What guitar should I get for music college?

[Drsracing]

A few actually, I had 2 67 fairlanes that I built and sold to buy my roadrunner

[6_string_master]

Good on ya, man. Sounds like you are lightyears ahead of the game and so is your family. You are going to college to learn to be an artist. Get whatever guitar that will further that goal. It's not the flash of the guitar, it's the flesh that makes it sing. (That's pretty fucking profound:ROTF: :ROTF: )

Yeah, I just want a nice guitar that will last me for college and beyond. Its not like Im gonna graduate from college and get another guitar. If I got a high quality guitar I would play it for a very long time.

[thetroy]

Here's my opinion as a college student (I'm a math major, but I spend as much time on music as I do math)

You will have to carry your guitar around A LOT! You will play it A LOT! They will make you play A LOT of diferent styles!

With these three things in mind, the best choice is obviously:

Parker Fly Deluxe!

It's extremely light and the carbon composite covering makes it also extremely strong (less retuning due to sudden temperature/humidity changes)

The stainless frets will last longer than conventional ones

2 humbuckers with coil tapping and a piezo with a stereo output jack to separate the 2 outputs if you want, along with a bridge that can be changed from fixed to dive-only to floating with the turn of a wheel make it just about the most versatile guitar available (they just need to make a 7-string version and it would be on top for sure)

[6_string_master]

Here's my opinion as a college student (I'm a math major, but I spend as much time on music as I do math)

You will have to carry your guitar around A LOT! You will play it A LOT! They will make you play A LOT of diferent styles!

With these three things in mind, the best choice is obviously:

Parker Fly Deluxe!

It's extremely light and the carbon composite covering makes it also extremely strong (less retuning due to sudden temperature/humidity changes)

The stainless frets will last longer than conventional ones

2 humbuckers with coil tapping and a piezo with a stereo output jack to separate the 2 outputs if you want, along with a bridge that can be changed from fixed to dive-only to floating with the turn of a wheel make it just about the most versatile guitar available (they just need to make a 7-string version and it would be on top for sure)

My brother has a Parker P-44, and it is pretty sweet. i have tried out Mojo Fly's before and they are really nice. The body shape can be uncomfortable for me at times, though.

[stgabriel]

If you are still looking.

The guitars you mentioned are great. But a Strat makes so much sense:

1. Good enough for Hendrix, Clapton, Malmsteen and everyone in between. How much more versatile could it be?

2. Buy an American Strat and enjoy good resell value when you decide to move to a custom instrument -- something you'll want to do after years of experience once you have developed some strong opinions about what you need to accel.

3. Strats are timeless. There's little chance of the guitar being linked to any one period of guitar design and style.

My .02. Again, the guitars you mentioned are great.

[jjw]

got to love my parker deluxe fly but to be honest my strat killed it today in band rehearsals.It has great piezo cleans and a bright snappy overdriven tone from the humbuckers-my main fault is the volume pots are too easy to nudge while playing and when that battery button is pressed for the piezo it gives the humbuckers a nasty tone-easy enough to remedy by hitting the battery switch but a pain in the arse if your the only guitarist in the band and you dont want to juggle around with switches.
Strat fucking screams!It resonates way more than any of my other axes and sounds beter with ageif you buy a strat new be prepared to hate it for months!stiff as hell to play,lifeless,ect.But the older they get the more they(well mine anyway)become alive when playing.just a great work horse,you cant go wrong

[fett]

Just buy a good Strat with a C or D neck. The shredders I have makes playing hard unless you want power cords. There is nothimg like wrapping your hand around a beefy neck. I have every proflile neck there is. But, the standard big neck is where it started. And I think there is something to that.

[6_string_master]

So a standard strat would be a good choice? I like more rounded necks, and my dinky's neck makes my hand cramp up. Plus its hard to play while standing. If a soloist neck feels good in my hands, what would a strat feel like? I could go for a Carvin Bolt.

[El_Kabong]

+1 on what Vitamin G said. After you are done with school, you will know what you want in a high end guitar and won't have to wonder on a message board. For now, get something decent and used.

[jjw]

standard strat would be cool-you might want to upgrade the bridge pickup for something with more bollox.As for necks-big deal realy,i have 8 diferent axes here use ranging from fat to satriani thin necks they never hinder me in the slightest.Your hand problems could be bad tech related?I havnt seen you play but you could cramp your muscles/tendond by forcing them into playing postitions they dont likeI have had some students feel the same,way to break this habit is to find a relaxed postion that the body finds natural and allowd you to play sitting and standard for hours at a time with no pain

[xenophobe]

that's just why folks are suggesting you get something a little more conservative and a little less unique. Get something too ostentatious and, apart from the derision you may face from fellow students (and possibly teachers too) who might resent what appears to be too much of a look-at-me attitude, you may also be making yourself a target for a would-be thief. As others have said, a young guy with a fancy, expensive, boutique or custom shop guitar doesn't look more pro, just more like daddy bought him some expensive gear.

I imagine if you've managed to play your way into music college, you must have a fairly decent instrument already. Why not take it to college, and ask your father to buy you your dream custom Suhr, Anderson, Jackson or whatever to celebrate your graduation? If your axe gets stolen, it doesn't suck much less, but at least it doesn't hurt as hard as that custom in your exact specification that you've just waited 9 months for. Plus it'll be easier/cheaper to replace to get you the rest of the way through college.

+1 to everything, especially what I highlighted.

Just take your guitar, the one you've been practicing on and the one you feel most comfortable with. When you graduate, get what you really want and you'll be able to appreciate it more. You don't want to buy a high end guitar to destroy through college.

[toejam]

As for necks-big deal realy,i have 8 diferent axes here use ranging from fat to satriani thin necks they never hinder me in the slightest.Your hand problems could be bad tech related?I havnt seen you play but you could cramp your muscles/tendond by forcing them into playing postitions they dont like

Hamer did a study many years ago, and it's been proven that if a neck is too thin, you can indeed get cramps easier. You get a more natural grip when playing on a thicker neck, and I tend to agree. I've never had problems adjusting to different neck sizes, but the thinner ones definitely don't feel as good and make your hands fatigue quicker.

[jblicharz]

This post was a cool read through but the bottom line is quite simple. Your guitar should be reliable and comfortable. In addition, A gig bag is easier when also carrying books and moving through the halls, pick a guitar that's cool enough for you but one you wont cry over when it gets hit and install a good set of pick-ups or you'll become hated by others when it's time to plug in, which wont happen too much in the class room anyway. A super-strat should fit the bill.

[jjw]

good call toejam,i guess a lot of us have hand sizes that work on all necks without cramping but there are going to be others that will find thin necks agony after a while.

[quiksilver]

I'd recommend a pre-2003 (ebony boarded) Jem 7VWH for extreme playability and versatility.