Seeking advice on new electric

[Sada Yairi]

I’d like to hear some opinions that might help me. I have a classical guitar background and after a few months of playing around with electrics, I’ve decided to get into the whole electric thing properly. I play mainly blues, some jazz and rock (nothing heavy). I use a pick and like finger-picking too. I enjoy a full-bodied, mellow tone and was initially intending to go for a semi-hollow but am now considering more options. I am prepared to invest in a guitar for the long-term so I’m not looking at cheapies, but my max budget is around $1k (AUD).

I don’t want a guitar that is a copy of something else (like an Epiphone Dot etc etc) even if the imitation is a good unit in itself. If I’m spending $1k I shouldn’t have to settle for an imitation. I’ve looked at a couple of Gretsch guitars (didn’t like the tones), an Epiphone Swingster (want a smaller body) and a few others.

So far I have three potential guitars on my list:

Epiphone Wildkat – small semi-hollow, P-90s, Bigsby. I really like the look, and at around $700 (in Australia) this guitar would allow me to buy a new amp as well (I only have a little Fender prac amp at the moment).

Fender Strat Highway One HSS – never liked Fenders before (just aesthetically) but a salesman suggested I try one and to be polite I did. I was blown away. Felt so nice just to hold, before I even played it. And then to hear the tones you can get out of the thing – amazing. This particular USA Strat is around $950 in Aus (apparently its been discontinued, so the low price is probably to clear remaining stock).

Gibson LP Studio Faded – haven’t played this yet (only seen reviews & youtube demos) but apparently it’s a sweet unit. Available here for a little over $1k if you shop around and get pushy.

Given my preferences and intended genres, what other guitars would you suggest I look at?

[bcdon]

Welcome aboard, Sada Yairi. When you have a chance, introduce yourself at the Fret Player's (http://www.thefret.net/forumdisplay.php/13-The-Fret-Players) section.

It seems to me that, given your budget and desire, I'd go for the Fender. Rest assured that whatever you pick, it won't be the last. :dude



Fender Strat Highway One HSS – never liked Fenders before (just aesthetically) but a salesman suggested I try one and to be polite I did. I was blown away. Felt so nice just to hold, before I even played it. And then to hear the tones you can get out of the thing – amazing. This particular USA Strat is around $950 in Aus (apparently its been discontinued, so the low price is probably to clear remaining stock).

[DeanEVO_Dude]

You might want to look into the new Epiphone 339s that they just came out with. I watched the vid, and the Ultra sounds really nice, plus it has the NanoMag pickup. It's a nice mix of the ES335 with a more Les Paul size to it, semi-hollow body, etc. Plus the pickups are Epiphone's version of the Burstbuckers.

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/ES/Epiphone/Ultra-339.aspx

Scott

[Spudman]

Do you want to rock out or use the various voicings that finger picking allows? I'd recommend a jazz box type guitar like an Ibanez AF95 or a Cort Yorktown if you like a mellower tone.

[Sada Yairi]

Don't really want to 'rock out' so much. I like blues improv, plus some of Clapton's more complicated stuff in particular for which finger-picking is the way to go. I don't like the full jazz-box kid of tones (GB10, Emperor Regent etc) but more the 'fullness' of a 335-type sound. The 339 does have some appeal, but I don't like the idea of an Epiphone that's a copy of a Gibson - seems like a dodgy way to get a similar look for a cheaper price. Having said that, I obviously don't know much about the Epiphone range. Are they worthwhile in their own right? Are they a poor imitation of the Gibson equivalents? I want something that I'll be happy with for the next twenty years (like my favorite classical, a Sada Yairi), not something that in a year or two will make me think 'why didn't I go for...'

Never heard of a Cort Yorktown before, I'll look that one up. I have tried the Ibanez AF95 and it was 'too jazz' for me, though a nice unit.

[Spudman]

The Samick Royal is a nice semi hollow body you might want to check out if you aren't wanting a full hollow.

[Sada Yairi]

Haven't come across the Samick Royale. Just had a quick poke around and it seems right up my alley. There's a Samick dealer not far from where I work so I'll go and check it out. Thanks for that.

[Commodore 64]

I've played a Samick Royale, and two people in my band each have one. They are very nice guitars.

I've also had an Ibanez Artcore AF85, which was also a very, very nice guitar.

[kiteman]

The Highway One sound like a winner to me. A humbucker (splitable) and two single coils offer a palette of tones.

Plus the fact that the neck and the pickguard are easily removed and switched.

[DeanEVO_Dude]

As to the Epi being poor copies of (the real thing) Gibsons, to a certain degree, that is true, but they are quality instruments in their own rights. The major price difference come from two things: 1. Name - the Gibson name carries with it a high price tag (not knocking, just stating) and 2. Location of manufacture - Epis are made in various countries where labor is far cheaper than here in the US, this leads to a lower price overall. Though, the lower cost of labor, thus price, does lead to some inferior (to Gibsons) materials and even craftsmanship, however, they fair quite admirably to their bigger cousins (Epi to Gibson) overall.

Scott

[mapka]

I have an Ibanez AG95. Beautiful guitar, great sound. This is a true hollowbody guitar. Comfortable size, well at least to me. I got it to do Wes Montgomery stuff on and it excels at that! Also does blues, rockabilly, and Beatles stuff well IMHO.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6010/6018506603_8f6d8cfe81_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/62003436@N05/6018506603/)
P1010053 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/62003436@N05/6018506603/) by mapka2000 (http://www.flickr.com/people/62003436@N05/), on Flickr

[Sada Yairi]

These are great suggestions, cheers.

Regarding the Epis, how do their LPs compare to the Gibsons? And what about pickups? For example, the Wildkat (that's on my list of potentials) has Epi P-90s - how good are they? Likely to hum too much? Good mid and low range or mainly for treble stuff? Anyone got experience with the Epi P-90s or with the Wildkat itself in particular?

Re the Highway 1, it's the broad range of incerdible tones that impressed me. Having a neck that is easily switched isn't a selling point for me - the only modifications I'd realistically consider (years down the track) would be pickups. I really want to buy something that is the finished item, and in its 'stock' form the Highway 1 does seem the finished item. I do prefer a higher radius neck, but that's a small compromise.

And psychologically I don't find the Ibanez options appealing just because I've played some dodgy Ibanez in the past, but clearly I'll have to get over that!

[otaypanky]

Welcome to The Fret :)


Good guitars come from lots of different companies these days. I have friend who is an amazing player. One night I heard him playing with his band using an SX strat and he couldn't have bought better tone with a million dollars. I think he said he paid about $100 for it. Maybe it's just me, I like a fine instrument as much as the next guy and I'm lucky enough to have a few, but I think there's a bit of pleasure to be found in playing a less than 'prestigious' brand or model and making it sound so good that the folks with the fancy high dollar stuff come over to see what the heck you're playin'

[Sada Yairi]

That's certainly a valid point. Part of the appeal in the Wildkat is that there are very few of them around so they're not easily recognizable. That makes for less expectation and higher impact. The Gibson LP Faded is also appealing in that way - unless you're up close and can see the name on it, it doesn't look like a high-end guitar.

[kiteman]

These are great suggestions, cheers.
Re the Highway 1, it's the broad range of incerdible tones that impressed me. Having a neck that is easily switched isn't a selling point for me - the only modifications I'd realistically consider (years down the track) would be pickups. I really want to buy something that is the finished item, and in its 'stock' form the Highway 1 does seem the finished item. I do prefer a higher radius neck, but that's a small compromise.


That's understandable but if the neck breaks it's real easy to replace or that you'd prefer a neck with a profile you like. As to pup swaps, no problem, just switch pickguards. :)

This is what I like about my Carvin Bolt guitar.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/6988/s5030195.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/11/s5030195.jpg/)

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/3885/s5030148.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/72/s5030148.jpg/)

[Sada Yairi]

A neck-break hadn't even occurred to me - does that happen often with elecetrics? Surely not?!

[bcdon]

A neck-break hadn't even occurred to me - does that happen often with elecetrics? Surely not?!
Depends on how hard you are on them or how clumsy you might be.
http://www.metaltraveller.com/images/kiss/broken_guitar_paris_2008_kiss.JPG

[Katastrophe]

Guitars with tilt back headstocks can be prone to a neck break from a fall or impact to the headstock. I wouldn't let that discourage you from choosing a set neck, tilt headstock guitar, though. It happens, but the repair is straightforward and doesn't usually cost a lot to fix.

Epiphone makes a good, solid guitar. Yes, many of their models are imported copies of Gibson designs, but the guitars out nowadays are of excellent quality overall. You may have to play a couple to find what you like, but that goes for every guitar maker out there that mass produces their products. Squier does the same for Fender (overseas made copies of Fender designs), and some of their products (the Classic Vibe range in particular) are every bit as good (if not better in some respects) than my Made in Mexico Strat that says "Fender" on the headstock.

For sheer versatility, I would not overlook the Epiphone Nighthawk, and the 339, along with the 'Kat. For Fender products, you just can't go wrong with a Highway 1. They're built like a tank, have great necks, and sound fantastic. They are being discontinued in favor of the American Special line, so you might be able to find a good deal on one. I would look at a Strat and a Telecaster. A good Tele can do everything you would want it to do and then some.

[Sada Yairi]

More good input; glad to benefit from others' experience. The Nighthawk and 339 are ones I intend to play, just haven't seen them in the flesh yet. The 339 in particular seems to fit just what I want (though aesthetically I do prefer a single-cut).

And re the Strats/Teles, I wasn't even considering a Fender until I played a Strat the other day (for the first time in about 20 years). Couldn't believe it. Now they're on my list...

[kiteman]

I'm not surprised. I was an LP and SG guy til I bought my first strat, the Carvin Bolt. Since then it's all strats. :)

[Bookkeeper's Son]

More good input; glad to benefit from others' experience. The Nighthawk and 339 are ones I intend to play, just haven't seen them in the flesh yet. The 339 in particular seems to fit just what I want (though aesthetically I do prefer a single-cut).

And re the Strats/Teles, I wasn't even considering a Fender until I played a Strat the other day (for the first time in about 20 years). Couldn't believe it. Now they're on my list...
What you've narrowed down to are what I consider two basic and generic types of guitars/tone - Gibson-type and Fender-type, where there are easily identifiable differences between a 2-pickup humbucker guitar and a 3-pickup Fender-type single coil guitar (I know that P90s are single coil, but I still tend to lump them overall in the "Gibson-type" category). And I'll mention that I think (still thinking very generically) that the main difference between a Strat and a Tele is a middle pickup (that's where the Strat "quack" comes from).

What I'm trying to say is that if you can narrow you choice to which basic type of guitar tone you're looking for, then you can choose one that has the feel and look that works for you. And don't forget that the amplification/effects are a BIG part of the overall tone, regardless of the guitar.

Edit: I guess I should have included "hybrids" like HSS Strats, too.

[deeaa]

Just get the strat. It will be by far the most versatile, upgradeable and repairable plus proper quality with great resale value compared to epi and the likes - but very likely a guitar you will never need to change from.

Sent from my HTC HD2 using Tapatalk

[Duffy]

There is even a great Fender Black Top strat that has twin covered full sized humbuckers as well as the vintage tremolo. I have on of these and it is a great guitar.

Also the faded Gibson LP's now have solid maple caps on the body over the mahogany. It is a satin finish, not like the older ones with the rough feeling mahogany on the top that look unfinished. They have excellent Gibson USA Burstbucker Pro pickups as well. These Gibson's sound and play great and I can notice the difference between these and the nice Epiphone's.

Strats are great, but the MIM ones that are higher up the line than the standards are, to me, way nicer guitars and excellent values for like 100US more. The MIM ones with Vintage Noiseless pickups are very nice, without the noise.

P90's in most cases can be quite noisy and I personally wouldn't choose one as my "only" guitar, rather I would supplement my guitars with one and use it when I want that particular sound. Noisy pickups can get annoying. At least "most" sss strats have five way switches that give noise cancelling in the 2 and 4 switch positions. Some people favor humbucker guitars for the obvious reason of quietness and they work great and are fairly quiet when using high gain overdrive and distortion or fuzz pedals.

Don't forget the amp. 500US for a Black Top Fender twin humbucker strat or tele.

[NWBasser]

I'll chime in for the faded LP. My only reasoning being that when I tried one out, I couldn't put it down. It felt and sounded perfect to me. I really like the worn finish on the neck.

I'd really recommend going through a music store trying different guitars until one says "take me home, I'm yours!"

[hubberjub]

My .02. I know a lot of players who come from a classical background and do a lot of finger picking who like Godin guitars. Some of them tend to have a wider nut that classical players find comfortable. They are incredibly versatile and many have traditional electric pickups, piezo acoustic pickups, and MIDI pickups built in. Just a thought.
http://www.godinguitars.com/godinmontrealp.htm

[bcdon]

Hello Music has the Highway One for US $575, I'm sure it wont last!
http://www.hellomusic.com/ec/DealMain.aspx?did=12471

[bcdon]

My .02. I know a lot of players who come from a classical background and do a lot of finger picking who like Godin guitars. Some of them tend to have a wider nut that classical players find comfortable. They are incredibly versatile and many have traditional electric pickups, piezo acoustic pickups, and MIDI pickups built in. Just a thought.
http://www.godinguitars.com/godinmontrealp.htm

I have a Godin Icon Type 3 (see here (http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php/17556-NGD-Godin-Icon-Type-3?highlight=godin)) which is just incredible. Mine came with Lollar P90s and is a limited production run (only 50) and cost $1400 US but you can find it cheaper (http://www.themusicfarm.com/products/Godin-Icon-Type-3-Electric-Guitar-SF-Model-Burgundy-9797.html). This is an incredible guitar for the money and if it had Gibson stamped on it it would be over 2.5K.

I agree with hubberjub, take a look at their other guitars too.. very good workmanship.

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[Sada Yairi]

Never played a Godin, but I certainly will now! Seem to be a sweet unit, and at a reasonable price. Thanks very much.

[Tig]

Hello Music has the Highway One for US $575, I'm sure it wont last!
http://www.hellomusic.com/ec/DealMain.aspx?did=12471

Hello Music has been sending me emails on some great deals lately. Damn them!
Today, they have the Epiphone Jack Casady Signature Bass on sale for $640 (http://www.hellomusic.com/ec/DealMain.aspx?did=12537) US. Bass GAS is strong...

[jpfeifer]

Hi Tig,

After reading through your description of your ideal electric guitar I was thinking that we have similar tastes in guitars, in terms of liking the mellow-er sounding guitars that sound good finger-picked as well as played with a pick.

I agree with you about wanting to get the real Gibson if you can afford it. The Gibson ES-339 is a fantastic guitar. I may get one of these some day myself. They have a lot of the qualities that you mentioned here, but they are more in the $1700 to $2000 price range, although they are worth it in my opinion. They are really that good.

Another great guitar that I played some time ago was a Tele-style guitar from (from Fender) with P-90s instead of the standard Tele pickups. This guitar sounded very 335-like to my ears and I really liked it. You might want to check out the Jim Adkins Thinline Telecaster if you can find one. This is a great guitar with some very warm sounds, and also some great blues tones as well:
http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0262350538

I also agree with the mention of Godin guitars. I only recently discovered these guitars. I bought my wife a Godin classical guitar for a Christmas gift and I was amazed at the quality of their guitars, especially for the price. This is a great company.

Good luck in your search.
--Jim

[Duffy]

I agree, I like the Jim Adkins thinline Fender - but the P90s on it, real Seymour Duncans, are pretty noisy. I have played a couple of these several times and like them. I just don't really like the noise.

I did a set up last night on my fat tele, or whatever you call them - the ones with the full sized covered humbucker in the neck and the traditional bridge tele pickup. Man, it sounds great. It is one of my most versitile guitars. All three switch positions produce distinctly different sounds. The bridge pickup is quiet as is the middle switch position, even when playing thru my ultra high gain amp. The neck humbucker is silent and sounds great. One of these fat tele's or whatever they are called, could make a very nice versitile guitar for someone. The bridge pickup played clean sounds a lot like an acoustic guitar and the middle position is very nice, even for leads.

If you are only going to have one electric guitar for a while, a versitile one might be a good idea. The Gibson isn't a bad idea either. The strats with the better pickups are also totally nice, in my opinion, and somewhat versitille.

[Tig]

^ I think you meant the post to go to Sada Yairi.
http://markweinguitarlessons.com/forums/images/smilies/bigg.gif

[Sada Yairi]

Either way, we both read it!

[Bigcdizzle2011]

bottom line, I love the Wildkat, it is one of my favorite new designs, but the strat will have more versatility than either of the other two. So if down the road you want to expand your tones you'll be able to. also for that kind of money you should definitely consider the Fender Jaguar. Its small, light, incredible versatile, and it has some of the sweetest jazz and blues tones you can find anywhere. Plus Fender parts are easy to replace, and their customer service is incredible. You can't beat it.

As to the Godin's they are a beautiful guitar, the only downside I see is the upkeep. I hear horror stories about replacing parts, but in the event that that is not true, they are a great quality guitar for a working man's price.

hope this helps,
Chad

[Sada Yairi]

I finally managed to play a Wildkat the other day (very difficult to find in Sydney) and it was beeeeuuuudiiifuuuuullll. Loved it. And given what I want to do with it, it has all the tonal quality I'm after. Plus it looks so sweet! Played it through an Epi Valve Senior which I also loved (and am now trying to justify). The Godins are nice, but a much less practical option. Haven't played a Jaguar at all so far.

[Sada Yairi]

Incidentally, that was the first time I had played with P90s too. Much better and less noisy that I had expected.

[Sada Yairi]

Time to update this thread. After months of thoroughly enjoyable research, playing all sorts of guitars and amps, the Wildkat was my clear favorite. Of all the amps I tried (ss & tube) I found the Epi Valve Senior the most enjoyable. I found the modelling amps too complicated and difficult to use - really struggled to get tones I liked out of them. However, both the Wildkat and the Valve Senior were out of my price range (in Aus they both go for around $800). As such, I decided to wait on the guitar and keep playing my old Dot. I also decided that the best amp I could afford was the Bugera V22. Tried to organise a V22 but got jerked around by the music store. Happened to check out another store's website just for fun, and guess what? Due to a big sale with unbelievable prices, I have just ordered a Wildkat AND a Valve Senior!!!!! My ideal dream pair, and they're about to be mine!!!

[jtees4]

Godin!?

[Sada Yairi]

Looked into the Godins and they have some nice guitars. Problem is they have some not-so-nice prices! I liked their Montreal which was the sort of setup I was looking for (semi-hollow, single cutaway) but here in Aus it's $2600! The Kingpin is also nice, but still $1600 here.

[Katastrophe]

Looked into the Godins and they have some nice guitars. Problem is they have some not-so-nice prices! I liked their Montreal which was the sort of setup I was looking for (semi-hollow, single cutaway) but here in Aus it's $2600! The Kingpin is also nice, but still $1600 here.

You're looking at the "Signature Series" Godins. That's their top of the line, premium stuff. Keep in mind that all Godins are made in Canada and assembled either in Canada or the U.S. You are paying for North American craftsmanship. That's the justification for the high price, anyway.

The "Performance" line of Godins is much, much cheaper. It looks like they've really cleaned out the line, though. The LG series was awesome, and very well made. That sucks, because it was a great line. It looks like they're going for more Strat types and set neck LP (sorta kinda) types. I really liked the LG series. It was different than what everyone else had out there.

[Sada Yairi]

The Performance series Godins are significantly cheaper (though still starting at $800 in Aus) but I was looking for a semihollow, so the Performance series wasn't an option. To compare apples with apples, it was the higher-end Godins I was looking at.

[Duffy]

I have an Ibanez AS73 in trans cherry that is a good looking 335'ish type semi hollow, but, to my ear, the AS73 that I bought sounded and felt better than the DOT, Epi Sheraton, and a couple other semi hollows I tried out. It sounded like the Ibanez pickups were just plain nicer sounding than the others and the neck was really nice feeling, with the chords just falling into my hand.

If you haven't checked out the Ibanez AS73, in my opinion, it would be an excellent guitar to check out. There are a couple other AS models available as well that may be equally nice.

I have no idea what the prices on Ibanez guitars are in Australia, but I would think that they are definitely trying to stay in business - and you might find a deal.

Also those Squier thinline telecaster semi hollow guitars are nice in my opinion, and there is now a Classic Vibe Thinline in the series that I would think could be awesome sounding. Light and as good or better than the Fender MIM counterparts, seems to be the word in the reviews. Natural mahogany body and maple neck and a good set of pickups. True to the classic vibe series they seem to be super well accepted by experienced players. At 379US it is definitely a value guitar.

Whether it meets your requirements or not, I don't know.

[Sada Yairi]

I did look into the Ibanez AS series and AFS series, and (especially given their reasonable prices) I was impressed. I did prefer the Wildkat though, mainly because I wanted p90s and I prefer a singlecut. Just got word today that the Wildkat has arrived, so now I'm on the edge of my seating waiting to go and pick it up!!

[Duffy]

I did look into the Ibanez AS series and AFS series, and (especially given their reasonable prices) I was impressed. I did prefer the Wildkat though, mainly because I wanted p90s and I prefer a singlecut. Just got word today that the Wildkat has arrived, so now I'm on the edge of my seating waiting to go and pick it up!!

That sounds like a cool choice. Good luck with getting on that one. It sounds like these types of things are rare around you. You might want to get right on that without any delay. I hope you are able to get that one. Maybe calling the guy and asking him to hold it for you because you will be there at "x" time would be a way to hold it down until you can get there, without some passer by noticing it and grabbing it out from under you.

[Sada Yairi]

They're actually getting it in specifically for me - deposit paid last week. The amp has come in too, just waiting on the case. Surely can't go wrong now!

[Duffy]

What amp is it for that Wild Cat?

[Sada Yairi]

Epi Valve Senior. Just bumped this thread the other day with the update that I've finally put down money on the Wildkat and Valve Senior. After trying so many different guitars and amps over the last few months, they were my favorites and I finally managed to get them for a reasonable price. Both were around $800 initially which was too much, but thanks to a crazy sale they'll both be mine very shortly!!!

[Katastrophe]

A Valve Senior? Wow... I'd heard (or read, actually) about a lot of trouble finding those amphs. Congrats on both the guitar and amph, and post pics when it comes in!

[Sada Yairi]

Yeah, the Valve Seniors are hard to come by. Being discontinued hasn't helped! The original one I played with was floorstock that had been in the shop for a while. It sold not long after I tried it. The one they've brought in for me is from another store about 1000kms away. Hard to come by indeed!! It arrived yesterday so now I'm just waiting on the Wildkat case and I'm all set.