Help me choose a new guitar...

[Whammy_Abuser]

Hey guys, I am looking for a backup guitar, I have been breaking strings more than usual lately and I think it is time for me to add another to the arsenal...

I play instrumental music in the style of Vai, Timmons, Satriani and Gilbert. I also like a lot of 80's shred guys like Lynch, Schon, DeMarini, Lukather etc

I currently play a Charvel So Cal and it is pretty much perfect, but I would like to change things up for this guitar.

As you can probably gather I like a very playable guitar, I however, tend to shy away from thin necks. As a kid learning on a Les Paul copy with a baseball bat neck, I have never been able to play super thin necks, they trip me up in spots, but anywhere in between baseball bat and Wizard is really fine, not too picky on that subject.

The one thing that I absolutely will not tolerate is 24 frets, being a lover of the neck pickup, I have found that 24 fret guitars make the neck position sound hollow, airy and generally thinner than their on 21 or 2 fret counterparts.

When it comes to wood I used to be all alder all the time, however as I have developed as a player and used other pickups and amps, I have opened up to mahogany and ash, I even have found some basswood guitars tolerable (I used to DESPISE basswood, that was around the time that I loaded every single guitar I had with Seymour Duncan Jeff Becks ) but after a recent love affair with EMG pickups (another thing I used to hate) I have found that EMGs take over the tone of the guitar, which could be seen as a bad thing, but with basswood it is a good quality.

Last but not least are bridges, as you can see from my name, I am partial to tremolos. I am used to Floyd Rose style bridges, I have only tried the EB vintage style trem one time and I loved the way it felt, but I worry about long term tuning stability.


So, what guitar would you recommend for my application?

 

[GoKart Mozart]

Here's my random thoughts, based on some of your comments.

The John Petrucci model is out since you a) don't like thin necks, b) don't dig 24 frets. The regular Silhouette is out also (24 frets). Since you said you liked EMGs and wanted something with tuning stability, you might want to look into the Luke model since it features EMGs and has locking tuners. Keep in mind that it's alder and not basswood.

Edit: Can't believe I forgot to mention the Axis! Floyd rose, 22 frets, basswood body...might be more up your alley than the Luke.

 

[Whammy_Abuser]

Alder is my favorite!

Basswood I don't like (with passive pickups at least) but an EMG set gives them a whole different voice.

The EMG 85 is one of my favorite bridge pickups of all time, I will definitely look into that one. I generally don't like single coils, when I have an HSS guitar I usually put some Dimarzio Rail pickups in them, so I am not sure how i will bond with the active singles, but I will definitely give 'em a look

And I will also check out the Axis, not really a fan of the body styling, but that is trivial...

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Slingy]

Try the Luke! Like he says. Alder body, Vintage Trem, EMG's, Slight V shape, plays fast and you mention Lukather, it's easy to youtube Lukather and see how great the neck pup sounds.

 

[GoKart Mozart]

I generally don't like single coils, when I have an HSS guitar I usually put some Dimarzio Rail pickups in them, so I am not sure how i will bond with the active singles, but I will definitely give 'em a look

The EMG SLV single coils are slightly overwound, so don't worry about them not having any "meat" to them.

 

[straycat113]

A Luke or Axis I believe would be the way for you to go, or maybe an HH AL which is a wicked ax. Despite what you feel you dislike I think one of these will rub you the right way.

 

[Whammy_Abuser]

I am actually pretty liberal in what guitars I like, my OP was really just trying to give you an idea of what my experiences have been with guitars in the past...

I'm going to my local music store tomorrow and I am gonna play a bunch of guitars until one speaks to me...I can't wait to try the Luke!

 

[e.mate]

I read your description thorughly...and I am actually not quite sure if the Luke is the right recommendation

Considering all factors, I'd rather say Axis Super Sport (ASS) or AXIS would be more interesting for you. The AXIS is your choice if you really go for the Floyd Rose. But if you do not really need the FR, you will find the ASS is a perfect guitar in all the aspects you were mentioning

I'm using my ASS as my main guitar (though I really dig the Silhouette and the SUB1) since two years now, and I didn't have any detuning issues at all....and I use the Vintage Trem quite a lot. So, taken all of your points into consideration, I'd say, the ASS is what you need That's my two cents...

 

[joe web]

if you have the chance to test a steve morse Y2D - do it!
it has 22 frets, HSH but with the SC close to the bridge HB plus the switching option of both HBs together.
it´s made of poplar, which may not be your wanted wood, but it sounds awesome.
there is a hardtail and a floyd version of this guitar, they sound a bit different but both are great rockers and the play like a dream.

 

[Jack FFR1846]

It depends mainly on whether you can live with a different wood or a different trem. There are older Lukes with a floyd and you can get a Steve Morse with a floyd. By far, the most common will be the basswood Axis, however.

I have 3 Musicman guitars and all have trems. Only the Axis has the floyd. If I really, really want to use the trem and be in good tune during a gig, I'll go with the floyd everytime. I do also always have a backup and it's going to be something that is easy to tune (read that as a musicman vintage trem).

 

[browndog]

Get an Axis.

 

[GoKart Mozart]

Better yet...just get one of each & be done with it!

 

[roburado]

25th Anniversary!

 

[threeminutesboy]

Luke will fit your needs

even better Luke I but you will have to look for second hand one

 

[nobozos]

I'm a very big fan of the Axis myself, but based on the style of music you are playing, I wouldn't recommend it. The main reason is that it does not allow you to pull back on the Floyd, which would keep you from performing alot of the techniques of the artists you mentioned (particularly Vai)

I would say that the Petrucci would be the perfect guitar for you, except for what you said about the neck. The reason I say Petrucci, is that it's the only guitar from EBMM that comes set up with a floating trem. All other guitars come with the trem resting on the body like the Axis. You could raise the bridge slightly to get some pull-back, but it's not anywhere near the range you can get with a Petrucci. For the record, I'm a huge fan of the Axis neck, which is about as far away from wide-thin as you can get, and I didn't think the Petrucci neck was uncomfortable thin. It does have 24 frets though. I would give her a try, she may suprise you.

The next in line would be the Luke. Loaded with EMGs, and the 22 fret neck is a soft-v shape, so it's not a thin neck. Although it's a vintage trem with locking tuners, the tuning stability is incredible. Add a little nut sauce, and it's very stable. The perfect guitar for you would actually be a Luke 1. It matches all of your preferences perfectly, as it has a floating Floyd.

Lastly, I think maybe a Silhouette Special. I believe it's been called the "Swiss Army Knife" of guitars. Great for any style of music. It has the same general feel of a Luke, but with a more traditional "C" shaped neck.

If you don't need to pull back on the trem, of couse, I would recommend the Axis.

BTW, how are you playing in the style of Vai without 24 frets?

 

[agt]

Morse with Floyd bridge option.

 

[Young Wazoo]

I also have similar musical taste, before last xmas I had a shred-friendly Ibanez, then father bought me a Silhouette (and told me to hide the Ibby) I find this Silo much easier to play now and to get the sounds I like. Great guitar and lots of versatility crunch to metal. I play it through a small Marshall micro stack MG15 MSII series, I only play at home and school and I really like how it sounds through that amp.
I believe father he was right about the Silo. The Ibanez lives in the loft now.

 

[ScoobySteve]

Everything this guy is saying speaks Axis, ASS or Luke.

Heck even a SMY2D.

Fine choices.

 

[Whammy_Abuser]

I don't mind much not having a pull up floyd, it is nice to have but 90% of my tremolo use is dive bombing.

how are you playing in the style of Vai without 24 frets?

I do just fine, I would never sacrifice the tone of my neck pickup just to be able to play a couple of flashy Vai licks...when I say I play in the style of him, I mean that I play in the same genre and play guitar similar to him, not play just like him.

 

[nobozos]

Cool. I really do think the Luke is the guitar for you.