Help Me Pick

[MarcWink]

Okay gang, my fiancee has green lighted another guitar purchase, but here's the predicament, I don't know what to get. This will definitely be an S2 or SE as it is going to be a working guitar that will be with me at weekend bar gigs, so I don't want to splurge on another $4k core model. Also, the electronics will be upgraded to Core electronics right from go (volume and tone pots, pickups, and pickup toggle). I want something different from what I've already got in the stable, but that will cover a lot of ground in the way of 80's, 90's, and 00's rock. The current stable of guitars consists of an Ibanez Prestige RG tuned to drop B, a Gibson Explorer tuned to Drop A, a '97 CE 22 Maple Top tuned to C# standard, an S2 Custom 22 Semi-hollow tuned to Drop C/D standard; an 08 Core Custom 22 tuned to Drop C#/Db standard; a Core 35th Anni Custom 24 tuned to Drop C#/Db Standard; and an S2 594 Singlecut tuned to Standard E. The new addition will be either be another E standard or Db Standard dedicated tuning. As for pickups, I'm giving A LOT of thought to a set of Bare Knuckle Mississippi Queen humbucker sized P90's.

 

[RickP]

You drop tune most of your guitars. Maybe an SE Baritone?

 

[MarcWink]

You drop tune most of your guitars. Maybe an SE Baritone?

While an SE 277 would seem like a good fit, I'm not a fan of the longer scale length having tried it with a Schecter and ESP previously. Anything from a 24.5" to 25.5" is where I'm comfortable with my favored length being the standard 25" scale length that is found on most PRS guitars.

 

[DISTORT6]

I voted SE SS.
Your covered as far as humbucker guitars go.
Single coils in E Standard is a tone that you don’t have.

 

[11top]

I voted S2 SC, well, because……….SC!

But the SE SS is a great bang for your buck.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Santana or GTFO.

Sorry, I have to say that.

 

[Doug B]

I'm thinking "Vela". Yep, that's the one.

 

[Proteus]

I vote Vela as well, and am surprised it's out in the lead.

I thought I was thinking contrarily, suggesting a twang-funk-punk-rocker for a guy who's evidently all drop-tuned and heavy, with buckers all around. But I guess we're all thinking the same way: the Vela's combination of pickups and body resonance will bring something truly new to the sonic schmorgasbord: keep it from becoming a snoregasbored.

But this would only hold if you kept the neck pickup. I suppose you could replace the splittable bucker at the bridge to get something sledgehammier. And you'd have single-coil hum, which might be an issue in an übergain signal chain. (Though there are effective and unobtrusive noise gates to help with that.)

I wouldn't be too quick to replace the stock pickups, at least not without experimenting first. It's surprising how aggressively ferocious single-coil guitars in general can be - with the Vela especially characterful - when you back down the gain enough not to smear all the articulation. Them things has teeth!

Anyway, the Vela would certainly be a departure into Adventureland.

 

[MarcWink]

I vote Vela as well, and am surprised it's out in the lead.

I thought I was thinking contrarily, suggesting a twang-funk-punk-rocker for a guy who's evidently all drop-tuned and heavy, with buckers all around. But I guess we're all thinking the same way: the Vela's combination of pickups and body resonance will bring something truly new to the sonic schmorgasbord: keep it from becoming a snoregasbored.

But this would only hold if you kept the neck pickup. I suppose you could replace the splittable bucker at the bridge to get something sledgehammier. And you'd have single-coil hum, which might be an issue in an übergain signal chain. (Though there are effective and unobtrusive noise gates to help with that.)

I wouldn't be too quick to replace the stock pickups, at least not without experimenting first. It's surprising how aggressively ferocious single-coil guitars in general can be - with the Vela especially characterful - when you back down the gain enough not to smear all the articulation. Them things has teeth!

Anyway, the Vela would certainly be a departure into Adventureland.

I was thinking Vela for the brighter snappier tone. In any event any of the guitars in the running with 'buckers would be getting them swapped out to a 'bucker sized P90 from Bare Knuckle or Fralin as a very different option from the dual 'bucker guitars that I've already got. Heck, if I do wind up settling on a Vela SH, it could be very interesting to see what kind of tones can come from a humbucker sized P90 and a single coil. Now y'all have me really giving this some thought.

 

[Aahzz]

Velas are magical - and if you go that route, give the stock pickups a shot before swapping. They're really good.

 

[MarcWink]

Y'all really got me thinking about an S2 Vela Semi-hollow now.

 

[MarcWink]

Now to make matters worse, I've been eyeballing a CE 24 Semi Hollow with 57/08 pickups. So many guitars and not enough money to go around dang it.

 

[rickcard71]

You have a lot of humbuckers, add some single coils.

 

[Proteus]

Also, since by definition a humbucker is TWO coils, you'll need twice as many single coil guitars as you now have buckerboxes just to reach parity. Now's the time to get started.

 

[Gtrbldr]

Well, something not in your collection, nor on the list, is an (S2) Starla. Could be a cool addition as well. If you can stomach the bigsby.

 

[MarcWink]

You have a lot of humbuckers, add some single coils.

Precisely why I'd be going with a set of Bare Knuckle Mississippi Queens or Nantuckets if I get another guitar with twin 'buckers. Those are P90's in a humbucker housing, so it would ultimately give me a single coil option.