Angelus SE

[alantig]

That's all well and good, but you have to have an audience that's willing to accept the message. You're still going to run into a percentage of blockheads who basically say, "I don't care what you call it, it's still plywood. Solid wood will always be better."

I remember at one of the early Experience events. Paul held up different neck blanks and tapped them to show how they rang. He'd do two back to back and ask, "Which one sounds better? Which do you think would make a better neck?" It was always the one that rang louder and more clearly. And Paul said, "Then why won't you buy them? Nobody wants this wood, they want mahogany. Brazilian rosewood. Never mind that this blank may make a better neck for you." Something I kept in mind when I did my PS build - I went in with a neck wood picked out, but with my mind open to what else might be available. I didn't get the neck I'd spec'd - I found something else that sounded better.

 

[AP515]

Whatever they made it out of, I like what I hear from my SE Angelus Custom. I don't care if they made it out of toilet paper (and I know, of course, they didn't. Just saying it doesn't matter), they got it right. Sounds better to me than all the others I've owned, or test driven, (Martin, Alvarez, Takamine). The proof is in playing them.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

You’re totally right Alan, we are creatures of habit and conservative in our thought processes in general. Granted there are some exceptions.

I’m of the school of thought that the construction methods are as important, if not more than the materials that are used.

Admittedly timber needs to be prepared correctly. However I am in no doubt that a piece of figured timber has no more resonant properties than that of a less or non-figured piece. It is our inner magpie that wants the guitar to look pretty.

When I was planning a guitar build, I came across just the type of information that Mike speaks of. Several internet experts shared their opinions, which to the non-educated may have taken as gospel.

As far as firearms are concerned. The rules are the rules.

 

[Mike Lopez]

AP515 is correct. Your Angelus Custom was made with a solid rosewood back a ND 3 plies of Rosewood for the sides. This, like my Angelus Standard we're 1st generation SE's that were built in Korea. Both the Standard ( which I own and plays beautifully ) and the Custom were built the same way. ( Custom/rosewood and Standard/mahogany ) For the record though, my A50e ( lam back and sides ) plays and sounds better than the 3000.00 Taylor that I owned. ( briefly and sold it ) I played a 1200.00 Martin at Guitar Center last weekend that was undoubtedly the worst sounding acoustic guitar I have ever heard. There are unfortunately ignorant people that have access to a computer that don't know the difference between laminate and "plywood." These same people arrogantly refer to lam b/s guitars in such a manner that one can only assume that it somehow makes them feel superior. Solid wood guitars have tons qualities that in most cases cannot be duplicated by a lam b/s guitar. I fully understand this dynamic, but I also know a lot of guitars (PRS obviously included) than can hold their own with solid wood acoustics. I am fortunate in the respect that I can afford a 3000.00 guitar but choose to play the ones I own because they are excellent instruments with awesome tone. I am happy for you if you own a 3000.00 cannon that causes angels to sing but understand not everyone is that fortunate. For those people I say do not look down you nose at others because your guitar was more expensive than that of someone else. In my lifetime I have had the pleasure of listening to some excellent guitar players that play instruments that some elitest would call inferior. I suggest that those people become more knowledgeable and open minded before they post opinions that do nothing more than put their ignorance on full display for all to see.

 

[AP515]

In my lifetime I have had the pleasure of listening to some excellent guitar players that play instruments that some elitest would call inferior.

Some guitarists can make a piece of crap sound like a magic guitar. Some can make a magic guitar sound like a piece of crap. As Zappa said, "Shut up'n play yer guitar."

 

[Uncle Bob]

It’s interesting how often misinformation is passed around the internet as fact, regardless of what the subject matter is.

In terms of PRS guitars I’ve seen it on YouTube, and I’ve seen it on here too. Some people will have you believe that if a guitar isn’t made in the US then it’s not worthy?! And as an owner of guitars from many different countries, as I’m sure you are, I know this from personal experience to be total bollocks (or, as you might say in America ‘BS’).