Electric Guitars

[Floyd Rosenbomb]

Agile is better then Gibson, and Squier is better then Fender!

Sorry, just trying to stir the pot, we need some action around here.

.

[LOLRECONLOL]

I agree. Shouldn't pay more than $300 for a guitar.

[docjeffrey]

Yep. Tone starts in the brain and travels to the fingers where it stops. Gear has nothing to do with it. Just ask Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, David Gilmour, Mike Campbell, John 5, Keef and all those other Agile users.

[Elias Graves]

The Agile ate my baby!

[Steve2112]

Hah....this can go in so many directions!

I have an Epi LP that I dearly love (also owned Hamers, USA Jacksons, ESP, BMG, Charvel, Ibanez etc etc). It's an odd trans black like Joe Perry's OLD sig (not bones). But nayway...took it to a vinatge shop, sheepishly. The dialed it in and said it plays and sounds as well as many new Gibsons. I don't care, really, I know it does most stuff I ask it to do, and no worries about taking it out to gigs. Pickups changed, of course!

As far as tone...of course tools matter! But so does the adeptness of the artist. Yes, Bonamassa and Haynes can afford 5 thousand dollar guits. But if you think they wouldn't kick all kinds of **bleep** on a Epi or Agile, you're kidding yourself.

[docjeffrey]

[SnowViking]

You can blow a lot of money on a Strat or Les Paul for sure.

[docjeffrey]

Some pro players are so picky about every nuance of their tone--Eric Johnson, for example--that there's no way they would willingly play just any guitar. To them, I'm sure that the name on the headstock means very little, but they are going to find a custom shop or custom builder who can meet their demanding requirements. There are a lot of companies that have the resources and expertise to build guitars like that. The factories in China, Korea, Indonesia, etc. that specialize in budget and mid priced instruments might be able to, but I think that it's safe to say that tonehounds would rather work with onshore custom shops for their own personal instruments.

When it comes to mass production like Epiphone Joe Bonamassa guitars, I don't think that the artists are nearly as picky because they will still be playing their high end versions. 

Personally, I think the winners are folks like you and me. We have a choice between a $7000 custom shop version of Joe B's goldtop and a $700 version made in China. How can you lose? You have money? Buy the Gibson. Short of cash? Buy the Epi. They are both excellent guitars, but you get to make up your mind as to whether or not the Custom Shop version is worth 10x more than the offshore version. Let the critics say what they will, but in the end, it's your choice, and the keyword here is CHOICE! We all win.

[jrockbridge]

The people most qualified to chime in on this issue are those who own both.  I happen to own both.  The OP is correct, Strats and LP's blow.  In fact, as a service to this community, I'm accepting all Strats and LP's via mail.  Send them to....

Jrockbridge (Strat & LP Scam)

PO Box Blow

Somewhere, US 00000-0000

[onelife]

The quality of the instrument is important in the sense that it allows the expressiveness of the player to come through unimpeded.

When I listen to Mark Knopfler play a Les Paul or a Strat it sends shivers up my spine. It's not the guitar that is doing it it is the player but if he was playing a poorly intonated shrill sounding instrument with no sustain then I might not "get" what it is he is doing.

[gardo]

A wise man once said "he who can be satisfied with the least is truly the richest"

[kayd_mon]

I always wondered why big players, with no budget restrictions or anything like that, always play Gibson and Fender (with the occasional Ric, Gretsch, Ibanez, Jackson, and PRS) and almost never Suhr or whatever other custom shop or Japanese brand that gets a lot of attention here.  Not saying that those other guys don't deserve kudos (lol) but I know that if I was famous, I'd have a room full of Gibsons, not a room full of custom Gibson clones. 

[jrockbridge]

---

kayd_mon wrote:

I always wondered why big players, with no budget restrictions or anything like that, always play Gibson and Fender (with the occasional Ric, Gretsch, Ibanez, Jackson, and PRS) and almost never Suhr or whatever other custom shop or Japanese brand that gets a lot of attention here.  Not saying that those other guys don't deserve kudos (lol) but I know that if I was famous, I'd have a room full of Gibsons, not a room full of custom Gibson clones. 

---

[Steve2112]

---

kayd_mon wrote:

I always wondered why big players, with no budget restrictions or anything like that, always play Gibson and Fender (with the occasional Ric, Gretsch, Ibanez, Jackson, and PRS) and almost never Suhr or whatever other custom shop or Japanese brand that gets a lot of attention here.  Not saying that those other guys don't deserve kudos (lol) but I know that if I was famous, I'd have a room full of Gibsons, not a room full of custom Gibson clones. 

---

You really don't know? Did you learn NOTHING from Poison's "endorsement" of Crate?

Hah...I kid. But the fact is that lots of players play other stuff religiously, but never mention because of endoresment loyalty. Sometimes legally enforced, sometimes conscientiously.

Hard to believe that Alex Lifeson has played his Tele and Howard Roberts faithfully for so many years.

[Sailorofdarknes]

^^ I agree with gardo,  I have both and even though I am diggin on my new 96 Strat I still perfer the Schecter TSH-1 that I have come to love.  I'd play that no matter how much I was makin at a gig.   I was pretty upset though when I opened up my Blues Jr to install a better output tranny and the circuit card was stamped GORILLA! 

[Ratae Coritano…]

---

docjeffrey wrote:

Yep. Tone starts in the brain and travels to the fingers where it stops. Gear has nothing to do with it. Just ask Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, David Gilmour, Mike Campbell, John 5, Keef and all those other Agile users.

---

True dat, but I hear in private Gilmour plays Gretschs, Gibsons and Fenders

[Morganbich]

They really do compared to a modern 24 Fret smooth heeled tone wood wonders, but we are still driving gasoline cars, people do not like change. I think that is what that Jeff Beck album was about how much LPs and Strats Blow...It was called Blow by Blow...he just left out that brand names so the Royalties flow in.