Guitar lust

Keep an eye out for me, and I'll keep an eye out for you! I'm looking for a reasonably priced American Deluxe Tele. Sadly, those terms are generally mutually exclusive...'reasonable' being sub $500 for me. I played one at dirt cheep music in ATL a few years ago. Fell in love with it, but it was $350 and I didn't have the cash on me. Went to guitar center the same day and saw the same guitar priced at $1300. Went to the bank, and back to dirt cheep, and she was gone.

Anyway, I hit the pawn shops pretty frequently, so post your holy grail and I'll keep an eye out. Do the same for me? I prefer the white with tortoiseshell binding, and rosewood fretboard over maple, but I'd go for the sunburst w/white binding too. I've seen plenty on CL but they've all been $800-$1300 which is way out of my price range. THANKS!

Look on Ebay. Scour Ebay. Spell it wrong. You'll get lucky, but it will take a long time.

mtn wrote: Look on Ebay. Scour Ebay. Spell it wrong. You'll get lucky, but it will take a long time.

Any suggestions on improper spelling? I haven't seen one go for less than $800 on ebay, with typical prices being closer to $1k.

poopshovel wrote:

mtn wrote: Look on Ebay. Scour Ebay. Spell it wrong. You'll get lucky, but it will take a long time.

Any suggestions on improper spelling? I haven't seen one go for less than $800 on ebay, with typical prices being closer to $1k.

Fneder. Telicaster. Stuff like that. Its stupid and takes a long time, but my dad bought a "Marten" for about 700. It was worth--1000, which I think is what we sold it for. But even with proper spelling, he just bought a Guild for about half its value. It will be a while before he could sell it for its value, but we like it so we'll probably just hold onto it now.

Note that we don't do this often, we just like guitars and have more than a few at any given time. If we find a great deal, well, great, but we buy the guitar we want.

Also, guitars are a great investment. Look at their value over time, it doesn't really go down.

I had no clue you played guitar! I play too (just barely), and I play bass and drums a lot better. Yeah, the key with a guitar like that is you have to be in the right place and at the right time. That's how I scored my sweet Warwick Streamer Standard bass. The thing retailed new at $1400, and I scored it in MINT shape for $299 at a local music store. I also scored my Ovation Celebrity acoustic at a GC sale for $225 when they were going for like $400. It said it was used, but it looked as brand new as the ones across the room. If you see it, grab it and hold on.

Try out a Squier Classic Vibe 50's Tele. They are insanely good (don't take my word for it, check the TDPRI forum and read the gushing reviews) and they sell for $349. If you can get over the fact that it says Squier rather than Fender on the headstock, you will get an insanely good guitar (as good as an American standard by many accounts) for short money.

-Chris R.

I know that probably nothing else but a Fender will do, but I bought a G&L semi-acoustic "Tele" a while back on a whim that is just superb. And back then (well about 2 1/2 years back) it was well within your budget.

Remember, the "L" in G&L stands for Leo. As in Fender. Had to do something after he sold out.

I didn't know that til the other day.

G&Ls are great guitars. I've had an S-500 for about 10 years that I dearly love and will never sell. However, prices have been climbing over the last couple of years; I guess more people have figured out how good they are.

The imported Tribute series models are less expensive than the US versions, and seem to get good reviews.

-Chris R.

Good luck I have been looking for a moonstone for 3 years. Its a gift for my best friend. 3 months ago flew to Atlanta to pick one up but the prick sold it a day before I got there.

http://www.craiglook.com/all.html?q=telecaster+american

Honestly though Fender guitars were designed to be cheaply mass produced and nowadays everything is CNC cut and routed so the difference between mexi and american built guitars is just the easily changed stuff.

Send the cheaper guitar to your best local luthier and have them set it up and dress the frets properly, maybe cut a new bone nut and it will play every bit as well and perhaps better than the spendy american made one you lust after. Swapping pickups and tuners is neccesary on any guitar to mod it to your preference anyway.

Hagstrom H8 8-string bass for under $500(the original from the late-60's, not the new HB-8).

I have 2, but I'd own them all if I could...

I'll ask around about your Tele. I know a guy.

I've never been a huge Tele fan, but I'll keep an eye out. The shape was always tough for me for some reason... don't know why... still, I've had a few of the years... a Carvin and a custom built one, stick in memory.

I don't lust after much anymore... I'll be happy when I can get the guitars I have fixed up and playable again.

I am in total agreement with you regarding your taste in guitars. Sunburst finish American Tele=drool. I have to settle for the Squier one I have

I need to play my Tele more, it needs set up but I never play it enough to justify taking it to the guitar shop .

I almost forgot about my bass amp score last year. I picked up a Peavey Combo 115, which is Peavey's top of the line bass combo. This thing is massive. It weighs 105 lbs and has 200 watts. I can't turn it up past 3. I walked into a mom +pop local chain near here and they had one for $299 new. This thing usually sells for like $849. The cheapest I've seen one to date is $659!!!

Come to think of it, I haven't paid over $299 for anything related to strings in my music collection. My Epi Les Paul Std was $299, my Jackson PS4 was $150, my Ibanez TR Bass was $199, and my Ibanez SR400 with active electronics was a whopping $50. Drums on the other hand are VERY expensive, but I did score a custom-made 10-ply maple 6.5x14 snare from a local drum builder for $199 which is teh best sounding snare I've heard or played 'til this very day.

Try a used G&L. They are great quality, especially for the price, but the used examples seem to go for nothing. I only got my Legacy new because the local shop gave me a killer price for it. A couple years ago, I good get one new for just a tick under 1 grand. I added a couple things, like a V-neck, but it was still a great deal.

Is this one you'd be interested in?

http://tippecanoe.craigslist.org/msg/1849463060.html

Poopie, have you tried the Road Worn Teles? They have a different neck profile and finish (fatter/deeper U shape, and satin/smooth finish) than the Classics, and I prefer the feel of the RWs. Plus, they're cheaper and still made in Amrrika. If you don't mind a little manufactured patina, might be worth looking into.

If you're not wedded to the big F on the headstock, you might be able to find a locally-built 'Tele' for a lot cheaper that you'd think. This guy in Wisconsin, Bob Logan, gets rave reviews from the weirdos on TDPRI.com, and I've laid hands on a Brave Guitars tele, built locally to me (actually ran into the builder I was was test-driving it). If you care to dive down the rabbit hole that is Telecasters, you might find somebody near you that screws 'em together pretty good. Or hell, build one yourself.

And everybody: keep your eyes peeled for any '60s Harmony on my behalf, especially a Rebel or a Bobkat, or any of the hollowbodies. My H59 Rocket needs company.

One day, this collection will be mine...

If you're not wedded to the big F on the headstock, you might be able to find a locally-built 'Tele' for a lot cheaper that you'd think. This guy in Wisconsin, Bob Logan, gets rave reviews from the weirdos on TDPRI.com, and I've laid hands on a Brave Guitars tele, built locally to me (actually ran into the builder I was was test-driving it). If you care to dive down the rabbit hole that is Telecasters, you might find somebody near you that screws 'em together pretty good. Or hell, build one yourself.

Not a fan of a fat neck. Thin and wide works best for me. I had a peavy tele for a minute and I absolutely hated the berkeleying neck on that thing.

I'll have to check out the homebuilt stuff. I've played a few homebuilts. Some 'decent,' some really bad. But come to think of it, I've got a buddy of a buddy who's a solid dude, and mentioned something about building guitars a few months ago. I should see what he's got.

God, I'm so freakin fickle with guitars, which is probably part of the reason I haven't bought or sold any music stuff in over ten years. Truth be told, if I did find the "White Whale," I'd probably be bored with it in a month. Cars have replaced the buying/selling/trading constantly hole that guitars and amps used to occupy.

Example of what a retard I am - while I really want a good tele., I would also totally rock the berkeley out of this:

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/msg/1851569707.html

And I'll DEFINITELY keep an eye out for you!!! Just never know. I've bought a perfect, in tune, working D6 Clavinet for $35 (pawn shop,) a working fender rhodes with stand for $50 (estate sale,) and so on and so forth.

I passed on a Fender Rhodes a few years back for $75 that my old guitar player's dad was selling, simply because I have no clue how to play the damn thing. They sound very cool. I probably should've bought it.

Rhodes, Farfisas, other suitcase analog keyboards...yes. I'll take 'em.

Yeah, I'm certainly no concert pianist, but those two were too cool to let go. I really miss the Clavinet. There wasn't much to making that thing sound cool. Hook up a wah-wah pedal, quickly locate and memorize the minor pentatonic scale in whatever key you're playing in, and rock the berkeley out. Sadly, I gave both away when I moved to GA

White penguin. I just want one. I had a Eliot Easton that I sold like a idiot.

Rickenbacker 6 string electric mandolin. Its my grail, I only know of 6 of them were made and the lead guitarest for Tom Petty has two of them.

I hold out hope though. I got my Steinway K52 for 2.5K rebuilt. Its from 1919 but a new one in the same wood and spec was 60K.

I'm almost embarrassed to say it but..

There's a spot in my heart for a BC Rich Warlock.

Shawn