Nosing around

[candid_x]

Lately I've been looking around at all guitars, revisiting and noting revisions and rehashes of the old big dogs plus those lesser knowns, which have a loyal following. It's interesting how passionate guitarists can be about their personal favs. I decided to take that hat off awhile and have a look around.

I won't mention names, but I'm floored at certain givens when buying certain well known brands. It's a given you have to set it up or pay to have it set up. That may include properly reshaping and/or shimming the heel, redressing the frets, fixing cold solders, etc. Fussy players know this in advance of buying them, and yet they continue to buy them. Oh, well.

There are other brands, smaller companies, which do appear to produce great build quality, and they have a loyal following. In or around the EBMM price range, the field narrows way down. Again, won't mention names.

My conclusion for my own self, anything else would be a compromise, a downgrade. That goes for value in build quality, tones, playability, variety, customer/product support, and mojo.

This isn't meant to kiss up, it's just my own honest humble opinion, after viewing it objectively once again.

 

[Nulph]

I did a similar comparison and in depth look at a bunch of both the well known and not so well known guitar brands before buying my JP6. In the EBMM price range, I don't think you can get a better built guitar.

I hate to say this, but with some of the reputations that some companies have, I would expect a better quality instrument to come out of their factories. I'm dissapointed with the big name/big dollar brands and very happy with my EBMM.

I can't wait to buy my next one. But which will it be?

 

[Big Poppa]

thanks bruce....I always play other guitars when I go to stores......there are some really good ones and some ones that would be hard to make my fireplace

 

[rickjohns]

I totally agree. I can setup my own guitars, and I almost always modify stuff on my guitars, even my axis. I instaled a toggle switch to turn the output on and off, like Tom Morrelo. But I don't want to, especially if I pay upwards of $1000 for a guitar. The "big guys" in the biz really piss me off. I wanted a tele in a bad way a while back, and I tried out over 40 of them in various store in my area. 40! All of them played like ass. I could not believe it. I played a top of the line LP, price was over $7000, it was a special edition anniversary model, or some **** like that. Couldn't stay in tune to save it's life, and the intonation was way out. It is beyond ridiculous, imagine buying a brand new car, and having the alignment way out, and the motor barely running. It is the same thing. I'm not speaking as a fanboy here, but Big Poppa gets it. Sorry EVH, I am a big fan of your music, but Fender doesn't get it, EBMM does. My Axis played like butter the day I pulled it off of the rack @ GC. Perfect intonation, perfect action, perfect tone, right out the door. I did kill the frets within 3 years, but I play ALOT, and I play hard. That is not BP's fault, I got stainless frets in now, and for me the Axis is perfect, in everyway. I want more! Hopefully I get signed and famous and can get BP to make me a signature AXIS, with the Strat arm rest relief. That would be the only thing I would change. I love it when I show up at gigs, and guys in other bands are like: What is that? I'll rip on that thing for a set, and let 'em strum a chord or two in the break, and the attitude completely changes. Now I need to get rid of my wolfgang and buy another AXIS. EBMM rules period.

 

[JohnnyD19]

See this are the things i tell all the guitar players i know. EBMM makes the best guitars on the market right now. most of the Players in my area in my age group (16-19 years old) don't know what they want in a guitar. all they know is that if it starts with a G or an F its the best thing on the planet. when i was first starting out i was this way. untill my neighbor who was a huge influence on me brought me over to his house one to show me his new guitar. he had gotten a new ASS. the next day he took me to guitar center and showed me some of the models that EBMM was offering. he had since moved away, but that day when he showed me that ASS i knew what was a good guitar and what wasn't. 5 years later I'm addicted to the product that you guys are making. And one thing that really gets on my nerves is when people i know start dissing on the EBMM company. they mean it in good fun but its not called for. they dont know that there not just dissing an awesome company there dissing a group of people that work damn hard at what they do and they do it awesomely. there dissing on a group of people that worship the product that the company makes, and they are dissing one of my business hereos and that man would be BP.

sorry about the rant but this topic got me fired up

 

[gerry d]

I used to own a guitar shop and I also used be to a guitar repairer, I still do repairs from time to time and I still love the instrument very much and heres my take on the whole thing... EBMM are at the top of the game... these instruments are as good as it gets folks... they are CONSISTANTLY good guitars and that really is the key... I have never seen a bad EBMM... the quality of the components is ALWAYS top notch... it's not rocket science... they just care about their product.... thats why EBMM gets my vote every time...

 

[Kristopher]

imagine buying a brand new car, and having the alignment way out, and the motor barely running. It is the same thing.

That's an awesome analogy. Any guitar shop owner who thinks along these lines would do well I think.

 

[TNT]

Musicman Guitars!!! Symbol of quality above all else!

 

[Spudmurphy]

... they just care about their product.... thats why EBMM gets my vote every time...

+1
and that just about hits it on the head.

 

[TwAn]

I must say I was into F**** myself before I discovered EBMM. I visited the Musikmesse in Frankfurt about 8 or 9 years ago and I played an Axis there in the Line6 stand... (it was trans purple, I remember it like it was yesterday...)

I knew that instant that I had to get me one of those guitars one day... (I was still going to school back then and I couldn't really afford a new EBMM guitar...) As soon as I started earning some money I started looking out for an EBMM...

The rest is history...

 

[Big Poppa]

Johnny I get nervous when a nighbor tries to show me thier ass

 

[JohnnyD19]

Johnny I get nervous when a nighbor tries to show me thier ass

BWAHAHAHAH you know what i mean

 

[pjc812]

I hate to say this, but with some of the reputations that some companies have, I would expect a better quality instrument to come out of their factories. I'm dissapointed with the big name/big dollar brands and very happy with my EBMM.

TELL ME ABOUT IT!! We picked up, ahem, another 25.5" scale line and every last stinking one of those things came in with warped necks! Since you have to take the frickin' neck off of over half of them to adjust, it was a royal pain in the a$$. That's a design that should have died with the founder of that particular company. I asked our rep about that and he said "well, that's what the consumer expects". Lame.

I appreciate that BP's build quality is far superior than "that's good enough, it's what the consumer expects".

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

Never had a problem with EBMM guitars! Gotta love them!

 

[Sub1 Zero]

The one other company that really interests me is Carvin. It won't overshadow my Balls of course, but there's one or two guitars i want from them

 

[Lew]

I am playing set neck guitars atm but if EB made a set neck you know I would own it

 

[sim]

I have to agree with all these comments. I've only ever owned two EBMM guitars and they're the only two 'off the shelf' that didn't need any major adjustments or upgrades. Simply the best guitars in this price range you can get. Well, I think EB is the best full stop. The neck alone is a work of art!

 

[Larry]

Ordering a Carvin is like ordering a mail order bride....

 

[pjc812]

^ they look great on paper...

 

[Quarter]

I always try and tell the G and F challenged crowd that owning EBMM is like getting custom shop quality at a production guitar price.
Truth is, they are better than what does come out of the others top shops.
Now with the BFR line, there is no comparison, its like BP just hit 6th gear and is watching the posers in the rear view.