Thinning out but also buying another guitar

baldy

I have been playing for 9 months now.
I spent 8 months teaching myself following online tutorials but for the last month have been having weekly lessons (which I should have done in the beginning) which TBH has been a revelation having someone sitting in front of me showing me exactly where I am going wrong & also giving structure to my learning.
My first guitar was an awful Rockburn LP copy but I did learn how to fettle on that guitar changing the pups, pots, switch, jack, tuners & wiring & setting it up.
I also realised I liked fettling.
I have since bought 2 more LP copies, both Hohner Rockwood LX250G"s, a Yamaha 611 & 2 old (early 90"s) Yamaha RGX 121"s as I have terrible GAS.
None of the guitars cost much & I would at least get my money back on them all bar possibly the Rockburn but I am probably going to give that to a relative.
I have now decided to sell some of them & am going to keep the Yam 611 & one of the RGX"s that I have put a set of Entwistle pups in.
So I am looking for a single cut twin humbucker LP shaped guitar & have decided that rather than buy something extremely cheap I am going to buy something of reasonably good quality.
I am hesitant to get a Gibson as they seem to be a bit of a minefield.
A Vintage V100 would be an obvious choice but I would like to get something a bit better.
With my experience of Yamaha so far a Yamaha Studio Lord is on my list & also Tokai.
I think I could get a good condition Studio Lord or MIK Tokai for between £500-£600.
Any other suggestions around that price, new or used, that will give a classic rock twin HB sound  & are good quality ?

drwiddly

Have a look at PRS SE singlecut models - Bernie Marsden, Tremonti, Chris Robertson and SE245. Well built and very good value s/hand.

robgilmo

Ive noticed the Yamaha's lately, I think to get a nice one you will have to look at one well up in the numbers.

baldy

There are 2 on ebay now, a SL550S & a SL450S, which I believe are the coil split models, for £475 or offers & £495 or offers  respectively.
Both have a few dings & scratches but I would guess that £600 would get a cosmetically better condition one ?

zepp76

For £500-600 you are in used Gibson Tribute territory, they are great guitars and I don't think you'll find better at that price range.

Funkfingers

baldy said:

I ... realised I liked fettling.

Bwa-ha-ha-haaa. Now, you're hooked. People can sell you all sorts of unnecessary stuff.

baldy said:

a Yamaha 611 & 2 old (early 90"s) Yamaha RGX 121s 

IMO, the PAC 611 should provide a good illustration of how nicely the RGX 121 models could turn out with the addition of professional quality pickups and control circuitry. (I have the PAC 311H. Two American pickups and new controls, it is superb - regardless of the price.) 

baldy said:

I am looking for a single cut twin humbucker LP shaped guitar ... of reasonably good quality. 

+1 for the PRS SE range. 

The pre-2012 Crafted In Indonesia Hamer XT range is worth a look. A few examples of the Monaco and Sunburst A/T came with US-made Seymour Duncan pickups. Most examples of these guitars would require upgrade pickups to be retrofitted but, then, the guitars with the "in-house" Hamer pickups might only set you back £250 tops.

For both of these brands, play several. Only buy the outstanding one(s).

skunkwerx

I have a Prs Se tremonti (the model with wraparound tailpiece, no trem), with birds which I'm considering moving on..
 

robgilmo

baldy said:

There are 2 on ebay now, a SL550S & a SL450S, which I believe are the coil split models, for £475 or offers & £495 or offers  respectively.
Both have a few dings & scratches but I would guess that £600 would get a cosmetically better condition one ?

There is a dealer on Facebook of Yamahas and he regularly sells these, I'll get you a link, 800 series for not much more type stuff.

djspecialist

robgilmo said:

baldy said:

There are 2 on ebay now, a SL550S & a SL450S, which I believe are the coil split models, for £475 or offers & £495 or offers  respectively.
Both have a few dings & scratches but I would guess that £600 would get a cosmetically better condition one ?

There is a dealer on Facebook of Yamahas and he regularly sells these, I'll get you a link, 800 series for not much more type stuff.

If you mean who I think you mean, then his asking prices are *way* over the odds - at least for the SG series.  So make sure you do some market research before contacting the dealer.

Alvin

Those Yamaha rgx121 are a great cheap guitar and can become a monster , ideal for modding . 

  If i remember everything i did with mine.... Pickups changed

Coil split's on a push pull

Sanded the logo off  - not because it's a cheap Yamaha , i just didn't like the big block logo  . Locking tuners

Scalloped the neck

Saddles changes to graphtec

Change the plastic jack socket to metal and socket.

   (there could be more - it was a while ago )

  Did it need any of that doing ? No , they are still good as standard.

  

I played this for years over other guitars but haven't touched it for a while only because i prefer chunkier necks now .

 What i'm trying to say is that you may have a great guitar there already (if it's set up right)  and you won't necessarily find a something better no matter how much you pay  .

   People do love squires , mexican strats & cheap guitars in general .  Expensive guitars are great, will be made of higher quality materials better finished and better built  -  But will they make you a better player ?

baldy

I have 2 RGX 121"s, one is stock & one has had a new bridge, Entwistle pups & a new metal jack cover plate fitted by me.
The non stock one will be the one that is kept as with the Entwistle pups it is very versatile sound wise.
The Pacifica 611 is stock & is also versatile & will be kept.
However I hanker after an LP shaped twin HB guitar both for looks & sound.
I know that a new guitar won"t make me a better player but I have an itch I want to scratch.

robgilmo

djspecialist said:

robgilmo said:

baldy said:

There are 2 on ebay now, a SL550S & a SL450S, which I believe are the coil split models, for £475 or offers & £495 or offers  respectively.
Both have a few dings & scratches but I would guess that £600 would get a cosmetically better condition one ?

There is a dealer on Facebook of Yamahas and he regularly sells these, I'll get you a link, 800 series for not much more type stuff.

If you mean who I think you mean, then his asking prices are *way* over the odds - at least for the SG series.  So make sure you do some market research before contacting the dealer.

Could be, does he also use Ebay? Photos always taken outside with wooden back ground? I only noticed these a few days ago so haven't researched prices much.

baldy

@robgilmo do you have a link to his FB page so I can have a look at what he has please ?

robgilmo

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1051899961518463?refid=27. ; You might have to join the group, he is always selling zysmaha guitars mostly,  just look through the items for sale.

baldy

Thanks for the link.
Had a look but no Studio Lords or Tokai"s that I could see. 
What is for sale is pretty pricey though.

djspecialist

robgilmo said:

djspecialist said:

robgilmo said:

baldy said:

There are 2 on ebay now, a SL550S & a SL450S, which I believe are the coil split models, for £475 or offers & £495 or offers  respectively.
Both have a few dings & scratches but I would guess that £600 would get a cosmetically better condition one ?

There is a dealer on Facebook of Yamahas and he regularly sells these, I'll get you a link, 800 series for not much more type stuff.

If you mean who I think you mean, then his asking prices are *way* over the odds - at least for the SG series.  So make sure you do some market research before contacting the dealer.

Could be, does he also use Ebay? Photos always taken outside with wooden back ground? I only noticed these a few days ago so haven't researched prices much.

Bingo - guitars reclining on a wooden bench.  Also on eBay.

robgilmo

He has an SL500 on Ebay which looks nice enough, I dont know much about Yamaha guitars though.

robgilmo

That one in Cardiff looks nice too.

Nikc

you don't want a single cut you want a PRS Santana trust me ive been down this road - either buy a les paul or follow my genius advice or buy a tele and load it with sd 1/4 pounders )