Huge decision to make and need some help.

[Dogbreath]

I own the Mini Jubilee combo, and it is loud. I don’t gig. At home I run it on the five watt setting, and I still can’t run it hard enough, so I run it through a Weber Mass 100 attenuator. That’s the only way I can play without pissing off everyone on my street, I like grit, and I like loud. This is what works for me. It’s a loud amp.

 

[Dogbreath]

Another thing, get the new Les Paul and the amp you want. Forget about the Martin. A friend of mine used to say, “If you’re going to be a bear, be a Grizzly!”

 

[Demon Dave]

used Gibson Les Paul and a small marshall like, valve combo. That’s all a man need

 

[Axe2Grind]

I think you are the only one who can make the right choice for you. You must have a preference to what type of music you like to play as a musician. Do you enjoy playing an electric with distortion the most? Or do you find yourself tinkering on an acoustic to keep the family happy? Choose the gear for your musical preferences and I guarantee that will be the right choice you won't regret.

I always had the dilemma of being able to play two instruments, guitar and keyboards and was for the longest while torn between the two so one day I decided once and for all to choose what I enjoyed playing the most. I'm no professional, I don't gig so was a pure decision made on what I love from the heart, not the head and chose electric guitar even though I was a much better keyboardist. I've never looked back and no regrets whatsoever, gear choice made

 

[Sp8ctre]

My two tube amps are 50 watts and 130 watts. I only play in my office at work and my music room at home. No one says you have to max out the volume! A high power tube amp at a lower volume setting sounds better to me than a low power amp cranked.

Get the Les Paul and the big tube amp! However I might go with a 2x12 instead of a 4x12. My 4x12 took up too much space and I had to get rid of it...

 

[dro]

You got great advice here. My worry is always on the other end. I sell things and later madly regret it. A 1974 LP Deluxe, a 1970 Es-335, a 60's era Telecaster, a Marshall half stack, a Fender Deluxe Reverb etc etc. You won't be sad that you've made the plunge and buy gear - but you may be sad when you've sold it. Remember if it's desirable to you it will be desirable to someone else, so go ahead and buy it...

If you don't want to regret it. Don't sell it.

 

[Brek]

Damn bro, that is what I’d call a dichotomy of epic scale. The lester or the d-28? Marshall stack, meh. If you get the lester, you can always stick those piezo pickups on, they give an acoustic type sound apparently.

 

[moreles]

I think the amp's a mistake -- an obsession/fixation that does not connect to reality for most people with real lives. The guitars are a coin flip. They're both of similar standing in their categories. I will look for both and buy based on the deal and the individual instrument. There are lots of mediocre D28's, that's for sure. And dull LPs, too. Hold off until you find a great one, used, for a good price. I have incredible results buying used for no other reason than that I am patient and have learned to avoiud impulse in favor of excellence. I got bored with D28s 30 years ago, so I'm not likely to pull the trigger on that vanilla guitar, but for many they are perfect.

 

[nomadh]

I read this as a bang/buck contest. I find the worst diminishing returns are for electric guitars. It's amazing how little you get for 10 times the price. I find amps you get a little more return as you up the price ladder but still there are some pretty decent amps for not so much. I find a good expensive acoustic will typically be very hard to replace with a cheaper brand.
So I guess I'm saying go martin

 

[Burny FLG]

And the correct answer is 335. Surprised none of you figured it out yet

 

[smk506]

I think OP needs to head to a guitar store and play through some 20ish watt amps, or a 100 watt tube 1/2 stack.


Actually, as cool as tube amps are, if you’re just in the market for a good sounding amp that you can play at home or with a drummer, check out the boss katana amps. They’re solid state, but they’re really nice sounding and give you a lot of great tones on tap, plus a bunch of boss pedals built in.

Really killer amps, and they’re cheap too, you might be able to swing a les paul, a nice Martin and the amp for the same price as the les Paul and the jubilee.

They’re at least worth a try when you’re out auditioning tube amps.

 

[Injector]

The reality is that whichever of the three you end up buying you will still want the other two. This doesn't mean that you bought the wrong thing though. Decide which of the three slightly edges it and stick with that decision. Don't obsess over it and keep thinking about it once you've made your decision.

If you woke up on Christmas Day would you rather there was a brand new Gibson Les Paul under the tree, a Martin D28, or a Marshall stack?

I agree that a stack is overkill and I think that you would regret not buying one of the guitars instead.
Decide on which guitar to get and then save up for a combo amp (which will cost no more than 1/4 of the price of a Les Paul).

 

[Nintari]

Welp guys, after a long struggle of indecisiveness and madness full of sleepiness nights and going back and forth, back and forth like some kind of demented pendulum... I've decided to go the acoustic route first (as well as pick up a cheaper tube amp for home use like most of you have suggest, maybe a Blues Jr. or something to go with my Strat), and then later in the year snag my Les Paul and maybe some kind of Marshall to go with it. Only instead of the D-28, I'm going to go for the D-35. It's a little more money but to me, it seems to have quite a bit more depth (at least to my ears).

I just wanna say thank you to everyone who replied to this thread. I certainly didn't expect it and it was much, much appreciated. Most of the advice helped a lot. And some of it really helped a lot. Seriously!

Once I get my D-35, I'll check back in and update you guys with some pictures : )

 

[rogue3]

You get guys who don't know how to play.they just want the prize.which is ok.

you sound like a guy who can play.so i'm in the camp> fret dress the strat OR how about a new neck?

A D28 is a life altering decision,again,if you can play. If you are still a novice,don't do it yet.

Lots of amp choices out there.Go used.

Set your budget,buy used, go with what you can afford.A *new* Martin D28 will blow your budget all to hell, and blow you away with its tone.

Hold off on the lester.What good is a Lester if you cannot enjoy the tone through a nice amp?

 

[Cozmik Cowboy]

Something I neglected to mention in my previous post, but others have since hinted at - a Marshall half-stack is a dinosaur. Yes, Jimi & Pete & Eric and all needed a row of stacks to get their guitar to the back of the room - but in the early '70s, Alembic & the Grateful Dead invented modern sound reinforcement. These days, if you're playing a room that 20-30 watts won't cover, you'll have a mic and/or DI into the PA.
Need Marshall tone? Get something like a 1974 (that's the model, not the year), and use the money you'll save to get both guitars.

 

[Bigfoot410]

TL: dr

I say marry her if you got her pregnant.





















*Get the Martin.

 

[Lester]

You get guys who don't know how to play.they just want the prize.which is ok.
you sound like a guy who can play.so i'm in the camp> fret dress the strat OR how about a new neck?
A D28 is a life altering decision,again,if you can play. If you are still a novice,don't do it yet.
Lots of amp choices out there.Go used.
Set your budget,buy used, go with what you can afford.A *new* Martin D28 will blow your budget all to hell, and blow you away with its tone.
Hold off on the lester.What good is a Lester if you cannot enjoy the tone through a nice amp?

Roughly my thoughts too. Make the Strat sing again. Buy used gear. You can get a guitar and an amp for your budget. You'll have two good guitars and a nice amp and no buyer's remorse.

I go the same way with cars now. I buy used for half the upfront cost. Sure, I have to do a few things to them but those are just upgrade opportunities! I also feel great about my purchase instead of, in a week, thinking "I really should not have spent all this money just to get new car smell".

 

[Lester]

Something I neglected to mention in my previous post, but others have since hinted at - a Marshall half-stack is a dinosaur. Yes, Jimi & Pete & Eric and all needed a row of stacks to get their guitar to the back of the room - but in the early '70s, Alembic & the Grateful Dead invented modern sound reinforcement. These days, if you're playing a room that 20-30 watts won't cover, you'll have a mic and/or DI into the PA.
Need Marshall tone? Get something like a 1974 (that's the model, not the year), and use the money you'll save to get both guitars.

Mostly. There is the informal outdoor "backyard" gig where 50 watts might be needed. Otherwise it's overkill and unusable at home. Some mainstream bands still have the Marshall stacks but only for show.

Times have changed. A lot of amps didn't even have gain/master controls back then. It was all out or nothing for amp distortion, especially with the headroom those amps gave. I remember a story about Jimi in a studio... around the Woodstock days... full Marshall stack on 10 for the recording. The engineer was having issues recording it and talked to Jimi about turning down. His response was "That's how I play". But, even Jimi wouldn't be playing like that today.

 

[Cozmik Cowboy]

The engineer was having issues recording it and talked to Jimi about turning down. His response was "That's how I play". But, even Jimi wouldn't be playing like that today.

Guy I did sound for in '80 would go into rooms where a Princeton Reverb would be overkill with a half stack; he'd hang a 57 from its cord in front of the cab, put a packing blanket over that, the head on top - and dime it.

"Billy, you think you could turn down so I could get a mix?"

"I'm just tryin' to get a sound, man".

"Maybe get a smaller amp."

"Huh?"

Just tryin' to get a sound, man? After 3 months, he was just tryin' to get a soundman.........

I will allow some top-wattage leeway for Twin Reverbs, though - as long as they're not cranked. I mean, you can keep your Marshalls; what does it for me is that clean Fender headroom!

 

[Lester]

I will allow some top-wattage leeway for Twin Reverbs, though - as long as they're not cranked. I mean, you can keep your Marshalls; what does it for me is that clean Fender headroom!

Twin Reverb will peel some paint too. In a bright, clean, pierce your eardrums kind of way.