Metropoulos Forum

What I mean by this is, is the guitar you use the best for matching your inner style the best ? Like, if your a strat man for instance, maybe you notice that when you play another style guitar, like a Les Paul, that maybe you 'sing' a little better in your leads. Or maybe if you play a L.p, then maybe you notice that when you play a strat that maybe there is more clarity.


Having said the above, I'm aware that guitars are tools in musical expression, and having several different kinds is the way to go, BUT, does anybody think that maybe we would want or PREFER a certain guitar based on criteria other than how we as individuls actually SOUND on them ? Maybe the thrash metal guy's might actually like a big fat ES-335 or something, but due to other 'criteria' use other instruments.

Tone Slinger wrote:Maybe the thrash metal guy's might actually like a big fat ES-335 or something, but due to other 'criteria' use other instruments.

I have a friend that plays acoustic guitar exclusively... the only time he's plugged in is to amplify an acoustic. He is one of the best guitar players I've ever heard in my life. We were in a store years ago and I said to him "I would love to see you rip some blues on a solidbody thru a loud amp... I've never seen you do that". He grabbed a PRS, plugged into a Marshall, and I dont think I've ever seen a guy have that much fun with a guitar in his hand. I dont think he had played any electric guitar in years, and had forgotten how great it is to get that kind of sustain and response. It totally showed in his face how much he was enjoying it.
BUT... like a thrash metal player with a pointy guitar, you can give him a 335, but he's gonna go back to that stabby headstock again, cause its who he is.
My friend went back to his Martins and his mandolins, and continues to kick ass with them.

For me, Im absolutely in love with my old Les Paul. I also love my Firebirds, but not like the LP. I like my other guitars, but if I had to give them all up and keep only one, it would be the Les Paul. I dont think I could replace that guitar in terms of feel and tone. Its SO broken in and it almost feels "warm" to the touch. It sounds cliche as hell, but it really does feel like an extension of me when I play it, like I just reattached my arm when I pick it up.
Plugged straight into a 50 watt half stack?? The best tone I've heard, ever.

I hear ya man. Yeah, a Les Paul is definatly something everyone should at least try/have a go at, cause, really, when you think about how much stuff has been recorded with the Les Paul, historically right up to the present, you know there is a reason. Like I've read numerous articles and talked to people several times about how producers will say things like, "I dont care what you use live, I want you to record these particular tracks with this Les Paul". Like they know from experience what a great tone is. I've experienced this as well, especially when trying to get that distorted tone that has that thick mid rangy type thing coupled with that particular gritty 'crunch'. Not a bunch of gain really, just to the point of breaking up easily, and viola, there it is. Other Gibby's get this too, but a really good sounding Paul is probably the epitome.

I have mostly tended towards strats, but a Paul probably suits what I have to say/style better, I just never really figured that out 'till recently.

This is a great question that I've also pondered.

I've had alot of guitars as many of you probably have and I am about 95 percent a strat guy. I have strats with all different types of pickups and bridges so that I have something for just about every style. However, there are times that I recorded with my band in the past when I had an old epiphone les paul where the LP just really made my sound that much better. I ended up selling that guitar and just recently picked up another LP just because there are times that the LP just sounds better.

I will say that having a variety of different pickup/bridge combinations with my strats has really allowed me to make alot more noise with them than if I just had a couple of guitars. I really think overall that having humbuckers in a strat helps to "bridge the gap" between the two.

My latest project which I'm working on at this time is to put a set of tri sonics an wire them in series in a strat with a floyd rose. I think this will really allow me to have a ton of variety and maybe allow me to use one guitar more exclusively. I'll put up some pics and sound clips when I get it done.

I remember reading somewhere that Joe Perry used a strat for his solos and a LP for all of his rythem work on the early Aerosmith records...while it seems like most of the time he was playing a LP on stage...so I'm sure we all run into this scenario.

Great question though! I'm looking forward to seeing what others say.

An interesting question for sure.

I primarily play strat-style guitars. However, even between those guitars, I have different setups. Some have Floyds while some have traditional vibrato bridges. Most have 'buckers in the bridge while a few have single coils. Even the woods are different among the bodies and bridges. I find those various guitars are the most comfortable for me though I think I find the difference in pickups, be it sc vs. hb or even output to have some influence on my playing. And with a few guitars having scalloped fingerboards, I find that's an factor, too, in that finger vibrato is a lot of fun with the scalloping.

My first electric was a Lotus LP copy. However, after that guitar's neck warped, I switched to strat-style guitars and have never really been comfortable with LP's ever since. I do have a PRS McCarty but to me, that's a different animal from a LP and I do find that I actually get a very different vibe from the McCarty than I do when playing the strats.

Having no archtops or semi-hollows, I can't really offer an opinion on those.

flieger67 wrote:Having no archtops or semi-hollows, I can't really offer an opinion on those.

I've had quite a few of both, and they kind of extend the LP envelope, and head even further from Strat territory. Im not too partial to full hollowbody's simply because they tend to feed back so easily, but in the right venue, the fatness of tone is unmatched.
For semi-hollow's, among others, I HAD a '60 ES-345, the selling of which is one of my great regrets. It was a killer, but at the time I sold it, they werent worth ANYTHING near what they are today, and could have been replaced pretty easily, believe it or not. Not no more!!!
Right now I have 2 Godin Flat Fives, one is stock, and one is a "lab-rat" guitar.
Everything that can be changed in the lab-rat has been changed. I swapped the pickups for Duncan Antiquities, took out the 5 way "Strat" pickup selector, wired in a 3 way Tele switch and use it for a cap selector. I also removed the tone pot and wired in a Gibson 3 way toggle to select the pickups.
Im probably gonna revert back to a 3 way Tele slider for the pickups, and install a switchable Area 51 Wah circuit instead of a tone control... like I said, a lab-rat.
Sounds awesome though!!
IMO, Godins are the great undiscovered gem of the guitar world. Awesome quality and low price. Pretty cool.

csiniawski1 wrote:My latest project which I'm working on at this time is to put a set of tri sonics an wire them in series in a strat with a floyd rose.

Im just curious as to what tri sonics are? I've never heard of them.

fillmore nyc wrote:

flieger67 wrote:Having no archtops or semi-hollows, I can't really offer an opinion on those.

I've had quite a few of both, and they kind of extend the LP envelope, and head even further from Strat territory. Im not too partial to full hollowbody's simply because they tend to feed back so easily, but in the right venue, the fatness of tone is unmatched.
For semi-hollow's, among others, I HAD a '60 ES-345, the selling of which is one of my great regrets. It was a killer, but at the time I sold it, they werent worth ANYTHING near what they are today, and could have been replaced pretty easily, believe it or not. Not no more!!!
Right now I have 2 Godin Flat Fives, one is stock, and one is a "lab-rat" guitar.
Everything that can be changed in the lab-rat has been changed. I swapped the pickups for Duncan Antiquities, took out the 5 way "Strat" pickup selector, wired in a 3 way Tele switch and use it for a cap selector. I also removed the tone pot and wired in a Gibson 3 way toggle to select the pickups.
Im probably gonna revert back to a 3 way Tele slider for the pickups, and install a switchable Area 51 Wah circuit instead of a tone control... like I said, a lab-rat.
Sounds awesome though!!
IMO, Godins are the great undiscovered gem of the guitar world. Awesome quality and low price. Pretty cool.

csiniawski1 wrote:My latest project which I'm working on at this time is to put a set of tri sonics an wire them in series in a strat with a floyd rose.

Im just curious as to what tri sonics are? I've never heard of them.

Tri-Sonics are a Burns pickup; what Brian May has in his red guitar.

My experience is, my guitars chose me, not the other way around. When I pick up a guitar I'm waiting for it to take me to that place. The ones I've purchased have all done that. They inspired me to play things I may not normally play on my own. Most of the time, I wasn't even looking to buy a guitar, it told me "Your taking me home".

With that said, they have been all different makes and models. Right now Ive been using my LP almost exclusively. It's the one speaking to me the most right now. I might wake up tomarrow and think to myself, "Gosh, it feels like a Strat day" I'll then go and get all that it has to offer until something else hits me. So I do cycle through them, they all get played.

I find that I play differently on each of my guitars..ie; I play in a style suited to the type of guitar.. On my '52/'56 Les Paul Goldtop, I love playing PG/FM type things and blues, slower more melodic leads, emphasizing the qualities of the P-90's and the maple top.
On my '57 Fender Vintage Reissue '83 Fullerton 'Blackie", I get into the 7.25" radius and higher action, preferring to play more Eric Clapton style licks and Dire Straits, Hendrixy mid position tones, enjoying the great acoustic loudness of this light guitar!
The 1987 Hamer Chapparal is very versatile and with the s/s/hb OBL pickups and OFR, plus ebony board/2 octave neck through design, it can get many tones and plays like butter.
My late 2004 Yngwie YJM Strat, had very Hendrixy tones and was the closest to the Jimi large headstock era in tone, the DiMarzio HS-3 and YJM pickups offering killer clean tones.
My Gary Moore Heritages, have their own unique vibe, the stainless steel frets, sorry Ed was there in 1991..lol. and Nashville Gotoh bridges, plus the weight of the guitars allied with the EMG-81's make these awesome rock machines and easily the best playing Les Paul burst style guitars I have ever played, real '58's including!!
Then one of my current faves, my SS80 Washburn, if you have ever played an original USA Custom shop spec version of these, you will know how killer the necks are on these..Steve choose the poplar body purely by tone alone, the same as the EB MM EVH guitars by the way. I play all the moore rockier stuff on this, including my fav era GM..The Wild Frontier era.
So I think the construction of the guitar, it's body wood, the pickups, bridge and hardware, weight, ect., all these things affect the way I play these guitars and the styles of music associated with them.
I enjoy changing from guitar to guitar as the mood takes me, I don't care to only play Strat's, all the time, though a Strat style guitar is my ultimate favorite..
yngwie308

Mars Hall wrote: Most of the time, I wasn't even looking to buy a guitar, it told me "Your taking me home".

Isn't that the greatest! That's happened to me MORE than once. (Then we get into the "It doesn't seem to sound as good now that it's home thing" but that was a different thread discussion).

I was in GC with wife (GF at the time). Her son was interested in learning to play so we were looking for entry level axes for Christmas. I told her that I would cover an amp. I pulled a CS white strat off the wall without even thinking and started plugging. Well I kept looking at the guitar thinking "Hey, this is nice...."

Salesman came over, "Can I help you?" "Yeah we'll take that Squier, this amp and ummm...write up this strat, too!"

I used to be VERY influenced by what guitar I played. If it was an acoustic it had to be some kind of folksy sing along or finger picking kind of thing. If it was a Strat, Rory Gallagher, SRV, Jimi, Blackmore kind of vibe. If it was a Paul harder edge stuff, Clapton Creamish, Zep....

Now not so much. Now I enjoy what each guitar brings to whatever it is that I'm playing. I'm not necessarily trying to cop the tones on the record. The obvious things no, Little Wing doesn't work on a Paul per se, and it HAS to be a Strat for Rory type stuff (of course a Red Special for Brain May tunes - with the Burns Trisonics, fill!). Does that make sense?

And the one I like and sound best on is the one that works the best with whatever amp I'm playing it through as well. You can't beat single coils into a tweed or humbuckers into a JT45 for ex.

Mars Hall wrote:My experience is, my guitars chose me, not the other way around. When I pick up a guitar I'm waiting for it to take me to that place. The ones I've purchased have all done that. They inspired me to play things I may not normally play on my own. Most of the time, I wasn't even looking to buy a guitar, it told me "Your taking me home".

With that said, they have been all different makes and models. Right now Ive been using my LP almost exclusively. It's the one speaking to me the most right now. I might wake up tomarrow and think to myself, "Gosh, it feels like a Strat day" I'll then go and get all that it has to offer until something else hits me. So I do cycle through them, they all get played.

absolutely the same here...

Mars Hall wrote:My experience is, my guitars chose me, not the other way around. When I pick up a guitar I'm waiting for it to take me to that place. The ones I've purchased have all done that. They inspired me to play things I may not normally play on my own. Most of the time, I wasn't even looking to buy a guitar, it told me "Your taking me home".

With that said, they have been all different makes and models. Right now Ive been using my LP almost exclusively. It's the one speaking to me the most right now. I might wake up tomarrow and think to myself, "Gosh, it feels like a Strat day" I'll then go and get all that it has to offer until something else hits me. So I do cycle through them, they all get played.

I'm the same as you are on that note. I may play one of my guitars exclusively for quite some time aside from if I go into a different tuning and then one day I may bust out a different one and say "Wow I missed you...you sound great!" and play that one for awhile. Still I usually end up back at one of my strats.



The Tri Sonic, as said is what Brian May had in his Red Special. From the research I've done its a single coil sized pickup, but it does not have poles...but its also not a humbucker. I've talked to a few different makers of the pickup and they say that to create them is different from making any other pickup. I do know that they sound pretty sweet, and combined with the series wiring they offer a TON of variety in tones. To hear a couple of sound clips from a guy who makes them check out:

http://adeson.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This guy's "Lucifer" pickup sounds pretty amazing too.

I actually find that the scale length of the guitar really effects me and how comfortable I am. I'm a strat guy through and through, although I love and respect just about every guitar on the walls at the store - I could play/own them all.

I find that les paul's are some of the most fun guitars to play - its really easy to get all sorts of good tone out of it - most of the time I dont really think you can get that much of a BAD tone through a LP. Theyre so much fun to rock out on - or do jazz etc. But for some reason after playing them a while I feel cramped with that shorter scale. Its a small difference but it has an effect on me.

Strats just have that character about them that nothing can do except a strat. They can be harder at times to coax the best tones out of, but when you get it right - theyre beautiful.

Another guitar I really like is a Jazzmaster. Theyre even longer scale than a strat so I can stretch out my arms a little and feel more comfortable. Plus the reissue classic player editions have really warm pickups and you can somewhat emulate some LP sounds.

Then the other day I was playing a flying V and I could not put it up. I was pulling out albert/bb king style licks for an hour and just having a ball with it. Could not put it back! Although sitting with a V is not happening.

THEN, comes the tele. I've played them about 1% in my 14 years of playing but they are more and more attractive lately. The complete simplicity about them, while being solid as a rock is really appealing to me. Its like the take anywhere kind of guitar and you dont have to worry about it. That and a nice little tweed fender amp or somethin - its the kind of guitar where you really listen to the strings and every nuance of sound. They're really fun. I've been thinking about getting a mexi standard. The kind of take anywhere guitar (outside on a real humid day, to friends houses, to parties). Solid.

So at the end of the day, I'm kind of in love with them all. But I refuse to live without a strat. Traded my strat in for a LP studio which I had for about 8 months or so. I couldn't handle not having a strat so it went back and I got a brand new at the time 2005 american standard maple neck black strat. Its been my main squeeze ever since.

I actually will say that I just dont dig PRS's. Dont like the scale, and the bodies are too small/thin for me. Just isnt comfortable. I'd much rather have Strats/Teles, LPs, ES335s, and flyin V's.

I absolutely love my 40th Anniversary strat. I've played many other strat's that sound better, though. Still haven't found one that felt better....

Proper string tension, liquidity, and feel will always trump it's tone(as long as it's close). If a guitar sounds great, but feels constipated, or is a labor to play? It'll "sound" good, but something is missing. The guitar I like, is the one that feels right. Sounding right doesn't make me play better. When things feel right, it's easy to overcome any deficiencies in tone.

I'd rather play naturally with the "wrong" tone, than struggle with the right one.

Great stuff guy's, I very much relate.

I have come to a realization,that, as I'm playing a guitar I feel and hear everything 'different' than how it records, and possibly how others hear it. Like the feel of a strat's fretboard radius and its scale length have always been a favorite, But , when I hear playbacks of stuff, I've always noticed that the sound isnt always as good as I thought it was, not always though, cause sometimes you pull a lick here and there and it's gonna sound good on ANYTHING. I find on Gibson guitars though, tht there is a very 'authentic' and substantial consistency of tone, especially when going for the dirty stuff. They have that very warm, pleasing to the ear mid range type thing that really attracts the ear. Never shrill and pokey, which is what I dislike about Fender's, Though I agree that, when properly set up player,amp wise, a Fender, particuarly a strat, is plain magic. I still go through the motions though on ANY style guitar. It's good to just NOT play sometimes.