Selling my Epi LP... what to get next?

[Rex_Rocker]

Yamaha Revstar. Not a Gibson. Not a Fender. No vibrato. Solid colors. Pickups, bridge and tuner hardware are standard, replaceable, moddable. Under $1000.

Interesting!

[GuitarDoc]

I never played an SE that I liked.

[eclecticsynergy]

My only SE played well and stayed in tune just fine. But it'd had a PRS USA nut installed.
The tuning trouble might not be mostly with the import trems, I think, but with the import nuts.
The import humbuckers were definitely lackluster though.

Not necessarily saying the cheap trem sustained as well as my core models.
But that's a more complicated issue since the neck wood is an important factor too.
Body wood as well, I think, though to a much lesser extent.

[Aceman]

I listened to all the SG/PRS yap.

Trade it on another real Les Paul.

[Fender_Punk]

Get a Mexican Tele, preferably a Classic Player Baja Tele. You will not regret it.

[Phantasmagoria]

If you don't care for what's on the headstock..something 'Cort' for maximum bang for the buck..


Cort Menace

{img}https://sirclocdn.com/nafiriguitar/products/_220528233220_Antique%20SB%20%281%29_full.jpg[/img}


Cort G300 Pro

[Rex_Rocker]

I listened to all the SG/PRS yap.

Trade it on another real Les Paul.

Honestly, that's not a bad idea at all, LOL.

I'd love a Classic, but I wouldn't say no to a Studio.

[Aceman]

Honestly, that's not a bad idea at all, LOL.

I'd love a Classic, but I wouldn't say no to a Studio.

Said it before, I'll say it again; A Studio is all the Les Paul you really need.

[GuitarDoc]

If you want a Gibson, you can't get a better one than the Studio. Best bang for the buck Gibson available. (Plus they don't have that stupid Gibson neck binding).

[Rex_Rocker]

I like the neck binding. I don't need the neck binding. But I like the neck binding. I just don't like the burst finishes on the Standards, nor do I need the flamed maple top. I like the flamed maple top, but I think solid finishes are elegant as well. That's why I really want a Classic. It's got the body thickness of a Standard, but it's stramlined like a Studio.

But I also want a wine red Studio. Or a white Studio with the gold hardware, but I don't think those are being currently made?

[donaldr]

Have a look at a used Ibanez SZ520. I got one for $350. I upgraded the pickups (Duncan Designed Distortion bridge and 59 neck) because I wanted something different.
Plays better than my LP and plays/looks as good as the PRS McCarty S2 that I tried.

[Rex_Rocker]

Have a look at a used Ibanez SZ520. I got one for $350. I upgraded the pickups (Duncan Designed Distortion bridge and 59 neck) because I wanted something different.
Plays better than my LP and plays/looks as good as the PRS McCarty S2 that I tried.

I used to have an SZ320 at one time. I loved it for what it was, but it didn't sound amazing. Played alright, but could've used a fret level. I think I'd prefer the 320 over the 520. Some 520's look great, but most of them have underwhelming tops. At least from the ones I've seen here locally. I'll keep an eye out, though!

[donaldr]

I used to have an SZ320 at one time. I loved it for what it was, but it didn't sound amazing. Played alright, but could've used a fret level. I think I'd prefer the 320 over the 520. Some 520's look great, but most of them have underwhelming tops. At least from the ones I've seen here locally. I'll keep an eye out, though!

I tried a Screaming Demon in the bridge, with A5, with A8, and with filter screws. It was not making it.
So I installed a set of EMG Retro Active Fat 55 and now my SZ520 sounds very good.

[Rex_Rocker]

I tried a Screaming Demon in the bridge, with A5, with A8, and with filter screws. It was not making it.
So I installed a set of EMG Retro Active Fat 55 and now my SZ520 sounds very good.

Mine had EMG's back in the day. I just meant that mine was acoustically kinda dead-sounding. Not very fat as I would've thought with the fat neck and body.

The neck profile was REALLY nice, though. Kinda fat-ish, but slightly Ibanez-ish as well. Loved the bridge as well aesthetically and functionally.

Mine came stock with the no-name pickups before they put Duncan Designed Distortions/Demons in them. I did try a bunch of EMG's in the bridge, though. 81, 81X, 85, 81TW. I had a Super Distortion in it before. It was my first pickup swap.

I would love to find another one, though. I guess it's kind of a gamble any guitar, expensive or not, but many pros were palying the 320's back in the day.

[donaldr]

Mine is very lively acoustically. And such a joy to play.
EMG Retro Active are very different from other EMG pickups. Fat 55 are more like hot vintage passive pickups, in sound and feel. I have a set of 60/S/S and they sound like they're made from a different company