Guitar Suggestions

[beenthere]

I'm thinking about getting a new guitar, here are the ones I've been thinking about:

(1) Epiphone Les Paul Standard

(2) Hagstrom Swede

(3) Reverend Roundhouse HB

 

I've had a chance to try out the Epi Les a couple of times. Haven't had a chance to try out the Hagstrom or Roundhouse (although I may be able to this weekend), but I've heard good things about both.

 

Any thoughts or past experience?

[jff]

I don't have a lot of experience with any of those guitars, but from what I've read and heard, Epiphones sometimes have poor quality pickups and wiring. My Epiphone Casino, which I no longer own, had some wiring issues.

 

I saw one of the Hagstroms recently in a shop. I didn't get to play it for more than a few seconds, but it appeared to be well made and it felt solid when I picked it up. Nice looking guitar.

 

I always hear good things about Reverend guitars. I didn't know they had a Les Paul style guitar.

 

You can read reviews of music gear on Harmony Central. Here's a link to their reviews of the Reverend (you can search for the reviews of the Epi and Hagstrom if you care to):

 

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews...ndhouse+HB/10/1

[beenthere]

Yeah, I've heard the same thing about Epiphones in general. That's the big drawback to them as far as I can tell. I think the Roundhouses are fairly new to the Reverend line. I had been thinking about getting a Reverend Volcano, but I'm not sure I'm a Flying-V type of guy.

Thanks for the input and the link, I've read a bunch of reviews about both the Hagstrom and Reverend guitars, and they're mostly positive (esp. with the Reverends). Like I said, there's a guitar store in town that carries them, so hopefully after work today I can stop by and try the Roundhouse out. They sometimes carry Hagstroms, too, so maybe if I'm lucky I can kill two birds with one stone.

[jff]

Let us know what you think of them. I'd like to get a humbucker equipped guitar sometime this year. I'd really like a Les Paul, but I don't have the money. I definitely intend to try out the Hagstrom and the Reverend. I could probably scrape together the money for one of those.

 

As for Flying V guitars, if you're not a Flying V guy now, you'll probably be even less of one as you get older, so you're wise to stick with a less flashy style of guitars.

[melvinpa]

My brother recently sold his Hagstrom Swede. That would probably be my top choice out of those 3 guitars. It plays great, smooth, and definitely well built. It's pretty inexpensive too. I would say you are getting the most for your money with the Swede. Plus, I think it would probably hold it's value a little better than the other two.

[jff]

My brother recently sold his Hagstrom Swede. That would probably be my top choice out of those 3 guitars. It plays great, smooth, and definitely well built. It's pretty inexpensive too. I would say you are getting the most for your money with the Swede. Plus, I think it would probably hold it's value a little better than the other two.

 

What makes you say the Hagstrom would hold it's value better? I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just curious. I would expect it to hold it's value better than an Epiphone (just because there are SO MANY Epiphones out there), but I'm not sure how the used market works for lesser known brands. In Atlanta, Reverends seem to be highly regarded and Hagstroms are sort of a new, unknown brand (even though it's actually an old brand).

[melvinpa]

What makes you say the Hagstrom would hold it's value better? I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just curious. I would expect it to hold it's value better than an Epiphone (just because there are SO MANY Epiphones out there), but I'm not sure how the used market works for lesser known brands. In Atlanta, Reverends seem to be highly regarded and Hagstroms are sort of a new, unknown brand (even though it's actually an old brand).

 

Ya, obviously it's just my opinion. In my dealings it seems that there's a cult following for the Hagstroms, in part because of their resurgence. Perhaps that will die down over time though. Regardless I think the quality Hagstroms and Reverends will always hold better than the Epiphones.

[beenthere]

Okay, so I got the chance to try out a Reverend Roundhouse HB, and I was pretty impressed. I think they mentioned it on their website, but the Roundhouse is lighter than a traditional Les Paul. It's also more of a flattop than a carved top (at least that was my impresson). In any case, the guitar felt and played really well. The Bass Contour knob is handy, I can see where it'd be pretty versatile. It sounded really good on every setting I tried, heck, it even sounded pretty good unplugged, which is always a good test, I think. They didn't have a Swede in stock, so I couldn't ry that one out, but needless to say I was impressed enough by the Roundhouse to seriously consider it. I may hold off a little bit to see if I can find a store in town with a Swede so I can try it out.

[melvinpa]

what town are you in? I just saw a swede in the Chicago Music Exchange last night.

[beenthere]

Madison, WI.

[Gobias Industries]

If you are vying for an Epiphone, search harder for Korean-made Epiphones...the Chinese-made ones aren't as great. As much as it hurts me to say that the Chinese-mades are of top quality, it's pretty much the truth.