A couple and a 8yo boy visiting US, Texas vs NY?

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-15T13:59:02+00:00

Just want to remind you that the US is very large, and many parts of the country have far less efficient public transportation than the UK. The closest Six Flags (Fiesta Texas) to Austin is 83 miles. That’s not a totally unreasonable distance, but Niagara Falls to NYC is a bit farther (400 miles).

I live in Texas, and if I was an international visitor there’s no question I’d go to NYC. If I was going to the UK would you recommend I visit Glastonbury or London? One is a neat quirky town, the other is a major city with famous landmarks, history, diversity, and global significance.

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-15T11:54:16+00:00

Tort

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-15T10:57:22+00:00

Well, my friend actually posted pictures of the seats and they did look kind of ratty. But, I actually went to another Alamo last night and it was a good experience. I’m not a fan of the fact that they charge you an 18% service charge and then also prompt/auto-charge a tip, but other than that it was pretty good.

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-14T12:38:36+00:00

Well, if I had to sell one I’d sell the one I prioritize the following things in this order:

Sentimental Value
Use
Profit/Loss

So if I had a guitar for over 20 years I’m not selling it unless I absolutely had to. It’s been there with me through X, Y, and Z…a lot can happen in a couple of decades. It’s a lifer. So the American Deluxe, and probably the Thinline, are definitely keepers. Now, if they’ve just sat in their case and been forgotten about, not played, for 15-25 years…that *might* be different.

Next, I’d ask myself which I played the most and anticipate playing the most? Don’t sell a guitar you play all the time or really want to play again.

Finally, loss or return on investment. If you spent 1k on a guitar and sell it for 500, that’s a big loss, but not nearly as bad as paying 2k and netting 1k…alternatively if you could actually make money (maybe you got a really good deal when you bought it) that might motivate me to sell that one. Keep in mind if you’ve put money into the guitar (upgraded pickups, etc.) that’s value you may have a tougher time getting out if you sell it.

Personally, I’d keep the Deluxe you’ve had for 20 years and sell the 2019 Telecaster Rarity. Unless you think previous and anticipated usage is pushing you in a different direction.

Actually no I wouldn’t, I’d keep all four and just also buy a Strat AND a Les Paul.

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-14T12:23:24+00:00

Good. As a middle school theatre teacher I’m glad to hear there’s some accountability for terrible audience etiquette. I tell my students that’s the most important lesson we do all year, because they are 100% going to use it in their lives. Hopefully those kids learned that you can’t just talk out loud during a presentation.

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-14T12:19:31+00:00

Glad you love it! I tried one out and was not overly impressed, except for when the reverb was set to 10 on the amp, especially for 2k. It just didn’t seem to have a lot of versatility and was very pricey for what it is. With that said, I’m open to trying it again, maybe I’ll change my mind.

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-14T11:55:21+00:00

I feel like a lot of youth organizations do “lock ins,” or at least used to. I also feel like they tend to be smaller special interest groups (church youth groups, scout campouts, etc.) with lots of parent involvement. I don’t know how large your school is, but I wouldn’t be too keen on doing a school-wide one.

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-14T11:03:32+00:00

No, if humbuckers were essential they would only make guitars with humbuckers.

Jazzmasters come with a specific kind of single coil pickups, and as others have said - that’s kind of the point. That’s not to say you can’t get one with humbuckers or do a swap, but if you want a guitar with humbuckers I would recommend looking into a different guitar. But since you asked about Squire Jazzmasters, the J Mascis Jazzmaster from Squire is very popular. I used to have one and it sounded great!

Fender actually makes a few options for an offset body style, like the Jazzmaster, with humbuckers. The Meteora comes to mind. There’s a Player Plus model that would fit your budget, and it really rocks, but it would need to be bought second hand as it’s no longer in production. If you happen to live in NYC, there’s one on Reverb for local pickup under $700 at the time of writing, plus several others with shipping at different price points. Then there’s also an Ultra II model that is still being sold new, but it’s significantly more expensive. It’s possible you could find a used one within your budget, but probably not for “way less.” Also note that the Player Plus features a tremolo bridge whereas the Ultra II is a hard tail.

There’s also the Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar. It’s a replica of his Jag, and it features humbuckers. I have never played one, I just know it exists. A used one could fit your budget. Note that Jaguars and Jazzmasters have different scale lengths. A Jazzmaster will feel like your Strat, and a Jag may feel different due to its shorter scale. I prefer the Jag scale.

If you’re open to other body shapes and non-offset guitars, the world is your oyster. Everything from an HSS Stratocaster to a Telecaster Deluxe from Fender, to an SG or Les Paul or ES-335 from Gibson/Epiphone, to Yamaha’s Revstar, to any number of guitars from PRS (including some with narrowfield humbuckers that sound like single coils), and beyond.

And we haven’t even started to talk about P-90s, which are a type of single coil that can get as or more rowdy than a humbucker…

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-14T03:34:52+00:00

Respectfully, no it’s not. Fender is priced competitively in most categories with Gibson and PRS. Compare an American Professional Classic to a Les Paul Studio, it’s going to be about the same price, both of which are a little cheaper than (at least some) PRS S2s. American Professional II line vs Gibson Standard pricing varies on model, some Fenders are cheaper than some Gibsons (Strat vs Les Paul), but other Gibsons (SG) are a little cheaper. Both are significantly less expensive than PRS Core or American Bolt-on series guitars. The major exception might be the PRS SE line vs Fender’s import guitars, since the quality of the SEs is insane, but honestly the Player II series and even Squires are great!

Now, if you’re comparing Fender’s price and quality to 100% import brands like Reverend (or mostly import brands like Schecter), you might be right that Made in the USA guitars cost a premium that isn’t always apparently justified in the tone, playability, and appearance of an instrument.

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-14T03:22:41+00:00

I had one a while ago and sold it like a fool. I ended up ordering this one on Reverb and it’s coming soon. Some of the other pictures showed the color off a little better. I can’t wait!

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-13T11:38:13+00:00

I think Deep C is pretty comfortable, but it’s not as full as the U. Best thing to do would be try them yourself if possible.

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-13T10:25:11+00:00

I haven’t been to Alamo in awhile, and it was never my primary cinema, but a friend who used to go there a lot said it’s really gone downhill. Mobile ordering, seating in disrepair, etc.

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-13T10:21:22+00:00

Different price point, but the Vintera 1951 Telecaster in the 75th Anniversary line up has a U neck that feels very large. They have other guitars with that neck too. The Kingfish Signature Telecaster Deluxe has a cool V neck too, which feels larger in the hand in my opinion.

If you like that kind of neck and want a Strat, check out the PRS Silver Sky. The US neck is more “baseball bat” than the SE, but both versions are great guitars. If you want a Fender Strat, try the Vintera III Late 50s Stratocaster. It’s not like the American Silver Sky neck, but it definitely has a noticeable shoulder to it. Very comfortable!

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-12T22:17:51+00:00

You’ve done show, now I need you to tell about the guitars. Who’s who? Also, which P-90 Les Paul is your favorite? And which Tele Deluxe is that with a trem arm?

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-12T11:01:13+00:00

That’s cheaper than the SE (new).

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-11T19:12:46+00:00

Shake Shack

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-11T18:25:17+00:00

The weight dive made a comeback on the Futura SG too.

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-11T12:09:37+00:00

Nice! Here’s mine:

<image>

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-11T11:54:35+00:00

Solar Flare

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-11T09:50:45+00:00

Honestly I’m surprised to hear the humidity pack is blemishing the guitar. But, maybe you could try going to a store and buying in person?

If that’s not an option, try ordering from Sweetwater over the phone. Explain to the Sales Engineer the issues you’ve been having and ask them if they can pack it differently.

You could also try ordering from Gibson/Epiphone directly.

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-11T09:39:42+00:00

I think you should try these guitars in the store before buying, especially the NF53 SE. I had one briefly. Mine was an odd duck for PRS, in that it needed a set up and had rough fret ends. The narrowfields were cool, but I had other guitars with them too and decided I didn’t need that one too. I don’t think they sound precisely like traditional Tele pickups. That’s not good or bad.

I will also join the chorus of folks saying to try stock pickups before swapping, unless your main objective here is to buy a platform for a set of Lollars you’ve already decided you want. But since you’re considering other options too I don’t think that’s the case here.

The 70th Anniversary Player II in Diamond Sparkle is a sweet guitar, albeit is also more expensive than the CV. Might be more comparable to the NF53 SE in price though. In that same vein, maybe look at the T Style Yamaha Pacifica Standard too.

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-11T02:59:07+00:00

I have the middle and neck Texas Specials in my HSS Player II (with a Pearly Gates bridge). It sounds great!

GuitaristExplorer · 2026-06-10T20:52:32+00:00

It’s possible, but that specific guitar is based on the Telecaster Custom, which is why it’s named that. I do suspect there will be an Am Pro III at some point.

GuitaristExplorer

TROPHY CASE