Does anyone like 80s style / pointy headstock / shred guitars?

[Puddleglum]

I do! I recently got a Jackson Dinky and absolutely love it. The neck is very comfortable, it's easy to play (and fast), and I personally just love the look of the guitar.

I grew up in the 80s and all my boyhood heroes played these kinds of guitars, so it's part nostalgia for me as well. Oddly enough though, in all my years of playing, I've never had a guitar in this style till now. I've had Strats, LPs, and a few other designs over the years, but I think part of me was embarrassed to get a "pointy" guitar. I used to think you had to be able to play really fast to own one. And while I'm not a shredder, I have been learning some faster licks since owning the Jackson. Partly, the style of guitar lends itself to that kind of music, and it's also so easy to play that playing faster sort of comes natural.

These guitars are mocked by many players. Is that just an American thing? Are these more popular in Europe and abroad? I've had some friends sort of chuckle when they find out about my new Jackson, but I just let them. I love it!

I've been looking at Charvels online from the 80s and there are some very clean ones on eBay. I'm thinking about getting one at some point and then I'll be totally 80s!

[rmp]

As a Les Paul guy mostly, the shred sleds have never really caught on with me

I've been playing for 55 years, and I've never owned one those.

I do get the reason they are so popular with that style of playing.

The flatter slightly wider necks, hotter pickups, and all that stuff.

I'd never mock anyone for liking what they like

to each go their own

[Steve DeRosa]

Hate the looks, hate the Floyds, love the necks...

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Hate the looks, hate the Floyds, love the necks...

I'm very intimidated by the Floyd system and opted to go with a traditional bridge/nut on my Dinky. I can still do divebombs and it holds tune, though. And yes, those necks!

[CASD57]

Had a Carvin TL60 (Tele Style/3-sgl coil) Solid KOA I didn't use it for metal...Old Rock n Roll Yes

[glaze3]

I have a super ugly green Jackson Dinky, the DK2M model. I bought it when they first came out in 2006. I replaced the Seymour Duncan bridge pickup with a Super Distortion for a more vintage type of metal tone. I only break it out about once a month, but when I do I play it for several days. Super fun guitars and the necks really make it fairly easy to shread.


I'll admit the Floyd Rose systems can be intimidating at first, but once you get down the technique to level the bridge and tune it pretty close with the micro tuners in about the middle They are great. I've played it a lot lately and even after a few days of some serious action and sitting in the case for weeks it is always almost in tune. It may be my most stable tuned guitar.

[Chickee]

Even if you know nothing about shred guitar or its guitarists, here’s a master class. Start watching at 1:45 if your a noob. If you know anything about Satch, watch right from the start. He is truly the class of the field. Oh yeah, enjoy that acoustic and galloping bass line pushing the tune forward! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zDfy67my2So

$900 for this little Satch copy.
064AA339-1160-4DF4-A115-B1FA674C31D9.jpg

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by Chickee

Even if you know nothing about shred guitar or its guitarists, here’s a master class. Start watching at 1:45 if your a noob. If you know anything about Satch, watch right from the start. He is truly the class of the field. Oh yeah, enjoy that acoustic and galloping bass line pushing the tune forward!

Great stuff - he truly is a master of the genre.

That acoustic is a Line 6 Variax - one of the very rare acoustic models. Perfect in that setting.

[Chickee]

Originally Posted by David Eastwood

Great stuff - he truly is a master of the genre.

That acoustic is a Line 6 Variax - one of the very rare acoustic models. Perfect in that setting.

Thanks for that tidbit of info on the acoustic guitar, Dave. Now I understand how he gets that beautiful nylon string sound on stage.

And yes, Satch is one of the best in the game, for sure!

fd

[Nymuso]

If I were going to go with weird and ugly, it would be a Parker. And I did. Great guitar!

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Nymuso

If I were going to go with weird and ugly, it would be a Parker...

As for weird and ugly I'll see your Parker and raise you one - the 1970 Les Paul Jumbo, an answer for which there never was a question :



FYI the period Bill Lawrence soundhole PU is not original - not that it really matters...

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by Chickee

Even if you know nothing about shred guitar or its guitarists, here’s a master class. Start watching at 1:45 if your a noob. If you know anything about Satch, watch right from the start. He is truly the class of the field. Oh yeah, enjoy that acoustic and galloping bass line pushing the tune forward! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zDfy67my2So

$900 for this little Satch copy.
Attachment 87147

I really like the look of that guitar. I remember going into GC back in the day and picking up those really thin Ibanez guitars like that. They are so thin and light - almost toylike. I bought some type of Ibanez RG on my local Craig's List a couple summers ago. It had the Floyd and all the gizmos. I couldn't figure all that stuff out and got rid of it a few days later. But the neck profile and the feel of the neck were just insanely good. I probably should have been more patient and got some help getting it up and going. But I'm not a tinkerer... when I sit down with a guitar I want to play it, not figure it out and tweak things.

[Chickee]

Originally Posted by Puddleglum

I really like the look of that guitar. I remember going into GC back in the day and picking up those really thin Ibanez guitars like that. They are so thin and light - almost toylike. I bought some type of Ibanez RG on my local Craig's List a couple summers ago. It had the Floyd and all the gizmos. I couldn't figure all that stuff out and got rid of it a few days later. But the neck profile and the feel of the neck were just insanely good. I probably should have been more patient and got some help getting it up and going. But I'm not a tinkerer... when I sit down with a guitar I want to play it, not figure it out and tweak things.

The RG line of guitars have a good following and Im sure those cats know all the tips and tricks to dial in those Floyd bridges. You should revisit one sometime. The Joe Satriani signature line, from sub $1k to +$4k all remind me of a body carved from a bar of soap and run under hot water. Just so perfectly rounded and smooth! The GAS is killing me.
frank d.

[Nymuso]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

As for weird and ugly I'll see your Parker and raise you one - the 1970 Les Paul Jumbo, an answer for which there never was a question :

I bow to your superior entry.

[s2y]

I have a few Ibanez, old Kramers, and a GMW. Are the Floyds a pain to set up? Definitely, which is why I am willing to fork over $ to have my guy do it right. I set it and forget it. It's a pain to change strings with a Floyd and using coated strings like Elixir makes it much more bearable.

People often complain that they don't stay in tune. The usual flaw is that the guitar is not climate controlled and changes in relief are messing with the tuning. I can usually go several months without having to tune these guitars.

Ibanez and Charvel in particular understand that not everyone wants a Floyd and offer a nice Gotoh 2 point bridge. The EVH guitar line has a Floyd, but have it set to lower pitch only.

Digitech's Drop pedal also makes it easy to "change" tuning on the fly. It works well enough that I might sell or repurpose my 1/2 step guitar.