Versatile Electric Guitar

[zabdart]

Where's your "home"? That is, what style of music are you most comfortable playing? If it's blues-oriented rock, a Strat or a Les Paul just can't be beat. If you're more comfortable playing jazz, or want to learn it, a semi-solidbody, like a Gibson ES-335 is great. Roy Buchanan and Danny Gatton were object-lessons in just how versatile a Telecaster can be -- even outside of the C&W, rockabilly genre. Remember, the guitar is only one-half of your instrument. Lots of different tones are available, no matter what guitar you play, if you're willing to fiddle with your amplifier settings.

[urobouros]

I am and always will be a Gibson man when electrified but you really do have so much time control with your amp and pedals.

[Marty1]

If it's going to be your one versatile electric, I would go for epiphone 339 ultra. The 339 ultra have coil splitting and a nanomag. You can blend humbuckers/~single coil/nanomag to get pretty much any sound from jazz to blues to classic rock...

[teleamp]

A good Strat...

[blue]

Originally Posted by Marty1

If it's going to be your one versatile electric, I would go for epiphone 339 ultra. The 339 ultra have coil splitting and a nanomag. You can blend humbuckers/~single coil/nanomag to get pretty much any sound from jazz to blues to classic rock...

When I took my 13 year old shopping we played those a bit. Fun guitar. But a bit complicated electronically. Too many choices. Like those old hippie sandwiches with 8 mini toggles

[terrapin]

Originally Posted by blue

When I took my 13 year old shopping we played those a bit. Fun guitar. But a bit complicated electronically. Too many choices. Like those old hippie sandwiches with 8 mini toggles

Thus the simple Telecaster. No bells and whistles, just tone and Mojo!

[s2y]

Originally Posted by terrapin

Thus the simple Telecaster. No bells and whistles, just tone and Mojo!

That sounds like a Gear Page thing.

[efnef]

Gibson ES-135.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Marty1

If it's going to be your one versatile electric, I would go for epiphone 339 ultra. The 339 ultra have coil splitting and a nanomag. You can blend humbuckers/~single coil/nanomag to get pretty much any sound from jazz to blues to classic rock...

Bought one last May, and if it wasn't for the fact that the humbuckers sound so damgood on their own - head-and-shoulders above my first-run Gibson '62 SG Reissue - I'd have dumped it long ago. The NanoMag sounds raw and edgy to my ears, like a first-generation piezo but with more available gain - a dubious benefit IMO - and really only works when blended with the 'buckers to lend a Fender-like flavor without the single-coil hum (interestingly, the LP Ultra doesn't seem to have this problem - you can coax a reasonably "acoustic-electric" tone out of the soloed NanoMag). BTW, the Ultra never had a coil-tap provision TMK - you're thinking of the 339 Pro, and if I had it to do all over again I would've opted for either that or the limited-run 335 Pro instead...

Chacun a son gout...

[Phildog]

Riviera Paradise is a beautiful composition. And you DO know that he is playing that on his Strat. That being said, why don't you consider a pickup upgrade to your parts-Strat and see how it sounds. It's my belief that a Strat is as versatile a guitar that you can find. And with all of the pickup options, they can be voiced many, many ways. Look at GFS Start pickups and see the videos on Youtube. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

[polarred21]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Lots of players tend to forget that the Les Paul was originally intended as a jazz guitar and, with a set of .012 flatwounds as per original factory spec, can still fulfill that function admirably. Here's one I'd give very serious consideration while the getting is good:

http://www.samash.com/gibson-les-pau...-guitar-glptr5

FWIW I own a goldtop '60s Tribute myself, and given how Gibson is butchering its low/mid-range lineup for 2015 I think this'll be money well-spent - hang on to it for a couple years and I sincerely believe you'll recover what you paid for it (and then some) if you decide to unload; in addition, bear in mind that P-90's were the quintessential post-war jazz pickups, and IMO nothing - and I mean nothing - can touch P-90's through a good tube amp for overdriven blues tone...

- and since we're on the subject, what are you thinking in terms of amplification...?

I dream of having something like this one day. I picked a an Epiphone Les Paul at the GC recently and was overwhelmed with all of the controls. I thought, my first electric may need to be simpler than this, too many buttons. But I'm still leaning towards this style of guitar for future first electric purchase.

Question: If it's a Gibson Les Paul, is it American made?

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by polarred21

Question: If it's a Gibson Les Paul, is it American made?

Yes, made in Nashville.

And don't worry about the controls: it is just one volume and one tone for each pickup, and a selector to choose pickups. You'll have it down in no time.

Bob

[Don W]

If I were going to play exclusively Jazz I'd probably go for one of those big archtops. I play a variety of musical styles on an American Standard Strat and an Epiphone Elitist Casino (the Elitist series are incredible guitars with Gibson P90's in it)...I play through a reissue Deluxe Reverb and a Hot Rod Deluxe with a full pedal board...I really haven't scratched the surface of the tones available with this set up...I'm loving the discovery. I play mainly acoustic fingerstyle but once or twice a week I play electric and when I'm home alone I get a chance to see what theses amps really can do....child of the 60's...brings me right back.

[polarred21]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Yes, made in Nashville.

And don't worry about the controls: it is just one volume and one tone for each pickup, and a selector to choose pickups. You'll have it down in no time.

Bob

That is encouraging and thanks. Any good reading or literature anywhere on how to operate any electric or Les Paul specific for dummies?

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by polarred21

That is encouraging and thanks. Any good reading or literature anywhere on how to operate any electric or Les Paul specific for dummies?

Search YouTube, and visit TDPRI for much learning. Just WAY too much for a small space like this.

Understanding amp basics is important too.