A Perfect Match?

[Jx2]

Recently I was talking to a friend of mine about how well I like my Epiphone LP, and how I dont seem to be playing nothing but it. Be it the honey moon phase or what, to be honest I think this could be the best sounding/feeling guitar Ive ever owned. Beleive me Ive owned alot, probably over 50. Anyways, he told me when he had his collection of Peavey Wolfgangs he felt his overall playing got better because he knew what to expect regardless of which guitar he plugged into. And then I got to thinking about the number of pro's who typically only plays one style of guitar. Such as Slash(I know he owns a mockingbird but he doesnt play it alot), Zakk Wylde, SRV, Albert King, B.B. King and many others. My pocket doesnt allow me to stock up on Gibson's but I think I can get more Epiphones. Actually Im finalizing a trade right now to acquire what would be my 2nd. If I like it as much as the one I own I think my Schecter will be available.

It got me to think while Ive noticed alot of you guys seem to have several diffrent guitars, do you guys see a advantage in this? I understand it can limit your range of tones, but thats something I personally can live with. If you do prefer one guitar which one is it?

[hubberjub]

I own several guitars but really only play two of them at gigs. My Modulus is my go to guitar for consistency, but my Heritage 535 also sees it's share of shows. Other than that, one of my Strats is by the bed while my Les Paul and my other Strat are both on stands in my studio for easy access.

[FrankenFretter]

As an owner of an Epi Tribute Les Paul, and an Agile AL3000, I think you should try an Agile instead of an Epi. They're a better guitar for the money.

I find that I play my Epi LP, my Agile LP and my Schecter mostly. When I'm in the mood for some twang, I get out the Epi Flamekat. My other guitars don't get much play time anymore.

[Jx2]

Actually I was looking at he Agiles almost ordered one when I went with the Dean Deceiver instead. Probably should of gotten the Agile but hesitated and Ive owned several lower end Deans and enjoyed them. Plus at that time Id only read about the Agile's and hadnt played one.

Now when I got my Epi Birdseye Maple Classic, I did play a Agile AL2000(not sure how much of a diffrence between the 2 and 3) and while it felt good the tone wasnt quiet there imo. Of course the strings was shot but the Epi I took home also had some very corraded, rusted strings on it and it still sounded great. Dont get me wrong though if I had the extra dough Id probably of taken both home. But then again Im a Axe Junkie.

[FrankenFretter]

Actually I was looking at he Agiles almost ordered one when I went with the Dean Deceiver instead. Probably should of gotten the Agile but hesitated and Ive owned several lower end Deans and enjoyed them. Plus at that time Id only read about the Agile's and hadnt played one.

Now when I got my Epi Birdseye Maple Classic, I did play a Agile AL2000(not sure how much of a diffrence between the 2 and 3) and while it felt good the tone wasnt quiet there imo. Of course the strings was shot but the Epi I took home also had some very corraded, rusted strings on it and it still sounded great. Dont get me wrong though if I had the extra dough Id probably of taken both home. But then again Im a Axe Junkie.

The Agile AL2Ks are not bad at all, but the AL3000s and 3100s are a good step up from those in terms of the quality of the electronics, pickups, a Graphtec nut, hand filed frets...the list goes on. I do love my Epi LP, don't get me wrong. But I could have bought 2 Agiles for the same price that I paid for the Tribute LP. The one thing that may give the Epi the edge in terms of tone is the Gibson USA 57 Classic pickups. Other than that, the Agile may very well be a better guitar for less than half the price.

[Eric]

Now when I got my Epi Birdseye Maple Classic, I did play a Agile AL2000(not sure how much of a diffrence between the 2 and 3) and while it felt good the tone wasnt quiet there imo. Of course the strings was shot but the Epi I took home also had some very corraded, rusted strings on it and it still sounded great. Dont get me wrong though if I had the extra dough Id probably of taken both home. But then again Im a Axe Junkie.
The AL-2000 uses ceramic pickups, while the 3000 series uses Alnico V pickups. That would probably impact the tone somewhat. Some of the in-between models might as well -- can't quite remember. There's a spec sheet for Rondos on their site I think.

I have a friend who has a left-handed AL-2000, and there is a definite difference between that and the AL-3100 I have.

[Eric]

You know, this is an interesting idea: that playing one guitar or only similar ones might help you know what to expect.

I'm still in the exploration phase when it comes to electric guitars. Right now I'm trying to find a viable alternative to the Agile AL-3100 I own, if only because I'd like to know I have a decent backup. The Godin I recently scored is close, but it has a 25.5" scale length.

Point is that of the 3 electrics that I own, there aren't two of them that feel, sound, and play the same. I'd say my Agile is probably still the one that feels like home right now and the one that I trust the most.

[R_of_G]

I currently own two electrics (Gibson ES-135 and Squier Strat) and they couldn't be more different. Other than the differences in tone and playability, one of the advantages of having multiple guitars comes from being able to play in multiple tunings without having to re-tune constantly.

As to your question of preference, without question I prefer the Gibson. I like the Strat for certain things, and after playing the larger Gibson for awhile, the Strat feels like a toy in my hands, but the Gibson is so much more versatile and the tones are significantly richer and fuller.

[Duffy]

I find that there is a MAJOR difference in the Agile AL 2000 I bought for Charity's grandson and my new top and bottom bound body AL 3100.

The build quality is WAY better on the 3100. It is a definitely classic design guitar that is super well put together out of high quality materials and it sounds really incredible for the price.

The AL 2000 does not have tone that comes close to the 3100. The 2000 has a maple neck mounted to a mahogany body and lower quality pickups. The 3100 has one of the best necks I've ever played and it is mahogany. I think this heavy mahogany neck has a big influence on the tone of the 3100.

I think my my Agile 3100 is one of the best if not the best guitar I own, but it has binding on the top and bottom of the body and looks really great. But it is the sound that really impresses me. I play it thru my Egnater Tweaker into my Epi So. Cal. four by twelve cabinet or my moded by Jim P Blackheart Little Giant into my Epi V Jr one twelve cabinet. It produces a complex tone that is totally enchanting and I get totally absorbed in the sound. I can't say this about very many of my guitars. I will definitely get another Agile and probably the black version of what I already have. This one is staying stock at least for the forseeable future. The pickups sound really super great and changing them to even Seymour Duncans doesn't make any sense. If I get another one I might consider using some SD pickups, just to see if I can improve the already super great sound.

On the other hand, I have an early issue Epiphone 1960 Tribute Les Paul cherry burst. I have two Epi LP Standards, one a Plus Top, both with Seymour Duncan humbuckers that sound great. I have two Epi SG's that sound great stock. The Tribute sounds better than any of my Epi's and is a superior guitar that probably sounds as good or better than my Agile AL 3100. The Tribute is an incredible guitar made out of high quality upgraded components and has Gibson USA 57 covered humbuckers, one a 57 plus. It has locking tuners and other special appointments not found on the Standards or any other Epi LP I know of outside this particular model and its close parallels.

I would not scoff at any aspect of my Epi Tribute and it equals or surpasses any of my guitars in all respects. This guitar is a fitting tribute to Les Paul and held in my hands the quality and feel greatly exceeds the sum of the value of its parts. Epi really nailed it with this guitar and you can see and feel the awesome qualities of it. This is not just a real good guitar, it is an exceptional guitar - all bovine biological waste material aside.

The Agile AL 3100 and the Tribute are similar in their overall vibe and sound. My new Epi SG Faded also produces a really great sound that flows into the same categories as the Agile and the Tribute.

I am starting to get guitars and amps and other equipment that allow me to produce a real good sound. It is not just that I am getting better and developing my skills. Acquiring real good equipment plays a significant role in producing a great sound.

I would say try to acquire the best equipment you can and work on your skills. With real good equipment and developing skills, I think you obtain the ability to reproduce very similar sounds and tones no matter which guitar or amp you are using. You do this, I think, by adapting your playing technique, amp settings, pedals and pedal settings, and guitar settings to get into "your" groove or grooves. This requires equipment and skills and takes time and practice, but eventually it all comes together into "your sound".

But if you play someone else's rig or a different set up at a guitar store, you can often approximate your individualized sound, but not always. I'm sure most of you guys know what I mean.

This is how we can go to a store and play a guitar or amp and test it out using mostly all of the other stuff that is similar to our own, and be able to set the guitar down and say, "No. That's not what I'm looking for."; or say yeah this is it, it's what I'm trying to find and will fit in with my rig.

People like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, etc., can get their sounds out of a whole variety of completely different types of guitars, and do it within a short period of time, adapting their skills to the equipment at hand and making use of the controls on the equipment to get into their desired area of the sonic spectrum. That is real "mastery" that some guitarists have achieved. I have not achieved that level personally, but I have felt myself getting a taste of it every now and then, especially after being real warmed up and getting real "into it".

For me it's like having that moment of clarity that happens once in a while, where everything seems to come pretty close together - and you can feel it, experience it. But then it's gone, too fast. I wish I had that level of mastery that I could get things to come together most of the time.

I don't think it's about playing the same general types of guitars. I think it is about being able to make almost any guitar go into the sonic zone I want it in, and this isn't easy. I don't mind having two of the same type of guitar though. I have two Classic Vibe 50's, but one has Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials in it and the other one is stock - still a Classic Vibe. I don't think the one with the TS'es in it is a Classic Vibe any more, it's been modified.

[deeaa]

Yes Duffy it's exactly like you describe. Me, I like having different guitars - I just realized I'm not far from a dozen soon - but I do mod them and make them sound somewhat the same with similar or same pickups. But I like the fact they have different string gauges, different neck widths, radiuses, fretboard materials...those are the things that make guitars different to play.

BUT I always try to have 2 guitars very similar to each other for my main live band use, so they can back up each other. No matter how few and far in between my gigs are, gotta have two almost identical ones :-)

BTW I've entertained an idea of buying a Les Paul type axe some day again...I just really hate their weight and clumsiness in handling, I've preferred much lighter and 'handier' guitars for a good while now. Maybe a nice SG would do the same for me as an LP without the weight issue...

[Duffy]

Dee, I got a new Epi SG Faded cherry yesterday that is very light, excellent build quality and super good sound and tone. Great feel. 299 US out the door with free strings.

This Epi Faded SG weighs a LOT less than my cherry gloss Epi copy of a '66 Gibson Standard SG with the full pickguard. I like the lightness and small tear drop under the pickup rings pickguard of my new SG Faded WAY better than the other SG, but the other SG isn't going anywhere - it is a great SG with beautiful tone, hand picked and really nice. This SG Faded is just striking though, and the tone and feel is superior to many a guitar. I like it stock so far but can see where you would mod it to your delight - and believe me, this Epi SG Faded would provide you with a great light guitar, if it would be anything like mine. It really is a carbine of a guitar: and its Wanted, Dead or Alive - ha ha.

[Andy]

#1 will always be my gibson lp, tho I sure enjoy playing the strat it's so versitile never gets boring.

[sunvalleylaw]

If I had to pick one electric, it would be the strat in my avatar. I can get sort of close to my Hagstrom Viking tones out of it with using tone knobs, the pickup selector and pedals. And as much as I love the Hag Viking (it plays so nice!) it cannot clean up to strat tones.

But I am glad I don't have to pick!

[NWBasser]

Well, I'm definitely a Les Paul guy and I'll be completely happy on the guitar side of things with a nice LP on the stand.

Keep in mind though that I spend at least 70% of my playing time on bass and have several of those around for variety.

My guitar style primarily revolves around heavy rhythms and riffs and the LP fits that chore quite well. I don't think I would even have the time to play another electic with so much spent on bass. It's extremely unlikely that I'd be playing guitar in a band situation and so a backup isn't a consideration for me.

So far, I'm mostly happy with my Epi LP standard although a thicker neck would suit my larger hands a bit better. The thick-neck Agile 3000 or a Gibson Studio LP may possibly replace the Epi at some point down the road.

[Brian Krashpad]

Funny thing is, I always end up sounding like me.

I don't play my Strat (Peavey USA Predator) very often, because I've kind of gravitated to Teles/LP's, and funkier things with P-90's or other non-Fender single-coils. But other than that I actually make a point of rotating through the available stable. Most often, it's just for the fun of having something different looking (and sounding) in my hands, and on much more rare occasions (maybe recording, or when I'm feeling particularly stagnant), to maybe add a smidge more inspiration.

I reckon if I have this rather ridiculous number of guitars, it's only fair I try to play them all.

:)

[FusedGrooves]

I tend to buy a new guitar, flog it for years and my others get a little unloved....

Bought a custom Ibanez when 19 - played it solid til only recently when I collected a Epi LP which is actually quite a good guitar and more recently my Yammie SA2200D Semi Hollow - has the Alnico V humbuckers/single tap I have played it nearly every day for about 4 months and haven't touched another guitar since.....

Had the option of a few hollowbodies for around the 3K mark (I can say that now the AUD is like 1:1 to the US dollar.......) actually I only paid $2100 due to a mate that works at the shop.....they'd had it for ages too dunno why they are bloody awesome guitars.....

Side note - my Ibanez would cover every tone I ever needed, 5 position switch and I used them all. Same goes with the Yamaha I could use it to pretty well get every tone I'm after and more....The LP I own however I save for GNR impressions and leave it tuned down. This is a big advantage of having a few guitars, having one tuned to Drop D or open G saves time/hassles.....