Curious and Curiouser

[steamboat willy]

This is.....

Slash300 started a thread called "Are these two the same" comparing two Strats (as it happened one was American made and one was made in Mexico). Now I have a MIM 50s Classic Player Strat and having played it against other American made Strats I am left in awe of this guitar. The general consensus of a lot of people tho seems to be to shell out the extra and go for the American made model.

Surely that flies in the face of everyone on here who owns an Epi because if we applied that logic we'd dump the Epis and shell out for a Gibson?

Anyway that was the Curious bit, this is the curiouser...


My Electric Guitar collection (With prices paid) consists of:

Epiphone Sherraton II (£360)
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus (£239)
MIM Fender 50s Player Strat ((£399)
50s re-issue Fender Telecaster made myself using authentic Japanes parts (about £500)
All four guitars together cost me less than £1500, or in other words the price of one decent Gibby LP or a really decent Strat.

My guitars won't increase in value like a Gibby or American Strat but playability wise they are all about 90% as good as their more expensive cousins and I've got four for the price of one.

So here's the question:

You have £1500 ($2200) to spend on guitars. Would you spend it all one one guitar (and what would it be) or would you go my route and buy several (and obviously what would they be).

For the purposes of this game you should assume you don't currently own any guitars alreadsy - so this represents your essential armoury!

[Akahito]

Money is silly. Forget about money. Get instruments if they're good. I've played on guitars that cost over 1200€ that played and sounded worse than some below 400€ guitars, so the feel you get from the instrument not always relative to price. It's just what's considered high-end and what's not. Also, a big part of it is dependent on personal taste.

If I found a guitar that cost 1500€ that I just had to have, then I'd shell out for it when I got the chance.

[vladmaximus]

yeah..u r totally right Akahito...
domo arigatoooooooooooooooooooooo...hait...

[LEFTY LES]

My guitar instuctor has over 30 guitars hanging in his studio. Every week he busts out a different one. Sometimes he plays a very very sick Strat. Its almost like a trans amber LP but a little darker and not flamed. 90% of all his stuff is stock and it all sounds great. This Strat however is far above the rest. It is the most beautiul sounding Fender I've ever heard and I love my MIJ Strat so thats saying something. DId I mention that his Strat that Im talking about is MIM???? All his Strats are either MIJ or MIM and his LP's are either Epi or some weird off beat brand. Bottom line is this... His guitars sound awesome and he can play them. That my friends is the bottom line. I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you can play any piece of shit on a stick will sound good. Period bottom line end of story. If you suck do you think a $3500 Gibson is gonna help???? It aint the arrows boys its the Indians. If I had $3500 to spend on a guitar I'd get me an Epi LP Custom, a BB, a Dot, a Strat a new Line 6 Flextone amp, enough strings and picks to last me a ****ing year with money left over for a 6 pack boys!!!!!! thumb:

[Studiolite]

I think me and Lefty are down pretty much the same road, if I had a righteous amount of cash I'd put my little twist on it. I'd wait til '09 when Roman comes out with the 'Les Paul Kit' and see how that would work out. Having already built one strat from parts (around 400 bucks worth of em) and having it sound absolutely awesomazinglyful, and learning so much about tremolo setups and single coils, I'd say build three and call it a day. Also take the Wife out to someplace nice with the left over money!

[diceman]

If I could do it all again, I would have fewer higher end guitars. I have 20 or so - I play 5 or 6 of them. I don't think that I'd get rid of any of my top 5, but the other 15 could easily get me a couple more high enders (USA PRS, maybe a players grade 50's Junior).

BUT

If I just had $2200US I would NOT be spending it all on a Gibson - I'd get a used Epiphone Elitist and a used USA PRS.

[steamboat willy]

Thanks for the input guys but I never meant it to be a serious discussion, more a game. Have a bit of fun - Forget what you've got already. How would you spend £1500?

[LEFTY LES]

how much is that in US $$$

[diceman]

Originally Posted by LEFTY LES

how much is that in US $$$

(He says $2200 in post #1)

[LEFTY LES]

oh

[LEFTY LES]

I would get this
Buy Epiphone Left-Handed Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar | Left Handed Electric Guitars | Musician's Friend
this
Buy Epiphone Sheraton II Left-Handed Electric Guitar | Left Handed Electric Guitars | Musician's Friend
and this
Buy Line 6 Flextone III XL 2x12 Stereo Combo Amp | Solid State Combo Amps | Musician's Friend

[steamboat willy]

Nice - and it comes in almost exactly on budget

[djwilbanks]

Buy Gibson Custom ES-339 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with '59 Rounded Profile Neck | Semi-Hollow and Hollow Body Electric Guitars | Musician's Friend

Buy Epiphone G-400 Electric Guitar | Solid Body Electric Guitars | Musician's Friend

[GrouchyDog]

If I could, I'd scrape up a used Elitist Les Paul - call that $900 for argument's sake.
I'd get some middle-shelf variety of Strat, say $600.
Then I'd look for some sort of used SG with P90s in it with the remaining $700.

[overdriver]

Originally Posted by steamboat willy

Thanks for the input guys but I never meant it to be a serious discussion, more a game. Have a bit of fun - Forget what you've got already. How would you spend £1500?

Would depend on what was around at the time being an owner of 3 MIM classics , if a MIARI 57 was around for that ,which I picked out of several examples and liked . I would get that. Or a Gibson 339 or a Eastman TM184X


Why the need to pick out what you think are faults in other posts?
In the thread on the MIM standard and MIA standard the poster did not ask which Strat should I buy he asked if the 2 where the same.

In reguard to your other concern why a MIA standard over a MIM classic player . in Canada and the U.S. a MIM classic player = 799-850 no case not much good for resale. Fine guitar.
MIA standard 08 1000$ with case ,better resale value. First year they have made any real change for the better in a long while maybe of historical value in the future.

[overdriver]

Oh and thanks for the post made my 3000 on answering.

[steamboat willy]

erm...I don't think I picked fault in the other post at all. I know the owner wasn't aslking which he should buy but I was curious that a lot of posters were so down on Mexican Fenders. To me the Mexican Fender is at the same Level as an Epiphone is to the Gibson - Its slightly skewed in that there isn't as great a difference in price between MIM and MIA strats as their are Epis and Gibsons but still its strange that many people on this thread would swear Epiphones were as good if not better than Gibsons yet when it comes to Fenders evveryone wants the 'Proper' American models - Dunno - Are people in America generaly against Mexico? Seems to me a lot of people would rather give money to China than their Southern neighbours, or am I reading political/racial overtones that don't exist?

On the price issue in the UK a MIM strat comes in at about £389 (with gig bag) whereas MIA strats start at about £800. The MIM Classic Player was designed and specced by the American custom shop and uses American hardware so its difficult to know where the extra £400 is going except into the back pocket of an American worker. What it boils down to is the fact that Fender sell their American models to their domestric customers much cheaper than they do to us in the UK so MIM's do represent far better value to us.

[IndianScout]

people need to learn to play the guitar and not play what it says on the headstock

[GrouchyDog]

Originally Posted by IndianScout

people need to learn to play the guitar and not play what it says on the headstock

[overdriver]

People in General like to be pro whatever Country they live in when they can. And in reguard to the Strats and teles, the new standards MIA are priced within reach of most and do have a bit better build, parts etc. The classic and deluxe MIM and players are very nice guitars indeed but some can benifit with part upgrades such as tuners , blocks pickups. As the Epi lps But for the same money someone wanting to buy made in the U.S.A. the standard is a good choice pretty much the same $ spent on getting a case and upgrades for a MIM. Ya can't do that with Gibson vs. Epi even upgrading an Epi is still less than half of what a Gibson standard goes for speaking new. Then you still do not have the same woods used! Fender at least ya get good comparable woods used in the MIM Vs MIA. You should get a squire CV strat if ya what cheap.IMO

I know I buy Canadian when I can, how bout you Made in England mean anything at all to you.

[Akahito]

Originally Posted by steamboat willy

Thanks for the input guys but I never meant it to be a serious discussion, more a game. Have a bit of fun - Forget what you've got already. How would you spend £1500?

Haha ok That kind of threads are much funner.

Though this is giving me a serious case of G.A.S., here goes. £1500, amounts to about 1700€. That's enough for a serious amp stack. Hmm. Getting hard already! (Haha, yeah, that too.)

My options:

Marshall JMP-100 (usually going for 1000-1500€ depending on age and condition) with 4x12" Marshall cab w/ greenbacks (from 400€ up) I could aim on getting for 1700€. Not entirely impossible. Most probable choice.

On the guitar front, 1700€ is still a bit limiting for what I'd really want to get, even second hand the pieces I'm looking for unfortunately go for well above 2000€. Another well considerable option could be getting a more giggable amp than the JMP-100 and another midrange guitar while waiting for The Right One to come along. For instance, the ltd. Fender Hot Rod Deluxe is running for 800-1000€ right now. That would still leave me enough with a nice guitar, like an Epi Casino or Sheraton, with a Bigsby put on it. Mmm...

[overdriver]

Classic player uses MIA hardware sorry to say it does not MIA whats that !the good tuners Fender uses are Gotoh or Schaller . The MIM mostly ping hardware. Ya don;t need to tell me Fender specs.

[steamboat willy]

how bout you Made in England mean anything at all to you

Yes it does - Usually it means its going to be very expensive

[overdriver]

Originally Posted by steamboat willy

Yes it does - Usually it means its going to be very expensive

Yes but the best! only motor cycles I like are or where made there!

[RMC1]

American made Guitars are only so expensive in the UK because the powers that be think we should take one in the Ass from the Inland revenue and Customs.Simple as that.It`s not the manufacturers fault.

[steamboat willy]

Then why do Fender, Gibson and Epiphone ban US dealers from supplying to customers in the UK via their websites?

Simple answer, they want to protect the higher prices they charge here

[RMC1]

As with many things in life however,you get what you pay for.Pay Peanuts,get Monkeys!

[Funkwire]

Stupid double post!

[Funkwire]

Originally Posted by steamboat willy

My guitars won't increase in value like a Gibby or American Strat but playability wise they are all about 90% as good as their more expensive cousins and I've got four for the price of one.

So here's the question:

You have £1500 ($2200) to spend on guitars. Would you spend it all one one guitar (and what would it be) or would you go my route and buy several (and obviously what would they be).

Hmmm...let me see...



Total amount spent: $1789.00

[pawpek]

This thread has me thinking. For me I like a big thick neck as I have big hands! I wouldn't say I'm want a big brand name on the headstock, I just would like something nice to play. But I'm torn between one great guitar, or 3 other nicer guitars.

Right made my mind up. Brian May guitar (like the Burns, has a nice comfy neck) they are around £500, next up would be a Les Paul Ultra II, (not played one, but like the nanomag idea, and it saves getting an accustic) £400, Ohh standard Tele is £289, (Fender Standard Telecaster® Chrome Red Maple) Hmmm Strat at £289 too (Fender Standard Stratocaster® (Upgrade) Brown Sunburst Maple), think I may have enough over for a strap or a Vox Amplug AC30

Mind you I could just walk into the shop and say I'll give you £1500 for that R9 lol