Best $600 +/- Guitar?

[JaySwear]

So I love my Warmoths to death. Two beautiful telecasters. HOWEVER, because I love them so much I'm terrified of taking them anywhere. Well, mostly the orange tele, but the telecaster deluxe scares me some too. I want a beater guitar that'll sound decent and I can carry around to friends' houses or parties or whatever and not have to worry much about. Being light would be a plus too, but thats just me being a wuss with scoliosis (and therefore bad back).

I'd prefer a hardtail, but a vintage style trem wouldn't be a deal breaker. I'm pretty open to most pickup configurations, but I'd like to keep away from strats and teles (since I feel like I have some of those sounds covered with my Warmoths already). Also, I'd like to keep the price close to $600 or below if I can. No sense in putting much more into a guitar I don't want to be worried about.

So anybody? Suggestions?

 

[pabloman]

Get a Jackson or a Shecter! :headbang1:

 

[toronado]

I think the PRS SE Series offers good value for money in this price range, as does the ESP LTD series.
But I guess every user will tell you a different opinion. There is an abundance of choice in the 600$ range... best to test drive some in your guitar center of choice.

Also, how about a used guitar?

 

[thebutcher85]

first of all: Hail Warmoth (of course! haha)

second, try some of the PRS SE's they are awesome value for the money, I actually like those better than the expensive american ones!

 

[Nando Vallart]

first of all: Hail Warmoth (of course! haha)

second, try some of the PRS SE's they are awesome value for the money, I actually like those better than the expensive american ones!

A luthier friend of me got the two new bought PRS from a guy - one SE the other USA (don't remember how, but I think a friend of the luthier bring it from USA, so the first time the guy checked the guitars were in the workshop).

The guy first plugging the guitars:

USA - 'cool, it's really like a mix between Fender and Gibson"...

SE - " holy cr@p!!!! "

 

[SustainerPlayer]

Agile AS-1000 Gold

A little different than your current guitars and with added acoustics for some non-amped or low powered jams.

Use the cash difference to start another W-build or just give one more round of beers.  :sign13:

 

[kboman]

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/hagstrom-swede-electric-guitar

 

[thebutcher85]

dude, try the new PRS SE 245, I've got a black one, it KILLS my old Gibson LP studio I had, I paid $549 for it, everything on it is amazing, I was going to change out the pickups, but the stock ones actually blew me away! Check this out:

 

[thebutcher85]

the new Bernie Marsden model is sweet too, basically the same with a different color finish and vintage tuner keys. The SE One's are also really sweet, just a bare-bones guitar with a P90.

 

[JaySwear]

MAN those SE's are pretty. I love the 245 and the orange model in your last post... Damn. Haha decisions decisions. I'm going to head to Guitar Center and play a bunch of stuff on Thursday. I've been GASing hard for something with f-holes (335-style), but I also had an urge for a nice Explorer-style too. Oh well. The nice thing about not having my paycheck yet is that I can't impulse shop!

 

[AutoBat]

go for the cheapest showcase finished body & neck that doesn't need a finish, guitar fetish hardware. rock it out.

 

[stubhead]

The Schecters are the best guitar in that range that I've seen and played personally, but those PRS SE's are supposed to be killer, too. Don't overlook the Godins, if the store has any. I've seen and played a "Radiator" that had a great neck setup and sounded kind of Gretchy. Their Redline HB at $500 looks like a lot of guitar for $500 new.
http://www.godinguitars.com/godinredlinehbp.htm

Godin & Schecter seem to have the quality control issue pretty much licked.

 

[Tipperman]

I would get one of those $700 gretsch full-hollowbodies. Love em.

 

[tfarny]

Adding to the love on the PRS SE models - but you can build a basic HH warmoth for maybe $650 if you go for say a tele deluxe, plain alder body / maple neck, finish them yourself, get some used duncans or dimarzios off of ebay, gotoh for the hardware.

BTW I've got about half the parts needed to build a HH strat - nice neck, good bridge pup, hardware, loaded out pickguard. PM me.

 

[bagman67]

Ibanez AS73:

 

[taez555]

go for the cheapest showcase finished body & neck that doesn't need a finish, guitar fetish hardware. rock it out.

Seriously.  Or even an unfinished body with a few coats of tung oil or something.  You could easily get a body/neck combo with decent woods for around $400.  From there, if you keep it minimal, even decent quality pickups and hardware from stewmac or gf aren't going to run you more than $200.

 

[m4rk0]

I am not really interested in new guitars, I would rather go to pawnstoers, craigslist, ebay etc to find nice japanese guitars from the 80s for that kind of money.
but if I had to, I would like to check out some of those guitarfetish guitars... they look pretty cool:

http://www.guitarfetish.com/XV-950-Hollowbody-GFS-Retrotrons-Flamed-Maple-Amber-Sunrise_p_2340.html

or
with a real floyd!

http://www.guitarfetish.com/XV-890-Setneck-Flamed-Maple-Dual-humbuckers-Vintage-Sunburst_p_4254.html

 

[dNA]

My vote is to either keep an eye on craigslist for something cool and try before you buy. Otherwise, there's a ton of great guitars in that price range. I'm a big fan of Ibanez, though they make less guitars that aren't stylized for metal than they once did.
Check this new badboy out:

only $540

They've also got a new Artist model with a floyd that looks sweet, though I'd drop the EMGs right off the bat.

 

[JaySwear]

I think I might have found it! I've called a few times to talk to them and they're really helpful. Watched the Youtube video of the 3 P-90 model I don't know how many times... A faux-335  :icon_biggrin:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MD-335-deluxe-2-HBs-s1635-/290571680355?pt=Guitar&hash=item43a76bfa63#ht_878wt_952

 

[dNA]

Can't say I trust the quality of builders I've never heard of at that price range, but it LOOKS as pretty as a real 335, and IMO much nicer than most other 335-style guitars. I probably wouldn't go for bright green, but it's still sweet