Signature Guitars?

I've owned the SRV strat, Eric Clapton strat, and Jeff Beck strat and loved them all. Pretty much if the guitar feels good to you, it's a winner.

I think that it's just a marketing too to get you to pay a higher price for the same guitar. Maybe had a name to it to make it "signature"

I could be wrong though, there may be other things that up the price.

I think that it's just a marketing too to get you to pay a higher price for the same guitar. Maybe had a name to it to make it "signature"

I could be wrong though, there may be other things that up the price.

Yeah, I'm sure name has quite a bit to do with it. You are paying to have the same specs of a guitar that a hero is using - different sized necks, electronics, etc. Still, I believe that you are going to get about the best materials possible and that says for something.

What is a signature guitar? It is a remake of the guitar used by some famous guitarist - a guitar which started life as a simple off-the-shelf guitar. During the course of use it was modified to better suit the style of the guitarist.

Why would anyone, with the money to buy a signature guitar not buy a standard model and modify to their own style? I don't think anyone plays like SRV, Hendrix or Rory Gallagher, so why buy their signature guitar?

How many people can play a Strat fitted with 13's? How many can make use of a left-handed trem in a RH guitar? Very few, if any - so why get an SRV signature, if you're going to load it with 9's or 10's?

The Rory Gallagher signature model has copied the original, right down to the mismatched tuner on the low E string - why would anyone spend cash on a mismatched guitar? I don't see it.

I can't say for certain, but I don't think that, other than custom shop guitars, the signatures are built with better quality materials than the standard range, other than those things, which go to make it a "signature" guitar, like the soft V neck on a Clapton signature. You're paying for the low numbers produced and the signature name. You're not paying for the same spec as the famous guitarist, because his almost certainly comes from the custom shop and uses top quality materials, etc.

I'd prefer to start with a standard guitar and make my own "signature" out of it.

What is a signature guitar? It is a remake of the guitar used by some famous guitarist - a guitar which started life as a simple off-the-shelf guitar. During the course of use it was modified to better suit the style of the guitarist.

Why would anyone, with the money to buy a signature guitar not buy a standard model and modify to their own style? I don't think anyone plays like SRV, Hendrix or Rory Gallagher, so why buy their signature guitar?

How many people can play a Strat fitted with 13's? How many can make use of a left-handed trem in a RH guitar? Very few, if any - so why get an SRV signature, if you're going to load it with 9's or 10's?

The Rory Gallagher signature model has copied the original, right down to the mismatched tuner on the low E string - why would anyone spend cash on a mismatched guitar? I don't see it.

I can't say for certain, but I don't think that, other than custom shop guitars, the signatures are built with better quality materials than the standard range, other than those things, which go to make it a "signature" guitar, like the soft V neck on a Clapton signature. You're paying for the low numbers produced and the signature name. You're not paying for the same spec as the famous guitarist, because his almost certainly comes from the custom shop and uses top quality materials, etc.

I'd prefer to start with a standard guitar and make my own "signature" out of it.

When I was shopping for guitars some time back, I had no intentions on buying a signature guitar. I went to a local music shop with the intentions on getting a new strat. I played dozens of them and they were all good, but none really jumped out at me. I thought what the heck and pulled a SRV model down from them wall. I was impressed by the way it felt, played, and sounded. Needless to say I walked out of there with that guitar. What I'm getting at is, if it were a blindfold test, I would have walked out with the SRV regardless of the name. If a guitar has some of that "magic" then it's the one. (BTW, the trem never bothered me and worked just fine)

I think one of the only signature strats that has quite a bit more labor in to it is the Malmsteen strat. It has that scalloped fingerboard (which I could never get the hang of playing).

i've heard great reviews of the eric johnson signature strat. other than that, i haven't heard a lot of praise for signature guitars (other than les paul, of course)

I like to have BOTH opinions, then I don't get bashed, because I try to use some logic... or I get bashed by both groups - those for and against signature guitars. There's a 3rd group - I get awful things said by people who want to keep their guitars original, and not change a thing, they think they are so great. :roll:

But there are many who like hot rods, whether it's guitars, cars or motorcycle/choppers. What is the basic machine for? To build on! :lol:

I DO like and support signature guitars, but also made my own signature Strat, with my own-spec pickups and I'm a nobody, but I feel it is special because it is one of a kind, and it's the way the I like it.

I think signature guitars are overpriced for the materials and build quality you get, and I have no desire to sound identical to SRV, Jeff Beck, Malm, EC, or anyone else. But if I was e.g. in an SRV tribute act, that SRV signature would be top of my Buy List for sure.

I lusted after the JB signature strat for some time, but I can't justify the price for a guitar I'd want to play with stock for a bit then modify later after I'd figured out what I like most/least about JB's sound. Wish the pups were available separately though, as I could do this way cheaper then.

I like to mod guitars, and I like to have a distinct tone (at least, that's what I'm trying to develop....it can't just be bought), so signatures aren't really for me. But I've also heard great things about the Eric Johnson signature strat, and if I was in the market at that price range I'd def give it a try. I wouldn't rule the sig's out in and of themselves, they just don't hold any particular allure for me, so if the price has been inflated solely for the headstock scrawl, I'm reluctant to bite. Given a grand, I'm more likely to spend £400 on an axe I can mod to (my personal) perfection then spend the rest on lessons to improve my sound dramatically than I am to spend it on an axe that would improve my sound moderately (hey, I'll still be playing the same*) and my "image" dramatically.

But I do know of several people who don't play guitar at all yet own several MIM and US strats (and other guitars too, but mostly the iconic one) "for the look of it". Never really understood that line of thinking.

* I may be in the minority, but I don't think the higher end electric guitars really do sound dramatically better than the mid-range stuff. Too often the comparisons are made with Average Joe playing his/her own axe against Top Player playing their top-end-axe-modified-by-their-personal-techie-and-fed-though-boutique-amps-and-pedals, which, unsurprisingly, does tend to result in two dramatically different sounds. But anyone who seriously buys into the validity of that compare might benefit more from a brain mod than a new axe, imnsho. Acoustics and classicals are different beasts, and I'd prolly go custom on my next (very distant) acoustic purchase unless I stumbled across a rare cheap masterwork.

Imnsho ? O_O xD

Actually the people that have Strats well atleats if they are MIA could just have them and then sell em in a couple of years for more money :D.

and uh SIgnature guitars, meh who wants to sound like anyone else right ?

What about a custom guitar ( I know of places that you specifically tell them what you want and they'll do what you want, for a price though :P

imnsho = in my (not so) humble opinion :wink:

I'd stop buying electrics altogether and make 'em myself from scratch if....

I owned a router
I knew how to use a router (how hard can it be, eh? lol)
I could be bothered trying to duplicate strat bodies accurately

I'm learning alot of internet words today.

Yeah and how exactly are you going to get the wood ( buy it ? xD ).

How much can wood cost? ( good wood )

Making your own guitar would be a total hassle ( if you don't know what yer doing, like me ^_^ )

Whats a router anyways?

I've seen nice slabs of swamp ash, mahogany and other woods on ebay very cheap for making the body with. i reckon, if i had the skills and tools, I could make a custom electric to pro-spec for £200-300. why didn't I take shop class in school? :roll:

Making the body is relatively easy, for someone with ability and the right tools. The neck, however, is another matter - getting the truss rod right and cutting the fret-slots is very exacting work. You'd do better to buy one from Warmoth or Rockinger.

A router is also called a milling machine and is used to cut the holes, in the body of your electric, for the pickups, etc. and also to shape the edges.
http://www.wickes.co.uk/1500W-Router-Kit/invt/186884

My only issue with signature guitars is I would only be able to play songs on it by that artist. It's not so much the limitations of the guitar as it is my brain. For example, if I got the Avril Lavigne Telecaster, I'd only be able to play Avril songs on it, even if it was capable of other stuff. Now if I bought the Steve Vai signature Ibanez I'd be screwed. I can't play anything of his.