randythoades

You are more than welcome.

I have played through the Katana range and they are great, particularly if you may want to use more than one sound or play more than one style. You can also use them via usb for recording, or output into the PA if you play larger venues (although i think this mutes the on board speaker). They make the range all the way up from a 7w bedroom amp up to stage friendly models. They are popular so crop up second hand quite often on eBay or reverb.

Strangely I have had issues about this too (such is the joy in my life) whilst trying to mic up acoustic close and far as well as use the pickup to do a multi track in one take. Couldn't get it to work properly. Admittedly not trying to get a stereo feel, just recording multiple tracks with which to mix. Couldn't get something about the phase right. In the end i took the view of @Dad3353 and thought, why bother? I just played twice and recorded separate tracks for each mic which worked much better.

At least you will have good timing as a clockmaker... And welcome...

I couldn't play non stop for an hour in any case without my knuckles swelling up. Impressive though !!

To echo @Dad3353... err.. no thanks!

I have also used Smooth Hound for both guitar and bass. The only issue I had was in one venue that had wif fi repeaters just by the stage and it confused the receiver. I just moved the receiver to the back of the stageon top of my amp and cured that issue

Most amps come with a volume control, so you can own a louder amp and just get it as loud as you need... And double the watts is not double the volume. It is one of those 'decreasing returns' type thing. Double the watts is only about 3-4db louder.

I am not really into acoustics that much, but the Tanglewood range is one that is very well regarded these days and they have models at all the price points.

Because I love the look of them, and the feel. I WANT to love them, so keep looking for THE one. Never works. So I spend a lot of time gazing at them but really struggle to play them. For some reason I seem to forget that I can't gel with them and after a few weeks of selling one I start looking for another...

Like this a lot and a massive saving... I have just got myself a used Aria Pro 615 TL which is the natural version of their 'copy'. It is really nice. I was intending to use some Fender parts I already have to change it into an Esquire but now I see this I might re-spray it at the same time!!

It is really about feel. I used to use it a lot. Effectively just coats your strings with a thin layer of lubricant (don't know what it actually comprises of though). I found it very helpful at one point as I get very hot hands and my fingers kept sticking. The fast fret just keeps things moving nicely and reduced finger squeak at the same time. But as I got older my dexterity reduced and my playing became less frenetic. I stopped using it and began to just wipe my strings with a cloth after every few songs and it did the same to remove the excess finger oil/sweat from the strings. The issue mainly is that once you start you can't stop until you change strings as the residue of the fast fret feels really odd as if the strings are really dirty. Certainly wouldn't dissuade you from using fast fret, you might really get on with it.

Most DI box will take an input and split it, or take the output from a valve amp before it gets to the speaker and route it to another speaker option or to PA as well as back to the main speaker. Your only option with your VOX is to input your guitar into the DI input (which will send a clean, un-effected signal of purely your guitar output and put it into PA) and the other output is a continuation of your normal setup which then connects to your amp input. Unless you want a sterile clean sound going to the PA, it probably isn't much use. You could output the headphones into the PA with a long enough cable, but this will likely mute the speaker too which makes the amp useless on stage, but you could just use the monitors that they already have to hear yourself. Ideally you would want an amp such as the Roland Blues Cube, various Blackstar models, Peavey Bandit 112 or DV Mark Jazz that already have the DI out on the amp itself, or just use a floor pedal for all of your effects and then use the output from that into the DI box, but just use your amp totally clean to amplify what your floor pedal is doing. There are amp simulator pedals which will do this (such as this https://www.amazon.co.uk/JOYO-Simulation-Amplifier-Effects-Electric/dp/B07S88W8M4/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=3EEZVVD0T2JDT&keywords=amp+simulator+pedal&qid=1704206665&sprefix=amp+simulator+pedal%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1), but there are several low cost multi effects that would do the trick if you aren't worried about complicated channel switching etc. If you wanted multiple floor based pedals this becomes more complex. Or just mic up your amp and then you get both options. My own solution (not jazz, but clean-ish blues) is having no amp at all and just using a multi FX which has 2 outputs and then either rely totally on the PA (my own system) for volume or use an active speaker as well to amplify myself on stage.

It is a bit like choosing a bass amp or preamp... a definite rabbit hole and really helps if you know how you want to use it. A multi FX as suggested above is a good way to start as you have access to a multitude of tones which you can start to narrow down. You might find that (like me) you only use one basic tone, in which case you can look for an amp simulator pedal and possibly a DI box. Personally, if you already have the Para DI, I would use that at the end of my board for PA and get an older Zoom FX off eBay or similar (less than £50) for headphones or to run into the DI for live work and use that for a while and see what you use. Dedicated amp simulator pedals tend to be a bit pricey, or you end up using several for different tones which kind of defeats the object of going smaller. But you could sell the Para DI to pay for it once you are settled on your tone. There are some good cheaper amp sim pedals (Joyo American etc) and the POD XT is still very much a viable option if you need headphones. For myself I currently use the Behringer V-Amp rackmount version with inbuilt DI and headphone out if needed. I run this either into the PA mixer or into an active speaker at home.

As mentioned by @Paolo85 doesn't the device used to amplify the guitar have more of an impact on this than the headphones? You wouldn't just plug headphones into the instrument output surely? So since the amplifier headphones output or the multi effects unit will already be colouring the sound and may also have made appropriate adjustments before it gets to the headphone itself, I would have thought that just a flat response studio headphone would be appropriate, or something like an In Ear monitor headphone. But that wouldn't be an accurate the sound of the amp itself as the speaker has been taken out of the equation, it is just the sound from the headphone socket of whatever device you are using...

My vintage orientated Aria 615 TL (essentially a 69 thinline tele clone) has small skinny frets too (which I actually like) and a flatter radius (which i don't like so much) so you are probably right. The target market was possibly more vintage minded so makes sense. Although I don't really think that either of my old STG necks are that skinny, more medium so it may well have had a fret dress by the previous owner. But well done to @Paolo85 for trying to resurrect it, I hate to see guitars neglected. Treat her well and she should provide more years of use.

They did use better hardware on other models. My Magna series Mac 60 has got the Duncan Designed pickups and Wilkinson hardware and is very nice indeed, but the STG range of this era was very much the beginner series, but excellent versions none the less, if a little bit vanilla and bland. They have done more recent upgrades to the STG series which are supposedly nicer and based on 57 and 62 era strat, but they are designated Pro II (and double the money too compared to the regular base model) but I haven't had the pleasure of trying these as yet. I am a big fan of Aria overall, I have probably had a dozen models from the japanese era through Korean manufacture up to modern Chinese ones and yet to have a real duffer. Most of my basses are Aria (a TSB 350 from 1980, a violin bass from 1969, 1990s Magna bass and P Bass STB from early 2000s - only one pesky Westone bass to muddy the water) and some of my favoured guitars (including my homebuilds) are either Aria or homebuilds using Aria parts (again, only a couple of Vintages and a Tanglewood acoustic to spoil the view on my guitar stands).

Morning and welcome. I have a few Aria's, they are great value. This is a slightly older model but definitely made in China. They reinstated the 'Pro II' moniker about 5 years ago so this is before that. I would suspect from the early 2000's so probably about 20 years old. They are good strat copies, nothing amazing, but nothing bad either. Perfectly decent but would benefit from electronics changing as that is their weak point. The bridge looks like a drop in replacement at some point (a Wilkinson?), they would have been a vintage style bridge with the bent saddles. I really like the necks on these and used the neck off my one on a partscaster home build and then bought another neck off eBay (for as much as it would have been to buy the guitar whole) to do another home build... In fact, my main precision bass is an Aria from this period, and I have a Magna series hot rod HSS strat similar age and I really like both. I also have one of the newer (Pro II) thinline telecasters, but I don't think the feel is as good as the older ones, it needs a bit more playing in.

That's no problem at all. As mentioned, most decent pedals have buffered outputs so shouldn't give any significant signal loss into the normal input if you want to use what you already have. Just plug in and play and experiment. Personally I would just use the GT on it's own and use the excellent onboard effects, or sell it and buy a small amp simulator pedal (Sansamp type, TC Electronic do a series of different amp simulators, smaller multi FX if you wanted) and use your individual pedals. You would most likely end up with a little extra cash in your wallet and a more suitable setup. The GT seems like the unneccessary part of the chain. Boss seem to be releasing their own small format standalone amp and cab simulator pedal which would fit the bill nicely.

If you are just using the GT100 for amp simulation then I would think just having the pedal board going into the guitar input on the multi FX would be the best. Although, being honest, if you need those pedals to go into the GT100, then I would think that you might need an alternative multi FX better suited to your needs, or maybe just a smaller standalone amp modeller so it could just be all on one pedalboard. The FX already on the GT should be the same or better than the behringer ones on your board, and already has a tuner so I don't see why it is needed.

I agree with other comments that these aren't 'usual' choices for home strumming. For the price of each of those you would probably be better off getting a used mid range LP / SG / strat / Tele or similar. The Fender / Squier range has some great mid range guitars, as does Epiphone, Vintage, Fret King and a host of others which may be more suitable for one with varied tastes. But if it has to be these two, you really need to play them and see what is comfortable. I can't get on with the PRS range, the necks are generally flatter and wider than I like, as are many LP copies. But they are excellent guitars, quality is very good and plenty of players use them. I have played several Hagstrom and been very impressed, but I don't know this model. Assuming similar quality, I don't think you would be disappointed with either, but possibly the PRS would be an easier sale in the future should you want to change.

I think this applies to a lot of the 'cheaper' brands. Competition is fierce so the aim is to sell more instruments, albeit at a lower margin, by including half decent hardware and electrics that there isn't any immediate need to uprgrade. Probably costs them 10% more to build. Such a difference compared to the 80s and 90s when a beginner guitar was almost unplayable at times. But interesting also to note that now Vintage have been doing this for a number of years and have a reputation for good quality guitars, that they are no longer actually very cheap just good value and another raft of brands are now the cheaper end. Vintage even have their own cheaper alternative (Coaster series), I wonder if HB will end up gaining market ground and pushing up prices of regular models, just to bring in a more pocket friendly range?

Whilst I have no direct experience with HB, I have had several of the Vintage brand guitars and currently have 3. I have owned two of the V100 and they are great guitars, not just for the money, and at the time was actually better than my band mates genuine Gibson. Too heavy for me though so I moved them on. They already have good quality hardware and I didn't feel the need to upgrade anything.

Might seem a bit dense, but what does a sustainer actually do for the player in the real world? I have read up on them before so I understand the general premise, but how do you fit that into a song?

Eek... I wouldn't go messing around in there and I am generally happy with soldering pickups... Too many circuit boards in there. Yes, take it into a professional. Probably won't cost much as they can isolate the wires and re-solder them.