My son plays and has a few guitars , I don't know a lot .. But I was down at the charity shop and seen a nice looking guitar that I'd surprise my son with . It was 200 Canadian dollars and I was scratching my chin when the girl , who knew less than me , said there was a sale on and. I could have it for 150 . So I bought it and took it home to my son . When he took it out of the case he started freaking out , the guitar apparently with the wrong case and turned out to be a Gibson les Paul .....which is a very good guitar apparently
I've see one of the new models called Modern Player which has humbuckers at the back, a single coil in the middle and a traditional Tele single pick up at the neck, you can switch to the neck for that country and western twang or move back to the humbuckers for a more chunky tone. Still made by Fender but probably in Korea or somesuch as they are much cheaper than the Mexican or USA models. Not a fan of that twangy noise either. Could also be tempted by an Epiphone Les Paul replica, they can sound nice too. Budget isn't an issue as I am minted but seems a waste to blow my dosh on £3k worth of axe when I can't even play Wild Thing. I f*ckin love guitars me, shame I am a Cro-Magnon when it comes to ability.
If you want a HSS configuration there are much less expensive ways to go about it. Higher end Yamaha Pacifica models are still massively less expensive than 'branded' counterparts but their construction cant be faulted. From then on its a case seeking out pick ups you want (link to a fantastic pick-up manufacturer - https://www.kleinpickups.com/) and swapping them in and out to create your own sound. Electronics in a Pacifica are also easily adjusted - with the addition of a toggle switch I now have 7 pick-up position variants on my modded pacifica as opposed to the original 5. With regards to the Les Pauls, again I would recommend investigating the Japanese manufacturers. Generally if you do your research you will find you are getting an instrument of similar quality to the Gibson equivalent, but at a more or less half the price. I would have recommended Tokai to you, which is who I went for, but last time I heard they were getting pulled over the coals by Gibson for the likeness of their replicas
ESP guitars look the bollox too, James Hetfield from Metallica uses them, starter models are only around £150 to £200 but their top end models look as good as anything I've seen from so-called high end manufacturers. Meant to have top notch electrics too. So much choice, so little talent!!
If you are as minted as you say you are, and money is indeed no object - well PRS guitars are what you should be buying. Simple as that
You don't want to be splashing out on a PRS until you can play a bit. I'd recommend the Classic Vibe Squiers, start about £350 or thereabouts.
Sorry Dev, but Grove do not under any circumstances get a Squier. Either go the whole hog and get the full on Fender Tele or Strat model - or get a Yamaha replica at around the same price of the Squier, but twice the quality.
Nonsense Jackky I never said a low end Squier, I said a Classic Vibe model like this: please log in to view this image Simply Amazing! Tele Lovers Rejoice 5 Stars This guitar is quite simply, amazing. The pine body resonates in a different, but IMHO, superior way to some other body materials. The pickups are just fine and I'm in no hurry to replace them. This model (Vintage Blonde) has the Alnico III pups, and while a little more subtle and quiet than the Alnico Vs in the Butterscotch model, they are quite good for a guitar at this price level. The guitar came set up quite well, and I won't have to run to a technician to get it perfect. I love the whitewashed finish, the thick, almost bakelite pickguard, and my favorite part, the lacquered neck is just a dream to play. I will likely replace the stock brass saddles with graph-tech stringsavers as I did for my 2011 model, and that improves sustain and tone immediately and immensely, again IMHO. I can't believe these guitars are still available at this price, and they're so good, Fender even slapped their name on a very similar (almost identical) guitar from the Chinese factory, added a Strat middle pickup, and called it the Modern Player, raising the price by just a little. Still a steal as well, but I'm sticking with tradition on this! I cannot praise this guitar highly enough, and all Telecaster lovers should own one. It's better than most every Mexican Fender Telecaster I've played, and even beats some of the American models! The Squier Classic Vibe 50s Tele is a work of art considering the price. I owned a 2011 model that I was forced to sell, and I've been kicking myself ever since. This one (2014 Vintage Blonde) is very close to the same quality, and is currently my No. 1 electric (out of 6). It's a bit better than my Mexican Fender Telecaster, and I have one of the better ones of those.
