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Post subject: New stuff! (guitar and amp)
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 7:23 am
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(First, the long preface)
I'm working in the outback of Western Australia, a pretty remote place. Last weekend, I took the chance to make it to my music store, some 570 km (354 mi) away. I've worked hard at my new job, and I'd saved enough to reward myself. I was looking to get either a nice fender clean sound (DRRI), or a decent solidbody with P90s (but not a SG). I'd tried the LP goldtop range, at one store months ago, and was interested. From the online details, I was able to work out the stores wouldn't have a DRRI in stock. This makes me cry... I've tried the amp before, and loved the tone. The cleans were just what I was looking for. But I do have a hand-wired AC15 (and a Tiny Terror), among other amps, so I wasn't bothered if I didn't find what I was looking for. I've also got an incredible range of guitars, so I didn't mind if I didn't find what I was looking for with a guitar either... but I was going to reward myself.

I turned up at the store and set to testing the guitars. Every P90 or jazzmaster equipped guitar was checked (except a SG). They were all checked through fender amps, although I had the option to try the guitars through substitutes of my gear. None of them excited me, sadly including the Goldtop Traditional I had looked at before, and had even been dropped 8 hundred dollars! (the fretboard wood was patchy and light, it would need a serious setup, and I'm wary of Plek'd guitars with action like that).

A friend of mine turned up, and we looked at the guitars together. He brought the SG off the wall, as we retested the "fat" sounding single coils of the store range. I didn't mind, but I knew I wasn't going to buy a SG; they just don't look good to me. SGs are not bad looking guitars, but for me, they don't look good.

(Now the backstory)
I have the guitars I wanted (a strat, a LP and more). I have the amps I need. I got a Tele(Am Dlx), and it grew on me like nothing else. Played brilliantly, and just kept getting better. But I did keep coming back to my Casino, and those P90s. Wailing, Biting, Growling, Screaming, just wild rock at its finest. I have an Epiphone SG, which was super cheap for a very good guitar, and I didn't care for it. The pickups gave a kick in the guts, but felt cheap and nasty, hot without sophistication. The only reason I had kept this guitar is that my family and friends from back in Melbourne had signed it, I didn't really play it.

(Good stuff)
I happened to be seated playing a BDRI when I plugged it in. Turns out it is a 50th Anniversary Pete Townshend sig Classic SG, and it plays and sounds like I somehow have a "Pick of Destiny" in my hands. While I don't like SG guitars, I do love the Who, and this guitar has tone in spades. It plays magically, and the tone is utterly and amazingly spectacular. I still don't like that it is a SG, but I had to buy the axe for how it played and sounded, not for how it looked. The wraparound bridge was a concern, I like more intonation options than that, but the resonance this creates is unbelievable! Plus, it was cheap enough that I could probably keep looking at the amps too.

The Fender Blues Deluxe (Reissue) is the perfect addition to my amp family. The clean channel is very very nice. I use the pedal loops to add any extra flavour my guitar alone cannot supply. And the headroom works for me. It complements the "chimey" Vox amp, and I'm finding it (although loud) a perfect base for most of my doodlings. I can do so much with that clean channel!

(TL;DR)
I'm still having so much fun that I've been too busy to take a pic, but they'll come! I've ended up with a Pete Townshend Classic SG (P90s) in white, and a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue. I'm playing some loud music near the middle of nowhere, and I'm loving it!


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Post subject: Re: New stuff! (guitar and amp)
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 3:37 pm
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Joined: Sat Jun 01, 2013 5:15 am
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As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. Those guitars with the wrap around tailpiece are a bit difficult to intonate, but it can be done. I may be wrong here, but I believe that the best way to do it, is to start from each end of the tailpiece when setting the intonation. Of course it doesn't hurt to check on You Tube to make sure that it's done right also.


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Post subject: Re: New stuff! (guitar and amp)
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 6:21 pm
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Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:51 pm
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Cool - nothing wrong having an SG with P90s in your stable. :D

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