Best all round guitar

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kelpbedskelpbeds Frets: 180
Fancy something that does everything. (with a bias towards metal) Need it to do the heavy stuff, bluesy stuff and poppy stuff (largely for gigging in different bands)
Was considering a Charvel San Dimas as it has coil taps on it (I know they aren't as good as real single coils but better than no coil taps) to get that stratty sound. Or maybe a PRS with coil taps (believe they use a slightly different setup) Also would like some trem system on it but doesn't have to be a floyd (which I'm not massively keen on as they get in the way when you are damping)
The Guthrie Charvel looks fantastic and it has an original flat floyd on. But way too expensive. Must be below 1K. Any thoughts or recommendations?
cheers
Check out my Blues lessons channel at:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBTSHf5NqVQDz0LzW2PC1Lw
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Comments

  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    HSS Strat.
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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14026
    tFB Trader
    I'd check out a PRS Custom 24 based on the above info but for under 1K you'd be looking at an S2 version, or hunt around for a USA CE24 model with bolt on maple neck - should get one for under 1 K via a private sale
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  • octatonic said:
    HSS Strat.
    End thread. 
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  • andy1839andy1839 Frets: 2197
    Any of the PRS 513 models, especially the 513 Standard  
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  • kelpbedskelpbeds Frets: 180
    Got a couple of strats and not keen on the HSS ones (I like a strat to be a strat!) Will check out the PRSs. Are they pretty versatile?
    Check out my Blues lessons channel at:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBTSHf5NqVQDz0LzW2PC1Lw
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  • kelpbedskelpbeds Frets: 180
    513 looks perfect but well over my budget!

    Check out my Blues lessons channel at:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBTSHf5NqVQDz0LzW2PC1Lw
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  • Arktik83Arktik83 Frets: 431
    edited June 2018
    Personally found PRS DGT's are the closest guitar to "ticking all boxes".  The coil taps are great.

    EDIT: Ah shit, sorry didn't realise you said under £1k.  PRS SE EG if you could source one?  Or a Tele custom?
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  • meltedbuzzboxmeltedbuzzbox Frets: 10337
    Note choice defines the music not the guitar. If you play Metallica on an es330 or a flying v it will still sound like Metallica.

    Buy whatever you find the most comfortable to play
    The Bigsby was the first successful design of what is now called a whammy bar or tremolo arm, although vibrato is the technically correct term for the musical effect it produces. In standard usage, tremolo is a rapid fluctuation of the volume of a note, while vibrato is a fluctuation in pitch. The origin of this nonstandard usage of the term by electric guitarists is attributed to Leo Fender, who also used the term “vibrato” to refer to what is really a tremolo effect.
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  • vincechu89vincechu89 Frets: 92
    Apologies, as i know you have strats, but this @guitars4you  has got to be a super versatile strat: https://www.guitars4you.co.uk/guitars/5512-fender-2015-limited-edition-american-deluxe-mahogany-strat-hss-used/ 

    mahogany body HSS with S1 switching, and imo looks amazing...  too bad I’m broke or I might have it lol

    a little over your budget though.
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  • olafgartenolafgarten Frets: 1648
    Get a good HSS Superstrat with passive pickups. The Ibanez AX Series looks good and is around your budget. 
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  • maltingsaudiomaltingsaudio Frets: 3097
    Patrick Eggle Berlin pro should be within budget
    www.maltingsaudio.co.uk
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  • Phil_aka_PipPhil_aka_Pip Frets: 9794
    No such thing. Its why I keep lots of guitars. IMO the most versatile are ES-335, and SG2000, the latter probably scores because of its coil taps.
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
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  • andy1839andy1839 Frets: 2197
    kelpbeds said:
    513 looks perfect but well over my budget!

    Occasionally a 513 Standard comes up for sale, they're solid mahogany with no flash tops and are about £1k

    But they're quite rare.  
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534
    Ibanez AZ
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950
    Any guitar with a couple of different sounds and probably a trem can be used for any type of music. The rest is all down to the amp, effects, image and perception.

    If you really need the in-between Strat sound then you need either a middle pickup, or humbuckers which can be split to the inner coils if they're close enough together - every other sound on an electric guitar is some variation on a neck or bridge pickup tone really.

    Hollowbodies can have a problem with feedback at high gain/volume levels so might be best avoided for metal or hard rock.

    Apart from that just pick something you like the look and feel of...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • earwighoneyearwighoney Frets: 3487

    Buy whatever you find the most comfortable to play
    Yes to this.  Things like body shape, scale, nut width, neck profile are all personal to the player.
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  • Matt_McGMatt_McG Frets: 321
    Yamaha Pacifica 612VFM or 611VFM, depending whether you want HSS or H + P90. You could pick one up second hand well under 400 quid.

    Or any kind of HSS Strat or Superstrat. My own preference would be a classic Strat with a PAF at the bridge, but that's as much because I don't like how superstrats (with possible exception of the Washburn N4 and some Charvels) look.

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  • kelpbedskelpbeds Frets: 180
    Lots to think about chaps, many thanks.
    I agree that the song defines the guitar and that Metallica on a 335 will sound like Metallica. But basically wanted something that sounds as close to my strats and les paul as possible to save lugging them both around and changing guitars mid gig.
    Check out my Blues lessons channel at:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBTSHf5NqVQDz0LzW2PC1Lw
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  • IamnobodyIamnobody Frets: 6887
    kelpbeds said:
    Lots to think about chaps, many thanks.
    I agree that the song defines the guitar and that Metallica on a 335 will sound like Metallica. But basically wanted something that sounds as close to my strats and les paul as possible to save lugging them both around and changing guitars mid gig.
    That extra bit of info helps - maybe ask others if they’ve found one guitar (or modded an existing) to loosely cover the same ground as a Strat & Les Paul?
    Previously known as stevebrum
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  • VoxmanVoxman Frets: 4718
    edited June 2018
    My PRS Cu24 is the most versatile of all my guitars and my all-round 'go to' because of it's ability to go from Les Paul-ish to Strat-ish tones.  Superb build quality and design, great trem system, excellent machine-heads with easy, fast string changing, great neck, and balances perfectly.  The PRS hard case is a bit big and overly heavy though but it doesn't feel 'right' to put it in another case so I live with that. I opted for the rotary p/up selector version instead of 3-way toggle plus push-pulls because the 5-way gives a great (for me) essential strat tone position that you can't get from the 3-way/push-pull. 
    I started out with nothing..... but I've still got most of it left (Seasick Steve)
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