I've also been drooling over a custom shop build that is not that dissimilar to a Warmoth build and about the same price, but still twice as expensive.

cakes wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 9:53 am

jirbling rake wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 6:44 am

cakes wrote: the last time I owned a MIM it was the late 90s

No first-hand experience with those new models, but about MIM vs USA: as you've seen with this series, many of the standard Fender stuff is made in Mexico now. General consensus seems to be that it's as good as anything made in the US, but just cheaper. Even the guitars made in Indonesia or China now are far better than what was being made in the 90s. I've seen it called the golden age of cheap gear.

Main difference between US & MIM are some of the electronics, if my early morning memory is right. The question is if it sounds and plays well, how much does its heritage matter?

I hear what you're saying and I agree. I'm thinking what it's like after you get away from the charm of the store and start living with the beast. Also, that Epiphone, though not what I was searching for, hits all the right buttons for me and it's hard to decide.

I have an Epi Les Paul Custom that I got for not a lot of dough, and I pick it up all the time. It needed the tiniest of fret work, a little notch on the 2nd fret was bothersome, but I love it, and it sounds great.

Now, I've never played an honest to goodness vintage LP or anything, but I cannot imagine it's a 3x-4x improvement as the price would indicate. It's solid, straight as can be, stays in tune, the coil tapping works fine....I have 0 complaints.

I have a an Epi SG that I have the same feelings about - it's just lighter and sounds a little springier. But the build quality on both seems really great.

Same with my crafted in indonesia Squire tinline tele. I think there is something to the idea that this is a great time for inexpensive guitars.

I hate every fake spring reverb pedal in the world. best one I've used is maybe the Boss 63' custom thing and it kinda sucks. They all sound like a sample of a boing with a short digital reverb in the decay. Surfy Bears sound pretty rad but they are hella expensive. Still might get one. anyone have an alternate or have a surfy bear? is it good?

Kniferide wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 12:19 pm I hate every fake spring reverb pedal in the world. best one I've used is maybe the Boss 63' custom thing and it kinda sucks. They all sound like a sample of a boing with a short digital reverb in the decay. Surfy Bears sound pretty rad but they are hella expensive. Still might get one. anyone have an alternate or have a surfy bear? is it good?

There’s other small reverb tanks out there for cheapish - I had the Little Laneli or something like that before. It was ok but I sold it, though I was in this big square practice space at the time that sounded like a wash anyways.

Plus the famous little Dan Electro deal with the kick pad.

the spring king is yuge

I have and like the spring sound on this, but they got silly expensive too

Kniferide wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 12:19 pm I hate every fake spring reverb pedal in the world. best one I've used is maybe the Boss 63' custom thing and it kinda sucks. They all sound like a sample of a boing with a short digital reverb in the decay. Surfy Bears sound pretty rad but they are hella expensive. Still might get one. anyone have an alternate or have a surfy bear? is it good?

Its very weird that a buddy sent me a text just yesterday expressing the same ideas and asking if I could cook up an actual spring verb pedal.

Danelectro made a new version of the Spring King recently in a smaller form factor called the Spring King Junior. $199 from Sweetwater.

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 1:39 pm

Kniferide wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 12:19 pm I hate every fake spring reverb pedal in the world. best one I've used is maybe the Boss 63' custom thing and it kinda sucks. They all sound like a sample of a boing with a short digital reverb in the decay. Surfy Bears sound pretty rad but they are hella expensive. Still might get one. anyone have an alternate or have a surfy bear? is it good?

Its very weird that a buddy sent me a text just yesterday expressing the same ideas and asking if I could cook up an actual spring verb pedal.

What did you tell him?!?!

defendyachtrock wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 1:49 pm Danelectro made a new version of the Spring King recently in a smaller form factor called the Spring King Junior. $199 from Sweetwater.

I listened to a few samples and it isn't that great. a little too slappy and not that cool longer tail spring sound of a fender unit or similar, it actually kinda sounds like one of those Sansui spring reverb tanks a little, probably because of the tiny tank . I'm pretty fucking picky about springs. so far the surfy bear is the best sounding I've come across outside of a Fender Reverb head, or something in an amp. I've pretty much hated every digital thing trying to do a spring I've ever heard, even in plug in land there are only like 2 that don't suck (Soft Tube isn't too terrible, but not great, Pulsars is the best. Arturias and PSP is pretty meh but ok,)

Kniferide wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 2:31 pm

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 1:39 pm

Kniferide wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 12:19 pm I hate every fake spring reverb pedal in the world. best one I've used is maybe the Boss 63' custom thing and it kinda sucks. They all sound like a sample of a boing with a short digital reverb in the decay. Surfy Bears sound pretty rad but they are hella expensive. Still might get one. anyone have an alternate or have a surfy bear? is it good?

Its very weird that a buddy sent me a text just yesterday expressing the same ideas and asking if I could cook up an actual spring verb pedal.

What did you tell him?!?!

That i'd think about it hahaha. Accutronics makes some real small tanks nowadays that one could (and some have) put into larger pedal enclosures. It wouldnt QUITE be the full 6G15 Reverb experience, or even the Surfybear analog of it, but one could get it done affordably and with a smaller footprint. If one (me) only had the time.


Anyway....give it a few weeks and i'm sure i'll build something.