The Balaguer Semi-Custom Thicket Is HERE! Unboxing/Demo | GEAR GODS
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- Опубліковано 10 лип 2024
- It's here! Let's take a look at my semi-custom Thicket from Balaguer guitars.
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As of 2020, Balaguer Guitars now has a team within their International Distributor QC’ing any international (outside of the USA and Canada) Select Customs that are ordered, to help save shipping costs for the customer. All Select Customs ordered from the USA or Canada are QC’d at the Balaguer HQ in Pennsylvania USA.
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I would flip if I got a white burst when I didn’t want one. That’s also the unfortunate “jizzburst” look.
But dang that’s rough.
The extra weight is due to the body needing to be thicker to accomodate the Evertune.
Hmm, not sure I’d actually be ok with getting a completely different finish to the one I ordered after waiting twice as long
Exactly
yeah.. that would be a no go for me. The finish on the first guitar with the QC issues seemed to be the one he ordered originally
it's like looking at a beautiful scene through a window you just threw watered down white paint at :/
@@InvisibleJiuJitsu This is exactly what I was thinking. "is that really figured wood under that??? they painted over that?!"
It's not what he ordered at all. Looks good, but not what he ordered. That's not how this works. lol
8:39 a difference like that for $2500 would be totally unacceptable
I think the fact that he kept you informed and did not accept any flaws in his work speaks alot for him as a person and how he wants his company represented.
That's like a different guitar
Great guitar but that finish is pretty uh....not great. Doesn't really show the grain of the top and kinda looks bleached out. I bet it plays great but I would have gone with a different finish for sure
I see this finish all the time on ESPs here in Japan. Actually looks pretty cool.
It wasn’t what he ordered either.
Sounds like you are less happy than you let on.
Grow a lighter piece of wood, tree! Dammit!
Lol! I can't believe jeff said what he said. He knows what roasted is...
You should really emphasize whether you okay'd the burst finish before it was sent to you or not. A lot of people (myself included) in the comments see it as super shitty that the company would send you a different finish than you ordered without telling you first, but someone in a comment said that Balaguer offered to refinish it for you. Quality issues delaying it is fine, but sending you the wrong finish (regardless if you like it or not) is bad unless you directly gave the okay on it.
I have a Balaguer that I ordered custom last year. 10/10 would recommend
Justin Stratton Respect. But based on this video, I’ll pass.
@@jayseb I agree, 50% 50% on getting what you hope to get, isn't a good thing to me.
been waiting on this video!
I ordered a Kiesel Aries 7X and it took 15 weeks. So longer than it usually takes, but I am insanely happy with it! Best guitar I’ve ever played, and sexiest guitar I’ve ever seen
It came out sweet! I have a Balaguer Espada, no evertune. It shipped from PA to MA in 2 days and arrived in tune with one of the best setups I’ve ever gotten on a guitar. They’re great instruments.
I ordered a Grzenia Royale (RD Shape) and tne quoted me 3 months. Came in about 3.5 so good timing and it was fantastic! Affordable and well spec'd. The guy who runs it has amazing customer service too. Very positive.
Ya that’s a burst not what was ordered I wouldn’t be happy
thats why i would never order a crazy top finish.It almost always wont be whats in your head, unless the company already did something you want. I got a semi-custom but it was only matte light blue so you can't go wrong with that but Burl is tricky
Balaguer already made a statement on it, they offered to change the color but Trey liked the finish
@Clown World regardless if he did or didn't there was a statement awhile ago in which balaguer tried to accommodate him.
Oh Man, I love this finish
Great guitar. Some random compliments: your channel is one my favorites, you are a good host and play some killer riffs (although a bit too power metal for me). Keep up the good work!
That clean lick is awesome.
I ordered a custom Etherial ;)
Waited 2 years for the build to finish, but the end result was stunning!
Nothing like getting an instrument specced the way you want it
For almost $2500 i would not be okay with a completely different finish. Especially when the picture of the first attempt looked closer to the original than the final product
but it still looks insane
Its such a unique looking guitar 😍
And I thought it looked incredible during the design process, the guitar looks fucking gorgeous up close like this and sounds awesome
Sounds great
It's funny; the one that they took the picture of that had quality issues looked like the one you put together on the website. The body finish on the one you got doesn't look anything like the website and isn't nearly as good looking. The all white looked way better. I would send it back. How much does the Evertune bridge change the way you play?
Evertunes feel a bit different under your palm and maybe it changes that palm muting sweet spot a tiny bit. Nothing too wild though... I'd say anyone can get used to it.
I love Evertune. I was super nervous as I hate floyds or anything complicated. Bends do take a bit more work
Balaguer already offered to change the finish for him but Trey said he liked it
i presume the manufacturer knew this was going to appear in a video. its crazy they made 2 and still didnt get it right? really just bizarre.
Not sure about this company, charging 2k+ on a korean made guitar custom or not is outrageous. Kiesel has been doing this for years, and only takes 2 months to build. I agree with everyone else about the burst, people would flip there shit if a company like Kiesel did that. Seems shady as hell.
Kiesel turnaround times are usually a lot more than 2 months these days.
@@fistinair1979 for simple builds its around 10-12 weeks so 2.5 to 3 months. Its not a bad wait time. It's much better than balaguers wait times.
Hang on so these guitars aren't American made?
@@CPTLYNXY The Semi-Customs are made in Korea, I think Custom Select is made in USA but don't quote me on that
I ordered a Kiesel right around the time they were transitioning from Carvin to Kiesel. It took 11 weeks, I think. There were some mild hiccups on my build, too. But Jeff was really cool about my requests, and made sure the quirks I wanted looked exactly the way I asked.
Getting a custom guitar is really cool, but also kind of nerve-wracking. I had no idea what I was getting until I saw it on the "guitars of the day" on their facebook. I immediately knew it was mine, and I geeked the fuck out for days until I got a shipping notification.
7:21 He said doodoo. **insert Beavis and Butthead chuckles here** 😆
I ordered a Kiesel dc700x. It came after 6 weeks. Was super happy. Was also swamp ashe but rather heavy. Also the nut was a bit sharp at the bottom end. Most importantly, it plays smooth, always stays in tune and sounds great. Will order at least 1 or 2 Kiesels in the future because its the best guitar ive played. Was kinda scared cause I heard nightmare stories about them
Pickups sound damn good.!!!🤘👍
I’ve been scouring the internet for the best custom guitar maker. I’ve grown attached to teles over the last year or so. Used to hate them. Last week I came across this company and found the thicket. Hands down one of the most beautiful guitars I have ever seen. Now I just need 3 grand to buy it.
Looks good
His guitar tone: 80% attack and compression 20% actual note pitch
Welcome to guitar circa 2020
honestly just way too much gain
@@thejrfanclub628 some people like that type of sound,I kinda dig it but i still prefer a clearer tone.
I've ordered many customs, Kiesels and Aristides, most go as planned but lately I've been ordering pretty standard specs to ensure it goes as planned (no more fancy tops, only solid colors etc) - I plan on ordering a Hyperion 7 sometime this year, evertune of course!
its look amazing and sound amazing :)
Great lead playing
That split coil neck clean tone caught me off guard. I really liked it
Sounds like an absolute amazing experience. Glad to hear that the company has astounding values. Thanks for sharing the process of ordering a custom axe. What an awesome guitar!
Love it!!! Still think you should add the pick guard. I would def give them a try.
yeah it would look classier with pickguard, for my taste at least!
Especially since the finish he ordered is wrong. Might as well cover as much of that up as you can at this point with a pick guard.
There are ups & downs with this company. I got a semicustom delivered last year. The guitar looks and sounds amazing, but I had to spend a lot of time setting it up after I got it. Their communication & updates are nice.
Joe and I used to work together at a retirement community back when we were like 18ish, and he is an amazing guitar player, and absolutely hilarious. Last time I talked to him was right before he was getting into being a luthier. I'm so happy he was able to make it. He's a good guy, I'm 100% sure he wanted you to have the best possible product they could produce.
Balaguer makes realy cool stuff. I wann try this some day
Love the tone of the guitar in this video. What pick ups are in it and what was the signal chain used?
Shoulda chambered it to get it lighter. I have a couple chambered Kissel K series with ash bodies and they’re super light and still sound great distorted 🤘🏻 (sounds awesome clean too 😏)
Swamp Ash can be inconsistent. You can get heavy Swamp Ash. Basswood is also a lighter wood with similar characteristics as light Swamp Ash. Misha has talked about this.
Maple is generally a dense wood, pretty much every species of Maple. I did notice the website said, "Ash," which is usually a Northern Ash, not Swamp Ash, and Northern Ash is more dense than Swamp Ash.
Pennsylvania!!
For a second there I thought it was already that semi custom guitar you built on the other video!
It was. That video was either recorded months ago and just recently uploaded, or maybe he didn't actually film the order, and just filmed a reinactment to make that video closer to when he received the guitar.
Cool guitar mate. i've seen that finish being used on ESP's here in Japan.
Agreed! I'd be pissed! That's a hard NO for Balagure guitars! Another thing that drives me nuts is string buzz! Imo if a guitar is professionally set up and shipped, but arrives with string buzz, that's a no, as it means I'll have to adjust it at every show! I don't have the patience for that, and for the price I expect not to have to do that! I've got my heavy guard where I only have to adjust them 2x a year, while on tour 140 shows a year. But maybe I expect more for my money! Not a fan of the pups either! But glad your happy, as that's all that matters really! Also thanks for sharing!
6:20 "so what you see is basically what you get"
**looks at guitar, back at the image, back at the guitar**
*_Are you kidding me? That looks like a COMPLETELY different guitar than the one you ordered, even if it is spec'd pretty much the same and sounds awesome. For 2500 bucks and a year of waiting, that seems like a pretty shit deal. What's the point of ordering a custom guitar if you don't get what you order?_*
The real question is, where the heck is the Skervesen? It’s been a year or more already
As always, you're epic. What was the song you played on the second example of rhythm (bridge) ? Thank you Trey, you're a killer.
Thanks for the review bud. Refreshing to see a honest and balanced one. There's been a meta-study into what it is that provides us with contentment ...... one thing kept appearing in everystudy ......... what is it ? .........having 'low expectations'. The secret of happiness. When I met my wife for the first time. I said you will always be happy with me, if you Keep your expectations of me very low...... and she has ! 🤣
Nice !! :)
Wicked guitar! I’d totally order one! Btw where’s that Skervesen? ;) can’t wait for that review
Pretty guitar.
The guitar is pretty nice, however that's is a completely different finish than what you ordered, I would send it back just cause,
(That thing looks like it's not done being painted)
These demo riffs are WAYYYY better than the generic ones you’ve had in the past. I actually would listen to that in a song. Not to mention….
WHAT THE HELL IS THAT TONE IN THE FIRST RIFF???? Insaaaaaaane man. Need to get my axe to sound like that
thats how you know they really care about the fragility of your package
The weight is definitely from the evertune
Not sure about that dude I've got a Solar A1.6 Artist.. it's all swamp ash and has an evertune but it's incredibly light..
Yeah, you could tell by the cleans that the guitar has MASS, and it's not just sustain...it's timbre...
I also just got a 92 Starfield SJ custom in swamp ash and this thing is fucking HEAVY. Ash varies AMAZINGLY in its weight.
ssmetalrulz I’ve only touched one evertune and it was really bottom heavy I deff believe you if you own one. Is this treys first evertune?
I found out recently the balaguer is based out of the town i work in. Pretty cool i think.
100% wouldn't be happy with that. Yes there will never be the exact wood patterning on every piece of wood but your paying that premium cost and the fact you got a burst which is just plain wrong and it looks matte not satin and you cant see through to it like what you ordered should be an instant send back in my opinion. Im sure the fact it feels and plays great plus the time waited may be pulling you away from asking it to be fixed as I am sure it would for me also but the finish is not to be overlooked at that price point. Again just my opinion and totally up to you as it's your money :)
Trey! After having this guitar for a year, do you like the pickups? Thinking about buying a set of balaguer pickups. The feral ones.
Oh so the Balaguer Semi-customs come automaticaly with locking tunners? Can't find that option in the builder or that specification anywhere.
How long did it take them to build it? I know you just uploaded the other video a week ago, but if it wasn't filmed earlier, that is crazy turn around time for a guitar like that haha
Circaninetysix that’s what I’m wondering as well haha
I would think he filmed the other video months ago and posted it once it was clear the guitar was coming through
@@Malum09 Yeah that makes sense. It said on their site it could take up to six months, which like he said, isn't bad for a semi-custom build
You should all watch the video
If i was a metal guy this would be the guitar i got for sure.
I wish he could explain a bit about getting a Balaguer instead of a Kiesel. For what that cost, he could have had an incredible Kiesel much more quickly. I would hate to be stuck with that knowing it cost a Kiesel and then some.
Step #1 Make a hole on the box
2.... put your junk in that box
3... Make her open the box
well done.
Honestly, I think the finish still looks pretty damn sick. It could just be me being okay with whatever ig.
ooohhhhh yerrrrr
2:38 for the riffs.
Is the Skervesen guitar you ordered still not received ?
how is the build quality and playability compared with a kiesel? Thinking of ordering a balaguer but never actually played one.........
Would you recommend Balaguer over like a Kiesel within a similar price range?
damn thats sick, their american shop is like 20 minutes from me and i def wanna see it some time.
I’m planning on ordering a 27” scale carved top Toro with the buckeye Burled maple top and evertune bridge with EMG 85/81 pickups and a roasted maple neck with a pale moon ebony fretboard. I’ve thought about it a time or two.
I don't see any problem with the finish. He selected a see thru white on top of wood, of course the natural color of the wood is going to show.
I may have missed it in the video but what pickups are in this?
Isn't basswood the lightest wood used in guitars?
Cool guitar. Actually Balaguer don't use Swamp Ash but heavier ash - as mentionned on their "wood library" page. My (mostly korina) espada is pleasingly light.
eloann depends on what they have. My thicket that is being built is actually swamp ash.
That sheeeit looks GlaZed s0n s0n!!! 🤺
hey does setting the tuning pegs to just before going sharp solve the dead zone bend problem?
Yes, the closer you tune the tuners to the actual pitch, the less "detached" your bend movement is from when the note starts to raise pitch...but then you're also potentially losing some of that benefit of having the Evertune in the first place. If you want the note to go sharp the moment you use any subtle vibtato, then you'll also end up with strings that go sharp with hard picking, and too tight of a grip with your fretting hand.
I thought it would have more of like the Les Paul "marble" collection look...not so hazy or glossy on top.still a beautiful guitar!!!
The first version looks so much better wtf
Did you get pictures sent to you throughout the build because you know Joe? Or is that a standard custom guitar experience? I’ve been leaning Balaguer over Kiesel lately.
First build got the color right second build wasn't even close quality control issue again. I was playing around with the halo guitar and builder made a rd build with the same color white with a white burst and white back with evertune as we'll. Wish that white turned out like it was rendered.
I really like the look because it looks like frozen or like it was dipped in nitrous oxide. Good video trey, can you order one from Halo guitars next? I hear good things about halo.
The part about fat older Trey sending the guitar to future Trey was fuckin hilarious..
That finish is truly something awful.
Holy shit I was messing around with the website to make a custom balaguer guitar and it looked EXACTLY the same :O :O :O
Did you ever get your skerv?
Was looking at balaguer a while back, but ended up going with kiesel since I could get what I wanted for cheaper (The Kiesel was and is a great guitar, but as a Philly local I do regret not being able to support the local business). Still want to try balaguer at some point but since I build guitars now it's harder to justify purchasing new custom ones haha
Well, for what it's worth, Kiesels are still made in the US while this Balaguer was made primarily in South Korea...so still "local", depending on how you want to define it.
@@scottjanzer8083 yeah I know, but locally designed and set up! No regrets on the kiesel though, it wasnt perfect but the only thing wrong was the 5 way switch was wired backwards, still functional, just quirky haha
Very discouraging Trey, id be super pissed if I had to wait that long cause they need to do a retry and find out the finish is Meh to say the least on a $2500 guitar. I love Balaguer but fuck. They should either not offer Evertune, if thats what the initial issue was, or maybe limit their finish options to the ones they know they can perfect. Awesome vid tho!!! I screamed when I saw the notification. I was like wtf we just watched him build this thing last week. Well played sir!
Looks like someone put a tele in a microwave
So did they know you were from the gear gods channel and were going to do a video review?
Because I ordered stuff before based on good reviews like this and it didn't really go well
You can get many stock esps made in Japan for much cheaper or some fenders American made for cheaper.
#teamBalaguer!
I was honestly thinking about ordering a custom bass, made locally in Portugal, but now I'm not sure for two reasons:
First I'm not absolutely sure what I want so I could very well end up getting something I do not really love and then the resale value for a unknown brand is very low.
Second, there are many production basses I love and then I'll be craving for those...
Get a Mayones if you're looking for custom. I can give you the contacts of the dealer that can order it for you in the EU
The first guitar's finish looked closer to what you ordered. Like others I would not have been happy with the second guitar.
I was getting ready to order one.
Now I'm not sure.