Good grunge guitars?

HAL9000

Duppy03 said:

@Calum13 Cyclones do pop up every now and then, not as frequently as most Fender models though as they were only made for a short(ish) period of time, right when “Grunge” was at its peak. so they were pretty much designed for the exact application your after.

They do pop up on the UK used market, so no need to worry about importing etc. That link I sent you is a fellow Fret Board member selling his Cyclone here in the UK. Great looking guitar.

Give him a shout and your close by you could always check it out.

Isn't there a problem with Cyclones in that often there isn't enough adjustment available to intonate them properly? Certainly something worth checking before buying one.

Duppy03

HAL9000 said:

Duppy03 said:

@Calum13 Cyclones do pop up every now and then, not as frequently as most Fender models though as they were only made for a short(ish) period of time, right when “Grunge” was at its peak. so they were pretty much designed for the exact application your after.

They do pop up on the UK used market, so no need to worry about importing etc. That link I sent you is a fellow Fret Board member selling his Cyclone here in the UK. Great looking guitar.

Give him a shout and your close by you could always check it out.

Isn't there a problem with Cyclones in that often there isn't enough adjustment available to intonate them properly? Certainly something worth checking before buying one.

I wasn’t aware of this. Did the Cyclone II suffer with the same issue?

HAL9000

Not sure. I seem to recall @grungebob posting something about this a year or two back...

grungebob

HAL9000 said:

Not sure. I seem to recall @grungebob posting something about this a year or two back...

Good memory @HAL9000 !

yes the original Cyclone and Cyclone ii suffered from incorrect bridge placement, there wasn’t enough movement in the saddles to correct the G&B being permanently sharp. 

You can change the bridge to a different Wilkinson affair that provides all the adjustments you need however so it’s not the end of the world. I think the one listed on here in the classifieds has had this done already?

They are are playable as is though but anything above the 11th fret is noticeably out on those two strings. 

HAL9000

grungebob said:

You can change the bridge to a different Wilkinson affair that provides all the adjustments you need however so it’s not the end of the world. I think the one listed on here in the classifieds has had this done already?

Ah, so it has. Should be a great instrument then.

paulnb57

Cheap? Shortscale? Squier Bullet Mustang.........decent setup and pickup change they are epic!
Or build your own Mustang.....
http://i.imgur.com/ztrw3Q5.jpg

soma1975

I can’t see Kurt worrying all night about having perfect intonation. 

HAL9000

Back to the original question - if you’re wanting the ‘look’ as well as the sound (and let’s face it - rock is as much about image as about the music) then it has to be a Fender, or Fender-style, offset. As others have suggested Mustangs, Cyclones, DuoSonics, Jaguars, G&L Fallout, all fit the bill. Another suggestion might be the Fender Jagstang if you can find one...
https://i.imgur.com/PfteJan_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium

meltedbuzzbox

punchesjudy said:

Calum13 said:

@punchesjudy yeah I can get a train up to Glasgow. There's like 3 guitar shops there. I thinkhttps://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7367/9786226112_59b9b7a64d_z.jpg  looks nice. Is that a duo sonic or a mustang?

That's a Mustang. 

And seriously, go down to the guitar shops, play some guitars, buy one if you find one you fall in love with. 
Don't worry about single coils or humbuckers, either can do what you want. 

This in spades. Its the player that makes the music not the instrument and that is the case in any genre. 

Get something that you enjoy playing and are happy to pay for. The rest doesn't really matter

Calum13

Would a standard  HH jazzmaster do the job? I could buy the same pickups as the kurt cobain signiture jaguar and put them in that. Does anyone know if it's simple to re paint a guitar or is it better to just take it into a shop and pay them to paint it

Kalimna

Calum - perhaps you need to go back and re-read the many replies to your question. Particularly from those who have played with, say, Nirvana. You don't seem to be listening to what people are saying.
it doesn't matter which pickup/guitar/colour you are after so long as you play with passion. Changing pickups is generally not worth it unless you know exactly what you want, and have the expertise to solder and alter cavities if needed. Don't waste your money/time.
is it easy to paint a guitar body? Yes. Is it easy to do a good job? Absolutely not. That is why it would most likely cost you more than your guitar is worth to have it done professionally. Either wait for the colour yellow you want or accept that, in the world of 'grunge' it doesn't matter. It's the music that matters.
Good luck with your search.
Adam

flying_pie

This ^^^^^^

Calum13

Kalimna said:

Calum - perhaps you need to go back and re-read the many replies to your question. Particularly from those who have played with, say, Nirvana. You don't seem to be listening to what people are saying.
it doesn't matter which pickup/guitar/colour you are after so long as you play with passion. Changing pickups is generally not worth it unless you know exactly what you want, and have the expertise to solder and alter cavities if needed. Don't waste your money/time.
is it easy to paint a guitar body? Yes. Is it easy to do a good job? Absolutely not. That is why it would most likely cost you more than your guitar is worth to have it done professionally. Either wait for the colour yellow you want or accept that, in the world of 'grunge' it doesn't matter. It's the music that matters.
Good luck with your search.
Adam

Thanks for the advice On of my dads friends has the Kurt Cobain signature jag and I like how the pickups sound. As for having to change the cavities I think the di marzio pickups would fit one made in an HH configuration but if not my uncles experienced in that kind of thing.

grungebob

Like I said, I’ve owned the kurt jaguar, the mustang and the jagstang. A strat with HSS nails the sounds better. 

The hardtail HH jaguar was a very close second. 

Calum13

grungebob said:

Like I said, I’ve owned the kurt jaguar, the mustang and the jagstang. A strat with HSS nails the sounds better. 

The hardtail HH jaguar was a very close second. 

I like strats but I like the shape of the jazzmaster/jaguar body better. For me looks is a big factor and even though a strat plays better I'd probably pick a jag or jazzmaster. Did you say your HSS strat nails the sound better than the kurt cobain signature jag? I should trust the experienced guitarist 

punchesjudy

If you're looking at Jazzmasters now and have around £500 get yourself the J Mascis sig Squier. That's a lot of guitar for the money. 

flying_pie

@Calum13 I've played plenty of Nirvana and other grunge covers covers over the years. I didn't worry about the guitar. I never used the "right" distortion pedal but used my amps gain channel. Nobody ever commented on the guitar tone to say it was accurate or inappropriate.

I always play hard with high energy and mosh out, not caring if there is the odd mishap. That's what always gets the crowd going and gets compliments when you play grunge. 

That's what grunge is about. It's not about trying to nail Kurt's sound - it's about the energy and the attitude and how that affects the listener.

The fact you're still fretting about tiny potential differences between certain guitars suggests you might not be suited to playing grunge. Just play the **** out of what you already have.

Calum13

@flying_pie You're right. I'll stick to my squier jaguar, boss DS1 and Marshall amp for now. I need to join a band one day 

meltedbuzzbox

Calum13 said:

@flying_pie You're right. I'll stick to my squier jaguar, boss DS1 and Marshall amp for now. I need to join a band one day 

thats the best idea fella

Schnozz

Yeah - Soon you'll realise that The Smashing Pumpkins were far better and you'll then want a Strat anyways.