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Re: In serious need of gear advice...

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Posted by keith (from: useral91.netscapeonline.co.uk) on December 27, 2000 at 22:48:27:

In Reply to: In serious need of gear advice... posted by Oliver on December 27, 2000 at 16:49:21:

: Happy Holidays Everyone,

: I've been playing guitar for over a decade now, and I'm still completely ignorant when it comes to buying new gear. The time has come for me to make several major purchases, and I could really use some advice. As you all know, trying gear out in the store is next to useless because every piece of the chain influences your sound... so I could really use some suggestions on the following items:

: Oh, let me preface this by mentioning that I play mostly power/prog metal (e.g. spiral architect, dream theater, nevermore), and am looking for gear that suits this style.

: (1) ELECTRIC GUITAR: Since around 1990 I've been using an Alvarez Dana Scoop. I'm debating whether I should install new pickups or buy a new guitar. Any suggestions as to which route I should take? What are the best pickups for the job? What are the best guitars for power/prog in the $900-$1300 price range?

: (2) HALF-STACK: I've been using a Crate GX212 for practice, but its clear that I'm going to need something more powerful (and with a better sound) for live shows. I don't want to bankrupt myself, but I also don't want to skimp on my purchase and regret it for years to come... so I'd really appreciate some suggestions on what the best gear would be in terms of value/quality.

: (3) ELECTRIC/ACOUSTIC CLASSICAL: I'd also appreciate some advice on the best models of electric/acoustic classical under $700.

: Many thanks!!

: -oliver-

I play more blues myself, but I read Jaterz's answer and thought I'd add a bit, regarding pick-ups.

I'd often wondered a bit abourt changing pick-ups, and about whether it was worth it, and ultimately just left my guitars as they were. Recently, though, I built an all-mahognay double-cutaway thing a bit like a Gibson SG. I researched pick-ups a bit and settled on Seymour Duncans. Welll, the sound of this thing is stunning, and Im sure that's down more to Mr Duncan's pick-up building than my guitar building. The clarity on chords, and the depth of each note you play is wonderful. Anyway I researched a few pick-up makes at the teim, and got their catalogues and so on. Rightly or wrongly, I got the impression that Di Marzios are aimed more at rock performers than Seymour Duncans were. They had people like Steve Vai, Blues Saraceno, Yngwie Malmsteen and others whose names escape me right now. Anyway, if you're considering pick-ups you might want to take a look at both catalogues. I found them interesting just for the background information. Try their websites?

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Re: Don't mess with the scoop!!! Christian Koonz 00:51:13 8/29/03 (0)

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: : Happy Holidays Everyone, : : I've been playing guitar for over a decade now, and I'm still completely ignorant when it comes to buying new gear. The time has come for me to make several major purchases, and I could really use some advice. As you all know, trying gear out in the store is next to useless because every piece of the chain influences your sound... so I could really use some suggestions on the following items: : : Oh, let me preface this by mentioning that I play mostly power/prog metal (e.g. spiral architect, dream theater, nevermore), and am looking for gear that suits this style. : : (1) ELECTRIC GUITAR: Since around 1990 I've been using an Alvarez Dana Scoop. I'm debating whether I should install new pickups or buy a new guitar. Any suggestions as to which route I should take? What are the best pickups for the job? What are the best guitars for power/prog in the $900-$1300 price range? : : (2) HALF-STACK: I've been using a Crate GX212 for practice, but its clear that I'm going to need something more powerful (and with a better sound) for live shows. I don't want to bankrupt myself, but I also don't want to skimp on my purchase and regret it for years to come... so I'd really appreciate some suggestions on what the best gear would be in terms of value/quality. : : (3) ELECTRIC/ACOUSTIC CLASSICAL: I'd also appreciate some advice on the best models of electric/acoustic classical under $700. : : Many thanks!! : : -oliver- : I play more blues myself, but I read Jaterz's answer and thought I'd add a bit, regarding pick-ups. : I'd often wondered a bit abourt changing pick-ups, and about whether it was worth it, and ultimately just left my guitars as they were. Recently, though, I built an all-mahognay double-cutaway thing a bit like a Gibson SG. I researched pick-ups a bit and settled on Seymour Duncans. Welll, the sound of this thing is stunning, and Im sure that's down more to Mr Duncan's pick-up building than my guitar building. The clarity on chords, and the depth of each note you play is wonderful. Anyway I researched a few pick-up makes at the teim, and got their catalogues and so on. Rightly or wrongly, I got the impression that Di Marzios are aimed more at rock performers than Seymour Duncans were. They had people like Steve Vai, Blues Saraceno, Yngwie Malmsteen and others whose names escape me right now. Anyway, if you're considering pick-ups you might want to take a look at both catalogues. I found them interesting just for the background information. Try their websites?

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