Any guitarists on here???

[Twinfan]

Looking for a bit of advice. I have a pretty decent guitar collection (currently at 11......) and pretty much have one of most things. I've always hankered for a guitar that was made around the time I was born though, and as I'm not getting any younger (30 and counting) the prices are only going to go up. Now's the time to buy I think so what should I be on the lookout for???

I was born in January 1975, so I've been having a browse around guitars from 1974 mainly as they will have been built while I was! I play both electric and acoustic and a couple of ideas I have are:

Gibson J200 Jumbo acoustic
Fender Telecaster
Gibson SG

Any other suggestions for a reasonably priced 1974 guitar? I'm looking to spend no more than £1250ish...

[TP]

I wish mate - playing guitar has always been on my list of things to do and always seems to be shuffled down the priorities.

I'd love to be able to play - I envy you!

[LesPaul]

I'd go for the SG or a Lespaul being a Gibson fan :D
11 guitars, nice one matey I've only got 3, mind you I can't play 1 :lol:

Darren

[Edited on 14-9-2005 by LesPaul]

[Jools]

Hmmm...the 70's weren't really a classic time for either Gibson or Fender, they were both having a hard time defending themselves from the likes of Ibanez and Yamaha and such, as a result they took their eye off the quality ball and their guitars were not a patch on the early 60's, but as you know, prices for things like an early 60's Stratocaster are stratospheric.

If you want to be a bit different, I'm surprising myself here recommending a Japanese product but one of the really tasty guitars from around the mid 70's was a Yamaha SG2000 - typically 70's in being decked out with mother of pearl inlays and quite fancy, but hey, that was the fashion of that era. However, it was also made of quality tonewoods, the like of which you don't get much these days what with conservation of rainforests, with a flame or quilted maple top (nice warm honey colour not too white) on a mahogany body. It had a huge great brass 'sustain block' under the bridge and would sustain until next Christmas. A guitarist in the band I was playing with at the time had one and he reckoned that the sound and the sustain was like a Les Paul on steroids. Certainly seemed to live up to that.

That's my tuppence worth, but what do I know, I'm a Bass player, with only 5 basses - and my 1973 Ricky 4001 ain't never going to be sold, when I get too old to play I'm going to go out and watch a few bands and donate it to someone who will truly appreciate it and cherish it like I've done.

[rockhopper]

I'd give my right arm to be able to play the guitar.

[TP]

Originally posted by rockhopper
I'd give my right arm to be able to play the guitar.

:lol:

Oh the irony ...

[Edited on 14-9-2005 by TP]

[Twinfan]

Cheers Jools - I never thought of the SG2000. Not a bad idea that...

[Derek]

How about a Telecaster or an ES330? I think you can still get these for sensible money.
I've got a Dobro 33D that I bought new in 1973 but I wouldn't want to sell it though ;)

[Felix]

Ah, yes, the memories. Used to play a 1974 Ibanez back in my teens. Sold it only about 5 years ago (needed bike money!) and it was already worth a few bob then. I liked and played very similar to a good Fender.

Like some bikes of past, I wish I still had that guitar now.:(

[MARTIN H]

Jools beat me to it with the SG2000, I am also a big fan of the old Antoria guitars. They are still very cheap at the moment my favourite is a model called Rockstar which is a copy of a Gibson ES. I paid bugger all for mine and yet they seem to be now selling for about £350 to £500 on ebay. They also did a Jazz style semi called Jazzstar which are also fetching good money now. I play in a band and used to leave much more expensive guitars at home and just take the Antoria rockster and a Jap strat as a spare to gigs! Have a look on Harmony central for user reviews on these old jap classics. For the kind of money you have to spend I would find myself looking for either a Tele or a Strat relic, played a couple and they were great and I love the worn in vibe they have even from new. I saw a guitarist playing one recently and it looked as if it had been dropped off a tall building and it was brand new! You really could not tell the difference between that and an original 50s/60s one.

There was a lot of great Ibanez 1970s models I think the one I used to like was the Bob Weir model. I am still trying to find someone selling an example of my first ever guitar which was a Hondo 2 / SD Curlee I can only ever find the bass version of it.

By the way I am thinking of selling my les paul if you fancy that? Its a limited edition one from 1980. Its a Les Paul Standard Heritage 80 Elite with original case etc. It was Gibsons first reissue of the famous 1959 standard. Again have a look on Harmony central for specs etc. It really is quite a special guitar. I just darent leave it lying around in pubs anymore. I need to get rid of a few guitars and amps so I also have a Marshall AVT275 combo for sale that will be going on ebay anyday. Have just sold my little Mesa Boogie Subway blues amp to a bloke in Ireland.

Some of the early Tokais were excellent guitars as well.

[Edited on 14-9-2005 by MARTIN H]

[MARTIN H]

Heres a pic of my first guitar and amp, the amp was bought for £5 from a secondhand shop and the guitar lead I made out of tv coaxial cable! Times were hard!

[Mr_S]

Gibson SG - Yay Angus Young!

Personally I want a Les Paul

I also want to be able to play well enough to own one.

[MARTIN H]

A pic of the Les Paul and Antoria Rockstar that I let the singer play sometimes.

[uncle porry]

have been playing an acoustic for a few years now,my mate has an acoustic bass, we can be found most friday nights in my shed with a few beers and a one or two `jazz cigarettes`(ahem)... jamming till the early hours..
a couple of handy sites for any budding guitarist
www.guitaretab.com
www.chordfind.com

[Twinfan]

Cheers guys. I love the new Fender relics etc, but the idea is to get a guitar as old as me i.e. a 1974 or a 1975.

By the way, my current collection is (in order of purchase):

Squier JV '62 Strat in orange/red (the only guitar I've bought 'used')
Fender USA Standard Strat in Wine Red
Yamaha LW-5 acoustic in natural
Gibson Les Paul Standard in Heritage Cherry Sunburst
Gibson Les Paul Junior Special in red
Parker P-38 in translucent blue/green
Jim Reed ash telecaster - no paint/lacquer just oiled
Re-bodied Patrick Eggle neck with P-90 pickups in brown burst
Gordon Smith SG-1 in Cherry Red
Aria AW-75 12 string acoustic in black
Jackson DKMG in black

Most bases covered there I think!!!

[MARTIN H]

Have you thought about one of those plexiglass dan armstrong/ampeg things? I think Ron wood still uses one. Great for a bit of slide playing.

[MARTIN H]

Very nice!

http://www.mondoguitars.com/html/1969_dan_armstrong_plexiglass.html

[fatduke11111]

What about looking here... they do reviews and may give you some ideas....
http://www.harmony-central.com/User_Reviews/

.... Ive got a Cheap Yammy and a Fender Strat but I like me basses best...Charvel, Status Graphite series and I recently bought an old Ibanez SB900 active (very nice sound)....
:D:D

[MARTIN H]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1974-wooden-bodied-roundneck-DOBRO-Resonator_W0QQitemZ7349989147QQcategoryZ2385QQssPa geNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Jools]

Originally posted by fatduke11111
Ive got a Cheap Yammy and a Fender Strat but I like me basses best...Charvel, Status Graphite series and I recently bought an old Ibanez SB900 active (very nice sound)....
:D:D

Mmmmm...Status Graphite. Almost bought a 6 string Status from the Bass Centre, wish I had done now.

I have the aforementioned 1973 Ricky 4001 which I bought secondhand in 1976 with money given to me for that very purpose for my 21st. As well as that I have a very nice Patrick Eggle Milan 5-String which once had frets, but was de-fretted by Martin Petersen at The Gallery, this is now my main bass. Martin Petersen did a superb job on it, and on refretting my Ricky...I still lust after his Sei basses.

Then I've got a Palm Bay bass, better known for heavy metal axes, but this one is quite subtle with a sort of slightly angular strat type body (very small for a bass) a nice slender 24 fret neck PJ active PU's and gold hardware, it also has mahogany body with a very pretty birdseye maple cap and headstock, this bass is the fretted bass I take to gigs now (cos I can't leave the Ricky lying around at gigs anymore - it's too precious to me).

A spare 5-String in the shape of a Squire Precision 5 (but with JJ PU's) and a cheap (ish) Crafter Acoustic bass rounds it off.

[rockhopper]

How's about the DSC musicians getting together and recording a few tracks,making a CD and then perhaps selling them to raise some money for a good cause?

[Rally]

How's this for a suggestion TF - Since you don't have anything too flash in your collection already, how about a Flying Vee :D

My first electric was a Vee copy and a terrible guitar. I swear the body was made from balsa. If you let go of the neck it would point straight down!

I currently have 5. My fave is this Jackson Soloist.

http://www.zincprotest.com/dsc/jackson.jpg

And these are the rest.

http://www.zincprotest.com/dsc/the%20rest.jpg

I'd like a Les Paul, PRS, 355 Semi and maybe a 12 string Martin... if anyone is buying me something for Christmas :D

[Twinfan]

Flying Vee?? Hmmm.....