biggrin.gif biggrin.gif

Posted by: ZakkWylde Mar 9 2009, 04:31 PM

I won't dip my pickups in hot wax to make them less noisy!!

I buy pickups that were professionally wax potted or replace bad ones

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Mar 9 2009, 06:27 PM

Very good and reasonable tips. I have come across on only one guitar that was perfect of-the-shelf, and I played quite a few of them in stores (it's my hobby to visit stores and try guitars laugh.gif )

I agree with 3 and 4 the most.

Posted by: Jesse Mar 9 2009, 06:49 PM

Agree, except for buy used!

Posted by: calgary1 Mar 9 2009, 07:21 PM

QUOTE (29a @ Mar 9 2009, 03:29 AM) *
I don't do it because either they've already been dipped into wax (SD/DiMarzio) or they are sealed in Epoxy (EMG). happy.gif

Jonas



Nice, yes I guess better pickups are available now. Man Im showing my age here...God Im old!!! laugh.gif

Posted by: Lian Gerbino Mar 9 2009, 08:00 PM

cool tips man!
wink.gif

Posted by: Sircraigery Mar 10 2009, 12:07 AM

I don't see how wax will make a pickup less noisy. It's vibrations of a metal string picked up my a magnet.

I can maybe see that the windings will not corrode after a wax dip or something, which might help it sound better longer or whatever. Mine were pre-dipped btw.

Calgary1, what band were you in? Stampeders by chance? biggrin.gif

Posted by: calgary1 Mar 10 2009, 12:14 AM

QUOTE (Sircraigery @ Mar 9 2009, 05:07 PM) *
I don't see how wax will make a pickup less noisy. It's vibrations of a metal string picked up my a magnet.

I can maybe see that the windings will not corrode after a wax dip or something, which might help it sound better longer or whatever. Mine were pre-dipped btw.

Calgary1, what band were you in? Stampeders by chance? biggrin.gif


In some of the older pickups, there was extrenous fine wires that stuck out when the pickup was wrapped by the factory. Since a pickup is essentially a coil these little imperfections can cause undo noise especially at high volume high distortion situations. Thats my explanation, someone else on here probably has a better explanation. The last time I waxed pickups was on a new Gibson Explorer in the ninties. I used the stock pickups with a Marshall, and it was killer.


Nope did not play in the stampeders. But I have played in Regina. Is Jd's nightclub still there?

Posted by: Sircraigery Mar 10 2009, 12:17 AM

QUOTE (calgary1 @ Mar 10 2009, 12:14 AM) *
In some of the older pickups, there was extrenous fine wires that stuck out when the pickup was wrapped by the factory. Since a pickup is essentially a coil these little imperfections can cause undo noise especially at high volume high distortion situations. Thats my explanation, someone else on here probably has a better explanation. The last time I waxed pickups was on a new Gibson Explorer in the ninties. I used the stock pickups with a Marshall, and it was killer.


Nope did not play in the stampeders. But I have played in Regina. Is Jd's nightclub still there?



Oh yeah, 'just dirties' as I call it haha. That's awesome man.

I'm originally form Edmonton area, and have lived in Calgary for a few years. I'm coming back to cow-town once I finish my degree (approx 2 years).

What gear do you have now?

Posted by: calgary1 Mar 10 2009, 12:30 AM

QUOTE (Sircraigery @ Mar 9 2009, 05:17 PM) *
Oh yeah, 'just dirties' as I call it haha. That's awesome man.

I'm originally form Edmonton area, and have lived in Calgary for a few years. I'm coming back to cow-town once I finish my degree (approx 2 years).

What gear do you have now?


Well I had my last telecaster ripped off from a gig, so I rented one, and of course I dropped it on the stage, and chipped it all over so I had to buy it laugh.gif laugh.gif After getting a fret job a putting a tapped hot rail on the bridge it has become my only electric. ( I left the chips alone I like the beaten up look)

I use a Mesa 50 with an extension cab for low end warmth.

Keeley compressor as well as an old Mxr . The keeley is wicked for country, and I use the mxr for rock blues compression

Voodoo labs sprakle drive ( love this little puppy)

Memory Man deluxe. Analog of course.

Boss chorus ( almost never used) Boss od 3 for dirty stuff.

Hybid slinky strings.


Its a simple rig, just like its owner!!!

Posted by: Sircraigery Mar 10 2009, 12:53 AM

QUOTE (calgary1 @ Mar 10 2009, 12:30 AM) *
Well I had my last telecaster ripped off from a gig, so I rented one, and of course I dropped it on the stage, and chipped it all over so I had to buy it laugh.gif laugh.gif After getting a fret job a putting a tapped hot rail on the bridge it has become my only electric. ( I left the chips alone I like the beaten up look)

I use a Mesa 50 with an extension cab for low end warmth.

Keeley compressor as well as an old Mxr . The keeley is wicked for country, and I use the mxr for rock blues compression

Voodoo labs sprakle drive ( love this little puppy)

Memory Man deluxe. Analog of course.

Boss chorus ( almost never used) Boss od 3 for dirty stuff.

Hybid slinky strings.


Its a simple rig, just like its owner!!!


Very nice 'ole boy. I just have what my signature says. I don't use the pedals though, just straight clean, reverb, and/or distortion. Wouldn't mind a Wah once I get some more cash flow. I just bought my amp last week, and being a student.... that's a lot of cake!

Posted by: calgary1 Mar 10 2009, 01:50 AM

QUOTE (Sircraigery @ Mar 9 2009, 05:53 PM) *
Very nice 'ole boy. I just have what my signature says. I don't use the pedals though, just straight clean, reverb, and/or distortion. Wouldn't mind a Wah once I get some more cash flow. I just bought my amp last week, and being a student.... that's a lot of cake!

Nice amp!!!! My wife won't let me go into music stores anymore because I would buy stuff like that. And then should would be mad. laugh.gif laugh.gif

Posted by: Sircraigery Mar 10 2009, 05:25 AM

QUOTE (calgary1 @ Mar 10 2009, 01:50 AM) *
Nice amp!!!! My wife won't let me go into music stores anymore because I would buy stuff like that. And then should would be mad. laugh.gif laugh.gif


I think this amp, and toys like this are the reason I'm not bored enough to get married yet. (OOPS, did I say that? HAHA)

Posted by: djohnneay Mar 10 2009, 09:34 PM

QUOTE (calgary1 @ Mar 9 2009, 05:29 AM) *
8. Buy used, better price, more realistic.


I agree with all of them exept this one actually. It doesn't matter what I buy, a guitar, a computergame, a gaming console... I always buy new stuff. The reason I do this is because you never know what the previous owner has done with it or how it has been treated. Also on sites where people can buy stuff online you never know if you are gonna get what you ordered and it can save you alot of trouble. Every time I bought something used, it cost more money afterwards because it needed to be repaired. It also cost me a lot of trouble getting it fixed, so when you look at it that way, new stuff is always cheaper in the end.

At least, that is how I see it.

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