Time for a Another Guitar

Discussion in 'Guitar Gear Talk Forum' started by shubhamAT, Jul 4, 2012.

  1. mymusicmyguitar

    mymusicmyguitar Active Member

    Ohh ok..Thats a problem..Coz if someone is selling some used guitar u wont be able to buy it. Thats sad man...

    Check out Godin Velocity if you are in for 22Frets.. Amazing guitar, amazing playability, Great tone!!!
     
  2. shubhamAT

    shubhamAT New Member

    @mymusicmyguitar: Soundglitz does not have any other Godin the Redline HB.

    So far here is my analysis of the options i have:

    Ibanez ART120 (23k): +Great Build and Feel. -Active Pups on a cheap guitar.
    Parker P42 (28k): +Build,Playability. -Bit odd looking but can be lived with.
    Ibanez DN500 (31k): Superb build quality, plays very well too. -Active pups.
    Godin Redline HB(32k):Good Build and Playability. Fits really well when standing up, just like parker.+24 frets on 24.75". -Bridge looked flimsy but can be lived with. Bit overpriced.
    PRS Single Cut(38k): Top of the line in this list.

    Based on features/cost plus personal liking here is my preference:

    1. Parker P42
    2. Ibanez DN500
    3. Godin Redline HB
    4. PRS SE Single cut
    5. Ibanez ART120

    More inputs welcome.
     
  3. henrynh

    henrynh New Member

    You have a lot of shops around you to try out. Lucky, I thought you were ordering online direct.

    One thing about the Red HB is that the wood used in it is solid wood, not a laminate(ply) wood. It's underpriced actually since the wood used in it is from the left over pieces of the higher end Godins. The reason for it being cheaper is that it uses two different body woods but in three pieces & not enough bells & whistles to go with it in the electronics department. The pickups will need replacing eventually though. The neck will take a week to get used to.
    The current official price for it is 38.9k from Bhargavas, if you could grab it for less then it would be a better deal. The prices have gone up on Godins, the Saptaswara site has the prices from last year, expect paying 8-10k more if ordering for a brand new one.

    With the SE, You are better off getting the SE 245 from rickky than the SE Singlecut, I'm not totally convinced they are using solid woods in them but the SE 245 was one of the few along with Korina that boasted of using a complete solid wood body. Plus you are getting freebies from him, 35k is about reasonable enough for it.

    The Parker series, the american ones anyway are treasured highly. Lightweight without sounding thin, superfast neck & excellent craftmanship. The ones you are looking at don't get a lot of love from those that have original Parkers or tried them. The original Parkers, like the Fly Mojo go for about $2999/- new, the rest of their models are around that range as well.

    I'd still suggest getting the Redline HB though, but it's your choice since you tried it. I don't know much about Ibanez stuff, if you were comfortable playing those then get one of those instead of it.
     
  4. shubhamAT

    shubhamAT New Member

    The Redline HB they have looks old unsold stock. I am sure cleaning it up may make it look better. Its also a matter of setup that affects playability. I had no issues with the neck on this or any of the other guitars. Once i go there i will re-view it. I am worried about how easy it is to setup the action on such bridges ? Each string needs to be adjusted individually. Can you pm me your number if you are ok with it ? I will call you from the shop should i have any queries.

    I would have loved to get the SE 245 only if i had cash. I don't really need the freebies including the hardcase. Just the guitar is good enough. Sigh, no cash :)

    As of now i am quite inclining towards the DN500. Have read really great reviews about it. I am just not sure if active pickups can be lived with.
     
  5. henrynh

    henrynh New Member

    Hardtails are difficult to operate on when adjusting string height individually, some of them are anyway. With the PRS the screws are on the underside of the bridge I think. You need a ruler with millimeter scale to adjust string height to a given value or measure it. I prefer measuring in mm rather than fractions. I can't tell you how to adjust the height on these without being there in person since there aren't any store around here carrying them. And try not to rush into getting one, take two three trips to the store to try it out for more than an hour atleast. Since you have access to so many different ones, take your own time. Probably best tokeep the Cort off from sale until you have decided which one to get to replace it.

    There is one important thing to look out for really carefully on it:
    If it's too dusty and you find any rust whatsoever anywhere on the fret wires or the bridge, DO NOT BUY IT! Any green formation at the bridge or the edges of the fret wires then avoid it completely. It will keep corroding slowly & you'll end up replacing it later which will cost you around 5-10k for a decent one, and cost alot more to import a really lasting one. This is a common problem when you don't store the guitars properly or not wipe them off after a customer has tried one.
    And there is something about the necks on the Godins & Parkers that takes a while to get used to. So I'm not sure if it is an actual problem with the setup or if your hands prefer a different neck. The only benifit in the HB is the wood & the 24fret option. The finish won't be like the PRS SE line, so far they have the best finish if nothing else.

    If that Ibanez has no problems then might as well get it if you haven't found anything wrong with it.
     
  6. shubhamAT

    shubhamAT New Member

    I did spend about 3 hours today and tried these 5 shortlisted in 2 rounds. The sad part in Bangalore is that there are very few guitars (hardtails) in the 25k price range. Even below that its either AV series or Epiphone.

    Apart from worn out strings and a dusty bridge other parts seemed fine on HB.

    I have had quite a few guitars on my own plus these days i practice on the Cort/Pluto-Classical at home and on the Squire in office so my hands do get a threesome everyday :) Thats why i didnt feel anything awkward. Another point may be that i am around 200bpm speed mark (about Smoke on the water solo fast), so at such slow speeds i may not be able to tell a fast neck from slower one.
     
  7. henrynh

    henrynh New Member

    Cool, then just get which you like better, this is your purchase so you are the one that has to like it. For the time being just make a few trips & pick whichever you feel comfortable playing. They all need a pickup swap anyway, I doubt Ibanez uses aftermarket pickups in that price range. It's all your decision now. This is why I hate buying lower priced guitars, there are just too many options to choose from lol
    You make want to try out some LTD's in that price range too while you are at it :D
     
  8. shubhamAT

    shubhamAT New Member

    Thanks sure. LTDs mostly were with floating trems or sub 20k range. There is an EC256 in one shop. Nicely built but with kinda worn off look. The shop keeper said it is the vintage look, to me i looked like a black guitar had a turmeric ceremony.
     
  9. henrynh

    henrynh New Member

    :Laughing: Yep the finish isn't eye catching on those. Goodluck with the guitar hunt:rock:
     
  10. shubhamAT

    shubhamAT New Member

    Got a PRS SE Single Cut for 37k with gigbag(list price was 40,475). Spent good 90 minutes on Ibanez DN500 and this one. I had almost purchased the Ibby but i noticed a missing ring on the bridge. Plus on the Roland Cube 60 both guitars sounded equally powerful. The PRS of course was more warmer on cleans. Sustain is quite amazing as well as the weight and balance are also right. I had taken my guitar strap and pick along so that i can do a proper test. Have got the strings changed to Ernie Ball Super Slinky (no D'addario in stock) and the guitar sounds even better now.

    Apart from these i did try Redline HB too but the cheaper Parker beats it hands down in playability. In fact i agree with the universal saying "Nothing Plays like Parker" (not even my PRS) but on the P42 the pickups are a let down (Cort X6 has better pups IMO). I will also mention that Ibanez ART120 is also very smooth playing instrument but again the active pickups it has are more for the namesake the good point is that they run on AAs.
     
  11. henrynh

    henrynh New Member

    Cool :cool:

    Things to avoid doing with it:
    A) Don't rest you palm on the bridge or it will turn green in a year.
    B) Don't bump into sharp objects, sharp edges, wooden chairs with edges, let it fall down on the the ground or drop medium weight pointy objects on the body. The finish dents easily ;)
    C) Never use D'addario Pro Steels with these, especially a set of .10's
     
  12. shubhamAT

    shubhamAT New Member

    Thanks for the tips. I don't plan to use anything heavier than 9s for now and i remember reading somewhere that to add heavier gauge strings one may have to file the groves on the bridge. I am planning to reduce the action by little. Is it safe to turn the screws with the guitar in-tune or do i have to ease the tension on the strings ?
     
  13. henrynh

    henrynh New Member

    It's the nut thats problematic with heavier gauges. If you are lowering the height then no need to losen the strings. If you were increasing the height drastically then the high e string might break. So at that time you need to losen it by a turn or two.
     
  14. shubhamAT

    shubhamAT New Member

    Ok thanks.
     
  15. rickkkyrich

    rickkkyrich Guest

    Cool stuff... Enjoy your PRS.
     
  16. mymusicmyguitar

    mymusicmyguitar Active Member

    It is indeed a lovely guitar!!! Congrats!!
     
  17. shubhamAT

    shubhamAT New Member

    Thanks guys. One thing i noticed was that the guitar has some really heavy sound with the bridge pickup and tone knob set to the middle: very good for metal. Upper fret (18 onwards on E-A-D strings) access is not very great, have to slide the thumb over the heel to reach. All in all i am loving it. Greedy me wants one more PRS now :)

    BTW, to PRS owners and experts. Is it recommended to use only PRS maintenance accessories (polish, cleaner and fretboard conditioner) on this or those from other brands will do ? Furtados does not have PRS acc. and the PRS official store does not ship to India. I cant even use my card on the store since it takes only US BILLTO address. Any suggestions on maintaining this guitar.
     
  18. mymusicmyguitar

    mymusicmyguitar Active Member

    Just keep your guitar clean.
    -Wipe it off with a Soft cotton cloth after practice. Bridge,Strings,body,Neck

    -Wipe of the sweat from the Strings with the cloth. Cleaning each string will prolong strings life.

    -Do not keep the guitar open to gather dust, when not in use keep it in the case.

    -If you are not going to practice the guitar for more than 2 days then i wud suggest take it out wipe off the moisture from the strings and put it back in after every 2 days. This will avoid string Rust.

    - Also wipe off the sweat from the Frets. After playing it for a long time u will notice that sweat gathers on the edges of the frets. Clean that else that will soon develop in to a fungus especially in this monsoon climate
     
  19. shubhamAT

    shubhamAT New Member

    Thanks a lot for the maintenance tips.
     

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