So I'm going to be looking into my next guitar, probably around my birthday (August). Although I love the thing, my Dean V feels too clunky, I'm looking for a guitar with a smooth body, fast action, something you guys with a lot of gear experience know would be great for soloing. I've cut back a lot with leads in Extinction Agenda because I've had to also do vocals (my first time doing both in a live setting), now that we've snagged our new vocalist I will put a lot more time into this.

I've mostly played Ibanez and Dean, I do love the Ibanez guitars. I also enjoy Paul Reed Smith but it's a little out of my range. I'm looking for something I could drop $400-500 for (the base guitar price), even if it might need pickups/tremolo added later.

Are the low-level Jacksons any good? I can get them for $300 and I figured I'd need to rig them with some hardware.

I'm asking in advance because I'd like some time to physically go and try them out before the Day arrives.

I love my Jackson. Some of the lower end ESP's are nice too.

if you want, at somepoint you can swing up to my jamspace (3rd floor) and try out my Jackson DKMG, it's tuned to B, and the action is set low, but at least you could get a feel for it. I've also got a high end Ibanez that's 8 years old, but you may not like the neck on it, because it's ultra thin and narrow.

That sounds great. Six strings?

We've got some seven strings (Jackson and Ibanez) for Hatchet, I've played on them, not bad, though I won't be using that extra string with EA.

I'll stop by and check it out.

yes all 6 stings, I've only got one 7 string, but that's at my house, being prepped to be ripped to pieces and rebuilt.

I'll be down the space tonight, wether we have practice or not, because I've got some ideas floating about in my head. so if you'll be down the space, come by our room sometime around 7~7:30ish

I've also got a handmade Winter guitar, 6 string, tuned to B, neck through, floyd rose 22 fret neck, slim body. I'll let you try that one too, and if you like it, I can put you in touch with the guy that makes them.

I really love my ESP LTD MH-1000, it was a bit more like 700-800 at the end of the day, but I honestly can't find anything for that range that beats it.

schecter & esp will offer you the best bang for your buck, by far.

yeah, my next guitar will probably be either the LTD MH-1000, the LTD DV8-R, or the LTD ALEXI-600 (yes, laugh all you want, I love the way it plays though)

blue nli said:

I'm not a fan of Schecter necks, but they do offer great deals on good gear. I'm more of a thin neck person, and all the Schecters I've played were like baseball bats as far as the neck goes. but then again, it's been a long while since I've played one, so they're probably better now

All Gibson all the time as far as I'm concerned...but I usually play a fender for the clean parts on the Ichabod stuff because they are so much brighter. I will admit though, for thrash, you may be best served by something like an Ibanez. Where do you guys jam anyway? Our building in Burlington is being shut down because some shitbirds vandalized the place...we're looking for someplace now.

we're up in Haverhill MA @ Rivers Edge Studios. it's smack in the middle of the WORST part of town

I love the tone of gibsons, but I'm a pussy and they're FAR too heavy for me to wear for extended periods of time

DreamingInExile said:

Yeah, but you can go to the tap for some amazing beer after jams!!! I'd be down with Haverhill, but I'd have to convince Greg & Ken to trek all the way up from Brighton...fuck. I really don't want to go back to the sound museum either, I hate commuting into the city to get to practice...

haha, that's definately true

oh, and sorry scott, for derailing your thread.

back on topic, if you want to swing by my jamspace tonight, let me know, I'll be there from probably 7:00 on

COme to me at Guitar Center in Boston

I'll whore a guitar out to you and save you $$$

hes right, he will.

Id too have to say ESP or higher end Ibanez.
I own and love both.

ya the US line ibanez fucking shred, shecters are dope too

I won't be able to swing by River's Edge tonight, but definitely soon. I'll be there tomorrow for the first 5-piece-Extinction Agenda-rehearsal.

I definitely want to try out Jacksons, Ibanez, and ESPs. I own an Ibanez Iceman but it has issues. I've owned a Schecter and sold it awhile ago. It wasn't bad. Gibsons are great for some of the music I do (I use one in Ghidorah), but I agree they might not be ideal for the thrash.

I may very well take you up on that, Kin, when the time comes.

Thanks for the suggestions.

buy an Epiphone Les Paul Custom, swap the pick ups out to a style you like and you'll have a guitar that is durable and you can play fast as shit on it.

schecter c1+ and esp's are nice... esp ad schecter are made in same factory

I play an Ibanez RG series (similar to Kok's I think) and I dig the thing. The stock pick-ups are -meh- but the action is great and it stays in tune even after obnoxious dive-bombs.

that would be an ibanez RGT series.

the RGT42 in its various incarnations is a very solid electric as well. neck though, solid trem. but yeah the pickups blow, as with all stock ibanez pickups.

blue nli said:

I stand corrected.

See how low you can get them to go on the USA Jackson Fusion at GC in Natick. Save me the temptation of getting it myself!

The B.C. Rich NJ series guitars are also quite good. They run around 500-600 dollars but they are neck thru and play great. Then you can swap out the stock pick ups for some EMGs or Duncans and your good to go.

blue nli said:

I have the V7/V8 pair in my RG520, and for stock pickups, they're some of the best soinding in an ibanez, the V7 is warm and the V8 is unbelieveably hot for a stock pickup. the INF1&2 that are in the RGT's are really flat sounding, but I also agree with andy that the action is sick, and they keep tune great with a good setup.

my Ibanez, unfortunately, needs a bit of work, I need a new Wizard 1 neck with bubinga reinforcement and an AANJ, because mine is beginning to crack where the locknut bolts through the neck. it could also use either a rebuilding of, or all new, bridge. if I go all new, I'm going to get a real floyd, not the lisenced one

I put an EMG81 in my RGT42.....I didnt like the v8, sounded to 'stratty' but a little fatter.

oops I mean the INF p/u's.

I'm selling an ESP LTD MH400NT if anyone's interested.


edit: I have a neckthrough mh250 with floyd rose as well.

DreamingInExile said:

yeah, but why would you settle for stock when 90% of aftermarket pickups blow them away.

tone should not be a compromise.

Powerkok, I'd suggest installing a 2nd EMG. That neck pickup can't possibly function with the one EMG in the brigde...

I'm not an Ibanez fan in general. I suggest a JACKSON!

I dont use the neck pickup at all, so it is unhooked, but I wired it, so the bridge and neck are on totally seperate circuts, 2 output, so u can go into an a/b box if you so desire.

Ive owned plenty of Jacksons...they have a narrower nut width, and I have pretty huge mitts, so I always feel like a Jackson is toyish.

Are all Dean guitars made in the US or do they have factories in china/korea/japan?

of course they have overseas factories.

esp. pick any of them.

blue nli said:

I agree, I'm going to be replacing the pickups in all my guitars when I have enough money too.

I'm gonna do DiMarzio's in my Ibanez, EMG 81/85 combo in my jackson, either duncans ro another set of dimarzio's in my winter and probably the EMG 707's in my ESP 7 string... that's a lot of cake :(

Banjos.

Lutes.

powerkok said:

see, I find just the opposite, my Jackson's neck has a wider width then my Ibanez. it could also be the fact that my Ibanez has a Wizard neck (the original one, with the ultra-thin profile, not the Wizard II which was slightly larger)

well, its understandable for you to find the opposite on the jackson. they have the compound radius neck, which is thinner at the nut and wider at the neck joint.