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Favorite Guitars


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I still have too many guitars, and probably always will.  I just have sentimental connections with so many, or there's a tone or playability aspect i like about each.

 

But right now, here are my favorite guitars:

1) Schecter C-1 FR SLS Elite:

https://www.schecterguitars.com/guitars/c-1-fr-sls-elite-detail

Just love how it plays. The stainless steel frets, low action, ebony fretboard just make this the most effortless guitar I have. I don't really like the Fishman active pups that much, but I don't want to swap them out because when they're gone, they're gone.  So still trying to find all the tones I like out of it.  But it plays so well, I love it despite the tones

2) Kramer Guitars Crusader Deluxe

http://garykramerguitar.com/CrusaderDeluxe.html

Strangely, the opposite. I don't love the specs on it that much (would prefer ebony fretboard, black hardware), but I LOVE the tones on this guitar so much.  In many ways, this is what a guitar should sound like. Love the middle position, too. Difference in tone between middle position with the switch activated or not. 

3) B-Way Mercury Head

Just an amazing guitar. Plays great, sounds great, looks great, rare.  Why is it #3? Honestly, the top 5 are all pretty much equal. Ask me on a different day, and I'd give you a different order of my favorites.

4) Variax JTV '69

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JTV69SBKM--line-6-jtv-69-variax-black

I bought it for the modeling, but I just love playing it through the magnetic pickups.  It's that good. Use this as the main guitar for learning SRV Pride and Joy.

5) Yamaha PAC 611

The perfect gigging guitar if you don't need/want a trem. Custom Custom in the bridge, split coil push/pull knob, 3-way switch, P-90 in the neck, volume balanced between bridge and neck pups, low action, compound radius, graphite saddles and nut, locking tuners that are easiest I've worked with for changing strings, flamed maple top, comfortable neck (not too thin, not chunky).

It works for every style I've tried to play, from metal to surf to funk to ballads to motown.

Honrable Mention:

Schecter C-6 Pro Aqua Burst

https://www.schecterguitars.com/guitars/c-6-pro/c-6-pro-aqua-burst-detail

Love the tone. Ebony fretboard, low action, thin neck. But the reason I bought it is it has the exact same tone (including coil taps, and the middle position quack) as the Gary Kramer Crusader Deluxe.  Plus, pretty.

 

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#1 is still probably my Kramer Stagemaster, but I like all my guitars. 

My 60's Baja Telecaster, which I couldn't take my hands off a year ago, has been falling to the bottom of the heap.....

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37 minutes ago, cynic said:

Love the Schecters.  I've long been a fan of their import line, they punch well above their pay grade.

Discovering those has been a VERY pleasant surprise.

I had to stop myself from seeking out something from the Apocalypse line.

The C-1 SLS Elite is just amazing. No idea how they can sell it that cheap. It seems like it competes with the $2500 and higher Suhrs.

I can't explain how easy it is to play. I own several guitars with stainless steel frets, some with ebony fretboards, and some with very low action. The SLS Elite, the strings just glide.  Slides are easy, I can't even feel the frets, bends are so fluid, I can be extremely precise and really *hear* the microtonal differences.

I don't *think* it's just my imagination.

The guitar is also perfectly balanced when I hold it. Light. Thin.

I didn't think there was a guitar company that could compete with Yamaha for my regard.  The Schecter SLS Elite does it.

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My Artist’s one with Lollar P90’s and the other with Josh wound humbuckers. Lightweight, great tone, play like butter. 
I do miss a quacky Strat tone with some songs tho :( 

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Ya know, despite having played this particular game too many times to count, both here and on various FB pages, I always somehow find myself okay with doing so one more f*cking time 🤪

The position of alpha axe in my herd is in a constant state of flux but never deviates from these 2:

HEL Spitfire- 1 piece alder body, bolt-on maple neck/board w/ Charvel carve (slightly asymmetrical, to the high side) 24 jumbo stainless frets, Gravelin Double Slug Mongoose/SD '59 p'ups, Hamer-style, side-mount, angled input, 1 vol/toggle/tone/killswitch,  Hot Rod OFR

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'89 Hamer Cali Elite Limited Edition- modded w/ my finish design via Mike Learn, SS jumbo frets, extended trem pull up cavity, blade switch slot filled, OFR, Gravelin Mongoose/SD Hot Rails, 3 way toggle, tone/skillswitch pot and Schaller strap locks system.

image.png

 

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16 minutes ago, killerteddybear said:

These can be found with a trem. Not any good?

Missed out a PAC611VFM a year or so ago for a nice price on the local CL. Looked to be a Swiss army knife gigging machine.  The vibrato would be preferred, but if I find another with a hardtail bridge for a bargain price, I'll snag it.

 

 

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16 minutes ago, killerteddybear said:

These can be found with a trem. Not any good?

I've never tried one with a trem.

I have been scarred by past experiences to never trust ANY 6-screw trem other than a PRS Mann.

I've thought about getting one to check, but I haven't found one cheap enough to tempt me yet.

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41 minutes ago, diablo175 said:

Ya know, despite having played this particular game too many times to count, both here and on various FB pages, I always somehow find myself okay with doing so one more f*cking time 🤪

The position of alpha axe in my herd is in a constant state of flux but never deviates from these 2:

HEL Spitfire- 1 piece alder body, bolt-on maple neck/board w/ Charvel carve (slightly asymmetrical, to the high side) 24 jumbo stainless frets, Gravelin Double Slug Mongoose/SD '59 p'ups, Hamer-style, side-mount, angled input, 1 vol/toggle/tone/killswitch,  Hot Rod OFR

image.png

'89 Hamer Cali Elite Limited Edition- modded w/ my finish design via Mike Learn, SS jumbo frets, extended trem pull up cavity, blade switch slot filled, OFR, Gravelin Mongoose/SD Hot Rails, 3 way toggle, tone/skillswitch pot and Schaller strap locks system.

image.png

 

I think you got the HEL while I was on hiatus. Nice!

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5 minutes ago, Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame said:

I've never tried one with a trem.

I have been scarred by past experiences to never trust ANY 6-screw trem other than a PRS Mann.

I've thought about getting one to check, but I haven't found one cheap enough to tempt me yet.

Unless I'm mistaken, the PAC611V has a 2-point Wilkinson. 

ETA: I was mistaken!  6-screw Wilkinson.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame said:

I think you got the HEL while I was on hiatus. Nice!

Yep. That sounds about right.

 

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Always a tough question.  Typically it's the newest member, which is this PRS S2 Vela semi-hollow:

IMG_1567.jpg.bf050203cd37af6809afd63dd2968067.jpg

But I also dig my Wayne Rock Legend, Alder w/Birdseye Maple neck, JB w/coil split and only some oil on the body.  12-20" radius if you dig low action. Hands down the best set up guitar I've ever gotten.  And yeah, just broke a string on it today.  

IMG_1566.jpg.31d074539db8893a7d06270105f52afd.jpg

For Hamers, of course, my Artist Korina in my avatar.

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"Favorites" is a hard concept for me as I love all of mine. I recently broke out my Aztec Gold 2001 Studio, which I have considered selling and really haven't touched in years (yes I have too many guitars and too little time). It is a base model with Duncan 59's. The strings were 4 years old. I swapped them out gave the board a tiny bit of fret dr.

No freaking way I will sell this one. Beautiful wood.. the fret board is nice and dark. I'm glad it has dots so I can see more of the mahogany. And the carve is very much like my 93 LP Studio with it's 50's carve..one of my favs. I can adapt to different carves but that 50's carve is sweet.

At one point I tried boutique pickups from a famous maker I won't name. The 59's were back in within two hrs.. they are perfect for this guitar.

I'm near the Jersey coast, and years ago was watching Hamers on CL. This one was in Pittsburgh listed for $1.2k for weeks. I eventually contacted the seller and he had a trip planned about 1.5 hrs away from me. I met him in a hotel lobby. I promptly pointed out the little bit of bleed at the neck joint (which has not changed in anyway since). "Oh oh  the dreaded hameritis it is".. his price dropped like a stone (yeah I feel a little guilty today but times were very tight then..middle of a career change.. oh well).

End of story. Sorry long winded.. been a long week.

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11 minutes ago, cynic said:

Geez....the asking price on that Cali is about 2.5x what I paid for it on Craigslist years ago.  

I'm not sure what I bought it from Nathan for, but I believe it was south of $1500. 

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I have owned (and probably still own) an embarassment of guitars over the years.  I don't think I've owned a guitar better than my Shishkov DC, and that only barely nudged out my Shishkov Ultimate, which topped my favorite Hamer Standard.  The DC does it all, never goes out of tune, sounds and plays great, and the neck carve fits my hand like it was carved specifically for it.

 

My 3MSMSHISHKOV0066.jpg

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Hard to say that my one and only Shishkov is not as good as any other I have had. This week, my favorite is a Thorn Artisan. Though I am not quite (yet) ready to say that "Old Blue" is still not my numero uno.....Hard to say it is my "best" guitar, yet somehow it is the one I turn to when I need the one that fits me best......

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I'd have to say my best playing guitar is my '87 PRS Signature #106.  It was refretted by John "Orkie" Ingram of vintage PRS-lore himself and it's undetectable...  The neck is perfect and it's so versatile and just feels perfect to me.  Like Chris above, I'm pretty spoiled with some killer instruments and it'd be hard to just pick one as the Electraglide is awesome too and my '81 bound Vector has a superb neck with great punch too (and it's super-clean too).  I picked up a used Jackson USA Adrian Smith model that had been refinished in Lake Placid Blue and I dolled it up with a black pearl pickguard and I really love playing it, one of the best Jacksons I've owned.

The '64 Strat I picked up last May is an amazing guitar too, best and smoothest sounding Strat I've ever played...  Like I said, it's really hard to choose just one! 😁

'87 PRS Signature #106 Body 2.JPG

1985 Hamer Electraglide.JPG

1981 Hamer Vector 2.jpg

2011 Jackson USA Adrian Smith Model.JPG

1964 Fender Strat Full Shot.jpg

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1 hour ago, GuitarGuy65 said:

I'd have to say my best playing guitar is my '87 PRS Signature #106.  It was refretted by John "Orkie" Ingram of vintage PRS-lore himself and it's undetectable...  The neck is perfect and it's so versatile and just feels perfect to me.  Like Chris above, I'm pretty spoiled with some killer instruments and it'd be hard to just pick one as the Electraglide is awesome too and my '81 bound Vector has a superb neck with great punch too (and it's super-clean too).  I picked up a used Jackson USA Adrian Smith model that had been refinished in Lake Placid Blue and I dolled it up with a black pearl pickguard and I really love playing it, one of the best Jacksons I've owned.

The '64 Strat I picked up last May is an amazing guitar too, best and smoothest sounding Strat I've ever played...  Like I said, it's really hard to choose just one! 😁

'87 PRS Signature #106 Body 2.JPG

1985 Hamer Electraglide.JPG

1981 Hamer Vector 2.jpg

2011 Jackson USA Adrian Smith Model.JPG

1964 Fender Strat Full Shot.jpg

The Jackson is gorgeous

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