New Years NGD x2...A Pair of Cherries!

[mwong61]

i have an Epiphone SG Pro that I bought in January of 2019. Loved playing it but I wanted to "step up a few notches" which is why I wanted a Gibson SG. Gotta give credit where it's due. Even though my Epiphone plays great, the neck on the Gibson SG was incredible. I believe it was given the plek treatment and if so it showed. Great, fabulous playing guitar.

But tonally the Vela is more of what I was after and I'm so glad I took a chance with it. I will say though that I did have to take it to the guitar tech I go to for a set up. I set it up the best I could but he wound up having to go over the frets a little bit. I wasn't upset about this because I've owned enough guitars to know that when you buy a new one and play it for a few weeks things are going to move around a bit before it starts settling into place and the frets may need a bit of a going over. It played great when I got it but it was even better after he worked on it. Money well spent.

All good brother! Maybe I've just been incredibly lucky with PRS!

But I absolutely get the disappointment. I recently also got a high dollar Tele from a reputable builder. It played GREAT if you liked action 1/16" or higher. Anything lower and it would fret out all over the place.
I wound up needing to do a partial fret level, re-crown and polish to be able to bring it down to .060 and still be able to bend a minor 3rd up above the 14th fret (Like in a couple of places on that Larry Carlton solo in my video, hah)

To be honest, I learned how do set ups, fretwork, and electronic on guitars myself out of necessity many years ago. Just seemed like every new guitar I got needed SOMETHING done to get it where I like it.
And finding a good tech was hard at the time. Being a bit of a control freak, I just decided to start doing it myself and found that my own work was as good or better than paying someone to do it.
Of course, I had to invest in a bunch of tools from Stew Mac (ugh......) but they've been lifetime tools. I'm still using the same set of nut files I bought 20 years ago from them.

In the end we both got killer guitars and that's what counts right?

M-

 

[Mike J.]

Yes, I'd say we both got the better end of the deal! I know PRS prides itself on quality workmanship in all areas. But again, the fact that my Vela needed a bit of a fret leveling was no big deal because I wound up with a stellar guitar.

Just wanted to add this. I played a Telecaster for a long time (still have it) and I then played my Epiphone for a long time. Each one had tonal qualities I liked and tonal qualities I didn't like. For me, the Vela grabbed the better qualities of each guitar and rolled them into one. I've changed the pickups with every guitar I've ever owned and I know my Vela is staying stock because it's giving me the tones I heard in my head but wasn't able to get with previous guitars.

So again, it needed a little work (not much) but so what. I finally have the guitar I've been looking for! Enjoy yours too!

 

[mwong61]

Yes, I'd say we both got the better end of the deal! I know PRS prides itself on quality workmanship in all areas. But again, the fact that my Vela needed a bit of a fret leveling was no big deal because I wound up with a stellar guitar.

Just wanted to add this. I played a Telecaster for a long time (still have it) and I then played my Epiphone for a long time. Each one had tonal qualities I liked and tonal qualities I didn't like. For me, the Vela grabbed the better qualities of each guitar and rolled them into one. I've changed the pickups with every guitar I've ever owned and I know my Vela is staying stock because it's giving me the tones I heard in my head but wasn't able to get with previous guitars.

So again, it needed a little work (not much) but so what. I finally have the guitar I've been looking for! Enjoy yours too!

Hah, I'm playing mine as I'm replying to this! (Still got the broken foot). I love my Tele's as well but I'm not a "chicken picker twanger" type player. (I WISH I could do that).
I'm not really getting that vibe from the Vela. I think I'm digging the more "dynasonic/filtertron" Gretschy aspect of it. But then that neck pick up, man it's heavenly. Really it's own thing.

 

[László]

Beautiful guitars, but most importantly, great playing!

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Hah, I'm playing mine as I'm replying to this! (Still got the broken foot). I love my Tele's as well but I'm not a "chicken picker twanger" type player. (I WISH I could do that).
I'm not really getting that vibe from the Vela. I think I'm digging the more "dynasonic/filtertron" Gretschy aspect of it. But then that neck pick up, man it's heavenly. Really it's own thing.

Feel free to share some more of your righteous playing with us, especially if it’s SD.

Beautiful guitars, but most importantly, great playing!

^this^

 

[mwong61]

Feel free to share some more of your righteous playing with us, especially if it’s SD.



^this^

Man, I'd love to do some more Steely Dan remix playthroughs. I been thinking about how great the Vela would sound with the "other" epic Larry Carlton solo on that album. "Don't Take Me Alive".

Unfortunately, I'm having some problems ripping the stems. The keys and the guitars on the original track sound so close that the RipX software can't distinguish between them. So I wind up with with both guitar and keys or none. Still working on it......stay tuned!

M-