Looking for suggestions

S

Slamundson

New member
Hi everyone, new member here. I’ve owned about 50 different guitars over my 20+ years of playing. In the past decade i’ve really gotten into “shred” guitars. Over the years I’ve traded, bought and sold many. This last year alone, i’ve thinned down my herd completely to just a select few. To about 10 keepers. I now know exactly what I want in my guitar and I’m hoping some of you can help me out.

I really like the early 80s to early-mid 90s, 24 fret, neck thru or set neck, Strat style body with carved top, Floyd rose or other Tremolo system, pointy headstock is always a plus! Pickup layout I’m not super picky, but HH is always great. I’m cool with most woods except plywood!

I usually only buy American or Japanese made, but am open to suggestions. Even Japanese only market.

I have some of the bigger brand versions of what I’m looking for, but still looking for input on big companies. But more importantly smaller, lesser known brands that may have made a model similar to those specs. Any info and I would be most appreciative. Cheers
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

If you have deep pockets, look for a Jackson Soloist Archtop; it should check all of the boxes you mentioned. They were made in Japan from 1988 through early 1990 as the Charvel 750XL and afterward until late 1991 as the Soloist Archtop Pro. They didn't make a ton of these, so they tend to command rather high prices on the used market. USA models are even more rare and expensive. I believe some additional archtops were made after the Fender buyout in 2002, but you seem to be looking for something older. AFAIK the only pre-2002 Soloist Archtops were made in the Jackson Custom Shop, and they only made ~190 prior to the buyout.
 
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Re: Looking for suggestions

I actually own one of those, got mine pretty cheap tho cuz some mods were done then later corrected. Also have 2 750xls hah. And yes you’re correct would be interested in pre fender, as well as other companies before they sold out.
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

Welcome to the forum!

Some options off the top of my head, none cheap though.

Jackson Soloist carve top

ESP Horizon

Suhr Modern carve top
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

Ayrton said:
Welcome to the forum!

Some options off the top of my head, none cheap though.

Jackson Soloist carve top

ESP Horizon

Suhr Modern carve top
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Thanks! Now that’s one I’ve been thinking for awhile is the esp horizon, but sometimes they’re bolt on’s, and when they’re neck they, they’re pink. Nothing against pink but I already have 2 hah. That’s def in my watch list. Anyone know of lesser known brands? Like for instance I just found out about Robin guitars which made a model called the medley that came in neck thru. There’s one on reverb but seems pretty overpriced.
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

There's the customizable G&L Invader series, and the Rampage. Or go vintage with the Climax model.

Bill
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

Boogie Bill said:
There's the customizable G&L Invader series, and the Rampage. Or go vintage with the Climax model.

Bill
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Did g&l make neck thrus? I remember searching thru their guitars at 1 point, I googled those models and not really seeing what I’m looking for.
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

I guess I could help in saying what my keepers are, to better visualize what I’m looking for.
Charvel 750xl x2
Jackson ATTP
Barrington BRG-884T/C x2
Barrington BRG-881T/C
Kramer liberty
Kramer stagemaster deluxe 1
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

If you could live without the carved top, an ESP MII would be fairly easy to find and not a total budget killer.
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

Yeah I’ve determined that I love carved top, especially if it’s a cap. I sold my charvel model 5, model 6, and 650xl cuz I was kinda over flat top. Just not as aesthetically pleasing to my eyes. Though I know I’ll regret selling that model 6 someday. The only flat top, and also bolt-on, I decided to keep was a charvel fusion. That’s only cuz of the short scale maple neck though.
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

Another model I recently started trying to hunt down is a Yamaha pacifica 1412/1421, tho I hear those are pretty rare. Although that’s what I thought about most of the guitars I own. So we shall see I suppose.
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

Slamundson said:
I guess I could help in saying what my keepers are, to better visualize what I’m looking for.
Charvel 750xl x2
Jackson ATTP
Barrington BRG-884T/C x2
Barrington BRG-881T/C
Kramer liberty
Kramer stagemaster deluxe 1
Click to expand...



good taste!! I have always wanted a Liberty and Stagemaster!
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

Robins have a great rep.. I thought they were out of biz.???
 
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Re: Looking for suggestions

greekdude said:
Carvnin DC series?
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I was wondering about carvin, do you know the exact model. The only thing I can up with when searching them before was the California model, I think it was, kiesel still makes them today. Just not all about the prs type shape. I know much more about kiesel than carvin to be honest. Love the kiesel stuff tho.
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

What about ibanez? Hard to believe they didn’t make a guitar to these specs back in the day. Or were they always for the most part a bolt-on company?
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

I was thinking old Carvins, too. They had a number of models that were neck thru, and some even with point headstocks. Some had Floyds, and some had Kahlers. You might have to look at mid 80s catalogs to get some of the model numbers.
 
Re: Looking for suggestions

Cool thanks guys. I have some research to do. Also I may have misspoke when I wrote carved top. I might have meant to say arched top?
 
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