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New player - need "better than starter" electric


johnchop

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Long-time keyboard-only player making a concerted effort at getting my fingers around the guitar.

 

Learning on acoustic--Seagull Coastline Spruce S6--which is adequate.

 

But the electrics are calling.

 

I'm squarely in mid-life and can afford something that gives me room to grow.

 

Current preferences:

 

- Fixed bridge

- 25" or less scale, PRS and LP-style in contention

- up to $1100

- Solid or semi-hollow... but appreciate a full-bodied clean tone and otherwise versatile guitar. I'm not out to djent my way into people's hearts.

 

"Buy used" would be good advice for someone who knows where to look for problems. That's not me.

 

What I've dug in terms of looks, which matter as far as wanting to pick it up and play it:

 

PRS Paul's Guitar SE

PRS Zach Myers SE (the new model)

Yamaha RevStar 820CR

Reverend Robin Finck signature (probably too hard rock focused but damn it looks cool)

 

 

TIA... and take it easy on me :laugh:

-John

I make software noises.
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That higher end RevStar is a good well-priced alternative to a Les Paul. I owned the 500-series "roadster" edition in British Racing Green, as it had P90's and a tailpiece bridge that could be used for an effect. But ultimately I decided that I mostly like P90's in ES295 type guitars vs. solid bodies (except maybe 24-fret models like an SG). If I had not already bought a Gibson LP, I likely would have bought the high-end Yamaha RevStar.

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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Hard to go wrong with a PRS. Very consistent QC.

 

I really like the Revstars, but haven"t gotten one yet.

 

As for Reverend? Well...I own 5, covering @7-8 years of production. Ask me anything!

 

 

Edit: found the family portrait!

BwPxCBI.jpg

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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I'm a guitar tech, I've had just about everything go through my hands at one point or another.

 

I was at a friend's house checking out his guitars - he has a nice set of Heritage guitars. He also had one of the least expensive Yamaha sort of Les Paul Special (wraparound tailpiece bridge-2 pickups) and a more Strat like sculpting of the armrest and belly cut. It was not an expensive guitar but it played fantastic.

 

I got the stink eye when I said "Of all your guitars, this one is far and away my favorite." So I'd venture that the more expensive Rev-Star models are fantastic guitars.

That said, the PRS SE models have outstanding build quality and set up, great electronics and I can't think of any downside.

 

I've never played a Reverend but competition is fierce in that market segment and they've been around for a while. Other players love them. So I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say they are awesome.

 

What REALLY matters is "Do you like the way the neck feels?" Because they are all a bit different and that is paramount. Next up would be "Does this guitar hang comfortably with a strap on."

Last but not least: "Is this guitar comfortable to play sitting down?"

 

You can swap out electronics, hardware and frets but if you haven't checked all 3 boxes, you might still not like playing it.

So go try some stuff out. If music shop staff hands you something not on your list, give it a spin too. Maybe it's a live one.

 

If you can buy a guitar that you've played first, that's always the best. Most places that sell new guitars online will get you a great guitar every time. There's still something to that feeling "This is the one..."

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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I personally despised the neck feel on my own PRS SE that I bought around 2007 or so, when I thought about getting back into guitar after a decade of dropping it. I worked my way back into the guitar world mostly via Schecter and then Squier, before settling on what I have now. I have despised the feel (and even the pickups/sound) of evcery PRS I've ever tried -- even their Made in the USA models -- except for their archtops.

 

I'm not the only one who feels this way. PRS is a very polarizing company in terms of opinions; I have only heard love and hate and nothing in between. So it's one brand I would never recommend sight unseen. Mine had the most painful frets of any I've ever played, and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a fret job. It was only $650 or so, but Squiers are half that and in my opinion way more bang for buck. They even make short scales now, such as my highly recommended Classic Vibe Jaguar, which is an amazingly versatile guitar with great pickups and smooth fret ends. But I don't recommend Jags to first-timers as it might cost them the audition. :-)

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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Next thing I"ll say about your search is that what you want to play should help guide your axe & amp choices. So any info you can give us about that will be rewarded with a bunch of solid options.

 

After that, I"ll say that the Robin Finck is essentially a Sensei RA with slightly simplified controls...for $100 more because its a signature. My RA is the purpleburst in the family picture, above, but it does come in silverburst and black as well.

 

 

https://www.reverendguitars.com/guitars/robin-finck

 

https://www.reverendguitars.com/guitars/sensei-ra

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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I personally despised the neck feel on my own PRS SE that I bought around 2007 or so, when I thought about getting back into guitar after a decade of dropping it. I worked my way back into the guitar world mostly via Schecter and then Squier, before settling on what I have now. I have despised the feel (and even the pickups/sound) of evcery PRS I've ever tried -- even their Made in the USA models -- except for their archtops.

 

I'm not the only one who feels this way. PRS is a very polarizing company in terms of opinions; I have only heard love and hate and nothing in between. So it's one brand I would never recommend sight unseen. Mine had the most painful frets of any I've ever played, and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a fret job. It was only $650 or so, but Squiers are half that and in my opinion way more bang for buck. They even make short scales now, such as my highly recommended Classic Vibe Jaguar, which is an amazingly versatile guitar with great pickups and smooth fret ends. But I don't recommend Jags to first-timers as it might cost them the audition. :-)

 

There is plenty of polarization to go around. Personally, I never want to play another Gibson Les Paul, ever. The neck is pretty OK, until you want to zip around on the high frets - then it feels awkward and so 1949-ish. Not comfortable standing or sitting. They look cool, meh.

 

All of my guitars get a fret dressing, I've done hundreds of them, have the tools and I need to know that my frets are perfect. I can make a First Act $30 thrift store solid body play like butter if the neck is not warped or broken.

Comfort can be a very mixed bag. You love your Jag and it's a great guitar for you. I hate the short scale and relatively slender neck, I'm 6'3" and have large hands. My favorite guitar has an 1 7/8" wide nut and a Fatback carve, it's huge by comparison and just right for my hands.

 

I used to play Jazzmasters and while I had fun slamming about on the woo-woo bar, they always had a tendency for the strings to "hop" the saddles and never really sounded very clear, even or with consistent sustain. I do love the tone of some vintage single coil pickups but you'll never see me gigging with them or recording them in the studio. Not a fan of hum.

 

We don't know what the OP likes, he may not know yet himself. My list above covered comfort because that is essential and very personal. If the guitar he chooses is comfortable he will play it, if not - it will be like your discouraging feelings about PRS guitars. I only like their wide/deep carve, the rest are too slim.

 

But all the electronics, hardware, frets, etc. can be changed if one wants to do so. I have an 86 ES 335 and all the hardware, electronics, fretwork, nut, even the pickup rings - have been changed out for something I prefer.

It's as if you took a body and neck and put the things you like on it. It has a fat neck, hangs well standing, is not too heavy, feels good sitting and sings like a bird. Plus it looks cool - red with gold parts.

 

When I got it, I didn't like many things about it but I loved playing it. THAT'S what matters, for all of us. We'll never agree on that or anything else, I like that because we all sound different and that's really part of the fun! Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Johnchop, you should also look at Epiphones.. I own three so far, and I can honestly say that for under $1,000, they are really hard to beat. If you're looking for a Les Paul styled guitar, the Epiphone is probably your best choice in that price range. Epiphone just came out with a limited edition 1959 Les Paul Standard, made in conjunction with the Gibson Custom Shop. I have one on order right now, and at a selling price of $799.99, it's right in your ballpark. If there is a music store near you, go see if they have Epiphones, and try a few.
I rock; therefore, I am.
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+1 on Epiphone. I bought an Epi Premium ES-175 for $1,000. It came stock with US made 57 Gibson Humbuckers, 500k Gibson pots, orange drop caps, switchcraft 3way, etc. Keeps up with the $4,000 Gibson ES-175. Epi is also making upgraded US parts guitars with P90's. All of their lower end models ($500 to $700) are easy to play and make great sounding starter guitars for new players. A buddy bought the Les Paul semi-hollow body which is a great little guitar. Great guitars for the price IMHO. :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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Been playing some nice Yamaha Super Strats loaded with Duncan P90 necks and 59 Custom Hybrid bridge pickups. Greats parts and great guitars off the shelf but I"m not as big on these Yamahas as I was. The necks require a lot of maintenance due to temperature swings and extreme conditions. My disappointment may be there because my benchmarks are my old Fenders and the older guitar have less moisture in the woods. Or the new Yamahas may be a little green. But it seems like the actions are always getting jacked up frets starting to feel a little bit sharp on my number 1. (The wood is shrinking, if your guitar has neck binding this will crack the binding.)

 

But if your guitar stays at home then they should all be great. If you are going to work them in extreme temperatures ( trailers, box trucks, etc ...) I don"t know if I would go with the Yamahas especially if they have neck binding.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Epiphone stepped up their game a few years ago, and I now own three, including my ES295 hollow body with P90's (Scotty Moore of Elvis Presley fame).

 

In the band I played in during my half year in North Carolina, one guy had an Epi LP that he found used for just $300 or less, did some setup work for $150, and wound up with a guitar that is perhaps even the equal of a $2K Gibson LP. Some people prefer the Epi Dot to the Gibson 335 also!

 

Don't forget the case! Your instrument will last longer, avoid accidents, and especially stay in tune better, if kept in a hardshell case vs. on a stand in the open air or in a cheap bag. Most budget instruments don't come with a case, but good ones can be had at a good price during sales. I spend eons searching for good cases for my oddball instruments; I only have two left that are still relegated to placeholder bags (though well-padded ones).

 

Music-Go-Round is a franchised national chain that carries used instruments and B-stock. They don't have them in my area but did have one where I was in North Carolina, and I was impressed by the store and also the knowledge base of the staff. It can be a good and safe place to search for bargains during these times where meeting up with strangers for a CL buy may seem a COVID risk even with masks.

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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Great suggestions all!

 

My response:

 

- Yes, this will be played at home until I think other people could stand to listen to me. I've got a few years to sort that out :D

 

- Hadn't heard of Music-Go-Round... will check that out.

 

- Will consider Epiphones, as they are very easy to come by in my area. PRS less so. Yamaha and Reverend... nada.

 

- Those Reverends are sweet looking

 

- Genre-wise, I'm playing pop-rock tunes, lots of rhythm + supporting riffs. Think XTC, not Albert King or System of a Down. That's not to say I'd never play a country or shred lick, but I'm not going deep in those catalogs.

 

I have medium-sized hands. On keys, D-to-F# is the upper limit.

 

I keep thing "shorter scale" for comfort, but I guess I have to pair that with a reasonable neck.

 

Will check out some local options and report back.

 

Thanks again.

-John

I make software noises.
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In your price range, you should be able to find something very nice in the Epiphone line. For XTC-style sounds, let me recommend my old favorite, an SG style. Lightweight, with easy access to the whole neck - none of the thick LP neck block, or some of those extended PRS neck heels in your way. An Epiphone Firebird will only run you around $600US+/-, and that's another fun, fast-playing Guitar. The NY-style mini-HB's have a distinctive sound, as well.

 

I had two different PRS SE models, a Custom 24 and a Singlecut, MIK, both very nice Guitars overall, but with one issue I could not deal with; the placement of the Volume knob. I'm not a vigorous strummer, but even so, I found that the backs of the fingers on my right hand would brush the Volume knob as I played, slowly dropping the Volume over time. The SE Hollowbody doesn't have this issue.

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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Re: Yamaha

 

Besides the RevStar line, their Pacifica models have a pretty good reputation for delivering a lot of value for the money. And some are just flat-out good. Personally, I"ve got a 611 on my radar. Hal-ca, lead guitarist for the rock/metal trio Asterism, plays Ibanez and Yamahas almost exclusively. Here she is playing her 611 (with a Revstar hanging behind her):

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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Godin is another brand to have on your radar. Canadian company, excellent QC. They tend to make their version of iconic guitars- Teles, Strats, Les Pauls- but will occasionally create 'chimera' guitars that combine the features of different axes. Downside: few of those fare well in the market, so they get discontinued quickly, but they"re readily available used. I own a couple Godins, and would love to own more. I would, but I"ve hesitated and lost them to other buyers.

 

Re: Reverend

They"re a small company- I think there"s only 7-10 people, not including the Korean factory workers- and they"re still kinda niche, so don"t expect to find them nearby. I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and AFAIK, there"s only one music store that stocks them. If you DO find one to try, keep this in mind:

 

1) all Reverends feature their Bass Contour control. This is essentially a Tone control, but for the lower end of the register. That means you can get a Humbucker equipped guitar to sound very twangy.

 

2) all Reverends except some special models have the exact same neck profile. IOW, if you"ve played one Reverend, you know what the neck shape will feel like for 99% of their company"s production history. (Finishes will differ, of course, but the longer scale ones are just logical extensions of the shorter ones. No surprises.)

 

3) most Reverends use Korina as the main body wood.

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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You said you didn't want to buy used, an alternative is blemished. I got $100 off my Fender Deluxe Player. Just small chip on the horn. If look really close at my avatar you can see it. Just another route to consider.

'Seconded!'

 

Factory seconds and B-stocks are a good way to knock a couple hundred off of a price tag. They"re fully functional, but have cosmetic flaws that make them 'unsellable' at the usual price for a given product.

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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Re: Yamaha

 

Besides the RevStar line, their Pacifica models have a pretty good reputation for delivering a lot of value for the money. And some are just flat-out good. Personally, I"ve got a 611 on my radar. Hal-ca, lead guitarist for the rock/metal trio Asterism, plays Ibanez and Yamahas almost exclusively. Here she is playing her 611 (with a Revstar hanging behind her):

 

The 611s are the super Strats I play that I mentioned. My biggest problem is the stock Custom 5 in the bridge sounds great as a single coil with the P90 when you pull the coil switch but as a humbucker the mids are scooped. I contacted Seymour Duncan and told them what I like and didn"t like about the Custom 5. They told me to use the 59 Custom Hybrid. As a single coil it has the same Custom slug coil. As a humbucker you also have a coil from a Duncan 59. That pickup is perfect live.

 

 

TNiFdE3.jpg

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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I have done biz with these folks, Rondo Music, and the guitar I bought from them is an Agile Strat Clone I paid 300 bucks for it, and it is as good as any Strat I have ever played. I still have it after 10 or more years of playing, and it is one of my all time favorite guitars

 

https://www.rondomusic.com/electricguitar.html

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I have done biz with these folks, Rondo Music, and the guitar I bought from them is an Agile Strat Clone I paid 300 bucks for it, and it is as good as any Strat I have ever played. I still have it after 10 or more years of playing.and it one of my all time favorite guitars

 

https://www.rondomusic.com/electricguitar.html

 

 

There"s a guy I know on another board who has quite an impressive collection of guitars, including some classic, VERY EXPENSIVE Gibsons, Fenders and the like. And he is a HUGE fan of Agile guitars.

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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There"s a guy I know on another board who has quite an impressive collection of guitars, including some classic, VERY EXPENSIVE Gibsons, Fenders and the like. And he is a HUGE fan of Agile guitars.

 

I had an Agile Les Paul for a while. It was OK. I now have an Epiphone Les Paul. It is also OK. Neither one were so great that I have really wanted to play them.

Scott Fraser
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There"s a guy I know on another board who has quite an impressive collection of guitars, including some classic, VERY EXPENSIVE Gibsons, Fenders and the like. And he is a HUGE fan of Agile guitars.

 

I had an Agile Les Paul for a while. It was OK. I now have an Epiphone Les Paul. It is also OK. Neither one were so great that I have really wanted to play them.

Anybody can make a lemon or a gem.

 

Back in 2013 or so, I went into a higher-end music store that had a whole room devoted to Gibsons, mostly Les Pauls. I had gone there to satisfy some GAS, and over a few hours, tried out G&Ls, Gibsons, Reverends and so forth. There was not a Gibson in the store you could have paid me to own. All were badly flawed, with sharp fret ends, dead spots, etc. Not what I"d expect from a new $3k guitar, and completely absent in the G&Ls.

 

(I eventually bought my first Reverend instead.)

 

Not knocking the brand as a whole though. I found a trio of SGs at another store I"d have loved to own. Each one was a metal flake finish- one emerald, one sapphire, one ruby. I went home to sleep on which one I"d get, and when I returned, someone had bought all three. I don"t remember the particular edition- I"ve never even seen pix of anything like them online since.

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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Well as Kuru said above, you gotta play it.

 

So I went to the GC store (cause other local places stock Ibanez and Jackson models I"m not interested in).

 

Holy cow the LP I played was a heavy chunk of wood, and turns out that scale length felt way too crowded. Apparently there is a weight I just don"t want to bother with.

 

The strats (Fender Player model and a Charvel) were way more comfortable, as was the Hagstrom hollow body I tried (hated the tailpiece though).

 

Still on the hunt but I"ve ditched the idea of buying sight unseen.

 

Appreciate all the other feedback so far.

I make software noises.
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Back in 2013 or so, I went into a higher-end music store that had a whole room devoted to Gibsons, mostly Les Pauls. I had gone there to satisfy some GAS, and over a few hours, tried out G&Ls, Gibsons, Reverends and so forth. There was not a Gibson in the store you could have paid me to own. All were badly flawed, with sharp fret ends, dead spots, etc. Not what I"d expect from a new $3k guitar, and completely absent in the G&Ls.

 

This is exactly what led to the purchase of my first Gretsch. (There are now 7 Gretsches here.) I walked into the higher end room in a Guitar Center, picked up an ES 335, not happening. Picked up an ES 135, REALLY not happening (really crap fret finish work, really non-resonant.) Picked up a Gretsch G3161 Historic Series, bells started ringing in my brain. It came home with me that day.

Scott Fraser
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Looking over the ones that you listed in your original post above, johnchop, I think that the one that stands out as having the best and most features is probably the Reverend Robin Finck Signature- and the very similar Reverend Sensei RA that Dannyalcatraz points out.

 

None of the others quite match them in the features and details that make the Rev RF Sig and Sensei RA really stand out. I think those would make you really enjoy either those guitars for the long run.

 

I say, between the different control compliments and available finishes, choose between the Robin Finck Sig and the Sensei RA, get a good versatile amp (and, given what you mentioned about musical leanings, a good echo pedal and chorus or flanger pedal), and enjoy yourself.

 

 

By the way, neither the Robin Finck Sig or the Sensei RA are going to make you sound "Djent-y"; neither of these guitars is even necessarily sound "Hard Rock focused" or "Djent-y" in and of themselves, unless you put effort into TRYING to put a "Djent" in it and focus on Hard Rock. I bet a player could make either of them sound totally, convincingly Country, Pop, Blues, Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Psychedelic, Jam Band, Prog, Funky, Jazzy, whatever, even with the same strings. Swap string types and gauges, general set-up, amps and pedals, and you'd really tailor 'em into whatever stylistic and tonal genre your Muse calls you to.

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Good suggestions on the Reverend models, but yes they can be hard to find.

 

You should have a Music-Go-Round near you, as I saw some listed in that area when I looked at their website. The one in Cary NC had a couple of Reverend guitars when my rhythm guitarist and I visited that store right before my final rehearsal with that band before moving back to the west coast a couple of years ago. They seem to hold up well.

 

I'm a big fan of Hagstrom. Well-built, and the ones with the composite fingerboards really do feel awfully close to ebony. I especially like their hollow and semi-hollow designs, and find them very versatile overall.

 

Semi-hollow guitars can be extremely versatile in general, across brands. I forget what Dave Gregory of XTC used mostly, but am surprised to see someone say it was a Gibson SG, as he had more of a jazz background overall. The only photos I see on-line, have him playing either a Les Paul Gold Top, or a Rickenbacker semi-hollow.

 

I often find that the guitarists who cut across many playing styles, have as their primary guitar a semi-hollow such as a 335-style guitar or a Gretsch, sometimes a Telecaster, an offset guitar, or even a full hollow body.

 

Don't dismiss the new Danelectros either; current production quality is pretty good and they too are more versatile than one might expect based on their retro design and the lipstick Alnico pickups.

 

Update: I found Dave Gregory's posting of his gear, indirectly via a fan site:

 

http://guitargonauts.info

 

He doesn't mention his guitars, but lists just about all of his other gear. There's also mention that Fano Guitars put out an XTC Tribute model.

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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On the semihollow Reverend front*, you might dig something like a Manta Ray. They"ve made them as HH, 290 and 390 forms. Reverb has a few.

 

https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=reverend%20mantaray

 

And their Club King would be another good option. They"re made with P90s or RevTron miniHBs.

 

https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=reverend%20club%20king

 

Here"s a bit of personal take: Joe Naylor, the owner of Reverend, is also the guy behind their in-house pickups. I think his P90s rival some of the boutique brands I"ve tried, and his RevTrons are an excellent take on the classic FillerTrons pickups as well. And those RailHammers? That"s his company, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

* I promise, promise, promise I"m not a shill! ð

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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+1 on Epiphone. I bought an Epi Premium ES-175 for $1,000. It came stock with US made 57 Gibson Humbuckers, 500k Gibson pots, orange drop caps, switchcraft 3way, etc. Keeps up with the $4,000 Gibson ES-175. Epi is also making upgraded US parts guitars with P90's. All of their lower end models ($500 to $700) are easy to play and make great sounding starter guitars for new players. A buddy bought the Les Paul semi-hollow body which is a great little guitar. Great guitars for the price IMHO. :cool:

Another Epiphone fan here. I picked up their Dot for my first semi-hollow body.

 

yyTICX0.jpg

 

I have one of their Les Pauls as well. I've heard it said that Gibson's biggest fear is that people figure out that many Epiphones are essential 90% of the way to Gibsons.

 

John - I was I the same boat as you about a year ago. Went with a Telecaster - no regrets.

BEWARE - I've bought six more electrics since. :abduct:

 

dB

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

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