I built this Tele as a lock down project. Solid walnut and fkn heavy so need to sit down to play it. Had the body machined and built most of the rest of it myself and final set up by Arcus Guitars (Adam Pinner) at St Nicholas at Wade. Plays beautifully.
I built this Tele as a lock down project. Solid walnut and fkn heavy so need to sit down to play it. Had the body machined and built most of the rest of it myself and final set up by Arcus Guitars (Adam Pinner) at St Nicholas at Wade. Plays beautifully.
Brought a TC Electronic Plethora during lockdown but haven’t had time to really get to grips with it.
Very into acoustic at present - brought a Taylor Dreadnought last December & a Yamaha silent guitar (absolute Godsend in a full house during lockdown) have spent the last 9 months learning fingerstyle, which has improved my electric guitar playing IMO.
I love Fenders but have small hands so find their 25.5 inch necks too much of a stretch - recently brought a Jaguar & like the look of the Duo Sonic. I do have a tele & a PRS S2 and I can just about play the latter. Also have a Japanese Epiphone Casino Elitist and a Jazz Bass which doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Still kicking myself for not getting the Fender Alternate Reality Electric 12!
Most amps are in my man cave but have an Orange Micro Terror mini stack & Orange 100 watt bass amp in the front room which I get away with because it goes well with my wife’s choice of Ora Keily wallpaper!
Gear acquisition syndrome has never abated for me, although I have agreed to sell some.
Been playing for 30 years or so. Here are a few of mine.
That is a serious collection of guitars - if you could only eep one, which would it be and why?
I have a few more than that too, that's just the pics from my phone!
The one I'd rescue first in a fire is one of the cheapest I have (third picture, left, sunburst PRS SE). I love that guitar, I bought it in 2007 as I fell in love with it in the shop and have never fallen out of love with it. It's had 2 re-frets (now has stainless steel frets), it's got replacement pickups, replacement tuners, but whilst I have lots of very nice playing guitars, this one is just a comfy pair of slippers if you see what I mean. I've spent more hours playing that guitar than any other in my lifetime, at home, in bands etc, I just couldn't think of life without it.
Worse thing that ever happened to me, outside of the usual deaths and divorce stuff, was losing the ability to play the guitar when my hand was injured. Been involved in music in one way or another for much of my life, but while many of my old band mates are still in bands I had to knock it on the head. Tried playing the bass, but it didn’t work. Still gaze at guitars in shop windows for some reason.
Have a single coming out soon though. Old live stuff from the Hope & Anchor recorded in ‘79. Bit rough and ready, but we had a laugh doing it.
Thread resurrection!
I’ve played on and off for about 14 years now. I bought my electric about 10 years ago. With one thing and another I’m thinking of selling it and thought I’d offer it here first.
It’s a Burns Marquee Special. Serial number dates it to 2005. I’m pretty sure they only made these for a few years (could be wrong though) and they don’t make them any more.
It’s a wine red solid alder body with a rosewood fingerboard. It’s got a few very minor scratches and plays like a dream. I’ve got fairly new Ernie Ball regular slinky strings on there. I’ll attach a photo of it.
I bought it for £500 but I’ll take £350 for it from one of you guys. Otherwise I’ll stick it up for sale next week at £375.
I probably could ship it from my work at extra cost, otherwise it’s collection from either Forest Hill or London Bridge.
Let me know if you’re interested!
Wow, I really like that! I used to play a Burns London. Underrated guitars, Burns.
Thread resurrection!
I’ve played on and off for about 14 years now. I bought my electric about 10 years ago. With one thing and another I’m thinking of selling it and thought I’d offer it here first.
It’s a Burns Marquee Special. Serial number dates it to 2005. I’m pretty sure they only made these for a few years (could be wrong though) and they don’t make them any more.
It’s a wine red solid alder body with a rosewood fingerboard. It’s got a few very minor scratches and plays like a dream. I’ve got fairly new Ernie Ball regular slinky strings on there. I’ll attach a photo of it.
I bought it for £500 but I’ll take £350 for it from one of you guys. Otherwise I’ll stick it up for sale next week at £375.
I probably could ship it from my work at extra cost, otherwise it’s collection from either Forest Hill or London Bridge.
Let me know if you’re interested!
Wow, I really like that! I used to play a Burns London. Underrated guitars, Burns.
@Oggy Red have you ever played a cigar box guitar?
No, I haven't @PopIcon ..... they sound a bit of fun though. I've seen these 3 string versions played in an open D or G tuning. And those made with metal petrol cans as well ..... (!)
Why, have you got one/made one and play it?
Yes, indeed three strings and tunded to G.
It's hand made and looks great, I'll put a photo up at some point. I just cannot get the thing to sound good. I've played the guitar for years and the three strings just sound whiperish. I might try changing the gauge of the strings.
It's just a wooden cigar box for the soundbox though, made of thick(ish) pine? Probably ideal for containing cigars rather than decent musical tone.
It'll probably sound much better (and loud) if you fit a cheap pick up to it and run it through a pre-amp. Here's how one bloke does it:
It probably sounds exactly like you're playing through a tin can.
Heavier gauge strings might help towards the sound you want - but probably some reverb or distortion will make more difference. I dunno. You've just got to play around with it I guess.
It'll suit some tunes better than others, perhaps?
Anybody else out there got any ideas to help Poplcon?
It has really heavy gauge strings on it, it doesn't really help.
I've not tried it yet, but I may stick it through this. It makes everything sound great.
Thanks for links and tips etc
At the mo it seems extremely hard but I guess thats the case with many things in life. When I first started driving lessons I wanted to give up.
Will just have to knuckle down and give it a good go.
Thanks for the links oakster. Will give them a try.
Fingers are killing me already
I started learning about 7 years ago, and I remember painful fingers as a massive barrier! Just believe me when I say that they won't always hurt that much!
Try using surgical spirit for your fingers it will toughen them up, Both my lads play one the bass the other lead, acoustic will be harder on the fingers anyway as the action is higher ie strings are further away from the fretboard, My youngest lad has been playing for about 17 years now had lessons to 7th grade then ACM, and is RGT. He has been playing in bands for years now, but practised 5/8 hours a day and has to keep it up or the fingers will not be as supple unfortunately not many gigs about now. Everything seems hard when you start but gets easier the more you do it, Before long you will be Joining Thomas on stage Good luck.
What's the general verdict on Harley Benton guitars?
Never played them.
Harley Benton are the house brand name of Thomann, big German musical instrument seller, with huge online presence and a big warehouse. They're box shifters and don't 'set up' guitars to make them playable.
Should you get a guitar from them you'll invariably need to get it set up to make it easier to play. That will cost you extra.
Remember you always get what you pay for. It may be better to look around and check out some reviews of HBs as well as other brands. There's a lot of options out there.
If you're going to buy, nothing beats going to a proper music shop and trying out different guitars to see what feels right and sounds good. And if it's a good music shop, they'll take pride in making sure the guitar is set up for you.
I wanted a "Beatle Bass" and decided to save 100 quid by buying the Harley Benton one, rather than the Hofner. Both are made in China and, directly comparing the 2, there is not much in it. Who knows, they may even be made in the same factory.
On the subject of guitar collections, by mistake, I seem to have amassed one. Apart from my high-end stuff, I discovered a brand called "Vintage" and I use their guitars almost exclusively for live gigs. If one got nicked I'd be upset but nowhere near as upset as if I'd lost a "real" Gibson. I have their take on a "Les Paul", a "Flying V" and a "335". They are incredibly good value for money. They use factories in places like China and Vietnam, but the hardware is all Wilkinson.
If you're in the market for a budget guitar I recommend you check out Vintage.
I got a Harley Benton bass too - figured to get a cheap one to learn on. Cost me just £80 and it works perfectly, doesn't feel cheap. One thing I would say is it's a little on the flat side, but that could be me running it through my guitar amp (naughty I know).
@Oggy Red have you ever played a cigar box guitar?
No, I haven't @PopIcon ..... they sound a bit of fun though. I've seen these 3 string versions played in an open D or G tuning. And those made with metal petrol cans as well ..... (!)
Why, have you got one/made one and play it?
Yes, indeed three strings and tunded to G.
It's hand made and looks great, I'll put a photo up at some point. I just cannot get the thing to sound good. I've played the guitar for years and the three strings just sound whiperish. I might try changing the gauge of the strings.
It's just a wooden cigar box for the soundbox though, made of thick(ish) pine? Probably ideal for containing cigars rather than decent musical tone.
It'll probably sound much better (and loud) if you fit a cheap pick up to it and run it through a pre-amp. Here's how one bloke does it:
It probably sounds exactly like you're playing through a tin can.
Heavier gauge strings might help towards the sound you want - but probably some reverb or distortion will make more difference. I dunno. You've just got to play around with it I guess.
It'll suit some tunes better than others, perhaps?
Anybody else out there got any ideas to help Poplcon?
It has really heavy gauge strings on it, it doesn't really help.
I've not tried it yet, but I may stick it through this. It makes everything sound great.
I assume you're joking about putting a cigar box guitar through an Aphex aural exciter (maybe you're not, I've put a drum machine through a Wah-wah pedal before). Have you actually put a guitar through one and did it actually give a great deal of improvement in sound? I always associated them with dance/electronic music.
I did see that Aphex actually make aural exciter pedals for electric, bass and acoustic guitars for about £100- has anyone tried them?
@Oggy Red have you ever played a cigar box guitar?
No, I haven't @PopIcon ..... they sound a bit of fun though. I've seen these 3 string versions played in an open D or G tuning. And those made with metal petrol cans as well ..... (!)
Why, have you got one/made one and play it?
Yes, indeed three strings and tunded to G.
It's hand made and looks great, I'll put a photo up at some point. I just cannot get the thing to sound good. I've played the guitar for years and the three strings just sound whiperish. I might try changing the gauge of the strings.
It's just a wooden cigar box for the soundbox though, made of thick(ish) pine? Probably ideal for containing cigars rather than decent musical tone.
It'll probably sound much better (and loud) if you fit a cheap pick up to it and run it through a pre-amp. Here's how one bloke does it:
It probably sounds exactly like you're playing through a tin can.
Heavier gauge strings might help towards the sound you want - but probably some reverb or distortion will make more difference. I dunno. You've just got to play around with it I guess.
It'll suit some tunes better than others, perhaps?
Anybody else out there got any ideas to help Poplcon?
It has really heavy gauge strings on it, it doesn't really help.
I've not tried it yet, but I may stick it through this. It makes everything sound great.
I assume you're joking about putting a cigar box guitar through an Aphex aural exciter (maybe you're not, I've put a drum machine through a Wah-wah pedal before). Have you actually put a guitar through one and did it actually give a great deal of improvement in sound? I always associated them with dance/electronic music.
I did see that Aphex actually make aural exciter pedals for electric, bass and acoustic guitars for about £100- has anyone tried them?
At some point, I have put everything through it. It's a luxury rack, really not essential, but makes everything sound great.
The problem with my cigar box guitar is it's made out of tin and only has three strings. It really does sound terrible. When I get around to it, I'll record something and post it on here.
What's the general verdict on Harley Benton guitars?
Never played them.
Harley Benton are the house brand name of Thomann, big German musical instrument seller, with huge online presence and a big warehouse. They're box shifters and don't 'set up' guitars to make them playable.
Should you get a guitar from them you'll invariably need to get it set up to make it easier to play. That will cost you extra.
Remember you always get what you pay for. It may be better to look around and check out some reviews of HBs as well as other brands. There's a lot of options out there.
If you're going to buy, nothing beats going to a proper music shop and trying out different guitars to see what feels right and sounds good. And if it's a good music shop, they'll take pride in making sure the guitar is set up for you.
I wanted a "Beatle Bass" and decided to save 100 quid by buying the Harley Benton one, rather than the Hofner. Both are made in China and, directly comparing the 2, there is not much in it. Who knows, they may even be made in the same factory.
You may be right that they are made in the same factory in China - and there's money to be saved on buying a 'house brand' compared with a well established brand name - should they be more or less identical instruments, apart from some minor detail and finish.
Plenty of retailers have done that.
Harley Benton is the house brand of Thomann - and those people I know who've bought from them online because they thought they could save a few quid, found that they came in untouched factory packaging and rough to play.
For some, the money they thought they had saved ended up being spent and more, paying for the instrument to be set up properly so it would play.
Thomann sell boxes from their warehouse shelves. Buying an instrument online physically unseen can be a gamble but of course, you might still get a decent one if you're lucky. I'd still recommend going to a reputable specialist music shop where you can try out instruments and they will check it and set it up for you.
And specialist 'bricks and mortar' music shops need the business. Otherwise there won't be any left.
What's the general verdict on Harley Benton guitars?
Never played them.
Harley Benton are the house brand name of Thomann, big German musical instrument seller, with huge online presence and a big warehouse. They're box shifters and don't 'set up' guitars to make them playable.
Should you get a guitar from them you'll invariably need to get it set up to make it easier to play. That will cost you extra.
Remember you always get what you pay for. It may be better to look around and check out some reviews of HBs as well as other brands. There's a lot of options out there.
If you're going to buy, nothing beats going to a proper music shop and trying out different guitars to see what feels right and sounds good. And if it's a good music shop, they'll take pride in making sure the guitar is set up for you.
I wanted a "Beatle Bass" and decided to save 100 quid by buying the Harley Benton one, rather than the Hofner. Both are made in China and, directly comparing the 2, there is not much in it. Who knows, they may even be made in the same factory.
You may be right that they are made in the same factory in China - and there's money to be saved on buying a 'house brand' compared with a well established brand name - should they be more or less identical instruments, apart from some minor detail and finish.
Plenty of retailers have done that.
Harley Benton is the house brand of Thomann - and those people I know who've bought from them online because they thought they could save a few quid, found that they came in untouched factory packaging and rough to play.
For some, the money they thought they had saved ended up being spent and more, paying for the instrument to be set up properly so it would play.
Thomann sell boxes from their warehouse shelves. Buying an instrument online physically unseen can be a gamble but of course, you might still get a decent one if you're lucky. I'd still recommend going to a reputable specialist music shop where you can try out instruments and they will check it and set it up for you.
And specialist 'bricks and mortar' music shops need the business. Otherwise there won't be any left.
Tune inn is a good local shop in Lee. Usually some good second hand stuff.
What's the general verdict on Harley Benton guitars?
Never played them.
Harley Benton are the house brand name of Thomann, big German musical instrument seller, with huge online presence and a big warehouse. They're box shifters and don't 'set up' guitars to make them playable.
Should you get a guitar from them you'll invariably need to get it set up to make it easier to play. That will cost you extra.
Remember you always get what you pay for. It may be better to look around and check out some reviews of HBs as well as other brands. There's a lot of options out there.
If you're going to buy, nothing beats going to a proper music shop and trying out different guitars to see what feels right and sounds good. And if it's a good music shop, they'll take pride in making sure the guitar is set up for you.
I wanted a "Beatle Bass" and decided to save 100 quid by buying the Harley Benton one, rather than the Hofner. Both are made in China and, directly comparing the 2, there is not much in it. Who knows, they may even be made in the same factory.
You may be right that they are made in the same factory in China - and there's money to be saved on buying a 'house brand' compared with a well established brand name - should they be more or less identical instruments, apart from some minor detail and finish.
Plenty of retailers have done that.
Harley Benton is the house brand of Thomann - and those people I know who've bought from them online because they thought they could save a few quid, found that they came in untouched factory packaging and rough to play.
For some, the money they thought they had saved ended up being spent and more, paying for the instrument to be set up properly so it would play.
Thomann sell boxes from their warehouse shelves. Buying an instrument online physically unseen can be a gamble but of course, you might still get a decent one if you're lucky. I'd still recommend going to a reputable specialist music shop where you can try out instruments and they will check it and set it up for you.
And specialist 'bricks and mortar' music shops need the business. Otherwise there won't be any left.
Tune inn is a good local shop in Lee. Usually some good second hand stuff.
Very good. Lee is not an area on my patch anymore, but it's local enough for many on here.
I'd never heard of Harley Benton before. I see they are all Asian made "copies". In my experience, generally these aren't great. However, I know that isn't always the case, Vintage have put some decent gear out. The main issues I've found with copies are they are often poorly weighted, the pick ups are of low quality and the frets are bad.
Comments
Very into acoustic at present - brought a Taylor Dreadnought last December & a Yamaha silent guitar (absolute Godsend in a full house during lockdown) have spent the last 9 months learning fingerstyle, which has improved my electric guitar playing IMO.
I love Fenders but have small hands so find their 25.5 inch necks too much of a stretch - recently brought a Jaguar & like the look of the Duo Sonic. I do have a tele & a PRS S2 and I can just about play the latter.
Also have a Japanese Epiphone Casino Elitist and a Jazz Bass which doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Still kicking myself for not getting the Fender Alternate Reality Electric 12!
Most amps are in my man cave but have an Orange Micro Terror mini stack & Orange 100 watt bass amp in the front room which I get away with because it goes well with my wife’s choice of Ora Keily wallpaper!
PS: And last night he went to bed in his Charlton shirt.
The one I'd rescue first in a fire is one of the cheapest I have (third picture, left, sunburst PRS SE). I love that guitar, I bought it in 2007 as I fell in love with it in the shop and have never fallen out of love with it. It's had 2 re-frets (now has stainless steel frets), it's got replacement pickups, replacement tuners, but whilst I have lots of very nice playing guitars, this one is just a comfy pair of slippers if you see what I mean. I've spent more hours playing that guitar than any other in my lifetime, at home, in bands etc, I just couldn't think of life without it.
;-)
Think we need to see Richard Murray accompanying him on the spoons.
I've not tried it yet, but I may stick it through this. It makes everything sound great.
Ha ha ...... I'd stick with the beers if I were you, @PopIcon. After a few, it'll sound great!
He has been playing in bands for years now, but practised 5/8 hours a day and has to keep it up or the fingers will not be as supple unfortunately not many gigs about now. Everything seems hard when you start but gets easier the more you do it, Before long you will be Joining Thomas on stage Good luck.
If you're in the market for a budget guitar I recommend you check out Vintage.
I assume you're joking about putting a cigar box guitar through an Aphex aural exciter (maybe you're not, I've put a drum machine through a Wah-wah pedal before). Have you actually put a guitar through one and did it actually give a great deal of improvement in sound? I always associated them with dance/electronic music.
I did see that Aphex actually make aural exciter pedals for electric, bass and acoustic guitars for about £100- has anyone tried them?
The problem with my cigar box guitar is it's made out of tin and only has three strings. It really does sound terrible.
When I get around to it, I'll record something and post it on here.
Plenty of retailers have done that.
Harley Benton is the house brand of Thomann - and those people I know who've bought from them online because they thought they could save a few quid, found that they came in untouched factory packaging and rough to play.
For some, the money they thought they had saved ended up being spent and more, paying for the instrument to be set up properly so it would play.
Thomann sell boxes from their warehouse shelves. Buying an instrument online physically unseen can be a gamble but of course, you might still get a decent one if you're lucky. I'd still recommend going to a reputable specialist music shop where you can try out instruments and they will check it and set it up for you.
And specialist 'bricks and mortar' music shops need the business. Otherwise there won't be any left.
Use your local music shop. Use them or lose them.
If bought from a good local music shop, they should have already been checked out properly.
In my experience, generally these aren't great. However, I know that isn't always the case, Vintage have put some decent gear out.
The main issues I've found with copies are they are often poorly weighted, the pick ups are of low quality and the frets are bad.