The old theory seems to ring true after all...

[grunge782]

I'm so sick of dealing with these tuning/buzz/playing problems on sub-par guitars. I'm looking for a good HIGH gain, HIGH QUALITY guitar, pickup straight to volume pot thats it. I'm willing to spend up to about 1500. I need your guys help.

I want some EDUCATED advice about some guitars out there that fit this criteria. I want a guitar with:

6 string, 24 frets

Great intonation and a very solid truss rod

High quality standards for testing

No shapes that hurt you or are hard to balance, I don't mind crazy shapes but if they dig into you or fall over I can't have that (No V's sorry)

Fixed bridge, HIGH quality tuners (schaller, gotoh, maybe grover if it works well enough for people)

High quality nut, no crap plastic that shreds away from bending your fucking string

No damn neck or fret problems, I believe there are higher quality fret materials out there to use.

I want this thing to LAST. I'm simplifying my rig for now. THEN i can mess around with the crap stuff.

Pickups don't matter, I'm switching it anyways

There are horror stories of Gibsons and PRS guitars, even ESP. Price isn't the object here, its about what the guitar can actually do and PERFORM GREAT. I'm sick of listening to hype and I want people who actually have been around the block to test whats out there ( the "lesser" AND "more" stuff) before they give an opinion. Once guitars start costing more than great amps, I feel stupid and ripped off for materials that CLEARLY did not cost that much to make. Let's be reasonable and smart about this.

 

[glpg80]

i speak from experience.

standard series ESP's are where its at. not LTDs.

everything you mentioned and then some. i dont know the neck profiles you like to play, but if you like the thinner type i seriously suggest looking to an upper end ibanez prestige series as well. im sure others that have played them can back me up on this.

ive owned peavey wolfgangs and they are excellent as well at doing exactly what you said. i DO NOT recommend ibanez jem models simply because there is much better out there. i owned one for roughly 6 months and that was the worst $2,000 i ever spent. sounded great when in the store, got it home and the tone was terrible, as was the sustain when plugged into REAL gear.

if you are wanting someone to suggest a one all be all guitar for you, there really isnt much we can do - only you know what you like the most. however, these are from my experiences with playing alot of guitars over 10 years. i wont purchase it if it doesnt satisfy me 100% in every category.

 

[crwnedblasphemy]

Well....I have one Ibanez that will never leave my possession, but I have tried so many other Ibanez models that fell so short. So after about 7 years of searching to find one as great as mine, I abandoned that comp.

If 24 fret is the thing....i would probably recommend Musicman Petrucci, or a Charvel 750xl.

I am sure a lot of guys will say SUHR here, but I haven't played one...so I can't say.

You are right though...get what you pay for sometimes when it comes to axes. My buddy has 6 guitars and finally scored a MINTY Musciman Axis for $800 on CL....man it was a score...now he never touches his other crap. lol

 

[Greazygeo]

Any of the Ibanez Prestige (Japan) guitars are very nice. Under a grand....Schecter makes killer stuff. Blackjack and Hellraiser series come to mind.....higher end stuff I like Tom Anderson.

 

[grunge782]

i speak from experience.

standard series ESP's are where its at. not LTDs.

everything you mentioned and then some. i dont know the neck profiles you like to play, but if you like the thinner type i seriously suggest looking to an upper end ibanez prestige series as well. im sure others that have played them can back me up on this.

ive owned peavey wolfgangs and they are excellent as well at doing exactly what you said. i DO NOT recommend ibanez jem models simply because there is much better out there. i owned one for roughly 6 months and that was the worst $2,000 i ever spent. sounded great when in the store, got it home and the tone was terrible, as was the sustain when plugged into REAL gear.

if you are wanting someone to suggest a one all be all guitar for you, there really isnt much we can do - only you know what you like the most. however, these are from my experiences with playing alot of guitars over 10 years. i wont purchase it if it doesnt satisfy me 100% in every category.

See here is the problem. I had an Ibanez Prestige and I was pretty unhappy with it compared to an Indonesian made one for 400. No idea why I liked the feel of the 400 dollar one more

I have also had a friend who had an ESP and actually ended up liking the LTD he had more. What EXACTLY separates an ESP from an LTD for you?

And I agree with your theory on not purchasing it if it doesn't satisfy everything. Problem is after my Ibanez incident I feel like there are no standards on what to judge it by, everything feels like it is so luck of the draw for me.

 

[grunge782]

Well....I have one Ibanez that will never leave my possession, but I have tried so many other Ibanez models that fell so short. So after about 7 years of searching to find one as great as mine, I abandoned that comp.

If 24 fret is the thing....i would probably recommend Musicman Petrucci, or a Charvel 750xl.

I am sure a lot of guys will say SUHR here, but I haven't played one...so I can't say.

You are right though...get what you pay for sometimes when it comes to axes. My buddy has 6 guitars and finally scored a MINTY Musciman Axis for $800 on CL....man it was a score...now he never touches his other crap. lol

The Petrucci felt great when I played it, I'll def keep that in mind.

 

[grunge782]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfnHaPrD ... re=related

Been watching these videos. What do you guys think, is this wrong or right? I mean he does actually own some nice guitars so he has a basis for forming an opinion.

 

[Jordon]

There are horror stories of Gibsons and PRS guitars, even ESP.

Sorry, just got a kick out of how it came across: "Gibson and PRS, and EVEN ESP!!!!!!!!1!!111ONE"

You're gonna have horror stories with every guitar manufacturer at some point. Though I'm curious of the PRS horror stories that stand next to the debacle that has been Gibson for the past few years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfnHaPrD3lQ&feature=related

Been watching these videos. What do you guys think, is this wrong or right? I mean he does actually own some nice guitars so he has a basis for forming an opinion.

Dude, don't ever let anyone tell you what guitar is right for you. Just go out there and play as many as you can. Take suggestions, sure, but take them for what they are: other people's opinions.

 

[grunge782]

There are horror stories of Gibsons and PRS guitars, even ESP.

Sorry, just got a kick out of how it came across: "Gibson and PRS, and EVEN ESP!!!!!!!!1!!111ONE"

You're gonna have horror stories with every guitar manufacturer at some point. Though I'm curious of the PRS horror stories that stand next to the debacle that has been Gibson for the past few years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfnHaPrD3lQ&feature=related

Been watching these videos. What do you guys think, is this wrong or right? I mean he does actually own some nice guitars so he has a basis for forming an opinion.

Dude, don't ever let anyone tell you what guitar is right for you. Just go out there and play as many as you can. Take suggestions, sure, but take them for what they are: other people's opinions.

PRS guitars tried using ebony fret boards but the machinery snapped it like twigs because it takes real hands to put it in correctly. And I think they are overpriced for the materials. There are much better options in that price range.

ESP there aren't really horror stories that I know of but it drives me nuts that I would spend around 2000 on a guitar only to like a 800ish LTD guitar more.

And to be honest, I don't think having "horror stories" about every guitar company just puts them all on an even playing field. How the company handles it, how usual it is, the severity of the problems are factors.

I agree, I have to try guitars for myself, but I am trying to whittle away guitars that have no chance of me ever liking them based on the criteria I said.

You can objectively look at certain specs of guitars to at least get a basis, what hardware, wood, nut, neck, standards of inspection and such for judgement. I'm trying to gather information from other people's opinions to strengthen my lack of experience. I'm not going to go out and spend thousands of dollars a week trying new guitars. If I try a guitar, it has to be on my rig and I have to play it for at least a couple of days.

 

[glpg80]

ESP versus LTD = wood quality.

i can feel the necks of each blindfolded and be able to tell you which is which. the REAL standard series guitars are $1500 and have amazing build quality to them.

of course, everyone is going to get bad experiences. these are just recommendations. i can not (and will not) recommend something that i have not personally played or owned for enough time to give a steady opinion.

best regards on your quest for an axe. best thing i can recommend for you to do is find a store that has a very vast collection, and spend a day in heaven.

-matt

 

[ke2]

ESP versus LTD = wood quality.

i can feel the necks of each blindfolded and be able to tell you which is which. the REAL standard series guitars are $1500 and have amazing build quality to them.

of course, everyone is going to get bad experiences. these are just recommendations. i can not (and will not) recommend something that i have not personally played or owned for enough time to give a steady opinion.

best regards on your quest for an axe. best thing i can recommend for you to do is find a store that has a very vast collection, and spend a day in heaven.

-matt

Agreed. I have an ESP Eclipse, and I can`t fault it on a single thing.
It took some getting used to playing TOM bridges, but apart from that, everything is as it should be.

Most companies will have lemons, I even remember danyeo not liking a Suhr (IIRC), and Suhrs seem to be highly regarded by the majority.
Sometimes you just don`t click..

 

[Greazygeo]

See here is the problem. I had an Ibanez Prestige and I was pretty unhappy with it compared to an Indonesian made one for 400. No idea why I liked the feel of the 400 dollar one more

An Ibanez Prestige with the 5 piece neck should have been rock solid....both mine (RG1820X and RGA121) after the initial setup / adjustments, never moved. Low action, stayed in tune and intonated fine.

Are you having your guitars setup or just playing them as is? If you aren't having the gtr's set up by someone that knows what they are doing, you'll probably never have success with anything....doesnt matter whether its high or low end if you don't keep them properly adjusted, they will not be good.

 

[glpg80]

See here is the problem. I had an Ibanez Prestige and I was pretty unhappy with it compared to an Indonesian made one for 400. No idea why I liked the feel of the 400 dollar one more

An Ibanez Prestige with the 5 piece neck should have been rock solid....both mine (RG1820X and RGA121) after the initial setup / adjustments, never moved. Low action, stayed in tune and intonated fine.

Are you having your guitars setup or just playing them as is? If you aren't having the gtr's set up by someone that knows what they are doing, you'll probably never have success with anything....doesnt matter whether its high or low end if you don't keep them properly adjusted, they will not be good.

+1 on setups.

ive owned moody guitars that once you set them up properly, its got character all its own to the point you will never want to put it down. if its not setup properly i'll fight the guitar not noticing it, and then wonder why after an hour of playing im tired and worn out. with the prestige models, the build quality are supposed to be as stupid as their action is low. its the most perfect guitar if i've ever played one. i can set the action right on the frets and get little to no fret buzz. to be honest i actually had to raise the action a hair last time i did a string change because it was so low, i couldnt get a grip on bending or controlled note vibrato.

with that being said all the guitars i play i setup myself. if you havent had them properly setup and playing on store-quality or factory quality setups, they will all play sub-par.

 

[chunktone]

I wouldn't waste my money on Gibson or PRS***! You really should checkout Carvin guitars. I love my TL60.

http://www.carvin.com

 

[HerbieTheRadDorklift]

Carvin is a good choice.

I don't know how much PRS are out where you are, but Custom 24s are also very nice.

 

[Jordon]

There are horror stories of Gibsons and PRS guitars, even ESP.

Sorry, just got a kick out of how it came across: "Gibson and PRS, and EVEN ESP!!!!!!!!1!!111ONE"

You're gonna have horror stories with every guitar manufacturer at some point. Though I'm curious of the PRS horror stories that stand next to the debacle that has been Gibson for the past few years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfnHaPrD3lQ&feature=related

Been watching these videos. What do you guys think, is this wrong or right? I mean he does actually own some nice guitars so he has a basis for forming an opinion.

Dude, don't ever let anyone tell you what guitar is right for you. Just go out there and play as many as you can. Take suggestions, sure, but take them for what they are: other people's opinions.

PRS guitars tried using ebony fret boards but the machinery snapped it like twigs because it takes real hands to put it in correctly. And I think they are overpriced for the materials. There are much better options in that price range.

ESP there aren't really horror stories that I know of but it drives me nuts that I would spend around 2000 on a guitar only to like a 800ish LTD guitar more.

And to be honest, I don't think having "horror stories" about every guitar company just puts them all on an even playing field. How the company handles it, how usual it is, the severity of the problems are factors.

I agree, I have to try guitars for myself, but I am trying to whittle away guitars that have no chance of me ever liking them based on the criteria I said.

You can objectively look at certain specs of guitars to at least get a basis, what hardware, wood, nut, neck, standards of inspection and such for judgement. I'm trying to gather information from other people's opinions to strengthen my lack of experience. I'm not going to go out and spend thousands of dollars a week trying new guitars. If I try a guitar, it has to be on my rig and I have to play it for at least a couple of days.

I've heard several horror stories about ESP, and no, saying that every company has them does not put them on and even playing field. PRS, for me, has been an upstanding company, and are much more worth the cash than a Gibson or Fender, with EBMM being the only company I have come across in a mass-production capacity to stand next to the consistency of PRS. Again, this is what I have found. By the way, every major company uses "machinery" to build their guitars. In fact, the company I just interviewed with today (won't divulge the name at the moment) does almost everything with CNC and they only use ebony for their fretboards. I have worked in the guitar manufacturing field in the past, and I'm hoping to get into it again, so I have a very good understanding of the construction and theories behind what makes a "good" guitar. I don't mean to sound like a condescending ass, but I find that PRS bashing (really, all bashing) usually comes from those who know very little about the company, or only have experience with the SE models and maybe one or two US models. The SE models, by the way, are excellent for the money, and I use one as one of my main live guitars.

By the way, I do own a Gibson, a few Fenders, an EBMM Stingray, and several other guitars of higher and lower quality. I've played selections from many, many, many companies.

 

[kasperjensen]

I dont see why people are bashing PRS either... I have had my Custom 24 for a while now, and its a bloody excellent guitar. I also have Gibsons, Fenders, Ibanez and so on...
But as with all guitars... they need setting up for YOUR playing, which is where I think a lot of people dont spend enough time.

 

[Jordon]

I dont see why people are bashing PRS either... I have had my Custom 24 for a while now, and its a bloody excellent guitar. I also have Gibsons, Fenders, Ibanez and so on...
But as with all guitars... they need setting up for YOUR playing, which is where I think a lot of people dont spend enough time.

Yup. Can't expect even the nicest guitar on the planet to play just how you like it right off the rack...especially in GC's, where the employees fuck with them. There was a baritone in the GC by me a few years back, still strung with the stock bari strings.....but tuned to standard! The guitar was fucked up, and the employee I was talking to just kinda chuckled and shook his head when I told him it was supposed to be tuned B to B.

 

[grunge782]

See here is the problem. I had an Ibanez Prestige and I was pretty unhappy with it compared to an Indonesian made one for 400. No idea why I liked the feel of the 400 dollar one more

An Ibanez Prestige with the 5 piece neck should have been rock solid....both mine (RG1820X and RGA121) after the initial setup / adjustments, never moved. Low action, stayed in tune and intonated fine.

Are you having your guitars setup or just playing them as is? If you aren't having the gtr's set up by someone that knows what they are doing, you'll probably never have success with anything....doesnt matter whether its high or low end if you don't keep them properly adjusted, they will not be good.

I had the guitar setup by 3 different professionals because of the problems I was having with it in comparison to the cheapo one. I'm not saying Ibanez Prestige's are not good, its just strange if I end up picking a much less expensive guitar because of its feel.

 

[grunge782]

There are horror stories of Gibsons and PRS guitars, even ESP.

Sorry, just got a kick out of how it came across: "Gibson and PRS, and EVEN ESP!!!!!!!!1!!111ONE"

You're gonna have horror stories with every guitar manufacturer at some point. Though I'm curious of the PRS horror stories that stand next to the debacle that has been Gibson for the past few years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfnHaPrD3lQ&feature=related

Been watching these videos. What do you guys think, is this wrong or right? I mean he does actually own some nice guitars so he has a basis for forming an opinion.

Dude, don't ever let anyone tell you what guitar is right for you. Just go out there and play as many as you can. Take suggestions, sure, but take them for what they are: other people's opinions.

PRS guitars tried using ebony fret boards but the machinery snapped it like twigs because it takes real hands to put it in correctly. And I think they are overpriced for the materials. There are much better options in that price range.

ESP there aren't really horror stories that I know of but it drives me nuts that I would spend around 2000 on a guitar only to like a 800ish LTD guitar more.

And to be honest, I don't think having "horror stories" about every guitar company just puts them all on an even playing field. How the company handles it, how usual it is, the severity of the problems are factors.

I agree, I have to try guitars for myself, but I am trying to whittle away guitars that have no chance of me ever liking them based on the criteria I said.

You can objectively look at certain specs of guitars to at least get a basis, what hardware, wood, nut, neck, standards of inspection and such for judgement. I'm trying to gather information from other people's opinions to strengthen my lack of experience. I'm not going to go out and spend thousands of dollars a week trying new guitars. If I try a guitar, it has to be on my rig and I have to play it for at least a couple of days.

I've heard several horror stories about ESP, and no, saying that every company has them does not put them on and even playing field. PRS, for me, has been an upstanding company, and are much more worth the cash than a Gibson or Fender, with EBMM being the only company I have come across in a mass-production capacity to stand next to the consistency of PRS. Again, this is what I have found. By the way, every major company uses "machinery" to build their guitars. In fact, the company I just interviewed with today (won't divulge the name at the moment) does almost everything with CNC and they only use ebony for their fretboards. I have worked in the guitar manufacturing field in the past, and I'm hoping to get into it again, so I have a very good understanding of the construction and theories behind what makes a "good" guitar. I don't mean to sound like a condescending ass, but I find that PRS bashing (really, all bashing) usually comes from those who know very little about the company, or only have experience with the SE models and maybe one or two US models. The SE models, by the way, are excellent for the money, and I use one as one of my main live guitars.

By the way, I do own a Gibson, a few Fenders, an EBMM Stingray, and several other guitars of higher and lower quality. I've played selections from many, many, many companies.

PRS is worth more depending on what you get. However, what they use the machinery FOR is what matters, of course all guitars use some machinery, but PRS is ALL machinery made. Once a guitar company starts charging 15,000 for a guitar http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=531047
I'm sorry I don't trust them or want to buy anything from them. And for the price I would much rather have a Music Man or a Parker.