Super Strat for Under $1000?

Maz

Maz

New member
It's getting to that time of the year where my wallet expands itself by a good $1200, or this case ~$2000 if I manage to sell a couple of my guitars. I'm looking for a new guitar that will do, pretty much everything for under $1000, so I can use the rest to arrange a few pedals.

My eyes are currently set on the Ibanez RG1451 Prestige

Here are my main Requirements:

-No floating Trem
-Made in Japan(or any other trust worthy place)
-HSH, 1 Volume, 1 Tone. or HH, preferably
-Will play metal, jazz, and everything in between
-Preferably stock with Duncans or EMGs, or an Ibanez
-Good quality wood, not over 10 pounds
-24 Frets

That's really it, I'm mainly looking at Ibanez RGs, because I've heard a lot of great things about them. Also, concerning the Ibanez RG, would I be able to get a pickguard made for a Fender Strat to fit on it?
 
Re: Super Strat for Under $1000?

I did check out the Dreamcicle, but one Volume knob, a single coil, and a humbucker aren't really going to give me what I'm specifically looking for, in what is currently going to be my only guitar.
 
Re: Super Strat for Under $1000?

You won't find an RG with a bend down only trem. The old ones are good, of course, especially with the Edge/Lo-Pro. Scratchplates are different too, but you can buy an RG one on evil bay any time.

If you can find an '86 Roadstar in HH or HSH (they came in H, HSS, and SSS too), they're great guitars, and can be had for $200-500 depending on the condition. These guitars are the ancestors of the RG and specs are quite similar - basswood body, maple/rosewood neck. They have non recessed trems, but only 22 frets. Yet, the trem on these guitars doesn't rest on the body as its baseplate isn't flat like an OFR; depending on the setup, it's 2-3mm off the body. Of course, if you're finnicky about that, you can just install a block inside so the trem comes to rest against it when in neutral position.

There are also Roadstar Deluxes, which came in HH, and had 24 frets. If you can find one, that is...

I have a Proline, which is the next rung up - ebony board, alder body. Really versatile guitar with the two mode switching.

I don't know how big a deal it is to you, but all this is before the aanj - I personally find it hard to hit the 24th fret on the old RGs with the square heel; 22 is manageable.
 
Re: Super Strat for Under $1000?

one of these
the image is the link
the guys at Floyd upgrades , you know the guys with the brass tremblocks have
one for 20 bucks or something

2 screws and
suddenly dive only

 
Re: Super Strat for Under $1000?

Ayrton said:
RG 650 would work, or add a Tremel No.
Click to expand...

Hmm, didn't know about these. I always thought that the really cheapo Ibanezes (Gio, 100/200 series) came with non-locking vintage/2 point trems.

I just remembered those new X series Jacksons - neck through, Duncan Designed or EMG pups; don't know how much they are though. The now defunct DK2M is also good - real Duncans (Jazz/JB). All these have recessed trems though.
 
Re: Super Strat for Under $1000?

A Strat-type floating vibrato can be made almost entirely "dive-only" by installing extra springs and/or cranking down the claw.

Personally, I would look for an assembled Warmoth guitar on E-Bay, Strat style with 24 frets and hopefully a universal ("swimming pool") rout, and put a Super Vee vibrato in it. You will get a very good bang for the buck buying a Warmoth on the used market, rather than a low-to-mid-range factory-built shredder guitar. That vibrato is a modification, which I know you said you don't want to do, but it is about as harmless and simple a modification as there is for what it gives you in return. It's not a Floyd-like modification. The vibrato is expensive, but with your budget, and the deal you will get on a used Warmoth, you can just consider it part of the cost of the guitar.

My two cents.
 
Re: Super Strat for Under $1000?

Maz said:
It's getting to that time of the year where my wallet expands itself by a good $1200, or this case ~$2000 if I manage to sell a couple of my guitars. I'm looking for a new guitar that will do, pretty much everything for under $1000, so I can use the rest to arrange a few pedals.

My eyes are currently set on the Ibanez RG1451 Prestige

Here are my main Requirements:

-No floating Trem
-Made in Japan(or any other trust worthy place)
-HSH, 1 Volume, 1 Tone. or HH, preferably
-Will play metal, jazz, and everything in between
-Preferably stock with Duncans or EMGs, or an Ibanez
-Good quality wood, not over 10 pounds
-24 Frets

That's really it, I'm mainly looking at Ibanez RGs, because I've heard a lot of great things about them. Also, concerning the Ibanez RG, would I be able to get a pickguard made for a Fender Strat to fit on it?
Click to expand...

prs_se_torero.jpg


+

main1b.jpg
 
Re: Super Strat for Under $1000?

I like how you guys are recommending a tremolo + tremol-no or blocking it like it's the same thing as a non-floating/locking bridge. The two play/sound/make the strings feel ENTIRELY different, or at least are far more than different enough for them to not be substitutable for each other.
 
Re: Super Strat for Under $1000?

Virtual Kevorkian said:
I like how you guys are recommending a tremolo + tremol-no or blocking it like it's the same thing as a non-floating/locking bridge. The two play/sound/make the strings feel ENTIRELY different, or at least are far more than different enough for them to not be substitutable for each other.
Click to expand...

Who recommended blocking a vibrato while also saying that it remains a vibrato? Blocking gives you no vibrato. No up and no down. The wood block prevents any movement in either direction. It converts a floating vibrato into a de-facto hard tail. So, if anyone suggested a block, they are indeed confused. But unless I missed something, no one suggested that.

And anyone who recommended a Tremel-No was obviously not speaking of it being used on a standard non-locking Strat-type bridge. They were speaking of using it on a floating locking bridge.
 
Re: Super Strat for Under $1000?

ItsaBass said:
Who recommended blocking a vibrato while also saying that it remains a vibrato? Blocking gives you no vibrato. No up and no down. The wood block prevents any movement in either direction. It converts a floating vibrato into a de-facto hard tail. So, if anyone suggested a block, they are indeed confused. But unless I missed something, no one suggested that.

And anyone who recommended a Tremel-No was obviously not speaking of it being used on a standard non-locking Strat-type bridge. They were speaking of using it on a floating locking bridge.
Click to expand...


The allen wrench contraption a few posts up isn't a block? Blocking doesn't mean both up and down - traditionally it's just blocking it from moving up and cranking the springs down tight so it's tougher for the bridge to be pulled forward by bends/heavy picking.

What I'm saying is that a traditional, non-locking, non recessed tremolo is completely different from a locking, recessed tremolo, regardless of what contraption or block of wood you have in your tremolo cavity.

The OP specifically asked for "No floating Trem." Telling him about guitars with Floyds and telling him to block it to be downward-only or to put a tremol-no in it is useless to everyone.
 
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Re: Super Strat for Under $1000?

Used SL2HT or SL1T

Schechter C1 Custom
 
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