Getting a guitar

[EndOfAnEra]

Good ones exist, I've managed to find a few. My worry is more about playing in front of anyone haha

[VerbalPuke]

My old man is lefty and plays right handed. Not that helps you, but ya know, just sort of reiterating what Midget said.

From what I can find, the lefty models aren't too bad in price, just that they are rare. If you like strats at all, http://www.sweetwater.com/store/search.php?s=left+handed+strat&Go=Search

Very affordable Fender branded strats there. Of course, Fender is typically reasonably priced where as Gibson is best found on the used market.

Apparently the 2015 Les Paul's have been leaked and the Les Paul forum I am on hate them. Prices are fucking insane (like more insane than usual), most of them are coming with this new Min-E-Tune tuner on the guitar (which tunes the guitar for you I think? Not sure I like that), and a really ugly Les Paul signature on the headstock. Yeah, the signature is literally Les Paul's signature to commemorate his 100th birthday. Even in recent years the Les Paul Junior and Melody Maker could be had for 560-750 dollars, but it seems that even those are sort of an after thought.

At the same time, come November the 2014 models should have significant price drops, and so a Junior or Melody Maker could probably be obtained if the price wasn't too crazy.

[EndOfAnEra]

I'm split on the MinETune. You basically push a button and it tunes for you, but I think they increase the price because of it?

[VerbalPuke]

Yeah, from what I understand, there is a price bump. Some guys suggest just taking it off and installing your own, which might be a pain in the ass if you don't know what to do. But supposedly, you can sell the Min-E-Tune for around 100-150 bucks, while new tuners and grovers are going to run about 30-40.

I'm not keen on a guitar tuning itself for me, not that I want to resist technology, but I don't know. I want to keep guitars simple, keep them like they have been since the 1950s. At the same time, I can understand Gibson wanting to innovate and try some different things. I mean, the coil tapping is a really cool feature on the Les Paul and SG that is fairly new.

[EndOfAnEra]

Have any of you guys ever rebuilt an electric? I was going to buy a hardshell case (about $80), but for $150 I can get a case and an Epi Les Paul that has some wiring issues. I'm thinking of breaking it apart, rewiring it, and giving it a new paint job.

[JasonM]

I've never done it before, but from what I've seen of guitar innards, it isn't the toughest job in the world to do.

Best thing I can suggest is to go on youtube and find some tutorials, I'm sure there are plenty out there.

[Herr Matzat]

If you check it out on youtube you find plenty of guids to even carve your own one from wood. For electric guitars its fairly easy in the end i belive, it´s just a question how how much you spend on your electrics and how the wood actually still makes a difference in sound.

If you want to go acoustic you can even do it with a cigarbox.

[thatshortguy]

Have any of you guys ever rebuilt an electric? I was going to buy a hardshell case (about $80), but for $150 I can get a case and an Epi Les Paul that has some wiring issues. I'm thinking of breaking it apart, rewiring it, and giving it a new paint job.

The paint job will take longer than the rewiring.

If you've got the tools and a bit of patience, you should be able to rewire everything in an evening. Stripping the original finish and putting a new one on a guitar will take at least a few days, likely longer.

[EndOfAnEra]

I'm an electrician, so if I can't rewire a guitar I quit at life. I've been reading up on painting the body, definitely a long process. If I can manage to get a decent body for cheap, I'll end up with a tv yellow les Paul.

[VerbalPuke]

Shit, you're an electrician? I say fuck yeah, go for it. I'd love to know how the innards of a guitar work, and wouldn't mind learning to do my own set up, but right now time to play is about all I have.

What sort of price range are you looking at for just a body? Not to harp on ebay, but...ebay does have a lot of that sort of thing.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2014-Gibson-Epiphone-Les-Paul-Studio-BODY-NECK-Guitar-Mahogany-Ebony-/361023426414?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item540eac4f6e

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EPIPHONE-LES-PAUL-STANDARD-PLUS-TOP-BODY-NECK-/271603846098?pt=Guitar&hash=item3f3cd9cbd2

Edit - Shit, those links probably aren't any good to you, they're basically hollowed out guitar bodies. That would require you to also put pick ups and other things in the guitar, which might be more money than you were willing to dole out.

Edited September 15, 2014 by VerbalPuke

[EndOfAnEra]

No that's what I'm looking at. I want a good body, then I'll pick my gear. I was looking at Epi bodies because they're good and the guitars are easy enough to come by. Then some burstbucker pickups and whatever else, which put me around $400-$500. I was looking at a used just so I didn't have to do much woodwork other than painting, but I'll look into those too.

Edited September 15, 2014 by EndOfAnEra

[VerbalPuke]

Cool, this sounds like a fun project. If you take it on, post pictures of your progress, I'd be interest in seeing that. TV Yellow is a cool, classic color to go with for the record, I like that choice.

This might be getting crazy, but you can actually find just the wooden cut out of a body. Something that dudes have done on a CNC machine, so there is no paint job, just the body, but a lot have no neck.

[EndOfAnEra]

I've seen those, I'm just having a hard time finding one that has good feedback since I'm ordering off of the internet. Ideally that would be the way to go.

It seems like Stratosphere is my favourite right now because it looks like they break guitars down and sell them by parts instead, so I'm getting a legit body. Now I'm wondering if I should just build my own SG instead.

Ahhhh shit that site has limited choice for lefties. There are others though. Might wind up with the unpainted body.

Edited September 15, 2014 by EndOfAnEra

[fourstarfizzle]

I've just picked up an original 89' Fender Sunn Mustang for 50 quid which I'm very happy with. Lovely piece of kit for playing straight up doom and drone music. Only downside is it's at my parents in UK and I can't get my hands on it until December.

Edited September 18, 2014 by fourstarfizzle

[thatshortguy]

I've just picked up an original 89' Fender Sunn Mustang for 50 quid which I'm very happy with. Lovely piece of kit for playing straight up doom and drone music. Only downside is it's at my parents in UK and I can't get my hands on it until December.

If I remember those correctly, weren't those some of the ones where the body was like a rounder SG? I think some had Strat bodies, but some had the body style that Gretsch uses for their SG styles.

Awesome looking guitars and I've heard that they are built like tanks.

[fourstarfizzle]

Yeh, they do have a slightly rounded body base but the back isn't as rounded as a standard Strat, it's pretty squarish, just a nicer 4 pickup setup with the 2 singles and a double on the bridge and as you say they're built well and also heavy as fuck for a Strat copy, they re-released it with a model made in china but they're even cheaper and not very good. Always a great bargain when you can get an original 88-91 model.

Edited September 18, 2014 by fourstarfizzle

[JasonM]

So I've been looking at my old strat replica, and I'm more and more getting the itch to do something with it.

So I dissasembled it, and I'm looking at repainting it and giving it a swanky paintjob which is a bit more original than tuxedo black with the white pickguard. Anyone got a few good tips for painting a guitar, or know a couple of good sites?

Also, the equipment that's in the guitar itself is pretty gash, it was an 80 euro guitar when I bought it, so it's nothing fancy and it's kinda shit. So I'm thinking about buying some buckers and elements cheaply to make the guitar better than it has any right to be. Once again, someone got tips and/or a few sites where I can find good info or buy the individual stuff for the guitar?

Also, would it be expensive to cut out a whole new guitar body from a block of wood, because that would be really really awesome to have a custom-ish body.

[thatshortguy]

So I've been looking at my old strat replica, and I'm more and more getting the itch to do something with it.

So I dissasembled it, and I'm looking at repainting it and giving it a swanky paintjob which is a bit more original than tuxedo black with the white pickguard. Anyone got a few good tips for painting a guitar, or know a couple of good sites?

There are several good tutorials throughout the web, but the best pointers from me would be:

1. Do the paint stripping outside. You need good ventilation because the fumes and such can be harmful in enclosed spaces.

2. Get a *lot* of paint stripper. If the body is glossy, it's likely a nitrocellulose finish, which takes a lot more effort to take off.

3. Have a few sheets of heavy duty sandpaper to open up the pores of wood once the initial finish is off.

4. It'll take at least a couple coats of paint to properly cover the body. If you want to replicate the glossy finish of factory guitars, grab some spray lacquer. Do that outside, too.

Also, the equipment that's in the guitar itself is pretty gash, it was an 80 euro guitar when I bought it, so it's nothing fancy and it's kinda shit. So I'm thinking about buying some buckers and elements cheaply to make the guitar better than it has any right to be. Once again, someone got tips and/or a few sites where I can find good info or buy the individual stuff for the guitar?

Also, would it be expensive to cut out a whole new guitar body from a block of wood, because that would be really really awesome to have a custom-ish body.

I don't know about overseas, but the US market for used pickups has some good prices. Rarely do used pickups really hold a lot of value, so figure out what you want out of some buckers and start hunting. Best thing I can tell you for researching pickups would be watching demo videos and playing axes that have them in store. Musicians' Friend and Guitar Center (some company, different name) could be a good place to find new prices/reviews.

It wouldn't be overly expensive to carve a new body, but it's FAR more time consuming and there's little margin for error. Check out places like warmoth.com to price custom made bodies. Keep in mind that's a North American site, so if you're across the pond, you'll have check earlier posts for an international similarity.

[EndOfAnEra]

I found a bunch of sites when I was looking for mine, I'll see if I can dig them up again. There are some companies that sell electric kits that mimic 50's style equipment that everyone seem to be raving about for around $80. I'm probably going to drop one in my Epi.

Stew mac is great btw

http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Finishing/

[fourstarfizzle]

Here's my new toy. Not bad for 50 pounds including the hard case. Next up is to check the wiring and replace the pick ups. I'm torn between a Dimarzio Super Distortion for the bridge or going with a Seymour Duncan set, SH-6 Duncan Distortion for the Bridge with 2 JB Jr singles for the middle and neck.

This bad boy is mainly gonna be for some stoner/doom work.