New Guitar
present_tense
Posts: 121
Well, im in the market for a new guitar, im thinking a price range of 600-850$, possibly 900. I currently play a epiphone les paul, which is just a little better then a beginners guitar...so , im feeling Id like to move up the ladder and play something a bit better. The problem is, i have no idea where to start. Could anyone describe the sound difference between what I play and say a REAL gibson Les Paul? I was thinking an SG as well, and possibly a reverend guitar. Obviously I need to try these out before I buy them, but any advice from other guitar players would be a nice thing 
the oceans made me, but who came up with love?
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From experience... get your arse down to some big guitar store, one that sells lots of different makes and play all the ones that catch your attention (hint leave the money at home or you'll buy the first thing you fall in love with!)
Personally i swear by Ibanez and Jackson guitars
As an example of the difference between expensive guitars and cheaper versions (based on the difference between the Ibanez JS1000 that I own and a JS100 I tried out)
firstly about £900 in cost difference! but you can feel the difference in quality right away, the JS1000 plays more easily, it weighs less and the neck is smoother and the back of the neck is a different shape. Also the finish seems better on the more expensive model.
There are additional controls on the JS1000 and it has a higher quality tremolo, better pick-ups and u cant beat the knowledge that you are playing a top of the range guitar.
I bought mine because it was my 'dream guitar' when i was learning to play some 12 years ago - it took me about 9 years to finally get it and i will never part with it.
whats important is you get something that makes you feel good to play, ive owned £300 2nd hand guitars that have been wonderful to play - and i've played £1000 guitars that i hated, its all down to your personal preference.
one of my mates has a cheap fender copy that has been fitted with top of the range active pick ups and a quality tremolo etc and he's painted it his own way and has a totaly unique kick arse guitar - just another idea!
hope i have been of some help, have fun looking around and playing everything you see!
finally check out http://www.harmonycentral.com
giz a shout if i can be of more help
take it easy dude
all4
I'd still recommend going to them and playing everything though!
all4
as paulus2112 said, Ibanez & Jacksons are very good guitars, a friend of mine has a late 70's Ibanez Artist hollowbody and it is without doubt one of the nicest guitars i've ever played, and the tone is monstrous. but that is a very high end instrument. if wanted the equivelent now, £1500 more near abouts.
I say check out SG's, as you are obviously on the Gibson side of the fence anyhow. dont bother with Jackson unless you want to play metal. some of the Ibanez are really good value for money. any high end bit of kit is gonna set you back some cash whatever you get. i dont think any of the Jap/ Korean guitars hold there value.
go down the shops and rinse every guitar they have. then you'll know.
wear a pink shirt and go down the boozer
Lots of Epiphones come outfitted with Grover tuners, most of the gibsons under 3 grand, still come with ridiculous horrid "vintage" kluson plastic button crap.
It's basically what looks, sounds, and feels good to you, and how much you like to have a name on the headstock.
There are good units out there at every price range.
I'd suggest at the price range you are in check out the Epiphone Elitist line, as well. They are made with the proper woods and tuning machines by very skilled luthiers (in Korea, probably built by the Samick corp) and if you want to upgrade the pickups and electronics you can easily do so close to budget. They lack the super thin nitro finish, but urethane is not to bad obviously it's not too thick on the Elitist series. The thinner the finish the more the wood can react and effect the sound, when you have good wood you want it to resonate.
http://www.epiphone.com/elitist
while you're at it, play a few Schecters and Reverends if you get the chance too.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/s=electric/search/detail/base_pid/518405/
$699 seems decent for an epi elitist les paul to me...
A week or so ago, I was at my friend's music store. He got in a whole pile of Les Pauls, Heritages (Which are really nice too, by the way) and a few Epiphones. I set up guitars for him when they come in, in trade for trips to the wine store.
That Elite is REALLY a nice guitar. It was almost like an upgraded Les Paul Standard!
It has Grover Tuners on it, and nice smooth electronics. The pickups were damn good. It sounded great and the neck was perfect for my hands. I was thinking of picking one up,,, like I need another guitar!
He's selling them for $750 bucks.
The only difference I think there might be, is that the Maple top might not be the 1/2 inch thick as a Les Paul. I haven't checked yet. (I have to yank a pickup out to peek) The regular Epi Pauls have thinner maple, which can result in a darker tone. The Mahogany is darker, so the maple, being more dense and hard, brightens the tone a bit. It all depends on the individual guitar anyway, no matter whether it's a high end Paul, or an Epi.
Someone up there said NEVER go to a music store and buy. I just about ALWAYS buy at a music store. If a good local store is giving you the opportunity to play and try out a lot of guitars, and maybe giving advice to you, I'd rather pay a little bit more for the guitar and support them. Any time you form a human relationship about something to do with your craft, you'll get better service if something goes wrong, set ups, and upgrades if you need.
Each guitar sounds and feels different, so you might like one in a store, and when you save a little bit online,,, the thing may not be "The One".
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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I just ran across an Epiphone Zeypher blues with 3 P90's in it. It was a sweet hollowbody. They said it was laminate, but I checked and it was solid wood. The thing was only $349.00 bucks used but somebody bought it while I was looking at some other guitars!
I haven't tried the Z-90's yet. I have one, but haven't put it into anything yet. I've been using Fralins. I should get me one of the telecaster sized ones to try. I asked Lindy if he could make one, and he say's he may try.
All the sudden I've been fixing and upgrading guitars for people. I seem to be sliding into a new low paying, labor of love, side career!
Good luck wiring those pups into a dot! That's an art getting to those contols!
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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That's what I hear, perhaps more trouble than it's worth. Plan B is a Gretsch Electromatic Hollowbody, the one with the Dearmond 2K's. It's a pretty cool little blues box too.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/517730/
The Gretsch Historics are really nice. They're cheap, they only made them for a couple of years if that, and they are really well made.
as a matter of fact,,, I just looked, and this is the same one I have:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Gretsch-Historic-Series-G3161-Electric-Guitar-w-HSC_W0QQitemZ7369819512QQcategoryZ33041QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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locking tuners?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-Epiphone-Elite-Les-Paul-05-Brand-New-VSB-NR_W0QQitemZ7369198506QQcategoryZ33037QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
You can buy it now for only $150 more than Musician's friend! :eek:
It IS a really nice guitar. You should check one out.
Also , Present Tense,, what is it you don't like about your Epi?
Did you ever think of a pickup and control change, and some tuners and hardware? The one you have now might just be screaming for a bit of upgrade. If the neck and body and frets are good and what you want, then maybe some new things on it may get you what you want!
The oriinal pickups and tuners on those things weren't anything to write home about, but they're easy to change. A couple of Duncan 59's and new pots and capacitors, and some new tuners may help a lot for about $300 bucks or so.
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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No locking tuners.
You know, though, I've had maybe who the hell knows,, 100? guitars in my life.
I only have had locking tuners on my PRS and my Deluxe Strat. But that's because they came with them.
I never felt a huge need for them. I don't like crappy tuners with a lot of movement, like on cheapo axes.
I guess I just grew up good at stringing!
If you string'm right, they stay in tune pretty well.
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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"Japan is awesome; the fans there knew all the words to all the songs...at least phonetically." - Stone
"I know this song so well, I can smoke a cigarette, have a drink, brush my teeth, take a shit, and mow the lawn while singing it. But I'll only be doing a couple of those things during this version." - EV
I'm lazy, I want pull lock and cut.
oh and if we're talking SG's the Elite line has that 61 SG for 800 something, and then the gibson SG Classic with P90's is around 850, solid guitar but again I hate klusons...see above (pull lock and cut hell planet waves has some that even cut for you, must be my american heritage