Choosing ONE electric guitar for the studio

**jster** · 10-03-2013, 11:59 AM

The string guy's shop had one 335 type guitar:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/ibanez_as73...k_egitarre.htm

I tried it out. At first it seemed pretty good at first. But kind of dead up around the 12th fret and the action seemed pretty high up there. I didn't bother trying it out with an amp. What do you guys think of that guitar?

**Vladan** · 10-03-2013, 12:43 PM

If you like big necks, check this, not expensive either:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/epiphone_e_...o_pickups.html

For ultimate versatility this:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun0...ine6variax.asp

**339 in june** · 10-03-2013, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by jster

The string guy's shop had one 335 type guitar:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/ibanez_as73...k_egitarre.htm

I tried it out. At first it seemed pretty good at first. But kind of dead up around the 12th fret and the action seemed pretty high up there. I didn't bother trying it out with an amp. What do you guys think of that guitar?

When I was looking for an amp, I came in a music store where they had a MesaBoogie Express 5:25 that I wanted to test, but I didn't have my guitar.
So, I made this test with the guitar they had which was the closest to my beloved 339 (nobody's perfect !) : this Ibanez AS 73
I was surprised how I felt "at home" so quickly with the neck and how confortable I was with this guitar.
I didn't notice any major set-up issues. Tone pots were very usable. I could get a kind of "jazz tone" with the neck pick-up (of course, the amp probably helped a little) and also some nice crunchy tones with the bridge pick-up.
I was quite surprised by the qualitry level of this guitar versus its price.
Maybe not the one to choose though.

**calgarc** · 10-03-2013, 08:23 PM

almost anything from yamaha or ibanez

the aex from yamaha sound like pure acoustic guitars when plugged in and seem to play nice with software and effects. everything i have ever owned from ibanez has sounded half decent plugged in to both amps and software... best part is, both companies make tank like instruments

**jster** · 10-04-2013, 12:54 PM

The 335 pro is sold out everywhere.

**Al_F** · 10-04-2013, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by rpguitar

About sounding "Fender:"

It should be obvious that the Fender Tele or Strat sound is achieved with several key construction elements. Humbucker wiring variations won't get you there on their own. Not even all that close in my opinion.

Yep, this is true to my ears too.

**zigzag** · 10-04-2013, 03:02 PM

If you are not doing traditional jazz all the time, and you were wanting a guitar that records well, I would suspect that you would want pickups that are not muddy and give good definition to each string, even from the neck pickup. IMO, Gibson humbuckers do not do that well. I have not listened to enough humbuckers to list many that will, but I know that Carvin humbucking pickups have excellent clarity and brightness and split well. Most single coils I've heard have good clarity, and of the single coil loaded guitars, I think a Tele has the most versatility. My two cents.

**jster** · 10-14-2013, 05:28 PM

The Epiphone 335 pro is no longer available in Europe. So, I'm going to go buy something tomorrow. Probably a Tele. What is the cheapest Tele that is any good? Are the Squires all crap. The last Tele I owned was made in Japan and cost about 400EUR but that was a decade ago. What about those Ibanez guitars with two single coils and a humbuckler? What makes a Tele so special compared with other guitars with single coils?

Thanks in advance.

**mr. beaumont** · 10-14-2013, 06:39 PM

Only a tele neck and bridge pickup sound like a tele.

actually, if I could have only ONE guitar, I'd put I mini hum bicker in the neck position of my tele and add a strat middle pickup. I'd imagine that guitar could do everything worth doing.

not an original idea, btw, as Brent mason.

**oldane** · 10-15-2013, 04:25 AM

A Strat - with a hard tail or blocked tremolo if you don't use the whammy bar. IMHO, the Strat is the worlds most versatile electric guitar.

**cosmic gumbo** · 10-15-2013, 05:43 AM

I have barely touched my strat or Ibanez semihollow since I got a tele 6 months ago. The honeymoon is definitely not over.

**jster** · 10-15-2013, 09:45 AM

I bought a Squire Tele for 199EUR. There was a Fender Tele with three pickups including a bridge humbuckler with a coil-tapper or splitter for 475EUR, but like the Squire, it was made in China. And while I liked the sound from all the pick up combinations quite a bit, the action was high and buzzy, and so it really didn't seem like it was worth the extra money. If it had played better and been made in Japan, I would have bought that. No case and I had to wheedle a box out of the guy.

**DRS** · 10-18-2013, 03:17 PM

A Tele with a minibucker in the neck (I have one of these

), or an ES335.

**GNAPPI** · 10-18-2013, 04:12 PM

I'm not even reading the responses till after I post this so I don't influence myself :-) I'm susceptible to subliminal video advertising too! Damn, now I want popcorn and didn't even see it!

Anyway, Easy for me, a 335. Second vote, the Peavey 3 pup telecaster clone Generation EXP has 2 strat styles pups neck and middle, and a double coil humbucker replacement for the tele style pup in the bridge.