A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

For me the recent grabs are an acoustic guitar and amp.

Mitchell T311CE solid top, TUSQ nut, Fishman preamp, got it as a blem for well under two bills, was fully expecting to confirm my skepticism but ended up liking it for the money - you can really feel how resonant it is from the first strums, very happy with it! At this price point I was mostly considering a solid top Yamaha, but figured that a cutaway+pickup/tuner would really help. Review here: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=924

For an acoustic amp I've been looking for something with plenty of power and versatility. I also figured that my small PA doesn't have stage monitors, so if/when we play again, I'd use this amp as a monitor for the vocals. Kind of really liked the specs on this one, but it was rather pricey for me. Picked it up used for half the price - this is exactly how much used gear should cost.

Acoustic A1000 - dual 8" speakers, 50+50 watt (stereo), 2 channels (two mics/instrument inputs each) with dedicated DSP effects, FX loop, each channel has dedicated XLR line-outs (pre/post EQ), this is a really good set of specs. So far I only tried to see that it works and haven't played with effects much, but I think this was a really good, practical buy. This is a GC/MF store brand, but you gotta give them credit for all the features, someone was really thinking about the customers with many different applications.

sabasgr68 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:40 pm @Cyphre @ILuvTeles @tony1852

You guys still have and use your Valeton Rushead Max gizmo? Now that the honeymoon is over, what do you think about it?

I use mine often for quiet practicing on my VM Mustang... for which I normally use the cleanest settings possible… But it’s fun to experiment with the effects as well.
So yeah, i really like it a lot

Cyphre wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 11:51 am

sabasgr68 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:40 pm @Cyphre @ILuvTeles @tony1852

You guys still have and use your Valeton Rushead Max gizmo? Now that the honeymoon is over, what do you think about it?

I use mine often for quiet practicing on my VM Mustang... for which I normally use the cleanest settings possible… But it’s fun to experiment with the effects as well.
So yeah, i really like it a lot

Thanks so much for the input, @Cyphre! Seems very practical, indeed.

Very exciting stuff lol


Upgraded the saddles to Graphtech and new metal tophats for the 40th Anniversary Tempest Custom (the rubberized speed knobs are impossible to find, so just did a new set).



Black plastics and satin hardware plus Graphtech saddles for the AD-3200.

On order: Buddhanaut pickups for the AD in brushed nickel

Did some trading around...

$99 monoprice, $177 cad by the time it got here. Better build then many squiers ive played

well, two things. got this little weirdo off the local fbm for $150, it's a gretsch short scale g2022. it's not just very short scale (30") but also the bridge is still at the very end of the body so it feels super weird for a bass since there low frets are right there--like the 1st fret is where the 3rd or 4th would be on a normal long-scale bass. it feels much more like a guitar than a bass that way, it's a little disconcerting. it sounds good for being so cheap though, and for my purposes on bass at this point 1 pickup is probably 1 more than i deserve.
also got this thing on loan from a guy we play with sometimes. it's a "squier series" black-label mexican fender jazz bass from the mid-90s i think, although it's missing the "squier series" badge on the headstock. i think there's a pretty good chance he sanded it off and forgot he did it. it has been sorely neglected the past 20 years or so and had a lot of issues but i think i've got it sorted.
it's not mine so i can't take off the sticker but the whole thing is nicotine stained pretty badly anyway so there's be a bright white rectangle.

[edit] here's the two side-by-side for size comparison. it's a wee little guy.

Swapped An old acoustic I have had for 40 years and have not played In over 25 for this.

B-stock SX Callisto CUS BK
Came with a case! Great deal!

Grabbed a killer USA Peavey Predator for $99 that just arrived a few days ago, came with about $200 in pickups and a free Crybaby wah. Killer strat!

Gear_Junky wrote: ↑Mon Aug 24, 2020 9:03 am For me the recent grabs are an acoustic guitar and amp.

Mitchell T311CE solid top, TUSQ nut, Fishman preamp, got it as a blem for well under two bills, was fully expecting to confirm my skepticism but ended up liking it for the money - you can really feel how resonant it is from the first strums, very happy with it! At this price point I was mostly considering a solid top Yamaha, but figured that a cutaway+pickup/tuner would really help. Review here: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=924

Another open pore model I see. The first one I loved was that smaller ibanez all mahogany ?340 model? I think open pore , the ultimate thin skin, is the new secret weapon in acoustic tone. At least until all the pores fill up with dirt and dead skin

notme wrote: ↑Sat Aug 29, 2020 1:48 pm $99 monoprice, $177 cad by the time it got here. Better build then many squiers ive played

Remember when a cheap decent sx tele ngd would be a 3 page thread? Now its barely 3 thumbs up
This IS the end of western civilization.

I traded my Ron Kirn for a American Elite HSS. I must say I'm pressed. The Fender pickups aren't as good as Dimarzio areas in my Fender Lincoln Brewster, but are good and with the stellar job they did with the electronics integrating series modes into this guitars, I'd be very hesitant to change them out.

So for my S types I'm basically Silver Sky > Ibanez AZ 24## > Lincoln Brewster > American Elite HSS > Classic Series 60s. Granted, I have the 24 fret AZ so it's not really an imperfect comparison. In price, I have about an equal amount into the top 4 of those. The fact that the MIM fender can even hang with them at all should tell you something. It cost me 1/4 what I have into the others.

nomadh wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 12:34 pm Another open pore model I see. The first one I loved was that smaller ibanez all mahogany ?340 model? I think open pore , the ultimate thin skin, is the new secret weapon in acoustic tone. At least until all the pores fill up with dirt and dead skin

Funny you mention that. And funny that it's secret. I've only recently read/heard about it being a concept, but back in the late 90's I had a Martin D15 all-solid mahogany acoustic. It was in their more affordable no-frills (cosmetically) line and basically had a satin finish, not even a lacquer, just wood stain with very minimal amount of whatever to seal the wood. It was my only truly fine guitar, so I always thought it was just solid woods and "Martin", but I could see that very light finish must also contribute to that.

And recently I was watching some videos on Beatles members' guitars and it talked about how John Lennon paid money to have his Casino (which started out black) and some of the other electric guitars stripped to bare wood. He felt that it opens up the tone. Makes perfect sense, especially with the modern polyurethane. Maybe nitro is thinner and lighter.

Back to Mitchell open pore: it's open pore and a thin finish, but it definitely doesn't feel like the wood is unprotected. They really did a good job all around on these guitars.

My most recent, 2018 American professional, siennaburst, swamp ash body. Its awesome.

It's awesome. Try to erase that extra one

Nice [mention]dearlpitts[/mention]! Seinna burst is one of my favorite Fender colors!

An Alesis Nitro Mesh drum kit! First impressions: this thing is pretty cool, and playing accurately on the beat is way tougher than you think. Us guitarists get away with murder, timing-wise.

dearlpitts wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 2:10 pm My most recent, 2018 American professional, siennaburst, swamp ash body. Its awesome.20191108_192222.jpg20191108_192222.jpg

I think this is the only truly good looking fender strat sub custom shop I know of. I would see these hanging there next to all the cheap looking painted candy colored plastic models wondering how the hell is fender not charging 2x as much for the ash and still selling out? Why the hell would anyone pay 1k and not get nice unique wood?

nomadh wrote: ↑Thu Sep 03, 2020 5:20 pm

dearlpitts wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 2:10 pm My most recent, 2018 American professional, siennaburst, swamp ash body. Its awesome.20191108_192222.jpg20191108_192222.jpg

I think this is the only truly good looking fender strat sub custom shop I know of. I would see these hanging there next to all the cheap looking painted candy colored plastic models wondering how the hell is fender not charging 2x as much for the ash and still selling out? Why the hell would anyone pay 1k and not get nice unique wood?

hmm maybe you're not gonna like my upcoming acquisition...

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

was about to leave to go meet the guy, to pick this up for $900. it's a le american professional w/ rosewood neck in daphne blue.

his pic:
he called right when i was leaving and let me know he had done this to it trying to put it in the case to bring it to the meeting. i don't even know how he managed this.
i was really excited about this one too. but that would drive me crazy right there where it's always in eyesight, and the main reason i wanted the guitar was because it was imo gorgeous.

voodoorat wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 1:59 pm
he called right when i was leaving and let me know he had done this to it trying to put it in the case to bring it to the meeting. i don't even know how he managed this.

image.png

i was really excited about this one too. but that would drive me crazy right there where it's always in eyesight, and the main reason i wanted the guitar was because it was imo gorgeous.

B-stock. Neck is stable. $89.

But seriously, bargain WAY down (while he's still processing it) and then relic it

Gear_Junky wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 2:37 pm

voodoorat wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 1:59 pm
he called right when i was leaving and let me know he had done this to it trying to put it in the case to bring it to the meeting. i don't even know how he managed this.

image.png

i was really excited about this one too. but that would drive me crazy right there where it's always in eyesight, and the main reason i wanted the guitar was because it was imo gorgeous.

B-stock. Neck is stable. $89.

But seriously, bargain WAY down (while he's still processing it) and then relic it

nah, i already have an american standard strat, i don't need this, not interested in flipping it and it's not what i wanted anymore. someone else could still get a decent deal but it ain't gonna be me.