My ideal guitar - does it exist?

[DHardmanJr]

I've been playing for longer than I'd like to admit and have owned a lot of different guitars over the years. But that "ideal guitar" still eludes me. Sound familiar?

Google must be tired of my endless guitar searches by now, so I'm turning to all of you to help find my ideal guitar.

Of course there are a lot of things to balance in a guitar. For me it comes down to three things: 1) The way it plays, 2) the way it sounds, and 3) the way it looks. There's no sense in prioritizing those three because the ideal guitar would be perfect (to me) in each area.

I have a bunch of Jacksons and Charvels, a Schon guitar (really a Jackson), and a strat, and a Dillion (PRS McCarty-style korean made guitar).

Based on the ones I own and others I've messed with in guitar stores, here's a list of my favorite aspects which make up the pieces of the ideal guitar puzzle ...

• Sound/tone: I like the tone and sustain of my Charvel 5fx. I'm not sure if it's the poplar wood, neck through, or the Dimarzio Evolution in it, but the combo is great. I also like the sweet sound that I get from the Tom Anderson single coils in the neck and mid positions in my '84 Charvel for bluesy stuff. I prefer to have at least one single coil in the neck (the middle single coil is not necessary). Two single coils side by side in the neck position might be a solution. I really dislike the "brittle" tone I hear in many mahogany guitars I have tried that seem to be all treble and no mids/lows (no soul). Of course it could be the mahogany guitars I tried just had the "wrong" pickups in them for me. I prefer a mellow yet high gain sound (think Neal Schon or Brad Gillis leads).
• Playability: I like ebony fingerboards first, rosewood second. Jumbo frets are ok, but I prefer slightly smaller ones. The frets on the Schon guitar are cool (tall, but narrow). I prefer a neck through for easy upper fret access. I use 9s because I bend the strings like crazy and they just feel better to me. I prefer the neck radius of my '84 Charvel (I think it's 12" perhaps) to the flatter 14/16" radius of newer Jacksons. I have to have a Floyd Rose. I've tried life without it and it just doesn't work for me. I'm not crazy with the whammy but I do a lot of string bends and Floyds just flat stay in tune better than anything else I've tried.
• Looks: I like the body shape and quilted maple top of the Fernandes Dragonfly Elite but they don't come with Floyds. Archtop Jackson Soloists look really nice to me as well, but I prefer 3x3 headstocks to the pointy. PRS guitars have a nice look as well. Neal Schon used to play one with a Floyd in it, but finding a PRS with a Floyd in it that doesn't cost $5k or more seems difficiult. So, I'm looking for a PRS-type double cutaway body shape with an arched top and quilted maple top with a neck that has minimal inlays (maybe just one at the 12th fret like the Schon guitar).

So, if you read this far, thansk for humoring me. Ever seen a guitar like this? A Warmoth custom job seems to be out as they don't do anything neck-through. Any custom shops out there that would do this for $2k or less?

The Carvin California Carved top looks as close as anything I've seen, but it is a set neck instead of neck through. Anyone have any experience with these? How is the tone? Thin? Thick? Mileage varies? This is an example of one (although the coloring is off from what I would want, you can get the idea):



Here's a photo of a Dragonfly Elite (similar to above but no Floyd):




Dave

[markD]

well, whatever you get will prolly have to be a custom shop. getting all that under 2000 will be an epic search.

you could do a CS jackson SLS and spec a thicker body (for the floyd) and go from there....

you could order a private stock PRS and have them install a floyd.....

you could go fender CS and pay for a master built creation based on a "one-off" body style and headstock shape.....

you could do an ESP custom, and spec it with a "one off" body style.....

BUT, ALL of those are gonna cost you $$$$$$$. finding a "cheap" alternative to your "dream" guitar will always compromise SOMETHING.

as far as the carvin, having owned a few, they are ok, but nothing spectacular. my favorite was a TL60 with the charlie crow package. it is the ONLY one i miss, but i traded it for a jackson firebird.....

the california carved top (to me) looks like a deformed PRS knock-off. i know a lot of people here like their carvin guitars, and the "custom" options they offer for a minimal up-charge, but again, you might be compromising your dream....

hope this helps.

[eakinj]

Contact Carvin, they may build you one with a neck thru. Would never hurt to ask

[yard dawg]

build one yourself.

[joshulator]

What about ESP's new version of the Horizon with the Floyd (http://espguitars.com/guitars_horizon.html)? You probably won't like the EMG pickups, but at least those can be changed out. You can't exactly change out the other stuff. It's got the quilted top, ebony board, minimal inlays, I've heard that ESP's XJ frets are really more tall than they are jumbo, and it's a neck through. I can't speak to the radius.

[DHardmanJr]

I do like some of the ESP guitars. Like one of these if I could put a Floyd on it:

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_deluxe-h.html
http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_h.html

The trend seems to be if it is a 3x3 headstock, then Floyd is not an option. Seems like I've backed myself into a corner on that. I guess having a local luthier add a floyd after the fact might be an option. They'd have to plug the holes of the previous bridge, but depending on how figured the top is, it might not be super noticeable.

Maybe I just need to order a CS soloist with SLSMG-style inlays. I know sharkfins are a tradmark of Jackson guitars, but like the SLSMG and ESP minimalist inlays better.

The build one myself is not totally out of the question. I have "assembled" a lot of guitars from parts, but always bolt-ons. I might have to check this option out more.

The Carvin seems like a good fit. Perhaps they would be willing to do a neck through. For them neck through and archtop don't seem to mix. I wish I could get a chance to play one, but since they only sell direct my only chance seems to be to snag a used one off eBay and see if I like it.

A private stock PRS is out of my price range right now. Every once in a blue moon I see a PRS on ebay with a Floyd, but they are very rare.

Dave

[markD]

but those 2 ESP's are LTD's....they aren't bad, but to have an LTD to be considered the platform for my "dream guitar" seems iffy. maybe it is snob factor, i don't know....now to order a custom version of that design could be cool....

[cookiemonster2]

I had a CT6M. The Quality to Price ratio was very high on that guitar. It had terrific tone and sustain, woods and finish were top notch. The only knock on it was that the fret work was not as good as some other guitars I have had including Jackson. Also, one of the few things Carvin does not let you pick is the nut width and neck contour, which I did not care for as much as some of my other guitars.

Last year I got a USA SLS and that made the CT6M redundant so I recently traded it in for a new guitar I have on order. The CT6M was a bit brighter than the SLS. I have also tried a ESP Horizon which is also nice, but I really think the CT6M was nicer.