Best Signature Electric you've tried

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by aknow

What's the best signature electric you've tried/owned? I've had Fender Eric Johnson Strat, PRS John Mayer Silver Sky, Gibson Mr. 335 ES 335, (Larry Carlton), Brad Paisley relic Telecaster, Gretsch Brian Setzer Hot Rod.

The Carlton ES 335 is a copy of Larry's 1968 model. Like the fit and finish, and the amazing thing is it does get the LC sound.
Any opinions? What have you tried?

It has literally been over 20 years since I sat down with an electric guitar taken down from a store rack. I guess it's because I know better than to waste my time thinking that something had REALLY changed, but I digress.....

The time I CAN remember it was with a first generation Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster. THAT guitar had a wonderfully large profiled neck, and I think it had Lace Sensor pickups. It was some sort of light shade of green.

We liked it a lot.

HE

[RP]

For me it would be the Eric Clapton and Robert Cray Strats. In my mind, a hardtail EC Strat would be perfect...

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by RP

For me it would be the Eric Clapton and Robert Cray Strats. In my mind, a hardtail EC Strat would be perfect...

The EC Strat, with the included wooden block in the trem cavity, is as close to a hardtail as you'll get short of an actual hardtail. Every Clapton strat I've played has felt sublime - my issue with them is the active electronics. Don't need 'em or want em, don't want to have to think about unplugging the guitar so I don't drain the battery that powers the pre-amp, don't want to have to leave the back cover on so the battery doesn't fall out. Etc. Also, my current wireless system doesn't work with active electronics, but that would be easily remedied - many newer systems seem to work fine with them.

That said, I get the Cray - my strat is a Cray body and pickups with modified wiring and a Roadworn 50's neck (one of the only necks I like as much as the Clapton). It's a lifer, for sure.

-Ray

[Hasbro]

Thats been the hollowbody ill add at some point for years now...his tone is unreal good. Is yours prone to feedback?

Originally Posted by WolfmansBrother

Gibson Johnny A

It's the only signature guitar I have owned. I bought it because of the characteristics (smaller body, fully hollow), and not due to it being a signature model.
Though hearing what Johnny A does with them definitely helped with the decision!

It's cool that it was an entirely new guitar design for Gibson, rather than an existing model with the artist's specifications.

I went with the the Johnny A Standard model.

[Livingston]

I've owned 2 x George Benson (Ibanez) guitars...a GB100 and a GB40TH. The Ibanez floating pickups sound very nice but it was the size of the guitar that originally attracted me to the GB. 14.5" lower bout and 2.5" depth of the GB40TH makes for a very comfortable guitar to hold while standing.

Several years ago, I purchased a Carvin Frank Gambale (FG-1S) guitar. Didn't really pay attention to the fact that it was a signature model; I just picked it up from the guitar stand at a shop and doodled on it for a little while. Perhaps the most comfortable neck (to my hands) I had ever played and a very versatile pickup/electric setup. Besides two Carvin humbuckers, it has a tun-o-matic-ish bridge with piezo pickups under each adjustable saddle. The piezo is wired to a different output jack, so you can run the guitar through two amps - one for the humbuckers and one for the piezo. The piezo is also wired to a Roland Midi output, which is pretty cool as well.

Lastly, I recently (last year) purchased a PRS SE guitar and later realized it was a Zach Myers sig model. Didn't know who Zach Myers was/is but love his guitar! Sounds beautiful, especially through my Fender Princeton Reverb amp. That was purely an impulse buy for guitar that looked kind of neat/different and turned out to be a keeper.

[steveh]

I've owned (electric):

Ibanez Allan Holdsworth AH10
Fender Jeff Beck Strat version 1 (two)
Fender Eric Johnson strat (two)
EBMM Steve Lukather
PRS DGT

but by far the best is the Ernie Ball Music Man EVH (which I still have 18 years later). I've also had a ton of the EBMM Supersport, which is modelled after the EVH but without the decked Floyd etc.

Cheers,
Steve

[M Sarad]

I have had 3 Les Paul Jrs. Hard to get in tune or stay in tune, but the tone is unlike anything else.

[WolfmansBrother]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Sweet Gibson !

Thank you!

Originally Posted by 3notes

I'd love to play a John Mayer Silver Sky.

Wolfman.... Pobbly the best picture of a guitar that I've seen in 2019. Or should I say probably the best guitar I've seen in 2019.?? Beautiful .....

Nice. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Hasbro

Thats been the hollowbody ill add at some point for years now...his tone is unreal good. Is yours prone to feedback?

Not particularly. It can produce nice, musical feedback if you want it to, but you have to coax it out a bit. It's not a wild, untamable beast.

[Chickee]

I never really thought about this guitar as a signature model, but I guess in actuality it is.

In 1996 it was presented by Fender sales literature as an American Special Hendrix VooDooCaster.
In reality though, it was a 1968 strat reissue with a reverse neck and a big beautiful CBS sized headstock.

This is the crown jewel in my guitar stable, not because of any kind of monetary value, but by virtue of the complete and total joy I get whenever I play it. I truly love this guitar.

[The Growler]

Originally Posted by Chickee

[IMG]

This is the crown jewel in my guitar stable, not because of any kind of monetary value, but by virtue of the complete and total joy I get whenever I play it. I truly love this guitar.

That's it right there. Any guitar that meets that criteria is the one.

[aknow]

Originally Posted by WolfmansBrother

Gibson Johnny A

It's the only signature guitar I have owned. I bought it because of the characteristics (smaller body, fully hollow), and not due to it being a signature model.
Though hearing what Johnny A does with them definitely helped with the decision!

It's cool that it was an entirely new guitar design for Gibson, rather than an existing model with the artist's specifications.

I went with the the Johnny A Standard model.

He's a real diamond in the rough. I've often wondered about this model.

[RalphH]

Gibson Les Paul Standard. The greatest signature instrument of all time. How can there possibly be any other answer?

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by Livingston

I've owned 2 x George Benson (Ibanez) guitars...a GB100 and a GB40TH. The Ibanez floating pickups sound very nice but it was the size of the guitar that originally attracted me to the GB. 14.5" lower bout and 2.5" depth of the GB40TH makes for a very comfortable guitar to hold while standing.

The George Benson model (not sure which one) that I played years ago really made me want one. Absolutely fantastic playability and unplugged tone.

The only other signature guitar I've played with much has been the JEM series, and my floral print model is the best guitar I've ever had.

[billyg]

My favorite signature guitar that I own is my Gretsch HOF Country Gentleman. For years I lusted after the Gibson Country Gentleman but ended up with a Gretsch after Chet Atkins died and the endorsement went back to Gretsch. It is Atkins' involvement with these instruments' design, and the fact I really like those design elements, that led me to these instruments. After owning the Gretsch, I have tried and left several Gibson Country Gentlemen on the rack, but maybe one day.
Second, is the ES-165 Herb Ellis, which I very much enjoy, particularly on Christmas songs. But I have come to believe my version of the ES-165 may be a Herb Ellis in "name" only, as his apparently had a set in humbucker and Gibson, on later models, started using a floating pickup.
sigguits - 2.jpg

My other signature electric is a Carvin Holdsworth. A guitar I lusted after because of its unique design elements which must be attributed to Mr. Holdsworth. I don't know much about his music, but this is a very unique guitar. (although this is a bad picture)
sigguits - 1.jpg

[C-ville Brent]

Gibson Les Paul (Studio & Traditional). Had the Traditional out tonight - very heavy guitar. Studio has 490's and the Traditional has 59 Tribute humbuckers which seem to have been offered for only a few years around 2014.