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Top 5 Best Guitars

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bemmis
Posts: 1602 - Karma: -3
Im thinking of getting a new guitar and i think im going to get a gibson sg but i was wondering what others i should consider?

I HATE FENDERS!!

I CAN ONLY SPEND $600
Oct 8 2007 6:57PM
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P.J.S.
Posts: 1782 - Karma: 11
Nice guitar, I love hollowbodies.  Only one downside to an electric hollowbody with F-holes is when a potentiometer (the electric part under the control knob) dies, you have to feed the whole wiring setup through the F-hole to unsolder the bad part and install the new one, then feed it all back in without scratching the finish.  Tricky business.
Oct 10 2007 1:13AM
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KLovelace
Posts: 2118 - Karma: 289
hmm that all sounded official and i didn't understand.. i taught myself how to play the guitar on a shitty ass little fake fender.. and then that thing(the eppi) was like the first thing i ever bought with my own money when i was 14.. or maybe 15.  anyhow its kinda silly cause i never plug it into an amp anyway. im too lazy so i just play it like an acoustic.. anyways.. i kinda wanna sell it and get an acoustic.. anyone wanna buy?!
Oct 10 2007 1:18AM
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PeteyG
Posts: 2946 - Karma: 49
67' Gibson Les Paul
Oct 10 2007 1:19AM
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P.J.S.
Posts: 1782 - Karma: 11
Keep it and buy an acoustic.  What kind of acoustic are you thinking of?
Oct 10 2007 1:19AM
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KLovelace
Posts: 2118 - Karma: 289
but i cant get money to buy an acoustic unless i sell it see.  i was actualy thinkin of stickin it safe and getting an epiphone acoustic electric, like john lennon's.  except this time sun burst, not blonde.  but i dono really.. i haven;'t put a great deal of thought into it.. i'm far too preoccupied with the looming ski season at the moment.
Oct 10 2007 1:23AM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
well now that this is just a guitar claiming thread, I may as well contribute.

'72 Strat, all original vintage electronics and pickups and everything. I play through a tweed Blues Junior, and it sounds so nice to my earssss
Oct 10 2007 12:11PM
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kingarthurs
Posts: 1126 - Karma: 10

i would love a nice gretsch, a country club maybe, so sick.  the best advice yet though was just to go to a guitar store and try out as many different guitars as possible for your price range, and just buy what feels and sounds best.

Oct 10 2007 6:49PM
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sk8almost13x
Posts: 498 - Karma: 10
any jackson is amazing =]
Oct 10 2007 6:51PM
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bemmis
Posts: 1602 - Karma: -3
ok. 
THE MOST IMPORTANT TRAITS TO ME ARE:

VERY LOW PROFILE FRETS
MATTE/ SATIN/ RAW/ NON-GLOSSY NECK
THIN, ROUNDED NECK
LOW ACTION
and prefferably not red, yellow, or black and with humbuckers instead of single coils, but i could go either way.

MY MAIN CANDIDATES NOW ARE:

gibson sg faded
gibson double cut faded
fender jaguar HH (only thing i dont like is that its glossy and black)
and for those reccommending ibanez, i like the necks and feel of them but from what ive seen and played, the frets are much too big.
Oct 10 2007 8:18PM
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KLovelace
Posts: 2118 - Karma: 289
PWAA that would be sick.  i love the gretsch-s
Oct 10 2007 10:49PM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 370
ehh i just have a cheap ibanez right now, im saving up for a epi sg 61 reissue though, and then putting an emg pickup in the bridge.
but since were claiming
ill claim my '47 martin acoustic
and
my friend's 62 duo-sonic
Oct 10 2007 11:20PM
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P.J.S.
Posts: 1782 - Karma: 11
Low frets can be put onto any guitar, if the frets are really as big of a deal as you make them out to be, get a competent repairman to do it for you.  I can do a re-fret in a little more than an hour, and I've only done about 20.  As far as the "low action" goes, that is relative to the guitar and how the guitar is set up.  Action is the combination of the string height, neck bow and saddle height, all of which are adjustable.  Just because a guitar plays like shit doesn't mean the guitar is shit.  Most guitars in guitar shops are played often and setup rarely.  A good setup can be done in a matter of 15 minutes.
Oct 11 2007 2:19AM
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bemmis
Posts: 1602 - Karma: -3
do you have any idea how much a fret change would cost? because ive been saying the sg feels like the perfect guitar for me aside from the frets which are a tiny bit too big.

and i totally know that different guitars feel different to differrent. i know most strats are really nice guitars, but they dont feel right to me, nor do the teles, but the sg, which is "worse" than many guitars ive played just feels so much better to me.
Oct 11 2007 8:59AM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
to each his own, man. I'd never buy an SG, I find them lifeless. But if you're into it, then by all means, get one! If you are OK with buying used, watch your local craigslist, there are lots of SG's on there for good prices, at least in my area. I got my Blues Junior on craigslist for $250, and it's over 500 in stores.

And when I had a refretting done, it cost me $175. I had it done at an expensive shop though. You're probably looking at ~150 bucks, if you can reuse the nut thats already on your neck.
Oct 11 2007 12:54PM
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P.J.S.
Posts: 1782 - Karma: 11
Well, it sounds like you know what guitar feels best to you, so don't take anyone's opinion on the matter.  They don't know what feels good to you.  If the SG plays the best in your opinion, has the tone you are looking for, and fits your budget.  It sounds like you made up your own mind.  My best friend plays a limited edition SG and loves it to death, I personally have never been a big fan of them.  But to each their own.  Gibson sells their Faded SG Special for a little less than $600.

Click for larger image
Oct 11 2007 1:00PM
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Swan_Solo
Posts: 2374 - Karma: 14
faded sg or flying v

kickass
Oct 11 2007 5:31PM
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bemmis
Posts: 1602 - Karma: -3
yeah, the brown one is what i had in mind.

also, do you have any idea what it would cost to switch out the frets on it?

and yeah, my 2 friends who play guitar didnt like it muck either but whatever.
Oct 11 2007 8:01PM
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P.J.S.
Posts: 1782 - Karma: 11
Umm, like was stated above, it would be around $100-200 depending on the shop, if you know someone it would be a lot cheaper.  I would only charge beer for something like that, I find it fun and I have every thing I need to do the whole job.  Just check out some shops and see what they would charge, if you find it necessary to get some low profile frets on a Gibson. 
Oct 11 2007 8:08PM
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bemmis
Posts: 1602 - Karma: -3
what tools do you need? how hard would it be to do it myself.
Oct 11 2007 8:16PM
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P.J.S.
Posts: 1782 - Karma: 11
You need: fret wire, diamond fret file, fret leveler, fret hammer, edge rounding file, sandpaper of a few higher grits (320,400,600) some 0000 steel wool, fret tang nipper, some tape to mask the fret board, a fret bender of some sort (can be done by hand, but is tricky,) a fret remover.  Then some glue either Titebond wood glue or some cyanoacrylate (superglue) That's about all I can think of right now, and it can be difficult at times, some fingerboards will chip when removing the frets and that will make another task of repairing those chips.  All in all, it's not too hard to do, but it's not something you want to experiment on your own guitar right away, and it costs quite a bit of money to get all the fret tools, at least $400 or so.
Oct 11 2007 9:39PM
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P.J.S.
Posts: 1782 - Karma: 11
I thought of a few other tools that are necessary.  Fret slotting saw to make the fret slots wider if needed to accomodate frets, a fret cleaning tool to remove old glue and or wood fragments.  check out www.stewmac.com for guitar tools.  They have a ton of stuff, that's where I got the majority of my tools.  Also, look up the "Guitar Player Repair Guide by Dan Erlewine"  Great book, lots of great information by one of the best repairmen in the business.  www.frets.com is also a great site with a lot of information by one of other best repairmen around.
Oct 11 2007 10:07PM
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josh.
Posts: 3469 - Karma: 42
esp makes some preety awsome guitars
Oct 11 2007 10:11PM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
don't refret your own guitar. not worth it.
Oct 11 2007 11:38PM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 370
pretty sexpensive though
Oct 11 2007 11:47PM
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bemmis
Posts: 1602 - Karma: -3
an easy solution to this i think would be to find a guitar that meets the criterea:

VERY LOW PROFILE FRETS
MATTE/ SATIN/ RAW/ NON-GLOSSY NECK
THIN, ROUNDED NECK
LOW ACTION
Oct 11 2007 11:51PM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
Can someone help me find a guitar? I have been looking for a nice electric as well. I don't mind frats, I just want something that sounds awsome for $500 or less.

My music style is sounds kind of like a mix between:

Smashing Pumpkins
Muse
The Mars Volta
Bloc Party
God is an Astronaut



I was eyeing a hollowbody, but I am not certain if it would be the best. I basicly know absolutely nothing about guitars other than what colors I like.

Help me out!
Oct 12 2007 12:33AM
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P.J.S.
Posts: 1782 - Karma: 11
Finding a guitar that you like is like properly buying ski boots.  Go try out as many as you possibly can to get the most educated decision you can.  Try plugging them into an amp similiar to what you play for the most accurate comparison possible.  Hollowbodies can be wonderful.  My Les Paul DoubleCut is semi-hollow, which makes is sustain so much more than a typical Les Paul.  Ibanez Artcores, are a cross between Jazz hollowbodies and straight up electrics, thinner bodies, more electric-type playability.  A lot of peope swear by them, and they fit your budget.  It all comes down to personal preference and what fits your style, and hands.  So just go out there and play as many as you can without being pressured by creepy music store salesmen.  Many of them work on commission and want to send you home with something.  Good luck!
Oct 12 2007 1:40PM
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bemmis
Posts: 1602 - Karma: -3
you should buy mine once i get my new one. (christmas or earlier)

its a natural epiphone dot. ill sell it for $300 with the case. ($400 for new guitar, $70 for the case)  it doesn't have a single flaw what soever.
Oct 13 2007 10:12PM
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2+2=5
Posts: 3676 - Karma: 18
perfect guitar for u

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-72-Classic-Telecaster-Thinline-Electric-Guitar?sku=510474

its a hollowbody and it'll give you that block party/muse/smashing pumpkins tone your looking for, plus its got humbuckers so you can put some heavy distortion. also check out the Fender 72 DELUXE edition, its pretty much the same but its not a hollowbody, think of it like a Les Pauls and Telecaster mixed into one. best of both worlds. i know its 699 but you can find it used on ebay or craigslist or kijiji.com

but the best thing you could do is go to your local shop and try and see what you like.


Oct 13 2007 10:21PM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
very good recommendation. in addition to what he said, you wont grow out of a tele and need a new guitar in a year or two, it's an investment you can make once and hold onto for decades.
Oct 14 2007 12:52AM
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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,142
Eat this, bitches: 1965 Gibson Semi-Hollow Jazz. And I don't even play guitar.
Oct 14 2007 1:03AM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
135? 137? 335?
Oct 14 2007 1:04AM
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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,142
I have no idea. Supposedly it's worth a shocking amount of money.
Oct 14 2007 1:07AM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
daaamnn that looks classy!


I really wish I had $700 to spend on a guitar. $500 is stretching it even :s
Oct 14 2007 1:22AM
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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,142
Pretty similar, not exactly the same. I think it's appraised at 7000ish.
Oct 14 2007 1:44AM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
how will I know if its similar to my amp? similar as in watts, or is there more to an amp than power?


Im positive I have a shitty amp. I bought it as part of a rental setup for like $200 total.
Oct 14 2007 1:52AM
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Swan_Solo
Posts: 2374 - Karma: 14
similar to the amp you're likely to use when playing anywhere
Oct 14 2007 6:20PM
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freeski1620
Posts: 5670 - Karma: 1,718
after playing many many guitars through out my life, i would tell you to get an sg.

and i have played a lot, a lot of guitars, both nice ans shitty.
Oct 14 2007 6:25PM
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josh.
Posts: 3469 - Karma: 42
ibenez
Oct 15 2007 12:17AM
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Summer_Sucks
Posts: 55 - Karma: 9
In that price range nothing touches fender IMO.
Oct 15 2007 1:59AM
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2+2=5
Posts: 3676 - Karma: 18
just search around ebay and other classifieds. check craigslist and kijiji.com (better than craigslist). you were asking about the mars volta/ratatat sound, thats all amp and affects. to be honest your amp has a lot more to do with your tone than your actual guitar. its better to spend more money on your amp than your actual guitar if you care about your tone. if you dont have the money to fork out on a nice tube amp and your only choice is solid state, go with peavey, their amps are pretty cheap and have technology to model the tube amp sound. plus most of the models dont have gay digital effects which is lame. i've heard good things about the Peavey Rage, Bandit, Envoy, amps (they are all in the Transtube line). avoid getting Spyder amps, they suck balls and everyone has them. Marshall is alright but i think they are overpriced. Vox is really good but they are pricey, same goes with Randall and Roland. But you might also wanna check those three out. But like i said GO TO THE STORE AND TRY IT YOURSELF!!!

you can google each bands equipment/sound setup if you want details on what pedals and amps they are using, that's always useful.

thats my 2 cents
Oct 15 2007 4:49PM
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bemmis
Posts: 1602 - Karma: -3
how are b-52s and orange's to your knowledge?
Oct 15 2007 6:32PM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
thanks bro!
Oct 15 2007 7:36PM
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bemmis
Posts: 1602 - Karma: -3
ive found that most ibanezs have rather large frets. do you know of any specific models with small frets?
Oct 16 2007 9:00AM
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2+2=5
Posts: 3676 - Karma: 18
ive never tried a b-52, and from what people have told me orange's are really good guitar amps, but again they are expensive as fuck.

if you think you sound like shit because your guitar/amp, you are absolutely wrong. my guitar teacher keeps on repeating that your favourite guitar icon can pick up your guitar setup and still outplay anyone out there. its all about practice and technique.

and when it comes to guitars, personally you shouldnt be buying ESPs, Ibanez, all those metal guitars. theyre too set on playing one genre of music (metal), you gotta stick with the original companies like Gibson, Epiphone, Squire, Fender,  Gretsch,  the list goes on and on. they are more versatile in playing different genres, and these companies still exist for a reason. they make good guitars.



Oct 16 2007 3:39PM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 370
sqier not so much anymore.
now they just cheap shit
Oct 16 2007 4:24PM
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P.J.S.
Posts: 1782 - Karma: 11
You couldn't be more incorrect than that.  If you honestly believe that, go grab a Strat and a Les Paul and plug them both in to a Marshall Stack and see what happens.  Tone comes from the GUITAR!  The amp just AMPLIFIES that signal.  Yes, an amp can emulate effects and other amps even, but the tone comes from the shape of the guitar, the types of wood the guitar is made from, the way the guitar is wired, the brand of pickups, and even the brand/size of strings on the guitar.  You listed some mediocre brands in terms of amps and guitars.  I would never reccommend anyone to buy a Squier...never.  For a little bit more, you could get something so much better, plus Squiers are bottom dollar anyways, you might as well play a guitar made of plastic with rubber bands as strings.  For cheaper amps that still put out a good sound, look at Fender, they have been in the business for a long fucking time.  They have amps to cover all genres.  I played a Fender Frontman 15 watt practice amp for 8 years because I didn't have the money for a better amp, and it's all that I actually needed anyways.  If you want to go drop a few thousand on an amp and play a shitty guitar, guess what?  Your sound will sound like shit coming through an expensive amp.  Enough said.
Oct 16 2007 5:24PM
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2+2=5
Posts: 3676 - Karma: 18
the reason why a strat and les paul would sound different is because the les pauls humbuckers and the strats single coils. yeah you're right, the wood and everything does make a difference, but it doesnt make as much difference as the actual amp. and squire is bottom dollar when it comes to most guitars, but they make really good bass guitars. when it comes to guitar upgrades, your amp should be always first, and thats not just me saying it, it's practically everyone i've talked to.
Oct 16 2007 7:00PM
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P.J.S.
Posts: 1782 - Karma: 11
An amp should never be first.  The guitar should be a part of you, the amp just accentuates that extenstion of yourself.  I have never ever heard of anyone ever putting their amp before their guitar.  I've been playing for just about 13 years now, it's just something that you don't do.  The chicken or the egg??  Guitar or Amp, the guitar obviously comes before the amp.  So why would you save money and buy a lower quality guitar and then spend that money on an amp?  Rationally, you wouldn't.  Buy the guitar that calls out your name from the wall, when it's in your hands it should sing to you.  Regardless of the cost, that is the guitar for you.  An amp is relative, it's based on what sounds you are looking for, your budget and a myriad of other variables.  Lesson here, your guitar is a trillion times more important that your fucking amp. 
Oct 16 2007 7:05PM
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2+2=5
Posts: 3676 - Karma: 18
exactly, and that "sound your looking for" is called tone


i know what you mean by buying that one guitar that stands out amongst them all, and i think you're right, everyone deserves to play the guitar that they've always wanted. the whole amp before guitar idea is hard to agree on since its very contradictory to what most people usually do. going guitar shopping is a lot more fun/amusing than amp shopping. buying a new guitar is more exciting than buying a new amp.
Oct 16 2007 7:13PM
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