Low priced Les Pauls

[Nelskie]

Kat - Thanks. I'm counting the days til' this coming Tuesday, when it's scheduled to arrive.

Tone - Fender had a whole line of Foto Flame guitars back in the mid 90's, as a cost-effective alternative to the high-grade AAAA flamed maple tops. While they looked nice, everything I've read about them pointed to problems with the lamination of the photo material to the body. I, too, was attracted to them initially, but decided against getting one after I'd read about all of finish problems. Here's a link:

http://www.xhefriguitars.com/page7.html

Like the Spudman said in his post, the tops on Agile guitars are the real McCoy.

I had the Dickey Betts dream again last nite. These premonitions . . . .

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Wow

All the Fender Stratocasters I have ever seen, played, owned, sold, traded or the ones that had been stolen from me have always been a solid woodgrain top of fine quality material. Basswood top over Alder construction (based on the description of the link supplied) sounds hideous! Especially with a photo composite of a quasi-flame top superimposed over such an inferior wood product of BASSWOOD. BLECK! Glad I was out of sight during the '90s!

 

[Nelskie]

Especially with a photo composite of a quasi-flame top superimposed over such an inferior wood product of BASSWOOD. BLECK!

Not surprisingly, good examples of the Fender Foto Flame guitars are highly collectible. Most of the nice ones I've seen on Ebay have gone for around $500. However, for what you're getting, I am of the same opinion as you. You could spend far less and get way more guitar.

 

[Spudman]

Kat - Thanks. I'm counting the days til' this coming Tuesday, when it's scheduled to arrive.

I had the Dickey Betts dream again last nite. These premonitions . . . .

I sure hope it's not a premonition about getting kicked out of your band. LOL

 

[Nelskie]

I sure hope it's not a premonition about getting kicked out of your band. LOL

Touche', Sir Spud. You have proven yourself a worthy adversary. Angie sends her regards.

 

[r_a_smith3530]

Since Cort was mentioned, let me add another cool guitar in the single cutaway, dual humbucker, Les Paul style range. This one has some very interesting features, and I believe it is a good deal for the dough. It's the Washburn Idol WI64. Although they call it a single cutaway, it is termed as such very liberally, being almost a dual cutaway. It has a carved top, a maHOGany body and set neck (w/Rosewood fretboard), Grover tuners, Tune-O-Matic bridge and stop tail, and the Buzz Feiten Tuning System.

I was seriously looking to buy one of these when the bass bug bit hard. Check them out.

http://www.washburn.com/products/electrics/idol/wi64.aspx

Here's the skinny on the Buzz Feiten System.

http://www.washburn.com/products/buzz/index.aspx

Available for under $375 street price!

 

[Nelskie]

That Buzz Feiten tuning system has always intrigued me. I know Robben Ford uses it, as do many other pro players. Any other Fretters have any experience with the BF system on one of their guitars?

 

[Tone2TheBone]

No. But my PRS SE supposedly has a compensated nut. I wrote PRS about it and they did confirm that it does have a compensated nut as do all the other PRS models. They also said that the entire guitar including the bridge designs and nut are all "compensated". They didn't go into specifics as to how this is acccomplished though...I asked and they said they weren't at liberty to discuss it.

 

[warren0728]

hey nelskie....tomorrows the big day, huh? Maybe you'll get lucky and it will arrive today!

ww

 

[SuperSwede]

Nelskie, I love the BF tuning system too. I have played a few BF guitars and the cords are wonderful, almost like a piano. Even high up on the fretboard!

 

[Nelskie]

Well . . . I thought it might. But when I checked the FedEx website to track my package, it hadn't been updated since 3/30, when it left New Joisey (where Rondo Music is located). Anyways, I'm not holding my breath.

I already have all of tomorrow evening blocked off to jam. My hope is that it comes out of the box with a decent set-up, so I can at least play it. I most definitely plan on having my ace tech dude put one of his fab Les Paul set-ups on it next weekend - and from there on, it should be good to go.

 

[Tim]

My Washburn has BF (not to be confused with BS). But never understood it.

 

[Nelskie]

Do you like it, Tim? Does that guitar stay in tune better than your others? Are there adjustments that you need to make to it so that it does what its supposed to do? Maintenance? I mean, don't leave us hanging here . . . !

 

[warren0728]

My Washburn has BF (not to be confused with BS). But never understood it.

at least it doesn't have BO

ww

 

[Tone2TheBone]

at least it doesn't have BO

ww

(a dry wheezing laugh till I drop)

 

[Tim]

Ok! Sorry. I did not know you guys were hanging. A little stretching would not hurt. Us older folks are getting shorter with age you know.

Any way the Washburn HB-30 stays in tune very well. I hardly ever need to tune the strings. There is no maintenance. I have not done a thing to the guitar since first setting it up some 5 years ago. I love this guitar.

So now that I cut you dudes down, hope about splaining what BF is?

 

[duhvoodooman]

So now that I cut you dudes down, hope about splaining what BF is?

BF = Buzz Feiten tuning system, I think....

 

[Tim]

Ya .. Ya.. Ya! Who is Buzz Feiten? What does he do or not do? Is he anything like Buss Lightyear?

 

[warren0728]

Who is Buzz Feiten?

i thought "who" was a "what"...and i thought it was how i felt most of the time during college!

ww

 

[Tim]

So you are a "buzz" in disguise? (not to be confused with ... na, I wouldn’t go there). What do you do?

 

[warren0728]

What do you do?

as little as possible for as much as possible!

ww

 

[Tim]

Yea me too. But the boss is catching on though.

 

[Spudman]

I use the Earvana compensated nut on my non-locking tremolo guitars. You can put it on without modifying anything. Just remove the old nut and put this one in. They work great. It's quite amazing to hear your guitar in tune for the first time.

Nelskie - I hope you don't have to go fetch your guitar out of the river. Tell the Fed Ex driver to stay out of the water.

 

[Nelskie]

Nelskie - I hope you don't have to go fetch your guitar out of the river. Tell the Fed Ex driver to stay out of the water.

The river's supposed to crest later today, so hopefully, this flooding thing will be behind us for the rest of the spring. It seems like it's been a really long time since last Wed. when I ordered it. Like Tom Petty says, "the waiting is the hardest part." So true.