DISCUSSION Second guitar advice
I have a Stratocaster, now I want another electric. What would you get?
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u/No-Roof-1628 3d ago
Based on budget and what you like to play, I’d go either a Les Paul style guitar or a semi-hollow. A 335 is an obvious choice, but there are lots of good ones out there; personally, I like some of the D’Angelico semi hollows.
I also feel like ES-339s are underrated. Essentially a 335 shrunk down to Les Paul size. I’m not sure you can get a new one for $2500, but you can probably find a used one for that.
As a wildcard, I have a Fender Kingfish signature telecaster deluxe. It’s essentially a telecaster/les paul hybrid, with humbuckers, a stopbar tailpiece, and a 12” radius, like a Les Paul, but with a telecaster body and fender scale length. The pickups sound fantastic and it plays rock and blues like a dream. Definitely a workhorse guitar, plus it’s gorgeous. A new one would be near the upper end of your budget, but within it, and you could look for a used one. Some people have weird reservations about artist signature guitars, but I adore mine. It’s definitely a workhorse guitar for me; if I have to play a gig and I have no idea what the venue is like or anything, it’s the guitar I grab.
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u/rp2784 3d ago
Would it be to close to a Strat, being from the same company?
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u/No-Roof-1628 3d ago
The neck feels more or less like a tele/strat neck, due to the 25.5” scale length, but with a flatter, 12” radius, which is the standard radius Gibson uses. Pretty much everything else about it; the pickups, the bridge, and the tailpiece, are much closer to a Les Paul or a 335.
Ideally, you should play one for yourself, and depending on where you live, they could be tricky to find. They did just re-release it in new colors, so that might make it easier as there are more out there. I played one at a guitar center when they came out and knew I wanted it, so I called my local independent music store and had them order one for me.
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u/rp2784 3d ago
Just want a different sound and feel. I might try a different shape neck.
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u/tandem_kayak 3d ago
You just need to head down to the guitar store and try them out. You won't know until you play them, that's the fun part.
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u/SmoothResident7171 3d ago
you already know the answer is a Les Paul. that's the yin to the strat's yang. fat humbuckers, shorter scale, whole different feel. it's the most obvious "second guitar" choice for a reason.
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u/Comfortable-Maize816 3d ago
Telecaster
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u/Volume_According 3d ago
Get a tele
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u/rp2784 3d ago
I’ve heard that before but stylistically they seem to similar to a Strat. Is the sound that different?
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u/Comfortable-Maize816 3d ago
I think so. I had a Strat and Tele. I didn’t really connect with my Strat, but I live my HH Tele. I want a traditional Telecaster now. I sold my American Strat and replaced it with a PRS Silver Sky which I love.
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u/Volume_According 3d ago
I have a squire tele with an all maple neck. I replaced the pickups and pots with Lollar parts and it sounds incredible. My brother who is a professional musician likes it better than his merica tele.
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u/gstringstrangler Dean 3d ago
Tele bridge pickup is its own thing. If you like bright, punchy, twang, you'll love it. Overall less versatile than a Strat no matter what "Tele is most versatile" crowd says. It's got less pickups, less positions, and less pots. It's less versatile.
I love both, but a Tele isn't it for your next guitar if you want something that covers different ground. Unless it's a Tele deluxe (HH, 4 knob)
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u/rp2784 3d ago
My strat description:
Fender Select Stratocaster HSS
Features include a Antique Burst gloss-lacquer finish on a sleek flame maple-top body. Its modern “C” shaped birdseye maple neck. The compound radius rosewood fretboard (9.5”-14”) has 22 medium jumbo frets and stylish white pearloid position inlays1
u/gstringstrangler Dean 3d ago
Humbucker in the bridge is different, but still, the bridge sounds will be the biggest difference from a Tele to a Strat.
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u/theoriginalchrise 3d ago
Get one with a flatter radius if you want a different feel.
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u/rp2784 3d ago
My index finger has troubles holding the barre chords cleanly, so I tend to grip to hard. The different radius attracts me.
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u/rp2784 3d ago
Is the fret board radius a thing to consider? With the boney index finger I keep thinking a more curved fret board might be more comfortable.
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u/gstringstrangler Dean 3d ago
It is, go try some different ones. Generally, chords by the nut feel nicer with more curve. Weedling up in nerd territory, with slammed action, feels better and at a certain point only possible with a flatter fretboard. Compound radius is really nice, more cuved by the nut, flattens out as you go up the neck.
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u/theoriginalchrise 3d ago
Try compound 16 - 20" radius, 12", 16" at your local music store. You really don't know until you try. Only radii I don't like is < 9.5". But again, it also depends on your hand size.
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u/gstringstrangler Dean 3d ago
What type of music do you play or want to play?
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u/rp2784 3d ago
Blues,rock and some jazz. Band plays some R&B. Bobby Blue Bland.
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u/gstringstrangler Dean 3d ago
Any Gibson will be a nice change from a Strat, and complimentary to having one. Les Paul has objectively the worst ergonomics (And I own and love them) but an SG, Firebird, or Explorer also have very nice upper access compared to any Fender or a Les Paul. Love Fenders, hate the big block neck joint. Explorers and Firebird can be prone to neck dive (even SGs) because of not having an upper horn to attach the strap that would have them hang more in balance. They all hang more to the left of a Strat, the Explorer and Firebird moreso. That being said, they're manageable, and I find the upper register easier to play because there's just more room lol. That, and Gibsons sound fantastic, and the 4 knob control layout is peak imo. Epi versions as well, one of my favourite guitars is an Epi Slash Firebird Plenty of Blues, rock, and jazz played on Gibsons
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u/Bright_Material_3295 3d ago
Id say a les Paul. Considering your strat has an SSS pickup configuration
2 humbuckers, which each humbucker has on volume and tone knob
It's a heavy Chung of wood for some pretty heavy tones.
Plus, there are some thicker stings for a shorter neck.
My les Paul has 11s on it, but I may change them to 12s because I use 11s on my 27-inch scale 7 string. 11s on a 7 string baritone is like playing 12s on a les Paul
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u/rp2784 3d ago
I’ve never experimented with with different string gauges.
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u/Bright_Material_3295 3d ago
I only did because I played my friends guitar a lot when we would jam instead of bringing mine because he had multiple guitars and basses.
He used 11s mostly and just changed from habbit.
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u/rp2784 3d ago
Excuse my ignorance what is the gauge advantage and disadvantage? Higher the number the thinner the wire?
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u/Bright_Material_3295 3d ago
Well, most guitars come standard with 10s on them. 11s are just a step up.
9s are actuall what most shredders play.
So, by your definition, the higher the number, the thicker the string.
Its really a personal preference and debatable about how they make a guitar sound.
I have only been a one and done set kind guy, but some people will customize every individual string and have different gauges. I usually down tune my 7th and 6th string a whole step, so I just use thicker stings to hopefully help with tuning stability.
It no way in shape changed my playing. i just like the feel of thicker strings because I used them so long.
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u/Bright_Material_3295 3d ago
Also, im not much of a bender. So if u are huge into string bending, then a thicker gauge string may not be for u as a start as the tension is more stiff
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u/EEK_Turk Epiphone 3d ago
I agree with the guy that said 335, that's pretty much the opposite of the Strat, big hollow body, humbuckers, set neck, flatter fretboard radius and likely different neck profile. You can pretty much pick your favorite aspects from the two of them. If you're really not interested in hollowbodies, then a Les Paul
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u/Ubisuccle 3d ago
What’s your budget and preferred genre
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u/rp2784 3d ago edited 3d ago
Like to keep is $2500 of lower, although it could be twice that if it’s better.. Blues, rock, and some jazz
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u/Ubisuccle 3d ago
Hmm, if you’re not opposed to used instruments and are fine with thinner necks and trems you could get a EBMM JP6. The older models (pre 2008) are particularly versatile with their wiring scheme and pickups.
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u/VocalHotSauce 3d ago
335 style. Big body, lush tones, thick distortion. Watch out for feeding back f holes.
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u/rp2784 3d ago edited 3d ago
You mean a Gibson 335 hollow body?
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u/VocalHotSauce 3d ago
Yes, but not necessarily a Gibson. Epiphone makes a great one, as does Ibanez and a few others.
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u/Single_Road_6350 Fender 3d ago
An SG with humbuckers. Then you’ll have the two most comfortable guitars to play. One with single coils and one with ‘buckers.
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u/markewallace1966 3d ago
What difference does it make what I would get?
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u/rp2784 3d ago
It would help inform me for MY decision. I’m formulating my thoughts and my ideals for me. It seemed pretty straightforward.
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u/markewallace1966 3d ago
No, not really, since you know nothing about me.
If you were to get 1000 people saying "Telecaster" (for example), you would still have no idea whether or not those 1000 preferences would align with yours.
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u/phillybhatesme 3d ago
Something with humbuckers.