Dad3353

Roland amps, in the category you're after, are extremely good, in my experience (I have several...), as long as you don't want to use their built-in distortion. Robust, clean, versatile; even older models sound 'quality'. They take pedals very well, but sound good on their own, too. Not always the most 'fashionable', so bargains can be found. Just my tuppence-worth. Douglas

It's not easy to give medical advice over a Forum, but we could maybe be of more help if we could see what your normal playing posture is. Any chance of a photo, showing your sitting and/or standing position whilst playing..? Ask a family member to help, perhaps, as it's not so easy taking pictures of oneself, of course. Over to you..? Douglas

Yes. ... ... ... ... Or, to be a little more helpful, either will do, as long as you plug into the amp either one 8 Ohm cab or two 16 Ohm cabs, whether they be stereo, mono or whatever. The amp doesn't care, as long as it 'sees' an 8 Ohm load in finality. From the Owner's Manual ... '... For one 16 Ohm cabinet — Use the 16 Ω speaker jack socket (rear panel). For two 16 Ohm cabinets — Use both the 8 Ω speaker jack sockets (rear panel). For one 8 Ohm cabinet — Use either of the 8 Ω speaker jack sockets (rear panel). ...'

I'd suggest either a Russian guitar or a home-build (possibly a home-built Russian guitar, but that's unlikely...).

That's for the case where the humbucking p/u's have four wires, so as to 'split' them into two single-coil p/u's. Each p/u winding has a start and a finish (the two ends of the coil of wire around the magnet...). The 'North' p/u is the one at the top in the drawing, the 'South' is the other one. It's possible to swap the start for the finish, to change the 'phase' of the p/u, or one may choose to have the two coils in parallel or in series, for different sounds and output levels. If your p/u's don't have this 'split' facility, ignore it, and just wire one end to earth, the other to the switch. Post here the result, please..?

With only one volume control, the pick-ups have to go firstly to the switch, to be selected to have one or the other, or both (depends on type of switch...). The 'common' of the switch then takes the selected signal to the volume pot, then on to the tone pot and away to the jack. One side of the each of the p/u's goes to the common earth point. Hope this helps.

Yes indeed; amps with no Master volume control will only 'scream' when volume is turned up high, splitting ear-drums in the process, unless in a stadium (and even then, for some...). The solution there is to turn 'em down, and use a 'Tube Screamer' pedal. It's not 'cheating'. (Or, as I mentioned, put it down flat on carpet...). If you want to 'bend' power valves, it might get loud, end of.

Good evening, @Markblues, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Most valve micro-amps provide means of connecting to a speaker cab, so as not to have to rely on the micro-speaker built-in for the tone. Just sayin'.

That needs to be worked out between Seller and Buyer. Personal hand-over is the best method, though. (Posted just after EZbass ^^^^...) I echo his notion of lowering the bridge p/u. That's a pretty fine guitar, and would have to be seriously incompatible to swap for something else, I'd say.

For those that might not know of it, here's the Fender bumph... Squier Contemporary Telecaster... Good luck with the sale

How about the Marketplace here, in this very Forum..?

Ah, that's better..! I've already recommended this guitar before, for its versatility... Thomann Squier Tele Thinline Deluxe... (other sources exist...)... It doesn't do the standard Tele 'twang', but has a wide range of tones from the HH p/u's. Thomann's price is £350, I believe. There's a whole range of modelling amps, too, at between £250-450. Boss Catana, Marshall Code 50, Vox VT20, Fender Mustang LT40S... The list is long, and not much in the way of pedals needed with most to get some pretty decent sounds. Which are the best value for money..? Not much in it, I'd say; there's as many votes for one as for another. Spoilt for choice, really, but you can't go far wrong with any. Hope this helps. Douglas

Hello, and welcome to the Forum. Help will come, and will be all the more pertinent if you could expand a little on your aims and preferences. I'm assuming electric guitar (because 'amp'...), but there's a whole world of styles. Where are you located..? Second-hand is a good way to start, but for the non-initiated it can be a minefield. With your location, there may be someone near you that could advise on a second-hand purchase, checking it out together. A new purchase is good, too, or course, as there's a guarantee, but returns can be troublesome, and a new guitar sometimes need to be set up to be at its best. Your budget is OK, but a bit 'thin' for both guitar and amp; I'd recommend spending most of it on an instrument, and playing into a headphone amp at first, then buy a practice amp later (again, second-hand is good...) with a bit more money. Tell us what you're aiming for, as far as style is concerned, and what music you want to play, and we'll be able to give more targeted options. Over to you..?

There's a lot of mis-conception here, I think. Valve amps, including the ones cited, aren't loud if you turn 'em down, using the volume control. I offer, as proof, our Laney VC50 2x12 combo, which strips paint off the doors if 'opened up' (and has toured around festival stages for a decade or so...), but can be calmed if the volume is kept below '1'. Also my Fender Bassman Export 50, into its 2x15 cab, with which I've played bass at outdoor venues with no PA, no problem, but I use for guitar practice at home, too, keeping the volume down the same way. Our main bass amp is a Hiwatt 200w 4xKT88 PA head, into an HH folded horn 2x15, which has headroom enough to crack open WWII bunkers, but when used sensibly at rehearsal volumes, is perfect. OK, if it's scorching 'o/p valve-bending' distortion that's required, I'd agree that the valves in these amps don't 'bend' until they get to stadium volume, with very, very little in the way of manufacturer's wattage. I started out, decades ago, with a Watkins Westminster valve amp; that was definitely not made for stadiums (and its 'valve-bending' was not its strongest suite...), but could be played at home without breaking glass. These Fender/Vox amps are not made for home use, but for filling a large hall even before going into overdrive. What are the options..? If it's clean sound that's wanted, just turn it down; it won't harm it. If 'drive' is required, as I remarked in a previous post, lay it flat on carpet; that'll take some 'bite' out of it. Better still, use a pedal, such as the ubiquitous 'Tube Screamer' (why do you think it was so named..?), which produces overdriven valve tones at a controllable level, or, more radical, change amp for a (much...) lower wattage. One reference would be the famous 'pignose', vaunted by Mr Page and others for 'hot' solos. There are micro-amps, with a 'less-than-1W' output, using simply an ECC83 pre-amp valve, which can give convincing tones. We've already mentioned power soaks; no, they don't adversely affect the amp driving them, and give a good result, but they can be expensive, it's true. One of my favourite amps of all time is the Fender Twin Reverb, but its weight and horrendous volume make it a poor buy for home use (although I'd enjoy playing through one outside to the fields...). Personally, my 'style' of play doesn't so much involve 'valve-bending' (I play cleaner, 'jazz' tones usually...), but if I want to break out into 'rock' territory, my pedals to the job, and I'm certainly not such a tone snob as to only content myself with the 'real thing'. If anything, I'd prefer biasing my amps to a cooler o/p, so that they break up later, and get several decades of life out of them. Too hot, for early break-up, and it's a constant stream of valve acquisition and re-biasing that starts to add up, financially. Fine for a headline guitarist with an amp tech on hand and a big enough bank balance; that's not me. Soooooo... There's my take on valve amp 'loudness'. If playing clean, turn it down. If screaming solos are in order, use a pedal or change to a lower-power amp. That's all; carry on, folks.

Good evening, @BadSituation, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Take it back to the guitar tech (maybe both guitars and all the p/u's..?) and get him/her to sort it out so that you get the sound you want from the guitar you want. He/she should be able to find the root cause of the issue and fix it, whatever it is. If it's duff electrics, it's simple. It's not rocket surgery.

Hmm... A tricky one, this. These are excellent guitars, but have a rather niche place in the 'market', appealing to only a narrow band of players and/or collectors, probably due to their rather 'quirky' aesthetic, which is a sign of their time. Looking around briefly at what I see currently offered or sold recently in Europe, there's quite a wide swing, depending on condition (mostly...) and whether or not it has been sold or not..! I's easy to put a hefty price tag on, but at what price does it actually sell for..? Lowest seems to be around the 280€, top price seen 1800€ (top condition, but not yet sold...). Realistically I'd suggest that, judging solely from the photos, that the lower end of the scale would be more reasonable. With its stickers and (to my eyes...) ugly headstock, 200-300€ would be my guess; it could suite someone up to 500€, but it might take longer to find that 'someone'. A hard case would be a 'plus', as would local delivery or courrier (but that might become expensive...). Disclaimer: No, I'm not an expert in these fields, but I do have similar vintage guitars, with a particular interest in 'jazz boxes'. Subject to completion, correction and/or contradiction from others. Hope this helps, and good luck with the sale. Douglas

The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, 1968. All night sitting, featuring The Doors and Jefferson Airplane, and more. Kicked off at dusk, finished after dawn. Unforgettable, with two sessions for each of the headliners. I walked home to Bedfont, by Heathrow Airport, (about 30 km...) and hardly noticed, floating as I was on a cloud (no, this was pre-substances; that came later...). If I was able to re-live it..? Maybe I should have paid a little more attention to the French girl sharing my lap for much of the show..? I didn't even think to ask her name..! Happy Daze..!

Yes, that would work although WD40 (depending on what it really contains...) seems a bit excessive. A slightly-damp lint-free cloth (old tee-shirt..? Kitchen roll..?) will pick up any tiny traces of powder that might result from scrubbing the pole pieces, and would be a standard 'wipe-down' procedure in any case, at least once in a while. Being a lazy so-and-so, and not suffering from over-fussiness, explains why I don't bother with such niceties, myself, but your procedure won't damage the guitar beyond repair, so why not..? Hope this helps. Douglas

Yes, this is normal for many guitars. The pick-ups have been designed to follow the curve of the fretboard, so as to have the same height between magnet and string. Is it important, or critical..? Not at all; it's just the way that particular manufacturer thought would sound (or sell..!) better. The traces of rust are normal, too, as the pole pieces are made of ferrite (so iron...) material. A brisk rubbing with a Scotch-brite pad, or a brass wire brush will remove it, and applying a little varnish (clear nail varnish..?) over them will help keep them rust-free. It's purely a cosmetic thing, though; personally I just accept it and leave 'em alone.

I'd echo the comments above ^^ ^^ concerning both Tanglewood and Yamaha; they are very good instruments at every price point, and (in my area of France...) readily available second-hand; prices for both range from 40€ to 400€, with most around the 100€ or so mark. If your present Hohner is a good one, though, you'll not see/hear a huge difference until getting to the upper end of the scale (Hohner make some fine guitars, too..!). Be aware, if you are not already, that the sound of an acoustic guitar is different for the player than for an audience; the sound is (designed to be...) projected forward. It's worthwhile to listen to a guitar being played by someone else to appreciate this. The style of guitar, its aesthetics 'feel' and comfort are all personal preferences, so no real advice there, but there is a jump in the price for models with built-in electrification, which can be an advantage. Best to look for a higher-priced model if going down that route, as 'budget' electro-acoustics are usually disappointing when plugged in. Electric guitars are another 'rabbit hole', but, again, there are some 'sure-fire' favourites out there. For a beginner, maybe the first choice would be the 'style' of instrument, where the choice lies between Fender-type guitars (Stratocaster, Telecaster...) and Gibson-style (Les Paul, SG...), or another style, such as the semi-acoustics (335, Hofner...) and 'pointy'-style (Jackson and others...). Your budget will be the limiting factor here, and a combo amplifier would best be included in that budget. Playing an electric is quite different compared to an acoustic (same chords etc, but a very different 'vibe'...), so be prepared to adapt, and learn different techniques to get the best from each. You're asking the right questions, though, even though it's difficult to give the right answers..! In any case, I hope this helps, a little. Douglas

Does this help..? No experience of them, myself, but worth following up..? Best Luthiers, Cardiff, UK ... Douglas

I agree with @randythoades; that's right at the end of the neck, and rarely visited. The 'fix' is easy for any half-decent guitar tech (probably either a fret dress on the last frets, or raise the bridge saddle a tad...), so it would pay handsomely to take it to someone serious and get this little niggle sorted. You'll have peace of mind for decades, and it shouldn't be a costly exercise at all. You don't give your location, so we can't really recommend any known good addresses, though. It's not worth sending it back, as its replacement could well be worse in another area..! Hope this helps. Douglas

Just my opinion (and therefore not always popular..!), one must have supersonic, young, ears to be able to hear any difference at all from the wood choice of an amplified electric guitar; I certainly can't, and never could. I'm discounting stuff like balsa (although I've never heard a balsa guitar, so...). In any particular essence, there is so much variation, even from the same part of the same tree, that attributing any sonic difference to the essence itself seems futile. I would argue that weight, ease of working, ability to take a finish, or having agreeable veins etc are far more factors for choosing. To each his/her own (and some folk maybe have supersonic ears..?), but to me, 'tone wood' is a powerful marketing concept in solid-body electric guitars. OK, let the shooting begin...