opinions please

[Frankenamp]

Looking for a reasonably cheep Tele type geetar

Dunno about this:  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310278940824&fromMakeTrack=true

this looks kinda nice:  http://cgi.ebay.com/RAVEN-WEST-ELECTRIC-GUITAR-P-90S-BLEM-BLEM-/380296240031?pt=Guitar&hash=item588b6c1b9f

Any thoughts, opinions of suggestions?

[Geezer]

You may want to check out these guys (Guitar Fedish / GFS pickups).....at least they are reputable folks who will back up their stuff.

They have a "KEEF" model that I've been thinkin' about......

http://www.guitarfetish.com/XV-820-Single-Cutaway-Solid-Body_c_157.html

[Frankenamp]

Hi Geez:
That sounds interesting
http://www.guitarfetish.com/XV-835-Flamed-maple-Top-Solid-Woods-Vintage-Natural-Maple-Fingerboard_p_1163.html
looks interesting too... I'm dithering between P-90's and F-type single coils. There's very few humbuckers that sound bright enough to me, but that KEEF looks interesting... is that a Chinee guitar?

[Geezer]

is that a Chinee guitar?

Not sure (shoot'em an email & ask) but they gotta be somewhere in Asia @ that price.........maybe Indonesia.
Anything fairly new in that price range will be from that area of the world.

G

[Ritchie200]

Hey guys!
Not sure how "handy" you are or how much free time you have....  I get the Grizzly woodworking catalog and they have some pretty slick looking guitar kits that you do basic assembly, stain and finish.  Looks like decent quality parts and the wood look really nice.  I know nothing about them other than looking at the pics.  I also do not know how the pricing compares to other kits out there.  This one looks really nice for the price.  http://www.grizzly.com/products/Heirloom-Curly-Maple-Telecaster-Guitar-Kit/H8070

They also have this cheapy for about half the price:  http://www.grizzly.com/products/Telecaster-Guitar-Kit/H8068

If you do buy one of these, please keep us up to date with the build!

Jim

[P Batty]

The Indonesian Telecasters I've played have impressed me- more so than the Chinese or Mexican.  GC featured them a few years back, there should still be some around, definitely the most bang for the buck. I think the Black and Chrome Squier is one:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-Black-and-Chrome-Special-Edition-Tele-Electric-Guitar?sku=519619

[Frankenamp]

"Guitars are made in China using Chinese and Korean parts."

Thus sayeth the website

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310278940824&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
is a 12 string tele from PRC I've seen a few negative reviews about Cozart products is there anything to that?

This is a Korean import that looks kinda nice:
http://ravguitar.stores.yahoo.net/57syflblfr4.html

I havent seen anything from the good ol' USA in this price range...

Does this one count as an Indonesian tele? http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-Tele-Custom-II-Electric-Guitar-with-P90-Pickups?sku=519584

I wish I had the time (& shop space) to do one of the Grizzly numbers- those do look like they have some potential.<lust>

[Geezer]

Do you have a Guitar Center near you? If so, go there & try some stuff out (or to your local guitar shop).
 
I was in the one (GC) in Fairfax VA the other day & they had TONs of low priced guitars. Some were really nice, but others were total crap.....all for about the same $200-300 price range.

[Platefire]

I picked up this Butterscotch Affinity Squire on a trade a few months ago. This thing plays great and has classic tele tone. They go for $179.00 new and can be had for less on e-bay. I hearing the Classic Vibe Tele MIC is a great ax for the money, it around $300.00+.

[Frankenamp]

Today was a bust. I headed out to the Dublin Bust Buy/Geetar Sinner/Flowering Tree Hi-Fi* combo store (Pleasanton traffic isn't as bad as San Jose's), and there little choice locally, but the cam sensor chose that time to act up in my car. Earlier this week I went to Allegro's (local music shop) which was great if you wanted to spend $139(-) or $499+ and had a separate room for guitars... but they were slammed at the counter, and since I was doing recon and not actually buying at the moment I sent the sales guy back to the counter to make some sales. Nothing I saw looked near as nice as online, so I got a pack of silk & steel .10's for my (neglected) Ovation Celebrity CC67 and beat feet. Today, while I was waiting for the car to settle down I dropped in the other local consignment/repair shop. Every thing in my price range was Chinese. The closest thing was a used Japanese Fernandez Tele copy that wasn't half bad, but the asking price was $450. Action felt nice but not that nice. As much as I want to help out the local guy out, If'n he ain' got whats in my budget or my imagination, I can't do it.

Geezer: I been looking at a couple of those Guitar Fetish models, the Keef w/ maple neck, and the one with the Flamed maple top. I'm kinda nervous paying sight unseen... but the Raven West models 560T or 590T also look nice and are about the top of my budget. Any opinions re the versatility of the Keef setup or P90s?

*(Best Buy/Guitar Center/Magnolia)

[Frankenamp]

Looked at some in a nicer guitar store in upscale Pleasanton... I find it hard to believe that anyone would buy a trashed guitar from a name (or any) brand "road worn" this or that. reminds me of the '70's & 80's fad of selling trashed Levi's for beaucoup bux. I grew up on a farm outside a small town (not even out in the 'sticks'- we was twigs) There were plenty of trashed jeans to be had. My mom was a seamstress, and would have none of that mess. No survivor of the great depression would consider such a thing. Even the lowly Squiers were twice the online prices. So much for supporting the local economy.

Car ran fine all the way to Pleasanton... and immediately on leaving the geetar store driveway went into limp mode. Fortunately Niles Canyon traffic was light... I swear I'm gonna name that PT Rosannarosannadanna cause if it aint one thing, it's another, an if it aint that it's sumthin else... Next car will be a asian imported wagon- mebbe from Joe Isuzu.

[Frankenamp]

Well, I hemmed, haawed, dithered, and nattered. I tried my luck on Fleabay searched far and wide. Found and lost out (in the last coupla seconds) on this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=380300781651&si=qQu4FqlEsxsNYlBdVL8IHaZGf0U%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME%3AB%3AWNA%3AUS%3A1123
Looked at the Guitar Fetish and Musicians Friend... looked again, and again. After loosing out on the fleabay deal the wife & I went back to the Ravenwest site and dithered some more.Wife had been grumbling about why I was looking so much until I pulled up this: http://www.ravenwestguitar.com/59timaamflbl.html she then said "I like the look of this one" (tiger striped flame maple w/ f-holes on the top) then "I might just want to play that one" (now I'm really nervous) so I decided I might possibly share a bit... And settled in to haggle mode (or I would get no respect at work from my Indian colleagues). Wife sez its my Christmas/Birthday/Anniversary tri-fecta present

[John]

Wow. If possible, post some sound clips? I've always wanted to mess around with the hollow bodies, but have never really done it. That one is a beauty!

[Willabe]

I've wanted somethin with  P90's  in it for years!

She looks like a bute !  Hey, I'd be happy, no thrilled, if my wife could/wanted to play my -- OUR --guitar. Sounds like a good thing.

     
       Brad         

[Frankenamp]

Well, It's been a while and my fingers are still developing callouses... and the left arm cramps ever so often which it never done before  Like the old man (to a young know-it-all kid) said "play till yer fingers bleed. I started googling some old Neil Young tunes and giving the converted Newcomb 6GW8* phono amp a workout. Thank (your favorite deity) for small amps so only those near and dear to you know how well and truely I suck after not playing for two or three decades. Oh yeah- and thin nylon picks + light gauge strings. The setup wasn't the greatest, I traced some rattles to the neck PU being loose, and the bridge(s) doesn't look intonated even after I adjusted and evened out the individual bridges... (back to Mr Couch's appendixes on intonation). Not that it matters at this stage of the game. 20 years ago I payed about 300 fer a used Ovation Celebrity (that now fleabays for 120-150) and still sounds pretty good for a plastic geetar. This time I think my 300 are even better spent, less than anything locally available that wasn't chineese. The Koreans have been making nice guitars for a long time. I had a Carlos D45 copy that I got for about 150-200 in the mid '70's and did what the local library luthier books said to do, and it was the one that everyone wanted to use to perform with. (Too bad it disappeared during one of my Navy moves.)



*actually not too bad for low volume clean tones- my prized Altec Biflex speaker has developed a rattle- so that's going out of the box and hopefully that the EV wolverine 12 is better.

[Ritchie200]

Wife sez its my Christmas/Birthday/Anniversary tri-fecta present

Wow, that means it will be another year before you get......well, you know!  That BETTER be a good guitar!

Jim

[Frankenamp]

 

[supro66]

Join E-Chords
http://www.e-chords.com/

You can get some good stuff there FREE

When you join you can change the key and get some good video

The key of E is easy to play

[Frankenamp]

Thanks!  I'll check it out! been lurkin about ultimate-guitar.com lately

[Milnoque]

I've heard good things about these Agile guitars at Rondo Music. I have no personal experience with them.

http://www.rondomusic.com/product2973.html

IMHO G&L Tribute ASAT models are the best bang for your buck, but they are more expensive than the Agile above.

[supro66]

I've heard good things about these Agile guitars at Rondo Music. I have no personal experience with them.

http://www.rondomusic.com/product2973.html

IMHO G&L Tribute ASAT models are the best bang for your buck, but they are more expensive than the Agile above.

I got the 6 string lap steel guitar and case $99.00 about  2 years ago

Put good strings on it [ came in rusty ]
Plays well I like it
looks like this

[Willabe]

Nice lookin lap steel. Does it stay in tune well? I love slide of any kind.


            Brad         

[supro66]

Nice lookin lap steel. Does it stay in tune well? I love slide of any kind.


            Brad        

Yes just put on a good set of steel guitar strings

you have to get the right set for what tuning you want to play in

Then they will all tune and stay tuned

some tunings

http://www.well.com/user/wellvis/tuning.html

string sizes
http://www.juststrings.com/ghs-lap-e.html

[Willabe]

supro66,

Thanks for the links! I have'nt had time to realy look them thru, but they look very helpful.

Hey arent you a free man now? Is'nt you thats made it to retirement?

If so.............   :occasion18:                     :smileinbox:       :toothy9:


          Brad        :hello2: