Post: #1

I've got some money burning a hole in my pocket and I'm looking to buy a new guitar. My main style is metal and hard rock but I love all kinds of music.

I'm thinking either a new Jackson V PDX-2


or a Dean Deceiver Les Paul style guitar with a floyd rose.



These 2 are about $700 each. What do you guys like?

Post: #2

learn to shred!!! chicks like tacky, goofy stuff: a polka-dotted motherfucker will impress them

Post: #3

Airline by Eastwood guitars. $879

Post: #4

(05-11-2013 06:26 PM)iknowexactly Wrote:  learn to shred!!! chicks like tacky, goofy stuff: a polka-dotted motherfucker will impress them

That's Randy Rhoads playing his polka dot V.

There's a new PDX-2 V that's polka dot as well. It's the Phil Demmel signature model. It's about $800.

Post: #5

My epiphone sheraton II was $1000 AUD, but I'm pretty sure they're under $700 in the USA and UK
http://magazine.dv247.com/wp-content/upl...ton-ii.jpg

Post: #6

I play mostly heavy music and I've been using an Ibanez S Series for years.

Post: #7

Made in Japan fender telecaster.

Post: #8

Anything from the Ibanez RG series. Prices go from under $500.00 to over $1,000.00, but most guitars from that series are under $1,000.00. They are the only guitars that feel right to me and it's amazing how much better I am when I am playing a guitar from that series.

Post: #9

Are you totally against getting a used guitar? Craigslist is the place to find gear. Lots of quality gear that, albeit used, is still in great playing condition.

Post: #10

Good luck finding a lefty for under a grand. I did own a Martin All Pro Mahogany. No finish. The sound was out of this world. Fuck you righty's.

And a Gibson ES-335. Beale Street Blue. 3K for that axe.

Post: #11

(05-11-2013 06:39 PM)Parlay44 Wrote:  

(05-11-2013 06:26 PM)iknowexactly Wrote:  learn to shred!!! chicks like tacky, goofy stuff: a polka-dotted motherfucker will impress them

That's Randy Rhoads playing his polka dot V.

There's a new PDX-2 V that's polka dot as well. It's the Phil Demmel signature model. It's about $800.

Good recommendation. Man, any electric guitarist that doesn't know who RR is, well, Ozzy really knows how to pick the nasty mofos. He could really play.

Post: #12

RR was who made me pick up the guitar in the first place. That said, a V or offset V is better as a second or third guitar. you want something you can sit and play comfortably. I only play reissue les pauls now, but if i had to buys something new under $1k...i would grab one of the new Charvel guitars. very nice to play. check them out.

Post: #13

Definitely check out ESP. I love their guitars. I have this one:



It's unique looking, sounds fantastic and plays great when you're sitting down but the headstock is too heavy. It throws off the balance of the guitar and you have to hold the neck up when standing otherwise it points at the floor. Hard to get used to and I feel like my playing is slower as a result.

My old roommate had an ESP that was either an H or MH series and it was a shred monster. Great guitar. Would've bought it off him in a heartbeat except for the hideous sunburst finish. He traded it in for an American Strat. Fenders are good blues guitars but sound and play like shit as metal guitars.

I also have an Ibanez RG series 7 string. The thin neck is badass for shredding but the paint job sucks ass and the tiniest scratch will cause the paint to flake. The main problem is it has a Floyd Rose which requires a ton of maintenance and it goes out of tune all the time. I'll never buy a guitar with a Floyd Rose (or any other tremolo) again. You can make cool shred noises but tremolos are a gigantic pain in the ass, especially if you break a string on stage.

Used to have a Jackson RR flying V too. It looked badass and played well. I wound up never playing it because you can't easily play sitting down and I like to sit when I practice. It sat in my closet and I sold it after like 6 months.

Steffen Kummerer from Obscura plays a sick guitar. It's a custom guitar from a Polish company called Ran Guitars. No clue how they play or what they cost but I love the shape.

Post: #14

@Parlay44
Are you learning to play?
Is there a type of metal or hard rock sound you are looking for?
Get a guitar with fixed bridge unless you really must have a wammy bar to play stuff from guitarist such as Dimebag Darrell (Pantera) etc. A guitar with fixed bridge is more likely to have better tone and sustain and be easier to tune instead of a guitar with floating bridge. If you must get a guitar with a floating bridge, get one equipped with an original low profile floyd rose or a high end Ibanez low profile edge. It's been a while since I was shopping for a guitar with floating bridge but those two were the most stable & reliable I found. Don't get a guitar with a cheap floating bridge, you will regret later.

Ibanez guitars are usually very playable. My Ibanez RG 7620 seven strings is real sweet.
I have been looking at the Ibanez RG8 which is an inexpensive 8 string ($400) and the Agile 8 strings (also around $400). I haven't played those two yet but I have seen some positive reviews (for the price). The Agile is nicer looking but the Ibanez can be tried at the store. Mail order guitars can be good but is best to play the guitar before you buy.

Guitars of the same model can sound and feel different. It's best to bring a guitarist friend to the store when you buy your first guitar. Your friend can look at the quality of the fretboard and try all the frets. You should also play and compare the guitars to see which one sounds and feels better.

Do you have a guitar amp? One option is to get a cheaper guitar (low end Ibanez RG or other used instrument) and buy an inexpensive tube amp (used bugera combo - 6262 or 333xl) and some pedals (tuner and tube screamer) with the rest of the money. or you can buy a more expensive guitar if you are going to have more $$ for the amp soon.

Lately I have been using digital VST amps for practice. The Lepou VSTs sound pretty good and are free but you will need a low latency sound card with instrument input. Assuming you already have a decent computer, a sound card is much cheaper then a real amp but you have to know a lot more to get a good tone. VSTs can be good while you save $$ for a real tube amp.

Strandbergs are my favorite expensive sweet eye candy guitars.

I agree with Spader, the first guitar should be comfortable, easy to play and operate.

Post: #15

(05-12-2013 03:19 AM)EsperZebrah Wrote:  @Parlay44
Are you learning to play?

Nahh. I've been playing for a looooong ass time

(05-11-2013 07:47 PM)Vitriol Wrote:  I play mostly heavy music and I've been using an Ibanez S Series for years.

I've had a few Ibanez guitars. I really want to like them. They look great and play ok for the most part. But everything everyone says in this thread is true. The tremolo sucks and goes out of tune. I think it's because it's a licensed floyd and not an original floyd.

In my experince, they play nice and have a decent lead tone but sound like a cardboard box on the rhythm side. They have no chunk or bottom end to them.

My friend upgraded from Ibanez to Jackson and never looked back. He raves about his Jackson V with the original floyd that never ever goes out of tune. He says he can leave it in the case for a year and it'll still be in perfect tune. That's one reason I'm looking at Jacksons.

(05-11-2013 08:25 PM)Gopher Wrote:  Are you totally against getting a used guitar? Craigslist is the place to find gear. Lots of quality gear that, albeit used, is still in great playing condition.

I'm ok with used. I scour craigslist all the time. You never know what you're going to get though. People mod and butcher them all the time. You have to know what you're looking at.

(05-12-2013 03:19 AM)EsperZebrah Wrote:  Do you have a guitar amp?

I have a Hughes and Kettner half stack. It's an Attax200 series that's blue and fuzzy. It has a tube pre-amp and 2 solid state power amps. It's sounds great plus with the two power amp outputs I can power 4 cabinets with the same head. One day

I've had lots of amps over the years. I'm a huge Hughes and Kettner fan. I also like the Marshall Valvestate amps. I'm also a fan of the older Ampeg amps. They have a nice older Pantera type of sound to them. Very metal.

Post: #16

ESP LTD EC-400VF

Post: #17

Maybe a used Les Paul or a new Mexican Strat?

Post: #18

(05-12-2013 09:35 AM)Parlay44 Wrote:  Nahh. I've been playing for a looooong ass time

Ha! my post was pointless

Have you played Carvin guitars? They seem sweet.

Quote:I have a Hughes and Kettner half stack. It's an Attax200 series that's blue and fuzzy. It has a tube pre-amp and 2 solid state power amps. It's sounds great plus with the two power amp outputs I can power 4 cabinets with the same head. One day

Nice, I have been looking at a stereo setup as well.
Something like in this video but with Ubertar pickups and two output channels for simplicity.




I'm more of a power tube fan but I'm starting to appreciate the practicality and tone of solid state specially when messing with divided pickups and digital stuff. It's funny to watch a tiny Electro Harmonix 44 Magnum power a 4x12 cab.

Quote:I've had lots of amps over the years. I'm a huge Hughes and Kettner fan. I also like the Marshall Valvestate amps. I'm also a fan of the older Ampeg amps. They have a nice older Pantera type of sound to them. Very metal.

Yeah, that Pantera tone is quite nice and unique. I haven't heard anyone else like that.

Lately I have been hooked on the tone of gojira's latest album.

As for lead tones, the Boogie Mark IIc+ and Bogner Ecstasy are my favorites.

Post: #19

Got one of these for $300 back when I was still in high school. It's trapped in Canada (I don't like moving guitars between continents), but it's still my favourite, as I like to do a lot of lower neck work on acoustic guitars.



Ibanez Talman

Post: #20

I recently purchased 2 Squier Classic Vibe guitars, a tele and strat for less than $1000.

Made in China but the quality is amazing!! Would Recommend.

Post: #21

Epiphone Sheratons are around $500, sound and feel awesome, pretty much the same thing as a 335