Buying a second guitar.... unsure about what to get.

Consterock · Guest

Hi there Ive been looking around for opinions on guitar brands, Im after a guitar that has a good range of sounds, bright and clean... but Im not looking to pay silly money for it and Im in the UK.

I like to play alot of metal(Metallica, Pantera ect) so Id want one that can offer that heavy sound too.

I started off thinking that Epiphone would be a good choice but alot of comments Ive read have changed my mind...

Jackson seem to be very popular but too expensive for the good models(please let me know if Im wrong about that) and Im not looking to break the £200 mark.

Ibanez on the other hand seem to have many fans and from what Ive seen good prices too.

I think Im going to go for an Ibanez then, Ive seen a model around the £150 mark that looks ok seems to have alot for the price.

http://www.piedog.com/search_results.html?txtSearch=Ibanez&rootdept=&page=1

I was looking at the Ibanez GRG170DX is that a good sounding guitar or would I be better off aiming a little higher?(better model?)
Or maybe someone has a better suggestion(different brand?) in this price range?

btw... Are "jumbo frets" helpfull(does it make playing easier) or is there another reason for them?

Thanks guys hope some of you have some advice for me.

lee_UK · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:15 am Post subject:

Pick out a better model Ibanez, i have a S470 DX, its a very nice guitar,
if i were buying i would see what £200 gets me on ebay in the SA range.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-SA-series-Electric-guitar-Excellent-condition_W0QQitemZ270083943276QQihZ017QQcategoryZ33043QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

glw · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:13 am Post subject:

Check out a few Washburns too!

youngwasp · Got Rhythm Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 71

The level of quality of 'budget' guitars has risen dramatically over the past couple of years and the range of instruments is quite astonishing.

I bought one of the limited run worn cherry Epiphone studio firebirds last week and for the money it is without peer. Limited runs will always increase in value, so has the potential to at least hold its value. It was just short of 300 quid.

Having said that, if your budget is inflexible I recommend the Schecter Blackhawk - much cheaper than your budget if purchased without the powerblock;

http://www.soundcontrol.co.uk/mod_1/pages/mod_1.12/pages/mod_1.12.1/pages/mod_1.12.1.1/pages/index.php?sku=1.1.1.1.1-64-293

lee_UK · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:32 am Post subject:

youngwasp wrote:

The level of quality of 'budget' guitars has risen dramatically over the past couple of years and the range of instruments is quite astonishing.

I bought one of the limited run worn cherry Epiphone studio firebirds last week and for the money it is without peer. Limited runs will always increase in value, so has the potential to at least hold its value. It was just short of 300 quid.

Having said that, if your budget is inflexible I recommend the Schecter Blackhawk - much cheaper than your budget if purchased without the powerblock;

http://www.soundcontrol.co.uk/mod_1/pages/mod_1.12/pages/mod_1.12.1/pages/mod_1.12.1.1/pages/index.php?sku=1.1.1.1.1-64-293

Funny you should say that about Firebirds, i was looking at them myself last week, ive always fancied a Firebird VII with the full maestro trem, Gibson have just reissued them, they sell for £1,000 in the US, but here they cost £1,600, you cant buy one from the US and get it shipped because of the Gibson restrictions on Worldwide distribution. I was seriously thinking about getting one when i read a scathing review,
The buyer didn't think it was worth the money, and marked it down on finish playability and sound, i started looking at the Epiphone version, which does look very nice, mahogany neck and body, 3 mini humbuckers, which i bet are Gibson because Epi are not going to make mini humbuckers for a limited run guitar, i'm gonna have to find a local shop that stocks it and give it a play.
Was that Epi Studio you bought the model with humbuckers or mini-humbuckers?
The Epi version of the Firebird VII is £350, a long way from £1600.

youngwasp · Got Rhythm Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 71

Twin alnico's. Shopping around drops it below the 300 quid barrier, however it is very difficult to get, Epiphone currently can't meet demand.

http://www.guitarvillage.co.uk/product-detail.asp?id=3738&catid=3&manid=24&quantity=1

There is also the sunburst version out there on the shelves, but I just wasn't that attracted to it - don't like sunburst.

There is a review of the worn cherry studio in the latest Guitarist which is very accurate. It is very responsive, not as heavy as the Gibson and build quality is very comparable - remove the Epiphone badge on the headstock and replace it with Gibson and at a distance you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference (not three miles away through binoculars either). Excellent buy.

I also bought an Ibanez Artcore AS103NT, the link shows the actual one I bought.

http://www.soundunlimited.co.uk/products_html/AS103NT-12-01.html

The suggested build quality of this is quite misleading. The pickguard was actually quite flawed – the cutouts around the body screws were very shabby and I have requested a replacement. In addition, the neck has a minute but annoying flaw on the neck that detracts from the smoothness – but apart from that, it is easily as good as models four times the price.

Consterock · Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 8

Thanks for the replys guys... so its worth picking a better model then?

Lee I had a look at what Piedog has for the SA series...

http://www.piedog.com/musical_instruments/guitar/electric_guitars/electric_guitars/ibanez-sa120_bk.htm

Quote:

The SA was designed for players who want the mahogany tone and curved comfort of the S, but with a standard flat back, and a traditional tremolo with advanced features. It's a combination that works as the SA is one of the highest demand ibanez models.

It sounds like its a better model but is it going to give me a heavy sound(heavy metal sound) when I need it?

Oh and thanks youngwasp for that link... would you recomend that guitar over an Ibanez of that price range?(I'll be honest Ive never heard of Schecter, are they as good as Ibanez?) is there two Humbucker pickups on it?(from what Ive read the more the better - like the Ibanez I mentioned in the first post, it has 2 humbuckers and a normal pickup in the middle of them... offering a wider range of sounds or is this not necessarly true/better?)

Well Im still a bit confused here... guess I am a bit of noob, but all of this should be worth it when I switch from my old Strat Copy made in India or somewhere to a high quality guitar(its about time I did).[/quote]

lee_UK · Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:58 am Post subject:

That one looks OK, it would be ideal if you could try it out first, the only problem i can see with it id the lack of a single coil pickup, for versatility try and get one with 3 pickups, and check out ebay for a used one.

youngwasp · Got Rhythm Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 71

Oh and thanks youngwasp for that link... would you recomend that guitar over an Ibanez of that price range?;

Never heard of Schecter? Are you some tree-dwelling hippie living behind Tesco's attempting to stop development of a tiny wood?

On balance, which is better for the money. Personally Schecter every time, no question. Attention to detail, build quality, value. I have five Schecters of varying value and every one is an exceptional piece.

If you can get to a Sound Control, they usually have a fair range to mess with. I tried the Blackhawk before Christmas and it is worth twice its current marked price.

Consterock · Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 8

Lee Im sure I could get a cheaper price on e-bay but I just dont trust it, oh and I dont want to end up with a guitar thats worn out.

How do you guys rate the EPIPHONE GOTHIC G-400?

I think my choices are between:

The Blackhawk

http://www.soundcontrol.co.uk/mod_1/pages/mod_1.12/pages/mod_1.12.1/pages/mod_1.12.1.1/pages/index.php?sku=1.1.1.1.1-64-293

The Ibanez-SA120

http://www.piedog.com/musical_instruments/guitar/electric_guitars/electric_guitars/ibanez-sa120_bk.htm

and possibly the Gothic G-400(unless someone tells me it should be avoided)

http://www.thomann.de/gb/epiphone_gothic_g400.htm

They all seem to be in the same price range but which one is the best sounding guitar out of those 3?

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