What should my next electric be?

[hatamoto]

I currently only own one. A 2014 Gibson Les Paul Traditional. Sometimes I wish I've settled for an ES-339 instead,or a strat. I bought it because I originally wanted to play rock on it but it quickly changed to neo soul, and fusion. I play some rock/ blues from time to time like Jimi Hendrix.

I kinda went overboard price wise so I've learned my lesson. I really like the guitar though and I'm lucky its not a very dark sounding guitar so I'm still pleased at how it turned out.

Sometimes I yearn for a single coil, an HSS, or a split coil. I find myself playing the neck pickup on my current one a lot on a clean setting, sometimes the middle position but rarely the bridge pickup. I find it too harsh. I'm looking for something that does great for clean settings and hybrid pick and fingerpicking. Something versatile with good clarity is key for me. I really like the sound of a strat or a semi hollow single coil especially when the tone is set to a fatter one. It has the "airy" sound that I'm really digging.

Price wise somewhere in between $200-$800 range. I can go up more if it's really good but not doing close to 2k. I can always opt for the cheaper one and upgrade the pickups.

So far heres the list I have
1. Fender/Squier Strat
2. D'Angelico Bedford Premier
3. Ibanez AZ Strat--its expensive though so this is absolute max for me. The versatility as advertised got my attention.
4. D'Angelico semi hollow


Any other brands should I look into or you recommend?

[YamahaGuy]

Yamaha Pacifica 611H. Top notch hardware, pickups and tuners. Please look at the specs and watch some YT reviews before dismissing it.

[dnf777]

Despite its famous twang reputation, you will see telecaster filling MANY musical roles. Might be worth a look to change things up a bit?

[revive]

Either HSS strat or a tele is very versatile. But since you dont like bright sounding bridge pickup, then tele may not be a good fit for you.

So.... I recommend an HSS strat.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Mexican Tele.

[Steel and wood]

Fender Stratocaster. (Second hand Mexican).

[pieterh]

From your list, a Strat, no question. The American models are lovely but the current Player series is very high quality too! There is an HSS player which a friend of mine has and it’s excellent.

[hubcapsc]

My SG ...

-Mike

[fwphoto]

The Epiphone es-339 fits your specs. I really like mine. I like the HBs but they do split coil as well.

Just a thought,

Frank

[redir]

You can't go wrong with a Les Paul / Strat arsenal. I'd go for the Squire Strat. Then when you save your pennies it's time for a semihollow

[revive]

Originally Posted by redir

You can't go wrong with a Les Paul / Strat arsenal. I'd go for the Squire Strat. Then when you save your pennies it's time for a semihollow

You can buy BOTH squier vintage vibe strat AND tele

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by hatamoto

...I'm looking for something that does great for clean settings and hybrid pick and fingerpicking. Something versatile with good clarity is key for me. I really like the sound of...a semi-hollow single coil especially when the tone is set to a fatter one. It has the "airy" sound that I'm really digging.

Price wise somewhere in between $200-$800 range. I can go up more if it's really good...

Any other brands should I look into or you recommend?

Since nobody's recommended it yet, check out one of the Korean-made Gretsch Electromatic 5400/5600-Series hollows/semis (avoid the Chinese stuff IME): at the top of your preferred range (or slightly above), has precisely the tone you say you're looking for, and built to a standard of QC/tone/playability that matches (and exceeds, in some cases) similar instruments costing 3-4 times as much; with the Presidents' Week sales in effect now is a particularly good time to cash in, as these are routinely discounted by the big-box dealers - and there are a whole bunch of your fellow AGF'ers who are happy owners...

[FrankHudson]

Because you have just one classic electric model you have a world of contrasts out there to consider. There are no clear wrong answers.

You currently have no single coil guitars, that's a different sound (particularly when played clean). If you want maximum contrast/coverage I would consider that factor.

The Strat is a highly popular design that can do a lot of things. The classic design has some interesting clean sounds (including the famous "quack" positions) and a vibrato system that can do subtle wobbles or pressed into extreme effects (ala some of Jimi Hendrix's techniques). I have no problems with Mexican made Strats myself, and there are so many used ones out there due to their long-term popularity that you can find many choices at many price points. Some 20th century Mexican Strat pickups I didn't much care for, but 21st century ones I've encountered sound fine. You could even get a Strat merely to tell yourself that if you're interested in classic electric guitar sounds you have to "get that one checked off"

Steve DeRosa has mentioned the Korean made Gretsch line. Most are humbuckers but the traditional Gretsch hb sound does contrast somewhat with the typical Gibson hb sound. I don't have any experience with the current Dynosonic/Gretsch style single coils in that line, but I like the previous DeArmond brand models from around 2000 with that style single coils a great deal. Lovely clean sounds in that world too. Many models have Bigsby vibrato bridges I prefer even to the Strat for subtle wobbles and they can also be use beyond their designed in range for extreme stuff ala Neil Young, though you'll go out of tune there even faster than a Strat if you go wild.

You seem to yearn for semi-hollow-bodies. For maximum contrast with your Les Paul consider something with single coils. The sound from my Epiphone 339 P90 model is inspiring for me, even though the neck profile is eccentric and I had to do a little fret work on mine. The Epi Casino comes to mind too, though I don't have any experience with them.

Here's a choice that no one else will mention: The Squier J Mascis model Jazzmaster. Hear me out. Mascis isn't known for his clean sound, but then Les Paul wasn't known for Heavy Blues either. Nice example of the currently slightly trendy Jazzmaster design with a sensible mod to the bridge/tailpiece distance and design that is less fiddly and easier for modern players to understand. This vibrato works better than the Strat design for me. Nice P90ish single coil pickups (I'm told they don't reproduce a the actual vintage Jazzmaster pickups, but then I don't have any experience with those). The Jazzmaster second circuit (essentially an analog second "preset" for neck pickup volume and tone) is actually useful. There's a less expensive version, also in the Squier line, that has the original rocking bridge, which works best with heavier strings than most modern player use. The Mascis Jazzmaster is just easier to understand for modern players and in the small sample I"ve looked at in stores, the Mascis model seems better assembled.

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by hatamoto

I currently only own one. A 2014 Gibson Les Paul Traditional. Sometimes I wish I've settled for an ES-339 instead, or a strat. I bought it because I originally wanted to play rock on it but it quickly changed to neo soul, and fusion. I play some rock/ blues from time to time like Jimi Hendrix.

I kinda went overboard price wise so I've learned my lesson. I really like the guitar though and I'm lucky its not a very dark sounding guitar so I'm still pleased at how it turned out...

This is kind of a mixed message. How can you be that pleased with the guitar if you wish you had purchased two other guitars instead? Does not compute.

Regardless of what I paid for it, I'd unload the LP and get the two guitars I wish I had purchased in the first place.

I went through the same thing about eight years ago and ended up with an ES335 and Tele. Still own and love them for the music I play and have never looked back.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

Yamaha Pacifica 611H. Top notch hardware, pickups and tuners. Please look at the specs and watch some YT reviews before dismissing it.

+1.

I'll add in a Mexican Strat as well or a Squire Classic Vibe depending on where you end up in price range.

As far as the Les Paul, try lowering the bridge pickup a little. Then try backing off the tone knob a little if necessary.