Lets look at our guitars thread
Discussion
RichB said:
Chaps, let me start by saying I'm not a guitarist, I'm a keyboard player so...
I'm looking at buying a special gift for a friend and am thinking about a 'Birth date' guitar - 1973. I know he's got 1st Class Fender Stratocaster he purchased in San Francisco at a custom shop near the Hendrix "Red House" while he was based over there. So, is there a vast difference between a new Strat and a 45 year old one? Would a Strat player also enjoy playing a Telecaster because an alternative would be a 1973 Tele'? Finally I suppose there's Gibson, or is that like a Harley rider thinking a Honda Goldwing is the devil's work?
Thoughts???
I would say a Tele.I'm looking at buying a special gift for a friend and am thinking about a 'Birth date' guitar - 1973. I know he's got 1st Class Fender Stratocaster he purchased in San Francisco at a custom shop near the Hendrix "Red House" while he was based over there. So, is there a vast difference between a new Strat and a 45 year old one? Would a Strat player also enjoy playing a Telecaster because an alternative would be a 1973 Tele'? Finally I suppose there's Gibson, or is that like a Harley rider thinking a Honda Goldwing is the devil's work?
Thoughts??? 
Stan the Bat said:
RichB said:
Chaps, let me start by saying I'm not a guitarist, I'm a keyboard player so...
I'm looking at buying a special gift for a friend and am thinking about a 'Birth date' guitar - 1973. I know he's got 1st Class Fender Stratocaster he purchased in San Francisco at a custom shop near the Hendrix "Red House" while he was based over there. So, is there a vast difference between a new Strat and a 45 year old one? Would a Strat player also enjoy playing a Telecaster because an alternative would be a 1973 Tele'? Finally I suppose there's Gibson, or is that like a Harley rider thinking a Honda Goldwing is the devil's work? Thoughts???
I would say a Tele.I'm looking at buying a special gift for a friend and am thinking about a 'Birth date' guitar - 1973. I know he's got 1st Class Fender Stratocaster he purchased in San Francisco at a custom shop near the Hendrix "Red House" while he was based over there. So, is there a vast difference between a new Strat and a 45 year old one? Would a Strat player also enjoy playing a Telecaster because an alternative would be a 1973 Tele'? Finally I suppose there's Gibson, or is that like a Harley rider thinking a Honda Goldwing is the devil's work?
Thoughts??? 
Sheetmaself said:
Got me the Gretsch. Only had limited play time and due to impending house move it has been through garageband and headphones. But plays really nicely out of the box and in my eyes at least is a stunner for £218 delivered!
Can't go wrong at that price: When you think I paid £50 back in 1980 for a cheap and nasty single pickup Strat copy that had higher action than most bass guitars; you've got a stylish, nicely playing name brand guitar for less allowing for inflation over 40 years.rsbmw said:
Some teaser pics. My friendly luthier is building me a body and neck for a partscaster. This one will be an RG style but with a normal nut and non fine tuner Floyd, which is my favourite bridge. Body will be roasted English ash with a Koa top, he’s sent me these pics of the blanks.
I really admire the skills of people who can produce a working guitar from a bare (beautiful) blank of wood like that. Makes me feel a bit of a hack assembling Jaguars and Strat from parts I've bought (though still very satisfying when they work out well).Keep us posted with more pictures as it progresses.
Sheetmaself said:
Got me the Gretsch. Only had limited play time and due to impending house move it has been through garageband and headphones. But plays really nicely out of the box and in my eyes at least is a stunner for £218 delivered!
May I ask, did you try one out before buying?
I didn’t try it no, i figured at the price it was worth a punt.
It was a customer return but classed as perfect which it is, looking forward to getting it over to my parents to get my Dads opinion as he has quite a few very nice guitars as in nic huber, suhr, heritage etc and a nice marshall stack plus he currently has my Fender mustang 1 amp which he is looking after for me.
It was a customer return but classed as perfect which it is, looking forward to getting it over to my parents to get my Dads opinion as he has quite a few very nice guitars as in nic huber, suhr, heritage etc and a nice marshall stack plus he currently has my Fender mustang 1 amp which he is looking after for me.
OldSkoolRS said:
Can't go wrong at that price: When you think I paid £50 back in 1980 for a cheap and nasty single pickup Strat copy that had higher action than most bass guitars; you've got a stylish, nicely playing name brand guitar for less allowing for inflation over 40 years.
My first guitar was a second hand Westone Thunder that cost me £120 in 1987, which is allegedly equivalent to £360 today. I was earning fifteen quid a week.I remember being in a band when I had the £50 Strat copy with a guy who bought a Les Paul copy made by Andora (or something similar). It wouldn't stay in tune for a whole song and we had to ask him to turn it down at a school gig we played at. Needless to say the band split up shortly afterwards due to the 'musical differences'.
When you think what you can get these days as a starter guitar they are so much better; even a basic Squier Strat can play pretty well, even really well with a set up. Still can't get over that Gretsch for just over £200: I could have bought a whole guitar for the price of the pickups and a roller bridge I bought to 'upgrade' mine. I'll bet I won't get £230 back for them either.
PS: I'm on the look out for a decent, light Strat body if anyone has any recommended sites to try: The places I've looked either do thickly coat poly ones that might also be heavy, or the smaller places seem to insist on doing a relic finish. At this rate I'll end up buying a bare body and spraying it myself, but I'm getting impatient as I'll have to wait for the warmer weather to spray.
When you think what you can get these days as a starter guitar they are so much better; even a basic Squier Strat can play pretty well, even really well with a set up. Still can't get over that Gretsch for just over £200: I could have bought a whole guitar for the price of the pickups and a roller bridge I bought to 'upgrade' mine. I'll bet I won't get £230 back for them either.
PS: I'm on the look out for a decent, light Strat body if anyone has any recommended sites to try: The places I've looked either do thickly coat poly ones that might also be heavy, or the smaller places seem to insist on doing a relic finish. At this rate I'll end up buying a bare body and spraying it myself, but I'm getting impatient as I'll have to wait for the warmer weather to spray.
HighwayToHull said:
I can beat that! Zenta, a very poor copy of a Strat. £74.50 in 1975, equivalent to £794 today, and it was crap! Bought it from my mum's catalogue and paid it off at £2.50 (now £26.60) a week.
My first was an Avon SG copy from one of the second shops down near Leeds station in 1978. It was actually OK and Dave Simpson did a review on one recently on Youtube and thought it was fine. Replaced it with a £150 Fender Strat in 1979. When I was working I was making about £84 a week on a nighshift at Black & Decker on the Dewsbury Road in mid-79 earning money to go to the USA.
Stan the Bat said:
You're a flash Harry...I only had one pickup and no switches. I just did a search to find a picture and turns out there is one for sale. I'm tempted to buy it for old time's sake, even though I remember it was pretty rough. Turns out it was older than I thought as I bought it about 1980 maybe 1979, but it looks like it must have been 10 years old at least at the time.
HighwayToHull said:
I can beat that! Zenta, a very poor copy of a Strat. £74.50 in 1975, equivalent to £794 today, and it was crap! Bought it from my mum's catalogue and paid it off at £2.50 (now £26.60) a week.
OMFG!You've just reminded me of my first electric guitar! A Zenta SG copy, pretty much exactly like this:-
It was, largely, f
king 'orrible.Gassing Station | Music | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff