Skinnyman

So many choices these days! I have a 15w Fender Mustang which - for me - is the perfect practice amp. Looper, SD card slot to play songs to jam with, change pitch and speed. Loads of amp models and effects built in. Mine is one of the early models with their Fuse software (which I’ve never bothered using) but if the current crop are as versatile then they’re well worth it. Or buy a used older model. The Spark looks interesting but you’re reliant on the app and I don’t think it would work for me. So of your choices, I’d probably go with the Katana but that’s only if my Fender Mustang wasn’t available. PS I did have one of the little Yamaha TH amps (the acoustic version) which I moved on quickly. Even at low volumes it couldn’t handle any sort of bass frequency and it hated anything above whisper quiet. The electric guitar versions may be better but I would check before you buy....

Ooh, tricky. I don’t know the Tribute series but they seem well specc’d and the weight relief is a big plus for me. That said, while I loved the Studio I had, I’ve not been a big fan of recent Gibsons. Build quality has been a touch too hit-and-miss for an instrument costing nearly £2,000. They may have fixed this with the new management structure but I’d want to actually try the guitar before I committed. The Epiphone looks nice and against a US Gibson at £1500 or £1800 it’s a no brainer. For £450 difference, that’s a harder call. In theory a US made Gibson should hold its value better and even if you’re not a badge snob, there’s something about having the real thing rather than the cheaper copy. In normal circumstances, I’d advise you to try them both but that’s not really an option right now. I can only speak for myself but I’d be looking very closely at the Gibson in the hope that it would be the modern successor to my much-missed Studiio. Edit: Guitar.com like the Tribute and it does look like it’s the modern version of my old Studio. I might be interested in one of these myself.... Let us know what you decide

Of course, they’d get a head start by letting an influential member of a well-known guitar forum have one for review purposes.... Just sayin’

As in so many areas (cars, bikes, electronics, the list is endless), automated design, machining and production has meant that quality levels have, in the main, gone up. It’s hard to buy something truly awful these days and it’s certainly much easier to produce something decent on a budget. So, for me, that leaves the question of where the market for Masterbuilt, Custom, boutique models sits and how much volume it can support. I can see the appeal of a small supply of custom instruments (or car or boutique hi-fi or whatever) but that can only ever be a very limited market for the minority who are prepared to pay a lot more for something “artisan crafted”*. If I can buy a perfectly good mass-produced guitar at a reasonable price, the only appeal of a custom shop model is the name on the headstock, surely? It’s the bragging rights attached to it rather than any real improvement in quality. So if this part of the market is driven by brand snobbery, how is a new name going to get established? I think these guys have an interesting approach but I think they’ll have a struggle on their hands establishing a new brand under their own name (and Shije? Really?). I think PRS have shown with their SE line that you can sell good-quality Asian instruments at a mid-level price point - Shije might have been better approaching an existing boutique name and doing a licence deal to get themselves established rather than starting from scratch. I wish them well but wouldn’t put my own money into it. I’ll be interested to see how this develops.... *I always read the phrase “artisan crafted” as a shorthand for “a bit wobbly and likely to contain, or be wrapped in, hemp”

For a variety of reasons, I’ve moved away from a multi-fx unit a d I’ve built up a basic pedal board (Wah, Drive, Distortion, Delay, Reverb, Looper) which I’m pleased with but I’m wondering whether to add a compressor to it (thinking of the Wampler Ego)? I’m also thinking that it may be overkill at the moment (no guarantee that this will ever see live use) and I may be better investing in a decent Amp/cab modeller. Thoughts?

I’m not familiar with either of the models you mention but if you have one that you find comfortable and enjoy playing then I’d be tempted to stick with that one and put the effort into finding a decent amplified sound for it. As I’m sure you know already, most guitar amps are designed to amplify electric guitar and process the sound accordingly. For acoustic (especially classical or nylon) you need either a dedicated acoustic amp or to use a DI or preamp into a PA or FRFR speaker.

That’s a big assumption right there. Personally, I would find a decent guitar-tech (a call out for recommendations on here will kick things off but you might also have a look on BassChat as that’s a forum with a richer history to draw on - and a decent tech is a decent tech whether bass or “proper” guitar) and get their advice on nut, bridge, etc. I hard-tailed my Strat years ago using a stack of coins rather than cardboard - again, a good tech will be able to do this anyway. A shame you’re not nearer to Hertfordshire as @gary mac does a very good setup service. It might be worth a message to him and see if something can be sorted (or if he can recommend anyone local to you). Good luck getting it sorted!

Santa was very kind this year and brought me this little beauty.... I’ve not yet had chance to try all the pickup permutations but first impressions suggest that this is a very versatile guitar - and the main thing is that it can still do the “PRS” sound. I am a lucky boy* *As I am sure Santa will quite rightly remind me whenever someone has need of a new pair of shoes.

I had a 2010 Les Paul Studio in the natural walnut. It had a sound all of its own and I really regret selling it. I bought another, “proper”, Les Paul years later and it was nowhere near as good build or tone-wise. A good, well set up Studio is an awesome thing.

Welcome Lee! And there are plenty of people who have taken up guitar later in life (I was in my fifties) so you’re not alone! At one time I’d have said that it’s best to find a tutor and have lessons (and, to be honest, that’s still the best way) but lockdowns and the like mean that there are a whole raft of alternative resources out there to get you going. My recommendation would still be to have a few lessons at some stage but you can cover a lot of the basics online. As I’m sure you’ve found, there are lots of YouTube videos of varying quality as well as “games” to help you learn your way around the strings and fretboard. There are also a lot of online tutors who will do one-on-one lessons as well as online courses that are you through a full curriculum. My favourite of these is the Justin Guitar set of courses which are free (although you can pay for extras and apps but there’s a huge amount of free material available) and I like Justin’s style and approach. Good luck on the journey and get ready for advice and guidance to be given (whether you want it or not!).

Now sold Selling my 2014 Korean-made Epiphone ES175 Premium. It’s in lovely condition and comes with a Hiscox hard case. Currently strung with d’addario flat wounds for that real 3am jazz club vibe. Nice. There’s a little light bubbling of the paint at the heel of the neck (see pictures) along the joint which was present when I bought the guitar a few years ago and hasn’t got any worse - I’ve not tried to do anything about it as I figure it’s the start of the guitar building itself some mojo. Ideally, I’m looking for a straight sale but I might consider trades - what have you got? Price is for collection only (or a meet somewhere within reasonable travelling distance). I will consider shipping in the UK at extra cost to long-standing GC or BC members if I can find a suitable box. Please PM for details.

I can’t say that I have a good answer to this as I’ve been trying to address the same issue myself. I’ve spent quite a while learning guitar solos that I like and trying to identify handy licks and riffs to, er, borrow. I also try and analyse the solo to see what’s being played over the underlying chord. And finally, I try and get a melody in my head and play that, then extemporise around it. At least, that’s what I try to do. Results are patchy at the moment but I do get the occasional “ooh that was nice” bit and not always by accident.

Thanks, Lefty. My rehabilitation is almost complete and I should be back soon!

An interesting question and not one I have an answer to - other than the fact that the Tele seems to be the one guitar that crosses all genres

Another one for Northwest...good range and great service. And I’m now interested in trying a set of the Wilkinsons

The advert I saw claimed these were liquidation stock and showed a load of guitars in open boxes. Strangely, all of the boxes were identical size and shape, were unlike any of the Gibson, Fender or Rickenbacker boxes I’ve ever seen and had no hard cases or gig bags. I think they’re probably not genuine

I looked at the original iRig when it first came out but didn’t really have a need for it. The iRig2 looks to be more versatile. I’m still not sure I need one - but I think I want one now Curse this GAS!

That’s nice. Very nice indeed

Hi PS!

Hiya Papadon! Looking forward for the day when I can visit Vegas again! Welcome to the forum

Greetings Hardkase and welcome to the forum! I have a Fender GDec amp and think it’s excellent. Shame they discontinued it... Anyway, welcome!

Eclectic mix there, nice

You could also look at Faith guitars. Great value and perform way above their price point.

Twenty - or even ten - years ago, quality at the “budget” end could be very variable. With modern CNC cutting and improved QC it’s hard to buy a “bad” guitar nowadays. But you can still buy a guitar that doesn’t suit you which is why it’s important to try them to see what feels most comfortable. The chances are that the guitars you’ve mentioned are put together in the same factory - in any event, there won’t be much to choose between them in terms of quality. And another vote for Yamaha as a good, well-made instrument that would also sit well on your shortlist. Good luck whatever you get, have fun with it

It’s a slippery slope so we might as well enjoy it! Welcome