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I can't make up my mind - new guitar or new amp?

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Robert

Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clements.
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Camrose, Alberta, Canada - used to be Umea Sweden.
I can't make up my mind. I have saved and saved with blood, sweat and tears, and I may soon have enough to buy a new guitar or a new amph. Problem is, I can't do both right away, so which buy comes first?

I am keeping my eyes peeled for a used Marshall DSL100/DSL50 or a Vintage Modern. That's where I'm headed in the amp department.

As for guitar, well I'm more flexible there. I hate to buy guitars unseen, so I may scour the stores in the city that carry good brands and see what I can find. I find buying guitars hard. Even good ones are often set up really badly, and this can obfuscate the detection of a really good guitar.

I really don't know what I should do. I need Fretter help! :p
 
If it is the guitar, wait until the one that you REALLY want comes to your hands and you know it is the one you have been looking for. If you find the killer deal on one of those amphs in the meantime, then grab it first and find the guitar later. That is my humble opinion.

EDIT: Clarification - get the amph if you find the deal you want, unless you find the holy grail of guitars first. Unless it is THE one, go for the amph.
 
Amph. Without that amph you get no screaming solos. Thus saith The Fret.
 
Because of all the gear you recently sold I'm guessing you need both. Am I correct? I'd suggest you get both. Then burn your checkbook and credit cards and be done with this horrible curse.
 
Well I'm unclear what your current gear situation is, but if you have NO guitar then get a guitar. Guitar and no amp is more fun that amp and no guitar.

I'm assuming you have more than a couple of backup guitars though, so don't do what I've done and fallen in love with the concept of a repro Champ and a 52 RI tele without having ever played either. (damn you internet) Go out and play a bunch of guitars through a bunch of amps (get some cool pedals in the mix too, why not) and when something makes you smile before you realize you're smiling, buy it.
 
There's a BIG Gibson shaped hole in your guitar list, Robert ;)
 
FWIW, Robert, in your thread 'bout wanting the Suhr where you were needlessly badgered into defending your desire for same, you'd boiled it down to something like (pardon the paraphrasing) you've been playing 25 years and earned the right to a really nice guitar.

So: find the guitar first. Whatever that turns out to be. In person, at least with all the specs & options you like. Then custom-order it if you 'need' it to be a certain color, etc., to 'be you'. Then go forth with it and find the right amp for it.
 
Robert, I think it depends on the circumstances you are currently in. You sold some guitars and I think ther are only medium to low budget guitars in your holdings (!this is not lowering the value of medium or low budget guitars!).

If your amphs fit the live situation, for e.g. when you play a gig and even when you play at home, you should go for a good guitar first. I mean you got pedals, you got the Reverend, you got the Mack. That is quite an arsenal! Good amphs you got there! It's time for a decent guitar.

:pancake:
 
wingsdad said:
...where you were needlessly badgered into defending your desire

Thanks...apparently my point was lost on you as well. :thwap:
Thankfully my life doesnt hinge on being understood all of the time.


Robert said:
I can't make up my mind.
Get the amp...you already KNOW what you want in that department.
 
Get the amph Robert,you can always borrow a guitar from the Spudman,he's got an extra hanging around.Sumi:D
 
hey robert....are you cooling off about getting a shur....i noticed you changed your avatar....and you didn't mention a shur in this thread....just curious.... :whatever:
 
You already know you want a Marshall............until you decide on which guitar (Suhr, Les Paul, etc.) I'd get the Marshall. It'll make whichever guitar you use sound good.:beer:
 
Warren, I am only worried about buying a guitar I haven't played. The new ones here cost too much. I'm less worried about buying an amp I haven't played. Guitars are so much more finicky though, in my experience. So to answer your question, a Suhr would be great if I could find one I like locally that doesn't cost too much. Or if I found one for a steal on ebay or something, but not new - if I buy it unseen new and don't like it - poof I lost a lot of money.
 
Doesn't conventional wisdom say get the amp first, because a good amp can make an average guitar sound good, but the opposite isn't true?

Or , like much conventional wisdom, is this not true?
 
marnold said:
Amph. Without that amph you get no screaming solos. Thus saith The Fret.

Amen brother Marnold!

Besides how will he ever get enough dirt in the pull gain to get scrathy sounds out of the edison cable??? Just wondering...
 
Robert said:
Warren, I am only worried about buying a guitar I haven't played. The new ones here cost too much. I'm less worried about buying an amp I haven't played. Guitars are so much more finicky though, in my experience. So to answer your question, a Suhr would be great if I could find one I like locally that doesn't cost too much. Or if I found one for a steal on ebay or something, but not new - if I buy it unseen new and don't like it - poof I lost a lot of money.
That would be a concern of mine too. At least with a Marshall you know it will hold its resale value relatively well. A new Suhr is not very likely to be considered "collectible" and even if you could get a decent resale value for it, it'd automatically be priced out of the price range of ~90% of the people out there.

By the by, you need to update your sig now.
 
There is a silver on e-bay it has about 6 days to go and its a head.Hey also Tone didn't marshall put some of the silvers features on the jcm 900 100 watt heads?Sumi:D
 
oldguy said:
You already know you want a Marshall............until you decide on which guitar (Suhr, Les Paul, etc.) I'd get the Marshall. It'll make whichever guitar you use sound good.:beer:


Ditto....exactly what I was going to say :dude:

GG
 
Robert, my suggestion is to try out a gretsch 6122 or 6128...Ive about fell overboard with these beautiful and expensive guitars but man, do they look and sound good...!
 
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