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

[Jay4321]

I mean it you want something at some distance from what you have there are a few ways you could go really. A big ol' Gretsch or something is one idea. I'm not too keen on a straight up Strat as been too far away from a Tele, so I'd push it a little further

 

[keys88]

I agree with the hollow-body recommendations. A Gretsch would be a good addition, as would an ES-330 / Casino with P90s. Each of those would cover a new range of sonic possibilities for you. You could look at an Epi Riviera too (semi hollow with 3 P90s and a Bigsby).

 

[gforce]

1) A Strat style guitar - personally I would say a G&L since Leo really refined his tremolo after selling Fender. 2) A clean refined Parker Nightfly - a real unicorn but an amazing guitar if you can hunt one down. 3) A Taylor T5Z - a semi-hollow body with a wide range of capabilities- they even make a 12-string if you want to jingle jangle.

 

[tradproII]

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

Any Rickenbacker.

 

[Cozmik Cowboy]

Overall, I'd say your 3rd should be a Martin M-36 or M-38*. I know these are not models many are aware of, so in case you're not: The M body is based on a guitar of David Bromberg's; he had a Martin F-9 archtop converted to a flattop - you get the shape & depth of a 000 or OM with a hair more width than a dreadnought; gives you the all the tonal balance of the former with almost all the volume of the latter (Also, I'm not a small guy, but I find a D a handful; the M is much more comfortable for me). Their best idea since X-bracing.

*Those are the most common iterations, but there are also a few small-run regular models & a number of signature models built on that platform as well.

But if you're set on another electric (though really, all you need is a Tele......), the only possible answer is an ES-175-D. If possible, get a 1953-56 model; '49-'53 the -D variant wasn't available, and in '57 they switched it from the mighty P-90 to the lesser humbucker.

 

[timmytVA]

Like you, I'm a Les Paul and Tele guy. Currently have R7, R0, Junior, Tele, and Esquire.

Like you, I'm not a Strat guy. Just cannot make them work for me.

Like others, I'd vote P90s or Filtertrons. You could go solid body like a LP Junior or Gretsch Jet, or semi-hollow like a 335 or Gretsch equivalent.

Tim

 

[leofender55]

Gretsch!

 

[Bluesman1956]

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

Probably either a 335 or a Strat but it all depends on the type of music your into.

 

[BlackCatBonz]

Sometimes you just like what you like. I worked my butt off when I was 16 and bought a Les Paul Standard. It was the guitar I learned to play on and I played a crap ton of gigs on it. I didn't get the itch to play another guitar for 28 years and I bought an acoustic.
Then I got a Telecaster, and a Les Paul Special Double Cut. Never felt the need to have a guitar with a tremolo... until I saw the Suhr Pete Thorn Standard. It's kind of a Les Paul that wants to be a Strat.
Between the Les Paul, Tele and Special... I was able to cover a lot of tonal ground, if I wanted to take one guitar to a gig, the Suhr can get me the Les Paul and Fender tones, but it can't sound like a P-90.

I think it would be fun to get a Telecaster and put a P-90 in the bridge and a Filtertron in the neck.

Show and Tell!

 

[Jay4321]

Or one of those 9-string guitars that tune down to dropped X, where I think you're supposed to turn up the gain, jump on the low string and staccato out Morse code for "no women in audience"

 

[LeftyF2003]

I highly recommend one of these

Sits very nicely between a Tele and a Les Paul.

 

[RGS265]

I’m in the situation where I’m downsizing my guitar collection (had 90+) but my electric keepers are a Strat, a Tele, a Gretsch 6122, a Casino with p-90s, a Dano 12, a Gretsch 12 and a Guild Starfire 12. In your position I’d go for a Gretsch or a Casino for a different sound.

 

[rjwilson37]

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

A Super Strat of some kind with HSS pickups and a nice Floyd Rose so you can make the guitar Scream!

 

[80smetalhead]

Without actually knowing specifically what you lean towards playing you should maybe consider getting some type of Super Strat with humbuckers, a Floyd Rose and a coil split. Or a HSS setup.

I thought I should do what you’re doing and add a Strat and Tele to my Les Paul heavy arsenal. Realized pretty quickly they weren’t my cup of tea. But I do love Super Strats…I have 8 of them. Go figure lol

 

[BanditPanda]

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

Regardless of pups it's gotta be either a Strat or semi hollow body.
You will want both to make your arsenal complete.

 

[Thestratophile]

Les Paul Special - p 90s - glorious and easy switch from your current Les Paul - but sounds frickin' awesome! I have Murphy Lab R9 and Gibson original LP special - almost $7K between them but hard pressed to say which is more fun!?!?

 

[Thestratophile]

... or ES 335 - from Jazz to rock, does it all - just glorious!!!!

 

[DolanGuitars]

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

My choice would be a Gretsch, like a Country Gentleman or a Tennessean . Depends on what you want to do with it. If you want to get extreme you could get a Rick 12 (or even a 6).

 

[Thestratophile]

or ..... just acquire GAS and spoil yourself for choice

 

[jim777]

Get big old hollowbody with a laminate top. ES-175 copy maybe, or Ibby AS2000