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

I'm a long-time Strat/Tele player that decided to get a rock/metal guitar earlier this year. I started by researching Ibanez guitars, as that's what I owned in the 90's. I just can't get along with the necks. I looked at old 80's guitars, but they can be a crapshoot in terms of quality. Ultimately, I found the guitar that works best for me. I understand it's not on your list, and I don't know what availability would be on your side of the pond, but IMHO, this is the best "rockier" guitar I've ever owned:

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This is a MIJ Charvel So Cal. They're discontinued, so you need to find either used or NOS. The neck isn't your typical strat neck, it's wider and flatter. Quartersawn maple with a fantastic matte finish. Jumbo frets. Hot DiMarzio humbuckers, and a Floyd. This easily goes from 80's hard rock/metal through more modern tones. I've modified mine with a coil split push/pull volume pot, but it's outstanding stock.

I've also had a PRS Custom 24 since the mid 90's. It's also a really great guitar for rock, although there are those who'd say that the maple-necked CE22 or CE24 is a better guitar for rock, and a bit cheaper, too.
 
perhaps you guys can advise

In the old days I was a bit metal, but I've quietened down. Usually play strats or semis into clean/just-saturated 6L6s, or some AF2-soundalike
I have a souped-up Epiphone LP standard, but don't play it much

The rockier and metal patches on my AF2 have made me think of getting a dedicated rockier guitar, to use on all those nice AF2 patches: FAS lead, modern, Mark Day, CAE, etc .
I never got used to anything beyond original fender-trems btw, but I can learn

I thought to search ebay for a used one of these (in the UK):
a PRS custom (plenty up for sale)
an Ibanez prestige 6-string (plenty up for sale)
Tom Anderson (bit rare here I think)

I prefer something with woodgrain showing, rather than none more black
Not a pointy thing either. EMGs or passive would be OK

My first thought was LPs and PRSs, but I am a strat guy, so maybe the Ibanez range would suit me more????
Well, it is a little pointy, but I just got an Epiphone Custom Shop '65 SG reissue, and it reminds me of how much attitude and snarl/honk the SGs, be they Gibson or Epiphone, have. Of couse, speed metal etc. is more an Ibanez thing, but hard bluesey rock of the Led Zep /AC/DC school certainly works well with the SG. I actually like its rock attitude more than the Les Paul, for example. Mine is aged cherry with lots of woodgrain, has period accurate neck and pups, plays like butter and cost me under $400.00 on Ebay. Sometimes, if you forget about brands and just go for tone and playability, you can spend far less than you might have anticipated.
 
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

I got an ash body, '78 USA Strat.. had it from new..
popped a Floyd, a 22nd fret and a hotrail [bridge position] on there..
and it's amazing
 
I still think the Suhr Rasmus line is the best guitar that you can buy for around the 1K mark. Suhr electronics, plecked fret board, assembled and tech'd by Suhr.
 
I'm a long-time Strat/Tele player that decided to get a rock/metal guitar earlier this year. I started by researching Ibanez guitars, as that's what I owned in the 90's. I just can't get along with the necks. I looked at old 80's guitars, but they can be a crapshoot in terms of quality. Ultimately, I found the guitar that works best for me. I understand it's not on your list, and I don't know what availability would be on your side of the pond, but IMHO, this is the best "rockier" guitar I've ever owned:

photo.jpg


This is a MIJ Charvel So Cal. They're discontinued, so you need to find either used or NOS. The neck isn't your typical strat neck, it's wider and flatter. Quartersawn maple with a fantastic matte finish. Jumbo frets. Hot DiMarzio humbuckers, and a Floyd. This easily goes from 80's hard rock/metal through more modern tones. I've modified mine with a coil split push/pull volume pot, but it's outstanding stock.

I've also had a PRS Custom 24 since the mid 90's. It's also a really great guitar for rock, although there are those who'd say that the maple-necked CE22 or CE24 is a better guitar for rock, and a bit cheaper, too.

+1 on the Charvel recommendation. I have a Japan Charvel San Dimas that rocks. Same as the one above except direct mounted Seymour Duncans. The neck is fantastic with rolled fretboard edges and perfect smooth frets. Might have to do the coil split mod to make it more versatile.
 
I'm a long-time Strat/Tele player that decided to get a rock/metal guitar earlier this year. I started by researching Ibanez guitars, as that's what I owned in the 90's. I just can't get along with the necks. I looked at old 80's guitars, but they can be a crapshoot in terms of quality. Ultimately, I found the guitar that works best for me. I understand it's not on your list, and I don't know what availability would be on your side of the pond, but IMHO, this is the best "rockier" guitar I've ever owned:

photo.jpg


This is a MIJ Charvel So Cal. They're discontinued, so you need to find either used or NOS. The neck isn't your typical strat neck, it's wider and flatter. Quartersawn maple with a fantastic matte finish. Jumbo frets. Hot DiMarzio humbuckers, and a Floyd. This easily goes from 80's hard rock/metal through more modern tones. I've modified mine with a coil split push/pull volume pot, but it's outstanding stock.

I've also had a PRS Custom 24 since the mid 90's. It's also a really great guitar for rock, although there are those who'd say that the maple-necked CE22 or CE24 is a better guitar for rock, and a bit cheaper, too.

there's one on ebay here
how much were they new?
 
there's one on ebay here
how much were they new?

I've only seen one in a shop, and it was marked down to $699, without case or bar. I think they normally ran between $800 and $900 in the stores. IIRC, the concept with the reintroduced Charvel San Dimas and So Cal lines was to have a sub-$1K guitar with rotating features that would get Charvel back into the public eye. They'd have a "run" of guitars with similar features, and change it up between runs. Sometimes the differences were in color of the guitar, or chrome vs. black hardware. Sometimes it was Duncan pickups, sometimes DiMarzios. They did a run with Tele shaped bodies. Some with single humbuckers, some with a maple top, rosewood board, and HSS configuration. They did hardtails, and a couple of my favorite configuration, a Humbucker/Single one. Unfortunately, the Hum/Single with a Floyd was what they called Primer Scream - flat grey with bright yellow inlays.

The earlier San Dimas guitars (not original San Dimas, but the ones from this run) were made in the US; I think some of the later San Dimas and all of the So Cals were Japanese origin. Both are supposed to be good. Mine is MIJ and outstanding.

I played a recent custom shop Charvel not too long after I got mine. I honestly would not have traded. The only other change I'm pondering is to have a custom pickguard made with a Humbucker/Single configuration, Vol/Tone, and a Fender-style 3 way switch. Oh year, and one of those brass blocks for the Floyd. Should be a rippin' Queensryche cover guitar then. :)
 
I'm a real sucker for 80's / 80's style super-Strats
and this one is just gorgeous...

Thanks, Clarky. I was really torn between the Blue and Ferrari Red. I'm glad I got the blue, but I'm pretty certain I'll need a red one for backup.
 
Good choice I think!

I sneaked a (Non Prestige - ya flash bugger!) used Ibanez S470 past the missus a while back - paid very little for it and well ... it's just a great guitar really - maybe stock pickups a bit ordinary.

It has the Z floating trem thing .... but it actually works very well. When I got it, it was badly set up on 10s and with an action you could have driven a car under - I switched it to 9's as it's designed for (then the zero stop bar could be used with the modified springs tension) and lowered the bridge - neck relief was spot on - and suddenly it was a lovely feeling guitar with a good stable trem.

As an experiment I lowered the bridge right down to the lowest height where the strings didn't buzz or fret out ...... the strings were practically lying on the frets the whole way up the neck and it didn't buzz ..... had to raise the bridge again because the action was uncomfortably low in fact. First guitar I've ever owned that I've had to do that with! How any guitar with a neck that stupidly thin can get an action like that is beyond me :)

Enjoy!
 
Are the PRSs variable, or do you just mean it's a lot to spend without testing?
Not in my experience. I've owned a half dozen PRS over the years and purchased 5 of them without trying. They're pretty darn consistent.

That said, these days I lean more towards EBMM.
 
perhaps you guys can advise

In the old days I was a bit metal, but I've quietened down. Usually play strats or semis into clean/just-saturated 6L6s, or some AF2-soundalike
I have a souped-up Epiphone LP standard, but don't play it much

The rockier and metal patches on my AF2 have made me think of getting a dedicated rockier guitar, to use on all those nice AF2 patches: FAS lead, modern, Mark Day, CAE, etc .
I never got used to anything beyond original fender-trems btw, but I can learn

I thought to search ebay for a used one of these (in the UK):
a PRS custom (plenty up for sale)
an Ibanez prestige 6-string (plenty up for sale)
Tom Anderson (bit rare here I think)

I prefer something with woodgrain showing, rather than none more black
Not a pointy thing either. EMGs or passive would be OK

My first thought was LPs and PRSs, but I am a strat guy, so maybe the Ibanez range would suit me more????


I'm a Strat guy to the hilt. My advice, buy a Strat with a Floyd and humbucker(s)
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