Because I'm Not a Rich Guitarist I Tend To Play All The Cheap Guitars in The Store You Would Be Surprised at How Good Some of These Very Low Budget Guitars Play and Sound !!
I've always done my own work. On everything. That's the only way I can have nice things; cars, motorcycles, and now a guitar. I just started with one that had great unplugged tone, and been making it better to meet my wants ever since. It just keeps getting better. And there is something special about doing it with your own hands. I have a custom SG. And there's not another one just like it. That's just my thing. I'd probably hot rod a Ferrari; if I could find one I could buy.
I really agree with what you say about trying out a guitar before buying it. I recently was looking for semi-hollow and one model I tried had P90s on it, which I never had considered before. Now I have a Tele semi-hollow with P90s that’s become my go to guitar!
A "Custom" guitar can be the ultimate in having that ONE guitar that you've always dreamed of... and really owning it. In my case, I've tried so many "S" style guitars and "LP" style guitars (because... ya know.. those are THE guitars to own!) and I was never able to connect with one. I'm sure that getting one made to my specs would have solved that problem. What I did do... was have a Custom made from T.C. McInturff. I picked the basic model that I liked at that time... the finish... the pick-up configuration... and then I had him custom wire it!. I'm have some pick-up combos that I really lean toward... and this can be my "everything" guitar. "S" tones.... "LP" tones... it does it all....and it does it well, along with having the feel that I totally love..... along with being a real "looker" too! Yeah.... we do play better when we are holding that guitar that feels, plays and looks like the guitar of our dreams! You KNOW it!
I think its way to go. I picked up an unfinished Warmoth. Got the neck I wanted (radius, width, etc). Its basically a Telecaster knock-off. Its best feeling and sounding guitar I've ever had. Overall I spent about $800. Hardware, pups and paint.
The short answer to are custom guitars worth it is yes! However are they worth it for guitar players with only a few years experience, not really. Let me explain. Over the years someone who loves guitar playing will experience many different instruments; ones with fat necks, thin necks, wide fretboards, slim fretboards, single coil & humbucker pickups, different tone woods....Sooner rather than later we all get an idea of how our ideal guitar would be. That's where custom shops come in. Custom guitars aren't cheap, so unless someone knows exactly the specifications that suit them best it's a lot of money to pay (unless they get really lucky). However playing an instrument built to the highest quality is a joy in itself. When I came into an inheritance I treated myself to a Fender Custom Shop strat, mainly because it was made by the luthier who makes my favourite guitarist's instruments (Todd Krause). It's a joy to play, however whilst being a perfect guitar there are one or two things which are different from how I would order my own perfect guitar. 20 years ago I would never have thought of buying a CS instrument (imagine spending all that money & not liking it!) Now, unless something special came along I'd only be interested in one or two CS guitars and that would be it. I'd be set for life, guitar wise!
Great video! I have a similar Telecaster. I bought a used Fender Tele that was beat up a little (so I wouldn't care what I did to it) and made the mods myself. Put a Seymour Duncan Phat Cat P90 in the neck position and locking tuners. Now it's my go-to guitar. It's not the same as yours, but I love it!
I don't own a custom guitar, but I do own a fairly expensive guitar and bass. I'm very happy that I spent the money on good instruments. Robert is right. My guitars want to be played, and they make me sound good. A good sound inspires you to play. You don't want a guitar that frustrates or discourages you. If you got the money buy something nice.
gooney0 that’s true. My main breakthrough in terms of technique and composition happened after I bought an American made Fender. There’s something about an expensive instrument that pushes your limits right away. I assume for a new player it won’t matter much, but for a person who played music all his life it will matter a lot
I’m totally down with custom stuff. I’ve got a Jennings Voyager, fat flame maple neck and ebony fretboard, mahogany bodied jazzmaster with Lambertones Ristretto p90’s... I absolutely LOVE that guitar. It’s like a jazz master and a les paul special got together and it just turned out great! I think it comes down to experience, finding out what you like from other guitars over the years and then going for quality over quantity to justify the cost.
Thanks Robert, you always have great and entertaining videos. You have a very modest and honest way about you that I believe connects with a vast majority of your viewers, you are a dude who everyone wants to hang with. Gorgeous tone you got going in this video, looks like a Tele but sounds like a classic Strat! LOL, my opinion anyway. Thanks again.
I recently recieved my custom Kiesel Type X and it's great! Spected out exactly how I wanted it. I also have a 1984 Carvin V220T which was my first good guitar and it's still awesome. Not as much customization options back in 1984 vs. Kiesel today.
ive had a epi es 339 for a few months i was just not connecting with it seemed. then i got bored and ambitious one day and sanded the face down and refinished it...a lil weirdly. Now i frickin love this guitar, cause its unique(uh yeah), and especially cause its unique to me.
Custom guitars are awesome, I've owned a couple and I keep one, but another way to get into custom guitars without spending much is to customize one yourself. The best strat I've played is my 09' Fender Highway one stratocaster, got it way back then and I loved the feel of it, but i didn't like much the way it sounded, i saw it as an awesome platform to make an amazing guitar (and the fact it has a super thin nitro finish made it waaay better), so i changed the pickups for custom shops, CTS pots, and added a treble bleed circuit with variable resistance and a NOS cap. It's the sweetest strat ever! But you gotta find that guitar that speaks to you, even unplugged, and remember that everything can be replaced on it but the wood itself.
I’ve been playing for about 40 years. I have a Tom Anderson with the Switcheroo system, which basically gives me any combination of pickups in split, series, and parallel that I want, making it by far my most versatile guitar. The craftsmanship is flawless, and it absolutely is a work of genius and art. That being said, my favorite guitar to play is my lowly MIM Charvel San Dimas, LoL. It’s the first guitar I ever owned that had absolutely no “adaptation period”. The first time I picked it up, it just “fit”. I’ve flown that thing all over the place and it comes out of the case ready to play when we land. It’s insane. Plus, the Seymour Duncan pickups (JB, Jazz) have a wonderful aggression compared to the “politeness” of the Tom Anderson’s. Makes me feel young again every time I grab it. Custom is nice, but by no means necessary IMO. Play whatever makes you giggle, whether it’s a laser-measured $50,000 Gibson hand painted by Roger Dean or a pink Hello Kitty First Act guitar with only one working pickup and sharp fret edges.
I just recently finished building a Strat and it looked and sounded great with custom made pickups and playing around with the caps but it didn't give me the "feel" I was looking for. I switched necks from a 22 fret maple C shape to a vintage style rosewood board V shape 21 fret neck. For me that guitar became the one after that. Mod one that is the style you like or try small builders at guitar shows to get ideas!
CowTownCustoms exactly. I’ve been building/modding like crazy lately. Some come out great...others I keep toying around with until they hopefully will become great. So much fun and pride out of doing it myself. Give me something to do while cooped up these days too. I typically start with a combination of inexpensive base model guitars and rip them apart, redo everything (but the paint so far). Learned a lot about setups and wiring schemes as well as refinishing a neck. Always more to learn though. Eventually, I hope to start from barebones and paint/finish a body.
I ordered a semi-custlm Mulecaster Tele last summer. Took about 6 months to arrive. Expensive but not crazy so. I like it more and more as I play it in. Definitely worth it.
Great video and beautiful T style!! I've built over 30 Warmoth guitars in my 52 years of playing. I currently have 10 now; a few Warmoth but also MJT and Bloomdoom which both companies spray Nitro and relic. All USA bodies and necks. I fell in love with a Fender CS Ancho Poblano strat on the internet and bought it. While it was awesome, it was no better feeling or sounding than what I owned. But it was 3x the price. I sold it, and am so happy with building my own. Warmoth necks I can order style, nut width, neck radius, back shape, woods, and many other details. However, the down side to this is you have to buy/build it before you ever get to play it. Some I never bond with, but most of them I do. And I have $1000-$1400 in each guitar as opposed to $3,000+...which allows me to afford more and I love building them. My imagination is the limit. Usually use Lollar, Fralin, Dimarzio, Seymour Duncan or Don Mare pickups. Check them out at my site if anyone wants to. Not a great player, but I love building them.
A custom guitar would be super awesome indeed! But in my case, being someone who's quite conservative on a budget, I'd be satisfied with any guitar for a reasonable price. So really for me, a custom guitar would be cool, but not necessary.
If you have some time PitBull guitars does custom orders. They’re guitar kits you can build, but you can make them to just about any spec you want. It’s super cheap too, obviously you’ll have to finish it yourself, and it can take up to three months shipping (they’re from Australia) but IMO if you want a custom guitar and really make it you’re I think it’s a great option
i have a bone-stock '14 studio pro. it does everything i want an LP to do. i have an 89 am std strat that i modded the shit out of. it used to be blk with white plastic, sss. i put an lsr nut, blk locking tuners, evh frankenstein bridge pickup, tremol-no, had the entire neck done, blk/red/blk pickguard with 1 master tone & 1 vol, entire cavity copper shielded. it sounds great, plays great, looks bad-ass. it's a rock machine. it's all rhe custom i need. i think all in. i spent $1200. i did most of the work myself.
If you have all of the must-have guitars, the next step is custom or build your own. I don't know if it's boredom, tone searching, or the grass is always greener.... I play my Warmoths more than some of my brand guitars, but I built them, learned from them, and love them.
I would also say, DO NOT MAKE A CUSTOM GUITAR UNLESS YOUVE BEEN PLAYING FOR OVER 10+ years. There are a ton of options and you may not know completely what works for you until you’ve played a ton of guitars.
Yeah, I bought a custom Carvin when I was 22 and had been playing for about 8 years, but I didn't really know what anything was (it was a college graduation gift to myself). It was a great guitar, but it wasn't want I needed/wanted in a guitar. I was a solid player, but didn't know enough to know what I actually needed/wanted. The big thing was they weren't offering lefty Floyds at the time so I went with a Wilkinson, and I absolutely HATED how the trem felt. Considering how hard it was to find ANY decent lefty guitar in 2003, I just kinda had to roll with whatever. Now, I have 3 amazing Kiesels that perfectly suit my needs, and I'm considering getting a Gibson Made-To-Measure Explorer.
I owned an SC-90 Carvin YEARS ago. I guess you could call it custom since I picked out everything I wanted on from dozens and dozens of choices for everything. It was made just for me from color, to neck, pups everything. So yeah, custom.
I just built my second partscaster and fitted it with 2 P90's. First time playing a P90 guitar. I can't believe how cool it sounds. P90's should get more attention than they do. The only way I afford "custom" is to build it myself. I think its a great way to go.
Those Friedmans you have sound so awesome! You made me realize that I also do not have a P-90 guitar, gonna have to fix that. Can't afford a Friedman, but I'll look around. Probably get another Harley Benton.
So my best friend and I have gone thru this. He got a Anderson T Icon and just recently a Grosh Nos Retro HSS. They are both the best T and S style guitars we've played. Although grosh pickups might be going into the Anderson. If you want a phenomenal strat that is less than a custom shop fender look at Grosh.
Your 120% right about guitar that fits and some that dont. If they dont inspire you, they surely dont fit. I also love the p90 and in addition “there is no such thing as too many guitars” I can see you with a LP special tv yellow. I’ve discovered the p90 with that and WOW. So simple but so fun 🤘. Love your videos, great job.
If you have the opportunity to attend a decent-sized guitar show and speak with a few luthiers that are operating smaller shops, you'll be pretty surprised at what sort of custom guitar you can have built to your personal specs, so long as you're not interested in really exotic woods or finished details like fine inlays. With a budget of a couple of thousand dollars, it's surprising what you're able to get in regards to an instrument that's unique to your needs and specs as a player, so long as what you're looking for isn't going to involve rare or exotic woods or elaborate inlays and the like. Another thing to keep in mind is that you're going to need to be patient as the instrument is made since smaller builders have longer lead times, typically.
I traded a powered kemper head for a Suhr Classic S Antique in light blue... Build quality was off...the...charts! Never held an instrument of that high in quality. But like you, it just didn't speak to me. Traded it the an FSR Fender strat, which while not NEARLY in the same league of quality, it sounded & played more like an old strat.
Just ordered a southpaw kiesel S-style neck-through guitar 🎸 It’ll be my first custom guitar. Live on an island so couldn’t try it out (risky I know 😅) Nonetheless, I’m really excited and can’t wait until it arrives 😊
I received my Kiesel Type X recently and it's awesome. I also have a 1984 Carvin V220T and a 1996 DC127 which are still awesome. Kiesel/Carvin makes great guitars you will love yours I have no doubt.
Jason Hetzler That’s great to hear that you love your kiesel/Carvin guitars 🎸 so far, all the folks I’ve talked to that bought from kiesel have had nothing but positive things to say. Also was really please to find out that they make lefty guitars 😊 Thanks and rock on my fellow rocker 🤘
Anything custom made for you becomes special. As guitars go I am a lefty, therefore I am reduced by availability. I started with a used super strat style and modified it to what I wanted..
Kinda the opposite of Custom Shop, I bought a Harley Benson TE90QM in Trans Red that I play the most. It just always seems to be the guitar I reach for. I have an American Tele, a couple awesome MIM Strats, bunch of other guitars, but I keep grabbing the HB. When a guitar speaks to you, that is the best!
Great decision on the Friedman... Your sound melds with the style Quick Question....why didn't you get SS frets so they wouldn't dent like you mentioned
Custom vs. Production models don't mean much to me. The favorites in my collection are the EBMM Majesty, Suhr Pete Thorn, PRS CU24 and Friedman Vintage T P90. None of these were custom shop orders but all of them have outstanding reputations in the guitar community.
I now think for the cost of some of these guitars, it's actually better to save for a guitar to your own spec. I wish I now went to a manufacture that would be able to have the neck, pickups, tuning heads and bridge I want.
I’m all for Custom Shop stuff if you can afford it, but I’d be worried that if I ordered something it might not have the “magic” that some guitars just have....and some just don’t. We’ve all been there - you try a bunch of guitars that are (on the face of it) the same But there is always one that you bond with, that has that extra mojo. It’s like the body, neck and pickups were meant to be together. I think that’s luck, you can’t plan it. I have to play a lot to find the ones that really speak to me - they’re rare. I’d be wary of putting on a multiple thousand dollar bet that the one that’s made for me is one of them.
James McCarthy I agree with you about finding the one that’s special out of a selection of several that are the same. However, I think going with a custom made instrument you are more likely to get that “one”. To me it doesn’t matter if it’s a small one man shop building Fender style guitars and selling them for less the the price of a US made Fender or Custom Shop guitars from one of the major brands selling for over $10,000 if it’s one person doing the work I think what you mentioned about the neck, the body, the pickups, etc being meant for each other is more likely to happen. Custom builders seem be in tune with that concept whereas with a regular production line guitar employee 1 makes the neck, 2 makes the bodies, 3 paints the bodies, 4 winds the pickups, and 5 puts all the pieces together. The production line instruments are just a group of regular factory workers doing their one job (maybe some of them are great at what they do and maybe they are even passionate about, but maybe it’s just a job to pay the bills). Occasionally, you’ll get that magic “one” where it all just works, but usually it will be just good enough to not be rejected by quality control.
I Know What You're Talking About It's Very Difficult To Open a Guitar Case and See What Looks Like a Damaged Guitar , Especially When it's So $$Expensive$$ , but it's The Old Saying "You Can't Judge a Book By it's Cover" !! If It Plays and Sounds Great Then it's Great , and If it Really Freaks You Out , You Can Aways Take it To A Professional Luthier and Have it Repainted , but That Would Cost a Fortune !! Like That TV Show You Can Love it or List it !! Most People Seem To Love it or at Least Fall in Love With it !!
Guitar Center Hollywood has all the custom shop and vintage guitars in the back and they're all locked up including the Friedman's. I've been wanting to mess around with one like yours since I 1st saw it on your channel... it looks and sounds amazing but it's too much of a fuss to get someone to come help me and unlock the guitar and bring it down just for me to plug it in cause all honesty I can't really afford 1 anyways... But it sounds killer on your channel😁
I think Gibson and Fender charge quite a hefty sum for Custom Shops. Unless you have a very specific design and look in mind, I don't know if it is worth it. If you don't like LPs or S styles, maybe a proper guitar luthier who makes a new design from the ground up would be cool, if you have the money ofc.
Custom shop? Well, mines a bit different. I bought a semi-hollow, unfinished, Tele style body on eBay. Yep, you guessed it, from China "Top Quality". I just wanted to sand and finish it, including the clear lacquer. Got those supplies from Stew-Mac. I liked it then bought a Japanese neck also on eBay and finished it. Next bought hardware from Stew-Mac also. OK, made lots of mistakes including a few unnecessary drill holes (Her name is Wholly). What a piece of junk now. It didn't sound good or play worth a crap. Wholly sat in the bag in the closet for a long time. I met another guy who was selling partscasters locally and we traded some stuff. Eventually, I took Wholly to him and some new pickups on Reverb. Mark set it up, tweaked it and installed the new stuff. Amazing what happened. This is my Custom Shop guitar. 1st on the rack and 1st one played. I love this guitar now, it feels just right.
I think it depends. If you find "your" Instrument in a production line, there is no need to go custom. Otherwise why not? I personally would not order one, because every guitar ist different and resonates der different. But i bought two custom shop guitars used for a bargain and i love them so much.
People talk shit about relic finishes, but they're by far the most popular for custom guitars. We've got some NOS (Non relic) Fender Custom Shop guitars where I work, but we don't sell nearly as many. People who don't like them are just a lot louder about it 😅
Fake used/worn is just weird to me. Kinda reminds me of a poser-like fad. Not knocking anyone, just ain’t my thing. Some look cool, I would just like to have an authentically worn instrument.
Think I'm gonna go when all this pandemic stuff is over and I can go back to work I'm gonna use a kit guitar as the base of my dream LP without the $3k price tag for a gibson. Anyone know where I can get a good kit with a flamed maple top for a decent price
I've been wondering a lot about specifically Friedmans guitars. All the dudes have a friedman, and I wanna know why someone would pay even more than for a gibson for one of these. I think part of the reason I'm curious is bc it's always good guitarists who like them, plus I think they have just about the worst headstock besides the old epiphone or maybe g&l. I know it's shallow, but this is a thing. Anywaysssszzzzzzz
Id love a custom but im not that great of a player so regular guitars for me work fine. I think it will be worth it if i turn pro or become successful but until then i wont be getting a custom guitar :[
I think that a custom shop guitar isn’t worth it, but one that is made for you custom is. However, make sure to think through what you like. And back to custom shop guitars, I played on several over 2000 Stratocaster a and then played on a used 750 American special Stratocaster with Texas special pickups... The 750 dollar Stratocaster was so, so, SO, much better
If it makes you want to play it then it's worth it regardless of dollar value. I see the value of customs for people that want THE guitar or they have a favourite and want replica's of that guitar. Each to their own. But isn't buying any guitar and changing it to how you want it a custom guitar?
I traded my way into a Custom Shop 50's Tele a little over a year ago. Sometimes I think I should sell it and get a "regular" tele and maybe a nice amp. Then I play it. And it's just like you said - butter. Yeah not selling it.
Just pick up an Xotic and a Neville. Own a B&G....I'm in love with guitars that human hands put together as well as better components usually.. ~cheers
Robert, could you tell me what kind of P-90’s are in that Friedman?? I’ve been looking for a great set of them to drop in one of my guitars, and they just sound great. So wanted to try them.
Because I'm Not a Rich Guitarist
I Tend To Play All The Cheap Guitars in The Store
You Would Be Surprised at How Good Some of These Very Low Budget Guitars Play and Sound !!
And you can modify the heck out of them and make them great. I Do it all the time...some better than others.
I've always done my own work. On everything. That's the only way I can have nice things; cars, motorcycles, and now a guitar. I just started with one that had great unplugged tone, and been making it better to meet my wants ever since. It just keeps getting better. And there is something special about doing it with your own hands. I have a custom SG. And there's not another one just like it. That's just my thing. I'd probably hot rod a Ferrari; if I could find one I could buy.
I really agree with what you say about trying out a guitar before buying it. I recently was looking for semi-hollow and one model I tried had P90s on it, which I never had considered before. Now I have a Tele semi-hollow with P90s that’s become my go to guitar!
A "Custom" guitar can be the ultimate in having that ONE guitar that you've always dreamed of... and really owning it. In my case, I've tried so many "S" style guitars and "LP" style guitars (because... ya know.. those are THE guitars to own!) and I was never able to connect with one. I'm sure that getting one made to my specs would have solved that problem. What I did do... was have a Custom made from T.C. McInturff. I picked the basic model that I liked at that time... the finish... the pick-up configuration... and then I had him custom wire it!. I'm have some pick-up combos that I really lean toward... and this can be my "everything" guitar. "S" tones.... "LP" tones... it does it all....and it does it well, along with having the feel that I totally love..... along with being a real "looker" too! Yeah.... we do play better when we are holding that guitar that feels, plays and looks like the guitar of our dreams! You KNOW it!
I think its way to go. I picked up an unfinished Warmoth. Got the neck I wanted (radius, width, etc). Its basically a Telecaster knock-off. Its best feeling and sounding guitar I've ever had. Overall I spent about $800. Hardware, pups and paint.
The short answer to are custom guitars worth it is yes! However are they worth it for guitar players with only a few years experience, not really. Let me explain. Over the years someone who loves guitar playing will experience many different instruments; ones with fat necks, thin necks, wide fretboards, slim fretboards, single coil & humbucker pickups, different tone woods....Sooner rather than later we all get an idea of how our ideal guitar would be. That's where custom shops come in. Custom guitars aren't cheap, so unless someone knows exactly the specifications that suit them best it's a lot of money to pay (unless they get really lucky). However playing an instrument built to the highest quality is a joy in itself. When I came into an inheritance I treated myself to a Fender Custom Shop strat, mainly because it was made by the luthier who makes my favourite guitarist's instruments (Todd Krause). It's a joy to play, however whilst being a perfect guitar there are one or two things which are different from how I would order my own perfect guitar. 20 years ago I would never have thought of buying a CS instrument (imagine spending all that money & not liking it!) Now, unless something special came along I'd only be interested in one or two CS guitars and that would be it. I'd be set for life, guitar wise!
Don't need to justify that guitar, IMO one of the best sounding in all of UA-cam land, seriously!
Great video! I have a similar Telecaster. I bought a used Fender Tele that was beat up a little (so I wouldn't care what I did to it) and made the mods myself. Put a Seymour Duncan Phat Cat P90 in the neck position and locking tuners. Now it's my go-to guitar. It's not the same as yours, but I love it!
I don't own a custom guitar, but I do own a fairly expensive guitar and bass. I'm very happy that I spent the money on good instruments.
Robert is right. My guitars want to be played, and they make me sound good. A good sound inspires you to play. You don't want a guitar that frustrates or discourages you.
If you got the money buy something nice.
gooney0 that’s true. My main breakthrough in terms of technique and composition happened after I bought an American made Fender. There’s something about an expensive instrument that pushes your limits right away. I assume for a new player it won’t matter much, but for a person who played music all his life it will matter a lot
I agree. This guitar look soooo cool, Wish I can get one someday.
I’m totally down with custom stuff. I’ve got a Jennings Voyager, fat flame maple neck and ebony fretboard, mahogany bodied jazzmaster with Lambertones Ristretto p90’s... I absolutely LOVE that guitar. It’s like a jazz master and a les paul special got together and it just turned out great!
I think it comes down to experience, finding out what you like from other guitars over the years and then going for quality over quantity to justify the cost.
Thanks Robert, you always have great and entertaining videos. You have a very modest and honest way about you that I believe connects with a vast majority of your viewers, you are a dude who everyone wants to hang with. Gorgeous tone you got going in this video, looks like a Tele but sounds like a classic Strat! LOL, my opinion anyway. Thanks again.
I recently recieved my custom Kiesel Type X and it's great! Spected out exactly how I wanted it. I also have a 1984 Carvin V220T which was my first good guitar and it's still awesome. Not as much customization options back in 1984 vs. Kiesel today.
I had that immediate connection the first time I played a 7.25 radius board. I knew the vintage radius was for me
ive had a epi es 339 for a few months i was just not connecting with it seemed. then i got bored and ambitious one day and sanded the face down and refinished it...a lil weirdly. Now i frickin love this guitar, cause its unique(uh yeah), and especially cause its unique to me.
Custom guitars are awesome, I've owned a couple and I keep one, but another way to get into custom guitars without spending much is to customize one yourself. The best strat I've played is my 09' Fender Highway one stratocaster, got it way back then and I loved the feel of it, but i didn't like much the way it sounded, i saw it as an awesome platform to make an amazing guitar (and the fact it has a super thin nitro finish made it waaay better), so i changed the pickups for custom shops, CTS pots, and added a treble bleed circuit with variable resistance and a NOS cap. It's the sweetest strat ever! But you gotta find that guitar that speaks to you, even unplugged, and remember that everything can be replaced on it but the wood itself.
I’ve been playing for about 40 years. I have a Tom Anderson with the Switcheroo system, which basically gives me any combination of pickups in split, series, and parallel that I want, making it by far my most versatile guitar. The craftsmanship is flawless, and it absolutely is a work of genius and art. That being said, my favorite guitar to play is my lowly MIM Charvel San Dimas, LoL. It’s the first guitar I ever owned that had absolutely no “adaptation period”. The first time I picked it up, it just “fit”. I’ve flown that thing all over the place and it comes out of the case ready to play when we land. It’s insane. Plus, the Seymour Duncan pickups (JB, Jazz) have a wonderful aggression compared to the “politeness” of the Tom Anderson’s. Makes me feel young again every time I grab it. Custom is nice, but by no means necessary IMO. Play whatever makes you giggle, whether it’s a laser-measured $50,000 Gibson hand painted by Roger Dean or a pink Hello Kitty First Act guitar with only one working pickup and sharp fret edges.
I love the vibe of your videos. So mellow n entertaining. Great sound too bro. Thank you!
I just recently finished building a Strat and it looked and sounded great with custom made pickups and playing around with the caps but it didn't give me the "feel" I was looking for. I switched necks from a 22 fret maple C shape to a vintage style rosewood board V shape 21 fret neck. For me that guitar became the one after that. Mod one that is the style you like or try small builders at guitar shows to get ideas!
CowTownCustoms exactly. I’ve been building/modding like crazy lately. Some come out great...others I keep toying around with until they hopefully will become great. So much fun and pride out of doing it myself. Give me something to do while cooped up these days too. I typically start with a combination of inexpensive base model guitars and rip them apart, redo everything (but the paint so far). Learned a lot about setups and wiring schemes as well as refinishing a neck. Always more to learn though. Eventually, I hope to start from barebones and paint/finish a body.
I ordered a semi-custlm Mulecaster Tele last summer. Took about 6 months to arrive. Expensive but not crazy so. I like it more and more as I play it in. Definitely worth it.
Great video and beautiful T style!! I've built over 30 Warmoth guitars in my 52 years of playing. I currently have 10 now; a few Warmoth but also MJT and Bloomdoom which both companies spray Nitro and relic. All USA bodies and necks. I fell in love with a Fender CS Ancho Poblano strat on the internet and bought it. While it was awesome, it was no better feeling or sounding than what I owned. But it was 3x the price. I sold it, and am so happy with building my own. Warmoth necks I can order style, nut width, neck radius, back shape, woods, and many other details. However, the down side to this is you have to buy/build it before you ever get to play it. Some I never bond with, but most of them I do. And I have $1000-$1400 in each guitar as opposed to $3,000+...which allows me to afford more and I love building them. My imagination is the limit. Usually use Lollar, Fralin, Dimarzio, Seymour Duncan or Don Mare pickups. Check them out at my site if anyone wants to. Not a great player, but I love building them.
A custom guitar would be super awesome indeed! But in my case, being someone who's quite conservative on a budget, I'd be satisfied with any guitar for a reasonable price. So really for me, a custom guitar would be cool, but not necessary.
If you have some time PitBull guitars does custom orders. They’re guitar kits you can build, but you can make them to just about any spec you want. It’s super cheap too, obviously you’ll have to finish it yourself, and it can take up to three months shipping (they’re from Australia) but IMO if you want a custom guitar and really make it you’re I think it’s a great option
I just purchased an American Ultra Strat. I love it, all the custom I want or could afford. 😂
Love Tele's whoever builds em their all sweet
It’s all about what makes you feel good!
i have a bone-stock '14 studio pro. it does everything i want an LP to do. i have an 89 am std strat that i modded the shit out of. it used to be blk with white plastic, sss. i put an lsr nut, blk locking tuners, evh frankenstein bridge pickup, tremol-no, had the entire neck done, blk/red/blk pickguard with 1 master tone & 1 vol, entire cavity copper shielded. it sounds great, plays great, looks bad-ass. it's a rock machine. it's all rhe custom i need. i think all in. i spent $1200. i did most of the work myself.
Dude, your frickin' tone is SO good...you must be a genius digital modeling programmer.
If you have all of the must-have guitars, the next step is custom or build your own. I don't know if it's boredom, tone searching, or the grass is always greener.... I play my Warmoths more than some of my brand guitars, but I built them, learned from them, and love them.
I would also say, DO NOT MAKE A CUSTOM GUITAR UNLESS YOUVE BEEN PLAYING FOR OVER 10+ years.
There are a ton of options and you may not know completely what works for you until you’ve played a ton of guitars.
Yeah, I bought a custom Carvin when I was 22 and had been playing for about 8 years, but I didn't really know what anything was (it was a college graduation gift to myself). It was a great guitar, but it wasn't want I needed/wanted in a guitar. I was a solid player, but didn't know enough to know what I actually needed/wanted. The big thing was they weren't offering lefty Floyds at the time so I went with a Wilkinson, and I absolutely HATED how the trem felt. Considering how hard it was to find ANY decent lefty guitar in 2003, I just kinda had to roll with whatever.
Now, I have 3 amazing Kiesels that perfectly suit my needs, and I'm considering getting a Gibson Made-To-Measure Explorer.
Yes,, I own a one of a kind Hufschmid baritone and it out plays every off the shelf guitar Ive ever played.
Your Friedman guitar has a similar setup to my Fender JA-90 Telecaster. Really loving the P90's as well.
I owned an SC-90 Carvin YEARS ago. I guess you could call it custom since I picked out everything I wanted on from dozens and dozens of choices for everything. It was made just for me from color, to neck, pups everything. So yeah, custom.
I just built my second partscaster and fitted it with 2 P90's. First time playing a P90 guitar. I can't believe how cool it sounds. P90's should get more attention than they do. The only way I afford "custom" is to build it myself. I think its a great way to go.
The outro!!! Makes me love /*your*/ guitar, Robert!
Those Friedmans you have sound so awesome! You made me realize that I also do not have a P-90 guitar, gonna have to fix that. Can't afford a Friedman, but I'll look around. Probably get another Harley Benton.
So my best friend and I have gone thru this. He got a Anderson T Icon and just recently a Grosh Nos Retro HSS. They are both the best T and S style guitars we've played. Although grosh pickups might be going into the Anderson.
If you want a phenomenal strat that is less than a custom shop fender look at Grosh.
Your 120% right about guitar that fits and some that dont. If they dont inspire you, they surely dont fit. I also love the p90 and in addition “there is no such thing as too many guitars” I can see you with a LP special tv yellow. I’ve discovered the p90 with that and WOW. So simple but so fun 🤘. Love your videos, great job.
If you have the opportunity to attend a decent-sized guitar show and speak with a few luthiers that are operating smaller shops, you'll be pretty surprised at what sort of custom guitar you can have built to your personal specs, so long as you're not interested in really exotic woods or finished details like fine inlays. With a budget of a couple of thousand dollars, it's surprising what you're able to get in regards to an instrument that's unique to your needs and specs as a player, so long as what you're looking for isn't going to involve rare or exotic woods or elaborate inlays and the like. Another thing to keep in mind is that you're going to need to be patient as the instrument is made since smaller builders have longer lead times, typically.
thanks Robert. I always enjoy your videos and classes. Lou Lollio
As a left hander the custom option is often the only way I can get something that is different from the limited standard guitars.
I traded a powered kemper head for a Suhr Classic S Antique in light blue...
Build quality was off...the...charts! Never held an instrument of that high in quality.
But like you, it just didn't speak to me.
Traded it the an FSR Fender strat, which while not NEARLY in the same league of quality, it sounded & played more like an old strat.
Just ordered a southpaw kiesel S-style neck-through guitar 🎸 It’ll be my first custom guitar. Live on an island so couldn’t try it out (risky I know 😅) Nonetheless, I’m really excited and can’t wait until it arrives 😊
I received my Kiesel Type X recently and it's awesome. I also have a 1984 Carvin V220T and a 1996 DC127 which are still awesome. Kiesel/Carvin makes great guitars you will love yours I have no doubt.
Jason Hetzler That’s great to hear that you love your kiesel/Carvin guitars 🎸 so far, all the folks I’ve talked to that bought from kiesel have had nothing but positive things to say. Also was really please to find out that they make lefty guitars 😊 Thanks and rock on my fellow rocker 🤘
I bought a lovely Friedman Vintage T w/P90s last year. Yeah...totally worth the $$$...sooooo good.
Anything custom made for you becomes special. As guitars go I am a lefty, therefore I am reduced by availability. I started with a used super strat style and modified it to what I wanted..
What's not to like it's got an awesome sound!
Kinda the opposite of Custom Shop, I bought a Harley Benson TE90QM in Trans Red that I play the most. It just always seems to be the guitar I reach for. I have an American Tele, a couple awesome MIM Strats, bunch of other guitars, but I keep grabbing the HB. When a guitar speaks to you, that is the best!
Good thoughts! Thanks!
Made me want to have the same one , but relicked lake placid blue strat style
well if I ever get good enough I might buy a custom shop but right now for me classic vibe squiers, Mexican fenders and Epiphone for me right now
Great decision on the Friedman...
Your sound melds with the style
Quick Question....why didn't you get SS frets so they wouldn't dent like you mentioned
In the last few years Fender has stepped up to the plate. Their stuff is as good as Boutique stuff.
Fenders development team is constantly hittign it out of the park for sure.
Having said that. That friedman Telecaster of yours is my most favorite guitar on UA-cam. Mojo Plus.
Custom vs. Production models don't mean much to me. The favorites in my collection are the EBMM Majesty, Suhr Pete Thorn, PRS CU24 and Friedman Vintage T P90. None of these were custom shop orders but all of them have outstanding reputations in the guitar community.
What amp were you using in this video?
Cheers
Pete
Rob any chance you can do a tab-torial on that intro tune......that is killer
I now think for the cost of some of these guitars, it's actually better to save for a guitar to your own spec.
I wish I now went to a manufacture that would be able to have the neck, pickups, tuning heads and bridge I want.
USA/Japanese production models hit that perfect middle ground (for me) as far as bang for buck. But I'd love to own a CS once in my lifetime
I’m all for Custom Shop stuff if you can afford it, but I’d be worried that if I ordered something it might not have the “magic” that some guitars just have....and some just don’t. We’ve all been there - you try a bunch of guitars that are (on the face of it) the same But there is always one that you bond with, that has that extra mojo. It’s like the body, neck and pickups were meant to be together. I think that’s luck, you can’t plan it. I have to play a lot to find the ones that really speak to me - they’re rare. I’d be wary of putting on a multiple thousand dollar bet that the one that’s made for me is one of them.
James McCarthy
I agree with you about finding the one that’s special out of a selection of several that are the same. However, I think going with a custom made instrument you are more likely to get that “one”.
To me it doesn’t matter if it’s a small one man shop building Fender style guitars and selling them for less the the price of a US made Fender or Custom Shop guitars from one of the major brands selling for over $10,000 if it’s one person doing the work I think what you mentioned about the neck, the body, the pickups, etc being meant for each other is more likely to happen.
Custom builders seem be in tune with that concept whereas with a regular production line guitar employee 1 makes the neck, 2 makes the bodies, 3 paints the bodies, 4 winds the pickups, and 5 puts all the pieces together. The production line instruments are just a group of regular factory workers doing their one job (maybe some of them are great at what they do and maybe they are even passionate about, but maybe it’s just a job to pay the bills). Occasionally, you’ll get that magic “one” where it all just works, but usually it will be just good enough to not be rejected by quality control.
I Know What You're Talking About
It's Very Difficult To Open a Guitar Case and See What Looks Like a Damaged Guitar , Especially When it's So $$Expensive$$ , but it's The Old Saying "You Can't Judge a Book By it's Cover" !!
If It Plays and Sounds Great
Then it's Great , and If it Really Freaks You Out , You Can Aways Take it To A Professional Luthier and Have it Repainted , but That Would Cost a Fortune !!
Like That TV Show
You Can Love it or List it !!
Most People Seem To Love it
or at Least Fall in Love With it !!
That is a beautiful guitar and it sounds amazing!
It's my favorite out all of your guitars. Seriously cool 😎
I always enjoy your video. Keep up
Guitar Center Hollywood has all the custom shop and vintage guitars in the back and they're all locked up including the Friedman's. I've been wanting to mess around with one like yours since I 1st saw it on your channel... it looks and sounds amazing but it's too much of a fuss to get someone to come help me and unlock the guitar and bring it down just for me to plug it in cause all honesty I can't really afford 1 anyways... But it sounds killer on your channel😁
Rob before you shave next can you give the zappa look a go and see how you like it? Would probably look great on you
I think Gibson and Fender charge quite a hefty sum for Custom Shops. Unless you have a very specific design and look in mind, I don't know if it is worth it. If you don't like LPs or S styles, maybe a proper guitar luthier who makes a new design from the ground up would be cool, if you have the money ofc.
You should check out the gj2 inspiration hellhound. Awesome pickups.
That tone is juicy.
Custom shop? Well, mines a bit different. I bought a semi-hollow, unfinished, Tele style body on eBay. Yep, you guessed it, from China "Top Quality". I just wanted to sand and finish it, including the clear lacquer. Got those supplies from Stew-Mac. I liked it then bought a Japanese neck also on eBay and finished it. Next bought hardware from Stew-Mac also. OK, made lots of mistakes including a few unnecessary drill holes (Her name is Wholly). What a piece of junk now. It didn't sound good or play worth a crap. Wholly sat in the bag in the closet for a long time. I met another guy who was selling partscasters locally and we traded some stuff. Eventually, I took Wholly to him and some new pickups on Reverb. Mark set it up, tweaked it and installed the new stuff. Amazing what happened. This is my Custom Shop guitar. 1st on the rack and 1st one played. I love this guitar now, it feels just right.
Have you thought about mini humbucker at all?
This guitar looks like it has been played by Phil Sayce for 1 week! Sounds gorgeous by the way!
I wanna get a p90 guitar... thinking about getting the bob weir Bedford from D'Angelico
Where do you sell your stuff, which you're not using anymore?
Nothing like a handmade custom guitar. You can really feel the hands.
I think it depends. If you find "your" Instrument in a production line, there is no need to go custom. Otherwise why not? I personally would not order one, because every guitar ist different and resonates der different. But i bought two custom shop guitars used for a bargain and i love them so much.
Any ideas or comments on semi customs like Fender Mod shop?
People talk shit about relic finishes, but they're by far the most popular for custom guitars. We've got some NOS (Non relic) Fender Custom Shop guitars where I work, but we don't sell nearly as many. People who don't like them are just a lot louder about it 😅
Fake used/worn is just weird to me. Kinda reminds me of a poser-like fad. Not knocking anyone, just ain’t my thing. Some look cool, I would just like to have an authentically worn instrument.
Think I'm gonna go when all this pandemic stuff is over and I can go back to work I'm gonna use a kit guitar as the base of my dream LP without the $3k price tag for a gibson. Anyone know where I can get a good kit with a flamed maple top for a decent price
Mr. Baker, I find your videos quite enjoyable. Seriously, you're my favorite UA-cam dude (I don't like the UA-camr word). Hello from Brazil!
Thanks so much Greg!
Weird this goes up the day i buy a signature series dean c450f.
Grover Jackson - No other reason needed - I dream of a Cali
That tele is sick! Got myself similar fsr tele with P90. I wonder what kind of frets are these? Vintage or maybe 6105?
I want a custom GNG Morgoth, ESP Custom, or perhaps custom Mayones or Framus 7 string guitar to my specs. But price is really high.
I've been wondering a lot about specifically Friedmans guitars. All the dudes have a friedman, and I wanna know why someone would pay even more than for a gibson for one of these. I think part of the reason I'm curious is bc it's always good guitarists who like them, plus I think they have just about the worst headstock besides the old epiphone or maybe g&l. I know it's shallow, but this is a thing. Anywaysssszzzzzzz
Cool video man
Id love a custom but im not that great of a player so regular guitars for me work fine. I think it will be worth it if i turn pro or become successful but until then i wont be getting a custom guitar
:[
If u could only keep one of the two, would it be the Vintage T or the Gold Top?
Ohhhhhhh man please don't make me pick lol
i wish you would do lessons on riffs you wrote like once a week or so.
Damn nice intro!
I think that a custom shop guitar isn’t worth it, but one that is made for you custom is. However, make sure to think through what you like. And back to custom shop guitars, I played on several over 2000 Stratocaster a and then played on a used 750 American special Stratocaster with Texas special pickups...
The 750 dollar Stratocaster was so, so, SO, much better
Loved it ❗️👍🏻
If it makes you want to play it then it's worth it regardless of dollar value. I see the value of customs for people that want THE guitar or they have a favourite and want replica's of that guitar. Each to their own. But isn't buying any guitar and changing it to how you want it a custom guitar?
Can you do Times Like These by Dan Fogelberg? I just heard it in one of my dads favorite movies Urban Cowboy.
I don’t usually care for “Relicing” but Friedman does do the absolute best job At it.
I traded my way into a Custom Shop 50's Tele a little over a year ago. Sometimes I think I should sell it and get a "regular" tele and maybe a nice amp. Then I play it. And it's just like you said - butter. Yeah not selling it.
The only downsides to a custom shop guitars are the price and the fact there’s barely any explorer shaped models
Tyrone's Cringe Heaven check out Fast guitars. They have an E shaped model.
Hey Robert, have you played the prs silver sky ? If so does it work for you?
Ever played a Strandberg? I'm really curious about that neck!!!
Ivor Thomas same here. None of the shops around these parts carry them.
Woooooooooooooo! Flair style.
Just pick up an Xotic and a Neville. Own a B&G....I'm in love with guitars that human hands put together as well as better components usually.. ~cheers
Robert, could you tell me what kind of P-90’s are in that Friedman?? I’ve been looking for a great set of them to drop in one of my guitars, and they just sound great. So wanted to try them.
Hey dude these are the Friedman CLasic p90s they are amazing. I actually put the bridge pup in my Goldtop as well I liked it so much.
How much did you pay for this tele ?
Maybe that’s your signature guitar. I would order one. Have to save up first. 👍🏻😎