To humbuck or not to humbuck

Okay...I'm fixing to get my first guitar. I've played some with a borrowed guitar/bass, learned a couple riffs. And figured it was time I got my own, since I cant always get his to use. With my VERY limited budget, I decided on a Johnson elec, since they cost exactly as much as I have. And I haven't heard anything too terribly bad besides "They aren't great."
I can't decide which one to get...the one with a humbucker, or the one with 3 reg pickups.
http://www.mandalaymusic.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=1&Product_Code=JS810B&Category_Code=2 http://www.mandalaymusic.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=1&Product_Code=JS200B&Category_Code=2
I guess my question is... Does anyone know a place that I could find a couple soundbytes of a humbucked, and a non humbucked for me to compare the two. Or even an accurate explanation of the boons and banes of the two would work.

Thanks!
~Taku~

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From what I've heard, this is, as you say, not a great guitar,
but it still works for some lighter playing.
I've heard that you get alot of feedback and unwanted buzz
with the JS-200, plus its sound is a bit too weak to play
rock/metal/blues and such, so if you're going to buy a Johnson
I suggest you go for the one with a Humbucker, which should
be able to produce a bit "thicker" sound.

Yea I agree with Ponyone. My friend got a bargain guitar like the ones that you are talking about. He couldn't do anything on it because it wouldn't stay in tune and everytime you would mess with it something would break on it. Also, go with the humbuckers man.

if you ever want to get a custom guitar made, get three humbuckers, all with Coil Taps. This way, you can do humbuckers and single coil.....

Stick with the Humbuckers for now...but to tell you the truth,

**** is ****.

you get what you pay for.

I figured....if I get a cheap one, that I dont like... I will, in the future, know what to look for. Yea I know, you get what you pay for. If this guitar is even a fraction of what I've read in reviews that people have submitted to a site I found in the link section of guitartricks, then it will suffice. I dont have a job, no source of income. So saving money is kind of a contradiction in terms. Its either I get this now...or I wait till I have absolutely no money, because my fund sapping addictions have blown my wad. So, after I talked to a mutual friend, who has a certain amount of experience in the area. I decided to go ahead and order the one with humbuckers. I don't want something that sounds great, because I can't play. Nothing is more annoying than having incredibly great gear, but nothing pretty to produce with it. So, I'm getting crap...functional crap. It will serve its purpous. Which is for me to practice the utter basics on (muting, chords, sliding, bending...etc etc). And if there is something on the guitar that I dont like. Well, when i go out and buy something really expensive, I'll know what I DONT/DO want on it.

If only I had gotten in contact with this friend of my dads about two years ago. He could've GIVEN me a fender or two, that used to act as backup guitars for some big names. Not only backup guitars, but the ones that they just werent satisfied with anymore, and had played down to the bone, so to speak. And wouldn't cost much to refurbish. This dude played with, lets see... Sammy Hagar, Zack Wylde, Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Steve Viez (or however you spell it). But he got aids, and couldn't do it anymore. Not to mention he wrote reviews for GuitarPlayer magizine for i dunno how many years.

So yea... I'm getting the POS. Once I get done fiddling with it, and have fixed it up as much as I possibly want to. I'm sure you all will hear from me with either "This thing was terrible, yall were right." or "It works, for now. I can't complain."

You are quite wrong, takayuni; Bad gear has a good reputation for leading to bad technique, slow progression, etc.

PonyOne once said "I noticed that everytime i got new gear, I sounded lightyears better". then mentioned his change from Bottom of the barrel Epiphone SG to a Gretsch. That's a huge difference, Epi SG to a Gretsch...

(by the way ponyone, i'd like to know what model and year your gretsch is!)

When i moved from my Squier Affinity Strat to my Gibson Les Paul, the world opened up for me in more ways than i can tell you.

In conclusion,

crappy gear = low self confidence = low levels of progression = possibility of quitting real quickly = waste of money.

See if you can get something better than that hunk of junk.

That's the craziest looking guitar I have ever laid my eyes on.

A rectangular guitar.......what a concept.

yea... i dont have money to save... once I have a job, I'll get a better one. I just want something...your right, the odds are against me, that I will take guitar playing seriously. But I have been getting into music, and its composition for the past year and half. And have tried my hand at composing, with no knowledge whatsoever of how it is done correctly. And the first classes i will take at a college, will be music 1 and maybe 2 if i have the money.

So even if I hate this guitar with a passion. I'm bound to have many more, in the years to come. I'm not that worried about it. Since it isnt like 400 bucks, it isnt all that much of a risk.

I am well aware of the risk I am taking. If it sucks totall rectum, I wont me back. lol :) . Sure i will! Anyway, all of your input has been taken into serious consideration, however cast aside it might have seemed.

Thank you everyone!

What i don't like about the Bo Diddley is the 'no-cut' away, its like a normal acoustic, in that you get access to about the 15th or 16th fret, and thats it...

I couldn't stand that, on my Les Paul Double Cut away, i get full access to the 22nd fret, after that i have to kinda try to get to 23 and 24, but that's a whole lot open space...

But! I imagine, you being a lefty, it works out for you pretty well.

(all you fender guys out there saying "hey, i can get to the 22nd fret too", the fact is that the Fender Bolt on style neck changes the open style from about the 17th fret, where the Neck and the body meet. Yeah, still cutaway, but not in the same sense).

Anyways, i find it interesting that you are interested in the Tennesee Rose as well. It's a beautiful guitar (as all of Gretsch's are), i love the inlays (thumbnails).

my interest in Gretsch took off when i saw Dave Gilmour playing one on his DVD, "Dave Gilmour: Live in Concert". He played one for various tunes like Comfortably numb, shine on you crazy diamond, etc...sounded amazing.

That "Jazz Tone" to me sounds so beautiful, so thick, you know, that's what really makes me consider a Gretsch hollowbody.

What I don't like about Gretsch's, are the way they spread out the electronics all over (that really pisses me off, i like everything in one place).

Originally posted by PonyOne
And for the record... I have access to all 24 frets on my Kramer, and all 21 on my Tele... the Tele is a bit less comfortable that high up, if nothin gelse because of the neck joint. A bit of trivia: the reason that the Bo Diddley only has access to the first 16, 17 or 18 frets (depending on how dextrous you are) is because Bo Diddley only used three chords in his playing, and they were all way low on the fretboard. What a crazy guy, that Bo...

Right, but i mean full access, no restrictions at all (INCLUDING the neck joint). What i was saying has nothing to do with dexterity, if i include dexterity, i can reach the 23rd and 24th fret; But as far as "Access", i mean "No Restraints-Access", so basically it has to do with the neck joint location.

Sorry for the misunderstanding there;


About the Gretsch- If i got a gretsch (and i probably will sometime in a year or so), I would get a phatty Gretsch, not an imported one. That's just how i am, i guess...I couldn't live with myself if i got an imported one.

And you are right, it is chambered...I'm looking to change my tone, i'm thinking a Dimarzio Super II Distortion pickup in the Bridge, and some "Thick" jazz one up front, but i haven't decided. I'll check out the TV one you mentioned.

It would have to be the thick jazz type (as easily heard on Eric Clapton's 'reptile') and not just a treble machine. I'll take a look at it, and thanks for the tip!

Well, just as I said I would, here I am, guitar in hand. I would like to say that I got an incredible deal, but I can't because I didn't get an "incredible" deal. I will however say I got a pretty good deal. The guitar I got, with humbuckers, is just as I suspected it would be; functional, and practical to learn with. It doesn't have any fancy, juicy tone, its pretty straight forward and clean. And its nice to be able to turn the selector to the humbucker, and not have the annoying buzzing noise. Its a really pretty guitar! Great finish.

It did raise one question between me and a friend. The position of tuning knobs. My friend says one of his sources say that the way my tuning knobs are setup (all on the top side, as opposed to his three on each side) make it harder to tune. He didn't have a reasons WHY this made it harder. But yea, it is harder to tune. I highly doubt that the positioning of the tuning knobs have all that much to do with it though. It was probably because there is enough space between the strings and the fretboard that if you fret a string too hard while tuning, your gonna get a sharp pitch. Which can be decieving. I figured I was gonna need a reference to tune the guitar to (a tuner, or a pitch pipe), but I didn't know I was gonna need one THIS bad.

"Consequently I have learned the art of 'relative tuning' :)"

I really like the case it came with for "free". It opens all the way up, and not just halfway. Its also got a shoulder strap accompanying the regular handle. And its also got a really neat pouch on the front, which is perfect for putting the strap, cord, strings, picks, and even sheet music in.

If someone were looking for an ELEC guitar, to start out with, and didn't wanna buy either a squire or a peavey starter kit. This would probably be what I would reccomend. If not, I'd probably suggest an acoustic which doesn't require as much, if any, accompanying hardware.

Besides the initial problems with tuning, I haven't found anything else wrong with it. Gimme a few years, and I'll be rambling about how insufficient it is :).

Now to find some cheap amps and effect pedals.

Thanks for your input everyone!

If yall want, I can host a couple pictures of it. Unless you wanna just go back to the first post and check out the links.

well, i tried taking some pics. and was reminded how aggrivating it was, with a cieling fan/light that doesn't work, and a cam that only takes fuzzy pictures. anyway, heres what I ended up with.





maybe when I borrow someones REAL digital camera, I'll take some good pics of the hardware and finish.

once I get around to having some money, think I oughtta get some better tuners? I meant to take a pic of the backside, showing those tuners up close, maybe yall could determine whether they were auto-locking or not. but i forgot

Yea, I'm definately gonna hold off on doing ANYTHING whatsoever to it. Sept maybe some new strings.

Lil man: check it. get the cheapoh guitar and then educate yourself on setting up the axe. The intonation pick up position relative to string's. You can make a lousy guitar sound great with set-up. and besides most guitarists will tell you allthough they may have a favorite axe most of there talent/sound is in there hands no matter the axe. Learn your style learn set up and play your tail off and have fun It's music man this is the best talent in the world to enjoy keep it fun keep it true. Peace

Originally posted by temper/tantrum/guitarist
... It's music man this is the best talent in the world to enjoy keep it fun keep it true. Peace

Truth :D