Guitar Advice Welcome

[Hellerad]

I'm looking for a new electric guitar. I've played irregularly for 16 years and have recently become a more more active player. I currently play a Telecaster Standard and a SG with Seymour Duncan Vintage Blues 59s, but I'm having issues with the neck and may have to gut it and buy something new. (Edit: I also have a Fender Strat (Mexican), which I rarely use.)

I play mostly alt-country (which the telecaster handles nicely) through a 20w Orange terror head and blues rock through a VOX 60w valve combo, so I was thinking about investing in a Gibson Les Paul Studio Deluxe II. But I wanted to open things up for suggestions from GOTs guitar players.

My budget is $900-$1300 (£550-£800). A solid body would probably work best with the home recording I do, but I'm not adverse to a semi-hollow body. Also, I'm not very concerned with frills, so I don't care if something has a AAA flame top. Finally, I can gut my SG and put those Seymour Duncan 59s in whatever I buy if the electronics aren't exactly wonderful, but for $900-$1300 I hope to avoid that.

With all of that said, suggestions!?

P.S., I already have sawdust, but thanks for the thought.

 

[Groucho]

Semi hollow tele?

 

[corben]

Have you tried the PRS's ? not sure on the prices though.

 

[Groucho]

Have you tried the PRS's ? not sure on the prices though.

I always think they look like show pieces rather than instruments.

Having said that I've never played one.

I love strats, and am partial to an ES-335. Had a Les Paul 13 years ago, didn't get on with it.

 

[Garrick]

If you would've been in the market a month ago you could've bought my Yamaha RGX-A2. I sold it already

Anyway, I'm not much of a guitarist myself. Drummer by trade. But I've always been a sucker for Gretsch stuff. Their guitars and their drums sound fantastic and are well made.

They're mostly famous for their semihollows. They have solid bodies, too, but I know very little about those.

 

[Hellerad]

@Groucho I like the sound and feel of the semi-hollow teles, but I already have a solid body tele, so I've sort of pushed them from my mind.

I've only played Epiphone ES-335s but if I go the Gibson route, I'd be dropping 3 grand. I may give a Sheraton a test drive this weekend and see how I like it.

I forgot to mention I have a Mexican Strat, but I never play it. Its versatile, but I could never get the tone I wanted out of it (probably because its a Mexican).

 

[Hellerad]

If you would've been in the market a month ago you could've bought my Yamaha RGX-A2. I sold it already

Anyway, I'm not much of a guitarist myself. Drummer by trade. But I've always been a sucker for Gretsch stuff. Their guitars and their drums sound fantastic and are well made.

They're mostly famous for their semihollows. They have solid bodies, too, but I know very little about those.

The Gretchs in my price range sounded very thin through my amps. I'm not sure if that is a product of Gretch's pickups or the amp, but it put me off a bit.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

I bought this one just over a month ago, and I can't put it down. Fender Strat (Mexican) HSS, here's the link if you're interested, on the lower end of your price range. I did a ton of research before buying it.

http://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-standard-stratocaster-hss-2011-brown-sunburst-maple/52994

The fact its got two single coils and a humbucker makes it incredibly versatile, played through my Fender Mustang II you get some very decent sounds out of it, and I've not even experimented all that much. Maple neck because Maple plays beautifully.

 

[roydo]

My lad has all but one of my guitars ffs. Black Jap Strat, Gibson(Epiphone) acoustic, my 30 year old cheapo acoustic, (£60 back then), but beautiful sound. pfft

 

[Garrick]

I like the sound and feel of the semi-hollow teles, but I already have a solid body tele, so I've sort of pushed them from my mind.

I've only played Epiphone ES-335s but if I go the Gibson route, I'd be dropping 3 grand. I may give a Sheraton a test drive this weekend and see how I like it.

I forgot to mention I have a Mexican Strat, but I never play it. Its versatile, but I could never get the tone I wanted out of it (probably because its a Mexican).

Most people I know with Mexican Strats end up replacing their pickups. Ends up sounding like a completely different guitar.

The finish and the electronics I think are the two big things they skimp on MexiStrats. One doesn't matter if you're not on stage, and the other is fixable for a lot less money than a Yank Strat,

 

[Hellerad]

Most people I know with Mexican Strats end up replacing their pickups. Ends up sounding like a completely different guitar.

The finish and the electronics I think are the two big things they skimp on MexiStrats. One doesn't matter if you're not on stage, and the other is fixable for a lot less money than a Yank Strat,

That might actually be an idea. I have binned my Epiphone Les Paul to the attic because it was made so cheaply (bolt on neck, [Poor language removed] tuners, etc.) that I deemed it unworthy of spending money on upgrading anything. I've been treating my Mex Strat the same way, but it would probably be worth $200-$300 to stick some EMG pickups in it and see if that livens it up. What concerns me is how little sustain it had. It just sounded dead, which I guess I assumed meant it was the cheap construction.

@Groucho Do you have any advice for a moderate electronics upgrade for a Mexican Strat?

 

[Garrick]

That might actually be an idea. I have binned my Epiphone Les Paul to the attic because it was made so cheaply (bolt on neck, [Poor language removed] tuners, etc.) that I deemed it unworthy of spending money on upgrading anything. I've been treating my Mex Strat the same way, but it would probably be worth $200-$300 to stick some EMG pickups in it and see if that livens it up. What concerns me is how little sustain it had. It just sounded dead, which I guess I assumed meant it was the cheap construction.

@Groucho Do you have any advice for a moderate electronics upgrade for a Mexican Strat?

It'll probably help with the sustain a little bit just because they'll (theoretically) be more sensitive and pick up the vibrations longer.

I dunno, sustain issues don't come up much in my circles. I also play punk rock.

 

[Groucho]

@Groucho I like the sound and feel of the semi-hollow teles, but I already have a solid body tele, so I've sort of pushed them from my mind.

I've only played Epiphone ES-335s but if I go the Gibson route, I'd be dropping 3 grand. I may give a Sheraton a test drive this weekend and see how I like it.

I forgot to mention I have a Mexican Strat, but I never play it. Its versatile, but I could never get the tone I wanted out of it (probably because its a Mexican).

My Japanese strat sounds like an SRV sig model - the Mex sounds a little wooly.