New Rig

Zombienosh

big fan of ibanez aren't we? :cool:

feylya

Unfortunately, I'm not. HAven't played a prestige neck but generally I don't like the feel of the lower models (rg570 etc)

Doctor J

This too. The fact that the one your thinking of has LTD written on it suggests corners were cut somewhere.

Doctor J

Meh. Lower models and higher models are different guitars. If Epiphones felt like Gibsons, noone would buy Gibson.

Zombienosh

that esp looks like a jackson dxmg......

feylya

See, I'm still trying to see the logic of running a €1200+ guitar into a €100 amp. Really doesn't make sense to me.

That ESP is basically what I have, except in LTD with a rosewood board and EMG's. Bolt On.

Zombienosh

you'll just have to do what i did.
blow all your money on the guitar then wait a while to get the amp.

feylya

But my point is, no matter how good the guitar is, it's still going to sound ****e going through a bad amp.

Doctor J

The amp is temporary, the guitar is for life. If you're selling your gear to upgrade, then upgrade properly. Get a top quality guitar. You will always play that guitar, at gigs , at rehearals, at home, whenever, you will always have to play your guitar, so don't compromise. It will be the one constant in your musical life. Buy a decent amp for the moment, a la Peavey Bandit, Line 6 Spider, whatever. The amp will only serve a purpose for a time. It will do. When you do a gig, you may or may not use your own amp, either way, it will do. When you're rehearsing, you may or may not use your own amp, either way, it will do. When you're playing at home, are you really going to be playing loud enough to get the best of of a good amp? Unlikely. You don't really need a great amp until you're gigging and recording in studios. Since that may not be next week, or even the week after, I put it to you, you have time to save and get a great amp while making use of a decent amp in the meanwhile. If you compromise on the guitar or the amp at this stage, you will just be going through this process again in the future, for both the guitar and the amp.

D!ve^Bomb!

not as **** as a **** guitar through a **** amp

feylya

Well, it looks like I'll be selling ym amp and computer and getting the effects and amp. The problem is, I don't know of any guitars that I like that I could justify spending €1000 on.

Doctor J

So try some out.

feylya

newband wrote:

not as **** as a **** guitar through a **** amp

What a useful contribution...


Unfortunately, there is no high end guitars around these parts. And I'm never in Dublin so trying guitars is a somewhat limited activity.

Doctor J

Nobody can explain the satisfaction of owning a truly fantastic instrument to you. It can't be justified purely by someone telling you it's the way forward. You won't know it's right until you do it. Sometimes you've got to take risks, but the end justifies the gamble. Every guitar you've owned, you've felt you needed to do something to it to make it better, be it pickups, electronics or whatever. Just imagine the satisfaction of having an instrument that doesn't need changes, that responds to what and how you play, that helps you further yourself as a musician rather than hold you back. That is a top end guitar. Until you play one, you don't really believe there's that much of a difference, but there is.

feylya

I'm sure it is a great feeling but like I said, there's no guitar I like for about €1200 that I feel I couldn't make myself (insane, I know) for cheaper and probably better. Hanging a few pieces of wood and metal around your neck every night that costs that amount of money is just crazy in my eyes.

Doctor J

Then why upgrade at all?

feylya

To get a better guitar, either shop bought or otherwise. My LTD is close enough to perfect for me. Change the body to alder, make it neck through and put a proper lo-pro Floyd Rose trem on it and it's perfect. Unfortunately, that costs a bit...

Doctor J

You gotta pay for quality man

feylya

But you don't have to over pay for it.

LGM custom shop - €2000 or less

PRS - God knows

Both high quality guitars by all accounts. LGM has many many options, PRS not so many. LGM about a quarter the price. I don't believe in paying hundreds for nothing more than a transfer on the head that says Gibson or Fender or PRS.

Doctor J

Indeed. Ibanez J Custom - €1200 from Ishibashi
Fender bog standard American Series Strat - €1200 in Musicmaker

feylya

Price the parts on the J custom.

Doctor J

Don't have to. I'd be happy to pay €1200 to have a guitar built to that standard. I have no problem with paying skilled luthiers to create a fantastic instrument. I don't have time to learn and hone the requisite skills. I like to play. I love to play. I especially love playing on great instruments which reward the player. €1200 for that? A bargain, in my eyes.

feylya

But what good is a €1200 guitar going into a €100 amp? I know you said upgrade over time but personally, I'd be rather pissed off not being able to play the guitar through a decent amp for at least a year.

Doctor J

Who said anything about a €100 amp? You said a budget of €1500 minus €1200 guitar leaves €300. I got an Ampeg VH140C for €300. That is anything but a crap amp.

feylya

That €1500 seems to be vastly over-rated plus circumstances have changed.

€1100 isn't too far off though while keeping all my guitars.

Doctor J

Amps are overrated. If you're playing at home, a microcube will suffice. If you're doing a gig, chances are you'll be using someone else's amp.

feylya

You don't see anything wrong with running a €1200 quid guitar through a microcube?

And what about jamming with a drummer? More than likely (as in definately) I'll be using my own amp. A microcube will not cut it there.

mr_angry

feylya wrote:

But my point is, no matter how good the guitar is, it's still going to sound ****e going through a bad amp.

Still, there's always my Peavey Bandit II in the house at the moment anyway. I'm not planning on locking it away or hiding it anytime soon. At the very least, that gives you the option of taking your time getting an amp to match the guitar.

In my completely uneducated opinion, I think you should consider getting a second-hand guitar. You could find something of the quality Doctor J is suggesting in a more affordable price range, and still have something in good nick. Don't rule out second-hand just for the sake of it.

feylya

The Bandit will be here for another 6 months and tbh, I'd far rather my own amp to have my own settings...

As for second hand, I'd prefer to make the battle scars on the guitar rather than have someone elses. That and there's just no guitars that are interesting me at the moment.

Doctor J

Then don't upgrade. Easy peasy

feylya

But I still need the amp...

Karl Hungus

feylya wrote:

You don't see anything wrong with running a €1200 quid guitar through a microcube?

You're quite impossible, aren't you?

Personally, I'd have no problem running a €1200 guitar, or a €3000 guitar, or even some mad crazy €12,000 astro guitar with built-in moon spokes and self-tuning tricorder through a Microcube. Because lets face it... even if I did have my dream Mark IV, I'd still be using the microcube more often.

If I was to flog off all my gear tomorrow and place my order for the 8-String, I wouldn't compromise on a single detail just because I've only got a microcube to run it through.

I am with DocJ 100% on this matter, and I'm suprised you don't see things from the same perspective. If you're going to sell your gear for something better, don't do it half-assed. Use your full ass.

Edit: Actually, the thing I couldn't justify, is using an €800 amp for practice.

It wasn't me!

If only they'd ship inter-continental, that'd be your boy there Feylya.


Drool

feylya

http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw6_artikel-171404.html

Also on Thomann for quite a bit more. ESP have stopped all guitars being shipped to outside America.

TBH, I would have no problem using an €800 amp. The guitar I have now is lovely. I may just get a FR Lo Pro and retro fit it then go for a nice H-302 off eBay or something.

Karl Hungus

feylya wrote:

http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw6_artikel-171404.html

BUY IT! NO QUESTIONS!

feylya

Apart from the fact is looks gak?

Karl Hungus

But it doesn't look gak. It looks quite nice altogether.

feylya

I've never been a fan of either arrow inlays or trans-black on flamed maple. It's just wrong.

Karl Hungus

Well I'm planning on having a trans-black quilt maple top on that Leviathan if I ever get it, so I think we've got very different tastes altogether.

Try give us an idea of a €1200 guitar that you do think looks nice maybe?

feylya

http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw6_esp_ltd_ec1000_bk_prodinfo.html
http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw6_esp_ltd_kh602bk_egitarre_prodinfo.html
http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw6_esp_horizon_fr2_stbc_egitarre_prodinfo.html
http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw6_artikel-170718.html
http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw6_esp__ltd_h1000fm_asb_egitarre_prodinfo.html
http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw6_artikel-161528.html

However, This is crying out and asking for some EMG's...

Although the body is agathis

Karl Hungus

feylya wrote:

http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw6_esp_horizon_fr2_stbc_egitarre_prodinfo.html

That one looks absolutely sweet.
Buy it.

feylya

Eh, it's €1625!!!

Although, it is an ESP...

feylya

Honestly worth €2400?

Somehow I doubt it.

Karl Hungus

To me? No... Because I'm not a fan of Ibanez at all, and I have actually played my old guitar teacher's Jem and wasn't too gone on it. But it saying that, I would've spent the €2400 on the BC Rich Stealth if I had the money.

Zoton

Worth a look.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2384&item=3762547341&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

feylya

Cheers but I really don't like the PRS style for some reason.

Doctor J

The Jems are much cheaper on Ishibashi.

Feylya, unless you know what you want you won't be happy with whatever you buy. So until you know, I'd say just sit tight with what you've got and save like a bastard.

Zoton

feylya wrote:

Cheers but I really don't like the PRS style for some reason.

So would the les paul/esp ec1000 be your favourite shape then?

dabhoys

Saving is the best way. But can be hard to do when you suffer from GAS. You know what I'm talking bout doc

Doctor J wrote:

The Jems are much cheaper on Ishibashi.

Feylya, unless you know what you want you won't be happy with whatever you buy. So until you know, I'd say just sit tight with what you've got and save like a bastard.

Karl Hungus

Just thought it might be worth noting that the exchange rate for euros to dollars is really quite good at the moment, feylya. So for example, the 6-string Leviathan with a floating trem is $1850, that works out at €1391. And the 7-string with a floating trem is the same price.

Not too shabby at all, in my view.
So might not want to rule out those babies just yet.