Which electric guitar sounds best unaccompanied?

Depends on what kind of music you are talking about ...

Lots of electric archtops, Teles, and maybe even a few LPs being used for solo jazz.

 

If you can swing a Swan you should check them out.

 

^^ Good call.

 

The big Gibson hollowbodies always come to mind when i think of solo work. Joe Pass with his ES-175 and Tuck Andress and with his L5 are two of my favs. Although you usually see hollowbodies, don't limit the selection to them. It's all about the sound you're after (as mentioned above).

 

My vote goes for either a tele or a les paul played thru a fender amp. You know the Jeff Buckley sound (supposedly the recorded version of hallelujah was a les paul).

 

Gretsch Country Club w/spruce top is my pick

 

I agree 100%. I demo'd one of Jim Swans for about a week before I had to, begrudgingly, send it to the next person in line. I still remember how that guitar rang acoustically. I would love to own one.

b

 

If I were gonna sit down and play a singer/songwriter show all alone, I'd play an old Strat through a Deluxe Reverb.

 

Strat, clean, on a nice fat neck pickup w/a touch of reverb gets my vote....

 

I do a lot of solo shows and have been looking at the Del Ray guitars...pretty cool and somewhat unique. I'm trying a few out locally today so I'll get back to you on that one.

As others have mentioned, the Gibby style hollow/semi-hollows are great for this type setting. I've also used Teles and Les Pauls in the past. I'm putting together a strat project right now so we'll see how that that works out but I've always thought it just didn't look right to be standing up there with nothing but a strat.

As for amps, all of the ones mentioned above are fantastic. I recently had (and sold) a Blues Jr. tweed model that would be cool for those type of settings. The Peavey CL30s and 50s are nice too but a little heavy. I play through the BOSE L1 system and can get some great cleans out of it in the right room. Most of the time I mic up a small tube amp and turn it to the wall though.

 

Whatever happens to be in Bill Frissel's hands.

 

depends on the tunes

 

An old Gibson ES-125.

 

There are so many that sound great solo. I really like teles and baritones (especially Jerry Jones) solo. Jim Soloway's guitars sound wonderful on their own.

 

Something about a Strat or a Tele just seems right...though anything that really nails a bell-tone clean is gonna do it for me.

 

I've heard and seen solo sets on so many different kinds of guitars. Just try a bunch of electrics in stores and get the one you like the most.

 

Tele!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svzv-YkUzdk

 

I love my John Page P-1 because it sounds rich and full all by itself.
It is also a reason why I love my Mayes C