What goes into your guitar selection process?

I'm looking for a new guitar. I'm playing a LP Studio Lite (the original) and I favor a Les Paul Classic or a GT, but I've been playing a nice ESP and I'm told to look @ PRS guitars.

I play headache music in an active band.

Instead of asking people what guitar they'd buy or recommend, I'd rather hear what goes into selecting a guitar. Perhaps then I can see what's important to people and it will help decide what features / models / brands to select.

My current criteria is pretty simple because I have had so few guitars (3) over the course of 15-20 years. I am ignorant as to how much the following stuff matters. I've been happy with my LP Studio Lite and Ibanez RG570, but it's time for something that's studio ready w/ solid roadworthiness.

Wants:
Decently hot pickup. Not active.
Locking machine heads.
Fixed bridge.
Bound fretboard.
Smaller neck (not like LP 50's)
Solid Body

Do Not Wants:
Active Pickups
Gaudy aesthetics (ie Gibson LP GT)
Complicated bridge.

Those things lead me to the LP Classic, considering I have had first-hand experience w/ the Classic and it's playability is wonderful.
I can only imagine that PRS guitars are really good. Preliminary looks yield great reviews for the PRS Customs, too.

I'm open to ny guitar as I have no brand loyalty as of yet. In the interim, I'm going to be playing many types over the next few months to try to develop a feel for what I like. Much of what I like about a guitar's playability is based on how it's set up, action-wise. I am trying to take my demo experiences w/ a grain of salt knowing that I'd probably set things up a little differently on my bench.

*misread*

bleh

What the fuck is headache music?

When buying an electric, play it in a quiet room unplugged. That'll tell you the characteristics of the wood without the help of an amp. I don't usually pay much to the action, but rather to the feel of the neck and if there's any damage/warping. I always buy used now, I haven't bought a new guitar in 8 years. The wood has begun to age and it's "broken in" (just make sure it's not "broken"). Usually when I pick up a guitar I know it's the right one, regardless of if it's plugged in or not. You can always change the action/pickups/tuners/finish, but you can't change the wood, it's there to stay. If you start with good wood you can build it to your tastes from there if need be.

I have only bought one guitar, my telecaster, so take this with a grain of salt.

the most (and maybe only) important aspects in buying a guitar are the way the neck feels to you, the tone of the body (and neck), how well it stays in tune (nut and fret work). All the other aspects of the guitar are easily replaceable: your locking machine heads, pickups etc.

I have done many modifications to my telecaster to get it to sound exactly how I want. I have changed the bridge, both of the pickups and the pots and cap. I will never change the nut, neck, fretwork, or body.

and read CK's post about the body, thats a pretty good point

i bought a $700 strat that goes out of tune so easily, but i didn't know it would do that til i got it home and didn't touch it for a week between playing

Hmm. Fixed bridge, "hot" pickups (I guess that means a humbucker), a bound neck (why?) and locking tuners.

PRS
Gibson LP Custom w/replacement tuners
Hardtail HH Strat

If you're cheap, get an Agile PRS copy for $250 (new) and replace the pickups/tuners.

I recorded this song (http://www.whitneyb.com/whitney/music/waiting.mp3) with my Agile PRS copy. That's with the stock pickups and guitar rig 2.

I've tried pretty much everything. I've been playing for about 8 years now and I always come back to my ESP/LTD Eclipse 1000. EMG 81s, I feel nothing gets better then those pickups. Also, have a ESP/LTD Explorer 250, EMG 85 in Bridge and 60 in Neck. 60 in the neck are amazing for clean. But yeah, ESPs are my favorite.

I like the advice about judging the feel and build of it. I think that's good advice because that is something you can't usually change.

Bound fretboards, like the kind on some Gibsons and a Gretch CACG I'd played, feel smoother to my hand. For example, Agile's bound fretboards have frets above the binding and it feels rough = not "bound".

My other guitarist has an ESP LTD w/ EMGs in it. I like the feel of it. It feels really solid and it's set up great. I'm not ruling anything out, although I prefer fixed bridges.

I am not sold on active pickups. I roll my gain back to ~6. Even though I play heavy-type music the ESP w/ EMGs seem too hot.

Thanks for the advice on choosing based on neck, feel, and construction. I'll most likely use that to help select among with the other advice given.

What the fuck is headache music?

Bound fretboards, like the kind on some Gibsons and a Gretch CACG I'd played, feel smoother to my hand. For example, Agile's bound fretboards have frets above the binding and it feels rough = not "bound".

Yep, I had this exact problem on my Agile, and also on the Variax I bought. Evidently the Indonesian people don't understand that the ends of the frets aren't supposed to protrude past the edge of the fingerboard.

The solution: A fret file, or any fine metal file. I filed the ends down on both these guitars and they both play a lot better now.

Yo D-sect what is headache music?

When I was younger it was a visceral thing - I had to touch it and it had to be "the guitar for me."

Now I found that if it is a quality made instrument*, I can play it and enjoy it.
Fat necks, thin necks, nitro finish, no finish - doesn't matter.

* Good electronics - no michrophonic pups, smooth linear pots, good shielding & wiring.

Quality hardware - it can be plated, but no cast tuners, bridge, or stop bar.

Quality wood - makes a huge difference in tone & sustain. Mahogany, Brazilian Rosewood (If you can find it), or Maple are the best for me.

Things like balance & weight are easy to get used to - for me.

Yo D-sect what is headache music?

http://www.myspace.com/hardresponse


Some great advice there, Stilgar.

Your myspace is misleading, it states twice HARDCORE. There is nothing hardcore about that.

Your myspace is misleading, it states twice HARDCORE. There is nothing hardcore about that.

We've played tons of shows in the HC scene since 1989. Perhaps you can school me on what "hardcore is"?

I0WgrGRawcQ

I make sure the feel of the neck is good and it feels like a solid guitar. It has to grab me when I play it.

You cna change the pickups or other hardware later. If you play well then you can make any shitty guitar sound good.

I hear people playing thru 9 grand worth of equipment and it still sounds like shit.

Get the guitar that sounds good in your hands and that feels natural to you. And again, if you get good on your guitar a 200 dollar guitar and a fifty amp will sound good.

Well. I didn't have much time @ the guitar store, so I didn't get to play stuff for long.

I tried the PRS CE 24 and I have to say that the trem bridge on it just felt wierd. For a "wide and thin" neck, it didn't seem very wide. I'm going to measure or get the specs on my current guitar so I can know what the differences are physically, and how they compare when playing.

I tried an LP Classic and it was as light as my guitar is now. Apparently, they have lightened them? I have to read up on that to see if it has any adverse effects. I was expecting it to have some heft to it.

I will be going back and taking a few hours to really demo a bunch of guitars when I can play with an amp that's comparable to mine.

At the moment, the LP Classic is still my favorite, but I really need more time on the Les Paul GT. I don't like the idea of getting an "expensive" guitar and then immediately changing the machine heads on it.

I'm also a little put off by the fact that so much goes into aesthetics and finish. For me, it's almost a waste. My guitars get beat up @ shows and I'd hate to pay an extra $500 for a "look" that is ruined by a mic stand flying into my guitar.

Do you guys have an opinion on the Les Paul GT? Here's a link to one: Buy Gibson Les Paul GT "No flames" Electric Guitar online at Musician's Friend (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-Les-Paul-GT-No-flames-Electric-Guitar?sku=514152)

That seems like the ideal guitar for me since I love the LP bridge & neck and it also has so many of the mods I'd done to my current guitar.

Thank you all again very much for the information. When I go back to the store, I'll have much more time to play around. With your help, I'll also be more informed.