Motherofpearl Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Wondering if I can get some help here. I'm a country bluegrass player and have a huge heard of acoustics but no electrics I'm thinking of adding one. Now I grew up listening to Waylon Jennings and Merle haggard and I see they have sig electrics and would love to add one of those but my question is are these guitars worth the money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennis Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 In my experience signature guitars are very good, but have a little too much added price just because of the name attached to them. usually you can get a very similar instrument for significantly less money. My advice, since you haven't cared much about electrics so far is to not spend too much on what might just end up being expensive decoration with diminishing value. Test some, or buy cheaper models to see if you actually want to invest time and money in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherofpearl Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 Probably a good idea lol. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyBillyBob1 Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 What if we looked at this from the other side, the side you know about. Martin makes an Eric Clapton Signature 00028. List price is $4599. A regular 00028 has a list price of $3349. A difference of $1250. There are some differences in neck width and scalloped bracing BUT... they both have a spruce top and rosewood back and sides. Essentially the same guitar. If you were new to acoustic guitars and fingerpicking I think the Standard Series version would be fine amd it's over a thousand dollars less. Point being, for the most part, is to avoid sig series till you know exactly what you want and why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I think you just need a good ol Tele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan H Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I think you just need a good ol Tele The man knows what he's talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rguerra Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Wondering if I can get some help here. I'm a country bluegrass player and have a huge heard of acoustics but no electrics I'm thinking of adding one. Now I grew up listening to Waylon Jennings and Merle haggard and I see they have sig electrics and would love to add one of those but my question is are these guitars worth the money? My 2 cents? If you are just collecting, then yeah the signature model might be a better investment. If you want to explore the electric side of country/bluegrass music, then pick up a relatively inexpensive Telecaster and a nice clean amp with a good reverb like a Fender Super Champ X2 or Blues Jr. Or a Vox AC15. The differences in tone are really going to be in your hands. A signature model and a Standard won't be all that different until you really know what you want. I've done bluegrass and the Tele was a really logical transition. Bass runs have loads of snap and the treble has a breaking glass quality that covers some of the mandolin tones you are probably used to hearing. On the Gibson side, I find my Les Paul Studio 60's neck Deluxe with coil splitting can get some really snappy single coil sounds too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Yes - has to be a completely stock Tele, Mexican, U.S.A or a Squier. A signature model would just have some fancy features you don't really need at this point. If you are a country bluegrass player you must have a Tele!! Then again I recently bought a Korean Gretsch-inspired semi-acoustic 'Shine' guitar (not quite a copy) made by Saein Musical Instrument Co, and made in the same factory as Epiphones - incredible value, an excellent instrument for the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiz Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I think you just need a good ol Tele +1 for that. A regular old USA Telecaster Standard would be sweet. I have only played MIM Tele's, and I love 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 If you have the scratch these are the ultimate Waylon guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff-7 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Another vote for a telecaster here. Are any of your acoustics electrified? If not you could always put an M1A in one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherofpearl Posted September 17, 2012 Author Share Posted September 17, 2012 The Jennings is beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Yes - has to be a completely stock Tele, Mexican, U.S.A or a Squier. A signature model would just have some fancy features you don't really need at this point. If you are a country bluegrass player you must have a Tele!! Then again I recently bought a Korean Gretsch-inspired semi-acoustic 'Shine' guitar (not quite a copy) made by Saein Musical Instrument Co, and made in the same factory as Epiphones - incredible value, an excellent instrument for the money. Where did you buy it? I can't find any info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 The guys saying "tele" are doing so on a basis of "tone." Nothing against the tele. If it came with a Gibson kinda neck, I'd likely buy one myself but... that's the thing. Even one with a 9 1/2 inch neck radius is a lot more "round" on the fingerboard than you're probably used to. Another point is that it will feel far, far different from a dread of any style. Also, once you get an electric, you'll also need an amp. A lotta folks here are really into tube amps for various reasons, and those ain't inexpensive. So just a low-end Squier tele at, say $250, plus a $750 amp, then cords, strings, etc., and you're over $1,000 on something you may or may not like for the feel. At this point I'd personally recommend that if you're close enough to a guitar store that has Teles and also some Epiphone Dots and even a jazz box, try them for feel. Yeah, nothing really sounds like a tele as in Waylon's stuff, but on the other hand, even an AE can come relatively close on the bottom end and add some reverb and mess with amp settings ... it's not as far away as you might imagine. I could come close enough for me with an old '70s Ovation electric legend. Ditto even a humbucker jazz guitar with light strings or... horror of horrors, a single pole sound hole pickup and playing a lot closer to the bridge than you're likely used to. I tend personally to be a "feel" guy for guitars. If it feels right on an electric, you likely can come close enough with guitar and amp settings. Roy Buchanan could use a Tele for jazz... but he loved the short radius fingerboard - I think the 7 1/2 off the top of my head. Me, I kinda like some of the sound potential, but I just can't handle that fingerboard or a Tele neck in general. Also nothing, but nothing will sound exactly like what you hear on a record. I personally don't quite understand why folks who haven't really exploited what they have, will spend quadrillions on more equipment searching for that elusive "tone" when just a change of technique can do incredible things, changing of electric guitar settings and change of technique can bring countless tone variations and... now add even a different amp with nothing but basic EQ and you have far more variations... add an amp with more options and... m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Where did you buy it? I can't find any info. Please excuse if this is a slightly off-topic reply..... I bought it from a guy who got it as part of an ebay deal. I am in U.K. and these are available from Chase Direct, here's the link - http://www.chasedirect.co.uk/guitars/semi-acoustic-guitars?zenid=38165faace3aa018640133326326ca0e And they also have an eBay 'shop' as if you type 'Shine guitar' into ebay (in U.K.) quite a lot come up. But (back on topic) - how about Roy Buchanan's signed 1952 tele for $75k? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Roy-Buchanan-52-Fender-Telecaster-Tele-Electric-Guitar-w-Fender-HSC-/251071361056?pt=Guitar&hash=item3a7504f020 Now that's a signature instrument! Regards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I grew up watching Dukes of Hazzard and I always wanted Waylon Jennings' Tele. He also did the narrations. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRX4mlFi06A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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