Help me decide on an electric guitar

FatBoy · 2008-06-05T12:14:45+00:00

Hi Guys Well I know this question is not easy to answer, and it depends a lot of what sounds and feels good to me, but please give me your opinions. I have...

Help me decide on an electric guitar

Riaan-Combrink

Well, Wizard, you at least have a headstart on the rest of us in attempting to get that much sought after tone that is, in fact, the holy grail, of the African guitar sound : the elusive perfect marimba tone. ?

Wizard

My mid-life crisis, from age 40 to 44 was a deep indulgence into West African music.
Had the good fortune to meet a Malian djembe master, Sidi Sangare, and find a group of like minded music fanatics.
We used to play djembe about 6 hours a week together and do plenty of practicing inbetween.

We even had a live 2 hour slot on Bush Radio one night.
We then decided to make a CD ... spent 2 weekends in a recording studio ... came up with something that sounded not nearly as good as we would have liked ... and parted company after one of the more dramatic artistic and dramatic fall-outs in history.
(The recording studio owner asked us to take our 'argument' to one of the sound-proofed rooms as we were disturbed the atmosphere)

During this period of djembe playing I also became aware of the Balafon - a West African marimba / xylophone that has the most haunting and beautiful sound. Uses calabashes as resonators.
Also acquired the Ngoni at the time.

I decided I was going to learn to make marimba's.
Sort of took up woodwork to chase this ambition.
Also made some telescope stuff too.

Marimba's turned out to be a bit trickier to make than expected.
Decided to make a 6 note, one octave pentatonic instrument as a first trial.
Has turned out to be the only thing I've made.

I changed jobs recently and made each of my ex-staff one as a parting gift.
Took me about 6 months to complete that task.
These were resonated.

Then decided to see if I could make some money selling them.
Found a shop who took 3 - but didn't want the resonators because they were too big to fit into tourist suitcases.

This still haunts me. Unresonated marimba's with Madagascan Rosewood keys and Maple frames ... going into tourist suitcases.
Anyway - made me enough money to buy my guitar. So. Music begets music.

My woodwork is more functional than pretty.
Never learned all the complex joinery - modern glues are strong enough not to have to.

Will post pics as soon as I've learned how to

Has taken me about 3 years to learn the science

Riaan-Combrink

Wow. Having read your post, Wizard, I regret my earlier facetious remark. Cool, man. ?

Although not West African, I spent six months in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during 2004 and 2005. I have vivid memories that will never fade of local musos playing Afro/Jazz/whatever in Kinshasa clubs while the European United Nations employees tried to pretend they were getting it. As an African, even a honky one :-[ , I felt such a connection to what these guys were playing. Some of them would play local tunes and drop in patterns of Mingus, Thelonius Monk, or De Meola or Spyro Gyro in their original compositions. They would look up, no doubt checking if anyone recognised it. Virtuoso musos playing a music written in the stars, hoping for a $ 1,00 tip. Although life's ironies were heavily painted over it, I miss it very much ... ☹

Wizard

Point taken though.
This is a guitar forum, not a marimba forum. ?

Wizard

Ever heard of Ali Farka Toure?

Riaan-Combrink

Wizard wrote: Ever heard of Ali Farka Toure?

Nope. Marimba player?? ?

Wizard

Toure was ranked number 76 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

Wizard

Is it regarded as inappropriate protocol to acquire GAS before you have learned to play?

FatBoy

Is it regarded as inappropriate protocol to acquire GAS before you have learned to play?

If that is the case, I sure as hell am not following protocol!

Rudolf

Wizard wrote: Is it regarded as inappropriate protocol to acquire GAS before you have learned to play?

OOOOOF! No! That is a common wannabe guitar player myth. You will anger the guitar gods greatly by not doing your bit to ensure every guitar in the shop finds a loving and caring home!

AlanRatcliffe

Wizard wrote: Is it regarded as inappropriate protocol to acquire GAS before you have learned to play?

No, thank heavens! LOL! I'd still be stuck with my Angelica guitar.

Starting out, I think we all lust after the pretty and the interesting models (talking guitars here, guys ?) as well as the classics - it's part of the territory. Mark Knopfler once said: "I knew what Fender catalogues smelled like" - and I killed myself laughing, because I was exactly the same as a young'un.

Sean

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
Starting out, I think we all lust after the pretty and the interesting models (talking guitars here, guys ?) as well as the classics - it's part of the territory. Mark Knopfler once said: "I knew what Fender catalogues smelled like" - and I killed myself laughing, because I was exactly the same as a young'un.

LOL , wow, that is having it BAD!! ?

DaFiz

In my youth I could never buy the guitar of my choice but rather the old used instrument that was available at my price, thus I learned to get accustomed to various shapes and sizes. I really appreciated how my practice riffs came together far more smoothly on a real Fender Statocastor and how the Gibson Les Paul sounded so much fatter and more like what I wanted, but my best electric guitar was the Peavey T60 (twas offered to me and I took it without test driving it first). These days effects units can make any guitar sound like a full symphony, so I think the most important criteria would be the way it works in your hands and not the "Mother Of Pearl inlay" :?

Squonk

@ Dafiz

I have a T-60 and I really dig it, a bit heavy but brilliant tone.
Still got yours?

AlanRatcliffe

I love the T-60's (in natural finish...of course)! Original design, great wood quality (although very heavy), well thought out electronics (one of the few guitars where the phase switches actually give you usable tones) and some nice attention to detail (the screening!) and came stock with a moulded case. Nearly bought one a few times, but the weight was always the dealbreaker. I also think I'd probably find the neck too skinny for me with my current leanings towards fat ones.

Squonk

@ Alan

I actually bought mine from Paul Bothners a good couple of years back. Roger, who worked there at the time, knew that I always wanted a T-60, informed me when one came into the shop. I think I paid R1000.00.
It has all the original documentation and guarentees still in the moulded case.

DaFiz

Sold mine after the band disintegrated along with amps speakers and effects units.
The lead guitarist was so impressed he bought it from me and I think he still has it (plus molded case)
and Fender Bassman 50W valve amp with Celestion 15" 4ohm speaker (should've had two 10" instead)

I have a fake Strat but there's no comparison. :'(