Talk me out of buying this

[Thumpalumpacus]

Well, the Ultex and Tortex .73 and higher don't flop for me. I probably have a lighter touch than you.

On acoustic, I like a little flop, hence the nylons that I will use. Seems to bring more out of the strumming.

I love Tortex, used them exclusively, on electric, for 20 years -- until I discovered Ultex. Now I go back and forth between the two, with Tortex still seeing quite a bit more use. If I'm going to a set where I'll be playing both acoustic and electric, I take Ultexes; they're very comfortable for me on both instruments.

[Jackalope]

Depending on what guitar I'm playing, I'll use Tortex, Ultex, or nylons, never thinner than .60 and never fatter than .88, unless I'm experimenting, which I do regularly.

Never played a real tortoise-shell pick. I was more concerned about the truly important stuff, like "pickguard on or off?"

I've pretty much always used Fender mediums, but I'm a hack.

[Thumpalumpacus]

lol, I'm a hack too.

[I_am_not_mafia]

I actually own a real tortoiseshell pick / plectrum. Didn't actually know what it was made out of until recently. I just assumed that it was some kind of pre-plastic material. Can't say I really noticed any difference but I never made any comparisons with it and like my plectrums to be as hard and as stiff as possible. Like 2.0mm or more. I even used to use a metal plectrum but stopped when I found my guitar strings being ground away and flat on the top side. Saying that, I was comparing different picks last night and thought that there was a different tone which surprised me.

I own an 80+ year old mandolin given to me by my grandmother in Germany who bought it, couldn't play it and stored it away for 60 years in the cellar fully strung up. It's got tortoiseshell inlay, came with a tortoiseshell plectrum and has bone handles on the machine heads. I need to get it serviced sometime because the machine heads are far too stiff which is why I don't play it. The plectrum is quite elongated compared to what you get nowadays. I like the shape.

I think I will make sure not to use the tortoiseshell plectrum and just keep it safe as a historical curiosity. I plan to take some photos of the mandolin and pick sometime.

[johan]

Feel? As in how your back feels after lugging it up 3 flights of steps????


No no. I get what you're saying. Thing is I'm a producer not a player. If it sounds right, it stays. If it sounds crap, it goes. Regardless of feel.

Well, I'm a musician who focuses on electric guitar.

Having produced my home demos, I get where you're coming from. But when I'm playing a solo, my only concern is being inside the moment. And that means that even when producing a little demo, I chose my instruments carefully so that the rig inspired and didn't hinder. If the amp doesn't respond to my touch as I wish, that's a distraction at the very instant I need to be inside the moment.

To each his own I suppose. Software works great for me and not lugging 100lb amps sure as shit works for my back.

[paulpablo]

Depending on what guitar I'm playing, I'll use Tortex, Ultex, or nylons, never thinner than .60 and never fatter than .88, unless I'm experimenting, which I do regularly.

Never played a real tortoise-shell pick. I was more concerned about the truly important stuff, like "pickguard on or off?"

I've pretty much always used Fender mediums, but I'm a hack.

Only the steady, sturdy, reliable feel of a Dunlop tortex USA .88 is good enough for Paul Pablo's sophisticated, accurate and sometimes fast guitar playing strokes.

That's right, the Dunlop tortex USA .88 offers a sense of reliability, strong and hard yet with just enough flexibility.  Mmmmmm, that's a good plectrum.

[Rev. Rye]

Well, I'm a musician who focuses on electric guitar.

Having produced my home demos, I get where you're coming from. But when I'm playing a solo, my only concern is being inside the moment. And that means that even when producing a little demo, I chose my instruments carefully so that the rig inspired and didn't hinder. If the amp doesn't respond to my touch as I wish, that's a distraction at the very instant I need to be inside the moment.

To each his own I suppose. Software works great for me and not lugging 100lb amps sure as shit works for my back.

Or you can just take a Pignose, plug it into the PA, and rock away. It's what Frank Zappa liked to do, it's what Eric Clapton did on "Layla," (well, at least the crunchier rhythm sounds; some of the cleaner sounds were done with a Champ, and Duane apparently had his own Champ), and it's what I tend to do when playing my Cigar Box Guitar electrically.

See Frank showing off his:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q0nImsfMvE

Or, if the Pignose doesn't appeal, you can do the same with a Fender Super Champ X2. 15 Tube watts (with loads of classic amps modeled) that can be jacked directly into the PA. Honestly, with the inroads in amp miking technology made in the days since the first Stacks were made, they're more or less obsolete. (Also, note: the amp through which Neil Young puts most of his guitar tone is a 1959 Fender Deluxe, which, stock, puts out 15 watts, and, while it's reported [but unverified] that the tubes were beefed up to be as much as 25 watts, research tells me this wouldn't actually make it much louder. He still has no trouble filling arenas with his guitar sound.)

[paulpablo]

I've decided to take on board a mixture of advice from everyone.

I'm going to try before I buy.

I'm probably going to buy a nice amp for myself with whatever guitar I get.

I'm not just going to splash out on a new guitar out of the blue and be flash with my cash, I'm going to give this to myself as a tread for my birthday on October the 25th.  Which will also give me enough time to fully research other guitars.

I might not even buy a gibson, a lot of people think they're over priced, I've been looking at ESPs.

I've also been considering a floyd rose whammy bar but I doubt I will get one with that.  I've bought guitars with those before and they're a real REAL fucker to tune up and re string, compared to a simple guitar with no floyd rose I mean.

I'll probably update this thread if something else catches my eye.

[Jackalope]

I have an ESP with a Floyd rose and it stays in tune just fine. Locking nut + microtuners FTW.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Well, I'm a musician who focuses on electric guitar.

Having produced my home demos, I get where you're coming from. But when I'm playing a solo, my only concern is being inside the moment. And that means that even when producing a little demo, I chose my instruments carefully so that the rig inspired and didn't hinder. If the amp doesn't respond to my touch as I wish, that's a distraction at the very instant I need to be inside the moment.

To each his own I suppose. Software works great for me and not lugging 100lb amps sure as shit works for my back.

My last gigging amp was a 70-lb Peavey VK212. My next accessory purchase after that? Yep ... a handtruck.

I don't mind sims, like I said, I've used them and they get some damned good sounds.