Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I recently heard my dad's new Oscar Schmidt ES-335 copy through these amps: Marshall AVT50 with Celestion G12H80 speaker, Marshall AVT20 with Eminence B102 speaker, Traynor YCV40 with Celestion G12H80 speaker, Peavey Solo Special 1x12 with stock speaker (a bit harsh, this one), Kustom Tube 12 with stock 8" Celestion Super 8 speaker, and Tech 21 SansAmp RBI through a Fisher stereo on the Bassman setting. The strings were Rickenbacker medium gauge compressed roundwound.

The Peavey was my least favorite. The Traynor YCV40, Marshall AVT20, and SansAmp RBI were the sonic champs with this guitar. The Oscar Schmidt OE30 has gotten very good reviews on Harmony-Central, but my dad's has a bolt-on neck where some of the ones on Harmony-Central had set necks if I remember correctly. It's the only ES-335 copy that I know of with a bolt-on neck, and that doesn't seem to hurt the tone any. Like some others, I think that bolt-on is a better sound than set neck if done correctly.

For a $150 guitar, the OE30 semi-hollow ES-335 copy is a raging good bargain. The stock strings outright totally sucked (so they might get passed over at a music store due to ****** sound), and the G string saddle had to be reversed to get it to intonate correctly. Dad played around with pickup height until he got what he wanted, and I set the action height, neck relief, and intonation. What an axe for $150! It has a real ES-335 fat guttural sound. Pickups sound better than expected. Really comfortable neck. The Gretsch has been sitting in the corner a whole lot lately. At $150, I might even buy one to hang on the wall. These are as good as the Harmony-Central reviews say they are, and great for a guy just needing a ES-335 look and sound. With the bolt-on neck, it isn't really a close copy, but that doesn't hurt the playability. These are NOT set up worth a flip when you get them, but a new set of strings and a decent setup gets you a reasonably close ES-335 look and sound. The plastic nut isn't too great either, but unless you play an open string the tone isn't hurt. A passably good axe for chump change.

Your dad got a good deal on it as they list at $349.90. That's over 50% off. There's a deluxe version too. See 'em here:
http://www.oscarschmidt.com/product/hollowbodyelectricguitars.htm

Bill, Musician's Friend has been selling these for a long time at $150, marked down from $180. I doubt it will last as our dollar is being devalued. Also, better deals on used guitars are often available on eBay. Plus, Washburn gives better deals than Fender, Ibanez or Epiphone on new guitars. I just can't find the same value in a new bass. They all have agathis bodies in that price range with cheap pickups that are garbage. There are some new Spector ReBops on ebay right now that can be had for under $700, and Spector has factory authorized a ReBop sale to clear out the old ones (which means it retains the lifetime warranty on the body). It's actually a better deal than the cheap Asian basses because of the high quality tonewoods, excellent workmanship and killer tone with active Aguilar preamp, not to mention the warranty. I can't justify ever buying an Asian bass for anything more than a giveaway price as long as ReBops are around. Buy a cheap Asian bass for $200, upgrade the pickups for $100, and add an Aguilar preamp for $100 and you are out your labor and $400 and still holding inferior body and hardware. The bass value market is in the used gear, moreso than in used guitars I would say.

Basses usually cost a bit more than guitars for similar quality when new, then the price does a flip-flop in the used market. Explain that. Not that I am complaining, as I am interested in more basses.