General GNR chat

[DeN]

maybe it's just a problem with distribution via Amazon then, but some people got noticed
it won't be available before October 8, and on amazon.com the release date is 4.oct.

[jarmo]

Yeah. Could be physical copies....

Especially vinyls are often delayed.




/jarmo

[cineater]

https://www.musicradar.com/artists/there-is-a-line-there-that-you-cross-where-you-are-just-spending-money-for-the-sake-of-the-name-or-the-label-slash-says-you-dont-need-to-spend-an-arm-and-a-leg-to-get-a-guitar-thats-as-good-as-youll-ever-need

Slash is talking about the price of vintage guitars. 

Collector or hoarder mentality?     I had a mild panic attack.   

[pilferk]

https://www.musicradar.com/artists/there-is-a-line-there-that-you-cross-where-you-are-just-spending-money-for-the-sake-of-the-name-or-the-label-slash-says-you-dont-need-to-spend-an-arm-and-a-leg-to-get-a-guitar-thats-as-good-as-youll-ever-need

Slash is talking about the price of vintage guitars.  

Collector or hoarder mentality?    I had a mild panic attack.  

He's not wrong. Especially today.

I've played guitars across the range of prices.  From 40k to $200.

Back in the 90's, I could pick up a $5000 guitar and a $300 guitar, and instantly know the difference by feel.  Not just the fit and finishes, but the actual feel of the frets (burrs, etc) and the rosewood/ebony/whetever on the neck.The weights were different.  The balance was different.  Sure, the $5000 guitar looked nicer, too (usually), but you could pretty much do it blindfolded.  You could feel it in the tuners and you could HEAR it in the pickups.  And vintage was worth it, because there was a definitive sound difference you could play with....that you could feel coming out of your strings/amp.

Today?  Not so much.  There are manufacturers out there (Thomann with the Harley Bentons, for example) that are pulling off some amazing guitars for practical pennies.  And they can copy vintage styles and pickups so convincingly that, while absolutely NOT 100% the same, they are so close that you look at the THOUSANDS (and sometimes TENS of THOUSANDS) of dollars in price difference....and it's hard to justify the higher priced guitar as anything other than as a "collectible" (unless you're someone like Slash, and the minute difference is made more definitive by your craft and expertise).  And thats fine.  But then you move on from thinking of those vintage and high end guitars as instuments you want to play, for their different acoustic properties, and start thinking of them as art you want on your wall, or an investment.  And that's a whole different consideration.

Keep in mind, I'm not talking about Chibsons here, where they are cheaping out on components and labor (though some of those solid body Chibsons, with some bench time, are not bad!).  I'm talking about the more reputable manufacturers out there who are just doing a LOT more with a LOT less.  Heck, I ran into a Les Paul knock off from MONOPRICE (yeah, the people that make cables!) that was pretty impressive given it's $250 price point.  I hated the head stock (though kudos to them for not flat out copying the les paul stock, I guess)....but it felt and played otherwise like a mid range les paul that cost 10x the price (and way better than any epiphone les paul I've ever handled).

All this to say:  The gap between high end and budget just continues to narrow, as Slash implies.  And the gap between mid-range and high end is so paper thin, to me, its almost not perceptable.  And vintage is basically becoming collectible art, because technology has basically let us copy any sound from any era, convincingly, and at a very low buy in cost.

[Six Strings]

Anyone tried Epiphone Slash Appetite Burst? Is it any good? I play myself on Epiphone Les Paul Muse, not bad at all and I think it's worth the money I'd paid for. I played classic Stratocaster for years and it was good as well but decided to try an Epiphone. Now I'm thinking of buying something new and wondering around. Not playing professionally although I have some small gigs here and there.

PS. Sorry for the offtopic.

[pilferk]

Anyone tried Epiphone Slash Appetite Burst? Is it any good? I play myself on Epiphone Les Paul Muse, not bad at all and I think it's worth the money I'd paid for. I played classic Stratocaster for years and it was good as well but decided to try an Epiphone. Now I'm thinking of buying something new and wondering around. Not playing professionally although I have some small gigs here and there.

PS. Sorry for the offtopic.

The Burst isn't bad (just avoid it's lower priced brother "Appetite Amber").  

I have a few complaints but given the price point.....they're probably nitpicky.

I don't love the pickups (I think they're the Epiphone Probuckers...I think the 2s, not the 3s?).  They're not the Gibsons (yeah, I know....that's why they make the Gibson Standard Burst) and it shows, to me. They're just a little too bright.  Easy to fix with some bench time, and not all that expensive an upgrade, but...that's kind of the point.  I feel like they could have thrown in the better pickups at the same price point ($999 MSRP in the US).

The neck is kind of bendy, in a bad way. I don't know how to explain it. Not a "willowy" bend like a single piece gives you. Since it's not a solid piece, and especially when you're bending strings, you can feel the give a little bit, in a bad way, at the heel especially.  Some people actually like this.  It makes me nervous.

The switches and knobs feel cheap.  I mean, it is an epiphone.  It is made in China.  So that's pretty much par for the course.  But I don't know if I would ever want to gig with this guitar because I suspect that kind of use would wear some of the components out super quick.  Again, some bench time and you could replace the components pretty easily and not spend a lot to do it.

Some things to note:

It's the C shaped neck, not the 50's style.  That might matter to you if you want the authentic feel of what Slash is actually playing.  

Its a double segment (not single piece) body, but I don't notice a big sonic difference from it.

The head stock is a little different than the standard.

The frets are sharp, out of the case, for the Epiphone (and no edge binding for them).  Again, a good set up and some wear will fix this....but be careful when you first rip into it...or it will rip into you!

For me....I'd pick it up on sale (you can find it as low as $720 US) and then put the $250 or so back into it with new pickups, upgrade the electronics, and have a good setup (with some fret edge filing!) done to it and it would be a LOT better than it is off the shelf.  And you could gig with it, with the upgrades, I think.

The only thing you can't really "fix" is the neck stability and I think that's just up to personal choice and play style.

Hope that helps!

[Six Strings]

Thanks man, really useful. Appreciated. I'm not looking for a Slash sound just want to try something different than the Epiphone Muse I currently play on. I do think that I can find a similar price guitar without the need of changing and amending anything in this case which may sound better. Of course it depends on what sound I'm looking for which is actually the problem because I'm still not really sure.  . Anyways, thanks for the review once again. 

[pilferk]

Thanks man, really useful. Appreciated. I'm not looking for a Slash sound just want to try something different than the Epiphone Muse I currently play on. I do think that I can find a similar price guitar without the need of changing and amending anything in this case which may sound better. Of course it depends on what sound I'm looking for which is actually the problem because I'm still not really sure.  . Anyways, thanks for the review once again.  

They are SO similar.  The pickups are different (and I like the Alnico Classics in the Muse a little better...they sound warmer to me).  The wood type is different and the Muse is a lighter.  But other than consmetics and the type of wood they use.....I'm not sure it's worth the $$?  Just my humble opinion?  You're putting down a decent chunk of cash for what I would say is a marginal upgrade....with a lot of the same down sides that most epiphones have (aka tuning them CONSTANTLY).

The Slash version probably has more upside if you were to bench it, just because then you're stripping down to the body/neck material, which is the real upgrade.  But off the shelf?  I would have to play one and make the decision if it was worth it to me.  Depends on how much you like your Muse.  If you really love it....nah.

Save the cash and start looking for a used 2010ish Gibson Standard.  I've seen them as low as 1500 in good shape. Troll some pawn shops and you might even find one for less than that.

[Six Strings]

Yeah, that was my point. No need to spend the amount of money for the Slash version if it needs amendment and more or less sounds similar to my Muse. I love my Muse but I'm looking for soemthing different and from your recommendation the Slash version won't do the thing for me. Will look around for something different but still need to be clear with myself what exactly I want to hear as a sound.