Hep choosing a new - and important Guitar

paulmapp8306

Fractal Fanatic
HELP - choosing a guitar.
I would never normally ask this question on a Forum - but Im having a REALLY hart time making a descision.

My gran died recently and has left me some money. I want a keepsake as I didnt get anything personal from her estate - and the only things I keep and form bonds with are guitarts - so a new guitar it is. However, what? I want something I dont have already tonally (ideally) or at least improving the quality of something I already have. That consists of:

Avalone Silver Series Accoustic. Dreadnaught with No cut and electrics.

PRS CU22, with BK Mules PUs - does the classic 60/70 and early 80s stuff - and HB based Blues.

PRC CE22 with HSF/VB - does the higher gain, more modern Rock stuff and instrumental Rock.

US Ash Tele with Broadcaster PUs. Does the country and 50S RnR.

Mex CP60s Strat with BK Irish Tour PUs (and lots of upgrades) for strat funk and Blues.

One option is a quality accoustic to replace my Avalon Silver series - but if my avalon gets played twice a year its lucky. It was bought as an on stage strummer - and its good for that, but Im not in a band at present - and Im just not an accoustic player in the house. I feel it would be a bit of a waste given the money involved.

i had also thought of a 335 ao similar. As you see I dont own a Semi. Tried 4-5 Gibsons and didnt like any - the feel, the sound. I did like a tokai ES155 - but its not quite the quality Id want. Ive fleeted with the Vox Vitrage too - but never tried one.

the next option is a CS Strat to replace my CP60s (its the lowest quality instrument I own but gets lots of play time), BUT to get the Board Radius I want It would almost certainly need to be a special order. The CP is 12" and my PRSs are 10". The tele is 9.5" and my least favourite - and least comfortable. the thing is - even with CS strats - some are fantastic and some are not good. If paying that sort of money, can you take the gamble with a Fender?

The final option is a custom build from Suhr. ive tried loads of his and they all play fantastic. tonally there not quite where I want to be - but the wood/neck choices would solve tht I think. Again - to get the wood combo, and chambers (which id want in a Suhr), the neck carve (he offeres one that suits but its not normal) and colour it would have to be special order. Same goes as with the Fender - theres no definates. Id also be concerned it would replace not one but two guitars. My strat and one of my PRSs (as my fav PUs are neck SC and bridge HB - yet I dont own a HSS guitar!!).

i still keep changing my mind. both Custom builds are of course US (Im in the UK) - so no real contact - and no WAY the builder is actually going to have a long conversation about what I want. Both options of course should have decent re-sale value, but being a legacy I dont want to sell whatever I go for - hence the quandry about the right decision. if It was my money Id be less concerned. My next "personal" purchase would be the CS strat - but the CP sounds and plays EXACTLY how I want a strat to. the CS would give me better quality woods and construction so a better susstain and probably a deeper/more 3d tone - but thats it. I can quite happily live with the CP for a couple more years until I can upgrade to a CS myself.

Budget is up to £3000 - Id spend it all for the right instrument but ideally the nearer to £2000 the better. To give some ideas, in the UK a 335 comes in at £1800 plain or £2300 with a figured top - the Tokaik ES155 at £1200, a Vox Virage at £2100. a CS Relic at £2300 (no idea yet at the price of a custombuild - but should be similar as most CSs are custom ordered by the shops). a Suhr S series at £1800, a Classic at £2300 - the Custom Order between £2600 and £2800. As fot Accoustics, a Taylor 314CE is £1300 ish and a 514 comes in at £2300.

Head says CS strat cos thats what Id do next, Heart says Accoustic cos thats what gran would have approved of most, eys say Suhr cos I live the look and always lusted for one, the musician in me says 335 because I dont have that tone - and its only gettable with that kind of instrument. of course there are hybrid solutions too - i could sell the Avalone and pick up a Taylor 314ce AND either the Tokai, a used CS strat or a used Suhr S3/S4. While the Accoustic isnt the quality instrument I really want it is better than what I have - but is that "split" a good idea with legacy money? Coud I justify to selling one later as I "have the other from gran" - and would I regret the missed opportunity to get a top quality, personally spec'd instrument? My heads a MESS.

So - anyone have any suggestions? I know its personal but I really need some advice here - quantified, that is WHY you recommend what you do FOR ME - not just "Id have X cos thats what i like/want" Please make it relevant to my situation as much as you can.

Many many thanks
 
Well if it's a keep sake I would look at something thats different then what you already have...PRS, Strat. Something that you wouldn't normally play at the drop of a dime but screams check me out. The 335 is a start but maybe look deeper and go Gretch or even Duesneberg which might be a little outside your budget but killer looking and playing guitars. I have played a Vox at winter NAMM 2010 and they are nice guitars as well. I say a hollow body guitar but not just any it has to not only play but look like something special also.
 
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Paul, go here and browse around. Take a look at all the first quality
used guitars for sale. If you are patient, you'll see some unbelievable
deals. The "Guitar Classifieds" section of "The Gear Page" site:

Guitar Emporium - The Gear Page

For example, the very first thing I saw this morning as I looked was a
European sale of a Tom Anderson Hollow Drop Top Classic (I used to own one)
for 1900 Euro, equipped with piezo saddles, and a Fishman Blender.
There is your electric and acoustic in one ridiculously high quality guitar.
I have bought alot of killer guitars for cheap on this site.

The guitar I saw:

IMG_0801.JPG
 
Condolences...

If I were guitar shopping with a 3K budget I'd be patient, sit on the cash and play a whole lot of guitars until one spoke to me.

At the moment it's a buyer's market and there's plenty of great bargains to be had if one is properly capitalized.
 
Honestly as you financial advisor :) unless you are otherwise rich, (Ireland/UK in financial dumps like rest world) ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssave your cash or invest in gold!!!!!!!
 
Sorry to hear of your loss .... my condolences.

That Tom Anderson isn't too far off the colour of my EBMM Family Reserve Luke ya cheeky blurt! :) As someone said to me a while back, if it's good enough for Barney it's good enough for you :)

The EBMM guitars are great btw .... pricey but well built and easy to maintain.

Have you ever tried a Patrick Eggle? Second hand early and mid nineties models are the more sought after ones as the man himself was in charge before he moved away into acoustics only and left the present electrics under new ownership. They are still referred to as Britain's best kept secret .... I find the necks nicer than any PRS I've picked up. I got my Berlin Pro HSS Elite 22 fret direct from the factory showroom when I visited them in Coventry back in 1996.

It might not be an acoustic, but maybe your Gran would approve of you buying an electric if it was British :) They should come in under a grand if you keep an eye out in the usual places.

I concur on your thoughts on the Gibsons around at the moment .... the build quality seems to have got pretty ropey unless you feel like spending megabucks on a 'Heritage' one or whatever else they market the top end ones under. If you know Pete Griffen the guitar tech near Moira you can contact him to hear his recent fun when inspecting a brand new 335 that a customer had returned to the shop for repair and in turn was brought to him to attempt to fix.

I also have had pangs of want over Parker Flys from time to time .... though, like I suspect you are, I tend to think more conventional or traditional builds for guitars in my heart.

For a Floydy Rosey type guitar I would probably think one of the newer Charvels - So Cal or San Dimas. The earlier US built models probably more sound in investment value than the Asian built ones - but not a lot between them in quality - and they seem great value for money .... but a million miles away from a 335!

This could go on for ever so I'll stop now .... Good luck in your search.
 
OP, if you listed Suhr you should also check out McNaught (David Thomas McNaught) guitars. They are on the same level. I have one. You will not be able to try one out since they are only custom made to order. I wasn't able to play mine until I got it either. Best looking, sounding & playing guitar I've ever touched. If you get either Suhr or McNaught, make sure to get stainless steel frets. They never need recrowning and are as smooth as glass. Modern PRS guitars pale compared to these 2 (and Anderson). And yes you can have long conversations about the guitar before you build it, either with a dealer, or with Mr. McNaught himself. I did.

If you go for Suhr, Joe will have a dealer to recommend that got KILLER pricing. If you go for McNaught, the same guy might be a dealer by now.
 
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+1 for McNaught. There is nothing like one of a kind handmade guitar.
 
McNaught vintage single cut! Oh wait, that's what I want... :) It won't fit within your price range, though.

I will say this: buy the best guitar you can afford. You will enjoy it more, for much longer. If you're going for a keepsake, don't merely be practical, stretch for something you're going to love to play.
 
You could also check Ibanez AS200 and Yamaha SA1000 for good well built 355 copies.

My main guitar is an Epi Sheraton with other pickups and it sounds great.

Jens
 
Paul, have you ever considered doing a custom build by ordering the parts online and having a luthier in the UK put it all together for you (or doing it yourself if you feel you're up to it?)
The reason I'm suggesting it is because you seem to already know many of the dimensions and specifics of what you want (ie. fretboard radius etc.) but there isn't an existing guitar that meets all of your needs.

This is a project that I've been kicking around for a few years, and as funds become available (I'm in the process of moving to the US with my wife and our 3 young kids--- who like to eat... a lot!)
then I will likely go this route. My plan is to put my last name on the headstock and then pass it down to my son if he wants it.

For example, if you go to warmoth.com, you can do a custom build where you choose the body type, wood, style (or design your own if you've got something in mind), finish, trem cut, chambered or not.... etc... Then you can do the same thing with the neck (ie. choose fretboard radius, neck materials, fingerboard materials etc.) Finally, you can choose to dress it up as you see fit with inlays and engravings (since it's a keepsake guitar, maybe you might want to put her name on the headstock as a memento for instance).

Then choose your own pickups, electronics and hardware (for example, I like Seymour Duncan pups, bone nuts and get much of my other hardware from guitarfetish.com). You have a completely personalized guitar that suits YOU! The obvious drawback is that you will NEVER be able to resell the guitar for anywhere near what you put into it. That may be a sticking point. But if you want a unique guitar that always reminds you of your loved one, then this may be the way to go for you.

Cheers,

-AL
 
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