I am stupid stupid stupid

Buslady7803 · #1 09-06-2010, 10:39 AM

Me and my friends go to GC...okay, I saw this Kramer Striker 300ST on the wall, a guitar, yeah...I wanna learn this eventually as well. It looked like it needed work, okay no big deal...the bridge humbucker needs to be tightened and the 5 way switch has one dead spot. Okay maybe it'll be an interesting project. fix it up and clean eveything.....I look up the model online on the ipad, read about it, how old it is and stuff...late 80s, okay cool..i heard 80s stuff is ok.
its on layaway right now with a 20 down (its $129)....

i go look up more about it...ugh..it's freaking plywood. what a DORK I AM!!!

lost cause or am i just a dope? lol

VanillaThundah · #2 09-06-2010, 10:45 AM

Eesh, yeah its debatable on how much you can do to really improve on that lol. If you want a good, affordable guitar, try looking at some Ibanez or Schecters...good bang for the buck stuff.

I love my warwick too, btw

Buslady7803 · #3 09-06-2010, 11:02 AM

actually i fell in love with a Schec at a real music store...it's the 30th anniversary model, they said they had it forever and nobody wants it. it's brand new, gorgeous, and half price $650...but dunno if that'll be around when I have that money lol

im gonna try to get back my $20 though...i'll take store credit even. oh well

ninepoundjammer · #4 09-06-2010, 11:09 AM

Well I play a plywood upright bass and a plywood archtop guitar, both of which aren't exactly cheap (though carved instruments are obviously nicer). At $129 I don't know that I'd worry about it being plywood, it'll probably get the job done as well as any other $129 guitar.

**xed** · #5 09-06-2010, 11:20 AM

I had a yamaha pacifica that was a strat clone for a bit just to plunk around on. It's the same price range and a much better built instrument. (I owned one of those Kramer Strikers back in the 80's and the one I had was so poorly made that it was near unplayable. Not sure if that's true for all of them but something like a pacifica would get you a cheap but decently made guitar to play around with.)

Buslady7803 · #6 09-06-2010, 04:53 PM

Well a friend convinced me to still get it, I can learn to do electronics on it and if I make it a tiny bit better than it is..good for me. I'd rather destroy a cheapie than learn on a $500 guitar and ruin it. I can get components on eBay cheap. So maybe I'm okay. Ultimatelyi just wanna try and learn on it.
What is funny when i go to try out a guitar I end up playing it like a bass lol!!!

totallyfrozen · #7 09-06-2010, 05:10 PM

IMO, there are other more important things to be looking at when you are buying a guitar to learn on. The condition of the neck (warped, cracked, proud frets, etc.) and the height of the action are more important characteristics of a low-cost, students guitar than whether it's plywood or solid. Chances are, a guitar that inexpensive isn't going to have the quality electronics to really deliver the wood's tone all that much anyway. It's only $129 and you're buying it to LEARN guitar (from what I get out of your OP) not to record or gig with. I'd be more concerned with the "work" it needs on the electronics to simply make the thing work! You said it has a dead switch? I'd be more concerned with that and the overall condition of the neck than the plywood body. Another thing that I'd consider more important are the tuners. Are they good and tight? Can they HOLD a tuning?

Basically, it's a student guitar (for you) and it's cheap so I'd be more concerned about the things that will make it playable. I wouldn't worry so much about the wood quality since this guitar probably isn't going to be used for anything serious in the foreseeable future.

Just my opinion, of course.

Buslady7803 · #8 09-06-2010, 05:56 PM

Thanks actually that was encouraging. My teacher fixes everything, he might get a kick out of it. The switches was dead on the 3rd setting. Neck seemed straight and nice, action ok too. Can it hold a tuning, dunno. I'm gonna learn something with it at least :-)

XigXag · #9 09-06-2010, 08:29 PM

My recommendation for good cheap instruments are the pawn shops. If you know what your looking for, what you're looking at, and what current prices are, you cant go wrong. It might take a little time, a few stores, but itll be there.
Musicians(and wannabes) pawn Good stuff when they're broke (or just dont want that axe they cant play).

Jim Campbell · #10 09-06-2010, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by totallyfrozen

IMO, there are other more important things to be looking at when you are buying a guitar to learn on. The condition of the neck (warped, cracked, proud frets, etc.) and the height of the action are more important characteristics of a low-cost, students guitar than whether it's plywood or solid. Chances are, a guitar that inexpensive isn't going to have the quality electronics to really deliver the wood's tone all that much anyway. It's only $129 and you're buying it to LEARN guitar (from what I get out of your OP) not to record or gig with. I'd be more concerned with the "work" it needs on the electronics to simply make the thing work! You said it has a dead switch? I'd be more concerned with that and the overall condition of the neck than the plywood body. Another thing that I'd consider more important are the tuners. Are they good and tight? Can they HOLD a tuning?

Basically, it's a student guitar (for you) and it's cheap so I'd be more concerned about the things that will make it playable. I wouldn't worry so much about the wood quality since this guitar probably isn't going to be used for anything serious in the foreseeable future.

Just my opinion, of course.

i disagree.....betterto take the hit on the deposit....squier teles can be had for 200 bucks,and they play well enough to be worth the effort if mods are desired.....plus you have something to sell down the road.....

totallyfrozen · #11 09-06-2010, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

i disagree.....better to take the hit on the deposit....squier teles can be had for 200 bucks,and they play well enough to be worth the effort if mods are desired.....plus you have something to sell down the road.....

Well, I'm not really sure how your post is actually DIS-agreeing with mine. I was only addressing the guitar that she was talking about in the OP. Assuming that she's going to buy the one mentioned, I think the body wood isn't as important as other factors.

If you are talking about walking away from that guitar and looking at another one, then yes, I'd probably agree with you on the Squire (there are other good makers too). I've never owned a Squire but I've had 2 friends who have and they were both pleased with them. That said, I've also had a former roommate who had a Kramer and he was VERY proud of it. I don't know what his was made of, but he didn't seem to think it sucked. One of his ex-girlfiends stole it and sold it. He went out and bought a gun and went looking for her because of that. So, I'm not sure that Kramer is a crap brand. Honestly, I don't know. Maybe he was just nuts. When I decided to take guitar lessons, I had the money so I just bought a Fender Am. Stnd. Strat and called it a day. Not everyone can do that, I understand. I think for name recognition and resale value, you're right about a Fender/Squire giving more bang for the buck over Kramer, though.

MIJ-VI · #12 09-07-2010, 03:29 AM

Does that guit' come with a termite warranty?

Buslady7803 · #13 09-07-2010, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIJ-VI

Does that guit' come with a termite warranty?

Lol!!!

Someone loved this guitar, it been played well....if it's survived since the 80s, can't be horrible

Jumbotron · #14 09-07-2010, 07:51 AM

In the mid 90's, I played in a band with a guy who used a Striker. It actually sounded pretty good, and the neck played well. The high E had a weird buzz, but other than that, not bad. It had a classic "cheap shredder" vibe to it.

hall1k · #15 09-07-2010, 07:57 AM

Maybe plywood would play well as part of a decent guitar, but I would never buy one because I believe that body wood tends to be indicative of overall build quality. If the manufacturer cheaped out on the body wood, what other more critical things did they cheap out on?

ggunn · #16 09-07-2010, 08:22 AM

Also understand that there are lots of different plywoods. The thickness of the laminates and the type of wood used can vary a lot; the plywood one would use to build a guitar and that which would be used to build a rabbit cage are not necessarily the same.

mid_life_crisis · #17 09-07-2010, 08:33 AM

You want to check out the thread about rebuilding basses for newbies. One of the things he talks about is removing the neck and putting inserts into the body so the neck can be re-attached with machine screws instead of wood screws. If I had a plywood guitar, that is the first thing I would do.

Gord_oh · #18 09-07-2010, 08:41 AM

plywood. who cares?
do you like it? get it.
i have a 1989 squier II made of plywood and i love the tone that thing gets me.
its a pretty cheaply made, but it works well.
i paid $130 for it. only thing i changed was the pickguard and fixed a bad ground.

Buslady7803 · #19 09-07-2010, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gord_oh

plywood. who cares?
do you like it? get it.
i have a 1989 squier II made of plywood and i love the tone that thing gets me.
its a pretty cheaply made, but it works well.
i paid $130 for it. only thing i changed was the pickguard and fixed a bad ground.

I <3 u. That's the same attitude my friend has , like it, get it.
My teacher is incredible with repairs and stuff, he may be able to turn it into an ok learner. I've heard the neck is good, I didn't notice anyhthing bad with it...when I get it, I'll post pix ...you guys can see how much work it'll need lol...

Midlife: I'll run that by my teacher.

Gord_oh · #20 09-07-2010, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buslady7803

I <3 u.