Lost in a sea of guitars

[illuminatingsun]

Hi guys,

I'm considering buying a new guitar. My Jackson DK2m doesn't seem to be fulfilling my tonal requirements now that my band's style has changed quite significantly.

It is proving difficult, however, to decide on what to buy. There are so many brands and so many guitars each brand makes; sifting through the endless reviews and internet shops is so time-consuming. Furthermore, the opinions of people reviewing guitars are not always uniform, which further compounds the difficulty of making a decision. Although I've almost been playing for 8 years I've never really got that much into learning about the technical aspects of guitars. I'm wondering whether someone here could make some suggestions.

I play progressive rock/metal/alternative sort of music, inspired by Porcupine Tree, Anathema, Demians, etc, so I'm looking for a guitar that is capable of very smooth and warm cleans as well as a big, clear distorted sound. A guitar with coil tapped humbuckers would be great so that I can get a wide variety of textures.

I've been looking at Carvin guitars which generally have mixed reviews. I've considered the PRS SE series too, but I'm wondering whether I could get something better, considering that I'm willing to spend up to £1000. I'm very confused about what to get.

Cheers

 

[joeymusicguy]

get it over with and buy a parker

 

[AboutBlank]

The only solution is to go to a store and test as many guitars as YOU can.
Nobody knows your handsize and preferences.

I think other things wouldn't make you happy.

Go out and test gits!

 

[Sweetnothing]

I'd get a secondhand PRS CU22 or CE24, SE's are great for the money but lack...something ( I own a tremonti SE) and have that unbearable wide-fat necks

 

[illuminatingsun]

I think I'll go out and test a load of guitars. My only concern right now is purchasing something that will sound great on my recordings.

@joey
The Parker guitars look great! The P44 has the features I'm looking for.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Nuno Filipe]

For metal it´s a Schecter or if you have money a Ibanez Prestige.

 

[motomoto]

For 100£ more though, you can get a Parker Dragonfly or a Nitefly

http://www.thomann.de/gb/parker_dragonfly_bolt_on_seg.htm

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/nitefly-m/3200

I assumed you are in the UK by saying £

And btw i know a guy who sells his nitefly classic for a sic price

 

[Metaltastic]

Carvin CT6, a cheaper, just-as-awesome, customizable PRS (except for the pickups, though those are easily swapped of course)

 

[illuminatingsun]

For 100£ more though, you can get a Parker Dragonfly or a Nitefly

http://www.thomann.de/gb/parker_dragonfly_bolt_on_seg.htm

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/nitefly-m/3200

I assumed you are in the UK by saying £

And btw i know a guy who sells his nitefly classic for a sic price

I'm somewhat interested in paying a little extra. Though, I'm inclined to be cheap lol.

Does anyone have any experience with the Parker P44? It looks quite interesting, is quite cheap, and has the features I'm looking for. Would the Nitefly be a massive improvement on the P44?

Also, how much is your friend selling his Nitefly for; I'm curious. Is he selling it on eBay?

 

[motomoto]

Yeah nitefly and dragonfly are massive improvements of the p44.

Both in quality and sound.

I'll pm you about the other guys stuff

 

[illuminatingsun]

Today I tried out:

Schecter Blackjack ATX C-1
Schecter Damien Special-FR
Schecter Diamond Series (can't remember which model)
Parker P44

Pretty much all of the guitars felt and sounded nice, but I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with the above guitars and whether one is significantly better than the other.

 

[dmmi]

If you need a new guitar because you cannot achieve correct tonal requirements.....I would investigate your signal processing gear and/or amp setup first.

You can't bring all your gear to the music store to test a guitar. Other thing is that while your guitar is a big part of the chain....I find it hard to believe that you can get a new guitar and...that's it, all your tonal problems are solved. Have you thought about new pups? how about EQ adjustments, or a tube screamer....that sort of thing.

 

[illuminatingsun]

Of course, as you say, getting a new guitar wouldn't solve the problems completely. I totally agree that it's not the only thing affecting the sound.

My main goal at the moment is to get a great sound on my recordings. I play with amp simulators through M-Audio BX8a monitors and my recording interface is a Steinberg MR816 X, so I've got some fairly good gear in that respect.

My distorted guitar tones sound pretty good, but the main problem is with my clean tones; I'd really like to get a really clear, well-defined sound for the cleans. That's why I was considering buying a guitar that's coil tapped.

Maybe a pickup change would be a good idea, as you have suggested. I could save my money for more important gear.

 

[GoofPig]

get it over with and buy a parker

GOOD MAN!

Been playing parker for about a year now. Love them to bits!

 

[greyskull]

if you play metal, esp's are great.

 

[illuminatingsun]

I've realised that I'm maybe being a bit too picky about my current guitar. It's mainly the weird overtone/buzz on the G string that compelled me to buy a new guitar. I think the solution is to get a wound G string.

I'm now considering buying an amplifier instead. I'm wondering whether a miked amplifier will be more beneficial for my recordings. I've used amp simulators a lot, but they always seem to require a lot of effort to get a great sound out of. In the past I've found that a real amplifier is easier to work with.

I've been looking at the Bugera heads. I play in a band so I guess it would be wise to purchase a half-stack for gigs, but at the moment our recordings have the highest priority. So, would it be worth getting a really amazing combo for about the same price as a Bugera head and a cab? Is it really crucial to have a 4x12 for studio recordings? Or is a 2x12 sufficient? I've been looking at the Orange PPC 2x12 cabinet and the reviews have been great. It's not a bad price at £289; very promising.

What cabs would you recommend? I couldn't find much in the way of cabinet reviews or recommendations online so I'm at a loss as to what would be a good purchase. My budget is about £700.

 

[illuminatingsun]

Damn, I can't stop changing my mind. I think I'm going to stick with amp simulators for now and get a guitar.

I'm going to keep my Jackson because it's good for distorted parts. For cleans I think I might get a Fender Stratocaster, or a Telecaster on eBay. Which one handles a clean tone 'better'? I've not tried either guitar before.

I'm also considering getting a new bass guitar too. I've been looking at the Ibanez SR505. Does anyone have any experience with this model?

 

[GoofPig]

Get a new Dragonfly Bolt-on my man.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DF524MB/

 

[rfahey86]

Try out the ESP EC-1000. Its nice because it stays in tune better with the locking tuners and it comes with the EMG pickups. Also the fretboard is narrower and faster than a les paul and it has a set neck which will really help your natural sustain. The locking bridge and tail piece are also nice. I bought mine used in mint shape for $500. (comes with the case too)