Guitars you are/were blown away by...

[mystixboi]

Let's post pics about guitars that we hoped would be great, but when we got them, they just blew us away.

I got this Ibanez AZTQM a few weeks back. It blows my mind each time I play it! I've owned a ton of Ibanez guitars including Jem's, UV's, countless Prestige and Premium models, but this guitar absolutely takes the cake.

I had the AZ Premium in espressoburst. It was great, but this spoke to me more. I bought this without playing, but I have zero regrets. Fit and finish is amazing!!! It has so many versatile tones and the play-ability is effortless.

While the Jem's and Prestige models were great, this is just on a whole new level. It's like a grown up version of Ibanez.

What about you?

 

[Tone Ranger]

I washed pleasantly surprised when I got a guitar on a trade. Local guy wanted to trade me his guitar from r a power amp. I obliged and after a though cleaning/setup it turned out to be a really nice axe. It is a Cort G290 from 2003 and it looks like it had never been played.

 

[paulyc]

Chubtone. Best guitars I've ever played. I have 2, getting ready to order a third...yes I have a problem. lol

You can see pics of them on his (Curt's) website. These guitars ended my search for the perfect 80's strat style, it's what I looked for from USA Charvel/Jackson, Kramer, ESP, GJ2, Splawn, etc...for years and never quite found, until now.

 

[Jack Luminous]

My Trussart Steelcaster Redstar. Just awesome in every way !

 

[maddnotez]

Is that the AZ242BC model? Looks nice.

For me the best guitar I have played is the Charvel in my picture. 2005 Pointy Reissue. Perfect neck, put a MCP in and it sounds perfect.

No fancy colors and I guess I could swap the floyd for a hipsot but this thread gives me GAS.

I want to try a Chubtone and also a Tom Anderson.

A lot of those are out of reach for me. Any high dollar items I would have to get via sweetwater but that Ibanez does look nice.

 

[PBGas]

Last year, I bought a Fender masterbuilt Tele relic with a Floyd Rose from an old friend who is a collector. He bought the guitar new and it literally just sat in the case unplayed since 2009. I never thought I would love a Tele as much as this one. I recently had Fred Gabersek from Freddy's Frets install stainless 6100 frets on it and it plays even better then when it was new! Even though it is a weighty guitar, I can play the thing for hours in total comfort.

 

[Markedman]

GR4 Steinberger by John Bazzano, on Flickr

I still love this guitar more than the rest of my guitars. I can play anything on it!

 

[MetalHeadMike]

PRS Holcomb (Korean). Had low expectations but when I got it home found out what a great playing/sounding guitar it was. Only returned it because the frets were already showing significant wear after three days of playing it.

Pretty blown away with the fit finish on a Mayo Qatsi Duvell I grabbed a couple months ago. Great tone and plays really well too. Just a solid solid metal axe.

 

[spguitar]

I was extremely shocked at the new Epiphone Lee Malia Explorer. The only bad thing about the guitar is the tuners. Replacing them soon.

 

[mystixboi]

Is that the AZ242BC model? Looks nice.

Thanks... it's actually the Tom Quayle model

 

[Detroit1973]

I was always a Super Strat or Fender style guy....Then I got my first Explorer which belonged to Jeordie White of Marilyn Manson, Then i got a back up 1992 or 1993 Explorer & it set me off on the Perfect Gibson hunt. I finally found my perfect LP which i still own.

 

[Rdodson]

Before I flipped it, I had a 2008 Gibson CS '58 Korina Explorer for about 3 days.

A-mazing. Couldn't have weighed more than 7lbs. Resonant, fat-ass neck, sustain forever. Sounded like the biggest mythical Telecaster ever created. Thor would play this guitar.

 

[rottingcorpse]

I had a bunch of USA Washburn dimes and USA custom built Dean MLFs when I got with Brent Gutierrez to have him build me an ultimate version of these guitars with all his tricks. Neck thru,carbon fiber rods down the neck,stainless steel frets...etc.

After I got my hands on it,I quit buying guitars. That must have been at least 7 years ago. But that just left available monies to fund amps. Only broke that cycle 2 years ago. Still the best playing and sounding guitar I have touched or owned.

 

[mooncobra]

I am not a PRS guy at all, but my god, this thing plays absolutely effortlessly, sounds huge, and has a lot of awesome tones in it and also has GREAT single coil tones. It plays as well as any super strat I have had. The pickups are awesome, touch sensitive, yet totally defined. Brazilian rosewood neck/fretboard, just a seriously bad ass guitar. Got it in a trade, and ended up LOVING this thing. I like heavier rock, and this guitar delivers for heavy stuff.

check this, fast forward to about 230 to hear sounds. he is playing through some prs amp, but I am rocking this thing through a KILLER friedman, and it kills!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9WP55ZIM6w&t=195s

 

[stratjacket]

I've had many that blew me away or surprised me. I bought a Sweetwater special Satin Black PRS CE that is amazing and I have several that I love, but the one guitar that I've just had forever and fits like a glove is my Ibanez PGM 301 with a Dimarzio Evolution bridge and Humbucker From Hell in the neck. It may sit in the bookcase for a while and then I break it out and every single time, it re-blows me away, complete with dirty fretboard and everything...

 

[ClintN667]

I bought a Solar S1.6 with stainless frets and it surprised the hell out of me. I had previously bought a couple 2.6 models which were good for the price range but I actually feel like I ripped Ola off on this one.

 

[sivad]

I had a first run floral Jem that was a great player and sounded good--wish I had it back..Have a 79 LP custom like Randy Rhoads played that is a keeper..

 

[mchn13]

this Hapas v I got in a trade late last year. just a killer metal guitar and rings like a tuning fork, and plays crazy easy. ive never owned anything this nice. I think its the only one like it in the world too. just nuts.Hapas v. by steve moore, on Flickr

 

[Emg77]

Killer on all levels! Tone, playability, looks, versatility!!! Very pleased!

 

[dvoricci]

I play mostly LPs, but A buddy of mine has an ESP endorsement, so I snagged one of these Jh-600 sigs a few years back. It’s still one of the best playing guitars I’ve put my hands on. I swapped out the pick ups, and it rips.