My Axe(that means guitar, posers)

[OMGWTF420]

currently im rocking an LTD viper 100fm, stock ESP pick-ups, bottom heavy Ernie Ball strings...

im thinking about upgrading, the guitar sounds superb especially distorted, the cleans could be better but its definitely manageable. my only complaints are the action isnt that great and i get alot of fret buzz(not sure if this is the guitar, my strings or both, dude at the shop said it was just the guitar and there was nothing i could do about it) any ideas? suggestions? what are you playing?

also i need a new amp. should i go marshall or fender? or what about line 6? i hear those are good for solid state amps. on that note should i go tube or solid state? i play mainly rock/metal fwiw

lets talk about guitars

[gcobb]

I guess it just depends on what sort of tone you're craziest about within 'rock and metal.' For instance, both Dimebag Darrell and Derek Trucks could, at times, be classified as rock guitarists. In my own experience/opinion, nothing out there beats a straight-up pedal-free unmediated instrument-to-amp combination of Gibson's 57 humbuckers and a quality Fender tube amp (be it Blues Junior, Blues Deluxe, Deluxe/Super Reverb) when it comes to clean tone.

That said, my own taste and style and ambitions tend to be way on out to the Derek Trucks end of the tonal spectrum. I'd like to be able to characterize my tone as warm and obese, hence my near-fanatical love for the Gibson guitar/Fender amp combo and comparative loathing for the pseudo-soulful thinness of your average Strat player's sound (Stevie Ray being a crucial exception, but only b/c he played with such monstrously thick strings that he ended up with a Gibsonian tone).

I know next to nothing about what sort of hardware would be good for a metal player (and your options would probably depend a lot on how much you play rhythm v. lead (if you're in a band or something)), but my gut tells me one would always be better off going with quality over gimmicky hardware (i.e. get the best tone possible first, then figure out how/whether to add certain effects). Though, as always, the one absolutely most inflexible and foolproof way to improve your sound is to improve your fingers. To practice.

[gcobb]

I play a Gibson SG standard, BTW, which I understand to have certain at least aesthetic things in common w/ the Viper. If you like the light weight, one-piece-of-woodedness-that's-perfect-for-playing-slide, and unparalleled high-fret access of the Viper, the SG might suit you.

[Lune]

Picked this thing up in Mistmoore, but I'm thinking I might just sell it to a vendor. Been carrying it around for about a week now and still haven't played it

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[OMGWTF420]

Originally Posted by gcobb [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I play a Gibson SG standard, BTW, which I understand to have certain at least aesthetic things in common w/ the Viper. If you like the light weight, one-piece-of-woodedness-that's-perfect-for-playing-slide, and unparalleled high-fret access of the Viper, the SG might suit you.

ya gibson SG's have always caught my eye, they are just a very aesthetically pleasing guitar. thats what turned me on to the viper was that it had that sg look. however ive also been looking at alot of jackson's, i played some jackson flying v(cant remember the exact model) in a pawn shop a few months ago and i fell in love, the action was sooooo smooth, the main problem i seem to be having is the guitars that sound good distorted and down-tuned often sound like shit when you try to play the cleaner sounds. i play everything from lamb of god to pearl jam so i need something that can hang with both, i may be asking for too much lol

[OforOppression]

Solid states are really good if you don't have many pedals. Pedals are better, obviously, but my Line 6 Spider III has a good range of effects and I only really use my wah and flanger.

If you're a pedal nut I would recommend a Marshall.

I use my Telecaster mostly for normal fiddling but I also have a Dean VMNT Mustaine signature that gets really buttery clean sound and just nasty distortion.

[OforOppression]

Forgot to mention, the action on the VMNT is really smooth, a little higher than most guitars I've played but it's not difficult.

[OMGWTF420]

Originally Posted by OforOppression [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Solid states are really good if you don't have many pedals. Pedals are better, obviously, but my Line 6 Spider III has a good range of effects and I only really use my wah and flanger.

If you're a pedal nut I would recommend a Marshall.

I use my Telecaster mostly for normal fiddling but I also have a Dean VMNT Mustaine signature that gets really buttery clean sound and just nasty distortion.

i have a few pedals, the main ones i use are my distortion and delay tho. i prefer using pedals for effects rather than using built in ones on the amps personally

[OMGWTF420]

just broke a string and dont have any to replace it, fml

[nichomachean]

I would ask what kind of budget you're looking for?

Overall, in terms of amp, for the most legitimate sounds (both clean and overdriven), you can't be tube. There are plenty of boutique craftsman creating wonderful amps across a range of sounds and needs. Bad Cat amps, for example, have great class A overdriven sound and crystal-clear cleans. ENGL, on the other hand, makes face-melting, high gain monsters for the metalheads and shredders out there. I think tube amps are worth the investment, even if they are pricey.

In terms of guitars, most companies make great guitars, and tone is a matter of many things, including the wood combinations in the neck, fretboard, and body; which electronics you place in the guitar, and scale. In terms of your current guitar, I am skeptical things like fret buzz and high action cannot be adjusted (it sounds like your repair guy doesn't seem to know his stuff). I play an Ibanez S with EMG active pickups as my more "metal" guitar (it has exceptional clean sounds as well), and stick to a Dean Evo for my more classic rock, Gibson-Les-Paul-style guitar.

Solid state is great on a budget, but all-in-all one will not find the same tone from it as tube circuitry.

Just my 2 coppers.