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WHY do you play...?

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:01 pm
by Litost
Why do you play the guitar/drum/bass you do?
What makes it stand out for you and your music?

Maybe this thread will eventually help someone make a purchase.

For guitar, Ive been playing PRS Semi-Hollows. I like that they can sounds thick and full while clean but have a distinct crunch when distorted.
Even the SE series of the PRS Semi-Hollow body sounds great.

Re: WHY do you play...?

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:11 pm
by Kramerguy
Litost wrote:Why do you play the guitar/drum/bass you do?
What makes it stand out for you and your music?

Maybe this thread will eventually help someone make a purchase.

For guitar, Ive been playing PRS Semi-Hollows. I like that they can sounds thick and full while clean but have a distinct crunch when distorted.
Even the SE series of the PRS Semi-Hollow body sounds great.


I never liked PRS. They feel clunky, too thick, or something. It's hard at times to describe. What I dislike about them the most though is that they all seem to have that "PRS" sound, it's unique but to me it's got something just not right about it, maybe it's the eq balance on the pups combined with the design and woods, I dunno. Reminds me of the tele tho, where you are cornered into a specific twang, that while it can sound beautiful, it also is impossible to escape.

I like Epiphones, I have a Dot (335 style) and used to play the LP Custom, both are really good guitars, but the neck profile is a little thin (string to string) while being the right thickness. Not perfect, but good.

Vintage Kramers (only the vintage, not the new gibson junk) have always been my go-to guitar- necks feel perfect to me, although I'm finding that the duncan pups (generally what is in most) can be limited in range.

Strats not for me, although I do like vintage fender guitars (prior to mid-70's). Especially the original jaguars and mustangs. And I liked them when nobody else did, in the 80's (before nirvana and grunge immortalized them).

I borrowed a Schecter from a friend and used it a couple of gigs last year and really liked the feel of it.. Some minor action adjustment and that thing would have been a really great player.

I'm now gassing for the GKG guitars (gary kramer, all custom) but they are pricey :(

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:17 pm
by Litost
I was playing a Telecaster for about a year or so. I liked the sound of the guitar tremendously, but the neck was literally like cutting a Louisville Slugger in half and putting strings on the flat side. Neck felt bloated, slow...

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:21 pm
by jw123
PRS's are great guitars, but i just never played one that made me want to own it.

I settled on Gibson Classic Reissue Les Pauls in 1990, I have two and they are my go too guitars, I have a strat and a Gibson 175, but I hardly ever use them, the LPs so far do everything I need to do.

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:23 pm
by jw123
Oh and most improtantly, I love ole pictures of page with his LP.

So I think they look cool also! LOL!

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:26 pm
by jimmydanger
I've owned a lot of guitars but there are only two electrics I play - a '72 Strat and a '79 Les Paul Reissue of a '59. Both are tricked out with locking nuts, tremolo systems and EMGs. The Paul is my metal guitar, the Strat does everything else. I have newer Strats and Pauls but these are the only two that make my ears warm.

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:45 pm
by Deadguitars
Image
I prefer Ibanez guitars
and ones
that
are
customized to do what I want
8)

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:50 pm
by J-HALEY
Deadguitars wrote:Image
I prefer Ibanez guitars
and ones
that
are
customized to do what I want
8)


Tom EVERY time I see that guitar It makes me GIDDY! :wink: What more could a man want from a guitar?

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:55 pm
by jimmydanger
Probably sound even better with some strings on it! :wink: :wink:

Too many switches on that thing for me, I would probably crash it into a mountain.

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:11 pm
by MikeTalbot
Jimmy D

Strings? You are so picky.

I've been thinking it might be time to play bass in a band - again. So I'm trying to figure out how to put together Suzanne II. My bass I used in my heyday was a jazz body (so pretty - like a strat -but hate the neck) with a P-bass maple neck and Telecaster Bass humbuckers with as I recall, a Leo Kwan bridge.

That thing sounded like a million bucks.

For guitars I have a pretty old Tele Esqure (NOT squire) but the one pickup jobby. It shrieks. But my goto fiddle is the Lonestar US Stratocaster. It sounds great and plays great.

A guy I jam with pretty regularly has a PRS and damned if he doesn't get some pretty sweet sounds. It just doesn't feel right to me though.

I tried to explain 'feel' to a newbie and he just didn't get it until I took him to a music store and we played a bunch of guitars. "Ohhhhh.. so thats it"

He thought it was about 'is the guitar a good one or not?" Period. Nope...

Talbot

PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 12:32 am
by gbheil
Because I'd look damn silly just standing there with that 336 around my neck like an ornament. 8)



The neck and the pickups . . . :D

PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 1:55 am
by Planetguy
i have two requirements for any instrument:

it must sound great and it must play great. i've got waaaaaay too much stuff but then.....can you EVER have too much? i think not.

gtrs:
50th Anniversary Sunburst Tele rswd finger board
Warmoth Thinline Tele rswd f'brd
'97 American Strat rswd f'brd
'80 Gibson "The Paul" Deluxe (Firebrand)
Godin Multiac nylon string


archtops:
Eastman 803 CE
Peerless Monarch
'66 Guild Starfire II
'70's (Japanese made ) Washburn HB35 (335 style thinline)
'58 Alden (Harmony made)

acoustics:
'36 Martin 0-17
mid '60's FENDER Villager 12 string
Paris Swing GG-42 gypsy jazz gtr
no name nylon string

basses:
'42 KAY C-1 upright bass
'63 modified FENDER P-Bass
custom made 1 pc Zebra wood P-bass body w fretless '66 FENDER P neck
'80's Japanese FENDER J-Bass w either fretted 70's style block inlays or mexican fretless neck
'90 WARWICK Stage One Streamer
Washburn XB600 six string
'67 Guild Starfire II

mandolins:
'87 FLATIRON A5 Jr
'77 Epiphone BG-440
'50's KAY ac/el
MID MO solidbody elec prototype
Sekova
el cheapo HONDO that i've modded into an 8 string octave mando (part of the mod was changing the "h" in Hondo to an "m"..it's now a MONDO!)

sliders:
two Supro Lap Steels
Regal Black Lightning dobro
el cheapo solidbody HARMONY (open E)

other:
'74 Deagan Norvo Commander vibraphone
malletKAT

PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 12:59 pm
by J-HALEY
Planetguy wrote:i have two requirements for any instrument:

it must sound great and it must play great. i've got waaaaaay too much stuff but then.....can you EVER have too much? i think not.

gtrs:
50th Anniversary Sunburst Tele rswd finger board
Warmoth Thinline Tele rswd f'brd
'97 American Strat rswd f'brd
'80 Gibson "The Paul" Deluxe (Firebrand)
Godin Multiac nylon string


archtops:
Eastman 803 CE
Peerless Monarch
'66 Guild Starfire II
'70's (Japanese made ) Washburn HB35 (335 style thinline)
'58 Alden (Harmony made)

acoustics:
'36 Martin 0-17
mid '60's FENDER Villager 12 string
Paris Swing GG-42 gypsy jazz gtr
no name nylon string

basses:
'42 KAY C-1 upright bass
'63 modified FENDER P-Bass
custom made 1 pc Zebra wood P-bass body w fretless '66 FENDER P neck
'80's Japanese FENDER J-Bass w either fretted 70's style block inlays or mexican fretless neck
'90 WARWICK Stage One Streamer
Washburn XB600 six string
'67 Guild Starfire II

mandolins:
'87 FLATIRON A5 Jr
'77 Epiphone BG-440
'50's KAY ac/el
MID MO solidbody elec prototype
Sekova
el cheapo HONDO that i've modded into an 8 string octave mando (part of the mod was changing the "h" in Hondo to an "m"..it's now a MONDO!)

sliders:
two Supro Lap Steels
Regal Black Lightning dobro
el cheapo solidbody HARMONY (open E)

other:
'74 Deagan Norvo Commander vibraphone
malletKAT


Mark, usually I think there is no way a man can have to many guitars. You have too many guitars dude (I'm just jealous)! :wink:

Gosh don't even tell us about your amps? (please do)!

PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:18 pm
by GuitarMikeB
My first electric - still got it - 72 Tele, bought new.
73 Epiphone acoustic - old, some cracks and dings, but a rich deep sound

But then I've got a whole bunch of guitars for different sounds and purposes:
Fender CD140SCE a/e
Ibanez 12 string a/e
Epi Dot Studio
Epi LP Jr
LTD ESP LP
Chinese StrataClone

Squire J-bass

Washburn mandolin
Antique banjolin
Luna a/e ukulele
no-name 5-string banjo missing 5th peg, and gathering dust (useless project)

Casio WK500 workstation keyboard
Akai vintage synth
various percussion instruments - tambourine, moraccas, bodrhan ...

PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 3:00 pm
by Deadguitars
jimmydanger wrote:Probably sound even better with some strings on it! :wink: :wink:

Too many switches on that thing for me, I would probably crash it into a mountain.

:)
Its a tone machine for sure .... lots of variations .... love the Super 2 pups
But
I only set it in the middle position in the split setting
:lol: :lol: