Mid life guitar crisis

[Huggy Love]

Where did it all go?!!!.... One minute I was lead guitarist in a hot local band, the chicks dug us, I had it all..........next minute........... (Okay, okay, just kidding)

But I do have a mid life guitar crisis of some sort though. I put my main axe (2000 Mccarty HB) in to Gary Brawer's for a complete re-fret and won't be done for a couple weeks, being without it is very painful. I have a bad disk (on disability now) and pinched nerve that almost ended my guitar playing days, but with some help from acupuncture I can play guitar & bass. (No longer can play keys or percussion) I also own an SE sglcut and an Ibanez Pat Matheny but because of my injury are painful to play (gonna have to sell them eventually), the PRS HB is the only guitar shaped right and light enough to be able to play and not be in pain the next 3 days. The ES-339 shape guitars are OK for me but the Gibson version ain't cheap and the Epiphone ones aren't too nice. The PRS HB is the perfect axe for me, just happens to be one of the most expensive pieces out there. I did try the SE semi hollow but the flat profile kills my shoulder & disk, my SE sgl cut isn't shaped that bad but I think the weight is the factor there.

Well that's the rock, here's the hard place..... $$$. I'm on disability, have responsibilities, and we all know USA PRS hollowbodies are not only expensive, they don't show up on the used gear market much and when they do they are still very expensive. I also wonder about finding used PRS HBs online because I've never bought a guitar sight unseen and I have found a couple *semi* reasonable deals, just way too scared to plunk that much on something I've only seen pictures of, plus they are always in a color I don't want.

Any thoughts on that from the folks that do buy them from ebay/etc? I'm just scared to do it.

On top of all that, my amp...... Mesa rectoverb 50w, I play mostly jazz and R&B these days so the clean channel is THE BEST, headroom for days!!!, but I come from fusion and hard rock lead guitar background and like to rip a little sometimes. The problem is the thing is so loud I can't play it up enough to get the right tone without giving my neighbors concussions, and it weighs as much as a baby rhino. Can't even lug the damn thing for my periodic jazz gigs without risking a ruptured disk.

Well it was just a rant......but I had to let it out guys........besides who else can I confide in.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I'd get an SE Hollowbody and spend the rest on a hairpiece, some new clothes, and a tan. Chicks don't care about guitars generally, and the birds are usually enough to keep the illusion alive.

 

[Huggy Love]

Still got my hair & females, but an SE hollow ain't gonna get it. More concerned with buying an HB online.

 

[nosidamde]

Sorry to hear about your bad disk. If money is an issue then sell off some of your other gear to get what you're after?

 

[xjbebop]

I was recently on the hunt for my first 335/339- type, but wanted a quality budget version. Long story short, I accidentally found a used Schecter Corsair.
I'm super impressed with it and think it might be just what you're looking for.... check them out!

 

[solacematt]

You can find good HB's for under 2500.00 honestly. That sucks about your issues, I actually first looked into the PRS HB back in 2010 for that same reason. Screwed up my back really bad at work (event production), moving stuff that was beyond heavy (a meyer concert system by myself) and was in the worst pain of my life, so I completely get where you're coming from.

 

[garrett]

So the crux of the biscuit is you want a suitable back-up for the Hollowbody on a budget.

Some of the SE models can get very light. My SE Soapbar II was right around the 6 pound mark and the contours made it super comfy. An SE EG would be very similar.

There are two S2 Mira Semi-hollows at Sweetwater right now that are real close to the 6 pound mark.

I have no doubts about buying a PRS without playing first. If it's used, just make sure to get good pics, and ask questions on the important stuff like fret wear, weight, overall condition.

 

[Huggy Love]

Thanks for the tips folks, will take a peek at the Corsair, tried one of the S2 series and for an axe in the mid teens I wasn't blown away by it, maybe I'll check out some more if I see any locally. I figure once it goes over $1000 might as well get a used HB, and If the SE hollow wasn't flat like a tele I'd get one because it is light they actually have decent tone. Just gotta be careful about shapes as well as weights, I picked up that sglcut cheap and felt OK testing it out but I've been trying to play it while the HB is in the shop and it's killing my shoulder. I'm gonna take a break from playing till it's back.

I have the sglcut & the 50w head on CL right now, but it's slow going, if I move them I can get a lunchbox head and I'll just have to do some jazz gigs when the HB is back. I have found a small few of used HBs online under $2500, just haven't plunkd down that much on sight unseen but I see a lot of people here do it, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Again most I see are in colors I don't want, if I find one that looks like Garrett's avatar I'll be more eager.

...and the disk.... ... I just thank the lord (& my acupuncturist) I can still play, that's good enough for me.

 

[GADonis]

I don't know if this would help with a disc issue but you mentioned one of the guitars "killing your shoulder". I have a pinched nerve in my neck/shoulder area and after awhile playing with a regular strap my left hand pinky and ring finger start to go numb. Still trying to get the nerve issue properly diagnosed and fixed but in the mean time I switched to a DARE strap. It has a strap that goes over the left shoulder and a strap that goes over the right shoulder. The don't look very rock and roll, can be awkward to use at first and are not easy to get properly adjusted by yourself BUT when you get used to how to put on/take off and you get it adjusted so the weight of the guitar is shared equally on both shoulders they work really well.

http://www.darestrap.com/guitar.html

I also second the comment about the SE SoapbarII. I don't know the actual weights of any of my guitars but it feels pretty light compared to my other guitars (a couple McCarty's, Tele, Strat and Firebird to name a few). And you should be able to find one fairly inexpensive. I just recently bought my first online guitar. It is a used Korina McCarty with P90's. I was nervous about not playing it first but figured if there is any brand out there that I trust to have consistent quality it is PRS. I don't know if that really extends to the SE line. My guess is that the consistency of the SE lines is probably not as high as the Core lines. Played my first gig with the McKorina (or should it be McSoapy?) and was very happy with it. Beautiful guitar and plays great.
A couple of last thoughts. I have a 1967 Gibson ES125 that feels as light as paper compared to all my other guitars. I gig with it on occasion but have to be careful since I play fairly dirty and usually end up standing right in front of my amp so feedback is an issue. I played a new Epiphone ES175 that I can't say I was overly impressed with but I was looking more for a Rock-n-Roll, Ted Nugent thing from it. It might be worth a look for you. Also, Boogie just released a 25W head version of the Mark V. It has all the goodies of the bigger Mark V's but it is tiny. That could be paired with a small 10" cab and make a pretty compact and light setup. Of course between the head and small cab you are looking at some significant money since Boogie doesn't make anything cheap.

 

[RedGuitars]

I would buy a PRS HB used any time. The quality is consistent, so unless it's been really abused, I would do it... I've owned two in the past. Don't own one right now (do have a semi-hollow), but the first one I had was only around 5lbs... awesome!

 

[Huggy Love]

I don't know if this would help with a disc issue but you mentioned one of the guitars "killing your shoulder". I have a pinched nerve in my neck/shoulder area and after awhile playing with a regular strap my left hand pinky and ring finger start to go numb. Still trying to get the nerve issue properly diagnosed and fixed but in the mean time I switched to a DARE strap. It has a strap that goes over the left shoulder and a strap that goes over the right shoulder. The don't look very rock and roll, can be awkward to use at first and are not easy to get properly adjusted by yourself BUT when you get used to how to put on/take off and you get it adjusted so the weight of the guitar is shared equally on both shoulders they work really well.

http://www.darestrap.com/guitar.html

I also second the comment about the SE SoapbarII. I don't know the actual weights of any of my guitars but it feels pretty light compared to my other guitars (a couple McCarty's, Tele, Strat and Firebird to name a few). And you should be able to find one fairly inexpensive. I just recently bought my first online guitar. It is a used Korina McCarty with P90's. I was nervous about not playing it first but figured if there is any brand out there that I trust to have consistent quality it is PRS. I don't know if that really extends to the SE line. My guess is that the consistency of the SE lines is probably not as high as the Core lines. Played my first gig with the McKorina (or should it be McSoapy?) and was very happy with it. Beautiful guitar and plays great.
A couple of last thoughts. I have a 1967 Gibson ES125 that feels as light as paper compared to all my other guitars. I gig with it on occasion but have to be careful since I play fairly dirty and usually end up standing right in front of my amp so feedback is an issue. I played a new Epiphone ES175 that I can't say I was overly impressed with but I was looking more for a Rock-n-Roll, Ted Nugent thing from it. It might be worth a look for you. Also, Boogie just released a 25W head version of the Mark V. It has all the goodies of the bigger Mark V's but it is tiny. That could be paired with a small 10" cab and make a pretty compact and light setup. Of course between the head and small cab you are looking at some significant money since Boogie doesn't make anything cheap.

The numbness in your pinky & ring fngr is from a pinch around C5,C6,C7 (those are vertebre in your neck). I haven't had full sensation of my right index finger since the injury 2 years ago, but I deal with it and acupuncture helps A WHOLE LOT. I really do swear by it and it might help you. My problem is on the right side mostly so having the strap on the left is not too much of the problem but the weight & shape of the instrument is (and es-175 would kill my shoulder). They even have those weird straps ZZ top used that hook to your waist but I don't think that is as huge an issue because doing jazz & R&B I can actually play a gig sitting down sometimes, and the HB strapped has never been a problem. I did look at the SE soap bar but at this point I'm gonna stay away from solid bodies, I picked up that SE sglcut just recently and now I have to sell it so I'm going to be more sure of my purchases in the future. Yes, I really like the mini recto & mini mark V, missed out on getting one used for $700 that got snapped up quicker than I could get to it, will get one when I sell the 50W.

Thanks for the tip & consider acupuncture if that nerve issue gets in the way of your passion. If I didn't use it, I would have sold *ALL* my gear a year ago and we would not be having this conversation.

 

[Huggy Love]

I would buy a PRS HB used any time. The quality is consistent, so unless it's been really abused, I would do it... I've owned two in the past. Don't own one right now (do have a semi-hollow), but the first one I had was only around 5lbs... awesome!

I agree on the consistency of PRS & unless I hear a bunch of horror stories, I probably will order online if/when a good opportunity comes up. Yes, 5 lbs of awesome, I think the lightest I've come across.

 

[garrett]

Thanks for the tips folks, will take a peek at the Corsair, tried one of the S2 series and for an axe in the mid teens I wasn't blown away by it, maybe I'll check out some more if I see any locally. I figure once it goes over $1000 might as well get a used HB, and If the SE hollow wasn't flat like a tele I'd get one because it is light they actually have decent tone. Just gotta be careful about shapes as well as weights, I picked up that sglcut cheap and felt OK testing it out but I've been trying to play it while the HB is in the shop and it's killing my shoulder. I'm gonna take a break from playing till it's back.

I have the sglcut & the 50w head on CL right now, but it's slow going, if I move them I can get a lunchbox head and I'll just have to do some jazz gigs when the HB is back. I have found a small few of used HBs online under $2500, just haven't plunkd down that much on sight unseen but I see a lot of people here do it, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Again most I see are in colors I don't want, if I find one that looks like Garrett's avatar I'll be more eager.

...and the disk.... ... I just thank the lord (& my acupuncturist) I can still play, that's good enough for me.

Mine is in rare company. I don't think many were made in turquoise, which is part of why I ordered that color. Definitely stands out.

Which version do you have? Maybe buy a different one to give you a slightly different tone option. There's a red HB Spruce on eBay right now

 

[Huggy Love]

Mine is in rare company. I don't think many were made in turquoise, which is part of why I ordered that color. Definitely stands out.

Which version do you have? Maybe buy a different one to give you a slightly different tone option. There's a red HB Spruce on eBay right now

That turquoise kicks butt, and red doesn't work for me, I see red and yellow a lot on resale PRS out there on the web, I never see charcoal burst or nice colors like yours.

Mine is a Mccarty HB 10 top, with archtop pups in dark brown antique violin kinda color with moons, I can get a decent Wes Montgomery/George benson tone and do some screaming like Carlos and Jeff Beck, a vintage setup and look.(I put a link in the "show your soundcloud/youtube/etc" thread of my progressive music, you can hear the range of tone I've been able to get out of her)

https://soundcloud.com/tony-barbas

When I'm ready to take the plunge on another I may look at ones that have piezo & 57/08s, we'll see.

 

[vchizzle]

Bought my SCHB II online from a dealer I didn't know. No issues, great guitar. Wait for the right one to come along and pick it up. The Rectoverb 25 sounds nice if you wanna stick to the same type of amp.

 

[garrett]

That turquoise kicks butt, and red doesn't work for me, I see red and yellow a lot on resale PRS out there on the web, I never see charcoal burst or nice colors like yours.

Mine is a Mccarty HB 10 top, with archtop pups in dark brown antique violin kinda color with moons, I can get a decent Wes Montgomery/George benson tone and do some screaming like Carlos and Jeff Beck, a vintage setup and look.(I put a link in the "show your soundcloud/youtube/etc" thread of my progressive music, you can hear the range of tone I've been able to get out of her)

https://soundcloud.com/tony-barbas

When I'm ready to take the plunge on another I may look at ones that have piezo & 57/08s, we'll see.

It's my opinion that people were less willing to order the Hollowbody in the bolder finishes. In the early 00's, it seemed like every other one was Dark Cherry Sunburst. Tons of them in the other more natural color finishes. I was worried about the turquoise seeming dated after a while, but everyone still loves it.

Once the funds align, grab the first one that floats your boat! I highly doubt you'll regret any of them.

Nice tunes!

 

[CVS]

I have 2008 PRS Hollowbody I that I purchased new in 2009 with Archtop pickups. I use it to play Larry Carlton type music (mostly clean with slight distortion at times). I may be putting it up for sale in a few months (I have a new Hollowbody II on order that has 57/08's and a piezo - mine does not). If I do I will let you know.

 

[dogrocketp]

Where did it all go?!!!.... One minute I was lead guitarist in a hot local band, the chicks dug us, I had it all..........next minute........... (Okay, okay, just kidding)

But I do have a mid life guitar crisis of some sort though. I put my main axe (2000 Mccarty HB) in to Gary Brawer's for a complete re-fret and won't be done for a couple weeks, being without it is very painful. I have a bad disk (on disability now) and pinched nerve that almost ended my guitar playing days, but with some help from acupuncture I can play guitar & bass. (No longer can play keys or percussion) I also own an SE sglcut and an Ibanez Pat Matheny but because of my injury are painful to play (gonna have to sell them eventually), the PRS HB is the only guitar shaped right and light enough to be able to play and not be in pain the next 3 days. The ES-339 shape guitars are OK for me but the Gibson version ain't cheap and the Epiphone ones aren't too nice. The PRS HB is the perfect axe for me, just happens to be one of the most expensive pieces out there. I did try the SE semi hollow but the flat profile kills my shoulder & disk, my SE sgl cut isn't shaped that bad but I think the weight is the factor there.

Well that's the rock, here's the hard place..... $$$. I'm on disability, have responsibilities, and we all know USA PRS hollowbodies are not only expensive, they don't show up on the used gear market much and when they do they are still very expensive. I also wonder about finding used PRS HBs online because I've never bought a guitar sight unseen and I have found a couple *semi* reasonable deals, just way too scared to plunk that much on something I've only seen pictures of, plus they are always in a color I don't want.

Any thoughts on that from the folks that do buy them from ebay/etc? I'm just scared to do it.

On top of all that, my amp...... Mesa rectoverb 50w, I play mostly jazz and R&B these days so the clean channel is THE BEST, headroom for days!!!, but I come from fusion and hard rock lead guitar background and like to rip a little sometimes. The problem is the thing is so loud I can't play it up enough to get the right tone without giving my neighbors concussions, and it weighs as much as a baby rhino. Can't even lug the damn thing for my periodic jazz gigs without risking a ruptured disk.

Well it was just a rant......but I had to let it out guys........besides who else can I confide in.

When it comes to amps. I'll suggest a Tech 21 Trademark 30. I think it weighs 14 pounds, not including the shoulder bag you can carry it to a gig with. It has an XLR line out if you need more volume. You can go directly into the house PA in 20 seconds. They're not expensive, and they're American made, like PRS. Most importantly, you can get any sound you want out of them, and they match up with PRS guitars beautifully. My recipe for small gig tone........PRS of your choice and a tech 21. Works for me.

 

[Huggy Love]

Thanks for the tip Dog, I checked them out, they sound good, just hard to go solid state for me. I've got a fairly light 12" speaker cab and one of those mini tube heads would work perfectly. I already have a Roland spirit 25 that weighs less than the Tech21 30w, and a POD to go into the PA but after years of playing thru a 50w Mesa, solid state and modeling are hard for me to appreciate. It's mostly for recording(R&B, Jazz & Fusion Funk), mid size jazz gigs, and accompanying vocalists, so for the first two the tone really needs to be there.

 

[USMC7312]

Hi Huggy B,

I feel your pain. I blew out about 7 disc's in the USMC back in 1992. Lived with it and had a great career until 2008. I underwent surgery to have 2 repaired in my lower back at L5-S1 and L4-L5. Unfortunately, my condition worsened significantly and now I have 5 bad disc's and 2 jacked discs that cause more pain than what I had before I underwent surgery. Just like you, the sh!t hit the fan and eventually got to where I could no longer work. I "retired" early and was bored. I decided to learn to play guitar to help fill my days. I have been playing for about 5 years and it is a struggle as my memory is affected by the drugs I take to manage the pain.

A lot of days, I feel like I am living "Groundhog Day." I learn a song or a technique and the next day I can't remember it. Like you, I struggle with weight and shape resulting in my buying and selling a lot of gear, which sucks. I buy a lot of gear online though from Sweetwater. I have been working with this one guy, Josh Estock. He has really helped me make smarter purchases. In fact the gear I get from Sweetwater, I almost always keep. My favorite guitar is my PRS Paul's Guitar. Its lightweight for a solid body and shaped really well for me and my maligned spine. I can play just about any style I want, but I tend to favor Country and Classic Rock. I use a Mesa Boogie Express Plus 5:50 for my amp. Its on wheels and can be moved anywhere I like. If it must go airborne, then my teen son's move it The head is pretty light and it plays very well with pedals. For me the trick to playing in my house without blasting my wife's ears is to use the 5W switch on the Mesa Boogie combined with my pedals. I generally prefer Wampler Pedals, which can get me any tone I like. I am purchasing a new guitar this year, but next year I want to add a Mesa Boogie TA-30, for better English tone. I love Mesa Boogie because they have they almost all have a switch to lower the power. Seems like everyone is jumping on board with this technology too. I guess most PRS amps have a 1/2 W switch now, but even 25W on the Archon is too high. I prefer 5-15 W.

Last year, I wanted to get a stronger Stratocaster tone and so I purchased my second Fender Strat in my life and it lasted a little less than a year. I was just really disappointed with quality and price. I sold it this January and have a PRS Brent Mason in Seafoam Green on order, with an ETA of 15 April. For the money I paid for the Strat, I could get a PRS Brent Mason, which is supposed to be a cross Tele/Strat, which is exactly what I was looking for.

Long story short, I feel your pain. Every day I awaken to nerve pain that feel like someone has injected lava in the veins of my legs. The pain is so bad, that my idea of sleep is exhaustion. I started to play, to get my mind off the pain and playing my guitar definitely does the trick. It is just a joy being able to play and my PRS Paul's guitar is to die for. Talk about a real world impact on a guy's life. Anyway, sorry for the life story. Just know you have plenty of company in pain. My prayer's are with you for a physician that can remove your pain when you are read and then for a removal and cure of your pain.

Here is my gear:

Best Luck