Help choosing a guitar

[open trap]

Flying v's are soooooo cool.

Give me a fire bird over a V any day. Any way any V you'd pick up for 500 Australian probably isn't worth picking up, if you get a V you gotta go to the top.

Fire Birds are a car too, and they are very nice, my favorite year is a 1969 convertible.

 

[Treefingers]

Well you're going to have to save up more money if you really want a nice guitar. Really it depends on what you're into, your best bet is to go into a store and play on everything to see what takes your fancy.

I personally think Fenders are pretty sexy, but I play one of these myself and it is pretty awesome:

Godin, Exit-22

 

[DasUberCow]

I suggest an Epiphone SG. Reasonable price as well as good sound.

 

[Fozza]

You would do best to go to a local music store and try some guitars out, pick the one that feels best. Or visit Thomann's online store, good prices and large range of products. I baught a lot of stuff from there myself.

I'd say go with a Epiphone, if you like them. I prefer Ibanez-guitars, but are currently planing to buy a Semi-acoustic guitar, but don't know what brand.

 

[Keepitclean]

I've been wrestling with the same decision recently. Still haven't made up my mind.

Looking 2nd hand is a good recommendation. There is a big difference between a $500 and $1000 guitar. Save up a bit more if it is an option.

Check some of these out. http://guitarfactory.com.au/electricguitars_ibanez.php

Think I'm headed in this direction myself...if I ever make up my mind.
http://guitarfactory.com.au/detail.php?recordID=1412
http://guitarfactory.com.au/detail.php?recordID=1413

That extra $500 makes a huge difference I quite like the look of the first Ibanez on the list in the first link you posted. I reckon I'd be able to talk them down a bit too.

But yeah if your going Epiphone i would go for an Imitation SG maby?

I suggest an Epiphone SG. Reasonable price as well as good sound.

How far behind the quality of the Gibson are they?

 

[Suicidal Hobo]

Go to a lot of different music shops and have a play and feel out what's right for you. It all depends on preference, neck size, action, tone as well as aesthetics. Personally, I built my own from scratch.

 

[Keepitclean]

Go to a lot of different music shops and have a play and feel out what's right for you. It all depends on preference, neck size, action, tone as well as aesthetics. Personally, I built my own from scratch.

I reckon I'm pretty covered for aesthetics. If I can't find a guitar that reckon looks great I have a few artist friends that would probably like the opportunity to do something to it.

 

[TheComedown]

Flying v's are soooooo cool.

Give me a fire bird over a V any day. Any way any V you'd pick up for 500 Australian probably isn't worth picking up, if you get a V you gotta go to the top.

Fire Birds are a car too, and they are very nice, my favorite year is a 1969 convertible.

PFT. Who cares about cars, go make a car thread and sit on your own.

This is the real firebird.

 

[Sprinal]

I'm a bass player so you can probably discount whatever I have to say but. Like what has been implyed above in some of the statements; I do believe that you do need to go towards the top of the range to get the perfect sound that you want. Most electrics I've seen sell for over a $1000AUD and may for over $2000.

But again like what has been said above I believe for metalcore and thrash metal you really can't go past an Ibanez. Preferably an 8 string but then you will probably need about 4 grand to be really safe.

But in all seriousness its up to you as the actual buyer of the guitar.

 

[Enemy Of The State]

What kind of music do you like? It matters cuz you wouldnt play... lets say country on a Jackson guitar

I like to play Classic rock like Guns n' Roses, AC/DC and the like. I will play stuff like Rise Against and Blink 182 but it's too easy most of the time.

EDIT: And mainstreamish metal.

Look at Ibanez, specifically the RG series.

I have looked at them before (very breifly) I could afford one and I must say I liked it. I have read that some of the cheaper models of the RG range have crappy electrics and average pick ups. Do you have any idea is that holds any truth?

I wouldn't say so, but it's all down to personal preference. Demo one if you can, see what you think.

 

[Fraught]

Flying v's are soooooo cool.

Agreed. All in favour say aye.

Nay!

Nay, I say! Nay!

 

[dbmountain]

someone beat me to suggesting a Godin, I have a Godin xtSA and it's one of the best sounding and best looking guitars I've ever played. The bad news is that it may be hard to find one in Australia and it'll probably run a bit more that $500

 

[Counterwise]

Get something with humbuckers, with a 25,5 scale and possibly not a bolt-on neck. (I have a jackson king v and a chinese Les Paul). The longer scale will be useful with lower tunings, though personally I don't like mainstream metal.
A good company at that price point is Vintage http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintageelectric.html

 

[Keepitclean]

Get something with humbuckers, with a 25,5 scale and possibly not a bolt-on neck. (I have a jackson king v and a chinese Les Paul). The longer scale will be useful with lower tunings, though personally I don't like mainstream metal.
A good company at that price point is Vintage http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintageelectric.html

What difference does the neck join make?

 

[TankTop]

I myself own an Epiphone (Les Paul Ultra II), and I love it to bits (so I may be slightly biased towards Epiphone, but oh well...).

For the genre of music you're playing, I'd recommend an Epiphone SG. I find they have a dirtier tone than the Les Pauls, which may be more suited to your tastes.

 

[Daveman]

Les Paul... not a Gibson obviously, I got an Epiphone Les Paul Custom (see below) and you can play pretty much anything on it. I play Pink Floyd, AC/DC and Iron Maiden on it and it's all pretty good.

Spoiler: Mah Guitbox

Not sure if it's good for the Price Range as I got it as a present but it's not ludicrously expensive obviously.

 

[PayneTrayne]

Not sure if you're still reading suggestions, but I'd go with the Epiphone Gothic (I believe it's called.) Black SG Shape, Black Matte finish, a nice XIII on the seventh inlay, overall badassery.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Hey guys, I was wondering if I could get a hand with something.

I've been playing guitar for a few years now, I've never really taken the guitar part of guitar playing too seriously. I'll play pretty much anything and I would describe my skill level as intermediate.
I currently own a chinese strat copy. I love it to bits but I really have outgrown it.

At the end of the day it's going to come down to what feels best. But since I've noticed that there is quite a following of guitars on The Escapist and I was wondering if anyone could suggest some makes and models to look at.

My budget is around $500AUD.

I have a bunch of guitars, and nothing feels slicker and easier to play than my strat(it's a usa standard). If strats are what you know, I would stick to 'em. For that money you could get a 2nd hand Japanese made Fender, from what I hear they are extremely well crafted, and sound the part too.

High end epiphones can be good, if you fancy a style change. But, I would say you're more at risk of outgrowing one, and feeling the need to upgrade again. Alot of people say the difference between Epiphone and Gibson is tiny, but I've owned a Les Paul from each camp(custom eppy, and a classic gibson)and I felt the difference was pretty darn big.

 

[Berserker119]

I'd go with a Fender Stratocaster for what you're looking for, but a Les Paul wouldn't be a bad idea either.

 

[dragonslayer32]

You can't go wrong with a Gibson SG. They look and sound amazing.
OR
A BC Rich Warlock. They look sooo cool.