Suggest me some better than beginner electric...

[Davis Webb]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

I have had few electrics but didn't like the sound of most and feel of some so again looking for electric.
I don't like strat models. I haven't tried the american made ones though.

What brand/models should I be looking for?

ESP or Schecter look good but haven't gotten chance to try one yet.

One key question.

What kind of music do you want to play with it? I mean, predominately?

[Davis Webb]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

I like strumming and learning melodic scales/riffs, slow ones, for now anyways.

That is a Telecaster. Classic Vibe Tele in Butterscotch, best dang value for the money in possibly all of the guitar world.

The color does matter, there are 2 models, each with its own type of pickup in the CV series. I like the Butterscotch, has Alnico 3s in it. You never get Alnico pickups for under $1200. Yum.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

Maybe I should look at archtop jazz electrics. Hmmm...I'm not into metal.
I like strumming and learning melodic scales/riffs, slow ones, for now anyways.

Originally Posted by imwjl

...As an acoustic player the semi hollow with .011 string set also has a lot of times when it feels right and mine is a little easier to play...

Originally Posted by Mystery123

...I'm not buying a pricey amp until I get decent at playing...I see there are few Ibanez Artcore models and Gretsch that look like they are a hybrid of 335 and archtop.

Originally Posted by KevWind

...,If you're after a bigger feel then it would seem that indeed a hollow or semi hollow body might be a real consideration. In the $1000 and slightly below the Gretsch 5420 and 5422 series get a lot of love...

OK - let's narrow this down a bit:

• Given your stated preferences a hollowbody or semi-hollow might be a good first choice, as it will have a more familiar "acoustic" feel in terms of size/handling characteristics - and when (not if) you get serious about the electric thing you'll need at least one of these in your collection;
• One of the principal reasons for buying a hollow/semi (aside from the retro-cool visual vibe) is that "woody" punch that you'll never quite get from a solid, and that's going to require heavier strings than most straight electric players are accustomed to using (there's an excellent article in this month's Sweetwater Sweet Notes about string gauges/types and tone) - given that you can drop the action far lower on a well-set-up electric than an acoustic, 11's (or even 12's on a short-scale guitar) shouldn't be a problem since you're not going to be bending up a third or fourth on one of these guitars anyway;
• Insider tip from a 50+ year electric player: a good amp can make a mediocre guitar sound better and a good guitar sound great (but not vice versa), and considering you can get a gigworthy straight-ahead tube combo like the Bugera V22 for under $400 (well under, if you hit a coupon/seasonal sale day at your local big-box store) or a higher-powered analog solid-state unit like the Peavey Bandit (the old Nashville stage/studio workhorse back in the '80s) for similar money, there's no need to be saddled with inferior tone in the name of frugality - since you're going to be playing in cleaner styles, the additional headroom/dynamic range will be more than welcome (Insider Tip #2: "big power" in an amp isn't necessarily about big volume - and "good" electric-guitar tone isn't necessarily all about massive amounts of gain and distortion);
• Speaking as a lifelong Gretsch player/owner, the Korean-made Electromatic 5400 (hollow)/5600 (semi-hollow) Series are not only some of the finest instruments ever to wear the brand (including the far-pricier Professional Series as well as many of the vintage Brooklyn originals) but head-shoulders-&-navel above their comparably-priced competition in terms of QC/tone/playability (IME the only circa-$1K hollow in the same fit/finish/tone league is the Godin CW II, which I also own) - and while "That Great Gretsch Sound" admittedly isn't everyone's cuppa tea, a quick look at the list of players who built successful careers with these guitars will quickly reveal that it takes an original to appreciate an original...

[ataylor]

Fender Baja Telecaster.

[Mystery123]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

like the Peavey Bandit (the old Nashville stage/studio workhorse back in the '80s) for similar money, there's no need to be saddled with inferior tone in the name of frugality - since you're going to be playing in cleaner styles, the additional headroom/dynamic range will be more than welcome

Thank you for suggestions.
I checked local ads and found a bandit 112 solo series for 100.
Is this different from the bandit you mentioned?

[roylor4]

I REALLY like my G&L Tribute Bluesboy. Tele shape, but more versatile (IMO).

Tele twang at the bridge, middle position is very Strat-like and plenty of humbucker growl at the neck. SDOTD for $299 and on sale for $349 on a regular basis.

Peavey Bandits have great clean tons (especially the red stripes) and a LOT of volume. Heavy as a brick though.

Fender Frontman 25R used or a Champion 20/40 do cleans very well.

The new Vox MV50 amps are remarkable in tone and volume. Just gigged mine with a 108 cab and it performed beautifully.

[redir]

+1 on the Gretsch hollow and semi-hollow guitars. The shop I was working for sold Gretsch and they are pretty sweet. I've also played some Ibanez jazz boxes too and they are not too shabby either. Another choice of course is Epiphone.

[ManyMartinMan]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

I have had few electrics but didn't like the sound of most.......

No one likes the sound of electrics if they just plug and play. Learning the techniques and electronics (amps, pedals, pickup settings......) is what makes the sound. Too clean and it's got little depth. Too much distortion doesn't work for most songs. I've recorded on many albums with a $35 pawn-shop guitar and a Pig-Nose amp for distortion control. Get a decent (not necessarily expensive) guitar and spend the hours....years, learning to get the sound you're looking for. It's more often the player than the guitar played.

[DukeX]

A lot of great suggestions so far. I chose a Telecaster and an ES335 Dot (Epiphone) for my two electrics. Both are very different and a joy to play. If I bought another it might be an SG with P-90s.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

Thank you for suggestions.
I checked local ads and found a Bandit 112 solo series for 100.
Is this different from the Bandit you mentioned?

There have been variations over the years - I had an '85 that did yeoman duty for the next 15 years when I got back into electric (and was, hands down, the most natural-sounding acoustic-electric amp I've ever played - took all the scratch-&-quack out of my first-gen Ovation), and one of my students had the "red-stripe" version Roy mentioned - but they're all good in their own way, much like Fender guys might prefer tweed/blonde/blackface/silverface Twins (I'm a blonde/early-blackface guy myself). I say check it out - if it's in decent condition (you really can't kill those old USA Peaveys) it's well worth $100 - and if your taste runs more to clean tones with lots of headroom this is your amp...

[Mystery123]

I got this today.
Not sure what exact Epiphone Les Paul model is but from my research, it looks like a Standard Plus Top Pro.
What pickups are these? Probucker?
Any guess?

[1neeto]

From what I read, the newer ones have pro buckers, but that year came with alnico Classic. Either or seem like decent pickups.

What throws me off is that truss rod cover. The pics I’ve seen online say Les Paul standard. Those “Gibson” ones came in the really cheap Les Paul special models. I know this because I had one.

[Mystery123]

Originally Posted by 1neeto

From what I read, the newer ones have pro buckers, but that year came with alnico Classic. Either or seem like decent pickups.

What throws me off is that truss rod cover. The pics I’ve seen online say Les Paul standard. Those “Gibson” ones came in the really cheap Les Paul special models. I know this because I had one.

Truss rod cover can be purchased separately.
If it's original, then I've no idea.

I'm sure it's not special model. It's not easy to make special model look like standard.
Those only have two pots, dot inlay, no flamed top, different tuning heads and no silver top pickups.

Hopefully, it's not a fake.

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

Truss rod cover can be purchased separately.
If it's original, then I've no idea.

I'm sure it's not special model. It's not easy to make special model look like standard.
Those only have two pots, dot inlay, no flamed top, different tuning heads and no silver top pickups.

Hopefully, it's not a fake.

Lol yeah I’m sure someone thought it was cute to swap truss rod covers.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

TMK the "Gibson" three-screw trussrod covers were standard issue on Korean-made Epis through the very early 2K's, regardless of model - that said, I'm at a loss to explain the "Special" designation on the peghead, unless it's an unbound body similar to the Gibson LP Studio models (hard to tell from the photos). In either event, the MIK instruments were made to a far higher standard than the Chinese/Indonesian production of the last 15 years or so, with the exception of the pickups (credit where credit is due, the current humbuckers rival the USA '57 Classics in my since-sold '80s Gibson '61 SG RI - they really are that good), and savvy players looking for a solidly-built working guitar on the cheap have been seeking them out for years...

Use it - and your Johnson - well, often, and LOUD...