REPLICA GUITARS, ARE THEY WORTH IT??

[yngwie308]

Not to be whiny or anything, but the ups and downs I have had with the Fender Custom shop Malmsteen Duck replica, have got me questioning the whole replica phenomenon, as it seems to get more ludicrous with each passing year. Fender, having so many artists playing their planks, have the most signature replicas out lately.
Guitars like the JB Esquire, the SRV #1, the Frankenfurter, Blackie, ect., have all priced themselves out of the reach of a normal player, and started the trend of a new era of exclusivity, based on no substance.
I have played Blackie and Frankenstein, I liked the tone of the EVH guitar, yet didn't hear it through a proper Marshall, just the 5150 III at GC. Blackie on the other hand, had a great vibe, sounded and played well, but wasn't worth all that money.
In the case of Malmsteen, small businesses, ie; Randy Ciak, have been duplicating vintage Malmsteen guitars quite accurately for some time, I wanted to hold off and wait for the 'official' Fender one. But now I could care less anymore. Obviously these guitars are handbuilt and cosmetically appear similar, but a proper similar vintage guitar, would be just as good if not better.
What does everyone think. The exception would be the Rory Strat, which is reasonably priced and the JB from Gibbo isn't that bad, but still..
yngwie308
PS what do you think of my Custom shop masterbuilder person in my sig, This appears a great way to relic a guitar!

[56goldtop]

I know what you mean. Although I like looking at pics of other people's sig guitars (like Rossingtons, JP's etc), I could never spend that kind of money on a sig myself. In most of the cases, the artist just had a vintage guitar and maybe modded it a little bit. And the guitar still isn't the artists guitar, it just looks like it.

But I don't blame people who do like sig guitars

[carlygtr56]

nope

That Duck Strat doesn't appeal to me.

For less money, I'd go to the Custom Shop and get a BLACK Yngwie, that looked like his Alcatrazz Strat.

[worldoftone]

what do you think of my Custom shop masterbuilder person in my sig, This appears a great way to relic a guitar!

If that's how Fender does it, no wonder they are soooooo expensive.

- WOT

[fillmore nyc]

the ups and downs I have had with the Fender Custom shop Malmsteen Duck replica, have got me questioning the whole replica phenomenon, as it seems to get more ludicrous with each passing year.

I've always thought the replica syndrome was questionable at best. I mean, every artist that ever picked up a guitar is playing a replica of an engineers original idea!!
Im pretty confident in saying that there are a LOT of people on this forum that could come up with their own spin on a proven guitar design that a famous player would want to own... why would someone with that ability be concerned with copying what Eddie or SRV played?
To me, thats akin to playing a song note for note, right down to studying pics of amp settings to replicate a particular nuance in a song. If I want to hear such an accurate representation of that song, Ill either get the CD, or Ill get tickets to that artists show, and seeing an artist play a song exactly note for note is boring.
If Im going to listen to a particular song played by that artist, or someone other than the original artist, I would rather hear his unique interpretation, than his attempt at replicating every string noise and finger slip that the original had.
Its the same with guitars or amps. As someone that occasionally builds my own guitars, I would no more build a dupe of Eddies guitar than I would build a dupe of the living room table he built. For what?? My build on a living room table will for sure be better than his, its just not as well known or as well sought after, but Im a lot more proud of my own creativity than I am of Eds creativity. For SURE Im not gonna pay the bucks it takes to have Fender copy some artists ideas. Fender or Gibson (or some of the other builders here) are a tough enough act to follow!!!
Developing and manifesting our own voice is much more relevent and satisfying than copying someones elses, IMO.

PS-Yng... could you post a pic of a chick thats a little LESS hot, please?? My monitor is starting to get light headed!!

[NY Chief]

It's pretty much bullshit corporate greed. They could build exact clones of the vintage stuff for reasonable money but as long as there are assholes willing to pay 20K for a Franken clone or Blackie clone or #1 clone the manufacturers will milk the market for all its worth. A sig guitar just for sig sake is BS. Like Dave noted earlier the first Beck sig guitar wasn't even the same one JB was playing (lace humbucker).

Some of the sig guitars seem to actually cop some of the feel of the originals. But again, sell them at a reasonalbe price. Granted coming from me that may seem hypocritical but I truly believe my Rory Strat plays like an original and I just love a Strat that looks like it's been through the war. I would pay the price for that guitar even if wasn't a Rory because it's the closet thing I'm ever gonna get to a vintage Strat. Matter of fact if I did have $20K to spend on a strat you bet I'd be talking to WOT before I'd be buying a Blackie clone much less an EVH abortion.

There are just toooo many damn sig guitars. It's stupid now. Everybody has one.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigati ... B&ZYXSEM=0

http://www.gibsoncustom.com/flash/produ ... solid.html

[Flames1950]

I feel much the same way about the various Vintage Reissue/Historic guitars from these companies as the Signature models, I just don't care.......if I pick it up in the store and it feels good and sounds good acoustically I buy it. I don't care if the top carve of my '06 Les Paul Standard is a little different than an original '59. I don't care if my Strat sounds just like Buddy Holly's, or Jimi Hendrix's, or SRV's. It felt nice, it sounded nice, I had the money, I took it home, whether it was my Les Paul or my '96 MIJ pink Strat that I bought for $200 'cause no one would touch it in pink.
If I walk into the store with $4K-$5K and nothing better to do with it, and the Historic is the one really speaking to me that day, that's OK too, but it's no higher up the food chain for me just because it's a Historic or Signature.

[VelvetGeorge]

I'm as skeptical as anyone. I went and played every Fender Strat Elderly had on the wall, about 15-20 of them. About half were Signature models. I also played a 100% original '63. The only Fender that captured 90% of the vibe of the original was the $3,500 relic'ed custom shop.

Then I played the Nash 60's Strat and it was 95% of the way there! For $1,500 out the door!

That guitar was played more than any other at the NY amp show and at the Valve Train booth at NAMM.

Despite being opposed the whole relic idea, I have to admit that it feels and sounds killer.

george

[fillmore nyc]

I feel much the same way about the various Vintage Reissue/Historic guitars from these companies as the Signature models, I just don't care.......if I pick it up in the store and it feels good and sounds good acoustically I buy it.

Exactly. Guitars like the Jeff Beck LP are awesome guitars with that wraptail, but honestly, who gives a shit that JB did that to his '54?? Its a great idea, but not so unique that anyone here couldnt have come up with it.
If I DIDNT like a wraptail, Im not gonna buy that guitar just because I happen to dig Beck!!
I've always wanted to do that same mod to a Firebird V... wraptail and a pair of full size humbuckers. THAT would be a slick combination. Maybe one day with a reissue.

[NY Chief]

I feel much the same way about the various Vintage Reissue/Historic guitars from these companies as the Signature models, I just don't care.......if I pick it up in the store and it feels good and sounds good acoustically I buy it.

Exactly. Guitars like the Jeff Beck LP are awesome guitars with that wraptail, but honestly, who gives a shit that JB did that to his '54?? Its a great idea, but not so unique that anyone here couldnt have come up with it.
If I DIDNT like a wraptail, Im not gonna buy that guitar just because I happen to dig Beck!!
I've always wanted to do that same mod to a Firebird V... wraptail and a pair of full size humbuckers. THAT would be a slick combination. Maybe one day with a reissue.

The fillmore, NYC signature model (as plyed by Waylon Jennings!)!!

[fillmore nyc]

The fillmore, NYC signature model (as plyed by Waylon Jennings!)!!

(How is that bad-assed JB LP treatin' ya these days, Chief?? Would you believe a guy I know in Florida bought one from a pawn shop for $1500, and then traded it for a generic '58 reissue plain top?

I told him Im gonna change his name to Stew Pid!!

[Yngve]

Best customshop l play is the Rory Strat with 11's on it. Before l bought my two Malmsteens l tried every Fender that was there even that Clapton that was 20,000 l think. I walked into that warehouse like a Blind Man, and let me ears do the choosing. If the Malmsteens didnt sound good do you think l would have bought them, NO WAY!

Well I am getting trained by the Authorised Fender Repairman for Australia, everything, from Amp building to winding pick-up to guitar setup and even scalloping. I have discussed with him about tone and wood combinations. I am the most fussy person you can meet even more than Malmsteen, if l see some flaws on a guitar l will be the one who will see it, and with this Malmsteen Relic Customshop, l dont think its going to be not far better than the Artist series. It might have a 10% advantage in tone, remember l am acting like a blind man right now l am not looking at the guitar l am listening and feeling. Go and buy what feels right and dont get moved into the Hype.

[gutpile]

I tend to shy away from the sig series... I haven't had a guitar yet that I didn't change out the pots and pickups to alter to my liking... I like to experiment and if I paid the premium for a sig series, I probably would keep it stock and wonder what it would sound like if I changed the ________ (insert pickup, RS Kit, different caps, tailpiece, etc...)

[Yngve]

I tend to keep my amps and guitars stock just change gauge and basic setup, with pickups l don't really change cost too much, friend have done this and spent buckets loads of money. My approach is to become a better play and work hard on technique to get that tone, like many have said the tone is the fingers to a degree. I am happy with what l have got!

[NY Chief]

The fillmore, NYC signature model (as plyed by Waylon Jennings!)!!

(How is that bad-assed JB LP treatin' ya these days, Chief?? Would you believe a guy I know in Florida bought one from a pawn shop for $1500, and then traded it for a generic '58 reissue plain top?

I told him Im gonna change his name to Stew Pid!!

I used to work with Stew!!!!

The JB is a fun guit. It sure has a great acoustic ring to it. Almost like it's it's chambered. (Is it? ) And that oxbloood coloring just kills.

BTW, Beck didn't make those changes. He wandered into Strings & things and came across it in that condition. Someone had already changed out the soap bars for 'buckers and did the paint. I think it was originally black with a second coat of cherry or something.