Gas, but how to relieve it?

[Cliff]

Probably a stupid thread, but I'm really sort of thinking out loud. I'm working crazy overtime to pay for a flight for me and the family back to the UK. I've pretty much got that covered, and am building up a decent surplus, so I'd really like to spend it on another guitar. Thing is, I can't make up my mind what I want. I currently have a Charvel Model 6, a CS Soloist and a PRS Custom 24. I'm not going to be building a huge collection, so this will probably be the last guitar I buy for some time.... Yeah, right.
One possibility is something more metal than my soloist. I was thinking maybe a used USA Warrior, RR or Kelly, maybe a V, but I'm not so keen on that particular shape. Thing is, I'm not sure any of these would be sufficiently different from the soloist.
Another possibility is a really nice San Dimas-style Charvel.
A third is a guitar with a scalloped fretboard. But since I've never played one, this would be a big risk. I've heard mixed things about the Malmsteen Strat, for instance - bad nut height, weak pickups, strings too close to the edge of the board. But a strat would be very different in sound and feel from my other guitars.
A fourth possibility is a metal/rock guitar by someone else. Both the Jem and and the EBMM Petrucci model look interesting. Can anyone compare the quality/feel of these vs a USA Jackson? Problem with the Petrucci is the one I like best (the XI) doesn't seem to be available used yet. I know ESP guitars are really nice too, but for some reason they just don't quite appeal - the Horizon seems too similar to a soloist.
I also wonder if the fact that I can't make up my mind means I don't need another one at the moment. Since I can't decide, I'm wondering if I pull the trigger on any one thing, the GAS is still going to be there. (I always thought some of you folk were a bit silly talking about GAS, but here I am with it myself - I think we're all bad influences on each other.)

[canadian bacon]

Shit it's contageous.

Your attempt to cure GAS has given me GAS. Now I want a USA Kelly.

[Nimitz]

Now I want a USA Kelly.

+1 with a Tune-O-Matic

[Cliff]

Yeah, I saw a USA Kelly and Rhoads go up on ebay yesterday for 1300 and 1400 BIN. I was dithering, and now they're both gone already. Kelly had a Floyd Rose, though - which I'd personally prefer.

[MetalHeadMat]

I've heard mixed things about the Malmsteen Strat, for instance - bad nut height, weak pickups, strings too close to the edge of the board. But a strat would be very different in sound and feel from my other guitars.

That's a strat for ya

A fourth possibility is a metal/rock guitar by someone else. Both the Jem and and the EBMM Petrucci model look interesting. Can anyone compare the quality/feel of these vs a USA Jackson?

I had the luck to be in the vicinity of a music store that stocked an SL2H, a DK1, and an EBMM Petrucci model all at the same time, (it was the lowest model, Made in USA without Piezo's). If I remember correctly, the EBMM had a thicker neck than the Jackson's, but at the same time it was more... Fluent? I didn't have to strain playing it, I just picked it up and my hands did the rest. I'd go there every day just to lay my hands on it!
The neck pickup tone was to die for, absolutely love the Liquifire. The bridge got the job done, I wasn't too fond of how it felt, but at the time all of my guitars, (including my first) had floating tremolos, so I was kind of used to always feeling that.

Basically what I'm saying is if I won a contest where I could get either the Jackson's or the EBMM Petrucci for free, I would've chosen the Petrucci.

[Cliff]

Thanks for the info. Sounds like I should see if I can track down a Petrucci to play.

[Axewielder]

Go with the one that you can get a smokin' "Great Recession Sale" deal on. That way if you don't bond with it, you can pass it on down the line and not lose much on it.

[Cliff]

Nice idea . Looks like I'll probably have to buy blind, since the local stores don't stock any of these. This, as my eldest daughter would say, is a first world problem.

[CowboyFromHell]

I just gotta say, after reading the title of this thread the first thing that went through my mind was "Isn't that about like asking a fat chick how to lose weight?".

[MetalHeadMat]

Nice idea . Looks like I'll probably have to buy blind, since the local stores don't stock any of these. This, as my eldest daughter would say, is a first world problem.

I wish the best of luck to you. My buddy bought an SL1 blind, and didn't bond or like it, even after playing the SL2H that was at the music store, previously mentioned, (although on second thought it may have been an SL1 as well). I'm not trying to scare you away from Jackson or anything, I just call them as I see them.

[Cliff]

Thanks Matt!

So I went with a couple of friends to Guitar Center on Monday, and got the opportunity to test a few out.

I'm not the greatest guitar player in the world by any means, and one of the first thing I notice about a guitar is the action. If it's too high, I just don't like the guitar. I know it's something that can be adjusted, but I can't seem to factor that out and judge the guitar on everything else if I immediately find it difficult to play. And yet it seems most shops leave the guitars, even the high end ones, with factory setups. To be honest, any guitar that I'm not used to feels a bit weird at first, so I find it very hard to judge. Anyway, with all that said, here's what I thought:

First up I tried a Jem. The action was really very high on this. It lacked sustain, and I didn't much care for the sharpness of the sound. I went back to it a few times after trying out the others, but I just couldn't get to like it.
I then tried a Petrucci JPXI7. Not used to seven strings, and with the 20" radius the neck seemed a mile wide. Yet, as you say Matt, it was surprisingly comfortable and easy to play. And I agree - the neck pickup sounds awesome. Probably my favourite of the bunch; but now it comes to the crunch I just can't justify spending this kind of money at the moment. I need more practice first .
I tried a MusicMan Axis, just because it happened to be out from the previous customer having tried it. The neck is very different to anything I've tried before - I guess you'd call it baseball-bat-like, but small overall, and again comfortable. As soon as I heard it through the amp, I really liked the sound of the pickups. I couldn't decide whether I preferred these or those on the Petrucci - very different from each other, but both outstanding.
Just for comparison, I tried a Wolfgang. This was something like 1300 dollars compared with 1900 for the Axis, but I barely played it - almost immediately I decided I preferred the tone and feel of the Axis.
One of my friends was noodling with a Les Paul, so I had a quick go on this too - no intention of buying one, but I've never played one before. The feel of the neck is very different from what I'm used to, but man, that neck pickup sounded rich.
There was also an old 87-88 Charvel (not sure of the Model - it was a bolt on, with a single Jackson humbucker). I have a Model 6 to compare with, and this one didn't feel half as nice. To my ears didn't sound as nice as the best of the rest, either. I think my taste is moving away from that 80's tone. GC Were asking, if I remember, $1400-1500 for this!

So, after all of that, I was still undecided. Then today I saw someone's project guitar come up on Ebay. It's got a full scalloped neck, a Floyd Rose trem, and Hexbucker pickups. The price is pretty decent - not too much to risk buying a scalloped guitar that I can't play - and it's got the more metal features compared with the Malmsteen strat. So I just pulled the trigger. Really looking forward to getting it!

[Animus]

I would say getting another Warrior or Kelly etc would be too similar to your Soloist unless you swapped out for different pickups. Your thinking of getting something totally different like a strat or maybe tele would fill out your stable nicely. Maybe even a Les Paul or ES335.

[Cliff]

I was tempted by the Warrior - it already has the Invader and Full Shred, so I was wondering if this would be sufficiently different. But yeah, a strat or a Les Paul would be different too . That said, I think the PRS I have is going to have a similar sound to a Les Paul. My Soloist has Humbucker From Hell pickups in it, which I think are meant to be single-coil-ish, so a bit strat like - at any rate, they're very bright (maybe too bright in the bridge). I think for now the whatever-it-is I just bought will have to do.
I see you've got the Chris Broderick Soloist - how is it? It's a very nice looking guitar.

[Animus]

I was tempted by the Warrior - it already has the Invader and Full Shred, so I was wondering if this would be sufficiently different. But yeah, a strat or a Les Paul would be different too . That said, I think the PRS I have is going to have a similar sound to a Les Paul. My Soloist has Humbucker From Hell pickups in it, which I think are meant to be single-coil-ish, so a bit strat like - at any rate, they're very bright (maybe too bright in the bridge). I think for now the whatever-it-is I just bought will have to do.
I see you've got the Chris Broderick Soloist - how is it? It's a very nice looking guitar.

I love the Broderick. I got it used off a cat that got the original custom shop run, which worked out because they have went up about 600 in price. Not sure I like the signature Dactivators though. THey are a little drier than I normally like pickups. Thinking about SD Distortions.

Good luck with the new axe quest! Always fun. I've bought 5 guitars just in the pas† year. Need to do a makeup NGD post on it all.

[horns666]

Cliff..I gave my 7 string Jackson to my son. I really wanted to gel with it because Jeff Loomis and Uli are my favorite players. I was doin' quite well with it at first. Then I put it down and played my main geet for a while. Then I had to get used to it again. I don't want to "get used to" anything..It's hard 'nuff just trying to be decent player.

With that said. I never saw you with any pointies. So I strongly recomend a beuatiful C/J strat body. I have two '95 San Dimas Charvels. My main is a Koa SD-1 w/floyd, and one is a quilt maple trans green SD-III ..they don't sound anything like my Fender super strat w/ floyd..USA "Floyd Rose Classic"..that one sounds like a strat. All my old strats sound like strats, but not the charvels. IMO!

BTW whatever you do DON'T look at YetAntherOne's classified add. My god, I never had this so-called "GAS" since I been here..until now. I mean it really made my head hurt because I wanna say fuggit and buy the lot! But my kid just started driving (me nuts) and he'll be graduating next year..I've been hoarding cheese for stuff like that.

Money solves all problems basically. An amazing guitar collection I won't play ...ummmmm will stay in cases. For me it would be the shit to own JCF-01, and 02. I am deserving of such things.