Very specific requirements for next guitar, any suggestions?

M

Metaltastic

Member
Feb 20, 2005
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Hey dudes, I'm GASing like crazy for a new guitar (only my 3rd, and I bought my second in March 2005, so I'd say I'm entitled :D ), but I have a very specific list of requirements for it:

-It has to be blue over some kind of transparent finish (not necessarily figured maple, just with wood showing)
-It has to have an arched top
-It has to have a fixed bridge (but NOT the individually-adjustable saddle kind)
-It has to have two humbuckers
-It can't be any more than $1500 US
-It has to be 25 1/2" scale length

Except for the last one, a Carvin CT3 would be perfect, but I really feel I'd like a longer neck, cuz the CT3 is PRS scale at 25" even, and after picking up my Ibanez RG for the first time in awhile and realizing how much I prefer it's longer neck over the short stubby one on my ESP EC-400, 25 1/2" is a must (and nothing longer, cuz I don't plan on tuning lower than C standard).

So any suggestions, now that I've pretty much customized my perfect instrument? :lol: Ibanez makes an RGA (Arched top, fixed bridge RG) that's perfect, but it's not available in blue anymore, though maybe I'll be able to find one used, or perhaps some left over in stock at a retailer (cuz they were making it in blue up until just recently when they replaced it with black)
 
HOT DAMN that Horizon has my name all over it! RRRgggghhh, money money money...

And upon further examination, I'd definitely have to swap out those pickups and that lame chrome hardware, but that's an easy enough task!
 
I picked up an Ibanez RGA321 recently and absolutely love it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ibanez-RGA321-E...oryZ2384QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
ibzrga321fspb50ar3.jpg
 
You'd be surprised how comfy the 25" scale is on a Carvin. I hate Gibson scale, but my strings feel tighter in the same tuning using the same gauges on my Carvin as they do on my Jacksons. It makes NO sense based on pure physics, but it just feels perfect... See if you can find a Carvin to try man... Such fantastic guitars!
 
Well you have a DC127, right F0RBIDDEN? Cuz that one actually has the standard 25 1/2" scale length, cuz it's a super-strat (as opposed to the CT series, which are pretty much Carvin PRS's and as such have a similar scale length) - but yes, I'm WELL aware at the sexiness of the Ibanez :D

Oops, nevermind, I guess the DC is 25"! Hmm...
 
Metaltastic said:
Well you have a DC127, right F0RBIDDEN? Cuz that one actually has the standard 25 1/2" scale length, cuz it's a super-strat (as opposed to the CT series, which are pretty much Carvin PRS's and as such have a similar scale length) - but yes, I'm WELL aware at the sexiness of the Ibanez :D

Oops, nevermind, I guess the DC is 25"! Hmm...
Click to expand...

Yeah all Carvins are 25" except the 7 strings which are 25.5" and the bolt-ons which are also 25.5"... See if you can find one used somewhere!

Actually, Carvin has a 10 or 15 day return policy anyways where you can return your guitar for a full refund if you don't like it for any reason. They sort of have to do that since they aren't available in stores for people to try. Build time is only like 6-8 weeks so you could order the guitar of your dreams, wait 2 months and once it comes decide if you like it or not, and if not, send it back, get all your money back and start looking elsewhere.
 
I have a question about that ESP - my Ibanez RGT is a similar design, with a maple neck/core and mahogany wings glued on, and it's ridiculously bright to the point of sounding brittle for rhythm work (though it SNARLS for leads, especially on the bridge pickup hooo mama) - and the ESP has a full flamed maple top and ebony fingerboard (rather than the flamed maple veneer and duller rosewood fingerboard on my Ibanez), so I have a hard time believing that thing wouldn't be hideously bright as well. Any of you guys have any experience with neck-thru maple/mahogany guitars that aren't overly bright? Cuz since the core is maple, that's where the bridge is connected to, and the resonances transferring through...
 
Flamed maple top is an 1/8" veneer - looks pretty, but most of the tone is from the maple neck and mahogany wings.

I've got an M1, the maple neck thru, alder wings, ebony boarded, single 81 loaded axe in flat black. I normally played mahogany bodied axes, but this thing is perfect! Compared to my mahogany body/set maple/rosewood neck Schecter, it's got more bite, a tighter low end, and a smoother high end. It's a bit brighter, but definitely not ear-piercing to any extent, even with the 81!
 
Really? You think even on an ESP standard the quilted maple top is gonna just be a veneer? Cuz look at that Ibanez, it's like 1/3" thick at the center (you can tell from the cutaways, where it's exposed for a cheaper (and sexier) form of binding), and most high-end guitars I've seen are similar.
 
Metaltastic said:
Really? You think even on an ESP standard the quilted maple top is gonna just be a veneer? Cuz look at that Ibanez, it's like 1/3" thick at the center (you can tell from the cutaways, where it's exposed for a cheaper (and sexier) form of binding), and most high-end guitars I've seen are similar.
Click to expand...

Even USA Jacksons have the veneer - not sure why, and it's still real wood, not some laminate fotoflame crap, they just don't make them that thick on some guitars.
 
Ever played an all maple guitar? Theres your answer (very heavy, very bright!). A veneer top is just for looks, theres no reason for a flat top to be thick, only for an added sense of 'value' and quality, or to brighten up a dullass body wood. Obviously arch/carved tops are thicker, 3/4" is the standard there. Some old charvels and some gmw's I've seen have had one piece figured maple bodies, and its certainly not unheard of, but finding killer pieces of figured maple 1.5" thick 22"x14" isn't easy! I go so far to say why waste it on one guitar. Having the neck as maple (if its good maple) is more then enough imo, lets bring some different overtones and resonance to the instrument, but flame/quilts look horn to me, so lets have cake and eat it too! Hence, veneer :)
 
Metaltastic said:
I have a hard time believing that thing wouldn't be hideously bright as well
Click to expand...

The guitarist in my last band had an ESP Horizon Standard and it was ridiculously bright. It's possible he just didn't know how to dial it in, but he always sounded uncomfortably bright and brittle, and when we told him, he'd blame the guitar. Such a shame; I loved everything about that guitar except the way it sounded.
 
Gonna give this thread a bump, because my budget and expectations have had an unfortunate crash back to reality. So I'm still looking for a guitar with similar criteria as above, but here's my new list:

-Color isn't a big deal as long as it's transparent
-It has to have an arched top
-It has to have a fixed bridge (but NOT the individually-adjustable saddle kind)
-It has to have two humbuckers
-It can't be any more than $900 US
-It has to be 25 1/2" scale length

I'm leaning towards an H-1001 (in blue, not purple, thank you) and swapping the pickups for EMG's, but if anyone has any other suggestions, I'm open! (and no Schecter please, I don't like their looks or their necks)

Oh yeah, and no crazy shapes either please
 
What about the LTD MH-400NT?
MH-400NT_STBLK.jpg


http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_mhnt.html

Blue transparent (but it's supposed to be black transparent)
Almost sure it's an archtop
fixed bridge (not sure if this is the one you didn't want)
Two EMG humbuckers
A friend of mine got it for "650.643 USD"
25 1/5" scale

It's similar to your first specs :)
and I'll add it's a Mahogany Set-Thru
 
Yeah, that one looks fine, though I can't see why I'd get it over the H-1001 I mentioned above :) Also, blue isn't essential, but it'd be nice.
 
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