Phil, you are the man. I said it in one of my livestreams a little while back but I’ll never forget that I sent you an email, you replied, and spent a very long time talking to me, giving me advice, etc. for nothing. That is rare in this world.
Love your channel and your philosophy in really playing the guitars you review. Probably the best channel for utility designed, sort of new thought guitars
Phil, I am an amateur luthier and for the past 4 or 5 years, I build about 3 guitars per year and donate 2 each year to Gutars4Vets in the DFW area. They have sent them to other chapters and raffled them of and raised good money. They are a great organization and worthy of peoples support.
Phil don't stop doing the live show, it's the best content of my week. I've worked out that you're a good bloke and i enjoy the chat. I don't always agree with you but that's not a reason to unsubscribe. Clearly there are some pretty shallow people amongst us.
As far as I see most youtube channels are actually product promotion channels and they never say anything negative about the guitar they are given by the manufacturer. We are lucky to have real review channels like yours.
I like Pete Thorn's product videos; he may not say anything negative but he does give the gear a full demonstration and if it doesn't do what you need you can see that for yourself.
In my area (Carolina’s) people have been dumping their excess gear for the last couple months. The issue is that nothing has been selling because I have noticed that most of the gear is listed anywhere from just below retail with chips or scratches, to above retail for clean gear. I have been buying gear new because I can’t justify paying nearly retail for a guitar that comes with no warranty or protection from the seller.
@@patrickdionne3732..you managed to buy a used ES335 for $2000 in Canada?….you mean $2000 USD…or $2700 CND….yeah..that would be a really good deal up there..but possible…and 1000% agree that re-sale is something they never consider. It’s like buying a new Kia…and sure…it will get you around..but then try trading it in on anything…and you will go home in tears.
Gibson quality control is Terrible . About half the guitars I look at that are Gibson have issues with the nut . One of my juniors has a twisted neck . I like the sound of Gibson’s when it’s a good one but even their sound is inconsistent at times . Highly overrated , I’m just used to the sound At this point . They don’t really care about theirs costumers
I'm a novice guitar player who started late in life (50 yrs young) and because of you and your videos I buy Stew Mac tools and am very glad to support both Stew Mac and you. Win-win-win, I'm learning how to take care of my guitars. Thanks for Youtubing Phil.
@34:40 Being a coffin dodger (72) I just sold most of my guitar collection, around 20 guitars. I just wanted to make sure that my guitar footprint doesn't impinge on my family (who know nothing about guitars). I kept 5 that are "lifetime" guitars and it's a big relief.
Phil talking about the business and things on the inside is probably the most interesting content out there atm in guitar land. Also, hearing him how he does business the man has crazy integrity. Go Phil! 🎸🎸
He’s the last of the 10-15 subscriptions that I had. He’s the only one I consistently watch due to his honesty. Too many of the others were just to well scripted week to week. Phil is sincere and his personality and personal stories keep me interested. No polish,no BS 🎉🎉🎉
About Stew Mac/tools etc. - if you’ve been unable to afford the nice tool and you DIY it, you get a good feeling. But when you get a little older, more money etc. its *so* much better to just buy the right tool. Stew Mac knows they have the right tool…so I’m glad they work with you
Huge shout out to you for the extra work you put in to include the subject index! Love your content and it lets me jump to my favorite topics. This is a great channel! Thank so much! ✌️😌🎸
I love this channel. For me it's almost like the early days of FM radio. I can sit and listen. Don't have to "watch" the podcast, I can close my eyes and absorb information. Sometime my wife will accuse me of "falling asleep listening to that stuff", then I say something like "no, Phil is discussing the possibility of Amazon some day buying Sweetwater". She knows Amazon, but thinks Sweetwater is a soft drink.... Anyway thanks Phil. I enjoy watching the deep dives, but this couple of hours each week is like a vacation from EVERY FREAKING THING that drives me crazy. Keep us sane... ☺
The live shows are the thing I watch the most. The reviews are interesting at times, for sure, but from the live shows I learn something every time out. I watch every week.
I'm surprised that people would unsubscribe from your channel for voicing your opinion. You're always respectful and your opinions are well reasoned and principled. What's controversial or offensive about that? I appreciate your work!
So, is the day fast approaching when my new Ibanez from Sweetwater will be delivered by a Amazon drone? FYI, Dave Simpson's channel is a absolute blast. His passion for guitar is unmatched.
I honestly believe, out of all the guitar channels on TH-cam i subscribe to , your collection blows everyone else out the water . Your taste in instruments is very close to my own tastes .
The World would be a much better place if more people had Phil's wonderful attitude, perspective of life, and understanding on how to treat each other. A couple months ago I started watching Andre Fludd's Channel. He goes into a lot of stuff that is easy to overlook, but really matters in the long run. Another Channel I really love is Leo Gibson. He does great detailed comparisons of gear like Modelers that would take many hours for any individual to research, and all presented in a clear and unbiased way. 😎
Don’t give up or give in. We love you. As a matter of fact, I’ve unsubscribed to others because they’re always playing or just viewing guitars. No insight comes with them.
This is my favorite channel by far on TH-cam. The Friday live show is my favorite show/video. Absolutely a must watch. I have utterly lost all interest in infomercials & honestly most gear demos on TH-cam. I watch yours & Intheblues' demos mainly to support both channels. It might not pay (at least as much) to have an opinion, but there is no way you could be anything else, Phil. That's something quite valuable. This is the punk ethic, I suppose. "We're the proud, the few, Descendants..."🤘
Last week, your comments about the PRS Special Semi hollow body were very compelling, so I purchased one from Rainbow Guitars before the supply dries up. You were right.
In Nashville, a lot of people put the edge of the capo so that it covers half of the fret. This way, you’re not putting the tension in such a way where the strings go sharp, the tension is instead directed over the fret, half the fret. This works.
Now is a good time to find some killer deals on gear! I just bought a Mesa Boogie JP2C+. Which retails new for 4,000.00 dollars. I got a brand new one for $3045.00.
I bought that ESP EC-1000 solely based off your video. I don't use the piezo very much but I love that guitar, love how it looks and how it feels and how it sounds.
No "impulse or comfort buying" issues here on my end, Phil! I put my Covid $$s to use on a bunch of Studio upgrades--most noteworthily on a slammin' Yamaha Electronic Drum Kit, a proper Mixing Board and a foray into the "SuperStrat World" (which I'm still exploring!). I also upgraded my main pedalboard and put together a second pedalboard with some semi-funky "leftovers" and a couple of essential new ones. Invaluable experience, ALL!!
Phil…maybe it comes with age or maturity BUT, I love hearing your opinions…of course I don’t agree with all of them…but I value your opinions and like you thats what interests me in most videos…keep doing what you’re doing 👍
Hello Philip, I am in my 50s own maybe 30 guitars, work at guitars a little, enjoy your tech detail and I watch your show most weeks. Your opinion on anything would not put me off. Want to say thank you for making effort to mention Scott Grove, as you say not always popular but I found he had good helpful advice. Thank you BoneyBob.
I use a Shubb 12 string capo with the roller. It has adjustable tension and doesn't pull the strings sideways. Bought it for a 12 string but found it works great for classical and other guitars as well.
I like your videos, the how-to info, the reviews that show me what to look for when buying AND what to look for in the guitars I own that will need attention. Your honesty is refreshing and your insight is valuable. Have you ever done a video that took a Fender stock replacement neck and prepped it for install/assembly from start through to playing? Thanks much for everything you do!
Phil the live show is one of the best things on TH-cam don’t bend to the Algorithm it’s a joy to listen to an honest person who loves guitar as much as you do thanks so much for what you do an your honesty 😊
I’m dumping 5 guitars in the UK, trading in exchange for a nice used Martin and low watt handwired Matamp. But these guitars were low value, purchased nearly 20 years ago, and the plan has been to sell them for the previous year. But I’ve timed it at the worst time possible! I’m also selling off some bass gear through a high end London bass store with 15% commission: 3 bass guitars, 4 bass cabs. Interestingly, these are going for more than I paid for them. The guitar shop and bass shop both declined a lot of other gear in my list. I think they’re only going for stuff they think will sell quickly.
Hi Phil, mate I realise you probably wont see this but I'd like to comment anyway. I listened when you spoke this week about how you lose subscribers because of your opinions. Well I want you to know I listen to your shiw everyweek and indeed follow your channel because you have and share your opinion. Please dont censor yourself. View yourself just like all the rebellious fist in the air rockers we love. I would rather watch and listen to you than any other TH-cam review channel. Stay sunny, stay true, stay YOU... also highly recommend The guitaristas channel to you and listeners. Colin is great and between him and yourself I have learnt more in 2 years than the past 20 regarding guitars and gear. Cheers Glenn
I love buying things this time of year. All of the people that get their refund checks and make stupid purchases that are now realizing how much they could use the cash. This is exactly how i got my prs this year. I got a 2 month old 245 for less than half of the retail price, and it already had a set of seymour duncans in it. AND, he threw in the stock pickups to boot. So, almost $1000 worth of gear for $400, all because of someone getting a tax refund purchase that they regretted. This is why i call it my “tax” guitar. I named it “reef”, short for refund.
Happen to still have a black 98-99 7 string ibanez you bought off a guy at your old shop few years ago? Glad it was you that bought it but regret selling it. Im on a search to find it
Such a great and unspoken perspective Phil, that people that work for American guitar manufacturers are often paid less than a living wage right here in America. Great perspective that, I believe, knocks that argument that Asian manufacturers succeed on the backs of their low-paid workers. Stuff like this is the reason I like your content.
Wow Phil, thanks for talking about the fact that you are giving your honest opinion about stuff on your channel. It is obvious to me that you are genuine and honest about your reviews and opinions on the guitars and amps you are talking about and reviewing. My experience with TH-cam is that makes you special and different than the sycophants out there who are merely kowtowing to the manufacturers. I applaud you, you probably already know, but one of the most dangerous and daring things to do in modern America is to get caught telling the unvarnished truth in the light of day (the politicians are incapable of this). My compliments Sir !
I was at guitar center in delaware a couple months ago if that, and they had a sign on the door saying.. "not excepting any trades or buying used guitars as we are over stocked on used gear", maybe they bought some collections ha..
Phil makes reference to the best guitar he owns/ever played. It is the Kiesel A2 Aries 2. They are custom made & start at $1549. Phil's video is The New Kiesel A2 Unboxing and runs 48:36. Kiesel has it's own video, Kiesel Guitars A2 (Aries 2) Guitar and Bass Line Unvieling and runs 47:54. Those are the titles of the videos on youtube.
I agree with you. My local GC is full of used guitars and amps. I kind of thought once COVID was over and things got close to normal, people would restart their lives. They are dumping all the gear because they don’t need it. It’s the same deal with home gym equipment .
Hey Phil please don’t stop doing the live show, I can’t watch live cause of work, but I never miss it mostly cause it makes my wife roll her eyes. That tells me you’re spit-on!!
The best capo I have found is the d’addario with adjustable tension, I have all the “best” name capos and they all caused me some sort of issue, one of the main issues I had is the capos leaving dents or lines in my frets even with light pressure. The d’addario is the best in my opinion as someone who uses capo about 80% of the time I play
I like the tubemeister series just recently got the TM18 still has the 5watt option and a 1watt option which is so much fun to crank in my apartment lol 😂 not loud enough to piss everyone off but enough to enjoy and play
Tip: CAPOs put guitars out of tune so I use a D'Addario adjustable capo with a spring. After you put on the CAPO you then tune up the guitar again with capo in place making small adjustments so it is right in tune. As far as guitars go, You might look at it like this: Own what you Love; and only sell what you don't want to keep. When you are clear on what you want to keep in your private collection keep them separate. What doesn't motivate you to play should go to someone else who loves it.
So I have a black full Keyser that doesn't have a model number. How do you tell whether it's for acoustic or electric, by the length of the muting arm?
I really like the idea of the fret kisser and I should buy one. They are incredibly expensive for what you're getting, but the functionality is probably worth it. I tried to make one but adding sandpaper makes the fret rocker not have a completely flat level surface.
That Firebird is rad. I've never played one, but I've been wanting one. Wonder if I can get an Epiphone in that colorway. Also, I refuse to order from Sweetwater again until they open a proper west coast distribution center for guitars since they're not particularly competitive in terms of pricing vs ordering from somebody that's more local to me and it takes considerably longer.
Phil, is there a guitar out there with the build quality and tones that will cover my 3 fave guitars, strat,tele and sg, in one package ? Thanks in advance and love the uploads.
Is the Neural Amp Modeler and companies introducing amp/pedal modeling at an affordable price like IK w/the tonex marking the beginning of the end for real amps? Tube amps?
No because nothing can beat the organic characteristics of a true tube/analog amplifier that's handwired ptp, and well built amp and cabinet/speaker construction components. Often imitated but can't be duplicated with subpar design and elemental components. Of course the argument that everything's just different, and nothing ever sounds better or worse, is gaining traction among liberals I've heard. Lol ...cheers
@@Burnt_Gerbil They're are fun but learning curves suck, I massively improved my playing practicing thru them. They are pretty amazing honestly. I play a boss nextone and a fender vibro champ, but practice thru a mini5 vox in my apartment.
And the used market is finally going to completely crash. It couldn't go on the way it was, when people are buying retail then selling on ebay for more than they paid, you know the market is in serious trouble. The bubble always bursts. In 6 months or so it will be a great time for the average Joe to go out and pick up a nice used guitar for a proper used instrument price. Sadly it's going to hurt a lot of people who "invested" in gear. Some deserve to take a hit but most were just regular people hoping to cash out after enjoying an expensive guitar for a few months. I must admit, I was tempted, the prospect of buying a nice PRS or Gibson, using it for 3 months and then selling it for either the same money or a profit was appealing. Great video as always Phil, thanks :)
Even though I may think so, Tim Pierce DID NOT say that Sire is better than Gibson. In fact, he said the Gibson was better, but the Sire was so much more guitar for the money.
Mn. My 1994 US Standard Stratocaster will *now* sell for the equivalent of what I paid for it in 1994, new, once you adjust for inflation, but it's only really in the last few years that that's been true...
I'm getting a ton of collection in, but it's not covid guitars. It's mainly guys aging out or dying. I'll get people who are moving into a retirement home or the family of someone who passed regularly. Sometimes it's vintage stuff, but a lot of it is 20 years worth of mid priced guitars. The first wave of guys to do that are coming in to the end of their playing careers and that is driving the number of used guitars in the market as much as anything.
I would love to see you review some nice Kramers. I had a good one apparently when I was a teenager. I remember it was nice, but I didn't know anything about guitars back then lol A friend owed me some money and gave it to me as a payment. Anyway, l lost it one day.... lol long story, but some years later, I found out it was worth 4 or 5 grand. It was a Kramer Bereta with an original Floyd...killer cream color with black headstock etc... A friend told me I had a 'grail' type guitar ha- Would be cool to see you check one of those out.... great vid brodda! -thanks
I just sold 4 pedals to buy 1- the JHS Packrat. That said- my god what a pedal- 9 drives in one pedal. And these aren't like you just change the diodes out or something- each drive is complete- its own thing, diff. cap. values, diff trans. and diodes, diff. op amps, diff. design. It has 40 something switches inside it and when you select a drive all the corresponding switches flip and you're playing a whole different circuit. And they're amazing circuits- pedals that cost hundreds of dollars if bought on their own. I can't wait to get it.
I tried a Sire 335 and it was really bad. The fret ends had raw cuts with zero finishing. Granted this was the worst out of all of the sires Sweetwater had out on the rack but I doubt it had any inspection. The other sires did not impress me that much except for one of the strat like models. The experience of shopping in person was very slow, Their used gear cave had some good stuff like a pair of 8" Kali monitors and a Source Audio Collider pedal. Buying new gear is like shopping for the large items at Ikea. You pay and either wait at the registers for 15 minutes or go to the back where house entrance for them to pull the order. Its a nice huge store but better to use their online shopping system. I bought a pedalboard and it was only in their southwest store and I had to have it delivered. The sales staff was hit or miss.
Is it the Aries or the A2 mentioned concerning the best guitar? Because it looks like an Aries and not the 2, at least from their website pictures. Thanks if anybody responds lol.. I know they do custom stuff.
I sort of did a big dump as well. Can only play so many guitars at once and I was feeling like it was a waste of money. Maybe others just really need the cash because they lost their jobs due to Covid. I didn’t get good deals either. Lost 2-300 bucks on some guitars.
Would you please add a link to the merchandise? The T-shirts I ordered in the beginning are getting worn out. I'd like to get a couple with the guitar logo. Peace, DD
Man I've been gassing for a firebird pretty bad recently. Only the custom shops are available new, and I don't love firebirds enough to pay that much. I also couldn't bring myself to pay more than new price for a exc+ condition used firebird. I ended up getting a used collings 360 lt with minihumbuckers. It's obviously fairly far off from a firebird, but Collings craftsmanship definitely lives up to their reputation. I guess I'm going to wait and see what happens when they eventually come out with another run of standard USA firebirds.
My local store in a smaller sized town does not carry Ernie Ball. So amazon 2 day delivery it is. wish it wasn't so but if wishes were guitars I'd be Sweetwater.
When I worked in the retail music business we sold all strings 2 for 1 and used list. Got people in the store. Also strings are so overpriced when we used to get strings 50 + 20 + 5
Phil, you are the man. I said it in one of my livestreams a little while back but I’ll never forget that I sent you an email, you replied, and spent a very long time talking to me, giving me advice, etc. for nothing. That is rare in this world.
I'm going to check out your channel after Phil's shout out.
This is cool!
Oh wow! Crazy seeing you here lol. I watch your channel. Rock on man
That's the mark of a quality dude. Props
Love your channel and your philosophy in really playing the guitars you review. Probably the best channel for utility designed, sort of new thought guitars
Phil, I am an amateur luthier and for the past 4 or 5 years, I build about 3 guitars per year and donate 2 each year to Gutars4Vets in the DFW area. They have sent them to other chapters and raffled them of and raised good money. They are a great organization and worthy of peoples support.
I respect the hell out of this. As a vet I’d love to shake your hand. You’re doing a wonderful thing for those men and women.
@@TylerJohnstonGuitar It is my honor and pleasure to do so.
are you the same tuttle that makes “Tuttle Custom” style guitars (as sold by Soundpure)?
@@QuikdethDeviantart No, just an amateur in Texas.
@@stevetuttleguitars bless you anyway for giving to Veterans!
Phil don't stop doing the live show, it's the best content of my week. I've worked out that you're a good bloke and i enjoy the chat. I don't always agree with you but that's not a reason to unsubscribe. Clearly there are some pretty shallow people amongst us.
As far as I see most youtube channels are actually product promotion channels and they never say anything negative about the guitar they are given by the manufacturer. We are lucky to have real review channels like yours.
Make no mistake about EVERY TH-cam channel is nothing but a product promotion channel. Honesty is the only thing that separates them.
Make no mistake about EVERY TH-cam channel is nothing but a product promotion channel. Honesty is the only thing that separates them.
I like Pete Thorn's product videos; he may not say anything negative but he does give the gear a full demonstration and if it doesn't do what you need you can see that for yourself.
I dumped my gear recently mostly because I released all I needed was amp sims, a has strat and an acoustic. Focusing more on actually playing Now
In my area (Carolina’s) people have been dumping their excess gear for the last couple months. The issue is that nothing has been selling because I have noticed that most of the gear is listed anywhere from just below retail with chips or scratches, to above retail for clean gear. I have been buying gear new because I can’t justify paying nearly retail for a guitar that comes with no warranty or protection from the seller.
Tim Pierce did not say the Sire was better than Gibson. He said for the price, they were very good guitars. He did in fact say the Gibson was better.
@@TribalGuitars In Canada, that guitar costs about 1,700 CND after tax. My used ES-335 cost me 2,000 CND and the resale value is way better.
@@patrickdionne3732..you managed to buy a used ES335 for $2000 in Canada?….you mean $2000 USD…or $2700 CND….yeah..that would be a really good deal up there..but possible…and 1000% agree that re-sale is something they never consider. It’s like buying a new Kia…and sure…it will get you around..but then try trading it in on anything…and you will go home in tears.
Gibson quality control is Terrible . About half the guitars I look at that are Gibson have issues with the nut . One of my juniors has a twisted neck . I like the sound of Gibson’s when it’s a good one but even their sound is inconsistent at times .
Highly overrated , I’m just used to the sound At this point . They don’t really care about theirs costumers
I'm a novice guitar player who started late in life (50 yrs young) and because of you and your videos I buy Stew Mac tools and am very glad to support both Stew Mac and you. Win-win-win, I'm learning how to take care of my guitars. Thanks for Youtubing Phil.
@34:40 Being a coffin dodger (72) I just sold most of my guitar collection, around 20 guitars. I just wanted to make sure that my guitar footprint doesn't impinge on my family (who know nothing about guitars). I kept 5 that are "lifetime" guitars and it's a big relief.
@34:40 I sold all but 3 of my 25 guitars over the last couple years. All I require these days now.
Me too I enlisted in 71 and then hopped on my motorcycle and dodged laid low and stayed alive went from Iowa to LA ... What a F uped time that was..
Phil talking about the business and things on the inside is probably the most interesting content out there atm in guitar land. Also, hearing him how he does business the man has crazy integrity. Go Phil! 🎸🎸
Who would unsubscribe to Phil’s channel?
Inconceivable!!!!
He’s the last of the 10-15 subscriptions that I had. He’s the only one I consistently watch due to his honesty. Too many of the others were just to well scripted week to week. Phil is sincere and his personality and personal stories keep me interested. No polish,no BS 🎉🎉🎉
About Stew Mac/tools etc. - if you’ve been unable to afford the nice tool and you DIY it, you get a good feeling. But when you get a little older, more money etc. its *so* much better to just buy the right tool. Stew Mac knows they have the right tool…so I’m glad they work with you
I got one too. I mostly , fix my guitars instead of returning them. Works out for me. Cheers.
Oh man, Dane's shop is fantastic! i go there first before any visits to the big boxes! I'm surprised I haven't run into you there yet!
Huge shout out to you for the extra work you put in to include the subject index! Love your content and it lets me jump to my favorite topics. This is a great channel! Thank so much! ✌️😌🎸
This was a particularly good episode Phil. Thanks as always for sharing.
I love this channel. For me it's almost like the early days of FM radio. I can sit and listen. Don't have to "watch" the podcast, I can close my eyes and absorb information. Sometime my wife will accuse me of "falling asleep listening to that stuff", then I say something like "no, Phil is discussing the possibility of Amazon some day buying Sweetwater". She knows Amazon, but thinks Sweetwater is a soft drink.... Anyway thanks Phil. I enjoy watching the deep dives, but this couple of hours each week is like a vacation from EVERY FREAKING THING that drives me crazy. Keep us sane... ☺
The live shows are the thing I watch the most. The reviews are interesting at times, for sure, but from the live shows I learn something every time out. I watch every week.
I'm surprised that people would unsubscribe from your channel for voicing your opinion. You're always respectful and your opinions are well reasoned and principled. What's controversial or offensive about that? I appreciate your work!
So, is the day fast approaching when my new Ibanez from Sweetwater will be delivered by a Amazon drone?
FYI, Dave Simpson's channel is a absolute blast. His passion for guitar is unmatched.
I honestly believe, out of all the guitar channels on TH-cam i subscribe to , your collection blows everyone else out the water . Your taste in instruments is very close to my own tastes .
I bought 4 new guitars, 2 used guitars, parts for 3 partscasters, and 2 Marshall amps during Covid. So not selling a damned thing 😅
The World would be a much better place if more people had Phil's wonderful attitude, perspective of life, and understanding on how to treat each other. A couple months ago I started watching Andre Fludd's Channel. He goes into a lot of stuff that is easy to overlook, but really matters in the long run. Another Channel I really love is Leo Gibson. He does great detailed comparisons of gear like Modelers that would take many hours for any individual to research, and all presented in a clear and unbiased way. 😎
Agreed! Andre’s channel is great
Leo is great, his playing is fantastic
Don’t give up or give in. We love you. As a matter of fact, I’ve unsubscribed to others because they’re always playing or just viewing guitars. No insight comes with them.
This is my favorite channel by far on TH-cam. The Friday live show is my favorite show/video. Absolutely a must watch. I have utterly lost all interest in infomercials & honestly most gear demos on TH-cam. I watch yours & Intheblues' demos mainly to support both channels. It might not pay (at least as much) to have an opinion, but there is no way you could be anything else, Phil. That's something quite valuable. This is the punk ethic, I suppose. "We're the proud, the few, Descendants..."🤘
Last week, your comments about the PRS Special Semi hollow body were very compelling, so I purchased one from Rainbow Guitars before the supply dries up. You were right.
In Nashville, a lot of people put the edge of the capo so that it covers half of the fret. This way, you’re not putting the tension in such a way where the strings go sharp, the tension is instead directed over the fret, half the fret. This works.
Thanks for all your hard work and insights. I love your channel.
Now is a good time to find some killer deals on gear! I just bought a Mesa Boogie JP2C+. Which retails new for 4,000.00 dollars. I got a brand new one for $3045.00.
I bought that ESP EC-1000 solely based off your video. I don't use the piezo very much but I love that guitar, love how it looks and how it feels and how it sounds.
Colin on The Guitaristas channel is a fun watch.
No "impulse or comfort buying" issues here on my end, Phil! I put my Covid $$s to use on a bunch of Studio upgrades--most noteworthily on a slammin' Yamaha Electronic Drum Kit, a proper Mixing Board and a foray into the "SuperStrat World" (which I'm still exploring!). I also upgraded my main pedalboard and put together a second pedalboard with some semi-funky "leftovers" and a couple of essential new ones. Invaluable experience, ALL!!
That's how the US is 30 Trillion on debt ,,nothing in life is free.
@@jeffmckinnon5842 ...oh, yeah...I forgot to include a MOOG Sub 25, along with the others...
@@gw2031 I can guarantee that gear WASN'T "free"...
Phil…maybe it comes with age or maturity BUT, I love hearing your opinions…of course I don’t agree with all of them…but I value your opinions and like you thats what interests me in most videos…keep doing what you’re doing 👍
Hello Philip, I am in my 50s own maybe 30 guitars, work at guitars a little, enjoy your tech detail and I watch your show most weeks. Your opinion on anything would not put me off. Want to say thank you for making effort to mention Scott Grove, as you say not always popular but I found he had good helpful advice. Thank you BoneyBob.
I always enjoy your insights and knowledge Phil!
you giving your honest opinion in your live shows are the only reason i watch your channel and the reason i hold you in such high regard 1:50:31
I use a Shubb 12 string capo with the roller. It has adjustable tension and doesn't pull the strings sideways. Bought it for a 12 string but found it works great for classical and other guitars as well.
I like your videos, the how-to info, the reviews that show me what to look for when buying AND what to look for in the guitars I own that will need attention. Your honesty is refreshing and your insight is valuable.
Have you ever done a video that took a Fender stock replacement neck and prepped it for install/assembly from start through to playing?
Thanks much for everything you do!
Phil the live show is one of the best things on TH-cam don’t bend to the Algorithm it’s a joy to listen to an honest person who loves guitar as much as you do thanks so much for what you do an your honesty 😊
Kramer Jersey star owner. Love the guitar.
I missed Friday night . Have a great week Phil .
I’m dumping 5 guitars in the UK, trading in exchange for a nice used Martin and low watt handwired Matamp. But these guitars were low value, purchased nearly 20 years ago, and the plan has been to sell them for the previous year. But I’ve timed it at the worst time possible!
I’m also selling off some bass gear through a high end London bass store with 15% commission: 3 bass guitars, 4 bass cabs. Interestingly, these are going for more than I paid for them.
The guitar shop and bass shop both declined a lot of other gear in my list. I think they’re only going for stuff they think will sell quickly.
Hi Phil, mate I realise you probably wont see this but I'd like to comment anyway. I listened when you spoke this week about how you lose subscribers because of your opinions. Well I want you to know I listen to your shiw everyweek and indeed follow your channel because you have and share your opinion. Please dont censor yourself. View yourself just like all the rebellious fist in the air rockers we love. I would rather watch and listen to you than any other TH-cam review channel. Stay sunny, stay true, stay YOU... also highly recommend The guitaristas channel to you and listeners. Colin is great and between him and yourself I have learnt more in 2 years than the past 20 regarding guitars and gear. Cheers Glenn
Phillip, I appreciate your attitude to 'opinions'. You are spot on. Keep doing what you are doing.
Cool vid and chat. Always appreciate your candor Phil!
String trees, I always lube and on non roller get some cord and use buffing compound and polish the contact points.
I love buying things this time of year. All of the people that get their refund checks and make stupid purchases that are now realizing how much they could use the cash. This is exactly how i got my prs this year. I got a 2 month old 245 for less than half of the retail price, and it already had a set of seymour duncans in it. AND, he threw in the stock pickups to boot. So, almost $1000 worth of gear for $400, all because of someone getting a tax refund purchase that they regretted.
This is why i call it my “tax” guitar. I named it “reef”, short for refund.
Is it better than a good paul?
Happen to still have a black 98-99 7 string ibanez you bought off a guy at your old shop few years ago? Glad it was you that bought it but regret selling it. Im on a search to find it
My Favorite is still my 1984 Aria Pro- ii- Nxt 2006 American Deluxe w S-1 switching pickups switched to Noiseless 4.
Such a great and unspoken perspective Phil, that people that work for American guitar manufacturers are often paid less than a living wage right here in America. Great perspective that, I believe, knocks that argument that Asian manufacturers succeed on the backs of their low-paid workers. Stuff like this is the reason I like your content.
Wow Phil, thanks for talking about the fact that you are giving your honest opinion about stuff on your channel. It is obvious to me that you are genuine and honest about your reviews and opinions on the guitars and amps you are talking about and reviewing. My experience with TH-cam is that makes you special and different than the sycophants out there who are merely kowtowing to the manufacturers. I applaud you, you probably already know, but one of the most dangerous and daring things to do in modern America is to get caught telling the unvarnished truth in the light of day (the politicians are incapable of this). My compliments Sir !
I was at guitar center in delaware a couple months ago if that, and they had a sign on the door saying.. "not excepting any trades or buying used guitars as we are over stocked on used gear", maybe they bought some collections ha..
¿ My screen has no closed captions? I like your show because you shine light on the small international guitar companies! Thanks
Phil makes reference to the best guitar he owns/ever played. It is the Kiesel A2 Aries 2. They are custom made & start at $1549. Phil's video is The New Kiesel A2 Unboxing and runs 48:36. Kiesel has it's own video, Kiesel Guitars A2 (Aries 2) Guitar and Bass Line Unvieling and runs 47:54. Those are the titles of the videos on youtube.
I agree with you. My local GC is full of used guitars and amps. I kind of thought once COVID was over and things got close to normal, people would restart their lives. They are dumping all the gear because they don’t need it. It’s the same deal with home gym equipment .
Best guitar content on the tube. Thanks for these videos Phil
Hey Phil please don’t stop doing the live show, I can’t watch live cause of work, but I never miss it mostly cause it makes my wife roll her eyes. That tells me you’re spit-on!!
The best capo I have found is the d’addario with adjustable tension, I have all the “best” name capos and they all caused me some sort of issue, one of the main issues I had is the capos leaving dents or lines in my frets even with light pressure. The d’addario is the best in my opinion as someone who uses capo about 80% of the time I play
I like the tubemeister series just recently got the TM18 still has the 5watt option and a 1watt option which is so much fun to crank in my apartment lol 😂 not loud enough to piss everyone off but enough to enjoy and play
Can't wait for the Schecter video. I really want one of their sustainer/Floyd models but I'm thinking it must be pretty heavy. Love your channel
Tip: CAPOs put guitars out of tune so I use a D'Addario adjustable capo with a spring. After you put on the CAPO you then tune up the guitar again with capo in place making small adjustments so it is right in tune. As far as guitars go, You might look at it like this: Own what you Love; and only sell what you don't want to keep. When you are clear on what you want to keep in your private collection keep them separate. What doesn't motivate you to play should go to someone else who loves it.
My friend just got the new Kramer Mustaine, I liked it as much as my old Korean Dimebag V. Super cool guitar
I've had a TubeMeister 5 sitting on the back shelf for a few years, and now I got to see what you mean....
$1400 for a Chinese epiphone. I can get a new ibanez mij prestige for that. F no
Support your local stores, including G.C. The employees are local people and it gives them a paycheck.
The built in attenuater on the Hughes and Kettner amps are literally perfect. Zero effect on tone. No idea how they do it.
So I have a black full Keyser that doesn't have a model number. How do you tell whether it's for acoustic or electric, by the length of the muting arm?
used to live in Avondale, AZ (25 years ago), weird to look at that area now
I really like the idea of the fret kisser and I should buy one. They are incredibly expensive for what you're getting, but the functionality is probably worth it. I tried to make one but adding sandpaper makes the fret rocker not have a completely flat level surface.
Get a capo with an adjustable pressure through adjusting the spring like the new Daddario or the Shubb. I have both and a few Kysers.
That Firebird is rad. I've never played one, but I've been wanting one. Wonder if I can get an Epiphone in that colorway. Also, I refuse to order from Sweetwater again until they open a proper west coast distribution center for guitars since they're not particularly competitive in terms of pricing vs ordering from somebody that's more local to me and it takes considerably longer.
Phil, is there a guitar out there with the build quality and tones that will cover my 3 fave guitars, strat,tele and sg, in one package ? Thanks in advance and love the uploads.
Is the Neural Amp Modeler and companies introducing amp/pedal modeling at an affordable price like IK w/the tonex marking the beginning of the end for real amps? Tube amps?
No because nothing can beat the organic characteristics of a true tube/analog amplifier that's handwired ptp, and well built amp and cabinet/speaker construction components.
Often imitated but can't be duplicated with subpar design and elemental components.
Of course the argument that everything's just different, and nothing ever sounds better or worse, is gaining traction among liberals I've heard.
Lol ...cheers
And I own and love 3 sweet modelers, (mx5, ge150 and a mg400)
@@Burnt_Gerbil what you said
@@Burnt_Gerbil They're are fun but learning curves suck, I massively improved my playing practicing thru them. They are pretty amazing honestly. I play a boss nextone and a fender vibro champ, but practice thru a mini5 vox in my apartment.
And the used market is finally going to completely crash. It couldn't go on the way it was, when people are buying retail then selling on ebay for more than they paid, you know the market is in serious trouble. The bubble always bursts. In 6 months or so it will be a great time for the average Joe to go out and pick up a nice used guitar for a proper used instrument price. Sadly it's going to hurt a lot of people who "invested" in gear. Some deserve to take a hit but most were just regular people hoping to cash out after enjoying an expensive guitar for a few months. I must admit, I was tempted, the prospect of buying a nice PRS or Gibson, using it for 3 months and then selling it for either the same money or a profit was appealing.
Great video as always Phil, thanks :)
Even though I may think so, Tim Pierce DID NOT say that Sire is better than Gibson. In fact, he said the Gibson was better, but the Sire was so much more guitar for the money.
Mn. My 1994 US Standard Stratocaster will *now* sell for the equivalent of what I paid for it in 1994, new, once you adjust for inflation, but it's only really in the last few years that that's been true...
I'm getting a ton of collection in, but it's not covid guitars. It's mainly guys aging out or dying. I'll get people who are moving into a retirement home or the family of someone who passed regularly. Sometimes it's vintage stuff, but a lot of it is 20 years worth of mid priced guitars. The first wave of guys to do that are coming in to the end of their playing careers and that is driving the number of used guitars in the market as much as anything.
Can confirm about large swaths of gear coming from one person. Seen it in Rochester a couple times recently.
I would love to see you review some nice Kramers. I had a good one apparently when I was a teenager. I remember it was nice, but I didn't know anything about guitars back then lol A friend owed me some money and gave it to me as a payment. Anyway, l lost it one day.... lol long story, but some years later, I found out it was worth 4 or 5 grand. It was a Kramer Bereta with an original Floyd...killer cream color with black headstock etc... A friend told me I had a 'grail' type guitar ha- Would be cool to see you check one of those out.... great vid brodda! -thanks
Good job, Phil. Love watching your channel!
I just sold 4 pedals to buy 1- the JHS Packrat. That said- my god what a pedal- 9 drives in one pedal. And these aren't like you just change the diodes out or something- each drive is complete- its own thing, diff. cap. values, diff trans. and diodes, diff. op amps, diff. design. It has 40 something switches inside it and when you select a drive all the corresponding switches flip and you're playing a whole different circuit. And they're amazing circuits- pedals that cost hundreds of dollars if bought on their own. I can't wait to get it.
@@stevelaferney3579 The Packrat? Yeah, it is a cool name for the pedal.
Re: Capos - Radius is as important as length and tension
I tried a Sire 335 and it was really bad. The fret ends had raw cuts with zero finishing. Granted this was the worst out of all of the sires Sweetwater had out on the rack but I doubt it had any inspection. The other sires did not impress me that much except for one of the strat like models. The experience of shopping in person was very slow, Their used gear cave had some good stuff like a pair of 8" Kali monitors and a Source Audio Collider pedal. Buying new gear is like shopping for the large items at Ikea. You pay and either wait at the registers for 15 minutes or go to the back where house entrance for them to pull the order. Its a nice huge store but better to use their online shopping system. I bought a pedalboard and it was only in their southwest store and I had to have it delivered. The sales staff was hit or miss.
Hi Phil, good stream. I have to skip through the topics cuz I can't sit through the whole show.
I enjoy your opinions, so keep 'em coming!
Is it the Aries or the A2 mentioned concerning the best guitar? Because it looks like an Aries and not the 2, at least from their website pictures. Thanks if anybody responds lol.. I know they do custom stuff.
Just pre ordered the Hot Dog Kramer haha, you should do a video on it, only 75 made.
You reviewed the valve king mh and really liked it.
I've seen some bargains on the used market right now, and people want cash no trades.
Watching Twice!! Always enjoyable.
I must have owned 25 guitars, 20 amps. I now have downsized guitars and amps to 2 Telecasters, one Moded Fender Blues Jr. Its enough!
NGD Orange Super Crush 100, it does the thing. Very impressive.
I sort of did a big dump as well. Can only play so many guitars at once and I was feeling like it was a waste of money.
Maybe others just really need the cash because they lost their jobs due to Covid.
I didn’t get good deals either. Lost 2-300 bucks on some guitars.
Would you please add a link to the merchandise? The T-shirts I ordered in the beginning are getting worn out. I'd like to get a couple with the guitar logo. Peace, DD
Man I've been gassing for a firebird pretty bad recently. Only the custom shops are available new, and I don't love firebirds enough to pay that much. I also couldn't bring myself to pay more than new price for a exc+ condition used firebird.
I ended up getting a used collings 360 lt with minihumbuckers. It's obviously fairly far off from a firebird, but Collings craftsmanship definitely lives up to their reputation.
I guess I'm going to wait and see what happens when they eventually come out with another run of standard USA firebirds.
My local store in a smaller sized town does not carry Ernie Ball. So amazon 2 day delivery it is. wish it wasn't so but if wishes were guitars I'd be Sweetwater.
Another great show Phil and always enjoy your opinions! Did you end up selling that JP15 Nebula?
When I worked in the retail music business we sold all strings 2 for 1 and used list. Got people in the store. Also strings are so overpriced when we used to get strings 50 + 20 + 5
What video does Phil talk about the fret kisser ?
Hey Phil. All the guitars on your wall are super shiny. Do you have any road-worn guitars or battered beauties?
Id be interested to hear the general consensus on DR Strings . Its a brand ive never tried .
I am willing to take people's extra "obsolete" old Gibson and Fender guitars off their hands for cheap.
Just doing my bit to help.
I’ll take the Jacksons and Charvels! 😂