Asiafish
New Member
I bought this guitar last month and life conspired to keep me from really playing with it until this past Tuesday. Since then, I can barely put it down.
I’m a very new player (total six weeks online and in-person lessons) and originally bought this because I have been a lifelong fan of both Telecaster and Les Paul tone. The Telecaster was easy as Fender’s current instruments are very consistent in their quality and finding one (now two) that I could really bond with was just a matter of driving five miles to my two local music stores and playing a few chords and scales on what they had. I have an American Professional Tele at home and a Mexican Player Tele at my office and am delighted with both.
My Les Paul itch was vastly harder to scratch. My local GC has plenty of them in stock, and Bakersfield’s best neighborhood store (Front Porch Music) has about ten Les Pauls. The problem was that anything I liked was at least $3000, and that was used, while my budget was only $1500. A number of local musicians told me to just get a PRS and be done with it, and that “they are all great” so no need to worry about finding a “good one”.
I attacked the forums and reviews and was about 90% set on ordering a new S2 Singlecut Satin (love the way those look), but the more questions I asked, the more I was told that I should just go Core. The one model that kept being mentioned was the McCarty and it seamed that the 57/08 pickups would also be my drug of choice.
I found one on Reverb at $1600 (plus $150 for shipping) and just bit the bullet and ordered it sight unseen. It arrived, went immediately to a local guitar tech to be fitted with (NYXL) 10s and have the action adjusted and fretboard reconditioned.
All I can say is WOW! Just six weeks into my guitar journey I have no illusions about my total lack of skill, though I do already find myself getting lost in a good rhythm groove from time to time. My mother was a piano teachers (I rebelled and never learned) and her brother Bob (yes, and Bob’s my uncle) was a jazz guitarist, so even at age 51 and a general klutz I feel I’m learning pretty well and know I must be tapping into decent natural (though long ignored) talent.
I absolutely love the way this guitar sounds and feels. The neck is just perfect for my slightly large hands, the frets are very easy to get solid notes on without buzz and barre chords are possible with a minimum of pain (I’ll get there). Both neck and bridge pickups sound amazing through my Blues Junior, and it takes distortion (Wampler PlexiDrive) very well.
This is going to be SERIOUS fun.
I’m a very new player (total six weeks online and in-person lessons) and originally bought this because I have been a lifelong fan of both Telecaster and Les Paul tone. The Telecaster was easy as Fender’s current instruments are very consistent in their quality and finding one (now two) that I could really bond with was just a matter of driving five miles to my two local music stores and playing a few chords and scales on what they had. I have an American Professional Tele at home and a Mexican Player Tele at my office and am delighted with both.
My Les Paul itch was vastly harder to scratch. My local GC has plenty of them in stock, and Bakersfield’s best neighborhood store (Front Porch Music) has about ten Les Pauls. The problem was that anything I liked was at least $3000, and that was used, while my budget was only $1500. A number of local musicians told me to just get a PRS and be done with it, and that “they are all great” so no need to worry about finding a “good one”.
I attacked the forums and reviews and was about 90% set on ordering a new S2 Singlecut Satin (love the way those look), but the more questions I asked, the more I was told that I should just go Core. The one model that kept being mentioned was the McCarty and it seamed that the 57/08 pickups would also be my drug of choice.
I found one on Reverb at $1600 (plus $150 for shipping) and just bit the bullet and ordered it sight unseen. It arrived, went immediately to a local guitar tech to be fitted with (NYXL) 10s and have the action adjusted and fretboard reconditioned.
All I can say is WOW! Just six weeks into my guitar journey I have no illusions about my total lack of skill, though I do already find myself getting lost in a good rhythm groove from time to time. My mother was a piano teachers (I rebelled and never learned) and her brother Bob (yes, and Bob’s my uncle) was a jazz guitarist, so even at age 51 and a general klutz I feel I’m learning pretty well and know I must be tapping into decent natural (though long ignored) talent.
I absolutely love the way this guitar sounds and feels. The neck is just perfect for my slightly large hands, the frets are very easy to get solid notes on without buzz and barre chords are possible with a minimum of pain (I’ll get there). Both neck and bridge pickups sound amazing through my Blues Junior, and it takes distortion (Wampler PlexiDrive) very well.
This is going to be SERIOUS fun.
