BRIAN 1972

looking at a NEW hollow body electric guitar for under $700.

any suggestions?

also, who makes a good multi-effect pedal (phlanger, swell, echo, delay, etc.)

wendersfan

Now, do you mean a semi-hollow body, like the Gibson ES-335 and Epiphone Casino, or a true hollow body, like a Gibson 175? What style(s) of music will you be playing with it? If it's anything but fairly traditional jazz, I wouldn't recommend one of the latter style. The only rock players that have used them much are Ted Nugent and Steve Howe (of Yes).

What's your budget for the effects unit? That will be a huge factor.

BRIAN 1972

True hollow body. my style is along the lines of cure, slowdive, coldplay, etc. meets roots rock like wilco, golden smog, etc.

budget for the effects is $200 or so. I do not want the guitar & effects to go above $900 - $1000.

wendersfan

Then I really think you should go for a "semi-hollow body". Two reasons:

1. Feedback will not be as much of an issue. "Jazz boxes", as they are known, feedback like nobody's business when played at any kind of volume.

2. Hollow body electrics are probably the most expensive "mass produced" guitars made. A new one of any quality will be up to several times your budget.

That said, I would recommend either an Epishone Casino, or an Epiphone Sheraton if you need humbucking pickups.

One of those, and a Digitech RP200 multi-effects unit will set you back around $700.

BRIAN 1972

Thanks! What do you think of the Gretsch Electromatic ($829)

wendersfan

I've never played one or spoken to anyone about them. They certainly look cool, and from what you wrote, I was thinking a Gretsch might be the ideal guitar. Maybe I'll go to my local Guitar Center this weekend and try a few out. How long have you been playing guitar?

BRIAN 1972

Yeah, I'm going to the store to play as well - I think the Epiphone or the Gretsch.

I have been playing bass for 18 years, and have been playing guitar for 7, but only for fun, since I have only played bass in the 10 or so bands I've been in. Now that my wife and I moved into a house outside NYC, I no longer play live in the city. So, I am going to start recording everything on my own (bass, guitar, voice, drum machine, etc), put up a website, and feature MP3's etc. I never want to give it up - and I figure since I am playing alone, I might as well do it the way I've always wanted to but couldn't since there were more opinions than just mine before.

wendersfan

Your situation sounds uncannliy like mine. However, after a few years of just doing home recording, I've started to get the "playing out" bug again.

Johnny Zhivago

Wenders has the guitar angle covered...

On the multi effects... I recently replaced one of my Korg units with the Boss ME-50 and I highly recommend it. My style is a little heavier than what you play, so it may or may not be the best unit for you but you should check one out. They run a little more than your budget, $299, but are definitely worth it IMHO. The DigiTech units have a few more bells and whistles but I personally hate the way that they look.

wendersfan

I recommended the Digitech because a friend of mine got one for Christmas, and having put it through it's paces, I think it has the most bang for the buck. It's got all the effects you'll need, an onboard tuner, some nice amp modeling and speaker simulation, plus I think a phrase trainer and the like (which I have no experience with using). Now, it does look ugly, and I'd probably never play live with one since I don't know how durable they are.

I've never been a fan of multi-effects units anyway. My current setup is a Boss compressor going into a Boss Turbo Overdrive, then a Proco Rat, followed up by a Boss Delay/Pitch Shifter and finally a Boss Chorus Ensemble. Clearly I like Boss pedals, and I place a high premium on durability. I've also been using an Alesis Nanoverb for its reverb sound, since my main amp (a late '60s Silverface Bassman) doesn't have onboard reverb. However, it is otherwise the finest sounding guitar amp I've ever used, outside boutique amps like Matchless.

db27

used to have an epiphone casino, but if you can afford the Gretsh by all means go for it. NICE guitars!

fnordboy

I have played on a few Gretschs a few years ago, never owned one but was seriously looking into buying one. Loved them. You should definitely go try a few out.

Never tried the Epiphones, though I do own a Les Paul style Epiphone and like that guitar.

Ky-Fi

I've got a Yamaha SA-1100 semi-hollow. I've had it for 10 years, and have no desire for another guitar---it's awesome. It ran about $900 then---not sure if they even still make it.

I recently bought the new Yamaha Magicstomp guitar multi-effect for $199.00. I had read really good reviews of it, and so far they were right.

And no, I don't work for Yamaha.

Johnny Zhivago

Yeah, DigiTech's have a few more bells and whistles, but I prefer the Boss unit... I'm not generally a big fan of Multi Effects either but the ME-50 works pretty much like any Boss pedal... Snap to use and it's pretty beefy. I can squeeze a lot of those nice Boss sounds out of it...

Linkage > http://www.bpmmusic.com/roland/html/boss_me_50.html

BRIAN 1972

I have a Boss Drum Machine, will it link to the effects pedal to sync the rhythm of phlanger to the beat? Do they both have to be Boss to do this?

Johnny Zhivago

Good question, I'm not sure off the top of my head, but I'll pull out the manual over the weekend and have a looksie for ya...

wendersfan

This is way too high tech for me, but my guess is they'd both probably have to have MIDI for this to work.

How do you plan to do your home recording? If you're gonna do it on a computer, I'd dispense with the drum machine altogether and use loops instead. I usually record my own drum loops, so they don't sound too overproduced.

BRIAN 1972

i am going to use a computer soon (summer) right now i have my trusty Tascam 424MKIII....



.......and was going to just use that until the computer comes into play.

Johnny Zhivago

Negative on your question about the drum machine... Only input is an aux in for a CD player.

BRIAN 1972

thanks for checking. gonna do some writing this weekend!

wendersfan

I went to the Guitar Center yesterday, but they didn't have any Gretsch Electromatics. I played a cheap Ibanez hollow-body that played and sounded like crap, and an Epiphone Dot that was quite nice for the price ($399). I also played some very nice Gretschs that were all in the four figure range.

DVD Josh

Brian,

I highly recommend the Epi Dot. Especially at that price range. I usually only play American made guitars, but my Dot I kept. I got mine used for $325, spent $100 on two used '57 classics and another $100 to upgrade the electronics, wiring and setup. It is one hell of a guitar now. Outside the worksmanship, it is pretty much the same guitar as the Gibson. I nearly spent the $1500 for a Gibson too, but am as happy with the Epi with the upgrades.

As for your effects, hell man, just spend $79 at get that small Digitech RP. Put that money into a guitar, digital effects sound the same anyway. Go analog!

Geoff H

The guitar-player/singer in my band has a hollow-body Gretsch. Beautiful guitar.
You can check out some pictures here:
http://chieftent.kicks-ass.net/pics/20040113/

BRIAN 1972

hmmm.

Epiphone dot for $399 OR Gretsch for $829. There's something about the Gretsch though. The guy at Guitar Center said it was a 6 week wait for a Gretsch Electromatic no matter who you ordered from.

Another question for you guitar afficiando's:

My Ibanez electric is really hard to tune after new strings have been put on. It has a tune-lock and a wammy bar. Now, when I get a few of the strings tuned where I want them, they pull the fine tuning piece (tensioned because of the wammy) up further so now the other strings are out of tune and it becomes an endless cycle - any thoughts?

Giantrobo

Has your guitar been properly set up and intonated? I say this because I've got an Ibanez RG517 with a floating tremelo bridge and I had it a few years before I had it properly set up. I had the same problems with using the tremelo and going out of tune. But Once I took it in and had it properly set up and intonated, the darn thing stays in tune whenever I use the tremelo.