Will be trying to work through some of the guitars that I have bought since 1972
There is a list at the bottom of this page which I will work through when I have some time to take photos etc.
I have been asked what I play, and what strings, effects etc. I use. This link's contents are in latest order of buying - WHY I bought them, bit of history, good points, bad points etc. and pix.
Latest: Vintage AMG1 Chrome..bling!! Very loud!
Mid 2015: Taylor BT1, closely followed by Taylor BT2 - great little guitars!
Taylor 110E with new Taylor soundsystem - Well lovely! (January 2015). Had HUGE strings on it which I have swapped for 10's. Lost a bit of volume, but plays like velvet!
Dobro Hound Dog Deluxe Roundneck. (02/10/2014)
Haven't had it long enough to try it properly yet.. Everything good so far and it has an internal Fishman pickup! Thanks to Guitar Village at Farnham - Nice people to do business with.
Washburn J3
Thank you Andertons who actually had one in the flesh, after I had chased quite a few companies who advertised on the net that they had them in stock, but then emailed back to say it would take 2 months to order one.. Mind you I did want a natural one and all the others had sunbursts.
Washburn's go at an ES175 - Frankly, I have played both and there is SO little difference apart from the name on the headstock and about £1800+ price difference....
I bought it after I had been totally impressed by Mark Haley's J5 - Sunburst, which is Washburn's go at a Super 400. Very big guitar, more abilone inlays etc. - plays like a rocket.
The J3 has a shorter and wider neck with the same electronics and both have a quite phenomenal tonal range on the shoulder switch. From smooth jazz in the neck position to a flat out country Telecaster sound at the bridge position. The J5 has a bit more oomph in the bridge position, but my J3 is unlikely ever to move away from the jazz sound. Changed the strings to D'Addario 11s (wound 3rd) - works fine.
Now a little review (J3)
Plus points: Size, sound, build quality (which is superb) and the neck which has EXACTLY the same feel as my Gibson EC10. Price - a phenomenally well made jazzer for £259 - clever these Chinese chaps!! A VERY playable guitar.
Minus points: The plasticoid inlaying was a bit LOUD, although well done, and the tailpiece looks as if it came off a 1950's Pifco torch - also it appears completely indistructable, no matter how much I attack it with metal polish to try and get rid of the loud chrome finish. Inlaying is getting much better due to my ageing process - I smoke. Also the body has gone from very white wood to a much nicer honey blonde with exposure to sunlight and smoke!!!!
I am very happy with it. Superb jazzer. And out of interest Washburn were making guitars in the 1880's a clear 10 years before Gibson - so a good name to have on the headstock if that is important!
Sounds like this: Grabbed from Youtube, all credits as usual to whoever was playing it. But you see what I mean about the sound. Pure Barney Kessel 50's/60's eh?
Somebody asked if the J3 looks like a Super 400. No that is the J5 - bigger, with a thinner (more Gibson 60's) and longer neck with much more 'bling'. The J3 looks like an ES175.
Still a great, but very different guitar - I love both of them. Only disadvantage is that the J3 fits a normal jumbo hard case. The J5 does not!!
Below some badly taken pix of Mark Haley's magnificent J5 - Same problem with the indistructable cheap looking tailpiece.
Next up - Ok, it is not a guitar - but.........
Epiphone MB200 5 string banjo.
Thoughts so far: Nicely made, apart from the nut which is very badly cut and needs re-doing AND what I consider to be a major design fault on the 5th string tuner. It has a serrated metal spline that pushes into a wooden neck. The first thing it did was to route out a larger hole in the wood which rendered it virtually useless. However, after a bit of 'fettlin' by Mark Haley, everything works ok, but it probably needs a professional set up. Unusual for Epiphone.
Anyway, I can't play the thing fast yet. The trouble is I want to play like Mean Mary James (see Dobromark Hall of Fame) and my best efforts sound like George Formby on a bad day.....
Great fun though.
Next up (in order of purchase, remember)
YAMAHA FGX730 SCA
Ok - first question - why did I buy one? I have 5 VERY good Yam acoustics already.........
The theory was that I would sell one of my much loved APX's to finance it. As good as the APX's are they really need a GG10 box in front of them to take some of the treble off. Anyway, The FGX730 not only has a phenomenal tone, but you are no longer under the control of whoever is running the PA system.
A quite tremendous range of tones, controllable from the guitar, without any external 'boxes'. And still has that 'Yamaha sound', which I personally like. Fully bound, including the headstock, abilone soundhole inlay, easy battery access - take note Gibson - you do not have to take the damned guitar apart to replace the battery - especially on the EC10!
Great unplugged acoustic sound. - Like all Yamahas that I have played, right on it, straight from the box. Has Anybody EVER played a duff Yamaha? I most certainly haven't.
Bad things: Personally I am not a great fan of 'quasi cherry sunburst', but it is darkening off quite well now.
I love it! Also it does not matter if it gets knocked over, unlike the Gibsons!
Have played Taylors - very nice. In my opinion this is about the equivalent of a 310CE.
If anybody out there wants to sell me a 310CE for £350, which is what I paid for the Yamaha, I MIGHT consider it!