Recommend me a guitar, hard rock

[MetalMat]

I have a 2006 Mexican Fender Standard Strat and a 1994 Epiphone Les Paul Standard.

While I do like the strat and love the way it plays but the single coil pickups are little lacking for hard rock and metal which became apparent with the new amp I got over the weekend. The Epiphone has a great tone (thanks to the humbuckers) but I've had it for a long time and it's kind of busted up.

I could just replace the bridge pickup with a humbucker on the Fender but I want to keep it stock. A buddy of mine is selling his 2001 LP studio but it's a little high for what I want to spend ($800.00), I would like to stick to $500.00 max. I want to avoid Floyd Rose tremolos.

 

[BlitzPuppet]

Ibanez guitars are great in that price range.

I know you say you want to avoid the Floyd Roses, but honestly I haven't gotten into the tremolo game and have only played fixed bridges.

My Gibson Explorer and Ibanez RG play anything I want just fine.

and 1.14mm picks = <3

 

[MetalMat]

Ibanez guitars are great in that price range.

I know you say you want to avoid the Floyd Roses, but honestly I haven't gotten into the tremolo game and have only played fixed bridges.

My Gibson Explorer and Ibanez RG play anything I want just fine.

and 1.14mm picks = <3

IMO the only reason to have a floyd rose is if you plan on doing 80s divebombs and trying to emulate Eddie Van Halen or Joe Satriani. So many buddies of mine that were starting on guitar years ago got good deals on guitars with Floyd Roses only to get so frustrated with it that the guitar would end up collecting dust. Hell I rarely use the tremolo on my strat.

 

[z1ggy]

I bought a lightly used Schecter Hell Raiser. Working well for me.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Washburn Parallaxe

 

[BlitzPuppet]

Was just browsing sweetwater...jeez Ibanez has a lot of trems for sale.

What about this one? It's puuurty: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/S671QMTGB/

 

[smackababy]

Why avoid the floyd roses? I have one (a real one, not one of the cheaper knock offs on most cheap guitars) on my ESP, but I don't use it, but I never had a problem with it. You can easily just not use it.

I used to have a cheaper Jackson (post Fender buyout) Soloist that was pretty good. I ended up selling it to a friend when I got my ESP.

I think the cheaper Ibanez are pretty good quality (at least, they used to be. Haven't purchased a guitar in years).

 

[MetalMat]

Was just browsing sweetwater...jeez Ibanez has a lot of trems for sale.

What about this one? It's puuurty: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/S671QMTGB/

That's a sweet looking guitar. I'll check and see if they have that at the local guitar center so I can go try it out.

 

[BlitzPuppet]

That's a sweet looking guitar. I'll check and see if they have that at the local guitar center so I can go try it out.

Sweetwater is an awesome place to buy from (where I got my Explorer).

They offer the free 2 year warranty through them, and they set up/play/test your guitar in house before shipping it out to you.

My sales guy, Alex, was awesome to deal with.

 

[lxskllr]

Get a classic Strat, and fit it with new pickups. Tighten the vibrato until it rests on the body, then graphite the nut, or use a slippery nut replacement.

 

[DrDoug]

Get something with the neck, looks and construction that you like and mod it into something that fits you. I bought a used 2003 Jackson Rhoads RR3 (Japan built), tore it apart, stripped the body down, tossed the licensed Floyd and routed it for a real Floyd Rose Pro trem, sealed the body and painted it with Sherwin-Williams Ultra 7000 2K in Lexus White with PT Cruiser blue pinstripes. Tossed some HOK glass flake and a dash of HOK purple pearl into the base coat of clear and it looks beautiful. I pulled the MOTO (Mother of Toilet Seat) sharkfin inlays out of the neck and replaced them with Indonesian pearl inlays that I cut, shaped and fitted myself. Tossed the electronics and Duncan Designed pickups for a set of push-pull pots, a split Seymour Duncan JB Zebra bridge and split Seymour Duncan Jazz Reverse Zebra neck pickup.

It has the feel, sound and looks I want. The only way I could get closer to what I want would to have been to buy a custom shop RR1.

 

[MongGrel]

Me know no guitars, is Unfrozen Caveman Drummer from way back.

Sounds like a lot on here do though, I've still just my old 7 peice Tama Cherrywine Superstar deep tom road set with Sabians in the back room collecting dust, I need to start playing again

Yeah, I like Sweetwater to browse about.

We used to take a lot of road trips together once upon a time.

Looks can be deceiving, its a big set, look at the pedals.

Went and saw a band a couple of weeks ago the bass drum was the size of the floor tom on the ole baby.

Deadringers and Evans Hydraulic heads on the top of the toms, ya can't really see em from that pic I guess other than the bass one.

*edit* took a pic of em to add *shrug*

 

[mrrman]

Get something with the neck, looks and construction that you like and mod it into something that fits you. I bought a used 2003 Jackson Rhoads RR3 (Japan built), tore it apart, stripped the body down, tossed the licensed Floyd and routed it for a real Floyd Rose Pro trem, sealed the body and painted it with Sherwin-Williams Ultra 7000 2K in Lexus White with PT Cruiser blue pinstripes. Tossed some HOK glass flake and a dash of HOK purple pearl into the base coat of clear and it looks beautiful. I pulled the MOTO (Mother of Toilet Seat) sharkfin inlays out of the neck and replaced them with Indonesian pearl inlays that I cut, shaped and fitted myself. Tossed the electronics and Duncan Designed pickups for a set of push-pull pots, a split Seymour Duncan JB Zebra bridge and split Seymour Duncan Jazz Reverse Zebra neck pickup.

It has the feel, sound and looks I want. The only way I could get closer to what I want would to have been to buy a custom shop RR1.

I have the same guitar in red and black...love it...I also have an esp ltd 500... Another great guitar

 

[DrDoug]

I have the same guitar in red and black...love it...I also have an esp ltd 500... Another great guitar

When I think Ibanez I think Destroyer. Love 'em! The Rhoads isn't for everyone but if it's for you it's hard to put down. I've also got a Peavey Patriot (1984, maple neck) that I've blasted apart to refurb too. I'm adding a SD JB bridge and SD Pearly Gates at the neck.

Cheap (but well built) guitars are fun to mod to taste.

 

[Rakehellion]

Les Paul

RIP.

 

[AdamantC]

I have a LTD (ESP Brand) MH100QMNT that I got about 3-4 years ago for $300ish USD and I love it to pieces. Great sound when paired with my Laney LG20R amp and the neck is pure butter.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

http://www.amazon.com/Schecter-Damie...words=schecter

 

[Vaux]

I'd look at the PRS SE. I have one and I love it. You can get a PRS SE Singlecut or the SE Tremonti for about $500 to $600 I think.

 

[gorcorps]

I bought a lightly used Schecter Hell Raiser. Working well for me.

That's what I have. It has active pickups which are great for hard rock /metal

 

[MetalMat]

http://www.amazon.com/Schecter-Damie...words=schecter

Yeah I saw this recommended on quite a few websites. I'm not a fan of the neck inlay though

 

[itsmydamnation]

Why avoid the floyd roses? I have one (a real one, not one of the cheaper knock offs on most cheap guitars) on my ESP, but I don't use it, but I never had a problem with it. You can easily just not use it.

i disagree. a floyd gives a good solid close to the body point to rest your picking hand, which is great for complex fast alternate picking particularly on the Low E. Compare that to something like a tune o matic where your low E is like ~2.5 cm off the body and you have nowhere to rest your hand those same patterns become much harder particularly on the Low E.

Dont like maintaining a FR ( its really not that hard, especially when you know some good tricks for quick restring) use a tremblock.

i have 1 FR, 1 gotoh FR, 1 Dean licenced FR and 2 tune o matics. never buying a tune o matic again, i am considering a hipshot for my next axe


edit: if it was me and i was look at a Schecter i would be looking at an SLS
http://www.schecterguitars.com/images/stories/virtuemart/product/blackjack-sls-c-1-fr-crb-a-tilt.png

 

[gamefreakgcb]

Since I don't know anything.

http://youtu.be/TwIvUbOhcKE

 

[BlitzPuppet]

That's what I have. It has active pickups which are great for hard rock /metal

I have an Ibanez with EMG 81/85s and my Gibson has Dimarzio PAF Joe/D-Sonic passive pickups.

Even though they are completely different tonal woods I GREATLY prefer the sound of the passives in my case, and I play a lot of Metal.

i disagree. a floyd gives a good solid close to the body point to rest your picking hand, which is great for complex fast alternate picking particularly on the Low E. Compare that to something like a tune o matic where your low E is like ~2.5 cm off the body and you have nowhere to rest your hand those same patterns become much harder particularly on the Low E.

Dont like maintaining a FR ( its really not that hard, especially when you know some good tricks for quick restring) use a tremblock.

i have 1 FR, 1 gotoh FR, 1 Dean licenced FR and 2 tune o matics. never buying a tune o matic again, i am considering a hipshot for my next axe


edit: if it was me and i was look at a Schecter i would be looking at an SLS
http://www.schecterguitars.com/images/stories/virtuemart/product/blackjack-sls-c-1-fr-crb-a-tilt.png

You're insane, I love my Tune-o-matic :biggrin:

 

[MetalMat]

I have an Ibanez with EMG 81/85s and my Gibson has Dimarzio PAF Joe/D-Sonic passive pickups.

Even though they are completely different tonal woods I GREATLY prefer the sound of the passives in my case, and I play a lot of Metal.



You're insane, I love my Tune-o-matic :biggrin:

Does the wood make a difference in the sound? For electric guitars I figured the only thing that really matters in regards to sound are the pickups and strings.

 

[BlitzPuppet]

Does the wood make a difference in the sound? For electric guitars I figured the only thing that really matters in regards to sound are the pickups and strings.

Most definitely.

Here is a pretty good site that gives a general rundown of the different types of tonal woods available: http://www.warmoth.com/bass/Options/WoodDescriptions.aspx

Strings really don't make that much of a difference (that I've found), it's mostly in the guitar wood/pickups.

I only use Elixir strings because I find they last longer and don't rust as quickly on the higher B & E strings.