Best Guitars for a laid back strat guy to play rockier for a change

I was in a similar situation to you - I had played Strats for years but wanted something that would be good for playing rock and blues. My brother emigrated to the States last year and when I visited him in Memphis, it gave me a good opportunity to go into the local Guitar Centre and try out lots of different models of guitar. I started off on Ibanez's and high end Gibson LP's. Then I Spotted a couple of nice looking PRS's. I had never played one before but had heard good reports about them. The minute I picked one up totally made up my mind. They are light, beautifully made and amazing to play. Even at low volumes in the shop, the PRS just seemed to sustain forever - probably due to its straight-through neck.

The sound is so much warmer than a Strat and my particular PRS (which I bought as soon as I came back to the UK) practically plays itself. It has a great thin and short neck and was set up great straight from the factory.

Last week I put on a new set of strings just an hour before a gig. It was just a case of tuning up and it held it together for the entire set. I didn't even have to retune during the gig!

The tremelo's on them are fantastic too as you can lock them to any position you want with an allen key - you can't do that with a Strat!

Of all the guitars I have owned, the PRS is the best of the lot! I cannot recommend them highly enough. Granted, they are a little dearer than your average guitar, but after playing a well set up one, you will see why.
 
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ArrowHead said:
My rule of thumb is if you're not 100% sure what you want, don't spend too much. ;)

That said, I'd suggest grabbing a cheap S series Ibanez with a HSH configuration. The new ZR trems are dreaaaamy, and they're the most comfortable superstrat type guitars I've ever played. (I'm a small dude, 5'8, fits me perfect). I find the RG types to be heavy, and unergonomicalish. But you're a strat guy, you're almost used to it.

I know they're not exactly beautiful (to a strat guy), but have you considered an Ernie Ball John Petrucci guitar? Superstrat, awesome flat fretboard, trem is closer to what you're used to but can still whirr and meoww like a floyd, and you get the bonus of a piezo pickup so you can play all those acoustic sounds with your Axe Fx.
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that used to be my approach. I ended up with loads of mid range guitars and amps, and then spent loads tweaking them. Now I try to buy upmarket ones that need no alteration, but at a price where I can sell again at the same price
the JP ones look like good spec, but for a lot of money given the appearance.
I did have a Godin Multiac XTSA 2-3 years back. I never really liked it, but mixing in the piezo was cool, made it sound like a semi

I'll keep an eye out for those (£1400 used in the UK though on ebay) and Ibanezs

Cheers!
 
Its always hard to be objective and not recommend what we have ourselves
Ive got a few Suhrs,Andersons a PRS and a few LPs
My Tom Anderson Hollow drop top is my favourite super strat--its every bit of strat if you want it, but a whole lot more too!!
Suhr standard also is very versatile
PRS to me seems more a super LP than a super strat but very nice to play
Unfortunately all three of these guitars are upper end of price range
If you can afford the time you could probably pick one of these up on the bay
 
Aces said:
I was in a similar situation to you - I had played Strats for years but wanted something that would be good for playing rock and blues. My brother emigrated to the States last year and when I visited him in Memphis, it gave me a good opportunity to go into the local Guitar Centre and try out lots of different models of guitar. I started off on Ibanez's and high end Gibson LP's. Then I Spotted a couple of nice looking PRS's. I had never played one before but had heard good reports about them. The minute I picked one up totally made up my mind. They are light, beautifully made and amazing to play. Even at low volumes in the shop, the PRS just seemed to sustain forever - probably due to its straight-through neck.

The sound is so much warmer than a Strat and my particular PRS (which I bought as soon as I came back to the UK) practically plays itself. It has a great thin and short neck and was set up great straight from the factory.

Of all the guitars I have owned, the PRS is the best of the lot! I cannot recommend them highly enough. Granted, they are a little dearer than your average guitar, but after playing a well set up one, you will see why.
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The other attraction being there are loads of them on ebay for £1000 - £1200 in the UK
Definitely in the shortlist
 
joel said:
get a les paul copy stick some pick ups in it set it up.. start rocken
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A good idea, but I did that - I have a nice old Epi LP standard with a pair of EMG 89s
sounds good, but not certain I want to go with it or to get a better LP

I suspect I want it to feel more stratty and have a trem
 
oakridge said:
Its always hard to be objective and not recommend what we have ourselves
Ive got a few Suhrs,Andersons a PRS and a few LPs
My Tom Anderson Hollow drop top is my favourite super strat--its every bit of strat if you want it, but a whole lot more too!!
Suhr standard also is very versatile
PRS to me seems more a super LP than a super strat but very nice to play
Unfortunately all three of these guitars are upper end of price range
If you can afford the time you could probably pick one of these up on the bay
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the Tom Anderson drop tops look the prettiest
and I too thought the PRS was more like an LP
Suhrs are rare here, usually SC too, but I should keep looking for them
 
I love shopping with other people's money.

I'm a strat guy who once in a while likes to stray. Bought a whole bunch of guitars including an Ibanez prestige which I'm now selling. Might I suggest checking out a PRS NF3? The foreign made Suhr guitars are nice. Maybe the Rasmus GG.
 
Tom Anderson and James Tyler worked at Schecter back when they were truly a custom shop. They are not that any longer. If you could get an old US made one you might be in good shape.


Tone Control said:
the Tom Anderson drop tops look the prettiest
and I too thought the PRS was more like an LP
Suhrs are rare here, usually SC too, but I should keep looking for them
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Tone Control said:
that used to be my approach. I ended up with loads of mid range guitars and amps, and then spent loads tweaking them.
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Mainly I just wouldn't want to recommend you what works for me, and have you spend big $$ on a form factor that ends up not working for you.

I got up to 20+ guitars before I learned exactly what I like. But now - I know exactly what I like and spend whatever it takes to get it. I couldn't imagine how long it would take to learn that if I were paying $2000 a pop for instruments I wasn't sure I wanted. Although I'm a different case, being left handed. Try before you buy hasn't been much of an option for me over the last 25 years.
 
Aces said:
I only paid £750 for mine new. Lumited edition too with only 50 of each colour available :)
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I assume you mean the SE ones. I'm also assuming that PRS try to make sure the SE models don't match the non-SE ones
Is that a fair assumption? Fender seem to do this, and Gibson/Epiphone

I was thinking of the main brand for each manufacturer really
(I did 30 years on the mid range guitars, and can afford to step up now)
 
Tone Control said:
I've done lots of enhancing guitars (and cars), and none ever are worth the cash I put in, so I'd rather buy a spec if you know what I mean
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Fender makes HSS versions of just about all the strat models if you want to stay stock. Plenty of people rock out just fine on a strat. But variety is the spice of life. :) I've had a number of guitars now, but my first and until recently constant favorite was my American Standard from 94. I've had it since 8th grade when my parents got it for me, so there's some sentiment there too, but I've always loved how strats feel.

My #2 for the last 5 years or so was an ESP, with EMG active pickups (MH-400NT). It's a great guitar, and those EMGs are great for heavy stuff. They actually work pretty well cleaned up too. But I've always eyed the PRS up on the wall at GC and I'm finally in a position in my life where I could do it. The custom 24 is now my #1 these days, though I still love the strat and will always play it too. The ESP hasn't been touched since I went PRS, though I will probably still keep it. The PRS just plays so well, and it's an absolute work of art too.

Les Paul has just not been my thing. I've had an Epi for many years, and it doesn't get a lot of play. Now, I know there's a big gap between Epi and Gibson LPs, but I think my complaints would carry over. I just like the lighter weight and thinner body of a strat style double cutaway. The LP just feels bulky to me. I understand completely why other players might love them, it's just not my thing. I think the PRS does a great job of blending the best of both worlds. Body style and weight are closer to a strat. But PRS (the guy) was very heavily influenced by Gibson and Ted McCarty (former Gibson head) was a mentor to him. That's who the McCarty PRS guitar is named for. The pickups they use on PRS now are inspired by (in fact intended to be near replicas of) the original PAF pickups. But the PRS sound is also unique, and the pickup wiring has a lot of flexibility. If you are looking to go new, the 2011 and 12 models have the new pickups (59/09), and a blade switch instead of the rotary switch they used for many many years. That's my preference.
 
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