One Guitar To Rule Them All

http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/miscellany/pikasso%20guitar.jpg

I've held all of them (or versions of them) except for the Reverend, but they get great reviews

Classic '60s Telecaster
http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/3/3/3/269333.jpg

Paisley Telecaster
http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/3/3/3/269333.jpg

crap.
http://i13.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/cd/af/4bb1_12.JPG

Reverend, which is basically a P90 SG copy for the same price as the Epiphone SGs/Les Pauls
http://www.reverendguitars.com/reverend/images/guitars/set_neck_series/daredevil_290/daredevil_290_wine.jpg

Epiphone doesn't make a quality LP Jr. copy, so I'd have to get a Gibson or Edwards (Japanese brand with great reputation), Edwards is cheaper.

I really like the idea of one pickup and minimal controls.

http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/webshop/guitar/esp/edwards/gif/ejr80lt_ch.jpg

of the guitars I could go pick up at Guitar Center, I think the Casino felt best. Leaning toward it right now.

http://www.americanmusical.com/images/b/p21235b.jpg

also the Sheraton, which is heavier (semi-hollow) and has humbuckers

http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/7/0/3/274703.jpg

those guitars that are, like, double guitars...

the Reverend looks like my guitar

I like the look of the butterscotch tele

paisley is my favorite here

but it would probably get old

i think casinos are fine guitars, they sound and feel very nice, even the new ones. i want one actually. and they feedback well if you like to feedback.

I would get a G&L, which will run you about the same & is as good as/better than any of these imo

Milo, if anything other than the Edwards or the Paisley ends up as your #1 choice, email me. Srsly.

Out of the choices listed I'd go for the Classic Tele or the Casino. Is the Classic Tele Japan-made or USA? Either way, it should be quality.

To help you a bit more - what kind of sounds are you looking for? I'd say :

The Teles - great vintagey cleans and twangy crunch with overdrive.

Casino and Sheraton - woodier cleans, jazzy neck p/u, darker with overdrive/distortion - watch for muddiness with higher gain.

The Edwards and the Rev - big dark rock crunch, cleans might be better on the Rev.

I think you're right to avoid an Epiphone SG, but price-wise how much of a stretch is a Gibson SG? It can't be much more than the Paisley Tele, can it? A CIJ Jazzmaster is similar in price IIRC, although I believe you need to buy direct from Japan if you're in the USA.

Also what about one of the new USA Highway One Teles?

Classic Tele is MIMexico.

Hmm - I'd go for the Paisley then. Or check the prices of the Highway One.

Milo, what do you like to play? If you're looking at Mexican teles check out the classic player baja telecaster. My classic player strat is a sick guitar.

http://www.guitargonauts.com/pix/65gretsch.jpg

This one's identical to mine, my one's a 1961 model but I can't see any difference here.

i love semihollowbodies, i just bought an epiphone 335 a few months ago and it's great. but you should make sure you're getting one of the korean-made ones, not the newer chinese-made ones, which felt really shoddy and cheap in my hands. not sure if this is an issue with the sheraton and casino, maybe those are all made somewhere else

The only not made in china epiphones are the "Elitist" series, as far as I know. Which are great guitars, but $$$$$$$$$

A CIJ Jazzmaster is similar in price IIRC, although I believe you need to buy direct from Japan if you're in the USA.

Except for the J. Mascis signature (USA avail, CIJ), which is awesome awesome awesome, but if you don't like purple metalflake as a finish, you're out of luck.

The only advice I will give for buying a guitar is this:

Set a budget

Go play as many guitars as you can

Buy the one that sounds/plays the best that is within your budget.

B/c you could drop 10k EASY on a nice guitar. Or you can get a perfectly nice one for $900.

That said, I personally would go with either the 60s or paisley Teles. Teles are pretty sweet, and indestructible.

^^^ setting a budget in advance is key, otherwise you'll find yourself doing mental calculations like "this one's more expensive, but I can afford it if I don't buy any soap or toilet paper for the next six months"

The only not made in china epiphones are the "Elitist" series, as far as I know. Which are great guitars, but $$$$$$$$$

-- John Justen, Tuesday, January 8, 2008 6:05 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Link

but you're talking new guitars, right? because based on wikipedia it looks like most epiphones were made in korea from 1980 to 2002. sorry, i was talking about buying used guitars

how are the burns reissues? personally I'd like a bison...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y176/edwardiii/bison62L.jpg

or you could go for the real thing...

http://cgi.ebay.com/1963-burns-bison_W0QQitemZ140195996553QQihZ004QQ

yeah, I was talking about new.

yeah, I was talking about new

Well, in that case, I would ALSO include the following advice:

Look at the used guitars, too.

I got my electric - ~$1500 brand new - for $500. I have never had to have anything on it fixed, and only had to adjust the neck/intonation for when I jumped up in string size.

What'd you get?

Thanks, everybody.

Music-wise, I'm basically a beginner (I can play G A C, for the most part). I'd like to play stuff in the noisier end of the punk-indie realm I guess? 50 Ft. Wave, Mazzy Star, the Pixies, Dinosaur Jr. and the Clash and stuff. And alt-country like the Old 97's.

Budget is ~$800, though if I come in cheaper even better - I have a small Vox Valvetronix combo for playing at home and will get a Pod-like unit for travelling.

Will definitely e-mail when I make up my mind, John J.

Didn't include the J Mascis Jazzmaster, I haven't found any kind of Jazzmaster locally to try yet. It's definitely on my larger list, though.

Except for the J. Mascis signature (USA avail, CIJ), which is awesome awesome awesome, but if you don't like purple metalflake as a finish, you're out of luck

Yeah I'd really like to try one of those - I wonder what the TOM bridge is like with the trem system.

I have played a new Burns Bison briefly - I didn't have time to really figure out how to get the best out of it. It was quite Strat-like in a way - good sounds from all pickup positions, but a fairly horrid tremolo. Maybe it's fine if you get used to it.

We need Milo to tell us what sounds he's after and what features are essential to him. How much is used Gibson SG in the USA?

my guy plays a reverend so i voted for that :-)

Oh wait, x-post. That's good info Milo. For the type of music you've listed, I'd definitely go for single coil solidbody. I'm sure you'd be really happy with a Tele. If you can find a used CIJ Jazzmaster, you'd be even happier, I reckon :) From my US based offset contacts, I think a made-in-the USA Jazzmaster is rarely under $100.

I mean $1000!

Luckily for you Milo there are like a hundred good Fenders to be had for around your budget. I agree that you'd probably dig a Tele. Don't pay too much attention to features or even looks and just play as many different ones as you can. Find one that resonates well (feel for vibrations throughout the body and up to the top of the headstock when you strum) and has a good-feeling neck. Everything else (setup, strings, pickups) can easily be modified later.

As for Jazzmasters, you're definitely going to have trouble finding one in your budget. Play some Strats too! They always get forgotten is these conversations but a good Strat will slay.

Find one that resonates well (feel for vibrations throughout the body and up to the top of the headstock when you strum) and has a good-feeling neck. Everything else (setup, strings, pickups) can easily be modified later.

So true. I had forgotten how dead guitars feel until I played one the other day. Just no life to it at all. After some time playing it, you'll get to the point where chords that are out of tune feel wrong, like your hand is that used to what its supposed to feel like.

Teles sounds like what you want. I would suggest going with one that has some sort of a high-end, splittable humbucker in one of the positions. That way, you can go both shattered glass treble and death wave rumble out of the same guitar.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

http://cachepe.samedaymusic.com/media/quality%2C85/brand%2Csameday/p820h-3fd4ace915f7eb52b81b6829e74f54ef.jpg

^^^ I has

Nashville Tele, right?

yeah

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Wau.

No one voted Casino? It seems the obvious choice, being paid for by gambling.