What's a traditionalist to do?

[RebelRebel]

So...

Say you wanted to buy a traditional styled solid body guitar, that wasn't a Gibson or Fender...what are you supposed to get.

Say you want something of good quality, mid priced..not asian made...no pointy parts...no flamey tops...nothing really modern....what do you buy?

Seems there isn't much out there these days to fill this void. Gibson's prices are terrible for anything decent and Fender's sound like, fenders.


The PRS headstock shape and flamey tops are not my thing...not a strat guy, so strats of any vaiant are out. Kolls are amazing looking, but I can't afford one. The Duo Jetts are almost the same price as a les paul std. Hammer makes some interesting stuff, but along with heritage, their headstock looks kinda weird to me.....why can't manufacturers not have a headstock that slants inward....it's my biggest pet peeve for 3 on a side tuners.


The crummy part...anything you buy is likely gonna need upgraded pups and electronics..maybe hardware too.


$1200 to $1500 new....what are the options?

 

[buddastrat]

Roll your own!

 

[sanhozay]

Buy a Fano!

 

[gkoelling]

Build a partscaster Tele and use the pups & bridge that suits you, not what the marketing dept. thinks you should have. $1,200-$1,500 can build a kick ass guitar.

 

[jackaroo]

used hamer

 

[jcoggins7]

Get over the headstock issue with PRS and get one of their CE22s in a solid color-preferably one that has the Dragon 1s in it. Or you could get a Mira. Or a Starla. Just sayin'...it sounds like that's what you want, excepting the headstock

 

[uncle psychosis]

If you don't like the Fender sound but everything else appeals...get a tele or strat but put non standard pickups in?

 

[XKnight]

Sounds like you need a Rickenbacker.

 

[scottlr]

Hamer, Schlecter, Heritage, Epi Casino or Riviera (I don't like the models that are not from the original Epi Line). I'd love to have both a Casino and a Riviera, personally. The Gibson faded line is much more affordable, and if you go used, even less. I think there's a lot of choices.

I forget the model, but there was a set-neck Tele with P-90s that I always thought was really interesting.

 

[Thwap]

Hamer or Heritage come to mind.

 

[RebelRebel]

Sounds like you need a Rickenbacker.

I had a 330...nice guitar..but the neck was a twig and I woulda had to hack it up to swap pick ups.

 

[RebelRebel]

Hamer or Heritage come to mind.

both of their headstocks look cheesy in IMO.

 

[SoCalSteve]

G&l

 

[jeffwith1f]

?

 

[scottlr]

both of their headstocks look cheesy in IMO.

If you can't get past the headstock, you will limit yourself. I understand, completely. I personally can't get into Epi versions of Gibson models. But Epi had several models of their own, that while they were similar to Gibbys, were pretty cool. And then there's Guild. I think if I was on a budget, and had to have a Gibson style, I'd go for a used faded, then upgrade it, and buff it up to make it purty.

 

[Dave Orban]

Roll your own!

Bingo.

My three parts Teles hang with the best of both the vintage and boutique guitars I've owned or played.

 

[RebelRebel]

?

hahah perfect.

I love that the headstock of the top neck sticks out of the picture.

 

[Stringz]

So...

Say you wanted to buy a traditional styled solid body guitar, that wasn't a Gibson or Fender...what are you supposed to get.

Say you want something of good quality, mid priced..not asian made...no pointy parts...no flamey tops...nothing really modern....what do you buy?

Seems there isn't much out there these days to fill this void. Gibson's prices are terrible for anything decent and Fender's sound like, fenders.


The PRS headstock shape and flamey tops are not my thing...not a strat guy, so strats of any vaiant are out. Kolls are amazing looking, but I can't afford one. The Duo Jetts are almost the same price as a les paul std. Hammer makes some interesting stuff, but along with heritage, their headstock looks kinda weird to me.....why can't manufacturers not have a headstock that slants inward....it's my biggest pet peeve for 3 on a side tuners.


The crummy part...anything you buy is likely gonna need upgraded pups and electronics..maybe hardware too.


$1200 to $1500 new....what are the options?

Buy a toilet seat guitar. I guarantee you'll be the only person you know who has one.

 

[swimrunner]

Hammer makes some interesting stuff, but along with heritage, their headstock looks kinda weird to me.....why can't manufacturers not have a headstock that slants inward....it's my biggest pet peeve for 3 on a side tuners.

It's kind of what's logical - the straighter string pull aids tuning stability. Is your headstock opinion based on online photos or actually real-life viewing? I think most guitars look better in real life.

 

[rockinlespaul]

New or used?