Just Got Back from Visting LA Guitar Center
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 2:48 pm
I visited LA for a volunteer trip and was able to hit Sunset to visit a Guitar Center. I was pleased with the different guitars they had. I was able to try out some guitars I didn't think I would. The ones around me in Washington don't really stock Offsets or random guitars as much.
First one I tried was an AVRI Jaguar.
DSC04562 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr
It was ok. They had it priced at $1500 which was a joke. It had paint chips and dents from people playing with it. I also noticed the decal on the headstock was showing its edge. I haven't ever seen a Fender neck decal show through the finish. Pickups sounded good. It was a good guitar, but I actually like my Japanese one as much and it was much cheaper and less beat up. (I played through a Fender Twin.)
I was able to try out a Sonic Sig as well.
DSC04563 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr
The blue body had a nice feel. Very satin and soft. The pickguard didn't look metal to me. More like scraped plastic. The one knob stuck off the body about 1/4 of an inch. The neck felt ok. The fret finish on it was about the same feel as my Japanese guitars. (Which I was suprised and kind of dissapointed by considering how much people say US guitars are a step above the rest.) The reissue WRHB sound pretty much just like the Jazzys I have put together with those pickups. I love WRHB neck pickups. Very warm and full.
Some not pictured that I tried:
Cobain Mustang
It was ok. Pickups were ok. Neck didn't feel as good to me as the Jag-Stang one. Nothing really jumped out at me with it.
Tele Cabronita
Pickups were the TV Jones. Felt fine and sounded fine. I wouldn't pay that price for one, but it did the tele thing.
Some US Strats
I tried one with a humbucker and one with a single coil bridge to A/B them. I liked the single coil one better. It gave some more cred to what I have heard about using a humbucker in the neck and a single in the bridge.
Chinese Made Gretch
This one looked similar to a Les Paul with a bolt on neck and TV Jones pickups. I actually almost picked it up. It was just a little over $300. I didn't want to deal with the flight home though and the paint work on the bound neck was a little sloppy and the one in the store had the toggle tip missing. (A lot of those poor guitars were beat to hell.)
In the end, I left with a new Fender guitar strap and some strap locks for my Fernandes J project. It was a fun visit. My wife got excited because she thought they had the Cobain Jag in the front of the place on display. I checked it and it was a dusty tribute. (Didn't have the lower strap knob and the decal was off so it was an easy spot.) Pretty funny that they have it out there with some of their autographed stuff.
First one I tried was an AVRI Jaguar.
DSC04562 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr
It was ok. They had it priced at $1500 which was a joke. It had paint chips and dents from people playing with it. I also noticed the decal on the headstock was showing its edge. I haven't ever seen a Fender neck decal show through the finish. Pickups sounded good. It was a good guitar, but I actually like my Japanese one as much and it was much cheaper and less beat up. (I played through a Fender Twin.)
I was able to try out a Sonic Sig as well.
DSC04563 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr
The blue body had a nice feel. Very satin and soft. The pickguard didn't look metal to me. More like scraped plastic. The one knob stuck off the body about 1/4 of an inch. The neck felt ok. The fret finish on it was about the same feel as my Japanese guitars. (Which I was suprised and kind of dissapointed by considering how much people say US guitars are a step above the rest.) The reissue WRHB sound pretty much just like the Jazzys I have put together with those pickups. I love WRHB neck pickups. Very warm and full.
Some not pictured that I tried:
Cobain Mustang
It was ok. Pickups were ok. Neck didn't feel as good to me as the Jag-Stang one. Nothing really jumped out at me with it.
Tele Cabronita
Pickups were the TV Jones. Felt fine and sounded fine. I wouldn't pay that price for one, but it did the tele thing.
Some US Strats
I tried one with a humbucker and one with a single coil bridge to A/B them. I liked the single coil one better. It gave some more cred to what I have heard about using a humbucker in the neck and a single in the bridge.
Chinese Made Gretch
This one looked similar to a Les Paul with a bolt on neck and TV Jones pickups. I actually almost picked it up. It was just a little over $300. I didn't want to deal with the flight home though and the paint work on the bound neck was a little sloppy and the one in the store had the toggle tip missing. (A lot of those poor guitars were beat to hell.)
In the end, I left with a new Fender guitar strap and some strap locks for my Fernandes J project. It was a fun visit. My wife got excited because she thought they had the Cobain Jag in the front of the place on display. I checked it and it was a dusty tribute. (Didn't have the lower strap knob and the decal was off so it was an easy spot.) Pretty funny that they have it out there with some of their autographed stuff.
