The third Electric Guitar... Les Paul, Telecaster & ...?

[stang90gt]

Either something with a p90 or a good hollow body with a piezo

 

[harzack]

I agree that you miss a guitar with tremolo bridge,

Additionally a semi hollow Rickenbacker? (don't know exactly what makes them sounds differently)

 

[filski323]

My suggestion

 

[reelman955]

I also have a Gibson Les Paul Standard and a fender American tele. I went with a 61 reissue Gibson SG for #3 and then a step further 4th was an acoustic Martin 000-15M. I’m done. Thank you good night

 

[Leee]

@merlyn
I am no fan of noiseless P-90s.
I wouldn’t even call them a compromise.
You don’t get P-90, and you don’t get another tone in its place.

The hum everyone is so afraid of was 50 years ago.
With modern electronics, room lighting, it’s no more than an occasional annoyance.
Easily dealt with.

 

[merlyn]

You can cover a lot of ground with a good Les Paul and a good Tele.

For a while my "Fill in the gaps" guitar was a PRS SE Custom with a set of Duncan P-RAILS (with triple shot mounting rings).

It was 24 frets for the few times I wanted that. It was P-90s, Hot Rail, Series HB or Parallel HB (for each pickup independently) and had a decent trem when I wanted that.

If someone wanted only one guitar I wouldn't suggest a Strat but if someone wanted a "Guitarmy" I think a Strat has a place in it.

The P-Rails sound like a really versatile pickup... especially with the triple shot rings...
with a 24 fret and possibly a floyd rose this would cover a lot of bases...
Maybe these in a comfy guitar would be the way to go to get all the tones i don't get from other the other guitars? i mean the series, parallel is already a whole lotta stuff to choose from...add in phase out of phase switches and this would make it a jack of all trades i guess..

If you’re leaning toward a Strat, I would take the time to learn beforehand how to make one sound good so you don’t get frustrated and take it back. I previously bought one, but turned it over quickly because it wasn’t just plug and play like a Les Paul with almost any kind of amp. But now I have two Strats and another HSS.

It’s a very different animal and what works for an LP and even a Tele isn’t necessarily the case with a Strat. As an example, high gain just doesn’t work well with Strat single coil pickups, but varying levels/types of fuzz, some compression and modulation work great with them and you can do some fantastic things with one once you get used to it.

The one thing I don’t have is some type of filter on guitar - that will probably be the next one I get.

Thanks for your suggestion!
Oh man yeah... I had Strats in my hands... sold each one after three months or so...
I just don't like the total package... i don't like the single coil sound or the infamous quack... I can cover a lot of these sounds with the middle pickup in my Nashville Tele. the shape is comfy but it doesn't feel right when sitting... i'm not a big fan of the tremolo either. I prefer fixed bridges... and when a whammy is necessary i tend to go the floyd rose or bigsby route....

I have the Les Paul standard, the Stratocaster. The third would probably be expected to be a Tele, except I have a Deluxe 70s that's really its own thing. I have a CV50 Tele, which is a fine guitar and I've practically worn the frets off of it. That guitar may find its way to a newbie someday, who will hopefully learn to love and play the guitar. Should I find the Tele that grabs me and says "Take me home", the Deluxe is fair game for trade or sale.

I am trying to get to three electrics, one acoustic and a bass.

Thanks
A Tele deluxe is also a sweet looking and sounding guitar. i played a road worn one that i nearly took home... But i am not sure if it is as distinctive as a Les Paul or classic Tele...

Something like this: View attachment 662321

GAS level rises

the suggestions for P90 make sense
in which case, Gibson ES 330 , or a Casino

Thanks for your suggestion!
Casino / ES 330 vs Gretsch? Which ones ounds more distinctive?

If we talk tone wise, I agree with all previous suggestions.
If we talk about playability and feel, PRS is unbeatable.

then maybe a PRS Variant of the previous suggestions?
Instead of a Strat >> Silver Sky?
Instead of a Junior / Special >> PRS One / SE with Soap bars?
Maybe a PRS SE Hollowbody with Pups changed to Filtertrons?

Change your 1 and 2 to an Ibanez Prestige rg5170, number 2 to an Ibanez j custom and for the third? An EVH CUSTOM, (it like a love child of a strat and Les Paul it’s best of both, then on all 3, Optima gold strings. Then unless you’re so pro making 10K a. Gig, , Bugera. AMP, 120 watt 333xl infinium or the Trirec infinium … forget that Celestion hype bs, get couple $100ish 12” in a 2 by 12… prepare for hearing loss and orgasmic sound …. And now comes miller time… almost forgot , also screw xvive crap wireless ….for half’s the $ get two pair greteria

Thanks Janning! Whoa.. This one is out of the box Thanks for your suggestions!
But... but... aren't these like basically the same kind of guitar x3?
All three come with fender Scale... all come with Floyd Rose style Trem... two of them are HSH, one is HH...
but yes an ibanez is sexy.. and the fishman fluence with 2 modes sounds exciting. also digging the tree of life inlay.

The bare minimum guitar I need for work is a Les Paul, Strat or Tele (I use a Strat that also has Telecaster wiring) and a hollow body like a 335.
I recommend unpotted pickups to take advantage of the hollow body characteristics.
Good Luck!

This is an interesting thought about unpotted pups. thanks for the suggestion!

I agree that you miss a guitar with tremolo bridge,

Additionally a semi hollow Rickenbacker? (don't know exactly what makes them sounds differently)

Thanks
How does a Rickebacker sound compared to a Gretsch or a ES 335/330?

My suggestion

View attachment 662331

I see what you did there! 2 of 3 Problems solved. fixed bridge - check.... quack - uncheck yay
I won't deny that this guitar indeed is sexy... but if i were to got this route, i would rather get a Telecaster Deluxe with two P90s ... as i still dislike the body shape

I also have a Gibson Les Paul Standard and a fender American tele. I went with a 61 reissue Gibson SG for #3 and then a step further 4th was an acoustic Martin 000-15M. I’m done. Thank you good night

Sweet! sounds like a good trinity of electrics... why no SG with p90s?

 

[Leee]

Rickenbacker?
Oh, now there’s a whole ‘nuther world!
One of my biggest regrets is selling my 381-V69.
It was a brother-in-law deal.
The worst kind of guitar trading dynamic…

 

[the pearl]

Telecaster. Stratocaster . Les Paul
Hollow body or semi hollow
335 or to be really different 330 with p90s

 

[yelemusic]

It'll have to be a Strat, no question.
The big question will be what to get once you have your Strat
ES335 would be nice, but the LesPaul covers its ground quite well, a Junior is great to have, but it doesn't lend itself to certain styles at all (ever tried playing Jazz on a single P90 Junior?)
So I'd say: LesPaul, Tele, Strat, that gives you the most iconic sounds, so those are a must. Everything else is really nice to have but not an absolute necessity

 

[lwchafin]

The bare minimum guitar I need for work is a Les Paul, Strat or Tele (I use a Strat that also has Telecaster wiring) and a hollow body like a 335.
I recommend unpotted pickups to take advantage of the hollow body characteristics.
Good Luck!

335s are semi hollow. ES 135 is hollow.

 

[drivers1959]

Hello

What would you consider the ideal third electric guitar, if you want to cover as many tones as possible.
At the moment I own a
Fender Telecaster with three Single Coils (Tele Neck+Bridge and Strat Middle)
and a Gibson Les Paul with two Humbuckers.

With these two guitars one already covers a whole range of sounds...
What guitar model would be the third Guitar, that would be different enough to both of these?
Which guitar would sound totally different to the Tele/Strat and Les Paul Sound?


Semi Hollow with TV Jones?
PRS with a 25" Scale Length?
SG with P90's?
Danelectro with Lipsticks?

Let me hear your ideas!
Would love to hear your opinion.

Thank you.

Merlyn

go gretch!!

 

[gtimach1]

A Gretsch or Rickenbacker for a different vibe and look.

A P90 SG

 

[Mudflap]

Hello

What would you consider the ideal third electric guitar, if you want to cover as many tones as possible.
At the moment I own a
Fender Telecaster with three Single Coils (Tele Neck+Bridge and Strat Middle)
and a Gibson Les Paul with two Humbuckers.

With these two guitars one already covers a whole range of sounds...
What guitar model would be the third Guitar, that would be different enough to both of these?
Which guitar would sound totally different to the Tele/Strat and Les Paul Sound?


Semi Hollow with TV Jones?
PRS with a 25" Scale Length?
SG with P90's?
Danelectro with Lipsticks?

Let me hear your ideas!
Would love to hear your opinion.

Thank you.

Merlyn

For me being a 70s rocker growing up listening to les pauls, strats and tele's through a marshall. It would be just that Les paul, strat and tele. Being the les paul is and will always be my farvorite. I have three reissues a 60s with humbuckers, a 57 black custom with humbuckers and a 54 with the staple pickup in the neck and a P-90 in the bridge. I've tried many different gibson hollow-bodies but none stay'd around like the solid bodies. I'ver tried several SG's but again none stay'd. So it's early fender and marshall clean and plexi overdrive.

 

[DBDM]

Need a 335 to round out that collection. Some mention p90s--put in a humbucker size p90 for those tones. Or a TV Jones filtertron. Or both.

 

[NotScott]

@Leee @NotScottThis sounds interesting... thanks for the suggestion...
Stupid question... just curious... but how do you think a filtertron pickup will sound in a solid body guitar like a Les Paul? Will it sound similar to a Gretsch?

Trons sound great in solid bodies! I have a Tele and a Strat loaded with them.

The tele has a TV Jones Classic in the neck. It has more body and is more responsive than a typical Tele neck. The TV Jones Classic Plus bridge with TV's custom bridge plate will do everything from country to rock screaming Tele to fat humbucker tones and does them all noiselessly.

The Strat has the same pickups. The neck sounds open and detailed but will do a smooth OD tone when you crank up the gain. The bridge is much more fuller sounding than a typical Strat bridge and is more open and detailed than a PAF. In-between, the thing sounds like a Strat! I use this Tele and Strat on all of my gigs.

The Gretsch guitars are a Jet and 5420.

The Jet has TV Jones Classics. The 5420 came with Gretsch Blacktop Filtertrons, which are nice but with all of the Trons I have in other guitars, I decided to go with TV Jones' DeArmond pickups. DeArmonds sound very different than Trons. They are single coils and don't really do well with gain. They excel at Clean to edge of breakup tones though.

As to how solid bodies sound with Trons, they sound closer to PAF tones than traditional Gretsch tones. Gretsch vintage style bridges were floating and that results in a more mid-focused tone with less sustain than solid bridge designs. Also, Jets are hollow inside so even though they look like a solid body, they sound like a cross between a solid and a hollow body. You can still get Gretsch janglies and a Gretsch vibe from solid bridge design guitars, but if vintage accuracy is your thing, you need the floating bridge.

Overall, Filtertrons are my favorite, do it all pickup, especially the TV Jones Classic/Classic Plus setup. They are what PAFs should have been.

 

[drivers1959]

the late malcom of A.C D.C sure knew what those pups could do!!!

 

[NotScott]

the late malcom of A.C D.C sure knew what those pups could do!!!

Yep, as did Billy Duffy from The Cult and Brian Setzer.

 

[drivers1959]

Yep, as did Billy Duffy from The Cult and Brian Setzer.

here are my 2 Gretch guitars i own..need i say more..rock on! and yes,..thats a Brian Setzer model..and a Billy Gibbons model

 

[NotScott]

Cool Gretsch guitars!

Oh yeah, Billy Gibbons is a Tron fan too! How did I forget that.

 

[2Muchgear]

way back when, I did a Lester, a Strat and then a Sheraton II.