Joe Maphis or Hallmark?

[paulramon1962]

Hey all. It's been a long while since I've shown my face around these parts. I'm back, a little older, but not much wiser. Please don't burn me at the stake for wandering away! I humbly request your most valued opinions.

I'm considering a guitar. As you may have guessed by the title, I am considering a customized Hallmark guitar. There also exists, however, a guitar on the bay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1966-MOSRITE-JO ... 2ee6020adf

Now, I've sent my ideal list of Hallmark specs to Bob Shade, and he said he'll get back to me after he's done travelling. My question is, which do you think would be a better buy? Getting the Mosrite now, then getting a Hallmark in January sometime, or getting the Hallmark now, and finding a Joe Maphis further down the line?

I should be completely frank, there is another guitar that has caught my eye:
https://reverb.com/item/917649-parker-m ... idi-guitar

A very different beast, true. I like the idea of MIDI integration in my guitar, and if I were to get the Joe Maphis, I would probably modify it accordingly (As shocking as that sounds, resale value matters nothing to me. I'm a guitar player, not a collector.) There is a MIDI element I'd like in the Hallmark, but I'm awaiting Mr. Shade's reply.

And now, for my pressing questions: Is that Joe Maphis a decent value? What sort of questions should I ask about the guitar? Are they significantly different from the Combo, which could be had for several hundred dollars cheaper? How does the playability of the Mosrite compare to the Hallmark? Has anyone, by the off chance, played a Parker Nitefly (Which that MIDI guitar is based on) and can compare the playability of that as well?

I'm wanting to make my guitar dreams come true. I hope all you lovely people can help me find my way.

I look forward to your replies!

-paulramon1962

[jfine]

Have you ever played a '60's Mosrite? If you have, you know they've got really narrow necks with tiny low frets--some techniques, like bending strings, can be uncomfortable for those of us with normal-sized hands. There certainly are quite a few players who like Mosrite necks and have no problem playing them--if that's you, forget I said anything! The Hallmark has a bigger neck with bigger frets than a Mosrite, although I wouldn't call the Hallmark neck big either--I prefer a big neck, but I find the neck on my Hallmark 60 Custom very playable; it's certainly not too small. I'd go with the Hallmark for that reason--actually I did; I've had mine since 2010!
A point in favor of the Maphis--they're pretty scarce--they don't turn up for sale very often. If you can afford to get the Maphis now while it's available and the Hallmark in a few months, maybe that's what you should do. But if you've never played a Maphis, you're taking a chance--you may not like it once you play it. I'm not crazy about them--not much sustain, and there are the neck issues that I mentioned--although that's just me. They do look cool though! Me, like I said, I look at the Hallmark as an improved Mosrite.

[StevieSTL]

Welcome back to the forum!

I'm wanting to make my guitar dreams come true.

-paulramon1962

-- Well then the answer is obvious, buy 'em all! Ha. Only partially joking.

-- Seriously though, the Maphis looks nice and is in a reasonable price range, the current bid is obviously a better price point than the buy it now price. It doesn't mention if it has a case. If I were on the hunt for a Maphis 6 string I'd be expecting to spend in the $1500 range. Pretty sure that the Combo and Maphis are essentially the same guitar without the single f hole, but I could be over simplifying there. A new Hallmark will likely be a better player than the Maphis, or at least have a more modern feel due to the frets and new-ness. Keep in mind an option that you may not have considered is a newer used Hallmark, there are amazing deals to be had on them out there. Never played a midi Parker, or any Parker for that matter. I remember them being new to the market when I was buying my first electric guitar and thought they looked cool way back when. But like so many designs, the initial appeal that I felt eventually wore off.

-- These 3 guitars have aspects that make them very different, that's why I suggest to buy 'em all. It's not like anyone has ever asked if they should eat breakfast, lunch or dinner. Ha. If you get em used and decide you don't like or don't want to keep one, you can always go and sell it for a similar amount. That's what I would do, but I have waaaay to many guitars. On a related note, I do have an awesome Hallmark I'd let go. Feel free to PM me if you would like more info. Good luck on your hunt! -SG