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Anyone familiar with this guitar? In my search for guitars I can easily balance in a vertical position, I came across the Bootlegger Spade Gen 2.
BootLegger Guitar Spade Clear Honey Headless With Stiletto Case & Flask
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06-15-2020 12:29 PM
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interesting website...was not familiar with bootlegger...they have a range of guitars (incl semi hollows) and even tube amp and effects...decent prices as well, if the quality is good
cheers
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that headless aside, they look like regular old mic/mik/mii factory made guitars with their logo slapped on them to me, but i just took a cursory glance at their wares. i know you aren't make any kind of guitar in hermosa beach for $500
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Yes. Made in Korea, as many other well-made, affordability priced guitars are these days.
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made by muse incorporated out of inchon south korea...with a factory in weifang china as well
epiphone has used same manufacturer...they used the serial # prefix mc...muse china
cheers
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From the product description:
"Beast ! No cons what so ever !!!!!!!!!"
Uhh.... sounds legit.
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ps- plus i prop them for clever pr
cheers
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wasn't meant as a dig. Just saying that they could very well say Dean or Mitchell or Cort or Harley Benton or whatever and nobody would be the wiser. Didn't really see a whole lot that would distinguish them from their peers at a first glance.
Originally Posted by Michael Neverisky;[URL="tel:1040913"
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I haven't done a complete market survey but one favorable feature, which is not present on every headless guitar, is the ability to use single ball strings. You are otherwise restricted to the limited selection of double ball strings or modifying the guitar with an aftermarket widget. Originally Posted by feet
I've since discovered that the manufacturer advises against using anything heavier than 10 gauge strings, which is unfortunate.
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Yes, i own a bootlegger Spade Gen 2. In my opinion it is a great guitar, especially for the price. Let me give you a little background. My day to day guitars are a Fender Nocaster (custom shop) and an L5. I like to play with low action and low tension because i suffer from something called focal dystonia in my left (fretting hand). Last summer i was preparing for a trip to the in-laws back in the day when people flew in airplanes. I did not want to bring either of my expensive guitars on the flight, so i searched the web for travel guitars. There are many choices, most of them feel like toy guitars or they are geared toward the more fuzz tone generation ( dont get me wrong, i am 63 and wanted to grow up to be Duane Allman before i discovered Wes Montogonery).
I went to guitar center ready to bring home a travel guitar costing many 100s of dollars but i couldnt pull the trigger because the neck felt to cheap ( and the fret edges were sharp!) and the pickups were unable to deliver the warm clean sound that i prefer.
The bootlegger is a very well built guitar. It is also gorgeous. I dont work for them, im just a happy customer.
I suspect that i am the reason why they do not recommend going higher then 10s. Frankly i was nervous purchasing a guitar online without wrapping my hands around the neck. The owner of Bootlegger is *incredibly nice*. And he was also very attentive when i told him about my hand condition. I asked him to string it up with Thomastick Swing 12s. He was unsure the guitar could handle the tension (i.e. he told me that upfront ) but he was willing to give it a try. A tuner snapped. He promptly called and offered to refund my purchase. I told him to put some 10s on a new guitar and send it over. I have not regretted it.
I have since strung it up with Thomastick 11s However, to get a rich sound I tune down to C. The guitar sounds great and plays great in this configuration. Does it sounds as good as my L5 or Nocaster? No it does not. But for the price it is a very well made and good sounding axe. It was also a breeze to take on the plane. I used a soft shell case ( it comes with a hardshell case) and easily put it above my seat. Apparently the plane was full of guitar players because several people asked me about it. Although the guitar is short, it has a full size neck.
The week with the in-laws was great. I played my guitar every day.
Happy to answer any questions.
Cheers
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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NeilsEpi, thank you for sharing your personal experience with the guitar. Just what I was fishing for.
I also play a CS '51 Nocaster, which I call my destination Tele since I went through a half dozen before the Nocaster found me. The playability is superb, the neck profile is wonderful. Sounds good, too.
The neck contour contributes a lot to the experience of playing a guitar. Would you care to comment on the differences between the Bootlegger and the Nocaster in that regard?
Vintage frets, low and thin, on the Fender, what's on the Bootlegger?
I'm looking for something I can balance in a more vertical position. Easier left hand stretches, you know. Can you see any issues doing so with the Bootlegger?
Were you able to tune the Swing 11s up to standard pitch?
Thanks,
Mike
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thomastiks are low tension strings!!...that shouldnt be happening!
why not look at the recent steinberger re-issues...ergonomic when standing and has folding leg rest for sitting position
super comfy guitars..and built solid
owned by gibson
cheers
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The Steinberger requires double ball strings or an adapter to use regular strings. And I loathe whamny bars. Originally Posted by neatomic
Maybe this is one of the travel guitars NeilsEpi auditioned at GC?
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the steinberger adaptor is a one time fix...relatively inexpensive and easy to put on...a screwdriver!
the r -trem bridge can be locked in place for permanent non whammy use
easy fixes...
on the contrary, a broken tuner from a low tension thomastik is much more problematic!
luck
cheers
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But, why bother? I assume you really like your Steinberger so if I find the courage to mask up and walk into a GC maybe I'll try one out. Originally Posted by neatomic
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Hi Mike
Sounds like we have the same Tele. I bought my Nocaster because it has a baseball neck and i love Ted Greene and Tim Lerch’s sound. Funny, i still cant play like either of them.
The bootlegger neck is not as chunky as the Nocaster’s, but i find it very comfortable. It is Nothing like a skinny Tele or Strat neck.
The frets are all relatively low— but not as flat as my L5 ( my favorite frets). The edges of the frets are smooth.
The bootlegger is obviously a shorter guitar than the Nocaster. I used to play classical so i like the neck to be angled upward while I play. The bootlegger has no neck sag since it has tuners at the bottom of the guitar. Overall it is well balanced. However, the position of the neck differs between the two guitars because the fender has more wood below the bridge. (I balance the butt of the Nocaster on my right leg and play in a sort of classical position)
I have not tried to tune the bootlegger to standard pitch with the Thomastik 11 flatwounds. I would not expect any issues with 10s.
And yes, as you know, the guitar takes single ball strings ( another reason why i chose to buy it).
I forgot to mention in my last post that I purchased the soft shell case from bootlegger. It is of good quality (great shoulder strap for running through airports).
Happy to answer any more questions
Cheers
Niels
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because if you can break a metal bridge tuner just by using low tension thomastik 12's...that's not a good start!!
a guitar that can't withstand 11's tension is certainly suspect
steinbergers are known entity..been around for years...presently owned by gibson...
and i'm not invested in this...no fanboy...just trying to help you with your decision..having worked on them for 30 years!
and nothing against bootlegger...my earlier comments about their site and offerings ^ were favorable..but when i read that low tension 12's cause havoc, i back off fast
i rest my case
luck
cheers
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Mike and others,
Btw, i did try the Steinberger at GC. I was unable to get a warm sound and the neck didnt work for me ( i am also not a whammy bar guy). Other people’s mileage may vary.
I have owned the bootlegger for a year. i do not play it regularly because it is my travel guitar— and i havent left the house in three months. However, i have had no hardware or neck issues. Btw it has a trussrod (another good feature). I am lucky to have access to a great guitar tech (Willies guitars in the Twin Cities). I had my tech give it a good setup and it is very easy to play.
Niels
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neatomic, thanks for the input. You are a voice of experience as well.
Another datapoint for those following along: the Bootlegger advertisers a weight of 5 lbs, the Steinberger 7lbs. My Nocaster is 7.5 lbs, for reference.
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Hi Mike
You play great. I just listened to you play TGs arrangement of Yesterday on your youtube channel. Very nice. I also learned that you went to NEC. Me too. I was the first Leisner student back in the late 70s early 80s. Good memories
Cheers
N
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Hm.... I graduated in 1980. We must have crossed paths in that small community. I started with Frank Wallace and ended up with Peter Row. Guitar to sitar... what can I say other than I have broad views and wide interests. Or maybe it's a short attention span. Originally Posted by NielsEpi
I do remember a guitarist named Neils at the school who played very well indeed! How many of you could there be?
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Wow. I studied with Frank around that time and i also studied with Peter for a year ( once i got focal dystonia i tried to switch to sitar— my downfall was that my legs kept falling asleep!). Two great guys. I suspect that we did meet at one time. I played duets with Mark Leighton and Greg Dinger in Harvard Square to pay the rent over the summers.
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I remember those names. Greg and I shared a passion for the music of the Beatles. Though only one of us was nerdy enough to analyze the Sgt Pepper album as sonata allegro form. (It wasn't me). I'm sad to report that Peter passed away a few short years ago, if you hadn't heard. I walked the halls at NEC last year while visiting Boston and took a photo with Beethoven. First time I'd been back in 30+ years. Beethoven is still looking young! Can't say the same for the other guy in the shot. Originally Posted by NielsEpi
I'm glad to know you are still making music.
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Hi all, thanks for finding my company. All Bootlegger gear are my designs. All guitars and amps are designed by me Chuck Wilson and or guests artists designers. I only sell direct to the public. I am a giging pro and only build pro quality instruments that you can not find in a store. I build out of my friends Muse inc S Korea.
cw@bootleggerguitar.com
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