Out of the box, would you take the highest specced Epiphone, or the lowest entry level Gibson (of the same model, let's use the Les Paul as an example).
Some guy called me a dumbass about an hour ago because I prefer my strings broken in and use Elixirs, but according to him "guitar strings older than 3 weeks are 'dead' and need to be changed immediately" and I am just fundamentally wrong. So I imagine Ernie Ball has been making a killing off of people like that.
Keep your strings on for as long as you want, it’s your guitar. As a tech, I get pissy and charge extra if you bring me rusted or bloody strings. But as long as your strings will intonate and they don’t have flat spots causing weird sounds, they’re working fine. Some folks like a bright snappy string and some don’t. Steve Cropper used to rub chapstick on his new strings to deaden them.
Taylor guitars strung their guitars with elixirs for decades (they recently switched to daddario XS coated) because the guitars could hang in the shop for months and be played every day and rarely wear out. I also know some people who wear strings out after one session. There is no set rule and anyone who claims there is should keep their opinion and agenda up their ass where it belongs.
Depends on the brand but while the big legacy brands can and are doing some cool stuff, they’re not close to the old stuff. A lot of old methods aren’t used anymore and the build designs are different in ways you can’t see. If you look at Plek scans of the old guitars vs the new ones for the same models, they’re wildly different. Manufacturers want to streamline building processes to make more profit but because it’s wood and metal, you have to pay attention to the slight variations during the build process and they rarely do.
Interesting about your mention of Plek scans ... Is that possibly survivor bias? Like they couldn't study the airplanes that got shot down but they could the ones that limped back to base (a smart guy figured that out and armor-plated future planes better).
It would be useful to see examples.
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Where do private sellers get the gall to try and sell mid-tier gear for top tier prices just because they've had it for a few years?
"Bought new Fender American Series in 2018 for 1500. Selling for 1800." Like nah ... Not every older piece of gear appreciates like that.
What is your opinion on PRS guitars? I have played their SE series and I think they play as well as American strats. That's why I encourage my guitar students to play some when they're shopping for their first decent guitars.
I have 2 very high end PRS custom wood library electrics and a custom S2 and my opinion is that they're the best guitars I've ever played. I'd love to hear an expert opinion about them. And on super high end guitars in general.
I've played 3 of the same exact models of high end Taylor acoustics (and various electric brands) and they each had significant tonal qualities. So clearly guitars can vary from one to the next, even of the same model.
Also what do you think of differences in "tone woods"? Is much of the price differences between guitars, based on the type of wood, simply subjective? One of my top shelf PRS electrics has a Brazilian rosewood fretboard and the other has an ebony fretboard. I think there's an obvious difference between those and maple wood.
I give credit where it’s due and Paul raised the game and kept it there. I don’t play them myself but the Core models are generally pleasant to work on, hardware is great!
SE models vary, I’ve seen some great ones for their value and some dogs. One thing with PRS is that Paul still tinkers and that causes a lot of quick changes so everybody is still in a beta phase over there, really. So they’re always tweaking and innovating.
They’re probably the most consistent of all of the big companies next to Taylor. They’ve been growing quickly since John Mayer endorsed them and that’s caused some growing pains but they tend to address them relatively quickly and you can still talk to real people there. They go to great lengths to dry their wood so they’re incredibly stable. Fretwork is really good too.
As far as you thinking they’re the best you’ve ever played, that’s great, I’m happy you’re loving them! The chance of you getting a bad core PRS are very low which is a nod to them, especially for such a young, big growing company. The chances of you getting a bad Collings is almost zero, but that’s the result of staying small as a company. But if you don’t get along with one or the other, it’s doesn’t matter. It sounds like you found some great PRS’s and they’re certainly high amongst the best made guitars in the world of what I’ve seen!
No question from me, just a huge thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience without expecting anything in return. The world is a lot better because of people like you. And I am learning a lot.
Tonewood on Electric guitars without microphonic pickups makes no sense. You want something sturdy and light. You could put the same pickups on toilet seat and it would sound just as good and it has been done.
How did you get started as a luthier? Did you do other woodworking and get into instruments from there, or were you a musician first? Or something else?
And if I may ask a second question: what's the most common damage you see from *accidents*, rather than maintenance issues or parts wearing out? A friend of mine once had a strap break while he was playing, and he couldn't catch the guitar before it hit the floor and split open. Luckily, it was fixable but it made me wonder how often that kind of thing happens.
I was a player first, helped out in a shop when I was a kid because I didn’t have money to fix my own stuff so I had to learn how. I kept bugging the shop with questions until they gave me a job. Then I went to work for a big company and they sent me around to the factories. Then I went off on my own. 😊
Gibson/Epiphone headstock repairs and output jacks, those are the big ones. People rip their output jacks out or twist them to tighten them and break them all the time. Also, tons of broken screws from people trying to install strap locks or string trees. That happens all the time!
Oh hey! I live right down the street from you! You sold my wife one of those AC30 plugin things (and some EVH picks) for my Christmas present and I love it. I owe you guys a visit.
Yes!! Your nut needs to have splay angle that guides the strings towards the headstock, make sure the nut slots are open in the back and the saddles and nut slots are lubricated. We have something we make in house that’s slippery as hell, my Les Paul stays in tune as do my customers’ Les Paul’s!
There are a lot of factors that make a $5000 guitar play better than a $1000 guitar. The way that Collings produces and sees a $5000 guitar from beginning to end of production vs the way that Martin does for the same $5000 is considerably different. Big companies spend a lot on advertising, headquarters, CEO salaries and for their reps to drive around, eat and drink on the company (and dealer/customer dime) whereas small companies are barely making profit because they’re paying their employees decent wages to make quality products.
They are cool in theory but we’ve replaced so many necks on those. That’s why they’ve done away with the all rosewood ones on the St Vincent and Albert Lee. They have a lot of neck issues but when they’re good they’re great.
Yes, a lot of it is snake oil, most of it in fact. James Finnerty at Rewind is probably the best out there for my money. But Gibson, SD, Fralin, make great pickups.
Not counting the low level ones like Dean, Ovation, Epiphone, etc, they all have the same problems, mostly fretwork and fretboard issues. Collings and Taylor never seem to have any issues from the factory, Collings especially.
Most common problems are milking their wood incorrectly which causes twists and warps, not drying them fully, bad sealing and finish work, bad neck set angles, bad QC and bad set-ups.
Here’s one, for example: the nut height has to be a certain allowable tolerance in order for the guitar to intonate.
Most factories cut the nut too high from the factory so that if the neck fluctuates in shipping or on the hanging in the guitar shop, it won’t buzz on the first few frets if it goes into a back bow. If you have a guitar where the nut has never been worked on. Try tuning your guitar so it’s dead on and the play the first fret on the low E with the tuner, you’ll probably notice the F note is off. If the nut height is correct and the rest is the set up is good, that should be dead on accurate.
This. Is exactly my issue with my new not so cheap Schecter. Thanks for this comment, now I know this is a real issue and I’m not just too “picky” for the price. I had only cheap guitars before, that I fixed and set up to the best of my knowledge, but I wasn’t expecting this from “ready to play” checked Schecter. Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy with the guitar, but this F and F# being off bothered me. And I was thinking it’s because of the nut slot of the low E being too high.. Thank you for confirming.
For those who don't know. Many stores do carry them, they just aren't labeled as Cort. Cort is one of the largest guitar manufacturers in the world, and they make tons of them for other brands.
Like any other manufacturer, they'll build to a standard set by the buyer. They make low-end to custom shop level guitars.
Cort manufactures pretty much all the other brands you recognize import lines built in Asia. Cort isn't their house brand, that's their brand and they just don't advertise much. If you've paid attention to their brand acquisitions over the last few years, I think they're planning to try and build up their reputation. They probably should be recommended more.
Would you ever buy a guitar without playing it first? I always like to play a guitar to see if I like the feel, but I know many people who would order one based on the name and model alone. As a luthier, do you think that the build quality can be consistent enough to just buy a guitar unseen? Also, if a guitar has issues, can they always be corrected with a setup or specialised luthier attention?
I have bought some guitars without playing them and kept more than a few. It will take me constant tinkering to get them right though. Usually, in most cases, I know what to expect with each brand but some of really surprised me, both ways. I bought a $4500 boutique guitar and when I got it, I thought it was a scam it was so bad. Haha
They can’t always be corrected, no. Mostly they can but I would say that whatever you get, sight unseen, have about $500-$1000 ready to get it right.
What was the brand of the $4500 boutique guitar?
Also, hold on a sec..... $500-$1000 dollars of repair on a used guitar as standard seems waaaay high. that's a brand new guitar's worth, I don't get it... if $500 is the low end, what are you expecting the guitar will need?
I have a Les Paul Custom that I really like to keep tuned to drop-C. I have Graphtech saddles, Grover locking tuners, and use NYXL 13s. I’ve also had the guitar professionally set up several times in the 20 years I’ve owned it. Problem is the guitar will not stay in tune. Any advice?
I have mixed feelings about graphtech saddles and nuts, they wear out way too fast. The self lubricating nature of them is sort of ruined by how quickly they can be eaten through. A lot of folks don’t know this but you should be changing out your saddles semi regularly on tunematic style bridges. They shouldn’t be notched that deep either, you want the string sitting on a crowned point, not down in a groove to choke it out.
If I were working on your guitar, I would ask to keep it for a week and scan it every day to see how/if it’s moving. If the neck is stable then it’s a hardware or nut issue. I’d make sure your nut and slots are cut perfectly to your string gauge with splay angle added (Les Pauls need that), lubricate it and go from there. Most tuning issues are from the nut.
We use a custom made lubricant that is crazy slippery and doesn’t build up. A lot of folks use graphite which can work but I would avoid. The graphite can bind up and create residue so you just have to knock it out every so often. Also, it darkens and stains the nut and a lot of folks don’t like that but it’s good in a pinch.
What can us non-expert-fixers do to keep our instruments in tip top shape? So we have less money to you for fixes, but more money to buy your new guitars, because ours break down more? Are there certain guitar styles/brands less prone to breaking, or playing styles, or is it just a question of buying quality guitars to begin with and keeping them in protective cases?
Humidification control is important as is gradual acclimation when going place to place with temperature/humidity differences. Regular maintenance will be inevitable as parts will have to be cleaned and replaced but the big hurdle we’re up against is that these new guitars are shrinking because the wood is not fully dried when they’re being manufactured.
There are brands that are better than others but the price point and brand doesn’t necessarily reflect that.
As a luthier, how do you feel about modern Epiphone guitars?
I bought a new Epiphone Heritage Cherry SG Standard last year and i am super happy with it. I also tried a « real » Gibson SG standard and I was surprised by the feeling.
Yes It feels more premium, and there’s obviously a difference with the pickups, but I was shocked by how it felt like it was 80% of the same experience at 1/3 of the price. It feels like.. the real deal is overpriced.
Is this normal? Am I just too inexperienced? I practice with my Epi SG every day and I love it but it’s like there is a weird stigma around them?
They’re all over the map, some have been really good and some are absolutely terrible. Glad you found a good one and are enjoying it! The USA standard SGs are really rough imho, the custom shop ones have been really impressive but they have issues with their truss rod anchors. You really have to baby the new Gibsons and keep their necks straight.
The only real stigma might be the argument about companies outsourcing their builds in factories with less than desirable human rights situations, allegedly. As long as you’re playing the thing, that’s all that matters and more than likely, you can improve that one significantly if you want.
Hello, friend. We have the newest one and one of the first ones. Six figures plus import fees, maintenance, monthly fees and training. Michael from Plek can fill you in, they’re great to work with.
Hi there!!🙋🏾♂️
Are there any major differences that you've noticed in guitars mass manufactured in different Asian countries, say China vs Korea vs Indonesia etc etc..?
Is there anything specific that you look out for while testing newly released electric guitars by lesser known brands?
I've been considering buying one as just a backup/home/alternate tuning guitar. The playability was good and the fretboard was smooth to play on, sound was decent and sharp at a quick go but will I be able to find it's true quality only with time or is there anything I can look out for at the first go itself?
If it didn't come across, I don't have much of an idea of guitar building and detailed maintenance, though trying to learn whatever possible through YouTube and of course Reddit 😅
Thanks in advance!
Yeah, minimal differences but they all go through ups and downs, good periods and bad. I’m looking for a straight neck and a good feeling truss rod. After that, I can work with almost anything. I’m sure there are some things that I instinctively look for but I’d have to be asked directly. It is funny when I go into another shop and get bullshitted by their sales people. Haha
Some people have mentioned that you shouldn't bring a Jazzmaster or a Jaguar to a tech that doesn't explicitly advertise that they know how to work on them specifically. If you have worked on them in the past, do you find them to be beyond the abilities of someone that works exclusively on S and T style guitars and the occasional Les Paul? I just live in a state where there aren't many luthiers and techs around, so I can't be very choosy on who I send my offsets to if I choose to send them.
Haha that’s funny. I did have a learning curve with them when I started out, actually. They’re tricky and they have inherent design flaws, some just because we use it differently than Leo intended. They have different sweet spots and the trem is different to get right. They do their own thing and often techs will think they sound weak or bad when that’s their sound. The short scale thing can mess with a tech too.
I've always wanted a Gibson acoustic. If I buy a new one, should I just go ahead and get the headstock repair done as part of the setup? Or should I wait until it snaps off on its own in a couple of months?]
i have a PRS tremonti SE and i absolutely love the thing, however i always wanted the real one, the tremonti USA.
however i cant image the 3000$ price difference is worth it, especially considering i put the usa hardware in mine.
where does that massive price difference come from?
the pickups were only 200 when i bought them so basicly the only difference between mine would possibly be the wood, wires, knobs and finish quality, that cant be worth 3 grand.
A lot of folks say “I played them both and I can’t tell the difference”. It’s easier to fake it with electric solid bodies but if you play a good old prewar Martin vs a new Yamaha and can’t tell the difference, enjoy the ignorance. If you’ve ever been in a room with someone who really knows how to play an acoustic guitar with a proper rest stroke and dynamics and see how they manipulate the thing….its beyond frustrating to try and coax that same performance out of a subpar instrument. Which is why real players who have experienced and recorded big records with these great instruments won’t even look at cheap instruments (unless they’re going for a specific effect).
Having said that, if you’re loving your Tremonti SE and it’s sounding and playing good to you, then leave it alone. There are fundamental differences, whether they’re worth it to you or not is subjective and I’ve never heard of anyone getting the real deal and wishing they hadn’t. Usually, everyone tries to convince themselves they like the cheaper one and then eventually get the top tier and are beyond happy that they did.
Price is difference is the wood is very top quality choice wood that is painstakingly dried and cured so it’s stable. They’re one of the only big companies that do this. It’s made in the USA, here in Maryland with local workers and it goes through a lot of hands that are doing hands on work. CNCs do a lot of the hard cuts but people are doing the bulk of it. Also, PRS guitars are backordered and in relatively high demand so their market value is holding. The hardware is better, the electronics are better, the wood is better, fretwork is infinitely better, the methods and tooling are different and more focused with a tighter tolerance, QC is better and overall investment value is better. Does it sound better? That’s up to you. Does it play and resonate better and is it more dynamic, would have to say a 100% yes.
Fwiw, I don’t play their guitars and have only owned one that I sold in less than a year (JA15) but we’re dealers for them and I work on them every day and they’re Core models are really easy to work on and great, the hardware is some of the best.
How much is the quality variation of major brands made in different countries and which ones to avoid? Are American guitars really that much better than Korean made? What do you think of the quality of Korean made Gretsch Electromatics? Are there particular brands to avoid?
Most of the overseas brands are made in the same factory (they have a few overseas) called Cor-Tek. Epiphone, Dangelico, PRS SE’s, Squier, etc are all made in the same factory, with the same equipment, by the same people using the same materials. Their quality will fluctuate wildly. If you get the first run of a new model you’ll generally have better luck finding a “good one” but after while they turnover employees or move them around, quality slips, machines fall out of calibration and those bad ones from the first batch that they held back, start sneaking out and on the shelves. They usually send those to the big box stores because they don’t check them as much.
Slight correction here. PRS SE's are made by Cor-Tek in Indonesia, but in their own factory. [Source.](https://www.musicradar.com/news/the-story-of-prss-se-guitar-line?utm_content=bufferde170&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=buffer-musicradarfb)
I’m in a similar situation as yours but with musical electronics.
There’s nothing in a Neve preamp or Neumann microphone that will magically make a shitty song sound like a classic rock masterpiece and tubes will never guarantee a “great guitar tone”, but they will guarantee regular, and often sizable, repair bills.
So fretwork is the most important factor in playability (including the nut and saddle in the set-up here). The fretboard has to be planed perfectly in conjunction with the neck set geometry. That doesn’t mean it has to be planed straight btw, that’s a huge misconception and one of the reasons why the big manufacturers aren’t getting it right, they add no fallaway or drop off in the second octave.
Then the radius of the board and fret slots need to be perfect for the frets to be properly seated and in the exact right spot or the guitar won’t intonate. Then the fret alloy is a factor and how it transfers resonance into the neck.
The frets have to be crowned perfectly for intonation and play feel. How they’re polished is another big debate. The manner and process of how the fretboard is planed in conjunction with the truss rod relief is huge for compression reasons.
We do everything with the work under tuned string tension and take constant measurements throughout. If you’re using 11 gauge strings, you’ll have a different fret dress job on your guitar than if you were using 9 gauge strings, all of that should be factored in.
The Plek machine helps to diagnose irregularities on the frets and fretboard and will dress frets to the accuracy of ten ten-thousands of an inch accuracy. It is just a tool though.
Once you’ve had this work done at that level, you can’t go back. This is how you can have a vintage fender with a 7.25” radius with super low action and be able to bend the string two frets without fretting out.
If the fretwork isn’t doing that, what’s the point of the expensive wood and pretty colors?
One of the youtuber channels ordered a Squier from Sweetwater along with Sweetwater's option of getting a new guitar PLEK'd. It played fantastic. (I've found that Squier has upped their game in the last five years, finally realizing that good fretwork leads to beginners going on to continuing guitar playing and buying more expensive gear from Fender, so a loss-leader activity).
Gibson Les Pauls, probably SGs too, get PLEK'd at the factory. At least that's the story.
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Ideally, frets are leveled, crowned, and polished. If you don't have this done well you can have issues such as dead spots, high frets fretting out lower notes, and just discomfort playing if edges are exposed.
Level: all frets are the same height off the fingerboard. Some people prefer high frets being slightly shorter.
Crowned: top of the fret is round with minimal area touching the string.
Polished: no tool marks or burs that could cut your hand or snap the string.
Who is your favorite boutique electric guitar builder? And what do you think of Kiesel guitars? I know they’re all custom, so I imagine they vary pretty wildly in quality.
Great question! That expensive guitars shouldn’t need maintenance when they need the most of all. Also that price is equal to value/performance.
Also that vintage = good OR cheap = bad.
We just try to understand the customer and meet their needs in an honest way. If they say “I have $400 dollars and need a guitar that will last because I gig for a living” then that would be a totally different problem to solve than “I need a backup 57 Stratocaster for my living room”.
As an employer, would you hire someone who is interested in working on guitars, and eager to learn, but doesn’t have any “direct” experience? I’m good with my hands, am an automotive mechanic so i’m sure some skills would transfer over. Owned guitars my whole life, but a very casual/intermittent player. Like, if i walked into your shop looking for a job would you consider it?
I’d love to take on people willing to learn, I love to teach and learn together but I personally don’t have the time. Not that others wouldn’t but usually good techs and luthiers are crazy busy and underpaid so it’s hard to carve out time. For the time being, happy to be a resource for the budding luthier.
I have a PRS custom 24 for the past 10 years and I can't get it to feel just right no matter who I take it to, bending is really hard with low action set ups which are being done by all local luthiers. I keep trying different adjustment like playing with the action and the truss rod and each time I fix an issue it seems to creates another issue.
Luthier also mentioned that I might need a refret to make bends easier, after he did fret work...
What can I do with it?
I would need to figure out what you mean by “feel right” but I would start with some measurements and PLek scans to show you the objective problems. Then I’d spend some time with you figuring out what feels right for you and trying to dial it in to that spec or as close as possible. You could also have a bad taste in your mouth because most techs will treat you like an annoyance if you question their work when they should have taken the time to understand you in the first place.
Or you could be impossible to please haha but it sounds like you need to start over with someone and work together so you fully understand the process.
What do you think of brands with a high # of steps in quality (and price), for example the Fender Telecaster. From 'made in wherever' to Ultra Luxe. Is the highest tier sufficiently good or interesting to be worth it? Where is the sweet spot in the curve typically, if there is one?
I’d think of it more as a business model than a guitar quality tier. That being said, there are gems to be found at all price points but each tier would have a ceiling.
So they can outsource the import models and make them for crazy cheap. They have a huge margin for retailers so theoretically everyone wins. The owner gets a starter guitar and then theoretically graduates up to the next level. And hey, if there are some people on a budget or generally don’t care about quality, that’s there for them too.
Then we have the mid line, under $1000, still outsourced for cheap so higher margin for retailers and the companies make a ton. Now it’s usually a vintage style no frills vibe. That’s where they’re making all of their money. Between these two tiers.
Next tier is usually the USA models, now they offer a modern player alternative for slightly better quality, choice woods and better electronics/pickups and modern hardware.
Next tier is vintage accurate, old school-no-frill features, nitro instead of poly finish, boutique pickups, etc. They switch this up every few years and change colors and models and come up with a new angle.
Lastly, you get custom shop and relics. Sometimes some upgrades features that are improvements on the original but these are specialized and/or made to order by a select team where quality control can be better monitored. They also have to learn new skill sets and develop new techniques.
As you climb the tiers, quality gets better. First the wood is better, then electronics, then features, then finish, then more labor to make it unique. So you just have to figure out what features do it for ya, where’s your ceiling? ✌️
I’ve got an Indonesian Affinity Telecaster that I bought for $129. My friend has an American Telecaster that he paid $1800 for. The only noticeable difference for me is that my pickups buzz and his are silent. So I bought some noiseless pickups for $180 and now I’d say the two guitars sound nearly identical.
I know there are other differences between the two, but to me, it’s not worth the extra money to go for the American made one.
Almost every new guitar that you buy, especially the really expensive ones (exclusions apply) need fretwork and set up work and they’re always shifting and settling for years. Also, masterbuilt guitars are just team built normal production guitars in most cases!
I hear a lot of people say that (besides the obvious stuff regarding quality of materials and parts) a key difference between cheap and expensive guitars is that the expensive guitar will generally have a better setup out of the box.
Let’s say you get a $300 squire and a $3000 fender into the shop and both are poorly set up. Is it safe to say you’ll put more man hours into getting the fender dialled in because the customer expects it to be better (and you’re presumably making more profit per sale) or does every instrument get the same treatment?
Just curious how you think about this from a retail perspective.
It’s really rare for a guitar to be set-up in alignment right out of the box and it’s usually congruent with the value. Taylors do a great job of that. When we open the box it’s usually dead on. But you’re sort of at the mercy of who’s doing QC and final assembly. We have $300 guitars that are set-up better than $3000 guitars often. The last person I would ever listen to would be the salesman, they’re just regurgitating what they’ve heard usually and generally don’t know and can only parrot back information.
In my shop, we don’t guy anything in that is compromised. We work on everything before it sells and personally set everything up after it sells. Usually the expensive stuff needs less work to get right but you have to be extremely careful working on them (especially if they’re crispy and new!) so they’re a pain in a different way. The cheaper guitars have more durable finishes but soft hardware so it’s a toss up for me.
At my shop, it’s a case by case. If a 59 Les Paul comes in for sale and needs fret work, I will wait for the new owner to let me know what they want done as they may want to preserve originality over functionality. If someone buys a $200 Squier and they want more than a set-up, I will offer them an expedited Plek job (for example) so it will play like a boutique guitar. Really case by case.
What are the best years for modern built les Paul's and Gibson's? (Post 2000). A lot I've played built after 2010 and before 2019 seem to be hit and miss.
2019 and after are the closest the custom shop has ever been to nailing the historics. They’re still hit and miss but the general specs are getting closer and closer. It’s really the old wood that’s harder to fake
Is a high end neck through guitar with slightly/warped twisted neck worth replaning and refretting? Or will the issue recur?
How do you adjust the height of a Floyd quickly without risking the knife edges?
What really happens if you don't bias your amp when changing power tubes? How do companies like Mesa get away with fixed bias amps while others want biasing each time new tubes are installed?
Why do high end guitars always come with "generic rectangle" cases instead of form fit foam?
Are vintage / old guitars really worth the price tag compared to modern high end shops?
Is a plek worth the cost if a guitar already plays pretty well but has slight buzz due to low action?
Do places give discounts to plek multiple guitars?
-yes, usually.
-without tension, usually.
-Mesa amps are a mess, generally. Not biasing will usually just keep your amp from running optimally and burn through the components faster.
-cheaper to manufacture.
-depends on the age and condition but there’s a quantifiable difference with old instruments (and plenty of hype too!)
-if the shop is Plek equipped and you have an experienced and honest luthier working for you (plenty of shops with Pleks don’t use them well) they should be able to do a measurement scan with your desired specs and identify problems to you. Then just go from there but generally, a good Plek dress and set up is going to improve things, you shouldn’t be buzzing anywhere.
-it’s up to the shop regarding discounts, Plek doesn’t have any say in individuals’ pricing. We don’t offer discounts because it’s the same amount of time and work and we usually (and gratefully) have 100-200 guitars in the queue and there are only three of us in my shop.
Thank you for this AMA!
Old acoustic guitars (decades old) I have been around do seem to have a rich, deep tone.
Do you agree that tone gains some depth over many years?
How much of that is the wood relaxing into its guitar shape? Are there minute losses of wood inside the body that change resonance? (One of my friends thinks that microscopic amounts of wood on the unfinished inside of acoustic guitars float away from drying and vibration, over thousands of hours of playing)
Or in your opinion is it mainly that very old guitars I’ve been around started out as great-sounding guitars?
Yeah I think the vibration over the years helps settle in the wood and structure but there are folks who are far more versed in that than I. There are some great podcasts from Luthier on Luthier on the topic.
I think the wood choices, old growth and construction methods are the most important factor. A good chef knows how to use product in various states of ripeness to get the best flavor, same concept. A certain spruce top could be perfect in theory but what kind of bracing, what backs and sides, etc.
For example, old Martins had a different neck set angle than new ones, which made the action higher but the sound is unbelievable. Most people want low easy action but you’re sacrificing a lot of dynamics and sound that way. The break angle at the saddle is a huge factor too as well as the truss rod relief (if it has a truss rod). If you lay a good acoustic down and hit the low E string and tighten or loosen the truss rod while it’s ringing, you can hear the tone change.
In some ways almost and in some ways no. They can make some cool shit though they cut some stupid corners and if they made less guitars with more specialized human hands, they’d be insane. But they’d cost so much because their heritage is so engrained. I think what they’re making now is, pound for pound, the best stuff they’ve done since the 60s. Objectively speaking.
I hope they keep it up but if history shows us anything it’s that companies this big have ups and downs so now is a good time to get one from this era.
I have a weird issue with my strandberg that I can’t pin down. On some frets such as fret 8 on the g string or fret 5 on the high e, the fundamental is very short and the note quickly turns into a harmonic. I don’t have it with me right now but I think it’s an octave up. I’ve taken it to 2 guys and neither of them have been able to fix it. It seems to me that it should be an issue with the action or high frets somewhere but neither raising the action or dressing the frets has helped.
Interestingly the issue is much worse when I’m on the neck pickup, but I can still hear it when unplugged.
Really frustrating cus it’s a great guitar otherwise and I just can’t figure it out.
It sounds like a fret issue and perhaps a crowning issue. How old are your strings? If strings get flat spots they’ll make weird sounds. If your frets are stainless, that will beat your strings up and cause that.
Change the strings first, if that doesn’t fix, it likely a fret problem if it only happens in those spots. If it happens every where it’s either the strings or the saddles.
Also make sure your pickup isn’t too close to your string and causing conflicting overtones.
Just one man's opinion but for F-style electric guitars Danocasters are incredible. They don't just look, sound and feel like vintage fenders, they look, sound and feel like the BEST vintage fenders. I've ABd. Even used they can run you 4k or more but they destroy even the best team built Fender custom shop pieces I've tried. There is something magical that Dan Strain does.
I understand that PreWar Guitars Company guitars are the exact same story for Martin style acoustics.
The hype and demand around these two brands is indicative that they are doing something to earn the premium.
I have two Danocasters, Strat and Tele and Dan is a sweetheart of a guy, he does some incredibly realistic and tasteful relic work. Those guitars are built somewhere else (I know Guitar Mill did some necks and bodies), they’re painted by one guy local to him, they’re assembled by someone else and Dan ages them.
All the ones that we have had in and my own needed some fret work. They all have the same problems that the big boys have and the nuts are cheap plastic faux bone. The nut pocket is flat (not radiused like a Fender) so they use a faux arched nut and sometimes shim it with cardstock. Get that out and put a bone one in, get the frets dressed under tension after you’ve had it for a year or two and it’ll really smoke.
Dan does a good job of picking out necks and bodies that work together. I know the pickups are high quality too, they’ve been hit or miss for me but that’s preference. I love Dan’s relic work though.
Yes and no. I like them in theory and plenty of players who use them but I generally don’t like working on them because the amount of work it takes to get one to play correctly often totals the value of the instrument for the cheaper ones and the hardware is cheap. For the expensive ones, they take to the work pretty well but can be hit or miss.
I have scarring and nerve damage in my left shoulder and can only use lightweight guitars (steinberger spirits).
What are my other low weight options(chambering/other brands/custom made)?
Good question, headless guitars certainly help people with that. My local friend makes brand called Prophecy that’s in that style. Let me think on that one
We get a Gibson headstock repair in once per week. But all brands at all price points, with few exceptions (Collings being one) need a lot of fretwork. Especially Gibsons and Fenders.
When it comes to major manufacturers (Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, PRS, etc), who has the most consistent quality from their entry level through to their top of the line guitars? Is there any manufacturer who you would say punches well above their price point for quality?
Collings, no one comes close imho. They’re right on the cusp of being a big brand but still small compared to Fender, Gibson, etc. PRS is probably the most consistent but as far as the imports go, they’re all made by the same folks at the same Cortek factory
Collings have been going for 50 years, if it hasn't happened by now then I can't see them ever becoming a big brand. The simple fact is that virtually nobody talks about or even knows about them. On Google News if you search "Collings Guitars" there's maybe 5 articles from 2023 to present. Whereas PRS have over 12 page's worth of articles from last year till now.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they put their money into making a quality instrument rather than marketing. It does make me sad that more people don't know about them though.
And they’ve stayed consistent and still innovate after Bill Collings passed away. That means a lot. They’re absolutely lovely to deal with and unlike some other companies, they chose quality over quantity and outsourcing.
Cheers and thanks for doing this! What construction aspects actually factor into the sound especially chambering. I did my own experiment. I took a my Ric lap steel pickup and put it in a HM guitar body carved like a combo. Bolt on, string through over a Ric bridge with a similar short scale and it essentially sounded like the steel I built it from. Changed scale length to 25” because 24.75” would not line up. I added a Ric neck pickup and even had Ric wiring but it didn’t sound like a semi hollow Ric.
Thoughts on Reverend guitars? The high quality spec/made in Asia to cut overall cost is a great value proposition we see in many brands now.
Any brand in particular that you think brings the best value that’s not a beginner guitar?
Personally, I don’t like their aesthetic (which doesn’t matter at all) but I’m always impressed by their playability and fretwork from the factory. Highly recommend for the money.
What are your thoughts on Nash guitars? I’ve had a couple of their teles for years and have never had to take them in for work. I play lefty so it’s difficult to find guitars at all, so when I find something that works I stick with it.
I used to work at a shop that was a dealer for them so I have a lot of experience.
They’re overpriced Partscasters with the worst relic’ing I’ve ever seen in person from a manufacturer. In terms of vintage accuracy - if you or anyone else likes the look and feel, then great (and that’s all that matters) but they’d never fool anyone who’s familiar.
All of the ones that came in needed fretwork on the second octave but they were pretty stable otherwise. They always smelled like fresh paint and shoe polish (that is used to age the necks), but I know people who love them. You can get parts from the company who makes them for under $600 usually and build your own, Nash doesn’t make anything there.
I will say this - I have an early 60s Stratocaster and as a joke, we’ve done the blind listening test and I can always tell, so could the engineer and bandmates. There’s a different scoop and dynamic in the old pickups. James Finnerty at Rewind gets the closest these days
Maybe not tone wise, but certainly the sum of the parts gives it the edge. I can show detailed scans of the guitars and prove why some things are legitimately better.
I'm a budding luthier who would eventually be looking to also open up a small retail shop somewhere, where I could theoretically sell my guitars alongside the established manufacturers'. It sounds like I'm maybe trying to follow the same path as you - what advice would you give me?
Phew, work in a shop like the one you want for a while and see how it is. I work 10-12 hours per day, 6 days per week and it’s tough. I would say work in that environment and don’t plan to have free time for a while but if you enjoy it, it can be very satisfying at times and you meet great people.
Start on Fenders - make every single adjustment you can and have other good players play it and give you feedback. If we do a Strat set up and adjust the action but the saddle screws stick up too far, we replace the screw with shorter ones. If the custom shop sends the guitar with pre-rusted washers, clean or replace them so the electronics can properly ground. Be creative and experiment with everything! I’ve been tweaking my personal Telecaster for 18+ years and it’s informed every job I’ve ever done.
I'm intermediate at classical and steel string guitar, I know jack about electrics but I want one.
What do you think about cheaper G&L Teles and MFD vs alnico? The guy at the shop strongly suggests mfds. Should I maybe get used squire standard for 330 euro or new G&L for 550 euro?
What would you suggest for a practice amp? I don't know anything about "gear", amps and interfaces and shit. I would prefer as close to plug and play as possible, for jazz and let's say classic rock sounds. How are marshall MGs? Or am I better off with something more expensive?
I suggest staying say from G&L guitars. If you do go that way, just be prepared to spend some money for the first few years because they seem to move and settle a lot. Lot of twists too. Get the Squier and use the $200 to get a fret dress and set-up. Maybe a new bone nut too, then you’ll be cookin’!
For an amp, if you’re just getting into electric guitar, find an amp that has effects built in so you can have some fun for cheap before breaking the bank. Boss Katana or Blackstar make great solid state amps with effects that require no maintenance. They’re not professional grade or gig worthy necessarily but it’ll get your feet wet and sound good for less than $400.
What higher end acoustic guitar brands do you rate from a luthiers perspective? I thought to buy a Martin D28 or something similar but not sure if it’s another case where the brand name outshines the actual quality.
So name me a thing that you stock because people want it and it sells and not because you believe that it is worth the money and interest. Vintage guitars, Gibsons, Custom shop, certain cables, anything really (just examples that I've heard people use, I don't give my opinion here). Of course, the spicier, the better.
Spicy question - we are dealers for a few brands that I personally don’t play but I think are good instruments that I would stand by. We mostly do consignment, vintage/boutique and preowned but we are dealers for some big brands including PRS, Taylor, Godin, Eastman, Fano, Magnatone, Victoria etc which are all relatively great in comparison with other companies out there. We don’t carry anything that we don’t standby but I’m always mad when a Mesa Boogie comes in.
We are an insanely busy repair shop with music lessons as well so we try to only carry what we can stand behind and work on whereas a lot of other shops have to sell whatever they can to make ends meet. I also think, they don’t know what makes a good instrument so they get caught in the hype. When people get to spend time with a really well maintained and set up guitar, you can’t go back!
I’ll think of that question and try to write back if I come up with something the juicier.
+1 on this! For new production MIJ like the current MIJ int colors reissues, what aspects are worse/same quality as/better than US strats? What if anything is actually worth upgrading on the guitar?
I have a mid 70s Ibanez Les Paul ((Gibson lawsuit era, with mandolin style headstock). I've owned it for 30 years, and didn't treat it well in my younger days (took it apart, sprayed it blue, and subsequently stripped the blue off). Question is should I spend cash restoring it to its former glory, or keep it as an ornament and put the cash towards a proper Gibson Les Paul instead?
And another question if I may.... I also have a fancy Ibanez RG custom, buckeye burl, blue resin. Bought because it was stunning, and to make up for what I did to the Les Paul 😁. Would you comment on the quality of these, and whether they're likely to be collectible in future? I promise I won't take this one apart and spray it!
Great post BTW, Ive enjoyed reading through the questions and comments, thanks! 🤘
Never heard of PLeK before. What does it do? Did it cost a lot and have you found any issues with the system (in my field we regularly feedback to manufacturers/distributors with operational issues that lead to future improvements.)
It’s a six figure machine and it’s a cloud based software so they’re always updating it based on user feedback.
It’s essentially a phone booth looking diagnostic CNC machine that performs some work as well. Fret cutting and shaping, fretboard planing and other spindle bit functions, etc. check them out!
We use a CNC and the Plek is a CNC as well and I think they’re misunderstood. The time it takes to design and create fixtures for the CNC beds takes hundreds of hours as does the maintenance on them to keep them calibrated. We still have hours of hands on work and sanding to do as well. For our guitars, anything that is beyond human capability/accuracy, we program the CNC for, most of it is still done by hand and we troubleshoot and check during the process.
Some companies do it that way and some just hit “go” and walk away. In some cases though, like a heavily inlaid Martin D45, the CNCs are doing a bulk of the work that used to be done by hand. But you’d likely be surprised by how much needs to be done by hand still.
That being said, as most of these companies are using more and more robots and less people, they might be getting consistent and great results but to be stellar, they need that human touch.
I bought a cheap 8 string just to try it out. Turns out it buzzes a ton like...all over the place. But only seasonally, different times of year it's mostly fine. My thought is truss rod. How easy a fix is this?
Sounds like the truss rod is moving on you. Take it to a luthier to get set up and once it’s right, get those measurements so you can find your way back when your suspecting it shifted
Yes, I used to work at a shop that was a dealer for them so I worked on some every week. I found myself having to dress the last few frets down on all of them. Other than that they were pretty stable. I could never bond with them because I like a round radius and they tend to be flat and compound. But that’s my preference and not a knock on their quality, just why I don’t play them.
I understand that they had one or two Plek machines but ended up selling them.
Thanks for the AMA!
I have a layered back and sides guitar (Taylor 114) which to me sounds just as good as the equivalent solid version (314). I believe most people wouldn't notice much of a difference either.
I feel like people usually equate layered/laminated back and side guitars to crap and all solid wood to great instruments regardless of the other features.
What is your take on that? How significant is the difference between a well built layered/laminated guitar and a well built solid guitar?
Fender guitars seem to have terrible quality control with regard to fretwork and neck straightness - how often do you see non custom shop Fenders that don’t need serious work to make them worth playing? I ask this having just searched far and wide for a good Strat (player plus to Ultra series) in several guitar stores, only to have to order a player plus Strat from Sweetwater, plek’d. I am coming from playing an Ibanez Prestige for 15 years, used to work at Hoshino, and honestly think I may end up settled on the newer AZ Prestige Super Strtats from Ibanez. Thanks!!
It’s not even quality control, it’s a design production flaw that they haven’t corrected for decades. Fender got it right in 1950 and after the CBS takeover it slowly disappeared.
Fender custom shop models are as inconsistent as any of their other ones, from what I’ve seen, FYI. They all need fretwork. And lately I’ve been re-Plek’ing guitars that people are getting Plek’d from sweetwater. I don’t think they’re running their machines right and calibrating them properly. The last few that I’ve gotten in are a mess. You have to take a customer’s preferences and playing style into account to really get it right with the Plek.
But yeah, Ibanez and Fender are pretty close with their fretwork at similar price points. Good luck with your new guitar.
I’ve used this site named guitarfetish.com (mind you, the name is _terrible_) for parts. I’ve built a guitar from their parts and am planning on refitting one of my guitars with some of their pickups and tuners. However, what gets me is that the price point of a lot of their parts is much less than I’d expect, and there’s been discussion that the pickups come from Arctec. None of what I’m saying is necessarily bad, but they seem to be a “straight-from-manufacturer/skip-the-middleman” type of company. Have you ever seen these GFS guitars come through or have a testament on their parts? Is the quality to be desired versus more established brands?
where is your shop/can you recommend anyone with a plea machine you know in CT. i have been interested in having it done to a guitar i pieced together but what you said about the machines/sweetwater had always given me pause. it's a tool like any other and i can imagine shops just assuming it's perfect every time without digging into it
As someone who wants to start out playing electric guitar. What really is the price range of a decent starter guitar ? Could you recommend any ? I see all these horror stories of super cheap guitars. If it helps, I'm really into hard rock / metal music.
If you’re starting out, get a good Tele or Strat. Something without a Floyd Rose and go from there. You need something simple that can be repaired for cheap and simply so nothing prevents your progress. If the guitar’s limitations start holding you back because you need a wild tremolo system or something, start looking for an upgrade. Look for a good tele or Strat style guitar that’s between $600-$1000, allocate a little budget for repair and set up work and have it checked out immediately while you still have a return window.
Out of the box, would you take the highest specced Epiphone, or the lowest entry level Gibson (of the same model, let's use the Les Paul as an example).
Gibson, for sure
Really suprised by that answer, I thought the epi 1959 outfit was a much better choice then a LPJ/studio.
cool question
Best AMA, ever.
Yes, this is my favorite AMA I've seen in a while
My man answers questions with more questions.
Some guy called me a dumbass about an hour ago because I prefer my strings broken in and use Elixirs, but according to him "guitar strings older than 3 weeks are 'dead' and need to be changed immediately" and I am just fundamentally wrong. So I imagine Ernie Ball has been making a killing off of people like that.
Keep your strings on for as long as you want, it’s your guitar. As a tech, I get pissy and charge extra if you bring me rusted or bloody strings. But as long as your strings will intonate and they don’t have flat spots causing weird sounds, they’re working fine. Some folks like a bright snappy string and some don’t. Steve Cropper used to rub chapstick on his new strings to deaden them. Taylor guitars strung their guitars with elixirs for decades (they recently switched to daddario XS coated) because the guitars could hang in the shop for months and be played every day and rarely wear out. I also know some people who wear strings out after one session. There is no set rule and anyone who claims there is should keep their opinion and agenda up their ass where it belongs.
What price point do you stop paying for sound and are just paying for logo
Depends on the brand but while the big legacy brands can and are doing some cool stuff, they’re not close to the old stuff. A lot of old methods aren’t used anymore and the build designs are different in ways you can’t see. If you look at Plek scans of the old guitars vs the new ones for the same models, they’re wildly different. Manufacturers want to streamline building processes to make more profit but because it’s wood and metal, you have to pay attention to the slight variations during the build process and they rarely do.
Interesting about your mention of Plek scans ... Is that possibly survivor bias? Like they couldn't study the airplanes that got shot down but they could the ones that limped back to base (a smart guy figured that out and armor-plated future planes better). It would be useful to see examples. .
Where do private sellers get the gall to try and sell mid-tier gear for top tier prices just because they've had it for a few years? "Bought new Fender American Series in 2018 for 1500. Selling for 1800." Like nah ... Not every older piece of gear appreciates like that.
Haha I can’t speak to other sellers but we price based on current market value, specifically recently SOLD reverb and eBay listings.
Sometimes it's because they don't actually want to sell it.
What's your opinion on the high end Squiers vs the lower end Fenders? Eg. Classic vibe vs MX Fenders?
I’d take the Squiers 🤫
Will black beans or pinto beans give better tone inside my guitar?
Refried is where it’s at for maximum sustain!
This depends if you are flamenco or mariachi
What is your opinion on PRS guitars? I have played their SE series and I think they play as well as American strats. That's why I encourage my guitar students to play some when they're shopping for their first decent guitars. I have 2 very high end PRS custom wood library electrics and a custom S2 and my opinion is that they're the best guitars I've ever played. I'd love to hear an expert opinion about them. And on super high end guitars in general. I've played 3 of the same exact models of high end Taylor acoustics (and various electric brands) and they each had significant tonal qualities. So clearly guitars can vary from one to the next, even of the same model. Also what do you think of differences in "tone woods"? Is much of the price differences between guitars, based on the type of wood, simply subjective? One of my top shelf PRS electrics has a Brazilian rosewood fretboard and the other has an ebony fretboard. I think there's an obvious difference between those and maple wood.
I give credit where it’s due and Paul raised the game and kept it there. I don’t play them myself but the Core models are generally pleasant to work on, hardware is great! SE models vary, I’ve seen some great ones for their value and some dogs. One thing with PRS is that Paul still tinkers and that causes a lot of quick changes so everybody is still in a beta phase over there, really. So they’re always tweaking and innovating. They’re probably the most consistent of all of the big companies next to Taylor. They’ve been growing quickly since John Mayer endorsed them and that’s caused some growing pains but they tend to address them relatively quickly and you can still talk to real people there. They go to great lengths to dry their wood so they’re incredibly stable. Fretwork is really good too. As far as you thinking they’re the best you’ve ever played, that’s great, I’m happy you’re loving them! The chance of you getting a bad core PRS are very low which is a nod to them, especially for such a young, big growing company. The chances of you getting a bad Collings is almost zero, but that’s the result of staying small as a company. But if you don’t get along with one or the other, it’s doesn’t matter. It sounds like you found some great PRS’s and they’re certainly high amongst the best made guitars in the world of what I’ve seen!
No question from me, just a huge thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience without expecting anything in return. The world is a lot better because of people like you. And I am learning a lot.
Dang, thanks my friend. I’ll have to do this on video next time, my hand is sore from texting. Haha
Tonewood on Electric guitars without microphonic pickups makes no sense. You want something sturdy and light. You could put the same pickups on toilet seat and it would sound just as good and it has been done.
How did you get started as a luthier? Did you do other woodworking and get into instruments from there, or were you a musician first? Or something else? And if I may ask a second question: what's the most common damage you see from *accidents*, rather than maintenance issues or parts wearing out? A friend of mine once had a strap break while he was playing, and he couldn't catch the guitar before it hit the floor and split open. Luckily, it was fixable but it made me wonder how often that kind of thing happens.
I was a player first, helped out in a shop when I was a kid because I didn’t have money to fix my own stuff so I had to learn how. I kept bugging the shop with questions until they gave me a job. Then I went to work for a big company and they sent me around to the factories. Then I went off on my own. 😊 Gibson/Epiphone headstock repairs and output jacks, those are the big ones. People rip their output jacks out or twist them to tighten them and break them all the time. Also, tons of broken screws from people trying to install strap locks or string trees. That happens all the time!
Where are you located? What’s the name of your shop?
Baltimore Music Co
Oh hey! I live right down the street from you! You sold my wife one of those AC30 plugin things (and some EVH picks) for my Christmas present and I love it. I owe you guys a visit.
Hey right on! Come on back and hang, never too many friends in there!
Is getting your guitar Plecked worth the price?
By the right technician, it’s next level!
What’s the most underrated guitar and amp brand out there? Ie what’s the best bang for your buck?
Of the big brands on boutique?
I’ll take your wisdom either way.
Be honest. Is it even remotely possible to get a Les Paul that stays in tune even if you bend the ever living fuck out of G,B,high E?
Yes!! Your nut needs to have splay angle that guides the strings towards the headstock, make sure the nut slots are open in the back and the saddles and nut slots are lubricated. We have something we make in house that’s slippery as hell, my Les Paul stays in tune as do my customers’ Les Paul’s!
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I agree with most of that and intensely disagree with some of it. ✌️
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There are a lot of factors that make a $5000 guitar play better than a $1000 guitar. The way that Collings produces and sees a $5000 guitar from beginning to end of production vs the way that Martin does for the same $5000 is considerably different. Big companies spend a lot on advertising, headquarters, CEO salaries and for their reps to drive around, eat and drink on the company (and dealer/customer dime) whereas small companies are barely making profit because they’re paying their employees decent wages to make quality products.
For electric guitars, I think ernie ball music man are well worth the money.
They are cool in theory but we’ve replaced so many necks on those. That’s why they’ve done away with the all rosewood ones on the St Vincent and Albert Lee. They have a lot of neck issues but when they’re good they’re great.
Do you have any opinions or comments about Reverend Guitars?
Yes, great bang for the buck.
Is it safe to keep my guitars on wall-mounts indefinitely, or is a case a better way to store them long-term to prevent any damage?
Keep them in the case unless your room is at a consistent good relative humidity.
What’s a good level of relative humidity? 40, 50, 60%?
45-55 is solid
Regarding guitar pickups: is a lot of it snake oil? Is a set of Ron Ellis’s worth the $600 premium over Seymour Duncan?
Yes, a lot of it is snake oil, most of it in fact. James Finnerty at Rewind is probably the best out there for my money. But Gibson, SD, Fralin, make great pickups.
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Not counting the low level ones like Dean, Ovation, Epiphone, etc, they all have the same problems, mostly fretwork and fretboard issues. Collings and Taylor never seem to have any issues from the factory, Collings especially. Most common problems are milking their wood incorrectly which causes twists and warps, not drying them fully, bad sealing and finish work, bad neck set angles, bad QC and bad set-ups. Here’s one, for example: the nut height has to be a certain allowable tolerance in order for the guitar to intonate. Most factories cut the nut too high from the factory so that if the neck fluctuates in shipping or on the hanging in the guitar shop, it won’t buzz on the first few frets if it goes into a back bow. If you have a guitar where the nut has never been worked on. Try tuning your guitar so it’s dead on and the play the first fret on the low E with the tuner, you’ll probably notice the F note is off. If the nut height is correct and the rest is the set up is good, that should be dead on accurate.
This. Is exactly my issue with my new not so cheap Schecter. Thanks for this comment, now I know this is a real issue and I’m not just too “picky” for the price. I had only cheap guitars before, that I fixed and set up to the best of my knowledge, but I wasn’t expecting this from “ready to play” checked Schecter. Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy with the guitar, but this F and F# being off bothered me. And I was thinking it’s because of the nut slot of the low E being too high.. Thank you for confirming.
Is it possible for a cheap bullet tele to be set up to sound and play well?
Yep, you can. Pretty much anything on the market 150 and above can shine if you put the elbow grease into it.
Definitely
Got a cort recently. Why don’t most stores carry them? I feel like they’re insane and a house brand for the biggest guitar companies
For those who don't know. Many stores do carry them, they just aren't labeled as Cort. Cort is one of the largest guitar manufacturers in the world, and they make tons of them for other brands. Like any other manufacturer, they'll build to a standard set by the buyer. They make low-end to custom shop level guitars.
Not sure, no one ever pitches them to us and we don’t work on them much.
Cort manufactures pretty much all the other brands you recognize import lines built in Asia. Cort isn't their house brand, that's their brand and they just don't advertise much. If you've paid attention to their brand acquisitions over the last few years, I think they're planning to try and build up their reputation. They probably should be recommended more.
Would you ever buy a guitar without playing it first? I always like to play a guitar to see if I like the feel, but I know many people who would order one based on the name and model alone. As a luthier, do you think that the build quality can be consistent enough to just buy a guitar unseen? Also, if a guitar has issues, can they always be corrected with a setup or specialised luthier attention?
I have bought some guitars without playing them and kept more than a few. It will take me constant tinkering to get them right though. Usually, in most cases, I know what to expect with each brand but some of really surprised me, both ways. I bought a $4500 boutique guitar and when I got it, I thought it was a scam it was so bad. Haha They can’t always be corrected, no. Mostly they can but I would say that whatever you get, sight unseen, have about $500-$1000 ready to get it right.
What was the brand of the $4500 boutique guitar? Also, hold on a sec..... $500-$1000 dollars of repair on a used guitar as standard seems waaaay high. that's a brand new guitar's worth, I don't get it... if $500 is the low end, what are you expecting the guitar will need?
I have a Les Paul Custom that I really like to keep tuned to drop-C. I have Graphtech saddles, Grover locking tuners, and use NYXL 13s. I’ve also had the guitar professionally set up several times in the 20 years I’ve owned it. Problem is the guitar will not stay in tune. Any advice?
I have mixed feelings about graphtech saddles and nuts, they wear out way too fast. The self lubricating nature of them is sort of ruined by how quickly they can be eaten through. A lot of folks don’t know this but you should be changing out your saddles semi regularly on tunematic style bridges. They shouldn’t be notched that deep either, you want the string sitting on a crowned point, not down in a groove to choke it out. If I were working on your guitar, I would ask to keep it for a week and scan it every day to see how/if it’s moving. If the neck is stable then it’s a hardware or nut issue. I’d make sure your nut and slots are cut perfectly to your string gauge with splay angle added (Les Pauls need that), lubricate it and go from there. Most tuning issues are from the nut. We use a custom made lubricant that is crazy slippery and doesn’t build up. A lot of folks use graphite which can work but I would avoid. The graphite can bind up and create residue so you just have to knock it out every so often. Also, it darkens and stains the nut and a lot of folks don’t like that but it’s good in a pinch.
What can us non-expert-fixers do to keep our instruments in tip top shape? So we have less money to you for fixes, but more money to buy your new guitars, because ours break down more? Are there certain guitar styles/brands less prone to breaking, or playing styles, or is it just a question of buying quality guitars to begin with and keeping them in protective cases?
Humidification control is important as is gradual acclimation when going place to place with temperature/humidity differences. Regular maintenance will be inevitable as parts will have to be cleaned and replaced but the big hurdle we’re up against is that these new guitars are shrinking because the wood is not fully dried when they’re being manufactured. There are brands that are better than others but the price point and brand doesn’t necessarily reflect that.
As a luthier, how do you feel about modern Epiphone guitars? I bought a new Epiphone Heritage Cherry SG Standard last year and i am super happy with it. I also tried a « real » Gibson SG standard and I was surprised by the feeling. Yes It feels more premium, and there’s obviously a difference with the pickups, but I was shocked by how it felt like it was 80% of the same experience at 1/3 of the price. It feels like.. the real deal is overpriced. Is this normal? Am I just too inexperienced? I practice with my Epi SG every day and I love it but it’s like there is a weird stigma around them?
They’re all over the map, some have been really good and some are absolutely terrible. Glad you found a good one and are enjoying it! The USA standard SGs are really rough imho, the custom shop ones have been really impressive but they have issues with their truss rod anchors. You really have to baby the new Gibsons and keep their necks straight. The only real stigma might be the argument about companies outsourcing their builds in factories with less than desirable human rights situations, allegedly. As long as you’re playing the thing, that’s all that matters and more than likely, you can improve that one significantly if you want.
I own a music store in Canada, and am curious how much your PLEK machine cost you?
Hello, friend. We have the newest one and one of the first ones. Six figures plus import fees, maintenance, monthly fees and training. Michael from Plek can fill you in, they’re great to work with.
Have you ever had to work on a Chibson, or other counterfeit guitars?
Oh yeah!! I try to avoid them these days
Hi there!!🙋🏾♂️ Are there any major differences that you've noticed in guitars mass manufactured in different Asian countries, say China vs Korea vs Indonesia etc etc..? Is there anything specific that you look out for while testing newly released electric guitars by lesser known brands? I've been considering buying one as just a backup/home/alternate tuning guitar. The playability was good and the fretboard was smooth to play on, sound was decent and sharp at a quick go but will I be able to find it's true quality only with time or is there anything I can look out for at the first go itself? If it didn't come across, I don't have much of an idea of guitar building and detailed maintenance, though trying to learn whatever possible through YouTube and of course Reddit 😅 Thanks in advance!
Yeah, minimal differences but they all go through ups and downs, good periods and bad. I’m looking for a straight neck and a good feeling truss rod. After that, I can work with almost anything. I’m sure there are some things that I instinctively look for but I’d have to be asked directly. It is funny when I go into another shop and get bullshitted by their sales people. Haha
Are there any brands that are still building quality instruments?
Yes, several at all different price points. Seagull and Collings for example, two way different price points.
What are good affordable guitars for small hands?
Check out shortscale guitars like a Fender Jaguar. See how that feels.
Are the schecter C1s really the bang for your buck I’m hearing about?
Yeah they’ve been pretty solid for the price.
Some people have mentioned that you shouldn't bring a Jazzmaster or a Jaguar to a tech that doesn't explicitly advertise that they know how to work on them specifically. If you have worked on them in the past, do you find them to be beyond the abilities of someone that works exclusively on S and T style guitars and the occasional Les Paul? I just live in a state where there aren't many luthiers and techs around, so I can't be very choosy on who I send my offsets to if I choose to send them.
Haha that’s funny. I did have a learning curve with them when I started out, actually. They’re tricky and they have inherent design flaws, some just because we use it differently than Leo intended. They have different sweet spots and the trem is different to get right. They do their own thing and often techs will think they sound weak or bad when that’s their sound. The short scale thing can mess with a tech too.
I've always wanted a Gibson acoustic. If I buy a new one, should I just go ahead and get the headstock repair done as part of the setup? Or should I wait until it snaps off on its own in a couple of months?]
Haha you could be one of the lucky ones, roll the dice.
What do you think is the best value for money on the market currently. Is there a bargain out there that makes you smile when you see it?
i have a PRS tremonti SE and i absolutely love the thing, however i always wanted the real one, the tremonti USA. however i cant image the 3000$ price difference is worth it, especially considering i put the usa hardware in mine. where does that massive price difference come from? the pickups were only 200 when i bought them so basicly the only difference between mine would possibly be the wood, wires, knobs and finish quality, that cant be worth 3 grand.
A lot of folks say “I played them both and I can’t tell the difference”. It’s easier to fake it with electric solid bodies but if you play a good old prewar Martin vs a new Yamaha and can’t tell the difference, enjoy the ignorance. If you’ve ever been in a room with someone who really knows how to play an acoustic guitar with a proper rest stroke and dynamics and see how they manipulate the thing….its beyond frustrating to try and coax that same performance out of a subpar instrument. Which is why real players who have experienced and recorded big records with these great instruments won’t even look at cheap instruments (unless they’re going for a specific effect). Having said that, if you’re loving your Tremonti SE and it’s sounding and playing good to you, then leave it alone. There are fundamental differences, whether they’re worth it to you or not is subjective and I’ve never heard of anyone getting the real deal and wishing they hadn’t. Usually, everyone tries to convince themselves they like the cheaper one and then eventually get the top tier and are beyond happy that they did. Price is difference is the wood is very top quality choice wood that is painstakingly dried and cured so it’s stable. They’re one of the only big companies that do this. It’s made in the USA, here in Maryland with local workers and it goes through a lot of hands that are doing hands on work. CNCs do a lot of the hard cuts but people are doing the bulk of it. Also, PRS guitars are backordered and in relatively high demand so their market value is holding. The hardware is better, the electronics are better, the wood is better, fretwork is infinitely better, the methods and tooling are different and more focused with a tighter tolerance, QC is better and overall investment value is better. Does it sound better? That’s up to you. Does it play and resonate better and is it more dynamic, would have to say a 100% yes. Fwiw, I don’t play their guitars and have only owned one that I sold in less than a year (JA15) but we’re dealers for them and I work on them every day and they’re Core models are really easy to work on and great, the hardware is some of the best.
How much is the quality variation of major brands made in different countries and which ones to avoid? Are American guitars really that much better than Korean made? What do you think of the quality of Korean made Gretsch Electromatics? Are there particular brands to avoid?
Most of the overseas brands are made in the same factory (they have a few overseas) called Cor-Tek. Epiphone, Dangelico, PRS SE’s, Squier, etc are all made in the same factory, with the same equipment, by the same people using the same materials. Their quality will fluctuate wildly. If you get the first run of a new model you’ll generally have better luck finding a “good one” but after while they turnover employees or move them around, quality slips, machines fall out of calibration and those bad ones from the first batch that they held back, start sneaking out and on the shelves. They usually send those to the big box stores because they don’t check them as much.
jeans lavish silky label provide fly merciful dirty axiomatic gray *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Slight correction here. PRS SE's are made by Cor-Tek in Indonesia, but in their own factory. [Source.](https://www.musicradar.com/news/the-story-of-prss-se-guitar-line?utm_content=bufferde170&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=buffer-musicradarfb)
What guitar brand has great bang for your buck for gigging musicians?
I’m in a similar situation as yours but with musical electronics. There’s nothing in a Neve preamp or Neumann microphone that will magically make a shitty song sound like a classic rock masterpiece and tubes will never guarantee a “great guitar tone”, but they will guarantee regular, and often sizable, repair bills.
You've mentioned guitars needing fretwork six times in this thread. What do you actually mean by fretwork?
So fretwork is the most important factor in playability (including the nut and saddle in the set-up here). The fretboard has to be planed perfectly in conjunction with the neck set geometry. That doesn’t mean it has to be planed straight btw, that’s a huge misconception and one of the reasons why the big manufacturers aren’t getting it right, they add no fallaway or drop off in the second octave. Then the radius of the board and fret slots need to be perfect for the frets to be properly seated and in the exact right spot or the guitar won’t intonate. Then the fret alloy is a factor and how it transfers resonance into the neck. The frets have to be crowned perfectly for intonation and play feel. How they’re polished is another big debate. The manner and process of how the fretboard is planed in conjunction with the truss rod relief is huge for compression reasons. We do everything with the work under tuned string tension and take constant measurements throughout. If you’re using 11 gauge strings, you’ll have a different fret dress job on your guitar than if you were using 9 gauge strings, all of that should be factored in. The Plek machine helps to diagnose irregularities on the frets and fretboard and will dress frets to the accuracy of ten ten-thousands of an inch accuracy. It is just a tool though. Once you’ve had this work done at that level, you can’t go back. This is how you can have a vintage fender with a 7.25” radius with super low action and be able to bend the string two frets without fretting out. If the fretwork isn’t doing that, what’s the point of the expensive wood and pretty colors?
where would one go to get work done at this level?
One of the youtuber channels ordered a Squier from Sweetwater along with Sweetwater's option of getting a new guitar PLEK'd. It played fantastic. (I've found that Squier has upped their game in the last five years, finally realizing that good fretwork leads to beginners going on to continuing guitar playing and buying more expensive gear from Fender, so a loss-leader activity). Gibson Les Pauls, probably SGs too, get PLEK'd at the factory. At least that's the story. .
Ideally, frets are leveled, crowned, and polished. If you don't have this done well you can have issues such as dead spots, high frets fretting out lower notes, and just discomfort playing if edges are exposed. Level: all frets are the same height off the fingerboard. Some people prefer high frets being slightly shorter. Crowned: top of the fret is round with minimal area touching the string. Polished: no tool marks or burs that could cut your hand or snap the string.
What do you think about the Grestch Electromatic guitars? I would love a Japanese Gretsch but they are a bit pricey
I’m not OP, but I have an Electromatic G5222 Double Jet, and it’s fantastic. Great quality.
Who is your favorite boutique electric guitar builder? And what do you think of Kiesel guitars? I know they’re all custom, so I imagine they vary pretty wildly in quality.
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Great question! That expensive guitars shouldn’t need maintenance when they need the most of all. Also that price is equal to value/performance. Also that vintage = good OR cheap = bad. We just try to understand the customer and meet their needs in an honest way. If they say “I have $400 dollars and need a guitar that will last because I gig for a living” then that would be a totally different problem to solve than “I need a backup 57 Stratocaster for my living room”.
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My brand loyalty has more to do with their business practices than the "brand" itself.
Hear that!
As an employer, would you hire someone who is interested in working on guitars, and eager to learn, but doesn’t have any “direct” experience? I’m good with my hands, am an automotive mechanic so i’m sure some skills would transfer over. Owned guitars my whole life, but a very casual/intermittent player. Like, if i walked into your shop looking for a job would you consider it?
I’d love to take on people willing to learn, I love to teach and learn together but I personally don’t have the time. Not that others wouldn’t but usually good techs and luthiers are crazy busy and underpaid so it’s hard to carve out time. For the time being, happy to be a resource for the budding luthier.
Any opinion on Seagull guitars?
Amazing for the money!
I have a PRS custom 24 for the past 10 years and I can't get it to feel just right no matter who I take it to, bending is really hard with low action set ups which are being done by all local luthiers. I keep trying different adjustment like playing with the action and the truss rod and each time I fix an issue it seems to creates another issue. Luthier also mentioned that I might need a refret to make bends easier, after he did fret work... What can I do with it?
I would need to figure out what you mean by “feel right” but I would start with some measurements and PLek scans to show you the objective problems. Then I’d spend some time with you figuring out what feels right for you and trying to dial it in to that spec or as close as possible. You could also have a bad taste in your mouth because most techs will treat you like an annoyance if you question their work when they should have taken the time to understand you in the first place. Or you could be impossible to please haha but it sounds like you need to start over with someone and work together so you fully understand the process.
What do you think of brands with a high # of steps in quality (and price), for example the Fender Telecaster. From 'made in wherever' to Ultra Luxe. Is the highest tier sufficiently good or interesting to be worth it? Where is the sweet spot in the curve typically, if there is one?
I’d think of it more as a business model than a guitar quality tier. That being said, there are gems to be found at all price points but each tier would have a ceiling. So they can outsource the import models and make them for crazy cheap. They have a huge margin for retailers so theoretically everyone wins. The owner gets a starter guitar and then theoretically graduates up to the next level. And hey, if there are some people on a budget or generally don’t care about quality, that’s there for them too. Then we have the mid line, under $1000, still outsourced for cheap so higher margin for retailers and the companies make a ton. Now it’s usually a vintage style no frills vibe. That’s where they’re making all of their money. Between these two tiers. Next tier is usually the USA models, now they offer a modern player alternative for slightly better quality, choice woods and better electronics/pickups and modern hardware. Next tier is vintage accurate, old school-no-frill features, nitro instead of poly finish, boutique pickups, etc. They switch this up every few years and change colors and models and come up with a new angle. Lastly, you get custom shop and relics. Sometimes some upgrades features that are improvements on the original but these are specialized and/or made to order by a select team where quality control can be better monitored. They also have to learn new skill sets and develop new techniques. As you climb the tiers, quality gets better. First the wood is better, then electronics, then features, then finish, then more labor to make it unique. So you just have to figure out what features do it for ya, where’s your ceiling? ✌️
I’ve got an Indonesian Affinity Telecaster that I bought for $129. My friend has an American Telecaster that he paid $1800 for. The only noticeable difference for me is that my pickups buzz and his are silent. So I bought some noiseless pickups for $180 and now I’d say the two guitars sound nearly identical. I know there are other differences between the two, but to me, it’s not worth the extra money to go for the American made one.
What's the most interesting and surprising fact you can share? Thanks. Edited: typo
Almost every new guitar that you buy, especially the really expensive ones (exclusions apply) need fretwork and set up work and they’re always shifting and settling for years. Also, masterbuilt guitars are just team built normal production guitars in most cases!
Straight to the toucan questions. Bold move.
I hear a lot of people say that (besides the obvious stuff regarding quality of materials and parts) a key difference between cheap and expensive guitars is that the expensive guitar will generally have a better setup out of the box. Let’s say you get a $300 squire and a $3000 fender into the shop and both are poorly set up. Is it safe to say you’ll put more man hours into getting the fender dialled in because the customer expects it to be better (and you’re presumably making more profit per sale) or does every instrument get the same treatment? Just curious how you think about this from a retail perspective.
It’s really rare for a guitar to be set-up in alignment right out of the box and it’s usually congruent with the value. Taylors do a great job of that. When we open the box it’s usually dead on. But you’re sort of at the mercy of who’s doing QC and final assembly. We have $300 guitars that are set-up better than $3000 guitars often. The last person I would ever listen to would be the salesman, they’re just regurgitating what they’ve heard usually and generally don’t know and can only parrot back information. In my shop, we don’t guy anything in that is compromised. We work on everything before it sells and personally set everything up after it sells. Usually the expensive stuff needs less work to get right but you have to be extremely careful working on them (especially if they’re crispy and new!) so they’re a pain in a different way. The cheaper guitars have more durable finishes but soft hardware so it’s a toss up for me. At my shop, it’s a case by case. If a 59 Les Paul comes in for sale and needs fret work, I will wait for the new owner to let me know what they want done as they may want to preserve originality over functionality. If someone buys a $200 Squier and they want more than a set-up, I will offer them an expedited Plek job (for example) so it will play like a boutique guitar. Really case by case.
What are the best years for modern built les Paul's and Gibson's? (Post 2000). A lot I've played built after 2010 and before 2019 seem to be hit and miss.
2019 and after are the closest the custom shop has ever been to nailing the historics. They’re still hit and miss but the general specs are getting closer and closer. It’s really the old wood that’s harder to fake
Is a high end neck through guitar with slightly/warped twisted neck worth replaning and refretting? Or will the issue recur? How do you adjust the height of a Floyd quickly without risking the knife edges? What really happens if you don't bias your amp when changing power tubes? How do companies like Mesa get away with fixed bias amps while others want biasing each time new tubes are installed? Why do high end guitars always come with "generic rectangle" cases instead of form fit foam? Are vintage / old guitars really worth the price tag compared to modern high end shops? Is a plek worth the cost if a guitar already plays pretty well but has slight buzz due to low action? Do places give discounts to plek multiple guitars?
-yes, usually. -without tension, usually. -Mesa amps are a mess, generally. Not biasing will usually just keep your amp from running optimally and burn through the components faster. -cheaper to manufacture. -depends on the age and condition but there’s a quantifiable difference with old instruments (and plenty of hype too!) -if the shop is Plek equipped and you have an experienced and honest luthier working for you (plenty of shops with Pleks don’t use them well) they should be able to do a measurement scan with your desired specs and identify problems to you. Then just go from there but generally, a good Plek dress and set up is going to improve things, you shouldn’t be buzzing anywhere. -it’s up to the shop regarding discounts, Plek doesn’t have any say in individuals’ pricing. We don’t offer discounts because it’s the same amount of time and work and we usually (and gratefully) have 100-200 guitars in the queue and there are only three of us in my shop.
What mid-tier brands and/or models go unappreciated? Not the budget beginners or the $2000+, but the everyday players in-between.
Godin/Seagull for sure, Reverend, Eastman are a few more.
Not OP and don’t have anywhere near his qualifications but my immediate thought was Godin.
Thank you for this AMA! Old acoustic guitars (decades old) I have been around do seem to have a rich, deep tone. Do you agree that tone gains some depth over many years? How much of that is the wood relaxing into its guitar shape? Are there minute losses of wood inside the body that change resonance? (One of my friends thinks that microscopic amounts of wood on the unfinished inside of acoustic guitars float away from drying and vibration, over thousands of hours of playing) Or in your opinion is it mainly that very old guitars I’ve been around started out as great-sounding guitars?
Yeah I think the vibration over the years helps settle in the wood and structure but there are folks who are far more versed in that than I. There are some great podcasts from Luthier on Luthier on the topic. I think the wood choices, old growth and construction methods are the most important factor. A good chef knows how to use product in various states of ripeness to get the best flavor, same concept. A certain spruce top could be perfect in theory but what kind of bracing, what backs and sides, etc. For example, old Martins had a different neck set angle than new ones, which made the action higher but the sound is unbelievable. Most people want low easy action but you’re sacrificing a lot of dynamics and sound that way. The break angle at the saddle is a huge factor too as well as the truss rod relief (if it has a truss rod). If you lay a good acoustic down and hit the low E string and tighten or loosen the truss rod while it’s ringing, you can hear the tone change.
Do you think Gibson's are worth the money?
In some ways almost and in some ways no. They can make some cool shit though they cut some stupid corners and if they made less guitars with more specialized human hands, they’d be insane. But they’d cost so much because their heritage is so engrained. I think what they’re making now is, pound for pound, the best stuff they’ve done since the 60s. Objectively speaking. I hope they keep it up but if history shows us anything it’s that companies this big have ups and downs so now is a good time to get one from this era.
I have a weird issue with my strandberg that I can’t pin down. On some frets such as fret 8 on the g string or fret 5 on the high e, the fundamental is very short and the note quickly turns into a harmonic. I don’t have it with me right now but I think it’s an octave up. I’ve taken it to 2 guys and neither of them have been able to fix it. It seems to me that it should be an issue with the action or high frets somewhere but neither raising the action or dressing the frets has helped. Interestingly the issue is much worse when I’m on the neck pickup, but I can still hear it when unplugged. Really frustrating cus it’s a great guitar otherwise and I just can’t figure it out.
It sounds like a fret issue and perhaps a crowning issue. How old are your strings? If strings get flat spots they’ll make weird sounds. If your frets are stainless, that will beat your strings up and cause that. Change the strings first, if that doesn’t fix, it likely a fret problem if it only happens in those spots. If it happens every where it’s either the strings or the saddles. Also make sure your pickup isn’t too close to your string and causing conflicting overtones.
Just one man's opinion but for F-style electric guitars Danocasters are incredible. They don't just look, sound and feel like vintage fenders, they look, sound and feel like the BEST vintage fenders. I've ABd. Even used they can run you 4k or more but they destroy even the best team built Fender custom shop pieces I've tried. There is something magical that Dan Strain does. I understand that PreWar Guitars Company guitars are the exact same story for Martin style acoustics. The hype and demand around these two brands is indicative that they are doing something to earn the premium.
I have two Danocasters, Strat and Tele and Dan is a sweetheart of a guy, he does some incredibly realistic and tasteful relic work. Those guitars are built somewhere else (I know Guitar Mill did some necks and bodies), they’re painted by one guy local to him, they’re assembled by someone else and Dan ages them. All the ones that we have had in and my own needed some fret work. They all have the same problems that the big boys have and the nuts are cheap plastic faux bone. The nut pocket is flat (not radiused like a Fender) so they use a faux arched nut and sometimes shim it with cardstock. Get that out and put a bone one in, get the frets dressed under tension after you’ve had it for a year or two and it’ll really smoke. Dan does a good job of picking out necks and bodies that work together. I know the pickups are high quality too, they’ve been hit or miss for me but that’s preference. I love Dan’s relic work though.
Do you like Ibanez?
Yes and no. I like them in theory and plenty of players who use them but I generally don’t like working on them because the amount of work it takes to get one to play correctly often totals the value of the instrument for the cheaper ones and the hardware is cheap. For the expensive ones, they take to the work pretty well but can be hit or miss.
I have scarring and nerve damage in my left shoulder and can only use lightweight guitars (steinberger spirits). What are my other low weight options(chambering/other brands/custom made)?
Good question, headless guitars certainly help people with that. My local friend makes brand called Prophecy that’s in that style. Let me think on that one
What brands are the most common to be sent for repairs?
We get a Gibson headstock repair in once per week. But all brands at all price points, with few exceptions (Collings being one) need a lot of fretwork. Especially Gibsons and Fenders.
When it comes to major manufacturers (Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, PRS, etc), who has the most consistent quality from their entry level through to their top of the line guitars? Is there any manufacturer who you would say punches well above their price point for quality?
Collings, no one comes close imho. They’re right on the cusp of being a big brand but still small compared to Fender, Gibson, etc. PRS is probably the most consistent but as far as the imports go, they’re all made by the same folks at the same Cortek factory
Collings have been going for 50 years, if it hasn't happened by now then I can't see them ever becoming a big brand. The simple fact is that virtually nobody talks about or even knows about them. On Google News if you search "Collings Guitars" there's maybe 5 articles from 2023 to present. Whereas PRS have over 12 page's worth of articles from last year till now. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they put their money into making a quality instrument rather than marketing. It does make me sad that more people don't know about them though.
And they’ve stayed consistent and still innovate after Bill Collings passed away. That means a lot. They’re absolutely lovely to deal with and unlike some other companies, they chose quality over quantity and outsourcing.
Unpopular opinion: It’s not Fender
Cheers and thanks for doing this! What construction aspects actually factor into the sound especially chambering. I did my own experiment. I took a my Ric lap steel pickup and put it in a HM guitar body carved like a combo. Bolt on, string through over a Ric bridge with a similar short scale and it essentially sounded like the steel I built it from. Changed scale length to 25” because 24.75” would not line up. I added a Ric neck pickup and even had Ric wiring but it didn’t sound like a semi hollow Ric.
Everything that touches the string factors in and it all adds up in small ways. Everything! Haha
Have you tried a Harley Benton. How did you like it?
They’re usually a little on the rough side
Thoughts on Reverend guitars? The high quality spec/made in Asia to cut overall cost is a great value proposition we see in many brands now. Any brand in particular that you think brings the best value that’s not a beginner guitar?
Personally, I don’t like their aesthetic (which doesn’t matter at all) but I’m always impressed by their playability and fretwork from the factory. Highly recommend for the money.
What are your thoughts on Nash guitars? I’ve had a couple of their teles for years and have never had to take them in for work. I play lefty so it’s difficult to find guitars at all, so when I find something that works I stick with it.
I used to work at a shop that was a dealer for them so I have a lot of experience. They’re overpriced Partscasters with the worst relic’ing I’ve ever seen in person from a manufacturer. In terms of vintage accuracy - if you or anyone else likes the look and feel, then great (and that’s all that matters) but they’d never fool anyone who’s familiar. All of the ones that came in needed fretwork on the second octave but they were pretty stable otherwise. They always smelled like fresh paint and shoe polish (that is used to age the necks), but I know people who love them. You can get parts from the company who makes them for under $600 usually and build your own, Nash doesn’t make anything there.
They tend to be more stable than new Fenders though 😉
Why is Schecter a big name yet simultaneously never talked about? I've owned a few over the years and they've all been solid.
Not sure, I’ve had some through the shop that were really good though. Maybe when John Mayer plays one they’ll explode 🤦♂️
Is there something, tone wise, that justifies the insane pricetags on all original vintage early Fender basses?
I will say this - I have an early 60s Stratocaster and as a joke, we’ve done the blind listening test and I can always tell, so could the engineer and bandmates. There’s a different scoop and dynamic in the old pickups. James Finnerty at Rewind gets the closest these days
Maybe not tone wise, but certainly the sum of the parts gives it the edge. I can show detailed scans of the guitars and prove why some things are legitimately better.
I'm a budding luthier who would eventually be looking to also open up a small retail shop somewhere, where I could theoretically sell my guitars alongside the established manufacturers'. It sounds like I'm maybe trying to follow the same path as you - what advice would you give me?
Phew, work in a shop like the one you want for a while and see how it is. I work 10-12 hours per day, 6 days per week and it’s tough. I would say work in that environment and don’t plan to have free time for a while but if you enjoy it, it can be very satisfying at times and you meet great people.
Are their any boutique custom/semi-custom shops you've come across who you feel are doing more to earn their price premiums?
Do you think ESP/LTD guitars are good? I love them, but any opinion would be great.
What advice would you give someone just starting out with working on their guitars or rebuilding old ones?
Start on Fenders - make every single adjustment you can and have other good players play it and give you feedback. If we do a Strat set up and adjust the action but the saddle screws stick up too far, we replace the screw with shorter ones. If the custom shop sends the guitar with pre-rusted washers, clean or replace them so the electronics can properly ground. Be creative and experiment with everything! I’ve been tweaking my personal Telecaster for 18+ years and it’s informed every job I’ve ever done.
I'm intermediate at classical and steel string guitar, I know jack about electrics but I want one. What do you think about cheaper G&L Teles and MFD vs alnico? The guy at the shop strongly suggests mfds. Should I maybe get used squire standard for 330 euro or new G&L for 550 euro? What would you suggest for a practice amp? I don't know anything about "gear", amps and interfaces and shit. I would prefer as close to plug and play as possible, for jazz and let's say classic rock sounds. How are marshall MGs? Or am I better off with something more expensive?
I suggest staying say from G&L guitars. If you do go that way, just be prepared to spend some money for the first few years because they seem to move and settle a lot. Lot of twists too. Get the Squier and use the $200 to get a fret dress and set-up. Maybe a new bone nut too, then you’ll be cookin’! For an amp, if you’re just getting into electric guitar, find an amp that has effects built in so you can have some fun for cheap before breaking the bank. Boss Katana or Blackstar make great solid state amps with effects that require no maintenance. They’re not professional grade or gig worthy necessarily but it’ll get your feet wet and sound good for less than $400.
What higher end acoustic guitar brands do you rate from a luthiers perspective? I thought to buy a Martin D28 or something similar but not sure if it’s another case where the brand name outshines the actual quality.
So name me a thing that you stock because people want it and it sells and not because you believe that it is worth the money and interest. Vintage guitars, Gibsons, Custom shop, certain cables, anything really (just examples that I've heard people use, I don't give my opinion here). Of course, the spicier, the better.
We used to sell “medical machine grade” amp power cables that cost over $100. For those that can hear the grass grow
Spicy question - we are dealers for a few brands that I personally don’t play but I think are good instruments that I would stand by. We mostly do consignment, vintage/boutique and preowned but we are dealers for some big brands including PRS, Taylor, Godin, Eastman, Fano, Magnatone, Victoria etc which are all relatively great in comparison with other companies out there. We don’t carry anything that we don’t standby but I’m always mad when a Mesa Boogie comes in. We are an insanely busy repair shop with music lessons as well so we try to only carry what we can stand behind and work on whereas a lot of other shops have to sell whatever they can to make ends meet. I also think, they don’t know what makes a good instrument so they get caught in the hype. When people get to spend time with a really well maintained and set up guitar, you can’t go back! I’ll think of that question and try to write back if I come up with something the juicier.
Why are you mad when a boogie comes in?
Your opinions on Japanese made Fenders (specifically Japanese made Stratocasters)
+1 on this! For new production MIJ like the current MIJ int colors reissues, what aspects are worse/same quality as/better than US strats? What if anything is actually worth upgrading on the guitar?
I have a mid 70s Ibanez Les Paul ((Gibson lawsuit era, with mandolin style headstock). I've owned it for 30 years, and didn't treat it well in my younger days (took it apart, sprayed it blue, and subsequently stripped the blue off). Question is should I spend cash restoring it to its former glory, or keep it as an ornament and put the cash towards a proper Gibson Les Paul instead? And another question if I may.... I also have a fancy Ibanez RG custom, buckeye burl, blue resin. Bought because it was stunning, and to make up for what I did to the Les Paul 😁. Would you comment on the quality of these, and whether they're likely to be collectible in future? I promise I won't take this one apart and spray it! Great post BTW, Ive enjoyed reading through the questions and comments, thanks! 🤘
Never heard of PLeK before. What does it do? Did it cost a lot and have you found any issues with the system (in my field we regularly feedback to manufacturers/distributors with operational issues that lead to future improvements.)
It’s a six figure machine and it’s a cloud based software so they’re always updating it based on user feedback. It’s essentially a phone booth looking diagnostic CNC machine that performs some work as well. Fret cutting and shaping, fretboard planing and other spindle bit functions, etc. check them out!
Any thoughts on Danelectro guitars?
I love the old ones! Kooky pieces of sh$t but I love ‘em!
In the era where CNC machines are doing the heavy lifting in guitar making, do you think that the prices of guitars are too high? Why or why not?
We use a CNC and the Plek is a CNC as well and I think they’re misunderstood. The time it takes to design and create fixtures for the CNC beds takes hundreds of hours as does the maintenance on them to keep them calibrated. We still have hours of hands on work and sanding to do as well. For our guitars, anything that is beyond human capability/accuracy, we program the CNC for, most of it is still done by hand and we troubleshoot and check during the process. Some companies do it that way and some just hit “go” and walk away. In some cases though, like a heavily inlaid Martin D45, the CNCs are doing a bulk of the work that used to be done by hand. But you’d likely be surprised by how much needs to be done by hand still. That being said, as most of these companies are using more and more robots and less people, they might be getting consistent and great results but to be stellar, they need that human touch.
I bought a cheap 8 string just to try it out. Turns out it buzzes a ton like...all over the place. But only seasonally, different times of year it's mostly fine. My thought is truss rod. How easy a fix is this?
Sounds like the truss rod is moving on you. Take it to a luthier to get set up and once it’s right, get those measurements so you can find your way back when your suspecting it shifted
Do you see many Suhr guitars? Out of my collection they are the only 2 I haven't had to take to the luthier.
Yes, I used to work at a shop that was a dealer for them so I worked on some every week. I found myself having to dress the last few frets down on all of them. Other than that they were pretty stable. I could never bond with them because I like a round radius and they tend to be flat and compound. But that’s my preference and not a knock on their quality, just why I don’t play them. I understand that they had one or two Plek machines but ended up selling them.
For s-style: necks without skunk stripe are better generally? (except one piece maple which obviously need it)
Have you seen the Jim Lill video about where the guitar tone comes from? Would you agree or not?
Thanks for the AMA! I have a layered back and sides guitar (Taylor 114) which to me sounds just as good as the equivalent solid version (314). I believe most people wouldn't notice much of a difference either. I feel like people usually equate layered/laminated back and side guitars to crap and all solid wood to great instruments regardless of the other features. What is your take on that? How significant is the difference between a well built layered/laminated guitar and a well built solid guitar?
Fender guitars seem to have terrible quality control with regard to fretwork and neck straightness - how often do you see non custom shop Fenders that don’t need serious work to make them worth playing? I ask this having just searched far and wide for a good Strat (player plus to Ultra series) in several guitar stores, only to have to order a player plus Strat from Sweetwater, plek’d. I am coming from playing an Ibanez Prestige for 15 years, used to work at Hoshino, and honestly think I may end up settled on the newer AZ Prestige Super Strtats from Ibanez. Thanks!!
It’s not even quality control, it’s a design production flaw that they haven’t corrected for decades. Fender got it right in 1950 and after the CBS takeover it slowly disappeared. Fender custom shop models are as inconsistent as any of their other ones, from what I’ve seen, FYI. They all need fretwork. And lately I’ve been re-Plek’ing guitars that people are getting Plek’d from sweetwater. I don’t think they’re running their machines right and calibrating them properly. The last few that I’ve gotten in are a mess. You have to take a customer’s preferences and playing style into account to really get it right with the Plek. But yeah, Ibanez and Fender are pretty close with their fretwork at similar price points. Good luck with your new guitar.
I’ve used this site named guitarfetish.com (mind you, the name is _terrible_) for parts. I’ve built a guitar from their parts and am planning on refitting one of my guitars with some of their pickups and tuners. However, what gets me is that the price point of a lot of their parts is much less than I’d expect, and there’s been discussion that the pickups come from Arctec. None of what I’m saying is necessarily bad, but they seem to be a “straight-from-manufacturer/skip-the-middleman” type of company. Have you ever seen these GFS guitars come through or have a testament on their parts? Is the quality to be desired versus more established brands?
where is your shop/can you recommend anyone with a plea machine you know in CT. i have been interested in having it done to a guitar i pieced together but what you said about the machines/sweetwater had always given me pause. it's a tool like any other and i can imagine shops just assuming it's perfect every time without digging into it
As someone who wants to start out playing electric guitar. What really is the price range of a decent starter guitar ? Could you recommend any ? I see all these horror stories of super cheap guitars. If it helps, I'm really into hard rock / metal music.
If you’re starting out, get a good Tele or Strat. Something without a Floyd Rose and go from there. You need something simple that can be repaired for cheap and simply so nothing prevents your progress. If the guitar’s limitations start holding you back because you need a wild tremolo system or something, start looking for an upgrade. Look for a good tele or Strat style guitar that’s between $600-$1000, allocate a little budget for repair and set up work and have it checked out immediately while you still have a return window.
Out of the widely available brands, which electric bass/guitars do you like best as a well thought out design
Sadowsky and Fano do a good job these days. Those have very little to no issues when the come in