Seeking a new baritone guitar - with a happy ending!

skullfunkerry

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_fusion_t_hh_ht_roasted_b_stock_525645.htm

The EMG Hot 70s in this are active pickups for people who don't like active pickups, they're much less compressed than 81/85s, but still really clear.

I have the S version and it's great. Frets need a polish and a few sharp ends tidied up, but apart from that I have no complaints. Currently got it in drop C with a set of 10s that it came with; will put 10-52s on when I restring it, but with 12s or 13s I'd say it would go down to A

Lestratcaster

Is that HB a 25.5 scale length then? Going by the 648mm.

Decent price though, didn't know EMG Hot 70's existed. Must check them out.

Loobs

Lestratcaster said:

Offset said:

P.S.  The Strat is MIA, the Tele MIM.

I always had that assumption though if you stick an EMG in any shitty piece of wood it'll sound great. 

Or not, as it were.  

Philly_Q

I think his Tele's a very cool design, I really the black-and-white look and the choices of pickups and hardware.  I probably would've bought one, but for the neck shape... and I suspect they tend to be on the heavy side.

Loobs

Yeah, I always thought the JR Tele in white looked amazing. 

Rkphilpot

As someone who gigs with three classic vibe squires and has sold two Mexican fenders, personally I think the squires are better. Some of that may be cognitive bias because they're cheaper, but you get a lot of guitar for £300-£400.

Edit; They are all slightly modified, mainly pups.

Rkphilpot

Also, JR's tele inspired my custom build.

https://imgur.com/a/LKLKrrI

Devil#20

Loobs said:

Yeah, I always thought the JR Tele in white looked amazing. 

They do. I've got a white JR tele. The finish is somewhere between a satin and matt finish and you can tell by looking at it that if you put it anywhere near something with some colour in it then, like @offset says, it will probably leach into it and you'll not get it out. I keep mine in a nylon gig bag so it's OK. 

Philly_Q

At one point I was thinking of buying the white Tele, then getting a fatter Warmoth Vintage Modern neck with an ebony board, which would look pretty much exactly like the Fender neck.  But then they got too expensive.

Offset

Philly_Q said:

At one point I was thinking of buying the white Tele, then getting a fatter Warmoth Vintage Modern neck with an ebony board, which would look pretty much exactly like the Fender neck.  But then they got too expensive.

Yep.  I paid (from memory) £739 for mine from GAK.  They're stupid money secondhand these days - there's one on Reverb for £1050 and I've seen them going for more.

I've never regretted trading it and losing money on it though as we never gelled and it was in exchange for something I'd always wanted and would almost certainly not get another chance to acquire.

skullfunkerry

Lestratcaster said:

Is that HB a 25.5 scale length then? Going by the 648mm.

Decent price though, didn't know EMG Hot 70's existed. Must check them out.

Yes, 25.5”. The Hot 70s are my favourite active pickups, they’re really excellent

Funkfingers

skullfunkerry said:

active pickups for people who don't like active pickups

Fishman Fluence.

skullfunkerry

Funkfingers said:

skullfunkerry said:

active pickups for people who don't like active pickups

Fishman Fluence.

Weeeeeell… I have a pair of moderns in my Charvel and I have to say they’re my least favourite of all my guitars. The single coil voice is spot-on, though.

DavusPG

I picked up my white JR Tele 5 years ago for £575 and in terms of bang for buck it's probably the best guitar I've ever bought. Mahogany body, maple neck, and ebony board are an unusual combination in a Tele and it sounds huge. I also love the massive frets.

I've never been a fan of EMGs so I was delighted that the previous owner had swapped them for a set of DiMarzio Transition pickups which I was already a fan of as I had a Musicman L3 with them in. Those combined with the 5 way selector that had been fitted made for a very versatile and smart looking Tele which I gigged loads.

A friend of mine has had it for the last couple of years as he wanted to learn the guitar. Been meaning to get it back from him for ages. 

DanR

The American made strat has a compound board aswell.

I have a black which has been my main guitar for a few years now, in fact I haven’t bought a new guitar since I bought it and sold off everything bar the 4 I have left.

I did switch the pickups to his Daemonum ones though.

roberty

MIJ Fender superteles are heavily discounted right now https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/fender-boxer-series-telecaster-hh-rw-inca-silver

I just got an Indonesian Charvel Tele shredder and it's the absolute nuts

A couple of options in the general vicinity

skullfunkerry

DanR said:

The American made strat has a compound board aswell.

I have a black which has been my main guitar for a few years now, in fact I haven’t bought a new guitar since I bought it and sold off everything bar the 4 I have left.

I did switch the pickups to his Daemonum ones though.

How are those Daemonum pickups? I read about them a while back but there didn't seem to be much information apart from "designed to Jim's spec"

Lestratcaster

Hmm maybe getting a cheaper HB or equivalent looking baritone body to a JR and putting EMG's in may be a more sensible option. I'm sure there's plenty of white Tele body styles out there.

DanR

skullfunkerry said:

How are those Daemonum pickups? I read about them a while back but there didn't seem to be much information apart from "designed to Jim's spec"

They are quite a bit fuller than the 81 which are pretty direct/compressed, less in the high end and a touch less gain.

You tend to have to dig in a bit more than with the 81 so they feel/play more like a passive pickup so a lot more touch sensitive.

CavemanGrogg

i really like the Strat version despite it not having a maple board, and having an ebony board - I couldn't find the maple board version of it anywhere, though the fixed bridge, and no tremolo makes it a no no for me.