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Post by Tony Ravenscroft on Aug 12, 2018 10:50:59 GMT -6
One important warning: ALWAYS COPY YOUR POST. Every forum software package that I have used for 20 years is not 100% glitch-free. Often, I am typing along in pursuit of some thought, like HUNDREDS of words, I finally hit SAVE... and all that input disappears, never to be found again.
The Proboards/Boards software is one of the best I have used... but it is NOT perfect.
Therefore, it is to your benefit, as you type along, to press Control-A then Control-C, and maybe even take your verbiage off to a document file in case your browser locks up.
My name is Tony Ravenscroft. I have been a guitar fan since the early 1970s, but only in recent years have I had the time and resources to properly explore my interests -- namely, getting happily divorced and thereafter taking a good-paying job.  Back around 2008, I stumbled across an online magazine, The Frugal Guitarist, founded by player Will Chen in Austin, Texas. The site had an interesting theme: inexpensive quality. Will had noted how gear was getting better almost by the day, and at the same time prices were sliding for various sociopolitical reasons -- basically, no blue-collar toiler or wannabee shredder needs to go into deep debt to get hold of a very good instrument. Will had started an associated discussion forum, which I of course joined. As a semi-pro editor and researcher for years, I sort of launched myself into becoming an expert on used guitars. After a couple of years, I'd built up quite a bit of data on a few brands, and the forums were drawing a bit of attention from the associated fans. The forum software developed a few waves of bugs, which Will overcame, but after a few years, real life -- wife, kids, day job, gigs -- intruded. Ads were no longer supporting the costs of the site, and Will let it go. After some digging, I've managed to recover most of the key threads I created, and finally got round to launching this site. (Incidentally, if you want to use the Wayback Machine application of the Internet Archive project to poke around in Will's legacy, start here. It only pulls up the first page or two of a few dozen posts, but there are some gems to be found.) Keep reading... 
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Post by Tony Ravenscroft on Aug 12, 2018 11:46:30 GMT -6
WHAT THIS FORUM IS This is my personal hobbyhorse. I hope that people will want to add to my research. The central theme is quality inexpensive musical instruments and gear, new and used. The number is vague, but generally I'm talking sub-$500 instruments and amps, and accessories (stompboxes and such) under $100. I might get around to a "guitar porn" section for the stuff we admire but probably can't afford. If you have a question that is directly relevant to the thread's discussion, then I hope you will chime in. However, if it's something that's only tenuously related, then PLEASE be bold and start your own thread. Not only is this the polite thing to do, but it will greatly increase the likelihood you will get good responses. If you feel there ought to be a sub-board for a music-related topic, then pleasesuggest it to me. That is something that can only be done by an Administrator -- this helps avoid forums getting drowned in spam by bots.  WHAT THIS FORUM IS NOT Mostly, be nice to each other, and to anyone who might happen to be casually browsing. In order to avoid distractions, there WILL NOT be discussion of those classic divisive bugaboos: politics, religion, relationships. (I have some very strong - some might say radical - opinions myself.) If you really need to vent spleen or proselytize, send me a personal message (PM) and I will try to steer you well to an appropriate forum. Speaking of fanaticism: one of my dislikes is people who refuse to see past their prejudices. For example, the Strat fanatics who will go on for hundreds of words at a time, ranting about how SQUIER SUCKS and the only REAL guitars are California-made guitars. Again: there's PLENTY of places for that -- elsewhere. If you have something you want to sell or are looking to purchase, DO NOT muck up a thread with this. If there's any interest (or I get bored), I will open up a page for members to list their stuff. |
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Post by Tony Ravenscroft on Aug 21, 2018 23:54:58 GMT -6
Before I forget again -- TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW. I'm not very good at reading minds,especially from halfway 'round the world. Maybe I've got something in my notes, or can at least add a specific forum for further discussion of the topic. As you've doubtless figured out, this place is beginning as a one-man show. Seeing as it's only an occasional hobby -- like, stopping by a few times a week to add stuff -- things often move at a glacial pace. Please sign up, create an account, and join in. You don't need to have a lot to say!! But I am a writer, and I can tell you that some of the best questions are simple and short -- feel free to ask what you will. And if you have information to share, add your knowledge. Though I have been posting in forums for a couple of decades, it seems to take me months to get the hang of the local code. So, don't despair if you're having problems!! I'll do my best to steer you right, though it might take a few tries. |
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Post by retread on Sept 1, 2018 10:53:41 GMT -6
You seem to be a very Nutzy® sort of person. You might enjoy taking a look at guitarnuts2.proboards.com/ if you have guitar-related technical questions. We also have a guest posting area called The Peanut Gallery for casual visits/comments. If you need any assistance with dressing up your forum or adding functionality, the Support Forum would be a great place for help on such matters. However, be sure to read their posting rules (particularly on the Support Board) as they have rules/guidelines which are somewhat different from what most people expect.
Best wishes to you here!
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Post by Tony Ravenscroft on Sept 2, 2018 10:19:22 GMT -6
Thank you for the invitation, reTrEaD!! Poking around ProBoards, I swung through the GuitarNutz board, and may revisit from time to time. Now that I think about it, you've brought up a couple more defining factors of this ( Cheap Guitars) board. Unlike almost all guitar-centric spaces, this site isn't so much about how to stuff. For instance, GuitarNutz is primarily performance oriented: how to play, how to chain effects, how to record, etc. And it follows up with repairs and mods: how to replace a pickup, how to choose the "right" tone capacitor, how to change strings properly, how to wipe dust off the fingerboard...  I've fixed a couple dozen guitars that I got cheap because the inept previous owner chose to perform some "hack" or "mod" or "upgrade" and made it unplayable, which is why my advice on such "how to" is often Take it to a luthier or at least a skilled and experienced repair bench, fool! Most "guitar players" have never played before an audience, much less to make a living, and the world won't slam to a halt if THEY choose to casually damage their one guitar beyond repair... but anyone who performs, or has a quality instrument, ought to treat their gear properly. I enjoy online shopping, and I also casually track market demand. Few sites offer what I like to do. On other boards, I have fielded MANY variations on the Two Eternal Questions -- - Can someone tell me something (age, factory, materials) about this?
- What is this worth?
I've done at least a couple hundred such projects (usually taking a couple of minutes at most) for others, and easily almost a thousand for myself in the past decade (because this Interwebs thing is pretty darn handy once you learn to use it properly ). This is something that I've NEVER seen tackled directly on ANY other site, so I'm willing to plow new turf.  However, I am going to be opening up some threads that are almost, sorta, a little "how to," as I am interested in all the superstitions about what makes for a "better" guitar -- hogwash (often corporate-inspired) like "solid wood" and "swamp ash" and "hand-built" and "hot pickups" and "made in Japan." As for forum cosmetics, I'm not going to "prettify" this place much or add all sorts of gewgaws. I've set the colors for my own personal comfort (namely readability) and this may change, but likely not much. If people need pictures, it ought to be of the gear under discussion. If people need lots of moving parts, they're in the wrong place anyway.  (See, guitars really aren't very complicated, right...?  ) Another forum (which I won't embarrass by naming  ) feels oh-so-clever to endlessly post marketing materials from various companies, apparently on the assumption that its membership is too lazy or stupid (perhaps both) to use DuckDuckGo -- fwiw, the only major search engine that doesn't track you, quite unlike G@@gle -- and look it up for themselves. The only way I'm going to allow that ballyhoo here is if I get paid.  THIS space is meant to be about overlooked inexpensive guitars -- used, generally -- NOT about beating people with corporate marketing BS to arm-twist them into overspending on something (which they likely don't need) because that's the only way the Cool Kids won't bully them.  Again, reTrEaD, great that you stopped by, and I do hope you'll keep half an eye on the chaos I create, and maybe jump in yourself from time to time. If people wash up on these shores who are clearly looking for discussions of a more "how to" nature, I'll recommend GuitarNutz; and if you've got someone who's more interested in brand-specific chat and info, I hope you'll point 'em here. |
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Post by JudgeShredd on Jan 27, 2019 10:08:14 GMT -6
Hi Tony, Came over from the Washburn site. Thanks for all you do. Old Newbie here. So far, what I've happily learned is that my guitar doesn't care, doesn't blame and shame, isn't in a hurry, and just returns any love I send it's way. All on my time frame, all or nothing, some or a little. Cool to get in on the ground floor here. Good luck, Peace Out, -Henry
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Post by Rex on May 8, 2019 2:25:39 GMT -6
HI Tony!
It's great to see you take up the torch after the land of the Frugalistas went poof.
Cheap guitars rule! Period. The name on the headstock is the least relevant indicator of how a guitar plays and sounds.
As time permits, I'll catch you guys up on my latest Austin adventures, which include the recent acquisition of the most resonant solidbody guitar I've ever touched — for $65 plus shipping.
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Post by Tony Ravenscroft on Mar 9, 2020 21:19:00 GMT -6
One more bit of Fair Warning. In the following, and indeed throughout this site and over years, I will DEFINITELY bad-rap many sub-lines of guitar, and maybe entire brands and factories. However, there is a method to my madness. I have been burned by "high quality" guitars, and conversely I have found overlooked gems for paltry sums. Given enough of a selection (and lots of free time!), you could probably claw your way through a heap of garbage guitars and find a few winners. HOWEVER --> the cheaper the build, the longer the odds. If you live in a big city and have plenty of those shops nearby, and an open schedule and the basic skills necessary to discern value and some cash to burn, by all means ENJOY. Post your report and some photos! Most guitar owners, though, do not have all those things. They might be a hopeful beginner or an old campfire strummer. Not everyone can get to ANY place that sells guitars. All they want is a decent instrument at a low price. With guitar stores inaccessible or intimidating, they turn to the Internet, where they are endlessly bombarded with empty promises One YouTube boob crows about "I bought a $350 counterfeit Les Paul from Red China, put $1,500 worth of parts and work into it, and now I have a really GREAT $350 guitar! Take that, all you people saying these are terrible guitars!" (He certainly doesn't want to hear that a used Austin would have cost less, required MUCH less effort, will likely be worth about the same after a few years of enjoyable play... AND not violate Federal law.  ) |
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I've fixed a couple dozen guitars that I got cheap because the inept previous owner chose to perform some "hack" or "mod" or "upgrade" and made it unplayable, which is why my advice on such "how to" is often Take it to a luthier or at least a skilled and experienced repair bench, fool! Most "guitar players" have never played before an audience, much less to make a living, and the world won't slam to a halt if THEY choose to casually damage their one guitar beyond repair... but anyone who performs, or has a quality instrument, ought to treat their gear properly.
(See, guitars really aren't very complicated, right...? 
)
) feels oh-so-clever to endlessly post marketing materials from various companies, apparently on the assumption that its membership is too lazy or stupid (perhaps both) to use DuckDuckGo -- fwiw, the only major search engine that doesn't track you, quite unlike G@@gle -- and look it up for themselves. The only way I'm going to allow that ballyhoo here is if I get paid. 
)