New guitar >>

[Turbo_stella]

Posted this up on a guitar forum, but was just wanting the opinion from some of you metal heads!

I've got a lovely Gordon Smith GS1 which I've just had reconditioned as I'm started to play again after 8 years, it feels great! Anyway, my GS1 is a lovely instrument, and I'm gonna hang on to it.

I have decided though that I want a new guitar for more metal and lead playing. I'm thinking along the lines of ESP, Jackson, Ibanez, Kramer etc etc.

My budget is probably gonna be between £500-700 and I want something with a decent tremelo arm that I can bend down and up. I probably edge more towards humbucker pickups, although I wouldn't discount a guitar with single coil pick ups.

I basically want a quality guitar, something that feels nice (although I know it's down to personal preference and I'll obviously go and trial the instrument rather than just order of t'internet), something that doesn't go out of tune every 5 mins etc etc.

What are you guys playing? Or what makes and models would you recommend looking at?

Rock on

 

[Keenan]

Most people here would probably recommend a Jackson of some sort. Me personally, I gave up guitar because it just wasn't for me, so my opinion won't mean much.

 

[Zehm]

I really like my Jackson, but Ibanez makes some really great guitars as well. I've been looking at their RGA series recently. If you're worried about a Floyd going out on you, that's going to happen, but only when the strings are fresh, or at the end of their life span. Once you have it set up and broken in a Floyd will stay in tune longer than most fixed bridge systems.

 

[Turbo_stella]

I really like my Jackson, but Ibanez makes some really great guitars as well. I've been looking at their RGA series recently. If you're worried about a Floyd going out on you, that's going to happen, but only when the strings are fresh, or at the end of their life span. Once you have it set up and broken in a Floyd will stay in tune longer than most fixed bridge systems.

Funnily enough someone on a guitar forum recommended the RGA series. I don't know why, but for some reason I just seem to lean more towards humbucker pickups, perhaps because the last two guitars I've owned have been humbucker... I'm going to try out a range of guitars though.

Some dude recommended looking at Corts, but I just think they look cheap and reckon I can do much better for my budget.

Have also been advised to look at second hand guitars as I might get better value for money, but I really want to buy something new so I know where it's been e.g. not up some emo girls back doors pahahaha

 

[Chipmonkcheeks]

I would say go to a couple of guitar shops and try them out, regardless of what it is. This advice is especially pertinent with regards to second hand guitars as you don't know who has had them before you and what the guitar has been through.
Personally I wouldn't touch a Corts, but that is just me. I don't really have a formed opinion of all the other 'metal' brands (ESP, Jackson etc) because I have played good, mediocre, and bad versions of each.
You would probably end up with 2 humbuckers or some combination of single coils and humbuckers. In that price range though I wouldn't be surprised if the ESPs, Schecters and maybe the Jacksons had coil tap.
Since you are in England you might have some trouble getting the exact model you want so don't spend to much time browsing the internet and finding the model you might want, you would be better off just going and looking, but I think there are a few nice big guitar stores near the coast (GAK's is in Brighton I think) and there is a shop I like called Guitar Guitar in Epsom that I got my Schecter 7 from, they have a bunch of all the models you mentioned and lots of nice amps to play them through, so I would recommend there if you can justify the travel cost.
Finallllly, if you do find your self in the situation of having one guitar that you sort of like that is in budget and one that you really like that is above your budget, if you can afford.justify it get the more expensive one. I know this sort of defeats the point of a budget but with the amount of time you will spend playing it you will rue the day you didn't spend that bit extra.
But really £500-£700 is the perfect budget for a metal guitar. Only ESP might be out of that range, but there is LTD for that ^^

I probably said some bollocks, but discount that.

 

[Turbo_stella]

I totally, agree, If I found something really awesome for £800 I would snap it up, only set myself a mental budget so I don't go completely mad.

My nearest guitar shop is a place called Bonners in Eastbourne, although I might venture over to Brighton a have a look there one afternoon.

I quite like the look of the Jackson X series guitars...