I need help choosing a new guitar

[Ell]

There are 4 guitars I have in mind:

Save up for a Gibson Les Paul

Get this Epiphone http://www.guitarbitz.com/437.htm

Save up for a Fender strat (probably Mexican since it's cheaper)
or
Build or buy a Westone Dynasty.

Anyone got any advice or anything about any of the guitars?
I really love the look of the Epiphone (appart from the inlays), since it's a red les paul with the black scratch plate and I think that looks really cool. But a Gibson would play much better right? I don't like the look of many of the cheaper Gibsons i've seen and I'm gonna have to look at it all the time, I also can't get one from America since the shipping charges would cost too much.
With Fenders my tastes are a bit specific, I prefer white or cream bodys, h-s-s pickup configuration and maple necks so there aren't too many of the exact ones to my tastes around. For that I would have to wait a while till I saw one.
And I'll never be able to find a Westone Dynasty to buy and I might make big mistakes in building it.

I haven't got all the time in the world to save up either, we have gigs coming up and recording pretty soon and I'd like to have a new toy to play with for them

[skezza]

Dont always go for the obvious. Charvels are good! and theres loads on ebay

[Tommy]

Although i voted for the Gibson LP, Id say check out some other guitars aswell... Maybe some of the higher-end Ibanezes, used Charvels, Dean, Washburn, Maybe an ESP, or LTD... All excellent guitar-manufacturers. Of course, it depends on what style of music you play, and what features you want on a guitar.

[Paul Wolfe]

Having recently purchased a Gibson Les Paul, I would recommend that 100%

Mine is a "Studio" so it doesn't have the binding, but it has a comfortable neck, perfect action and it sustains for days... as for the tone, I couldn't ask for a better tone.

Having said that, I would buy Charvel strats as often as possible... the early '80's single humbucker models are nearly perfect guitars. I've owned four of them and they were all excellent. They have the most comfortable necks I've ever played and they sound amazing.

[Ell]

The reason I haven't included Jacksons, Charvels and Deans and other great guitar companies is because at the moment I play a Jackson, and I love it, it's so comfortable to play, perfect for certain things. But I'd also like something completely different. Perfect for other things.

I definately am not only looking at non 'shredder' guitars, since the Westone is there which is a pretty crazy guitar, but I'd really like a guitar completely different in sound to what I'm used to, and I think my next guitar might as well be that one. Why wait you know?

I also think it would be a nice fresh sound to use for some songs, rather than always the same kind of guitar sound that is with the songs at the moment. I know Fenders and Gibsons are generally opposites in tone, but I like the unique sound of both of them, which at the moment, would be completely fresh and different to my ears.

I hope you understand now why I am looking at the Les Pauls and Strats.

[Stiltzkin]

build your own

[Ell]

build your own

I've thought about that

I would only make the body because everything else would be too hard, so just buy the rest. But if I did something wrong it could end up totally unplayable.

[Trigger]

Go for an LP think about how great they look slung around Randy, Slash & Jimmy Mr Zeppelin.

[Paul Wolfe]

the main difference you'll find, tone-wise, between the Les Paul and a Jackson is that the Gibson will generally be warmer and the Jackson will generally be brighter sounding. That is based on the wood - Gibson uses mahogany, while Jackson usually uses alder. (Here is a good place to learn about the sound characteristics of different woods.) The fact that they both use humbuckers gives them a closer sound to one another.

The Strat obviously will be a more significant departure in sound, due to the single coil pickups.

If you are looking for a different sound for songs, etc. I'd suggest the Strat. Keep in mind that Strats have more radius tp the fingerboard than a Gibson or a Jackson which makes them a different beast to play. Richie Blackmore once said that Strats are the most difficult guitars to play because of this. Personally I never thought much of it, but I can definitely tell the difference between my LP and my strat when playing in the higher registers. This is partially from the fingerboard and partially because of the amount of wood at the heel on a bolt neck compared to a set neck.

Try both out at the guitar store before deciding, even if you plan on buying online. A bit of research before-hand will save a lot of headaches later.

[The Flying Dutchman]

Hey Ell,
I would go for the Gibson Les Paul. It will also keep it's value if you ever want to sell it.
But I think the Epiphone Les Paul is a good choice either if the budget is not that high. I recently played one in a shop and for that money it was a very good sounding axe, I was really suprised!

[Ell]

The thing about regular strats that I don't like is the single coil pickups. Not enough power and too much hum in my opinion. If I did get a Strat, because of this, I would get a fat strat. I know that having a single coil in the bridge position would be a really different sound for me, but it wouldn't be the kind of sound i'd imagine myself really liking for years and years. I also know that "a strat isn't a strat without the single coils" but if I didn't enjoy the sound then there'd be no point in me having it.

I managed to get another £50 today so it shouldn't be too long till I can afford which ever guitar I choose (Unless I choose the Gibson of course).

The Epiphone is made of both Alder and Mahogany so that may not sound too different to my current guitar RockyRhoads said mine is made of Alder.

As for which feels best, I've never played a Westone, I just really like the look of them. Les Pauls and Strats, I know they are completely different however both feel very comfortable when playing them, they each seem close to perfect. In a few weeks when i've got a bit more money I'll go to the guitar shops and try out the exact ones i'm looking at which they have in stock so that I can get a better idea of which would be best for me. Maybe i'll even bring my guitar along so I can hear the difference if it's okay with them.

[Paul Wolfe]

Y'know, if you do decide to go with a strat, you can live with the single coils for a while to determine if you like the sound, then if you decide you don't like it, change the pickups out.

Here is a "stacked" humbucker made to fit in a single coil guitar. That way you can keep the look of the strat and get the humbucker sound. You could also replace all three pickups and have a three humbucker sound like Peter Frampton or Ace Frehley used to have.

Just a thought.


There is even more info here.

[Ell]

That's a very good possibility. Thank you everyone for your help.

This saturday I will be playing the Gibson, Epiphone and Fender to get a much better idea. I'll try out both a regular strat and one with humbuckers since what you said has a lot of logic behind it.

Once again, thanks everyone, I'm still unsure though.

[Paul Wolfe]

Just take your time and be sure... it sucks to be impulsive and have regrets.

[Ell]

Yeah, with the Jackson, I had a fair bit of money, not enough for an RR1 or anything but enough for something good enough. I tried out an RX10D and it was awesome, I also tried out an RR3, it was aweful. Turns out that it was just a bad one and that they are normally better than RX10D's. They have scratch plates, 2 volume knobs, Invader pickups, output on longer wing. Everything is just an improvement but in the end, my one plays fine for what I do. But still, I'm always regretting my choice.

You make it sound as if you may have regrets, which guitar is it that you aren't happy with?