Looking at purchasing new electric guitar - advice please

Shayne93

Hi, I'm new on here, I will first introduce myself.

I'm Shayne and I live in Australia

I have a pretty much stock Fender Jag-stang, I also used to on an Epiphone G-1275 Double neck, a Modified RI Comp Mustang with twin Dimarzio humbuckers and Gibson Tailpiece with TOM bridge (It still had the chrome bridge plate) and I had an RI Fender Mustang with Seymour Duncan JB in bridge with Floyd Rose setup (I sold this as the routing was quite ugly and I lost interest in it).

I am looking at getting a new electric guitar, around the $1000-$1300 mark new.

I am not overwrapped in the Jagstang, I have locked the tailpiece by removing the studs and springs and putting a bolt on there, then a nut on top of the tailpiece plate and then having the actual tail piece, so the strings still feed under, but I am using the stock bridge.

I preffered the sound of my epiphone G-1275 (I'm only comparing the 6 string part here) and I liked the fact is was a total hard tail. The jagstang doesn't sound as great IMO and the stock mustang bridge 'sucks'. The epiphone held its tune better than the Jag-stang.

I like the epiphone/gibson sound/setup (Twin HB's) and TOM bridge and hard tail, My 69 Comp Mustang Re-Issue was like a gibson in fender clothes.

The thing is, I just can't warm to any Gibson/Epiphone guitars.

I sold my RI Comp Mustang and G-1275 because I bought a 66 Ford Mustang from Boston and imported it here, I miss those two guitars.

I write alot of my own music, it is probably similar to the Foo Fighters stuff around 'Their is nothing left to lose' and 'One by one'.

I was leaning towards a yank made HSS Strat, I wanted hardtail but they don't make them, but strats hold their tune quite well. A bridge humbucker is a must.

I was thinking also the new cobain edition mustang, as my comp mustang was very very similar (except I had a neck humbucker), but I hardly use the neck pickup so Single coil is fine. As the Cobain Mustang has a tune o matic fender spaced bridge, I would just bolt the tail piece down like I have done with my Jag-Stang.

However I would prefer to just take something out of the box and not modify it, and I would have to import a Cobain Mustang as they aren't available new here where as a Strat is.

Can anyone make any recommendations on what I should look at..?? I like mustangs as they're different, but in no way am I trying to be a Cobain rip of or do I want to be seen that way. I like strats as they sound cool but they're like assholes, everyone has one...

johnnykazz

Shayne93 said:
Hi, I'm new on here, I will first introduce myself.
I'm Shayne and I live in Australia
I have a pretty much stock Fender Jag-stang, I also used to on an Epiphone G-1275 Double neck, a Modified RI Comp Mustang with twin Dimarzio humbuckers and Gibson Tailpiece with TOM bridge (It still had the chrome bridge plate) and I had an RI Fender Mustang with Seymour Duncan JB in bridge with Floyd Rose setup (I sold this as the routing was quite ugly and I lost interest in it).
I am looking at getting a new electric guitar, around the $1000-$1300 mark new.
I am not overwrapped in the Jagstang, I have locked the tailpiece by removing the studs and springs and putting a bolt on there, then a nut on top of the tailpiece plate and then having the actual tail piece, so the strings still feed under, but I am using the stock bridge.
I preffered the sound of my epiphone G-1275 (I'm only comparing the 6 string part here) and I liked the fact is was a total hard tail. The jagstang doesn't sound as great IMO and the stock mustang bridge 'sucks'. The epiphone held its tune better than the Jag-stang.
I like the epiphone/gibson sound/setup (Twin HB's) and TOM bridge and hard tail, My 69 Comp Mustang Re-Issue was like a gibson in fender clothes.
The thing is, I just can't warm to any Gibson/Epiphone guitars.
I sold my RI Comp Mustang and G-1275 because I bought a 66 Ford Mustang from Boston and imported it here, I miss those two guitars.
I write alot of my own music, it is probably similar to the Foo Fighters stuff around 'Their is nothing left to lose' and 'One by one'.
I was leaning towards a yank made HSS Strat, I wanted hardtail but they don't make them, but strats hold their tune quite well. A bridge humbucker is a must.
I was thinking also the new cobain edition mustang, as my comp mustang was very very similar (except I had a neck humbucker), but I hardly use the neck pickup so Single coil is fine. As the Cobain Mustang has a tune o matic fender spaced bridge, I would just bolt the tail piece down like I have done with my Jag-Stang.
However I would prefer to just take something out of the box and not modify it, and I would have to import a Cobain Mustang as they aren't available new here where as a Strat is.
Can anyone make any recommendations on what I should look at..?? I like mustangs as they're different, but in no way am I trying to be a Cobain rip of or do I want to be seen that way. I like strats as they sound cool but they're like assholes, everyone has one...

Hello Shayne93,

I've read through everything here and I can really only come up with 2 options for you that I think you would be entirely happy with. Unfortunately, most guitars aren't great out of the box, and I say that because it is much too subjective (i.e. - What I prefer as a guitar setup is probably not what you would prefer). Everybody sort of has their own thing when it comes down to a proper setup. I don't know how you would feel about it, but my first recommendation to you would be to order a guitar from Warmoth.com and either construct it yourself or take it to a luthier and have them put it together for you. It would end up falling right in on your price mark, and I'm judging that by my luthier charges $300.00 flat fee to put together a parts guitar and that includes wiring and a setup, the whole nine yards. For the setup you like, I would build a custom Stratocaster from their body build with a tail-piece and TOM, much like a Les Paul. You can then select the proper route to get your bridge humbucker like you wanted. When it comes to building your own, you can run whatever you want -- a Strat with one humbucker, two humbuckers, standard 3 single-coils, an HSS route, an HSH route, P90, etc. Your options are endless for that. When it comes to the neck, again for you preferences, I would build a custom Stratocaster neck, but I would also select the option to build a Stratocaster 24 3/4" scale conversion. What this does is allow you to attach the neck and the Stratocaster will be cut down from a 25.5" scale to a Les Paul style 24 3/4", much like your Epiphone that you enjoyed. The pickups and everything else is also subjective so I recommend you carefully pick those things out on your own, although like I said, if you route it for dual humbuckers, you could put a Gibson '59 Classic Plus in the bridge and a standard Gibson '59 Classic in the neck. These are PAF clones and would give you that Gibson sound you love, but it would still look like a Fender Strat.

Down to the big thought going through both of our heads right now -- shipping costs on this. Warmoth has their international shipping costs on their website. They offer UPS Express and USPS Priority. I would recommend the UPS Express because it says it offers full tracking and insurance on everything. I wouldn't risk going with USPS on a purchase of this caliber. The final cost of the shipping is listed at $98-$120, depending on the weight of the guitar. $120.00 is the absolute highest price you will pay for shipping to you in Australia. Overall, I don't think that is too bad for a fully custom guitar built to your specifications. Basically, your own signature model!

The 2nd recommendation I have is much cheaper, if you don't dig the first one too much, would be to purchase a Squier Cyclone reissue and then mod it from their at a local luthier. Here is a link to them on MusiciansFriend.com - Click Here! They are available in Candy Apple Red, Black, Sunburst, or Lake Placid Blue. This is honestly a great modding platform for you, although this guitar gets rave reviews after a quality setup. It is a humbucker-single coil setup, it has a hard-tail bridge, a Les Paul style toggle switch, and it has a 24 3/4" Gibson style scale. It retains the body style of the Fender Mustang and is really a quality guitar for the price, coming in at $199.00. You would have so much money left over to mod the hell out of it and really make it your own. You would have a plethora of options to choose from. I do not see shipping being over $100.00 through MusiciansFriend, and I believe I read that they ship by certified airmail.

I wish you good luck in choosing the proper guitar for yourself. Have fun man.

cobainjagstang123

Gretsch Corvette!

Shayne93

I've been playing for 5 years now and have written quite a bit of music, so I wouldn't call myself a beginner, but I am no Jimmy Page.

I have had a look locally and the Americal Standard/Special Stratocasters and they are starting to grow on me. Even the triple single coil versions.

I'm not too keen on the Squires as they are a little sub Mexican Fenders IMO.

I think I'll probs either go a Yank Fender Strat or get over my fear and get a low end Gibson SG as theyre TOM and Double HB as well as getting a good Acoustic electric for pub gigs

Shayne93

I've been playing for 5 years now and have written quite a bit of music, so I wouldn't call myself a beginner, but I am no Jimmy Page.

I have had a look locally and the Americal Standard/Special Stratocasters and they are starting to grow on me. Even the triple single coil versions.

I'm not too keen on the Squires as they are a little sub Mexican Fenders IMO.

I think I'll probs either go a Yank Fender Strat or get over my fear and get a low end Gibson SG as theyre TOM and Double HB as well as getting a good Acoustic electric for pub gigs