do you suffer from penis envy? well i suffer excruciatingly from guitar envy! i see all these wonderful, retro guitars, and i want to go out and commit some crimes. what makes it worse, is that some of them are really affordable. the musician in me says "your strat is an excellent workhorse instrument with good tone, good mechanics, good intonation, and excellent sustain, while the devil in me wants to be seen around town with one of these cheap, slutty jezebels tempting me to forsake everything for a spot of instant gratification.....i can't tell you the effect these hussies have on me.....if i could get my hands on one of theirs bigsbys and vibrate it just a little bit......oooh, suits you, sir! does anyone else suffer from this problem? yours respectfully a frustrated strat-wrangler.

im exatly the same as this its wy i have no strat ,but i do have a cheapo strat copy ,its about 20 years old and my diy refin is awsome

flying v's lame? check out lonnie mack!

The Enthusiasts said:

very true.  i thought flying V's were lame until jay reatard rocked the shit out of them.

The Dark Rags said:

I think it's all up to the person playing the guitar. I bet Link Wray would look cool rocking an Ibanez.

hi john! just thought i'd reply, cos i'll chilling on a beach for a week. first of all i'd like to say i suffer from G.A.A.G.S...."gotta 'ave a gretsch syndrome"....., although those little 300-buck danelectro dano pros are soooo sexy! to reply to your question...this site is so amazing that i don't have time to fully investigate all it's possibilities...ergo, thinks get done on a whim, rather than with the methodical, systematic rigour of, say, a computer programmer(hi there kopper!). i'm just happy to get any sort of response; humorous, technical, sociable or reprimanding. as long as i(and others) learn something, or at least have a laugh! :+)) why don't you start a discussion about that very same topic, john? i'd willingly contribute. i remember those lonely, frightening, bewildering first days at university....sometimes i feel like that on the hideout! when i come back, we'll talk guitars...., and how they ruin our lives:+) all the best!

John White said:

I have found that it's hard to get replies in bands and musicians, there are so many groups and I think most people just stay on the main site. Have you had this same problem?

duke cottonhead said:

i agree it should have been in bands and musicians, but there you go!

Mardy Pune said:

haha great topic! Should be over in the Bands and Musicians group though.

I've got a '94 Japanese Fender Strat. 62 reissue something. Gutted the pickups out, dropped some decent ones in, gave it a setup and fucking rock n roll she goes!

I love it, it does everything I need it to. Every other guitar I look at is just a cheap whore as far as I'm concerned!

 

 

I have found that it's hard to get replies in bands and musicians, there are so many groups and I think most people just stay on the main site. Have you had this same problem?

duke cottonhead said:

i agree it should have been in bands and musicians, but there you go!

Mardy Pune said:

haha great topic! Should be over in the Bands and Musicians group though.

I've got a '94 Japanese Fender Strat. 62 reissue something. Gutted the pickups out, dropped some decent ones in, gave it a setup and fucking rock n roll she goes!

I love it, it does everything I need it to. Every other guitar I look at is just a cheap whore as far as I'm concerned!

 

 

so that girls like you will reply to my topics :+)

Mina said:

why do you wanna be cool?

G.A.S. Guitar Acquisition Syndrome

duke cottonhead said:

dear phil, what is cheap G.A.S. syndrome? is it an allergy to expensive guitars?

Phil holloway said:

Sorry,  but I totally disagree with the French chick and tears analogy.  Unless you mean tears of joy.

French chicks who love rock and roll can totally can rock and roll.

Bring it on!!!

But to each his own.

Cottenhead is brilliantly, bravely and honestly expressing something many of us feel and probably have debated about for years but would have never thought to admit to in writing.

"just checkin out some of the cool things happenin' along the way"  -Fleshtones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZuB_CsDTNc

Sorry but I can't find a link to the original Fleshtones version.

 

Hi ,  My name is Phil and I suffer from cheap G.A.S.  syndrome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

dear dave, i think you hit the nail on the head there! i would love to design a guitar from scratch.....oh-oh i sense a new discussion coming on. all the best!

Guitars, amps, and pedals make tone, with the amp probably having the biggest direct effect, if you ask me. The guitar is the part that most directly interacts with the thong that mst affects the musicality of what you are playing, that is, your hands. If it feels good do it, I say. The guitar is wood and plastic and metal and electronics, find whatever speaks to you and get it to play and feel right, tweak pickups as needed to get the right interaction with the amp, and don't look back.

Myfav guitar is a 335 knockoff I paid 120 for shipped across the country, it now has new pickups , frets tuners and bridge and sounds, plays and looks amazing ( to me). Doing that work over years made me realize how much I like that process and I am about to start building my first guitar from raw wood. I also have a strat, LP, had SGs (standard and classic with p90s), and each has it's place.

What does all this mean? Mainly that I need to stop messing with gear and play more.

Dave

i spoke to the guitar tech at the guitarwolf gig in paris, and apparently seiji guitarwolf buys his guitars a few days before his concerts in local music stores, and he deliberately chooses the cheapest! (in his case epiphone sg copies). if it's good enough for the greatest rock'n'roller since link wray, it's good enough for me!

i agree it should have been in bands and musicians, but there you go!

Mardy Pune said:

haha great topic! Should be over in the Bands and Musicians group though.

I've got a '94 Japanese Fender Strat. 62 reissue something. Gutted the pickups out, dropped some decent ones in, gave it a setup and fucking rock n roll she goes!

I love it, it does everything I need it to. Every other guitar I look at is just a cheap whore as far as I'm concerned!

 

 

dear phil, what is cheap G.A.S. syndrome? is it an allergy to expensive guitars?

Phil holloway said:

Sorry,  but I totally disagree with the French chick and tears analogy.  Unless you mean tears of joy.

French chicks who love rock and roll can totally can rock and roll.

Bring it on!!!

But to each his own.

Cottenhead is brilliantly, bravely and honestly expressing something many of us feel and probably have debated about for years but would have never thought to admit to in writing.

"just checkin out some of the cool things happenin' along the way"  -Fleshtones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZuB_CsDTNc

Sorry but I can't find a link to the original Fleshtones version.

 

Hi ,  My name is Phil and I suffer from cheap G.A.S.  syndrome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

dear mr newton, sir. it wasn't a fantasy; i did have an affair with a french chick, and it did end in tears. most apt analogy. what do you recommend for transcendental erotic satisfaction when deprived of a guitar?

Dom Newton said:

I don't think your envy is beneficial to your piece of mind. Think of it like this. Your guitar is your steady girl, your old lady and you know ALL the right moves to squeeze all the joy out of her and make her wail beautifully. A new girl would be good for a while but you'd be going back along the road you've already travelled to get to the same destination.

It's a nice fantasy but like having an a affair with a French chick it would ultimately end in tears. Stick to your weapon of choice for transcendental musical and erotic satisfaction. Peace out, DomThe Raven

:) Last time I saw Link Wray (1997?) he was wielding a Yamaha, if I remember correctly... 

The Dark Rags said:

I think it's all up to the person playing the guitar. I bet Link Wray would look cool rocking an Ibanez.

I have a Peavey JF-1, from what I can tell it's real close to the Buckingham. I like the guitar alot as does everyone else that plays it. Maybe you should get a silver metal flake finish for your strat, like the  silver Gretsch Billy Zoom plays. It would dress it up real nice.

duke cottonhead said:

thanks for the reply john. yeh, i saw a sf band called "moon duo" the other day, and i think he was playing an airline, and the tone was great! that said, i sold a very good strat(which i subsequently recuperated) in order to buy a peavey buckingham because it looked beautiful, and was designed by darrell higham the kick-ass rockabilly player(and guitarist and husband of imelda may). i even added duesenberg p90 pick-ups. a rockabilly-fanatic friend of mine loved the retro sound, but i found it difficult to play(lead at least), seriously lacking in sustain(noblesse oblige-the bigsby), and more importantly lacking the versatility of the strat....a type-cast guitar. i'm back with my strat. i dress her up in fishnet stockings and stilletto heels, but "the thrill is gone". she's reliable; she gets the job done. she knows how to moan. but she'll never be one of those cheap, trashy things.....to my eternal regret....but i love her....my strat....sigh!

Fender Strats ARE cool! I think sometimes we crave the "excitement" of getting a new guitar, its a cheap thrill, like getting um... a new pair of chuck taylors or something, i dont know. If your Strat works great than you have nothing to worry about. Dont trade it. Shit, you could save up money and get 2 guitars. heheh good topic.

Sorry,  but I totally disagree with the French chick and tears analogy.  Unless you mean tears of joy.

French chicks who love rock and roll can totally can rock and roll.

Bring it on!!!

But to each his own.

Cottenhead is brilliantly, bravely and honestly expressing something many of us feel and probably have debated about for years but would have never thought to admit to in writing.

"just checkin out some of the cool things happenin' along the way"  -Fleshtones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZuB_CsDTNc

Sorry but I can't find a link to the original Fleshtones version.

 

Hi ,  My name is Phil and I suffer from cheap G.A.S.  syndrome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think your envy is beneficial to your piece of mind. Think of it like this. Your guitar is your steady girl, your old lady and you know ALL the right moves to squeeze all the joy out of her and make her wail beautifully. A new girl would be good for a while but you'd be going back along the road you've already travelled to get to the same destination.

It's a nice fantasy but like having an a affair with a French chick it would ultimately end in tears. Stick to your weapon of choice for transcendental musical and erotic satisfaction. Peace out, DomThe Raven

I gotta agree: I think GFS carries excellent stuff for surprisingly low prices. The Dream 90s you speak of are excellent and, in my opinion, better than TV Jones (and a fraction of the price). I also have to agree that my biggest beef with Strats is the location of the volume knob that I accidentally wind up turning myself down the harder I rock. You could always move the knob to one of the other holes and replace it with a blinking light or some other weird thing that would make your guitar cooler. The great thing about this forum is that I don't think you'll get the snobbery. garage and punk "style" is that of a dude that wants to rock but can only afford less-expensive gear. So, discussing how someone can rock out on a cool guitar without spending a ton of money is a great topic of conversation (with all due respect to Fenders and Gibsons).

Phil holloway said:

Its pretty interesting that we all seem to be essentially on the same page. 

But then again we don't flock to Garage Punk to discuss getting that ubiquitous "Nickelback" or the hipster equivalent "Arcade Fire" sound.

As for modding,  I have on more than a few occasions dropped GFS "Dream 90's" and "mean 90's" into SG and les Paul type copies for friends  (this is a humbucker sized P90) to make them sound and interact with the amp more like Les Paul juniors.   In all cases I felt a pang of pain as I gave them back to the owners as I had improved them 10000%.

This is not a flippant plug for GFS pickups,  I really do think they are good value for the money.  with the P90's you get that single coil sound but with a little extra boost and they really well potted thus avoiding the nastier and unwanted feedback problems.

I also am currently re-wiring and experimenting with a 3 pickup SG to give me a more Ric type sound. (believe it or not). 

My strat is completely stock and is perfect. l.uck of the draw?  (volume pot location excepted due to my playing style)

a good fender jaguar would be on my wishlist. 

As for guitars online.  There is always the problem of neck confort that is a gamble.  What would be great would be local guitar swap meets or guitar clubs to swap guitars and ideas without the snobbery or bull.  One mans lemon is another mans goldmine.

Great topic!

Cheers!

 

RE"I bet Link Wray would look cool rocking an Ibanez."

Link Wray would look cool playing even a Peavey!

 

very true.  i thought flying V's were lame until jay reatard rocked the shit out of them.

The Dark Rags said:

I think it's all up to the person playing the guitar. I bet Link Wray would look cool rocking an Ibanez.

Its pretty interesting that we all seem to be essentially on the same page. 

But then again we don't flock to Garage Punk to discuss getting that ubiquitous "Nickelback" or the hipster equivalent "Arcade Fire" sound.

As for modding,  I have on more than a few occasions dropped GFS "Dream 90's" and "mean 90's" into SG and les Paul type copies for friends  (this is a humbucker sized P90) to make them sound and interact with the amp more like Les Paul juniors.   In all cases I felt a pang of pain as I gave them back to the owners as I had improved them 10000%.

This is not a flippant plug for GFS pickups,  I really do think they are good value for the money.  with the P90's you get that single coil sound but with a little extra boost and they really well potted thus avoiding the nastier and unwanted feedback problems.

I also am currently re-wiring and experimenting with a 3 pickup SG to give me a more Ric type sound. (believe it or not). 

My strat is completely stock and is perfect. l.uck of the draw?  (volume pot location excepted due to my playing style)

a good fender jaguar would be on my wishlist. 

As for guitars online.  There is always the problem of neck confort that is a gamble.  What would be great would be local guitar swap meets or guitar clubs to swap guitars and ideas without the snobbery or bull.  One mans lemon is another mans goldmine.

Great topic!

Cheers!

 

RE"I bet Link Wray would look cool rocking an Ibanez."

Link Wray would look cool playing even a Peavey!

 

I think it's all up to the person playing the guitar. I bet Link Wray would look cool rocking an Ibanez.

If a strat is good enough for Mick Collins it's good enough for me. But...you have to use the pickup everyone refuses to use...I'm sure you'll figure that one out.

haha great topic! Should be over in the Bands and Musicians group though.

I've got a '94 Japanese Fender Strat. 62 reissue something. Gutted the pickups out, dropped some decent ones in, gave it a setup and fucking rock n roll she goes!

I love it, it does everything I need it to. Every other guitar I look at is just a cheap whore as far as I'm concerned!

 

 

Good question and plenty of great answers.
Speaking of Danelectro: they might not be as rock solid as some guitars, but for the money they are great and super cool with a very unique tone. I have had many different types. The Hodad pictured is actually one of the best ones they ever created in both quality, classy-ness, and practicality/functionality.
Any guitar can be totally cool. I agree that you can make any guitar look cooler by modding it however you like.
I am not a huge Strat fan, but there is no denying that it is a versatile, classic, and high-quality guitar (although most are way over-priced).
I agree that buying a solid low-end guitar and modding it, changing it's appearance, and making it look unique in your own way is a surefire and cheap way to make your guitar look cool.
Rondo and Xaviere (guitarfetish.com) make super cool guitars that are very crazy-inexpensive. But, yes, definately spend some money to get them up to road-warrior ability: re-set up, good strings, double-check electronics and hardware, etc. You could buy a very cool Xaviere guitar for just over a hundred dollars, but may have to spend $50-$100 just to get it tweeked, but it will be worth it. Try to find a friend that knows how to do setups (unless you already know how; if you don't know how you should start learning) and have them show you how it is done and maybe they'll do it for you for a good price.
Good luck.
KK