any audiophile guitarists out there?

It is Roland Microcube. Rowland makes only audio gear.

Daveyf - Before I realize I have no talent for music I bought 30W VOX Valvetronic. It uses DSP processing to mimic sound of different cabinets but also effects. Non-distorted effects are pretty good but distorted are horrible. At the time I considered Roland Cube.

Daveyf - I started with classical Cordoba R40 and took some lessons then bought Martin D15 to follow by used cheap Silvertone copy of Les Paul (changing pickups to Seymour Duncan Jazz and JB) plus mentioned Valvetronix and finally Ibanez Soungear SR300DX 4 string bass and 100W Carvin bass combo.

Now I don't know what to do with all this since I lost interest. I still play very simple classical a little and hope to start basic bass lessons but most likely it will all end-up in hands of my grandson (currently 5).

I agree that modeling doesn't come close to original thing. Fender Tweed was great but I thought once of finding original 30W VOX (that Beatles played). Tube amp with no feedback, Alnico magnet speakers etc. It amazes me that early rock bands played out with 30W combos while power now is often in kW.

Daveyf - Martin is probably the only one that is worth more used than I paid for new - everything else would be a loss. To me Martin and Les Paul (Silvertone made by Samick is decent) are part of history and I really enjoy having them. Strats, having longer scale, have a little bit better definition but I don't mind. McCartney played this super short scale Hoffner before he got wise and switched to long scale Ricekenbacker (starting with Penny Lane).

Samick makes 500,000 guitars a year. Epiphone, Gretsch, Bennet, Washburn are made by Samick. Completely automated and pretty good quality. Often price difference is only name on the headstock. My Silvertone looks and sounds the same as Epiphone (might be same guitar). Gibson is of higher quality but for 10x the cost.

I might a beginner but not to instrument itself. I can appreciate presence, projection, sustain, separation and tone of good guitar. My lessons were to play classical notation but I've played guitar for a long time (on and off). As for strings - the best so far I found are:

Classical: Galli Strings Genius GR45 Titanio (Incredible!)
Acoustic: John Pearse Phosphor bronze light
Electric: Ernie Ball slinkies regular (lime)
Bass: Ken Smith Rock Masters medium.

I've tried pretty much most of available strings. Galli Genius Titanio are amazing - not only incredible sounding but also not breaking and lasting forever. John Pears is always good and Ernie Ball is common knowledge between professional players. Ken Smith Rock Masters are something special - superb definition.

As for tension - It doesn't make much sense to use light for electric guitar or bass but light for acoustic often makes sense. Regular tension not always plays better. Lower tension sometimes brings more sound (too much stress lowers vibration). Light tension also minimizes effect of "top loading" (wood deformation). Best for classical is normal tension with possibility of higher tension on G,B,E if guitar sounds better (not always).

I'm tired of not making progress. I hope to find more time and patience (read: attention span) and move slowly forward. I have hard time to concentrate and to remember musical phrase but it will come with practice. I played more when I was young but it was time of the Beatles and Rolling Stones. Now I use Sibelius to enter and play with computer small classical pieces and Band in the Box to play acoustic or electric.

Yes I should sell Martin - it is practically new (sound not opened yet) but I just love this guitar. Martin is perfection. I can find some imperfections on my hand made Cordoba but not on Martin. Taylor is also top notch but I like more Martin deep "house sound" vs Taylor's open and bright sound. Part of the sound is saddle - extra hard synthetic (Corian) on Taylor and softer synthetic on Martin. I changed Martin saddle to Walrus Ivory and pins to brass - works quite well.

Grimace - Using home system for guitar playing is not a very good idea. Few of my friends damaged their systems that way. In addition nothing can sound as sweet as good crunch of tube guitar amp that Dpac996 is talking about. I can get some of this sound with my VOX Valvetronix modeling but it is not the same. It is pretty hard to damage tube amp and quite easy to repair (replace tube) - another reason for using tube guitar amps. Guitar thru home stereo, in comparison, sounds "sterile".

Electric guitar and amp are considered one instrument. You should be able to move them together - not the case with home stereo.

"I would suggest either more lessons and/or as I stated above, maybe a different guitar."

I've tried to blame it on guitar (I have 4) but the truth is I have to spend more time practicing. It is also possible that I don't have ears for music and whole thing doesn't make sense. I don't expect much though and have whole life for it.

I agree about bracing - that is perhaps the biggest difference. Typical guitars have top made of spruce or cedar because these woods have highest strength to weight ratio, but my D15 is whole mahogany (top, back and sides) - quite different sound.

While we're on the subject of guitars and guitar making, there is a luthier in Germany Matthias Dammann who makes world's best classical guitars. When one of the best guitarists David Russell started using his guitar everybody wants to have one. Price is average for this level - about $30k but wait period is 9 years (big demand and lot of orders). He could raise price twofold but he finds more satisfaction when people have to wait 9 years for his instrument. Something to thing about in our money oriented society.

6550c - Epiphone is not made in China but in Korea (big difference) in largest instrument factory in the world. Samick has factories in Korea and Indonesia. I've never suggested same quality as Gibson but it is pretty good. If it is enough for Epihone (owned by Gibson) and Gretsch to build guitars there - it should be enough for me. Samick uses quality stuff - Grover tuners, Duncan designed pickups, Wilkinson bridges. As for headstock - I compared Epiphone to Silvertone and not the Gibson. Gibson is 10x more expensive.

Here you'll find user reviews of Samick Les Paul copy (4.5 of 5):

http://www.harmonycentral.com/products/83532

Grimace - It was not bad idea at all - if it worked. Also, at age of 13 your system was perhaps not very expensive.

Atmasphere - Image cannot be viewed without login. Do you play-out or just at home for fun?