My simple reply to this post is easy. If you are loooking to choose a new axe for the cheapest money AND reliability and great sound, my choice would be the RG Ibanez. I am partial because I have 2 of them. You can get them with the Rose system and most of them come with a double humbucker at the neck and bridge and a single coil in the middle, with a 5 way switch.....totally versatile. The are lightweight and have the thinnest neck for fast fingering. The RG is the way to go and if you look carfully, brand new the are about 350-499, and if you get lucky you can pick 'em p off from EBAY for cheaper than that. Try the steelsoundmusic.com site it is based out of Seattle for a great selection