What else could I consider? (Soulezza, Viktor Baker, strandberg, Kiesel...)

[somlaifischer]

Please advise, what other guitars could I consider?

I love my Ibanez PM200, and its very heavy.
I would love to practice and play more standing up, and have a light smaller guitar, easier to carry around.
I love 22 frets neck pikcup clean warm sound, dont use effects/modelles. when seated i really love the neck high up, classical position.

Here are some guitars I know of. all of them are used by great players, so of course there are ways to make them do beautiful music. (prices in EUR)
- i did try and loved a Victor Baker ergonomic semi. I know its worth the money, i dont know if i deserve to spend this money.
- Soulezza, simple elegant.
- the brand new Kiesel Tim miller model, 22 frents, not sure how semi hollow it really is... (not sure about clean sound)
- i do find the strandberg cool, but, people say it really a solid body sound, 24 frets, made for effects.

[jads57]

So for me I went with both a Carvin and Kiesel HH2 non Trem models. I’ve compromised on the 24 frets by using a DiMarzio Tone Zone in the neck position of my Carvin. It’s quite hot and has a good bass response. Plus it only senses the strings that are closest to the neck.
The Kiesel I ended up swapping both Holdsworth pickups out for their Berillium model Humbuckers which are a bit fuller.

Some really good buys on these guitars at the present time as well.

[marcwhy]

Budget???Get a used Forshage "Orion;" there are some on Reverb right now..

[coolvinny]

Wright Guitars, either Nightcat or Sante Fe models which are basically the same. Rossco Wright is the owner/luthier…he’s the former Soloette guy.

I have a Nightcat and it’s fabulous.

[marcwhy]

Wright Guitars, either Nightcat or Sante Fe models which are basically the same. Rossco Wright is the owner/luthier…he’s the former Soloette guy.

I have a Nightcat and it’s fabulous.

Hey, figures you'd have such a cool guitar!

I wish Rosscoe had videos of these! I bet more people would get into them!

[Met him when I was with Novax at NAMM some years back; cool cat!]

Marc

[somlaifischer]

thanks for all the ideas, suggestions!

[jads57]

So a couple other considerations when choosing. Scale length, bolt on ,glued in or neck through, chambered or solid?
Really until you actually play many of these instruments,it will be hard to tell which is important or not.

For me it was just originally buying a guitar for travel ease. But the Holdsworth has taken over as my main choice. Go figure!

[Woodstove]

So a couple other considerations when choosing. Scale length, bolt on ,glued in or neck through, chambered or solid?
Really until you actually play many of these instruments,it will be hard to tell which is important or not.

For me it was just originally buying a guitar for travel ease. But the Holdsworth has taken over as my main choice. Go figure!

I had a similar experience getting a Kiesel Osiris. I just ran into it at store and loved the neck. 20 inch radius, meticulous jumbo frets. I like the berrylium pickuos a lot and have wondered how the Holdsworth compared. Sounds like I would have selected them anyway. Excellent guitar that covers much more than I expected. And great for travel.

[somlaifischer]

So a couple other considerations when choosing. Scale length, bolt on ,glued in or neck through, chambered or solid?
Really until you actually play many of these instruments,it will be hard to tell which is important or not.

For me it was just originally buying a guitar for travel ease. But the Holdsworth has taken over as my main choice. Go figure!

Thank you, I forgot scale length, and just realised that I really prefer to gibson types. Checked, and half of the guitars are off the list.
i think they are all chambered, and i dont really have an opinion on bolt on vs glued other than what i read online about it...

[ThatRhythmMan]

Thank you, I forgot scale length, and just realised that I really prefer to gibson types. Checked, and half of the guitars are off the list.
i think they are all chambered, and i dont really have an opinion on bolt on vs glued other than what i read online about it...

Which Gibson scale? 24.75” or 25.5”?


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[somlaifischer]

Which Gibson scale? 24.75” or 25.5”?
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sorry, i meant the short one, i read most refer to the long one as fender scale (becaus of the stratocaster) and the shorter ones as gibson (les paul) - but I am cetrtain there are all kinds of instruments made by most companies.

so, i do have a longer scale guitar and i find the same 11's too tense for my hands, so I think I prefer the 25 or shorter guitars. my ibanez is 24.75".
and i just realised most guitars in my list above were longer.

[ThatRhythmMan]

sorry, i meant the short one, i read most refer to the long one as fender scale (becaus of the stratocaster) and the shorter ones as gibson (les paul) - but I am cetrtain there are all kinds of instruments made by most companies.

so, i do have a longer scale guitar and i find the same 11's too tense for my hands, so I think I prefer the 25 or shorter guitars. my ibanez is 24.75".
and i just realised most guitars in my list above were longer.

I know a lot of people refer to them that way, but I get kind of irked by people calling 25.5” “Fender scale” since it didn’t originate with them by any means. Gibson and Epiphone were both using the scale long before Fender even existed and of course Martin has long had 25.4” as a standard. Thanks for the clarification.


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[Cunamara]

John Stowell uses the Soloette, at least when traveling, and I think it is also his best sounding guitar. Apparently a DiMarzio Air Zone pickup.

[Jazzism]

thanks for all the ideas, suggestions!

Ive become a big devotee of ergonomic / headless instruments, since living in a city where having a car is not a priority, along with wanting to have an instrument with me on frequent air travel. I currently have a hohner / steinberger copy, Carvin HH2 and a Strandberg salen jazz. All very easy to play and to carry around.
Here’s a Japanese one I was curious about, looks like a soulezza copy, but there seems no accommodation for English so I never got around to finding anything out about them.
cheers
ハンドメイドのヘッドレスギター「Nakagen-NOH」が完成しました | 尼崎市ギター教室 （ギターレッスン） 梅田から10分 JR立花駅徒歩2分 尾崎タカオギター教室

[Boss Man Zwiebelsohn]

Ive become a big devotee of ergonomic / headless instruments, since living in a city where having a car is not a priority, along with wanting to have an instrument with me on frequent air travel. I currently have a hohner / steinberger copy, Carvin HH2 and a Strandberg salen jazz. All very easy to play and to carry around.
Here’s a Japanese one I was curious about, looks like a soulezza copy, but there seems no accommodation for English so I never got around to finding anything out about them.
cheers
????????????????Nakagen-NOH???????? | ???????? ????????? ????10? JR?????2? ??????????

There is a browser add-on called Simple Translate that I use to translate webpages.

[somlaifischer]

Ive become a big devotee of ergonomic / headless instruments, since living in a city where having a car is not a priority, along with wanting to have an instrument with me on frequent air travel. I currently have a hohner / steinberger copy, Carvin HH2 and a Strandberg salen jazz. All very easy to play and to carry around.
Here’s a Japanese one I was curious about, looks like a soulezza copy, but there seems no accommodation for English so I never got around to finding anything out about them.
cheers
????????????????Nakagen-NOH???????? | ???????? ????????? ????10? JR?????2? ??????????

how do you like the Strandberg salen jazz? How is the sound? Can you please mellow smooth clean tones as well, or you always add some effects?

I think the guitar on the link is a soulezza the artists is even listed on his page https://soulezzaguitars.com/takahiro-nawashiro/

[rob taft]

Another vote for Forshage. My Orion is the my most enjoyable guitar and I've owned and still own a bunch. Very easy to play and has a wonderful jazz tone. I use TI flats (.10s) on this guitar. I used to prefer a 13.-1.4 string gauge but with advancing years and arthritis I have gone to .11 or .10 gauge depending on the guitar. My Forshage has a multi-scale neck with the bass side being 25.75 and the short side being 24.75. My guitar is fitted with a snake wood bridge and a single neck mounted 12 pole Kent Armstrong pickup. Below are some links to Forshage guitars for sale. All are 25 inch or below.

AGH | Forshage Orion Solid Body Bolt-On - Black

Forshage Orion Hollow Electric Guitar Walnut 2014 | Reverb

Forshage Orion Hollow Body 2023 - Flame Maple / Mahogany | Reverb

[somlaifischer]

Another vote for Forshage. My Orion is the my most enjoyable guitar and I've owned and still own a bunch. Very easy to play and has a wonderful jazz tone. I use TI flats (.10s) on this guitar. I used to prefer a 13.-1.4 string gauge but with advancing years and arthritis I have gone to .11 or .10 gauge depending on the guitar. My Forshage has a multi-scale neck with the bass side being 25.75 and the short side being 24.75. My guitar is fitted with a snake wood bridge and a single neck mounted 12 pole Kent Armstrong pickup. Below are some links to Forshage guitars for sale. All are 25 inch or below.

AGH | Forshage Orion Solid Body Bolt-On - Black

Forshage Orion Hollow Electric Guitar Walnut 2014 | Reverb

Forshage Orion Hollow Body 2023 - Flame Maple / Mahogany | Reverb

thank you these look fantastic, i definitelly look into them now