Do-all stage guitar

ICBM

A three-pickup Firebird with the right switching would get you all those sounds too, especially with a hotter bridge pickup.

Offset

ICBM said:

A three-pickup Firebird with the right switching would get you all those sounds too, especially with a hotter bridge pickup.

Very possibly... it's just unlikely the OP will find a stage that's large enough to accomodate him, his band and a Firebird :-)

Funkfingers

Two of Phil McKnight's pickup testing guitars and a backstage guitar tech with a box full of quick connect replacement pickups ready to click into place.

roberty

stickyfiddle said:

Offset said:

stickyfiddle said:

Irrespective of the above I have a 335 and a Firebird on the to-try list…

You really won't want a Firebird as your do-all-stage-guitar, trust me 

Ha! Almost certainly but they’re so damn cool I may not care…  

With the added bonus that you can iron your stage clothes on it before the show

MrBump

My latest squeeze is a Duesenberg Paloma - a little left field, strange combination of set neck, Strat scale and 4 position switching.  I've only had it for a few months, but it's doing great as an everything guitar - great Strat neck sound, balanced bridge humbucker, and a couple of very usable split positions.

chris78

Either a PRS semi hollow special or a modern eagle v is the ultimate do it all stage guitar.
Both have enough sparkle and power to cover pretty much every genre you’ll ever need. The SHS is a stripped down super eagle - John Mayer found that versatile enough to do everything.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d463uu415ipsfj3/Photo%2027-05-2020%2C%2018%2051%2044.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pxuamk2twkadqdkansrpq/IMG_0407.jpeg?rlkey=ocd5jszwrzmgjq5sp3mz9na11&raw=1

digitalkettle

fretmeister said:

As nobody has done it yet....

The audience doesn't care!  



...

The audience is listening!

Voxman

Offset said:

ICBM said:

A three-pickup Firebird with the right switching would get you all those sounds too, especially with a hotter bridge pickup.

Very possibly... it's just unlikely the OP will find a stage that's large enough to accomodate him, his band and a Firebird :-)

Yup - and he did say a do-all guitar ...not a do-my back in guitar!  

chrisj1602

Guild Surfliner Deluxe?

impmann

TBH, having had to do a single gig that straddled everything from Elvis, to Hendrix, to Motown, to Zeppelin, to Green Day, to Oasis via some Gary Numan... my old PRS CE22 delivered the goods time and again.

I'm reminded though of one of the most impressive displays of versatility using the least equipment - about 25-30yrs ago, I attended a private gig in London as a warm up for one of Paul McCartney's World Tours. At the time, Robbie McIntosh was playing guitar for him. The only guitar he used all night was a 1950s Fender Esquire, he had one chorus pedal and a Marshall JCM800. His guitar parts covered everything from Please Please Me to Macca's solo stuff (Off the Ground was the album of the moment, IIRC) and the tone/timbre was perfect, sounded historically 'right' and was a masterclass in 'less is more'. It taught me the value of the tone control on a guitar, and that really the equipment is just a 'vessel' to channel the music.

 

Offset

MrBump said:

My latest squeeze is a Duesenberg Paloma - a little left field, strange combination of set neck, Strat scale and 4 position switching.  I've only had it for a few months, but it's doing great as an everything guitar - great Strat neck sound, balanced bridge humbucker, and a couple of very usable split positions.

Just Googled it.  I like it - very cool indeed.

bazxkr

I'd have suggested a Musicman Steve Morse original with, the 11 pick up combinations a whole host of different genres out of that beast

donbot

Forgive me for plugging my own stuff, but my ESP Snapper fits the OP perfectly. HSS with push/push split on the tone knob. Nice and warm up front, balls to the wall rock on the bridge and does all the spanky funk thang too. Check it oot… https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/260109/f-s-esp-original-snapper-burner-aviator-warbird-private-stock-1500-each

https://i.imgur.com/821j6Be.jpg

Danielsguitars

This has been one of my favourite builds and it does just about everything, it's got a split coil and blend pot which balances the humbucker so we'll, it does loads tbh and I love the bridge humbucker, it's a beast cranked.

duotone

@donbot ;
I’ve never seen or heard of that ESP model before. Really cool.

stickyfiddle

@chris78 the SHS is potentially the most interesting PRS to my eyes. Definitely looks like it would make an incredible studio guitar if nothing else. 

@impmann I saw Sting this time last year and Dominic Miller did the same thing. One white Tele, a few FX and the most perfect sounds all night. That’s a chunky part of why I built my current #1 Tele  

cm01

guitars4you said:

Whilst the PRS 513 is not the best selling PRS some call it the Swiss Army Blade model 

I saw a phenomenal covers band recently and the guitarist played a 513 the whole set (which was super varied) and it sounded fantastic throughout.

Offset

Danielsguitars said:

This has been one of my favourite builds and it does just about everything, it's got a split coil and blend pot which balances the humbucker so we'll, it does loads tbh and I love the bridge humbucker, it's a beast cranked.

That probably won't be for everyone, but I absolutely love it.  Looks like it would be super-versatile as well.  You couldn't fail to look ACAF with that on a strap.  And the colour really sets it off.

Vive la difference!

CaseOfAce

impmann said:

TBH, having had to do a single gig that straddled everything from Elvis, to Hendrix, to Motown, to Zeppelin, to Green Day, to Oasis via some Gary Numan... my old PRS CE22 delivered the goods time and again.

I'm reminded though of one of the most impressive displays of versatility using the least equipment - about 25-30yrs ago, I attended a private gig in London as a warm up for one of Paul McCartney's World Tours. At the time, Robbie McIntosh was playing guitar for him. The only guitar he used all night was a 1950s Fender Esquire, he had one chorus pedal and a Marshall JCM800. His guitar parts covered everything from Please Please Me to Macca's solo stuff (Off the Ground was the album of the moment, IIRC) and the tone/timbre was perfect, sounded historically 'right' and was a masterclass in 'less is more'. It taught me the value of the tone control on a guitar, and that really the equipment is just a 'vessel' to channel the music.

 

I love hearing stories like that.
Though not quite as bare bones as the above, the Bon Jovi rig rundown (from 2017) featured John Shanks bringing everything but the kitchen sink for the gig whilst Phil X was basically overdrive and a chorus (give or take a wah, leslie effect and talkbox). When asked where all his reverb and delay units were ... he looked out from the stage at the vast hall, laughed and said..err.. there... why would I need to use them?

Lebarque

ES335