[chancelot]

I'm thinking of getting a Gibson or perhaps a epiphone les paul standard soon. If I go the Gibson route I wont initially have enough to also afford an amp to go along with it. Is there a DIY amp I could make or a just recommended product that would allow me to listen to the guitar through a set of headphones? I'd like to buy a product that wont lessen or underpower the quality of the guitar, I'd like to leave that up to the headphones

.
Any suggestions on amps, a better set of phones than either the ER4P or the MS1's or a variety of ksc75/35 etc, or suggestions on epiphone vs the really expensive gibsons would be greatly appreciated.

sam

 

[Drag0n]

Music stores sell Jamm Boxes/Portable headpgone amps........with built-in effects and everything. Look in Guitar center,or Sam Ash,or Music123,Musicians Friend,....etc., youll see them there.

 

[chancelot]

cool, thanks. I'll give those a look.

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drag0n Music stores sell Jamm Boxes/Portable headpgone amps........with built-in effects and everything. Look in Guitar center,or Sam Ash,or Music123,Musicians Friend,....etc., youll see them there.

Yep, back in '98 I swung by Sam Ash and picked up A Rocktron Sony Jambox.
It hasn't let me down yet!

 

[Magnum22]

I have to strongly recommend the zoom 505 and 707 pedals. They sound better than any headphone-guitar-amp i've ever heard and they aren't exclusive to that task. when you get yourself an amp you can use them for their intended purposes as effects processors. they have nearly every effect you could want, a drum machine, sampler, and headphone output. Not expensive either.

if you're not dead set on paying for that gibson logo, i recommend getting the less expensive guitar and a combo amp. You can get some world class tones if you spend your money wisely. My entire gig rig is only about $1k when you add it all up, which is only 1/3rd of the price of my most expensive guitar, and it sounds better than some $5k rigs i've played/heard.

low cost suggestions: Vox Valvetronics, Fender Dynatouch, Hughes and Kettner Edition Blue, Peavey Transtube, Roland Cube.

 

[proglife]

Get a PRS SE Singlecut and save a lot of money.

 

[Magnum22]

I have to disagree with that. In my experience if you're getting an imported guitar, get it from an import company (Ibanez, ESP). if you're getting an imported guitar with a domestic logo, you'll generally get screwed. The best exception to this is epiphone. they use the USA pickups which in some models actually make them preferable, to me, to their gibson counterparts (they still use those pickups, right?). Even if not, you can still upgrade the components (pickups, tuners, pots) of the epiphone to exactly what you want, have a better guitar, and spend less.

 

[kramer5150]

Korg Pandora my fave for portable / battery use.
Line6 POD for desktop and transportable use.

Garrett

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnum22 I have to disagree with that. In my experience if you're getting an imported guitar, get it from an import company (Ibanez, ESP). if you're getting an imported guitar with a domestic logo, you'll generally get screwed. The best exception to this is epiphone. they use the USA pickups which in some models actually make them preferable, to me, to their gibson counterparts (they still use those pickups, right?). Even if not, you can still upgrade the components (pickups, tuners, pots) of the epiphone to exactly what you want, have a better guitar, and spend less.

The higher end Epis are made by sammick and are very good solid Korean instruments. The lower end models are made in China / indonesia I believe.

I have played some USA hand crafted PRS archtops that I thought were set up VERY poorly for USA instruments. Although component quality of course was top notch.

Not sure who Ibanez contracts for their Korean instruments but they gererally are well made. Ive never played an indonesian or Chinese made Ibanez.

I have a Korean ESP / LTD and IMHO its a very wall made plank.
I recently played a Japanese strat and was floored at the quality and workmanship.

In the end, they are all wood and much of the assembly is hand made. So to say one country of origin (USA, Korea, China...etc...) is clearly superior is wrong. You have to take it case by case and instrument by instrument.
Garrett

 

[Magnum22]

i never said anything was set in stone or "clearly superior". I said "in my experience" and "generally." I know that bc rich is an american label with excellent imports. i have demoed plenty of american guitars that i wouldn't take home for free, and that was based on quality, not setup.

Also, poor setup is a maintenance issue that is the fault of the retailer/owner, not the manufacturer.