Guitars with neat sounds, not Start/LP/Tele-ish?

Medicine Melancholy · Post by **Medicine Melancholy** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 6:15 pm

Leaning towards a Jag at the moment, but before that I was pretty big into the Jazzmaster thing. Gravitated back towards the Jag as it's probably more suitable for what I do, I mostly do electronic stuff but I'm adding in some manic post punky type riffage, the nastier sound of a Jag goes well with some of my synth sounds too.

I'm open to other possibilities though. Getting a decent Jag is still expensive and the sound is still a variation on the Strat, plus I have a friend with one that'll let me play it now and again. Danelectros might not be a bad idea. Considering a Baritone too. I'll be doing some heavier industrial type shit as well, so I need it to be fairly versatile, which probably rules the Danos out. Trem is necessary.

Been quite fond of the Parker P series, but I'd need new pickups as they're either regular HH or Fat Strat configuration. If I could find some good pickups to put in.

Of course, I'm also considering getting the Jaguar HH, which would also be a good candidate for "interesting" pickups especially with the coil split, but I don't know many interesting

My current guitars are a GFS Tele copy(which sounds pretty neat to be honest, but noisy as all hell and quite a flat neck for a Tele, probably send it back if I get a Jag) and a First Act Sheena, which has some fairly decent Alnico V PAFy humbuckers in it, nice Jangle from them. Guitar doesn't hold tuning well for a hardtail though, it's not the most reliable thing. Basically looking to get an interesting sounding guitar, with a trem, that doesn't crap out on me, orientated towards a post punk & glassy shoegaze type sound but also capable of nasty industrial stuff.

chemistforhire · Post by **chemistforhire** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 6:30 pm

Sounds like you want a versatile guitar but are ruling out purchasing guitars that have been around for ages due to their versatility. In the end though I think what your processing your signal with will probably play more of a role in the tone that you seek.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 6:34 pm

The Dano is'nt a bad idea at all if you can live without the trem, Lipstick pickups can sound very abrasive and nasty with the right dirt pedal. Plus, these days with FX Processors you can get an Industrial sound with just about anything.

Another option could be something with P90s, like a Hagstrom F200 or an Aria Diamond.

Jaguars are great but much more money and arguably a variation on the Strat.

Medicine Melancholy · Post by **Medicine Melancholy** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 6:37 pm

chemistforhire wrote:Sounds like you want a versatile guitar but are ruling out purchasing guitars that have been around for ages due to their versatility. In the end though I think what your processing your signal with will probably play more of a role in the tone that you seek.

Maybe, but I find it's good to start with a good clean tone as a lot of the time I'm leaning towards pitch or delay based effects which work with the original tone rather than alter it.

Would the HH CP Jag be a better idea maybe? Coil splitting isn't meant to sound as "good", but it might sound different enough to be worthwhile.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 6:41 pm

Medicine Melancholy wrote:Would the HH CP Jag be a better idea maybe? Coil splitting isn't meant to sound as "good", but it might sound different enough to be worthwhile.

People will disagree with me here but the CP HH does'nt inherit too much of the original Jaguar sound. If you are going to get a Jaguar get the traditional model.

Medicine Melancholy · Post by **Medicine Melancholy** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 6:44 pm

Yeah, but does that make it sound even more different? Since Jags are pretty similar to Strats.

I'm a bit worried about the "regular" CP Jag due to the updated bridge and Trem. I'm not a fan of the shaky bridge and lack of sustain on he old style jags though, and I'm pretty sure the CPs are very slightly lighter than the *IJs. Though the updated/hotter pickups might make it sound more unique in of itself.

StevePirates · Post by **StevePirates** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 6:53 pm

The Pawn Shop Mustang Special had some neat sounds when I played it. It is really tiny though, I felt like I was playing a heavy metal ukelele.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 6:59 pm

Medicine Melancholy wrote:Yeah, but does that make it sound even more different? Since Jags are pretty similar to Strats.

I'm a bit worried about the "regular" CP Jag due to the updated bridge and Trem. I'm not a fan of the shaky bridge and lack of sustain on he old style jags though, and I'm pretty sure the CPs are very slightly lighter than the *IJs. Though the updated/hotter pickups might make it sound more unique in of itself.

The HH models dont have any trademark sound in my opinion, they sound like most other bolt-on HH Fender guitars.
I was thinking of the CIJ models. The bridge/trem and lack of sustain are big contributors that separate the Jag from the Strat.

Can you try some out at a store?

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:08 pm

vintage Hagstrom?

Medicine Melancholy · Post by **Medicine Melancholy** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:45 pm

StevePirates wrote:The Pawn Shop Mustang Special had some neat sounds when I played it. It is really tiny though, I felt like I was playing a heavy metal ukelele.

Yeah, it's a shame. It's quite a cool guitar. If it was bigger and had the Trem I totally would consider it.

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:17 pm

Get a VOX It's what's happening comrade!

[youtube][/youtube]

Medicine Melancholy · Post by **Medicine Melancholy** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:25 pm

Interesting! Aren't those heavy though?

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:11 pm

Burns Cobra

Hofner Colorama

Both classy, sub-Â£200 unique guitars.

gaybear · Post by **gaybear** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:19 pm

light, lotsa sounds, can be used in metal, isn't a strat or gibson, stays in tune,not a HH or Fat Strat configuration...

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:23 pm

Would not recommend a Vox for what you want it for...if you use any sort of noisy fuzz/distortion the pickups squeal for days, and not in the pleasant way.

Medicine Melancholy · Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:53 pm

gaybear wrote:light, lotsa sounds, can be used in metal, isn't a strat or gibson, stays in tune,not a HH or Fat Strat configuration...

I had a Microkorg. I sold it and got a Microkorg XL, since every guitarist and hipster has a Microkorg. The XL is much better. I feel original again.

Freddy V-C · Post by **Freddy V-C** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:58 pm

Medicine Melancholy wrote:I had a Microkorg. I sold it and got a Microkorg XL, since every guitarist and hipster has a Microkorg. The XL is much better. I feel original again.

I had a Microkorg, sold it and bought an old Yamaha MIDI keyboard. Surely that's more hipster?

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 11:31 pm

Fran wrote:Burns Cobra.

I'll second this one; the tri-sonic pickups have a sound of thier own and it has a trem that works (as long as you don't divebomb it all the way) and they look the part...

Medicine Melancholy · Sat Jul 16, 2011 11:57 pm

Cobras not too bad looking, but a bit on the heavy side. The CP Offests(8lbs average) are as heavy as I'm willing to go. My Tele is about 9 and it can be awkward.

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 12:43 am

Medicine Melancholy wrote:Cobras not too bad looking, but a bit on the heavy side. The CP Offests(8lbs average) are as heavy as I'm willing to go. My Tele is about 9 and it can be awkward.

I've never got this whole weight issue; both my Tele's weigh more than my cobra but it's much of a muchness. They're all worth a little weight lifting...