Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: MemoryLeak on April 21, 2009, 01:42:20 PM

Title: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: MemoryLeak on April 21, 2009, 01:42:20 PM
Firstly, I should say hello, I've been reading this forum for a while, but don't think I've posted before. I bought a calibrated cold sweat set a year or so ago and found this place to be really useful for picking up all kinds of guitar related tips. So thanks!

My problem at the moment is that I love the tone of my Epi Les Paul (with cold sweats), its awesome, but I just don't get on with playing a Les Paul. Its heavy when stood up, and awkward when sat down. However, I've recently been playing a strat and have fallen in love with how it feels, but not how it sounds. So, my question is, what would you recommend as a hardtail, double humbucker guitar shaped like a strat? I quite liked an Ibanez RG550, but its not as comfy to play, and the floyd rose isn't my cup of tea.

Ideally I'm after something cheap-ish like a squier or Epi so I can muck around with it and change pickups (thinking nailbombs this time...). The double fat strat could be a winner, but I'd need to change the bridge. Is there anything a bit more leftfield that I'm missing?

Ta!
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: dheim on April 21, 2009, 01:48:44 PM
ibanez RGAs have got a fixed bridge, are more beautiful than standard RGs and are not very expensive. Ibanez SAs are nice too (my SA2020 is one of my favourite guitars!) and come with similar specs but with a thicker (mahogany) strat-like rounded body.
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: Philly Q on April 21, 2009, 01:49:33 PM
Welcome to the forum!  :D

I can't think of too many hardtail Strat types.  In the Fender range, there's the Robert Cray Standard for about £550... and do they still make the Tom DeLonge Strat?

Or you could go the Squier Hello Kitty route!

Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: _tom_ on April 21, 2009, 02:02:45 PM
do they still make the Tom DeLonge Strat?

Dont think so which is a shame as its the perfect strat for me :( 1 bridge humbucker, hardtail and big headstock.
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: MDV on April 21, 2009, 02:02:53 PM
Theres only about a million of them

Can you be more specific with your requirements?
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: Prawnik on April 21, 2009, 02:06:44 PM
BuildYuorOwn.

If I can do it, anyone can do it.
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: MDV on April 21, 2009, 02:09:48 PM
Word. Warmoth is good.
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: gwEm on April 21, 2009, 02:29:45 PM
what about an SG?
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: hunter on April 21, 2009, 02:44:32 PM

Fender Billy Corgan fits the bill I'd say: http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0115002806

(http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/shop_image/uploads/Image/billy_strat.jpg)
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: MemoryLeak on April 21, 2009, 03:10:14 PM
Nice, but no good for swapping out for BKP humbuckers.

MDV, if there are millions could you let me know a couple? For a more accurate spec, I guess I'm after a guitar that's comfy to play sat down, but has the HBs and fixed bridge of an LP, not too "metal", in a perfect world the looks of a 60s strat with big headstock, cheapish and easy to modify with new BKPs. Most strats have a tremelo, which I could technically remove, but would rather not. SGs are OK, but not that comfy (strats are really, really good in this regard).

I realise there are a lot of strat clones out there, but am just asking if anyone would recommend any, with the specs I've detailed. I know I could google around, then drive to various shops and play them, but this is a pretty slow process, it seemed sensible to ask if anyone had a recommendation first.
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: Twinfan on April 21, 2009, 03:12:06 PM
So, my question is, what would you recommend as a hardtail, double humbucker guitar shaped like a strat?

PRS SE is a cheap-ish curve ball choice - a Les Paul style guitar in a Strat shape  ;)

(http://www.ukguitars.com/prs/uk_se_cu_gb_hard.jpg)
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: MemoryLeak on April 21, 2009, 03:17:11 PM
So, my question is, what would you recommend as a hardtail, double humbucker guitar shaped like a strat?

PRS SE is a cheap-ish curve ball choice - a Les Paul style guitar in a Strat shape  ;)


Hmm, nice. Would need to test how comfy it is to play (as its not quite a strat shape) but that's a definite one for the  shortlist, thanks!
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: MemoryLeak on April 21, 2009, 03:21:06 PM
Word. Warmoth is good.

Ooh, this looks interesting (gets lost in website)  :D
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: Philly Q on April 21, 2009, 04:20:38 PM
Word. Warmoth is good.

Ooh, this looks interesting (gets lost in website)  :D

Not cheap or even cheapish, though!
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: mikeluke on April 21, 2009, 05:09:30 PM
What about an Ibanez SZ series?
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: MDV on April 21, 2009, 05:14:00 PM
Dean vendettas, ibanez S and RG, jackson dinky and soloist, LTD horizon and M, Maverick F, yamaha RGX and plenty more all have 2HB hardtail versions kicking round. I forget all the various alpha-numeric pseudo-names, but they're out there in great number.

If I had requirements (well I do have very similar requirements, but I got customs to satisfy it with greater specificity) I'd pay special attention to the jackson SLSMG, maverick F1 hardtail version and the RGXs.
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: SRChrono on April 21, 2009, 09:10:20 PM
Here is a Yamaha
http://cgi.ebay.com/Yamaha-Telecaster-Rare-Humbuckers-Fender-sj-550hr_W0QQitemZ220398102476QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item220398102476&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Squier
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Korean-Made-Set-Neck-Tele-Double-Humbuckers-Nice_W0QQitemZ250340045431QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item250340045431&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

Similar to what you want
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: SRChrono on April 21, 2009, 09:15:22 PM
Hahaha, I just noticed that Squier is lying in the dirt!
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: Philly Q on April 21, 2009, 09:56:32 PM
I like that Squier!  :D
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: dheim on April 21, 2009, 10:04:47 PM
Here is a Yamaha
http://cgi.ebay.com/Yamaha-Telecaster-Rare-Humbuckers-Fender-sj-550hr_W0QQitemZ220398102476QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item220398102476&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Squier
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Korean-Made-Set-Neck-Tele-Double-Humbuckers-Nice_W0QQitemZ250340045431QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item250340045431&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

Similar to what you want

they're teles!
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: noodleplugerine on April 22, 2009, 12:53:23 AM
Go for an ESP Horizon :D

No really, for cheap stuff, there are options.

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/10852-fender-custom-telecaster-fmt-hh-rosewood-black-cherry-burst.html/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=base

Although its a tele, I bet its lovely to play etc, possibly worth a look.

Schecter C-1s are great too, but they've got curved top, no scratch plate etc, more superstrats than strats.

http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product.asp?id=9674

Am I right in saying you're after a TOM style bridge, rather than a hardtail style bridge? Because the Ibanez RGAs are meant to be very good. The 121 is built in Japan (I think)...

While I hear the 42 and 32 are also good guitars:

http://www.nevadamusic.co.uk/Guitars/Electric_Guitars/Electric_Guitars/p6140.aspx
http://www.dv247.com/invt/60865/
http://www.giggear.co.uk/p/Ibanez-RGA32-Mahogany-Oil/

If you want LTDs, I wouldn't buy below the 400 series, the 400s and up are really quite good, but rather expensive.

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/67812

Again, alot of these are superstrats rather than trad strats, try Yamaha, or one of the replica type makes?
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: SRChrono on April 22, 2009, 01:55:05 AM
I know they're teles but they were the closest thing I could find :[
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: Prawnik on April 22, 2009, 02:40:39 PM
I'd offer to sell you the 1969 hardtail Strat clone I built, but it has single coils and I happen to like that guitar.

Nice, but no good for swapping out for BKP humbuckers.

MDV, if there are millions could you let me know a couple? For a more accurate spec, I guess I'm after a guitar that's comfy to play sat down, but has the HBs and fixed bridge of an LP, not too "metal", in a perfect world the looks of a 60s strat with big headstock, cheapish and easy to modify with new BKPs. Most strats have a tremelo, which I could technically remove, but would rather not. SGs are OK, but not that comfy (strats are really, really good in this regard).

I realise there are a lot of strat clones out there, but am just asking if anyone would recommend any, with the specs I've detailed. I know I could google around, then drive to various shops and play them, but this is a pretty slow process, it seemed sensible to ask if anyone had a recommendation first.
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: marantz1300 on April 24, 2009, 10:46:53 AM
The Hello Kittys are hardtail and string through. Cheap and you can always spray one.
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: dheim on April 24, 2009, 11:46:13 AM
The Hello Kittys are hardtail and string through. Cheap and you can always spray one.

and ruin its best feature?  :?
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: marantz1300 on April 24, 2009, 12:38:22 PM
The Hello Kittys are hardtail and string through. Cheap and you can always spray one.

and ruin its best feature?  :?
Well ,I think they came in black as well as pink.
Title: Re: Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like
Post by: morgasm on April 25, 2009, 02:10:42 AM
i really like the prs se guitars, very very good for the money. would be perfect with some bare knuckles lol. saying that i don't remember the stock pickups being bad at all...
morgan