I have this bad boy tuned to drop B, stung with .012s. See the range available with the Jaguarillo is what's making it stand out to me atm, bucker in the bridge, two single coils for clean and tasty lead! A friend has a Blacktop Jag so I'll hopefully get playing it sometime soon, picked one up in a guitar shop a few times but I never had time to amp it up and properly play with it and they've none in stock atm. Played wonderfully though, I think I prefer the shorter scale. Played a Blacktop Strat around the same time and it just felt like it required so much more effort... As it's gonna be my main guitar the furthest it'll be dropped is drop D, unless we make the move to Eb. I've no idea what length the Washburn is but it holds the tuning just fine, being all locked up and wotnot so I think it'll stay in drop B for the foreseeable future. @Landy_Ed if I could afford to go to Glasgow to get a guitar I'd probably just put the ferry money into a nicer guitar tbh. Thing is I can't really afford anything at all, my dad's come into an unexpected grant and generously offered to get me something with it, I was planning on saving for a Jag anyway so it seemed fortuitous. I just happened to notice the Tremonti on ebay for around the same money and the voices started to whisper As for all the Les Paul advice, I agree there are some lovely lovely guitars available but the other guitarist in the band has one, it's a proper Gibson custom too, so I want something tonally that can cut through. He has an Epiphone Sheraton that compliments it beautifully but I don't get on with it.
yeah... drop-B then... still nice and low. I've done C# at some point, but quite frankly MUCH prefer D-G-C-f-a-d over everything else. I have gotten over 7 strings, though... I play waaay too little serious metal that needs that these days... and if I do, I want one of these: Yes, those are 8 strings. And yes, that neck is probably also a cricket bat.
@OCtober - that Washburn seems like a "metal" guitar... You play metal? If so, have a look at Schecter and Dean. Schecter is made in the same factory and by the same people as ESP, AFAIK, but costs a LOT less (a grand in GBP for a signature is CHEAP...)
No, no real metal, aside from the odd bit of messing about for fun, it belongs to the other guitarist in the band too, he's an Extreme fan We're going slightly heavier with the new material but still nothing I would classify anywhere near metal. Shecters are lovely too to be fair but my budget won't really stretch much beyond around £400 for the time being, which makes Fender the most attractive option in general with a 30% artist discount available.
Ibanez. They might not be the best guitars in the world, and are definitely no the "feeling" choice, but have a look at any non-GIO RG, play it for a bit, and fall in love. poun-for-pound, I reckon you'll be very hard pressed to find something better. After that, start saving, because the next step up is going to cost you...
I'm not a great fan of Ibanez stock pickups, so if you were to get one I would recommend switching the pickups for some nicer ones, depending on what you plan to play with it of course. I recently got a schecter C1-FR and it is beautiful to play and the quality of it is just amazing, so if you ever got chance to try a schecter then you should give it a go, though the price of them could be a bit high, but you never know what deal you might be able to do for one.
the best guitars i've played/own are my Gibson SG and my Ibanez RG. (due to feel and versatility). *let the bragging begin!* I also have an Ibanez Artcore which is good for bluesy stuff, an Ibanez Xiphos(which is decent for metal, but is outclassed greatly by the RG), and a DBZ Venom(DBZ was started by Dean Zalinski... the dude that started Dean guitars) with EMGs, and a Floyd Rose. Its great for metal, but not much else. also, a tip for when trying out guitars in case you didn't know... try to play through an amp that is as close to the amp you own as possible.
Must admit I love my Epiphone zakk wylde les paul custom its a beast of a Guitar great for rock and blues those EMG 25th anniversary pickups (same as 81 and 85's only with more oomph) on it scream sounds awsum through the marshall amp I have.
I am buying an Ibanez soon. It will have the zero point system so I can do things like Double string bends, break a string and not have to spend 39054396 years retuning. I honestly believe all other tremelo systems are pretty out of date due to the commitment of Ibanez to make the Floyd Rose type bridge have better tuning stability, Reduce wear on the Knife edges (In the case of the ZR bridge, no knife edges, just a shaft mounted on ball bearings). If pickups are an issue, I have a set of Bareknuckle Warpigs laying about which I can always slap in nbd.
THe issue with Epiphones is that they come in two classes: "A bit rubbish" or "so expensive that a Gibson just makes for a better buy" The thing about the 'nez standard pickups is true... the cheaper ones are a bit crap... but they start with decent pickups fairly quickly... those DiMarzio DeActivators are VICIOUS, and the DiMarzio IBZs in my RG Prestige are a thing of beauty... Pickups are something that most cheapo axes suck at, and as cuh you're likely to change them anyway... to Duncans/EMGs/DiMarzios/something else but equally expensive.
Ibanez absolutely rules the roost of floating bridges... even the non-ZR bridge on my RG2570 is GREAT. I tune that axe when I put new strings on it, and then never again. It's also perfect height for me, which is something i didn't like so much on the ZR bridge of my mate's S-Prestige. For those NOT playing with a floyd though (and no matter what, a Floyd is more work in general), a Tune-O-Matic and a stop piece, or string-through-body rules, and makes for some GREAT rock tones and sustain on the right woods. The "fender style" bridge, even on my beloved telecaster, has always sucked a bit for me...
Its going to be an Ibanez RG870QMZL-BI. Its a premium so it has the fit and finish of a prestige, but **** pick-ups. I've heard youtube reviews and junk and honestly, I will play it first before I start doing stuff too it. Like I said I have some bare knuckle warpigs laying about (They are literally the hottest, beefiest pickups I have but I love my 59' pafs in my 84' UGS1000). Same guitar as I want, but pink lmao. Comparison of Hi-impedance pickups. But remember you can always ring the guy up at bareknuckle and ask him for advice on the best pickup type/combination/wire/windings for your particular "sound" you want and he will try and optimise the pickup for the wood combo you have, and desire for a particular sound. That being said, its subjective as junk and its just like, my opinion man.
I really wish I liked Ibanez's but I just don't for some reason, and I think its the neck.. When i got my Tele I really wanted an MTM1, but something about the neck just put me right off, it just felt like there was nothing there, and then I recently tried an RG2627ZE Prestige, and again, something was just not there.. Fantastically built and designed guitars, but just not for me.. Give me an Explorer anyday
Even without, if I look at the prices on that site: http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_guitars_detail.asp?stock=11021012325458#ProductDetail RG370 with a ZR Floyd. http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_guitars_detail.asp?stock=11060711145229 ESP LTD Eclipse 330 if you prefer chunkier necks All the good advice aside, though... My mind is made up. Once I finished restoring what looks to be called "MILF" (a good quality Gibson ES 335 knockoff that was bought in '74), my next guitar will be one of these: http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Ele...l/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Studio-Silverburst.aspx Not because I like Les Pauls... only because I want THAT Les Paul more than any other guitar in the world right now...The possible exception would be a White PRS that I have a picture of somewhere, but it's private stock, so 15K in GBP...
Never really thought of myself owning an Ibanez, don't really tend to pick them up in a guitar shop. I will next time I'm in though! In other news it turns out that a guy in work owns a prs Tremonti so the whole issue may be moot! Really hope I like it... Although it seems I have plenty of options. No BC Rich love? Or has the world grown out of them? My friend has an acrylic (I think) Mockingbird and it's lovely, just a tad unloved and waaaaay too heavy.
BC Rich went all budget & effectively devalued their own brand, not that they ever appealed to me personally. When I was a beginner I had an Aria, but I used to lust after a decent Ibanez, right up until the other guitarist in the band I played in (in the 80's/90's) got one of their destroyers & I hated the sound. I tried out a Jem series but ended up with a Charvel 475 as the Ibanez feel kinda like the guitar equivalent of Honda - all sharpness with little in the way of subtlety, I can't properly explain it but they feel to me like they have little character or soul (I know, this sounds soft, but I can't quite put my finger on it). Not that this is a bad thing, as many people accuse active EMG pickups of this but my Charvel has Jackson branded EMG electronics & I like that for some things, just not for everything. <edit> you might say this makes them more of a blank canvas than many other guitars, like I say not necessarily a bad thing, but they definitely have a specific brand image. If you've ever played a handmade PRS I think you will be disappointed with the Tremonti SE, they really are worlds apart, but they do get a decent writeup generally - I'm probably just spoilt these days by having two very good electrics already. My most recent acquisition is a faith parlour electro which is just too shiny for words, almost plays itself.
Never had my hands on any kind of PRS so I'm definitely not spoiled by the handmade goodness! I did see a rather nice looking Mockingbird in a shop a couple of years ago, sort of a faux maple top (assuming faux as it was ~£200) would have definitely bought it if I hadn't just got the Washburn, far nicer guitar but I couldn't justify a third guitar at that point, especially when it was another budget model. I'll report back after I've had a go with the Tremonti, if it plays as nice as the Jag I'll more than likely buy one, there's actually a chance the one I'm gonna see might be up for sale
Just wanted to say that reading all these musings on different axes is great. I'm just learning and really have little experience with different brands. I bought a Schecter Omen-6 brand new but open box for $120 that is sweet for learning at the very least. If anyone were to post pics, I'd drool over whatever you have. @BentAnat One of my friends is totally in love with that silverburst Gibson as well. It is one sweet looking guitar!
An Omen for $120 is a good deal, though I have no idea how good they are...They are AFAIK made by ESP, though... and I have yet to play a bad ESP/Ltd. @Landy_ed: What you say about Ibanez is the truth. I NEVER wanted a 'Nez (for that same reason - the Honda of electrics), until I was having coffee with a mate of mine that worked at a music store. He showed me what he called "The Battleship". A textured Silver(!!) RG Prestige with a tight fitting case. I was like "Meh... whatever - don't like RGs...". He then plugged it into the same model amp I had just bought a few weeks earlier (A Marshall MG100DFX - the older model, not the new POS). It should be noted that by that time, I knew my mate was a KILLER guitarist, and could sell any guitar to anyone. So he plays this, and I am all "Well - the player aside, it SOUNDS good... but it's still an RG... boooorrrrrriiiinnnng". Then, as luck would have it, the phone rang, so my mate presses the guitar into my hands and picks up the phone. That day I spend 4 months salary (no joke) on that guitar, and have not had GAS (Gear Accquisition Syndrome - the "I must has this" diseases that musos get all the time) properly since. While an Ibanez can never take on most other axes in terms of "soul", "Character", "Feeling" or any other intangible like that (kinda like a Japanese car, then), I'll tell you one thing: That RG of mine is THE best guitar to have in my hands on stage. It's aboslutely confidence inspiring in all terms. The moment you pick it up, you know it's meant to be abused, played hard and fast. You know you can pick it up by the simple slide-in whammy without breaking it. You know that if you were to drop it, you could just pick it up again and keep playing. While I agree with the emotionless part about Ibanezes, even the fact that most of them are "Honda", I reckon my RG Prestige is more "Nissan Skyline". A bit boring perhaps, but when I am playing live, I want a guitar that does EXACTLY what I want when I want it. And that RG2570VSL (for those who want ot see the finish) delivers that in SPADES. For my next guitar, I want something with soul though, and that Gibson has that... Oh, and By The By: My one mate's dad has a McCarty PRS. It's a thing of beauty. Pity about the price tag (he paid 4K GBP for it... which is not a bad price), but it's bautiful to look at and play... it makes the one SE I played for about 24 seconds seem a bit rubbish... Not to mention the one Private Stock PRS I once got my hands on...
