Can anyone recommend a hardtail strat-a-like

[MemoryLeak]

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!

[dheim]

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.

[Philly Q]

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!

[_tom_]

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.

[MDV]

Theres only about a million of them

Can you be more specific with your requirements?

[Prawnik]

BuildYuorOwn.

If I can do it, anyone can do it.

[MDV]

Word. Warmoth is good.

[gwEm]

what about an SG?

[hunter]

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

[MemoryLeak]

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.

[Twinfan]

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  ;)

[MemoryLeak]

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!

[MemoryLeak]

Word. Warmoth is good.

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

[Philly Q]

Word. Warmoth is good.

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

Not cheap or even cheapish, though!

[mikeluke]

What about an Ibanez SZ series?