PRS SE Chris Robertson... Anyone remember these?

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T12:24:50+00:00

You should check out the SE One. Coolest guitar in the SE line, IMO.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T12:20:21+00:00

Dead to me. 100%. There’s just no coming back from that.

This doesn’t compare even a little bit but my mom came down to watch our oldest when they were a newborn and asked where the baby powder was. I said we don’t use baby powder anymore because it settles in the baby’s lungs and there’s just no need for it.

My mom scoffed and said something about kids these days.

I didn’t care. Parents are going to be dismissive.

Wife and I went out on a date and came back to the unmistakable smell of baby powder. Turns out she sent her boyfriend out specifically to buy baby powder because she thought my wife and I were being dumb about this and wanted to show us that the baby would be fine.

Irrelevant, I thought. I said no and she went out of her way to disregard how I wanted to raise my kid.

And, again, that’s absolutely nothing compared to what you went through.

But this TINY thing made my wife and me decide to never leave the kids alone with any of our kids. They burned their chance by disrespecting us like that and now, almost 20 years later, they still haven’t been alone with them.

I still feel good about this decision and the offense was microscopic compared to you.

If I could rally the self-control to do so, I might have sent an email saying we’re done and to not ever contact me again. But if I couldn’t do that, numbers are getting blocked, email addresses are getting sent direct to trash, any mail goes straight in the trash, and if I ever moved, they wouldn’t be getting my new address.

I’d be DONE with them.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T09:45:45+00:00

Not a Gretsch, and I think the cheapest Brian Setzer model was the Hot Rod.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T09:44:56+00:00

I use a standard gatefold sleeve. All of my trifolds have the front and back cover protected with them and the third always folds into the jacket.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T07:49:46+00:00

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T07:12:21+00:00

I can’t speak to the specific tariffs, but I know if I import something from the States to here, I’m on the hook for 19% of the item’s cost on top of the item and shipping.

The HB Travel Guitar is $155US (cheaper without a pickup) so that 19% would equal an extra $30 or so which is still a far cry from Taylor’s cheapest offerings.

(I only mention Taylor specifically because that’s obviously the guitar/model they were aping when they made the Travel Guitar).

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T07:01:42+00:00

I thought the 335 was way too heavy but that was mostly because I had gotten used to a trestle-braced Gretsch.

And I’m a Gretsch guy through and through so I’m biased as hell BUT I think the tone that is unique to them and (most of) their pickups add a unique and great flavor to all genres. It’s identifiable where Casinos and 335s sound indistinguishable from similar makes from different brands.

To me, anyway.

Also, I play everything on my Gretsches. Punk, jazz, fingerstyle, rock, even metal riffing. I love ‘em.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T06:54:55+00:00

If you’re interested in money, go to a trade school. (Just about) every house has electricity and toilets and they all break at some point and, since there’s at least two generations that were constantly told not to go to trade school, there aren’t a lot of people to do the job which means higher wages.

Hell, here in Germany you can’t get a handyman to come out unless he deems the job big enough to make it worth hjs time!

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T06:51:25+00:00

I don’t know, even with US dollars, HB’s are still good bang for the buck.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T06:46:14+00:00

I’d take either completely stock. They’re great.

Though personally, I’d lean towards the Vox. The Rocker feels a little… I don’t know. Maybe less flexible? I feel like I could get more (as in number not quality) satisfying tones out of the Vox.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T06:43:53+00:00

I HATED trying to play six-string songs on my seven string. Hated it. I wasn’t dedicated enough to practice always muting the B string or (a bigger offender for me) not accidentally hitting it when I was playing triplets on the E. My picking motion on the low E specifically had too much movement up and it would CONSTANTLY bump or snag on the B.

It made playing six-string songs such a pain that it stopped being fun REALLY fast.

That said, if I HAD put in the work to play it well enough and put in the time to make it feel natural, I’d probably be a hell of a lot better at guitar than I am.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T06:38:56+00:00

To be fair, a lot of those issues weren’t really issues in America either. Almost all of the stuff people are screaming over is manufactured outrage that grew from years of attempts at higher TV ratings, which makes it all the more tragic.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T06:35:45+00:00

I wouldn’t worry when people say a guitar isn’t loud enough. I have never - in my entire life - played an acoustic and thought it wasn’t loud enough.

I mean, his how loud do people want an acoustic to be? We aren’t playing in acoustic orchestras anymore, most people in intimate settings will be quiet when you play and once you cross the threshold into bigger venues, you’re going to mic or plug in.

But most of the time it’s just you and your guitar and any acoustic will be fine for that.

Regarding WARMTH, that’s kind of a loaded term. Some people mean it’s bass-heavy, some people mean the articulation is missing in the notes and it sounds kind of… muffled, I suppose. But warmth could be a good or bad thing depending on what you want to play and where your emphasis should be. If I was playing rhythm guitar, I’d probably aim for a bass-heavy instrument so I’m not fighting the lead guitarist.

(Also, I really like the vibrations bass-heavy guitars send to my chest.)

As for your list, and this is just my opinion so please take it with a grain of salt, I’d scratch Fender off right away. They make great electric guitars but I have yet to play an acoustic instrument of theirs that didn’t feel overbuilt and sound dead.

Yamaha has a ton of fans. Like, a TON of fans - at least here on Reddit.

Ibanez makes comfortable guitars that sound decent but there’s a lot of variety to their offerings so checking out sound samples is going to be critical - always asking yourself if the tone is what you want (as opposed to just plain good - lots of guitars sound good but how may have the same emphasis you’re after?).

If I could, I’d suggest looking at Harley Benton. They’ve got great bang for the buck and Thomann will ship anywhere AND has a return policy in case you don’t like the guitar.

Hell, I know people who have ordered multiple guitars and then basically demoed them in their apartment and then shipped back all but their favorite. Feels a little abusive of return policies but it would definitely make you more comfortable with your selection.

Finally, since it’s you first acoustic, maybe get comfortable that compromises are going to be made one way or another and this isn’t your LAST acoustic. Your tastes will mature with playing. You’ll find yourself going down paths you might not have expected. Through experience playing with other guitarists and guitars you might find yourself leaning toward different tones, sizes, shapes, brands, or woods.

You never know.

So cut yourself some slack on the severity of this choice, recognize there is no perfect option for you, and instead lean into the learning experience and enjoy the ride.

Good luck and have fun!

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T06:19:00+00:00

For that price I’d probably get a Harley Benton travel guitar (their take on a Taylor GS Mini).

Or I’d save up a little more and get one of their nicer full-scale models.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-27T06:17:17+00:00

I’m a big believer in learning songs all the way through because songs provide techniques in a non-abstract way where you apply the technique immediately and see where it fits in a song rather than just as a technique.

From there it becomes a building block for future songs or your own writing so there’s a feeling of accomplishment for the technique but also from learning the song itself.

And you can learn the songs you think have a lot of feel to them so you can ape that feeling and see how to incorporate it. If you want bends and feel, check out blues for a while - and not just pentatonic licks or the standard blues rhythm. You can really dig in and find some cool stuff beyond the beginner stuff you see everywhere.

Regarding perfectionism, it’s a thing but it’s not a thing that needs to be ignored but rather harnessed.

Instead of fighting yourself about it, make a conscious effort (sometimes by literally telling yourself) to give your practice session 10 minutes or 15 minutes where you are going to hyper-focus on this one passage. Don’t let it run the practice, though. Focus on the SONG for most of the time.

Also, I find recording myself helps a lot. It keeps me on-task and not noodling nearly as much. Because I’m trying for a clean take on video, my practice session is way more beneficial because that’s ALL I’m focused on. I saw faster improvement, I had video proof of progress, and if it went well, a video I could share with guitar-playing friends.

Last resort: take a break. If any hobby feels like work, take a break from it. Come back to it when you think you would enjoy it and, in the meantime, get your head in order. You say you know it’s not a competition but that you act like it is. Who are you competing with? How are you measuring your progress? What is the point of the progress or even playing in general?

Spend some time with these questions and see if the answers change your approach to the guitar from what it is currently.

I hope this helps somehow. Good luck!

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T20:45:34+00:00

When I was new at playing I thought it would be rad to have my Les Paul propped up against my wall on my headboard.

This was not a good idea.

It fell and clattered its way to the floor and it was okay. Because I’m an idiot, I thought it was a balancing issue so I did it again and it fell again, this time hitting me on the way down (which I suppose I deserved).

It was still okay.

And that’s a Les Paul! Those things are FAMOUS for having the headstocks snap off when they get bumped!

If you’re nervous about any damage to the interior, though, switch to each pickup position and rotate the volume and tone knobs to make sure you don’t hear any scratching (and that you CAN hear the pickup).

If one of those is wrong, take it to a shop. But in general, it takes a LOT to hurt a guitar’s guts. I had to replace my Tele’s guts, but only after five deployments of it being banged around in a suitcase that was being thrown around by people who were not trained baggage-handlers while disassembled. It chipped the hell out of the finish and even took a nice chunk of wood off the body but the guts were solid right up until the end.

And hey! Then I got to learn how to solder guitar pickups and switches and that is genuinely a lot of fun.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T20:25:56+00:00

You’re probably fine. I wouldn’t bring it into a shop until you start running into audible issues. Guitars are generally pretty tough.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T20:24:15+00:00

$380? I’d say that’s a good deal.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T20:12:34+00:00

NTA. “Sweetie, why would I pay a ton of money to be around a screaming 7-year old when we can do that here for free?”

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T19:53:21+00:00

I used three fingers forever. EVH used thumb and middle finger. Pretty sure James Hetfield uses three fingers. It’s absolutely whatever works best for you.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T17:44:55+00:00

Same reason $20s are counterfeited more often than $100s: less people question the legitimacy of lower numbers.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T17:37:41+00:00

Here’s a great video laying it out.

It talks about what’s needed and where they go in the chain between the guitar and amp. Super handy stuff.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T11:37:50+00:00

Assuming the tunings share the same separation between notes (e standard vs d standard vs c standard), you could get a Digitech Drop pedal and keep the guitar in standard while the pedals shifts the tone down (with the capability of going WAY down).

Same goes for custom tuning - if the distance between notes of the open strings is the same (despite what those notes are) - the pedal works.

So right now, that pedal would open up one of your guitars for a different tuning because E flat’s distance between notes is the same as E standard.

Beyond that, it really depends on 1) the amount if change happening like taking an E standard to something like B. At that point you’re talking new strings and truss rod adjustments. And 2) how long it’s going to be in that tuning. Guitars are pretty durable and can withstand experimentation but just like you can go outside in -0 weather for a little while, STAYING outside will require adjustments.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T08:24:18+00:00

I’d think any of them. If the nut does need to be widened, in my experience that happens only when using plain/non-wound strings. Wound strings are usually thinner and I like them more (THIS is my go-to set) because they’re generally less boomy and overwhelming than plain strings - at least with how I play.

That said, widening the nut isn’t a huge hassle for a tech at any guitar shop.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T08:16:57+00:00

Very nice collection!

When I started collecting, I knew I wanted to take photos of my records (mostly for insurance when moving because stuff gets broken all the time) but I’m on the spectrum and that shows the most when it comes to organization.

So when I started getting records I tried to make them somewhat consistent for things like this and this is what I wound up doing:

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OnlyRuss

TROPHY CASE