Guthrie Govan Discussion :: View topic - New guitar suggestions??
Help support this site by shopping at Amazon through our link.
Guthrie Govan Discussion Forum Index

Guthrie Govan Discussion
The Official Guthrie Govan Discussion Board

www.GuthrieGovan.co.uk

 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

 

 
New guitar suggestions??

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Guthrie Govan Discussion Forum Index -> Open Discussion
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
SpacesAreFine



Joined: 10 Mar 2010
Posts: 17
Location: Florida

PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 4:16 am    Post subject: New guitar suggestions?? Reply with quote

Hey everyone, I've been playing for about three years on my Ibanez "Jumpstart Guitar Package" Guitar: http://www.ibanez.com/ElectricGuitars/model-IJX40

I definitely feel like I'm at a point right now where I want/need a new guitar, and I've been looking for the past couple of months for something I want, however, I really haven't found anything. And yes, I've been down to my local GC a bunch of times and played on the guitars there. I've kind of been leaning towards the Ibanez RG3EXFM1 (But I'm not so sure now, it's been appealing to me less recently) : http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez-RG3EXFM1-Electric-Guitar-104831474-i1400085.gc

I ideally want something with 24 frets, two humbuckers with a coil tap (or parallel wiring option) on the neck pickup. Also, a floating trem would do nothing but throw me off and complicate my life. Also, I can't stand the bridge on my friend's SG, I love the bridge style that I have now.

So basically, what I'm saying is that since I'm really new to this whole guitar buying thing, would you guys have any suggestions that I may not have thought about? Also, am I asking too much? I kinda realize that my wishlist for my guitar is quite specific, but can I help it if I know what I like?

And one last thing, my budget is pretty limited, I'd say around, or under about 500$ right now...

All help would be greatly appreciated...

P.S. The sound coming out of the guitar that I play now sucks majorly. As a comparison, I plugged my friend's Les Paul into my current gear setup, and it was like listening to heaven...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
frankus



Joined: 13 Sep 2004
Posts: 1100
Location: Chelmsford/Arachnipus

PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My 3rd guitar was an Ibanez EX-170L (entry level at the time), I flogged it to get an RG470L which I enjoyed much less. The EX was bought in a shop after playing and really enjoying, the RG was bought off the net after reading Harmony Central and other reviews. I bought it with my eyes - a bit daft for a musical instrument where sound and touch are most important.

My advice is play the instrument or at least a very similar model in a shop (buying it there would be good as you can usually get a setup thrown in and maybe haggle a bit). Take an hour or so in the shop to check stuff out and don't be apologetic.

Apart from my Suhr, my philosophy with guitars is that I buy second-hand as I get more for my money. I've learn to set up guitars, rewire them, install pickups, cut new nuts so I can tweak most guitars to my needs - sometimes constantly Wink

It looks like you've got a 6 screw trem system on your current guitar and folks such as Jeff Beck and Scott Henderson prefer them - I'm a strat fan so I can't make any recommendations on humbuckers (I put a SD Jazz in the neck of my 335 and a phat cat in the bridge as that's my thing ;^)

Good luck in taking the next step, please keep us posted on your progress Smile
_________________
Fabulous powers were revealed to me the day I held my magic Suhr(d) aloft and said "by the power of great scale!"

I have the power!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
sumis



Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 570
Location: gothenburg, sweden

PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 9:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

spend time in music stores. ask other players and friends to try their gear.

a lot of great guitars can be had for 500$, especially if we're talking used instruments. be prepared to change the pickups, BUT: buying a new cheapie, and then spending another 500$ to change its specs makes no sense when 1000$ will give you a great axe from the beginning.

a strat, w/ humbucker and blocked bridge goes a long way. but buying a fender is definitely something you don't do online, since they vary a lot, and sicne the 2nd hand market is huge (that last part doesn't make sense, does it?).

if i were you, i'd find a vintage ibanez 550, block the trem and (if not already done) change the pups. that will always be a mean shredder!

.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SpacesAreFine



Joined: 10 Mar 2010
Posts: 17
Location: Florida

PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the suggestions. For like the last week, I've been eyeing this Laguna at GC. I've been playing it, and I liked it so much, I bought it. It's the LE400 model : http://www.playlaguna.com/models/index.cfm?model=le400qrd

I love it! The only thing is the Floyd Rose trem. I'm definitely going to keep it how it is for a little while and see if (or, how much) I like it. If I don't, then blocking it off shouldn't be any more painful than changing string gauges (which I did...lol).

Quick question about Floyd Roses:
When I got it, it was set up for 9s. I can't stand 9s, they feel like rubber bands. So i bought a pack of 10s and put them on. Of course, they pulled the bridge WAY far forward. So, I opened the back and screwed the spring screws in a little (That's right right? That's what you're supposed to do?) but it didn't make any difference when I tuned up again.

So I took one of the springs from my Ibanez and put it in the Laguna. However, that spring was obviously made of a much tighter material than the other springs, and it pulled the bridge too far back. A little bit of adjusting (read: loosening) the spring screws, and my bridge is sitting nice and flat.

Well here's my question: Is it a bad thing to have more springs in the back (ie, 4, instead of the factory 3)? Also, how far can you unscrew the spring screws before the claw pops out, your bridge flings across the top of your guitar, and you realize you don't deserve anything nice?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
sumis



Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 570
Location: gothenburg, sweden

PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

SpacesAreFine wrote:
Thanks for the suggestions. For like the last week, I've been eyeing this Laguna at GC. I've been playing it, and I liked it so much, I bought it. It's the LE400 model : http://www.playlaguna.com/models/index.cfm?model=le400qrd

I love it! The only thing is the Floyd Rose trem. I'm definitely going to keep it how it is for a little while and see if (or, how much) I like it. If I don't, then blocking it off shouldn't be any more painful than changing string gauges (which I did...lol).

Quick question about Floyd Roses:
When I got it, it was set up for 9s. I can't stand 9s, they feel like rubber bands. So i bought a pack of 10s and put them on. Of course, they pulled the bridge WAY far forward. So, I opened the back and screwed the spring screws in a little (That's right right? That's what you're supposed to do?) but it didn't make any difference when I tuned up again.

So I took one of the springs from my Ibanez and put it in the Laguna. However, that spring was obviously made of a much tighter material than the other springs, and it pulled the bridge too far back. A little bit of adjusting (read: loosening) the spring screws, and my bridge is sitting nice and flat.

Well here's my question: Is it a bad thing to have more springs in the back (ie, 4, instead of the factory 3)? Also, how far can you unscrew the spring screws before the claw pops out, your bridge flings across the top of your guitar, and you realize you don't deserve anything nice?


ok ... more springs = tighter trem feel, fewer springs = looser trem feel.

now, a loose trem feel might make bending harder though, since the bridge will move more when bending the strings.

nothing wrong with four springs. it's all about how you wan't your trem too function.

i don't think you should have changed the springs to begin with. one has to adjust the claw a few times before the bridge settlese where you want it (which on a floating and recessed floyd would be with the bridge plate parallell with the body). adjust calw, tune, adjust claw, tune, etc ... it might take some time.

if you want to block it, do it from inside the trem cavity, with a something between the bridge block and the guitar's body.

there is no problem using 10's with three springs ...

.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SpacesAreFine



Joined: 10 Mar 2010
Posts: 17
Location: Florida

PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
one has to adjust the claw a few times before the bridge settlese where you want it (which on a floating and recessed floyd would be with the bridge plate parallell with the body). adjust calw, tune, adjust claw, tune, etc ... it might take some time.


Sorry, I guess I should have said so, but I did. The claw screws were practically all the way screwed in with just three springs, and that was after at least 5 or so adjustments (plus the arduous retuning in between). I take it from
Quote:
there is no problem using 10's with three springs ...
that that isn't normal. It seemed like the springs that came with it were much looser than the spring i took out of my ibanez. In the big picture though, I don't think it really matters. I'm curious though.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
sumis



Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 570
Location: gothenburg, sweden

PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 6:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SpacesAreFine wrote:
Quote:
one has to adjust the claw a few times before the bridge settlese where you want it (which on a floating and recessed floyd would be with the bridge plate parallell with the body). adjust calw, tune, adjust claw, tune, etc ... it might take some time.


Sorry, I guess I should have said so, but I did. The claw screws were practically all the way screwed in with just three springs, and that was after at least 5 or so adjustments (plus the arduous retuning in between). I take it from
Quote:
there is no problem using 10's with three springs ...
that that isn't normal. It seemed like the springs that came with it were much looser than the spring i took out of my ibanez. In the big picture though, I don't think it really matters. I'm curious though.


ok, i see. sorry, it seems you did the right thing trying new springs.

one thing i've done is to cut a piece from the spring, to make it tighter. otherwise, just go with four ...

.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SpacesAreFine



Joined: 10 Mar 2010
Posts: 17
Location: Florida

PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lol, it's cool. And thanks for your help. I guess I'll just leave it at four.

So, anyway, I noticed my intonation was way off at the twelfth fret (2 or so red dots flat on the boss chromatic tuner), and I attempted to do my own intonation. I did it myself on my Ibanez, and it turned out beautifully.

I kind of knew that the process would be long and painful (what with all the constant tuning and retuning and such). lol. So I started moving my high e string saddle forward, inch by inch, and retuning it every time to see if I still need to move it. And then the string broke! So now I've decided to just take it to GC and have them set it up, just so I don't have to deal with that.

Man, Floyd Rose's are a trip...

I hoping that once the thing is all set up and I don't have to worry about adjusting this, and screwing in that, and fiddling over here, that I can finally really appreciate it.

Other than the trem frustrations though, I love this guitar!! The tone is gobs and gobs better than my poor Ibanez. The neck pickup is all nice and toasty (warm, that is...if you didn't pick up on that [oh! pun! Razz]), and the bridge pickup screams when it needs to. lol. Also, I totally dig the extra versatility of the push-pull on the tone pot. haha, I sound like I'm trying to sell the guitar Razz.

But anyway, thanks for helping me out Sumis, and Frankus. I can keep this thread updated with my up-to-date feelings towards the Rose, if you guys care. lol
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
sumis



Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 570
Location: gothenburg, sweden

PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

cool. make sure that GC have someone competent for the job though. you DON'T want someone less experienced to tinker with your instrument. they should be able to tell you what they do, how they do it, and why. working at GC doesn't make you a guitar tech -- although i'm sure there are many knowledgeable employees in their stores.

it could be worth it to spend 50$ for a setup by a respeted tech, and at the same time receive his advice on do-it-yourself maintenance.

i've found it immensely rewarding (if admittedly sometimes frustrating) to learn how to set up my guitars. and i'm constantly learning ... the climate in gbg, swe, is not the most stable Wink

good luck.

.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SpacesAreFine



Joined: 10 Mar 2010
Posts: 17
Location: Florida

PostPosted: Thu May 06, 2010 3:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Whoa, sorry for the hiatus...

But the guy at GC did a good job intonating it, I'm happy with it XD. However, I think I have decided to block off the trem. It's kinda cool, and I really have no use for it besides an occasional flutter (cuz they're just awesome. But...really? no...).

So I've stuck a thing of post-it notes inside the back like you're supposed to. That's only temporary though (it's paper, after all). I have a friend whose father works at a shop that can probably get me a nice solid piece of metal to stick in there. You guys have any suggestions as to which kind of metal? I'm kind of guessing brass would be the best (idk why, it just seems like it. Brass is a very hard metal).

Also, one more thing, after I blocked the trem with post it notes, I noticed an immediate increase in sustain! Is that normal? It makes sense that it is, because the springs in the back act to soak up vibrations from the strings, but now that it's not floating, they don't anymore...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Guthrie Govan Discussion Forum Index -> Open Discussion All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum



Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group