PRS, ESP, or Gibson

Im thinking about getting a new guitar in the near future, but I'm not sure what kind would be best for me. Right now I have a Fender Mex strat, and Love it but I think its about time to move on and upgrade to a better guitar. The three brands I've narrowed my search down to are Paul Reed Smith, ESP, or Gibson. I need to know what kind of guitar would be the best for me. I play more of a metal, hard rock style, but also play more modern rock or acid rock kind of style. If anyone can give me ideas of guitars from those three brands that would work really good for that. I plan on spending as much as $1000 or less but would be willing to go as high as maybe $1500, but not likely. Maybe something more in the $750 dollar range. Please give me some Ideas for good guitar models from those three brands because im sure I want one from one of those three.

i wud go for a PRS... thats just because i reckon they are just so sweet...

I think the ESP/LTD M-50 looks like what you might be looking for.

This is it.

Both are really nice guitars, but ill go with the GIbson Les Paul Supreme or Gothic Edition......you can have one for $1000 to $1500 budget. You wont regret It.

Check out the Gibson Les Paul Historic Goldtop '57 reissue, there are some nice prices out there. Also, it will increase in value of you keep in in mint condition. I got one and just keep it in the flight case whenever its not in use. Lovely guitar but I still prefer my Jem and EBMM Petrucci 7 string.

Do yourself a favour and try the EBMM Petrucci axe... guaranteed to feel unlike any other axe you have ever played and it has by far the best neck I have ever tried (even better than my top of the range Jem). THe piezo pickup and stereo jack provide amazing tonal combinations and the custom Dimarzio pickups and amazing, if you look hard enough you'll probably get one for around $1,500 (after haggling down - on E-bay).

My PRS CE24 (New) was list $2500 (I payed 1750), the customs (like Eric's) are a little more pricey.

My LP Classic (New) was was $1650.

Both were reasonable prices.

A new Les Paul Supreme comes in at about $3000.00

The LP studios are very nice guitars guitars and come in at about 1250-1150 new.

i got one second hand for about $600.

You just have to get out and try em hey.

I have a Prs Custom 22 artist pacakge, its gorgeous, and if you can find a second hand Prs (a Ce would be a good choice) I'd give t a look.
I also have a Gibson Les Paul Studio, which is nice, but probably not the best value for money around.

I quite like Esp, and I think a nice highend Ltd model could be just what you are looking for, try the Ec1000 or the H1000(I think)

anyway...just try out a few guitars hey...you'll find a nice guitar for that money.

Feel free to ignore this message... but at that budget I would recommend looking into Carvin. More specifically their California carved top model.

Originally Posted by: PowerChordWizIm thinking about getting a new guitar in the near future, but I'm not sure what kind would be best for me. Right now I have a Fender Mex strat, and Love it but I think its about time to move on and upgrade to a better guitar. The three brands I've narrowed my search down to are Paul Reed Smith, ESP, or Gibson. I need to know what kind of guitar would be the best for me. I play more of a metal, hard rock style, but also play more modern rock or acid rock kind of style. If anyone can give me ideas of guitars from those three brands that would work really good for that. I plan on spending as much as $1000 or less but would be willing to go as high as maybe $1500, but not likely. Maybe something more in the $750 dollar range. Please give me some Ideas for good guitar models from those three brands because im sure I want one from one of those three.

ESP ( i like the M-200 FM)
or PRS

would fit your style of music. i cant see a gibson playing metal and acid rock more than i see a prs and an ESP. unless its like an explorer or something non- lp. maybe the double cutaway les paul would be nice. but ive never heard it.

Originally Posted by: pureESP ( i like the M-200 FM)

Yeah, man - M-series ESPs are beautiful. :cool:

Ok I just got back from my guitar shop, and they just got a new shipment or brand new ESP's. I played about three of them, and was not at all impressed. First of all I played the $994 Kirk Hammet Esp and was very dissapointed at what I was playing with. It sounded ok, not great but ok, the volume control on the guitar, didn't work at all, it had two volume settings, on and off basically, I get better response from my $360 Mex strat. This was the case for about two of them, and the other ones weren't all that great.

Then I started playing with a PRS Tremonti and was very impressed. It had very good sound, it had a volume knob (that acually responded), and three tone knobs. I also really like the Les Paul like shape, and also had a fixed bridge which would come in handy for the lower tuning metal I throw in sometimes because it takes forever to tune a guitar in different tunings that has a trem. All in all I liked it, and it only costs about $470 which I think is pretty good because it has great sound and has everything Im looking for.

So for now my final verdict is A PRS Tromonti ($470) and a Line 6 Spider II 1 12 Combo ($300). Keep in mind that I am a still somewhat of a beginner, and only was willing to spend $1000 on a guitar only if I liked it a ton. For now I think that a tremonti will do. Also Ill either sell or keep my Mex strat(for a 2nd guitar). If anyone thinks this is a bad choice please let me know.

I think I would have to go with Gibson... I would say PRS, but they're a bit pricey

If I had the money I would so blow it on a PRS, those beasts are indeed sexy.

I am using a PRS Santana and like it very much. when you mentioned the type of music you like, I say get a reissue Les Paul.I just finished playing :) in "Guitarmegeddon" @ guitar center while there I heard a lot of different guitars and I have to say get a Les Paul, One of the contestants used a 59 reissue and it sounded awsum; compared to all the other instruments I heard. He played thru a Marshall 100 and a half stack speaker, so did nearly all of the other musicians. That paul.WOW! But there is a lot of hot guitars out there that don't cost so much.

Originally Posted by: PowerChordWizAlso Ill either sell or keep my Mex strat(for a 2nd guitar). If anyone thinks this is a bad choice please let me know.

Just depends on how attached you are to it. I'm in the process of replacing, per se, my Mexican Strat, but I wouldn't sell it for anything. I've just had too many experiences to just up and sell it.

I dunno man, I got a gibson SG special faded, they cost about $690 brand new right now.

I can get some real good metal sounds out of it. and it works amazingly for any kind of modern rock, punk rock, etc. that has that nice crunchy sound that isn't quite balls-to-the-wall metal, you know? I run that through a line 6 spider II 30W combo, and it gets some really nice tones. I say gibson.

Well, I'm a bit partial to PRS, so I say go that route, but only if you like how it feels, plays, and sounds. PRS guitars aren't for everybody, but I just so happen to love them. PRS guitars (with a few exceptions) have a very modern tone to them. In other words, if you plan on playing a lot of classic rock, you might want to look more into the Gibson route. Don't get me wrong though. I play every style under the sun on my Custom 22, and it pulls almost everything off very nicely.

I had been looking into getting one of the new SE singlecuts, but then I ran accross a Yamaha AES620. This is an amazing guitar for the price. It's also very versatile. It has a Seymour Duncan JB pickup at the bridge, which has plenty of output for all types of rock and metal. At the neck, it has a Yamaha designed PAF style pickup, which produces some very nice les paulish type tones.

I wouldn't limit myself to just those 3 brands. There are plenty of other brands out there that might offer you a better choice for what you're looking for.

have u tried a dean ? there new hardtail is alot of guitar for the money and is ver versatile has all the features as a prs just around 600.00 new might be worth checkin out!

Originally Posted by: SuperhumanCheck out the Gibson Les Paul Historic Goldtop '57 reissue, there are some nice prices out there. Also, it will increase in value of you keep in in mint condition. I got one and just keep it in the flight case whenever its not in use. Lovely guitar but I still prefer my Jem and EBMM Petrucci 7 string.

Do yourself a favour and try the EBMM Petrucci axe... guaranteed to feel unlike any other axe you have ever played and it has by far the best neck I have ever tried (even better than my top of the range Jem). THe piezo pickup and stereo jack provide amazing tonal combinations and the custom Dimarzio pickups and amazing, if you look hard enough you'll probably get one for around $1,500 (after haggling down - on E-bay).

Of course you prefer your JEM, who wouldn't love a JEM?

why not ibanez? JS1200 is nicest guitar i have ever player :rolleyes: but that was owned but a guitar luither. that couldnt have some to do with it ;) perfectly set up. lol everything on it was stock expect strings