I want a guitar that's NOT an all-out metal machine for a change. Ideas?

[Scali]

How about my Yamaha RGX?
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/guitars-for-sale-trade-wanted/62656-feeler-yamaha-rgx-standard.html

It's not pointy, it doesn't have a super-thin shreddy neck (although it can be very fast if you're used to it)... it has H-S-S pickups, great for any style... They are the signature pickups of Steve Lukather, one of the most versatile players that ever lived.
And it doesn't have to be expensive, because it doesn't have a fancy name like Ibanez, Fender, Gibson or PRS attached (although you still get mahogany, flamed maple and ebony).

Oh, and the tremolo can be blocked by a little wheel on the trem. So in a way it fits the non-floyd requirement

 

[Mattayus]

How about my Yamaha RGX?
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/guitars-for-sale-trade-wanted/62656-feeler-yamaha-rgx-standard.html

It's not pointy, it doesn't have a super-thin shreddy neck (although it can be very fast if you're used to it)... it has H-S-S pickups, great for any style... They are the signature pickups of Steve Lukather, one of the most versatile players that ever lived.
And it doesn't have to be expensive, because it doesn't have a fancy name like Ibanez, Fender, Gibson or PRS attached (although you still get mahogany, flamed maple and ebony).

Oh, and the tremolo can be blocked by a little wheel on the trem. So in a way it fits the non-floyd requirement

That's actually pretty damn close to what I'm looking for. I'm really loving the 80's H-S-S formation right now.

When you say the trem can be blocked off - you mean that's a standard item that comes with it?

How much do these puppies go for?

EDIT: Ignore that, just realised that was a link to a for sale thread

 

[Scali]

When you say the trem can be blocked off - you mean that's a standard item that comes with it?

Yes, there's a thumbscrew on the tremolo. If you turn it down, you block its upward motion. So it will then work only downwards like a Strat-style trem.
If you then also tighten the springs or add extra springs, it will basically turn the tremolo into a fixed bridge, just like on a Strat.

How much do these puppies go for?

This particular model hasn't been made in ages. But I'm selling mine, because I never use it (it's pretty much mint, even though it's very old).
It's been for sale on various sites for a long time, but nobody seems interested (The Yamaha brand probably scares off a lot of people). Perhaps we can work out a deal.
At any rate, I've made some new pictures recently, for a new ad I've put up on a local site. It also shows a bit of the nice case it comes in.
I will add them to my thread here tonight.

 

[Mattayus]

I'd love to take it, but €700 is about £620 at the moment. WAY over the amount I've got to throw at a guitar right now

 

[darren]

Yamaha's midrange and high-end stuff is AMAZING. A lot of people get scared off because the market is flooded with so many of those "starter pack" bottom-of-the-barrel Pacificas. But a REAL Yamaha is easily as good as, if not better than, a high-end Ibanez. Usually for a fraction of the price.

If i still played sixes, i'd probably be picking up a Yamaha RGX-A2.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/yamaha_rgxa2.htm

 

[Scali]

Well, it doesn't seem to be going anywhere, so you might want to save up some cash and buy it in a few months time
Alternatively, since you will be getting both the stock pickups and the EMGs, you could put the stockers back in and sell the EMGs on. They should be good for at least £150 I guess (I can include the original box and scratchplate).

 

[soliloquy]

/\ that white yamaha up there plays awesome! and that green/blue light thing is an interesting touch.

and as for those godins. just wanna give you a heads up, they do have a fairly chunky neck. a lil more chunky comparing to a PRS SE...

 

[maliciousteve]

I haven't been following the thread so excuse me if this has already been suggested.

A second hand Fender Strat?

I bought my 68 reissue Strat for £300 (back in 2000 though). You'd be amazed how versatile they can be.

 

[adz87]

hows about something like this Spear through neck Tele!

currently £299 at Fret Music - Your Online Music Store and there's two in stock

very cool and very different looking as well!

thats our Spear Display and i know we're getting some ore stock as well. maybe check some of them out

(and yes it was a shameless promotion of where i work. but fuck it! =D)

 

[Mattayus]

Spear guitars are fantastic for the price I totally neglected to consider them! I wrote a review on them for my side after playing the Gladius. The specs are just sick for the price, thanks for reminding me of them!

 

[chrismgtis]

PRS SE Singlecut Trem

I'm about to grab one of those myself, real soon.

 

[Stitch]

Spear guitars are horribly hit and miss. Out of a sample of 8 instruments the only one that wasn't disgusting was a bass. I'm sure they make good instruments but a 1/8 ratio is pretty shit.

The Squier Classic Vibe 60's Strat is well within your budget (£239 at last check) and a really really well put together instrument. Being completely honest man, until you hit American Standard Territory at £649 the only thing that touches it in terms of quality is the Mexican Upgrade Strat.

Really well put together and the neck finishing is incredible. Better than £600 Ibanezes.

As Darren already mentioned anything by Yamaha is well worth a look - incredible instruments, totally underrated by everyone.

Your budget doesn't really preclude a lucky score on a second hand Fender Am Std. Strat/Tele either, and if you dont mind it being beat then there are even more options.

A lot of old Ibanez roadsters are coming out the woodwork recently, so keep your eyes peeled for those.

Also worth considering (if you are into Semi-hollows) would be the Ibanez AS93VLS:

Which comes in at around £300~ish. Really nice guitar. If you want something with a more PRS-vibe then the new AJD91 is an incredible guitar, although ust a touch over your budget. Really nicely put together though, and ridiculously versatile without being alien.

 

[Stitch]

Also, the Fender Baja Tele can be had second hand for cheaps around your budget. Nice guitar, 4-way switching options and a tinted lacquer neck that feels pretty sweet. And it has those fantastic Ping Tuners.

Another shoutout for the 60s Classic Vibe Squier is just how reminiscent of old Japanese Feners they are - which was there principal inspiration apparently!

 

[Stitch]

Also, the RGA32 doesn't hit the UK until Mid/Late March and as lovely as it is I don't think it will be different enough from the rest of your guitars. It isn't offering anything new.

 

[Mattayus]

Wow fuck me Stitch, thanks!

As an update people, I think a semi-hollow is out of the question for the tone I'm going for. Like i said, I don't want an out-and-out metal machine, but that's not to say I don't want something that can pull it off! I predominantly teach metal guitar, therefore it does still need to be shreddable and chuggable. I know that doesn't rule out semi-hollows per say, but i'd still prefer not to go THAT un-metal.

So, based on you guys' suggestions here are some of my preliminary choices -

CORT G260 NA

Agile PS-970 Floyd Black Cherry

YAMAHA PACIFICA 120S-YNS (very cheap and cheerful, and therefore very upgradeable!)

Parker P36

Godin SD22 Leaftop (one of my favourites so far)

PEAVEY HP SPECIAL EX

Now I know they don't necessarily match my criteria, but some of them are so within my budget/taste that I'm willing to accept a few things - i.e. floyds can always be blocked if need be etc.

You can add the strat to that list too, Stitch. Very good suggestion sir!

I'm still rifling through the Yamahas too. I've played many over the years and have always been impressed. They're most certainly an option! Also, just as an aside - Anything with H-S-S config will be considered!

 

[Stitch]

Back when we sold Parker I wasn't particularly enamoured with the necks. They felt a bit cheap compared to the 'real' Parkers. That may well have changed since then though.

 

[adz87]

Spear guitars are horribly hit and miss. Out of a sample of 8 instruments the only one that wasn't disgusting was a bass. I'm sure they make good instruments but a 1/8 ratio is pretty shit.

Really thats interesting?! did you mean looks or how they played? to be fair some of them aren't my cup of tea, but still for the money you have to admit they are impressive, construction wise and their choice of woods.

what shop do you work in? are you part of the firm or euromusic?

also as stitch said the baja tele is fantastic. very versatile.

 

[Sang-Drax]

How about this one?

Ok. Sorry, I have nothing useful to contribute aside from what have been said already. Please keep on

 

[sevenstringj]

I think your best bet would be to go to a store and try out guitars you wouldn't normally try. Try the expensive ones, too. Find what you like best and then look for cheaper guitars that fit the bill. I haven't checked Warmoth's prices in a while, but you should consider them, especially since you can even customize the neck shape. Another option might be a Carvin bolt-on kit. I've heard terrific things about them and you can customize them as well.

I wouldn't go Korean/Indonesian/Chinese cheapo on this, because you never know... this may become one of your most loved guitars! And typically, when you go cheapo, you end up paying more on mods. I'd shell out a 100 or so more and get a Warmoth or Carvin. Do it right the first time.

 

[synrgy]

I think your best bet would be to go to a store and try out guitars you wouldn't normally try. Try the expensive ones, too. Find what you like best and then look for cheaper guitars that fit the bill.

+1 to that, for sure.

When I bought my Epiphone, I didn't know exactly what I wanted, except that I wanted a semi-hollow guitar that wasn't going to cost me the equivalent to a downpayment on a house.

I tried *every* semi-hollow they had in my local shop (and knew that other nearby shops wouldn't have anything else that wasn't directly comparable to what I tried) and was pleasantly surprised that the one sitting in the middle of the price range felt the most comfortable. It was an even more pleasant surprise when I got home to discover that the stock pickups wouldn't need replacing like I assumed they would. Sustain for DAYS!!!!

What's so important about that process is it negates your potentially false preconceptions. Before I went into the shop that day, I had the idea in my brain that I was *NEVER* going to buy an Epiphone, or even a Gibson for that matter (unless I could afford a pre-factory Gibson -- NOT gonna happen..) but being able to directly compare the Sheraton II to the Dot, or any of the Gretsch models, the Telecasters, the Ibanezes, etc, it just won my hands over. I must have gone back and forth between it and 20 other guitars that day.

You're wise to come here to get reccommendations, as it gives you a better idea of WHAT you're looking for, but you should take all the reccommendations with a grain of salt, because as I'm sure you well know, one man's trash is another man's treasure, no 2 guitars are built the same, no 2 hands are the same size, no 2 sets of ears hear frequencies the exact same way, yadda yadda yadda.

Still -- lots of RAD guitars in here!!