Recommend a mid-level guitar player's electric

IamtheWalrus · 08-11-2015 11:19am #1

I have been playing mostly acoustic for years. I have a cheap Fender Squier that I'm practicing electric on. I would like to upgrade to a better one, something that I can love and play for years.

I'd like to learn arpeggios, solos, riffs, etc, for bands like Radiohead, Floyd, Beatles, etc.

Can anyone recommend me a step-up electric? I'm not very well versed in the annals of rock n roll but is there a go-to guitar that is great? Why would someone buy a Gibson over a Fender?

martinedwards · 08-11-2015 1:35pm

Personal taste.

a fender has a slightly longer scale length and usually a narrower nut than a Gibson.

if you've STARTED on a strat, chances are you'll feel more comfy on another in the fender family.

I did the same. I can APPRECIATE that Gibsons are nice, but I'll always gravitate to a strat.

As to how good a particular type of guitar in a brand is? all the the feelings of the player.

I've played everything from really cheap & nasty copies to US custom strats and MY personal favourite was a Made in Japan Squier from the mid 80s.

IamtheWalrus · 08-11-2015 4:43pm

martinedwards wrote: »

Personal taste.

a fender has a slightly longer scale length and usually a narrower nut than a Gibson.

if you've STARTED on a strat, chances are you'll feel more comfy on another in the fender family.

I did the same. I can APPRECIATE that Gibsons are nice, but I'll always gravitate to a strat.

As to how good a particular type of guitar in a brand is? all the the feelings of the player.

I've played everything from really cheap & nasty copies to US custom strats and MY personal favourite was a Made in Japan Squier from the mid 80s.

Thanks.

I prefer the look of Strats but do you think the fact I already have a Strat, that I should try adding a different type to my collection?

I'm aware it's all personal choice but I'm just seeking some guidance. I picked up a Gretsch in a shop once and loved it but when I researched it after, it didn't seem to be what I need, beautiful as it was.

Are telecastors any good?

I want to buy an electric that ends my search for s good one. I don't want to go through many mediocre ones to find the right one. I'd prefer to spend the extra money now.

martinedwards · 08-11-2015 5:21pm

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

I want to buy an electric that ends my search for s good one.

as a guitarist for 35 years....

I've built 90, owned maybe 30 more.......

I'm still looking!

IamtheWalrus · 08-11-2015 5:37pm

martinedwards wrote: »

as a guitarist for 35 years....

I've built 90, owned maybe 30 more.......

I'm still looking!

In your experience, would an upgrade on my Squier Strat be worth the money? Or am I looking for an excuse for a new toy..

wild turkey · 08-11-2015 11:31pm

Les Pauls , Strats , Teles , etc. it's all down to personal taste.
They are all good in their own right but completely different from each other, even in each make youll have different neck profiles , pickup configurations , etc.
You need to go and play them for yourself rather than take it from other peoples opinions , it's not about whats good but more whats good for you.

martinedwards · 09-11-2015 9:57am

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

In your experience, would an upgrade on my Squier Strat be worth the money? Or am I looking for an excuse for a new toy..

wellllllll.....

I have an encore strat.

bought it for £35 in 1988

since then, I've spent ......... maybe £400 on it.

Dimarzio PAF pros, piezo bridge, bone nut, and the finish.....

I love it to bits, but I'll never get 1/2 of that back out of it again.

if you LIKE the squier, and you enjoy playing it, and you want to learn a bit about how guitars work, then go for it. realistically, selling it you won't get that much for it to put towards another guitar.....

oh yeah, here's the latest incarnation of "Bill", my strat......

a pair of PAF pros, split coil switches of course, bone saddle over a piezo bridge and a strap jack preamp for the piezo.

I have twin outputs to a pair of Roland GP16 multiFXs midied together.

IamtheWalrus · 09-11-2015 12:07pm

martinedwards wrote: »

wellllllll.....

I have an encore strat.

bought it for £35 in 1988

since then, I've spent ......... maybe £400 on it.

Dimarzio PAF pros, piezo bridge, bone nut, and the finish.....

I love it to bits, but I'll never get 1/2 of that back out of it again.

if you LIKE the squier, and you enjoy playing it, and you want to learn a bit about how guitars work, then go for it. realistically, selling it you won't get that much for it to put towards another guitar.....

oh yeah, here's the latest incarnation of "Bill", my strat......

a pair of PAF pros, split coil switches of course, bone saddle over a piezo bridge and a strap jack preamp for the piezo.

I have twin outputs to a pair of Roland GP16 multiFXs midied together.

I like the wear of your guitar, like you've played it so much you're used to it, and know it. Like a billiards cue. That's why I am wondering if I should buy now, to get my preferred guitar and get used to it.

IamtheWalrus · 10-11-2015 4:57pm

I went to a guitar shop to have a play around today. I tried 3 Fenders.

1. American Vintage '59 Strat, Sunburst, Maple fingerboard, £1391
The neck felt thicker than my squire. Strings felt looser. Sounded nice. Felt nice.

2. Classic Plyer 50's Stat, Sunburst, £690
No initial wow-feeling. Good guitar but didn't feel like it was a huge jump in playing experience to my Squire.

3. Classic Player Jazzmaster Special, £825
Impressive, maybe because of the new experience of a Jazzmaster. Sounded nice and played well.

In summary, I preferred #1, but I have a feeling I had some confirmation bias after playing it first and being told it was the 'best' one. Enjoyable experience all round, good overview by the hip shop assistant.

Herb Powell · 11-11-2015 11:23pm

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

I picked up a Gretsch in a shop once and loved it but when I researched it after, it didn't seem to be what I need, beautiful as it was.

I think that's all the research you need to do! If you loved playing it, then it was a decent guitar. You'll hear talk of people saying not to use certain guitars for certain genres/styles, but that's utter bolloccks imo. If you're not totally lazy and a bit creative you can make it work. I have seen the heaviest sludge sounds being wrung from a tele.

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

Why would someone buy a Gibson over a Fender?

Who knows, they're overpriced to hell and their quality control is known to be shocking

IamtheWalrus · 10-12-2015 10:33pm

What would one of these offer me? It has the Johnny Marr appeal.

http://en.audiofanzine.com/hollow-body-electric-guitar/gibson/ES-355-TD/medias/pictures/a.play,m.408604.html

I see lots at £1300 but lots at over 3k. Why would the price vary?

Ravelleman · 11-12-2015 11:04am

Where have you found these Gibson ES-355s for £1,300?

IamtheWalrus · 11-12-2015 11:45am

Ravelleman wrote: »

Where have you found these Gibson ES-355s for £1,300?

Ah, I'm wrong. It's a 335.

http://www.dawsons.co.uk/gibson-memphis-es-335-studio-electric-guitar?gclid=CM3Vv6_Q08kCFYMSwwodmukBtg

So the 355 is much superior?

Ravelleman · 11-12-2015 12:18pm

The ES-335, an iconic Gibson model, is typically an expensive guitar due to its construction and features.

The ES-355 was historically a more upmarket version of the ES-335: gold vs nickle hardware; ebony fretboard vs rosewood; large block inlays vs dots or small blocks; multi-ply binding vs white binding; split diamond headstock inlay vs standard inlay; Varitone switch vs no switch.

Gibson can no longer obtain sufficient ebony legally (and indeed illegally as the case was in the past) to mass produce guitars with ebony fretboards so they have switched to an artificial compound called Richlite, which is seemingly quite similar. It is also an expensive material to use so while they are cheaping out to some degree, it is not necessarily just to cut corners.

Ravelleman · 11-12-2015 12:21pm

The ES335 Studio you linked is a very cheap version of the ES-335. It seems to have the essential elements of the ES-335 but none of what for me is the charm of the model.

I recently bought an ES-330, which was historically a cheaper version of the ES-335, but in hollow-body form and with P90s, but over the years the prices have equalised, as the ES-330 came to be regarded as a legitimate instrument in its own right.

I'll be an ES-335 some day too, for sure.

IamtheWalrus · 11-12-2015 2:47pm

Ravelleman wrote: »

The ES335 Studio you linked is a very cheap version of the ES-335. It seems to have the essential elements of the ES-335 but none of what for me is the charm of the model.

I recently bought an ES-330, which was historically a cheaper version of the ES-335, but in hollow-body form and with P90s, but over the years the prices have equalised, as the ES-330 came to be regarded as a legitimate instrument in its own right.

I'll be an ES-335 some day too, for sure.

I'm toying between getting a strat and a ES-335-esque guitar. Which would you go for?

Ravelleman · 11-12-2015 4:53pm

You could go for either based on what you said you'd like to play, to be honest. Much will depend on your budget.

Comparing Strats to 335s is like comparing apples and oranges, as the old saying goes. There are so many differences that it seems arbitrary. So ultimately it comes down to personal taste.

What features are you looking for? The two styles are on opposite ends of the scale.

IamtheWalrus · 11-12-2015 8:52pm

Would you prefer a strat to a 355 or 335? I can't decide.

Ravelleman · 11-12-2015 10:17pm

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

Would you prefer a strat to a 355 or 335? I can't decide.

Ah, I'd go for a 335 in that case. I'd consider an older 355 with an ebony fretboard but probably not one with richlite - an arbitrary stipulation perhaps.

I like the ES 345 a lot more than the 355 too. It occupies a nice middle ground between 335 and 355.

If you are considering an ES 335 it would be well worth reading up about the various models available as it is one of the more esoteric guitar styles available. There are so many variations, each with tiny differences, and that is without counting modified versions like the 345 and 355.

IamtheWalrus · 31-05-2016 7:54pm

I plumped for this:

http://intl.fender.com/en-GB/series/american-standard/american-standard-telecaster-rosewood-fingerboard-bordeaux-metallic/

Gaspode · 01-06-2016 7:40am

Hard to go wrong with a Tele, happy playing Walrus may it give you many years of pleasure.

Recommend a mid-level guitar player's electric

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