The Guitar Pron Thread

[tbone_ 14,106]

was someone looking for a stratosonic? It’s back?
https://www.fender.com/en-US/squier-electric-guitars/stratocaster/paranormal-strat-o-sonic/0377035507.html

This was me but I want sunburst

[Gil Bang 25,907]

I need a full fucking review of the Isbell Tele, and not from some internet dickhead.

 

Well, from an internet dickhead, but a dickhead from a very special corner of the internet.

 

[Celery Man 20,929]

Loving it so far but obviously, new toy. I'm basically on vacation until the 9th so I'll have to try and put together some sounds or something. But I'm digging this a lot, it's doing the tele things that I never quite loved from my old one.

[Celery Man 20,929]

just a little side by side noodling on a riff I was working on during the game yesterday

 

 

keyboard notes added just as identifiers for each guitar. One of them is of course the Isbell, the other is a 2012 American Ash Deluxe. Playing through the Positive Grid Spark, tone settings are findable as "nep-utility" (but it's the matchless with a klon giving some tone and a bit of trem/delay/reverb). And then maybe obviously - playing the same little riff starting on the neck pickup for both guitars, and then middle, and then bridge.

Curious if you can guess which guitar is which. Bonus points if you can figure out what song I was trying to borrow the riff from, although I think it's disguised enough that it's a different thing.

Been a busy weekend with the kids, still kinda feeling this guitar out and planning to write some thoughts down.

Edited September 3 by Celery Man

[Paul Wesley 3,278]

I'll be brave and take a (probably wrong) stab:

First one has a little more low mids, so I'll guess that's the Ash Deluxe(?)

[jimmyjazz 45,877]

2nd guitar is definitely twangier, but I wouldn't know enough to say which is which.

[locodos 5,387]

1 minute ago, jimmyjazz said:

2nd guitar is definitely twangier, but I wouldn't know enough to say which is which.

My layman opinion is that I liked the 2nd guitar better. Seemed more dynamic.  I'm going to say that's the brass saddles.  Just a guess though

[jimmyjazz 45,877]

I was the opposite, I preferred the first, but there are so many more things that go into it . . .

[Goredho 17,394]

All sounds good to me.  Probably has more to do with the player than the guitar.

[tbone_ 14,106]

Yea that was a tasty lick.

I’m gonna guess the Isbell was #2.

[locodos 5,387]

6 minutes ago, Goredho said:

All sounds good to me.  Probably has more to do with the player than the guitar.

was it not the same player?

[Goredho 17,394]

25 minutes ago, locodos said:

was it not the same player?

Yeah, I just think they all the iterations sound good.  I can hear differences, but they aren't huge.  A good player on either of those guitars is going to sound good.

[locodos 5,387]

2 minutes ago, Goredho said:

Yeah, I just think they all the iterations sound good.  I can hear differences, but they aren't huge.  A good player on either of those guitars is going to sound good.

To be clear I thought both guitars sounded good.  

[Celery Man 20,929]

1 hour ago, Paul Wesley said:

I'll be brave and take a (probably wrong) stab:

First one has a little more low mids, so I'll guess that's the Ash Deluxe(?)

bingo

 

imo the isbell tele sounds better across the board - the ash tele sounds like it has the tone knob rolled off a bit. Although that's not so bad on the bridge pickup - that's definitely a bright sound and pretty harsh by itself on the bridge. does sound nice mixed in with music when you're going for that kinda bright 90s rhythm guitar sound.

I might sell the blonde tele although I'm tempted still to just play with it and put different pickups in. My favorite sound on that guitar is with the little knob button toggled on the middle position with the pups in series.

I posted elsewhere about getting shitcanned while on a business trip in Minneapolis and walking back to my hotel from the convention center with "Skyway" playing in my earbuds. I was starting from there and trying to turn it around a little bit, and going back to listen I realized that half of what I lifted is vocal melody rather than guitar.

[jimmyjazz 45,877]

I hear the "Skyway" melody in the D/G phrase at the top of the lick.  (My favorite 'mats tune, by the way.)  Seems to deviate a bit from there.  Great lick, though, and well played.

Edited September 3 by jimmyjazz

[Gil Bang 25,907]

7 hours ago, Celery Man said:

bingo

 

imo the isbell tele sounds better across the board - the ash tele sounds like it has the tone knob rolled off a bit. Although that's not so bad on the bridge pickup - that's definitely a bright sound and pretty harsh by itself on the bridge. does sound nice mixed in with music when you're going for that kinda bright 90s rhythm guitar sound.

I might sell the blonde tele although I'm tempted still to just play with it and put different pickups in. My favorite sound on that guitar is with the little knob button toggled on the middle position with the pups in series.

I posted elsewhere about getting shitcanned while on a business trip in Minneapolis and walking back to my hotel from the convention center with "Skyway" playing in my earbuds. I was starting from there and trying to turn it around a little bit, and going back to listen I realized that half of what I lifted is vocal melody rather than guitar.

You got fired?  Or you got drunk?   Because who the fuck, besides Lane Kiffin, gets fired on a work trip?

[Celery Man 20,929]

12 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

You got fired?  Or you got drunk?   Because who the fuck, besides Lane Kiffin, gets fired on a work trip?

Certainly not drunk. It was a clown show organization. Lots of smart biochemists in business roles where they are objectively stupid.

[Gil Bang 25,907]

fuck man, sorry to hear that.  I've been there, and it sucks.  I lost a lot of good jobs due to banks going under, consolidation, etc.   After about the 4th time I said fuck it, and went out on my own.  I've never looked back.  Maybe you can't do that in your industry, but I feel for you. 

[Gil Bang 25,907]

BTW; I got fired one time when I deserved it. I would have fired me too.  It was right after my marriage fell apart, and I wasn't worth a shit. 

The other times weren't my fault. 

[AnotherUTFan 9,725]

[Goredho 17,394]

Guys, a reminder that it’s never too early to start thinking about Bonamaxmas.

[G650 14,229]

Goddammit

[Goredho 17,394]

4 minutes ago, G650 said:

Goddammit

Sorry, forgot you were a strat guy.  Joe’s got you covered, though!

[G650 14,229]

Finally got back to picking on a regular basis the past few weeks. This year's has been, well a lot. And not nearly as much as some of you dudes have been dealing with. Feels good to play, definitely have some built up song ideas to come out.

 

[jimmyjazz 45,877]

I'm gonna put this here because this young gal is a terrific player.  I hadn't heard of her until I saw her play live on Kimmel this week.  Maybe some of y'all are familiar.  Not even old enough to vote, self-taught, a very interesting style that will dip into some jazz voicings and then all of a sudden shred.  Somewhere between Zappa and Prince in a way, although she cites BB King as her main influence.  

Two videos, same song, first the official video with a very cool dueling lead that almost gets Allman Bros at one point, the second one on Kimmel, more esoteric but still with some (sometimes dual) shredding:

 

Edited September 4 by jimmyjazz

[Celery Man 20,929]

Yeah she came up on TikTok. I’m 1000% skeptical of “precocious young guitar player doing boomer music” people and she’s maybe kinda that but I like her a lot. Definitely stopped when I saw some mopheaded kid shredding on an sg in a bedroom. And then realized it was a girl!

[jimmyjazz 45,877]

To me her playing seems less schooled and more natural than most of those "prodigies".  We'll see where she goes from here.  It's interesting that she apparently doesn't sing, but there's no rule that a great player has to have a great voice.

[Celery Man 20,929]

She actually has shown up in this thread or the amp thread previously - she's like a.... Gibson featured artist or something. Someone over there is smart enough to know that when a teenage girl shows up on the internet shredding with a gibbon, you give her some more gibbons. I've seen her posting and talking about her collection on Reddit as well.

yeah man those old tiktok videos made you stop...

she seems real

[Rimbo 25,908]

 

[Deej 76,750]

2 hours ago, Celery Man said:

Someone over there is smart enough to know that when a teenage girl shows up on the internet shredding with a gibbon, you give her some more gibbons

 

[Anton Chigurh 3,319]

She actually has shown up in this thread or the amp thread previously - she's like a.... Gibson featured artist or something. Someone over there is smart enough to know that when a teenage girl shows up on the internet shredding with a gibbon, you give her some more gibbons. I've seen her posting and talking about her collection on Reddit as well.
yeah man those old tiktok videos made you stop...

Remember those Reddit live streaming things (RPAN) that happened during the early days of the pandemic? I am pretty sure I saw her play on a few of those back then.

But yeah, I knew who it was before clicking Jimmy’s link. I dig it.

[Rimbo 25,908]

8 hours ago, Celery Man said:

Someone over there is smart enough to know that when a teenage girl shows up on the internet shredding with a gibbon, you give her some more gibbons.

gibbons?

[DougO 5,243]

On 9/4/2024 at 9:36 AM, Goredho said:

Guys, a reminder that it’s never too early to start thinking about Bonamaxmas.

Really looks nothing like Bonamassa. Probably has some actual soul.

[Goredho 17,394]

35 minutes ago, DougO said:

Really looks nothing like Bonamassa. Probably has some actual soul.

[jimmyjazz 45,877]

I think that's my high school guidance counselor.

[Deej 76,750]

4 hours ago, DougO said:

Really looks nothing like Bonamassa. Probably has some actual soul.

They only go on vintage trees from the 50s and 60s

[Buzzrock 14,901]

Screw Bonnamassa I just watched Billy Gibbons play Just Got Paid. JB can’t hold the Reverend’s jock.

Lifted this off Reddit but he came out playing it. SG with a V neck?

[Buzzrock 14,901]

[tbone_ 14,106]

Screw Bonnamassa I just watched Billy Gibbons play Just Got Paid. JB can’t hold the Reverend’s jock.

Lifted this off Reddit but he came out playing it. SG with a V neck?

He’s got more soul in his pinky fingernail than Joe B has in his whole being.

[Chad Fuck 17,658]

13 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

Screw Bonnamassa I just watched Billy Gibbons play Just Got Paid. JB can’t hold the Reverend’s jock.

Lifted this off Reddit but he came out playing it. SG with a V neck?

And that crazy sideways vibrato that I've never seen him use.  I think it's just on there because the chrome looks cool, which I fully support.

[Chad Fuck 17,658]

19 hours ago, Goredho said:

Let those of us who've not made ugly faces while playing cast the first stone...

[Goredho 17,394]

1 minute ago, Chad Fuck said:

Let those of us who've not made ugly faces while playing cast the first stone...

Hmph.  I personally don't need to be playing guitar to be fugly /humblebrag

[Celery Man 20,929]

So I've had the Isbell tele for a bit. I'm into it. Soundwise, I'm clicking with this one in a way I never did with my other tele - I'm still kinda blaming the n3 noiseless pickups in that guitar for that, and maybe I'll swap them out at some point. This tele feels very teleish. One thing that I like a lot is that the pickups seem pretty balanced - with both the 2013 deluxe and even the G&L Tribute bluesboy I used to have, I never wanted to use the neck pickup. The neck pickup on this one is a really nice sound, has a lot of life to it, and it's pretty balanced with the bridge pickup. Of course the bridge pickup is sharp and tele-like and has that whole thing, but it isn't this completely different thing over here like going from p90s to a danelectro.

I really like the satin finish and and double binding and the weight. It's fairly light, for some reason the double binding adds to that for me, almost like it's chambered with a top and a bottom piece. And it feels like it's OK to throw it around a little bit, set it down on the floor, not worry about it. I like the checking which can be found in several places on the guitar but is not super obvious from far away. If I were to pick from a lineup of these guitars I might pick one with different weathering on the lower bout of the guitar - the kinda three notch thing doesn't look super natural. But that's a nitpick.

Quality wise, this seems solid. I'm not a crazy harsh critic I don't think, but I don't see any glaring problems with fretwork, everything feels very quality. The one issue is that I've noticed the high E string can sound a little dead if I pick it a certain way while it is unfretted - I think the nut needs to be worked a little bit, I'll probably get it set up. I've read some reviews of these saying they aren't set up well out of the box - this one is pretty decent, although it's from a nice guitar shop where they give them a little TLC before putting them on the floor so I'm not sure how much it came that way. Having owned several Fenders from the late 90s and early 2000s, I'm not a "there's no difference between MIM and MIA guitars" guy - there have traditionally been differences, place of manufacture was just one element about the quality difference between circa 2000 American Standard and a circa 2000 Standard. Both my thinline (mim) and my old dirnt P bass (mim) had some issues with qc and cheaper parts not holding up to rigorous use. This one feels like it is up to a higher level of standard and I'm assuming it has higher end parts - I'm not expecting the knobs to fall off and it doesn't feel like they will. I did have to put a little piece of masking tape under the toggle cover to secure it, but I don't think that that is too unusual. The tuners feel nice and work well. I like vintage style tuners.

It feels very alive, I like the tone a lot.  I think I'm going to take it to get properly set up and see if I can fix that e string thing, but there's a lot I like about this guitar.

 

Edited September 6 by Celery Man

[DougO 5,243]

No doubt the N3 pickups are soul killers. They can rock OK in a pinch, but have no dimension, not much sensitivity, clearly not a good match for a Tele, if anything.

[tbone_ 14,106]

How are the frets on that tele? Jumbo, skinny, or in the middle somewhere?

[Celery Man 20,929]

definitely not jumbo - "narrow tall" is the spec and that seems an accurate description. I like them, but I've also never been particularly bothered by fret sizes one way or the other. they are definitely skinnier than the jumbo homies on the deluxe tele. Neck is less beefy than that guy too - still comfortable, not skinny but not fat. The aging on the neck has a nice feel - it's got some texture where it's worn in.

[AnotherUTFan 9,725]

I didnt have a complaint with the N3's in my American Deluxe Tele until I put a pair of Pure Vintage 64's in it. Wow, what an upgrade! That guitar sounds how a Teles supposed to now. Huge upgrade in tone.

[Deej 76,750]

Noiseless just don't sound like a true single coil.

[Celery Man 20,929]

this is why you need new guitars - to get you to finally spend an hour fucking around on youtube and starting to learn some different stuff

 

it's hard to find youtube guitar guys who are the right mix of stupid enough and not too stupid. this guy seems good, I can kinda follow what he's doing. if any of you guys have country guitar youtube lesson guys you like share them. above is lick 3 from the below video. Or 4. I think 3. Fuck, and I still got the rhythm wrong.

 

Edited September 7 by Celery Man

[G650 14,229]

It must be Telecaster season, I picked up my '88 Tele unprovoked for the first time in like a year last week