Best guitar for my range??

Pacomc79

lucylespian wrote:

Yeah, ESP do the Edwards LP that put the real deal to shame.
The ltd modles range from cheap stuff to professional style gear like my Viper. All the ESP JApan stuff is superb build. Korea is very much now where Japan was 20 yr ago in terms of industrial development etc.
The Schecter stuff is pretty good. The young guy I teach got a Schecter Demon 6, cos it was the best value available. Humbuckers, 24 fret, nice neck, good tuners, nice upper fret access, and coolc satin black. I know it won't be made from the best tone wood in the world, but that is a much lower consideration for a first guitar. Stable tuning and playability are paramount for a first guitar.

Yeah, Vipers I think go for a shade less than 660 US here and already have EMG 81/85's installed. The ESP LP's come with either the 81/85 combo or if you get the sunburst I think it's got Seymour Duncan's in it so if active is not your thing they have you covered. Nice to buy a guitar with the common upgrades already done under a grand. Schecter even has a great semi hollowbody with some inpiration from the PRS Hollowbody 2's complete with acoustic bridge and everything for $700. It's no hollowbody 2 but damn it's 700 bucks.

That's what started my angst with some of Gibson/Fender/Kaman Music practices. Samick in Korea is building almost everyones korean stuff, if schecter spends a couple dollars extra on tone pros hardware good tuners and pro setups back in the US to ensure quality... why can't Fender and Gibson? They can easily, it's just not necessary for their bottom line because they can sell the name on the headstock. The same thing swayed me away from Marshall originally too.

I sold a lot of first time acoustic buyers Mitchells because they came with grovers and they held their tune well.

lucylespian

Pacomc79 wrote:

Yeah, Vipers I think go for a shade less than 660 US here and already have EMG 81/85's installed. The ESP LP's come with either the 81/85 combo or if you get the sunburst I think it's got Seymour Duncan's in it so if active is not your thing they have you covered. Nice to buy a guitar with the common upgrades already done under a grand. Schecter even has a great semi hollowbody with some inpiration from the PRS Hollowbody 2's complete with acoustic bridge and everything for $700. It's no hollowbody 2 but damn it's 700 bucks.

That's what started my angst with some of Gibson/Fender/Kaman Music practices. Samick in Korea is building almost everyones korean stuff, if schecter spends a couple dollars extra on tone pros hardware good tuners and pro setups back in the US to ensure quality... why can't Fender and Gibson? They can easily, it's just not necessary for their bottom line because they can sell the name on the headstock. The same thing swayed me away from Marshall originally too.

I sold a lot of first time acoustic buyers Mitchells because they came with grovers and they held their tune well.

Actually, I think they do the set-ups in the USA to convince the market of the guitars quality, not because Korea can't do it right.
Korea is leading the world in building supertankers, so I think they could probably build a guitar OK.
Guitars are so cheap for you guys anyway, and in a lot of ways Gibson/Fender etc are driven more by teh essential overwhelming conservatism of the guitar market than anything. Whenever they try something new, they get howled down and it never sells. People just want more of the same old, same old.
What I want as a standard on every guitar is locking tuners.

IDgotI

lucylespian wrote:

What I want as a standard on every guitar is locking tuners.

+1

Heck, I'd just settle for decent quality tuners. It's amazing how crap the tuners can be even on the low to mid instruments, even guitars that are otherwise tremendous. Ok.. ok... they are easy enough to replace... but it's such a pet peeve of mine. I actually have one of the Hamer Sunburst Archtop Quilt guitars Ian mentioned and I can +1 that too. It's an incredible guitar. Made to the exact spec of the amazing Hamer studio guitars. I swapped the pickups on mine for EMG and it's just wonderful. I have to get off my arse and change the bloody tuners however... I can't believe I haven't done it yet. They are horrendous. Ok... pet peeve venting done.

IDgotI

ianvomsaal wrote:

You should also consider what style of music you want to play, and remember that Humbuckers and Single-Coil pickups are completely different animals.
This is a great guitar for $479, and has a tone of great features Hamer Sunburst Archtop Quilt. Arched Quilted Top, Mahogany body, Rosewood
Fingerboard, Set Mahogany Neck, Humbuckers, Abalone inlays surrounding entire guitar, Mother-of-Pearl crown inlays, Tune-O-Matic bridge, Double Cutaway.

- Ian

+1

Absolutely true. An amazing amazing guitar for the money. Of course again the trick is to get a guitar that suits your individual tastes (and hands!) but this is one that should definately be tried in your price range. If it floats your boat is an absolute steal.

vinceinhiding

if you are serious about your playing, then you might think about digging on craigslist for a used american made guitar (strat or tele). A mid 90's model will probably go for slightly more than $600. I personally play a gibson les paul studio, which I know you can find for under 1k used. Buy used, save money, get a good tube amp afterwards.

PaulBrown

The best you can do is what you've already been told. Just go play every guitar you find in the store until you find one that "just fits". Guitars can't really be judged by price, or by model. All you can do is find what fits in your hands and the sound will come.

I bought my first guitar used from Long and Mcquades about 5-6 years ago for $100, and I wouldn't give it up for the world. I'll defend that acoustic to the death. I've yet to play anything that "just fits" as well as it does with me.

I've got a 1967 Fender Stratocaster(debatable) here, and I don't even like to play it. It just doesn't sound good to me when I play it. Not like the acoustic.

So just do yourself a favor, and play everything you can see until you find something that feels like it just belongs in your arms.