FRICKIN FRICKER IS AT IT AGAIN ... lol

Beagle said:
It's probably a shock to you lot, but I like him.

It's great not being an American and having no reason to worship and suck up to the crap that is Gibson, or Fender.

Maybe I'll send this for butthurt of the week.
Click to expand...

I can respect that position, but I'd like to offer a different perspective.

I grew up working in my Mom's band and in her recording studio. Fender and Gibson were the guitars that were being used by the guys that I looked up too - Jimmy Page, Gary Moore and Rory Gallagher - so it was just natural, for me anyways, to want a Les Paul and a Stratocaster.

Along the way, I really tried to like, albeit love, other guitars, but nothing ever grabbed me.

I think the one non-Gibson/Fender that really impressed me the most was when I played a KMC/USA built Hagstrom Fantoman recently.

Godin has good guitars, as does PRS and Dean. But, the styling of these aforementioned guitars just kills it for me.

I really do love my 2021 Gibson Les Paul 50's Standard. It's just an exceptional guitar. From the day I pulled it out of the case, on November 17, 2021, it has earned me a living, without any setup or modifications. I didn't even change the original strings until last week.

That type of performance is what initially endeared me to the Gibson products of the 60's and 70's that I grew up with.

Gibson was the professional Musician's tool and I still see it that way. I also feel like Gibson has 'turned the corner' with respect to quality control in the past 2 years or so.

I still recall seeing Rick Derringer in his 1974 video of 'Rock N Roll Hoochie Coo' playing that Les Paul Custom and it just solidified my desire to have one, and it took a long time to find the "right one."

I also love my spray can yellow, 1984 Fender FrankenCaster that I got as a bare body from @SGJohn.

For recording, I've found nothing that beats the tone of a Les Paul. My 2021 Gibson Les Paul is a 10-1/2 pound monster.

For performing, I tend to prefer the lighter weight (my 1984 Stratocaster weighs 4-1/2 pounds) of my FrankenCaster plus the wider (1-3/4" @ the nut) neck and wider fret-to-fret spacing makes soloing much easier in the heat of a live performance.

I have tried other guitars and I have encountered some honorable mentions and some absolute disasters too.

I have a $169.00 Chinese Slash/AFD Les Paul that I got from @eSGEe. I actually traded him a 2017 Gibson SG for it.

That guitar had the most perfect fret-to-fret spacing of any guitar that I have owned previously. Intonation is a big deal to me, so I sought a way to get my hands on this Les Paul Replica.

I fitted it with Grover Gold Keystones, pickups courtesy of Planet Tone, a 21 Tone Jimmy Page Wire Harness courtesy of Jersey Shore Guitar Shop and 12 feet of copper shielding tape.

That guitar has been used professionally on well over 1,000 recordings for hire. It's been borrowed by several bands for photo and video shoots and it is the guitar that everyone asks to play even when sitting right next to my "real" 2021 Gibson Les Paul 50's Standard.

It's the guitar I use when I don't want to strap on a $3,000 Gibson or when a recording requires the tonal versatility of the 21 tone wiring.

There are a select few who dislike it because it is a counterfeit, but that stigma is so endearing and reminiscent of Slash's Kris Derrig Replica - a "fake" that Gibson copied and capitalized on - that this guitar has earned itself a place of honor in my stable.

Funny when you think about it....

I bought my 2021 Gibson Les Paul 50's Standard Gold Top with proceeds earned from my professional work with @eSGEe 's $169.00 Slash/AFD knock-off.

I'm not sure that I "suck up" to Gibson or Fender. Truth be told, Fender employs me and pays me handsomely for my services. And yet, there are many Fender products that just don't "grab me" at all. Same with Gibson and some of their products, especially the 'Zero' models and Robot Tuner variants.

But, at the end of the day, a good guitar is a good guitar...whether it is a knock off or a genuine article.

I've played $15,000 PRS Artisan Models on recordings for hire and I found absolutely nothing remarkable about the build quality or tone.

I've also played a vintage Fender Broadcaster on several recordings that was literally no better than a Fender Classic Vibe Squire Telecaster.

I'm hard to impress.

IMHO, The real "sucking up" and "hype" in our musical community is fueled by the blind loyalty to a brand name without any factual basis in how the instrument functions as a tool.

Some will say that a Gibson is better just because it says 'Gibson' or because you can brag that you paid $5,995.00 for a new Les Paul Custom, and for that $$$$, it just has to be good, right???

The reality is, a good guitar is a good guitar, regardless who makes it, but I've become endeared to my personal instruments and my preferences for a certain "tool" to use on certain jobs.

I've gotten rid of everything else but my two Les Paul's, my Frankenstein Stratocaster and my hand-built DoubleNeck. That's it.

I get zero satisfaction out of guitar collecting. Everything I own has a purpose or it doesn't last long here.

There's nothing wrong with these videos, but I just can't justify the time it takes to watch them.

My mind works in a strange way I suppose. When I see a video debating the merits of this guitar/pickup/amp over this other piece of gear, here's what clicks in my head.

"I can waste 15 minutes listening to a personal opinion on a given piece of gear or I can use that 15 minutes to practice a scale pattern, riff or solo and become a more proficient guitarist."

Maybe I'm an odd duck, but I'd rather entertain than be entertained, FWIW, anyways.... :-)
 
Robert Herndon said:
I can respect that position, but I'd like to offer a different perspective.

I grew up working in my Mom's band and in her recording studio. Fender and Gibson were the guitars that were being used by the guys that I looked up too - Jimmy Page, Gary Moore and Rory Gallagher - so it was just natural, for me anyways, to want a Les Paul and a Stratocaster.

Along the way, I really tried to like, albeit love, other guitars, but nothing ever grabbed me.

I think the one non-Gibson/Fender that really impressed me the most was when I played a KMC/USA built Hagstrom Fantoman recently.

Godin has good guitars, as does PRS and Dean. But, the styling of these aforementioned guitars just kills it for me.

I really do love my 2021 Gibson Les Paul 50's Standard. It's just an exceptional guitar. From the day I pulled it out of the case, on November 17, 2021, it has earned me a living, without any setup or modifications. I didn't even change the original strings until last week.

That type of performance is what initially endeared me to the Gibson products of the 60's and 70's that I grew up with.

Gibson was the professional Musician's tool and I still see it that way. I also feel like Gibson has 'turned the corner' with respect to quality control in the past 2 years or so.

I still recall seeing Rick Derringer in his 1974 video of 'Rock N Roll Hoochie Coo' playing that Les Paul Custom and it just solidified my desire to have one, and it took a long time to find the "right one."

I also love my spray can yellow, 1984 Fender FrankenCaster that I got as a bare body from @SGJohn.

For recording, I've found nothing that beats the tone of a Les Paul. My 2021 Gibson Les Paul is a 10-1/2 pound monster.

For performing, I tend to prefer the lighter weight (my 1984 Stratocaster weighs 4-1/2 pounds) of my FrankenCaster plus the wider (1-3/4" @ the nut) neck and wider fret-to-fret spacing makes soloing much easier in the heat of a live performance.

I have tried other guitars and I have encountered some honorable mentions and some absolute disasters too.

I have a $169.00 Chinese Slash/AFD Les Paul that I got from @eSGEe. I actually traded him a 2017 Gibson SG for it.

That guitar had the most perfect fret-to-fret spacing of any guitar that I have owned previously. Intonation is a big deal to me, so I sought a way to get my hands on this Les Paul Replica.

I fitted it with Grover Gold Keystones, pickups courtesy of Planet Tone, a 21 Tone Jimmy Page Wire Harness courtesy of Jersey Shore Guitar Shop and 12 feet of copper shielding tape.

That guitar has been used professionally on well over 1,000 recordings for hire. It's been borrowed by several bands for photo and video shoots and it is the guitar that everyone asks to play even when sitting right next to my "real" 2021 Gibson Les Paul 50's Standard.

It's the guitar I use when I don't want to strap on a $3,000 Gibson or when a recording requires the tonal versatility of the 21 tone wiring.

There are a select few who dislike it because it is a counterfeit, but that stigma is so endearing and reminiscent of Slash's Kris Derrig Replica - a "fake" that Gibson copied and capitalized on - that this guitar has earned itself a place of honor in my stable.

Funny when you think about it....

I bought my 2021 Gibson Les Paul 50's Standard Gold Top with proceeds earned from my professional work with @eSGEe 's $169.00 Slash/AFD knock-off.

I'm not sure that I "suck up" to Gibson or Fender. Truth be told, Fender employs me and pays me handsomely for my services. And yet, there are many Fender products that just don't "grab me" at all. Same with Gibson and some of their products, especially the 'Zero' models and Robot Tuner variants.

But, at the end of the day, a good guitar is a good guitar...whether it is a knock off or a genuine article.

I've played $15,000 PRS Artisan Models on recordings for hire and I found absolutely nothing remarkable about the build quality or tone.

I've also played a vintage Fender Broadcaster on several recordings that was literally no better than a Fender Classic Vibe Squire Telecaster.

I'm hard to impress.

IMHO, The real "sucking up" and "hype" in our musical community is fueled by the blind loyalty to a brand name without any factual basis in how the instrument functions as a tool.

Some will say that a Gibson is better just because it says 'Gibson' or because you can brag that you paid $5,995.00 for a new Les Paul Custom, and for that $$$$, it just has to be good, right???

The reality is, a good guitar is a good guitar, regardless who makes it, but I've become endeared to my personal instruments and my preferences for a certain "tool" to use on certain jobs.

I've gotten rid of everything else but my two Les Paul's, my Frankenstein Stratocaster and my hand-built DoubleNeck. That's it.

I get zero satisfaction out of guitar collecting. Everything I own has a purpose or it doesn't last long here.

There's nothing wrong with these videos, but I just can't justify the time it takes to watch them.

My mind works in a strange way I suppose. When I see a video debating the merits of this guitar/pickup/amp over this other piece of gear, here's what clicks in my head.

"I can waste 15 minutes listening to a personal opinion on a given piece of gear or I can use that 15 minutes to practice a scale pattern, riff or solo and become a more proficient guitarist."

Maybe I'm an odd duck, but I'd rather entertain than be entertained, FWIW, anyways.... :)
Click to expand...


I understand where you are coming from, I am not Brand loyal, most guys here know what i play, I have owned a B.C Rich, Fender, 1 made in Indonesia, other made in china, doesn't matter to me what name is on the headstock as long as i like how it play's, looks, and has the sounds i am lookin for. Many guitars nowadays coming out of china are very well made, as good as Canadian or American.

Some think , you can't buy a descent guitar for $500 bucks, yes you can today, no need to spend thousands, nothing wrong if someone chooses too, to each their own. But realistically you can by a descent guitar today without the headstock saying Fender or Gibson and pay much less. Harley Benton, Hamer, very well made guitars just to name a few for the price can't be beat.


Well Rob, I like Rick Derringer's RocknRoll Hoochie Coo, as well, only thing different about the version you like is with him using the Gibson, and the version i like with him playing, you know the Tele style guitar ;) :)


And check out the solo around 4:49
 
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Session 5 said:
I understand where you are coming from, I am not Brand loyal, most guys here know what i play, I have owned a B.C Rich, Fender, 1 made in Indonesia, other made in china, doesn't matter to me what name is on the headstock as long as i like how it play's, looks, and has the sounds i am lookin for. Many guitars nowadays coming out of china are very well made, as good as Canadian or American.

Some think , you can't buy a descent guitar for $500 bucks, yes you can today, no need to spend thousands, nothing wrong if someone chooses too, to each their own. But realistically you can by a descent guitar today without the headstock saying Fender or Gibson and pay much less. Harley Benton, Hamer, very well made guitars just to name a few for the price can't be beat.


Well Rob, I like Rick Derringer's RocknRoll Hoochie Coo, as well, only thing different about the version you like is with him using the Gibson, and the version i like with him playing, you know the Tele style guitar ;) :)


And check out the solo around 4:49
Click to expand...

Awesome clip!!!

That was out here in Palm Springs (Rancho Mirage) and I was backstage (stage left) during Rick's performance.

Did you know he rewrote it into a gospel song??? We spoke about that...
 
I kinda get a kick out of Fricker. Sure, he’s made statements about which I could get offended if I was so inclined, but he doesn't owe me anything and I don't have to let him be the center of my life. I do glean some good observations from him, though.

The most important message I glean from him? Whether in the studio or on the stage - practice your material, be prepared, act professionally, and be punctual.

His "Stupid Musician Texts" episodes are pretty comedic, as well.
 
Never heard of or seen Fricker, Never seen any point in bashing any player, guitar, bass, car brand etc except for some stupid azz cars and their parts I've tried to repair on some. BMW..... GM....

Anyhow, I love just about all guitars, warts and all. AND Yes I have bought and played guitars and Vehicles that ranged from $1 on up to $4000-$7000...

Granted that $7000 truck ran and worked for me for over 200K miles after it did so for 130K for the previous owner. The hugest repairs on it were a couple clutches a radiator or 2, and windshield. Other than that it was simple things like water pumps, brakes and timing gears/chains. Nothing could kill that ol truck and it did not owe me a thing. Craziest part is that it's successor only cost me $1 and is about to hit 200K. If only GAS was not so high, it might see 330K too.

Back to guitars, let me just say this. ALL the music I love was played on Gibsons, Fenders, Hagstroms, PRS's, Deans, Framus, Danelectro, Jackson, ESP, and likely a few custom made ones like Erlewhines etc.
 
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