tips on buying a new guitar

Playability is defined as how easy is a guitar to play, does your hand glide effottlessly up and down the fretboard as it should without sticking every few inches like your hand is covered in honey. Is the body well balanced, not to heavy,not too light. Are the controls easy to access or do they get in the way when you play. All of these thing should be considered when choosing your next guitar.

Is esp's take on the Gibson Les Paul body style but that's where the similarities end. Consistently a best seller for ESP for years Epiphone had to make one just like it due to a decline in their own sales, the Epiphone (i'll get to that guitar later), the EC-1000 LTD Deluxe is built to dominate.This metal machine is a total gift from god just check out the features a mahogany body and a set-in 3-piece Mahogany neck are robust yet very playable,while a set of EMG pickups(an 81 in the bridge and 60 at the neck) are incredibly clean at low volumes and just completely insane when cranked up. Additional pro-grade highlights include rock-solid ESP locking tuners,TonePros bridge with stoptail,and an Earvana compensated nut to improve intonation then trimmed in eye-popping abalone binding. This guitar is kind of like a Gibson Les Paul but 10 times better and a 100 times sexier. I recently got to play one of these and cannot say enough about how amazingly crafted these guitars are. Sound,looks,playability and parts that you would find on guitars costing hundreds if not thousands. It has it everything well almost everything case not included but does it really matter. (Assorted Colors) see thru black cherry,see thru green, see thru blue, snow white, vintage black,and black. mahogany Body
Set-in 3-piece Mahogany neck (thin U shape)
Rosewood fingerboard
Abalone neck & body binding w/ flag inlays
EMG 81 (neck) and 60 (bridge) pickups
Master Tone and 2 Volume knobs with 3-way switch
ESP Locking Tuners
Tonepros Locking Bridge & Tail
42mm Earvana Compensated nut
24.75" scale
Case not included Model EC1000 Electric Guitar
Series Deluxe Series
Body Style Les Paul
Body Wood Mahogany
Neck Type Set-Neck
Neck Wood Mahogany
Machine Heads ESP Locking Tuners
Fingerboard Rosewood
Frets 24
Pickups H-H
Controls Volume, Volume, Tone, Toggle
Bridge Type Stop Tail
Bridge Stop Tail
Scale Length 24.75"
Case Included No
Case Type Les Paul
Pickguard No

Schecter Hellraiser C1 FR Specifications

Construction: Set-Neck with Ultra Access
Scale: 25.5-inch
Body: Mahogany with Quilted Maple Top
Neck: 3-piece Mahogany
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Frets: 24 X-Jumbo
Inlays: Gothic Cross
Pickups: EMG Active 81TW and 89
Electronics: Volume, Volume, Tone, 3-Way switch
Bridge: Original Floyd Rose Tremolo System
Binding: Abalone
Tuners: Grover
Hardware: Black

Jackson Pro RR24 Randy Rhoads Electric Guitar is a total metal classic nothing more to say. Model Name: Pro Series RR24 Rhoads
Colors: Black with Blood Red Bevels
Body: Alder
Neck: Neck-Thru-Body Rock Maple with Scarf Joint Head Stock
Neck Dimensions: 3rd Fret: .790 inch, 12th Fret: .850 inch
Tuning Machines: Sealed Die-Cast Tuners
Fingerboard: Ebony with Compound 14 to 16 inch Radius
No. of Frets: 24 Jumbo Frets
Bridge Pickup: EMG 81
Controls: Volume
Bridge: Floyd Rose Original Double Locking 2-Point Tremolo
Hardware: Black
Strings: NPS, Gauges: .009, .011, .016, .024, .032, .042
Case: Optional Deluxe Molded Case
Scale Length: 25.5 inches (648mm)
Width at Nut: 1-11/16 inches (43mm)
Unique Features: 24 Jumbo Frets, 1 EMG 81 Pickup, Jackson 6-In-Line Pointed Headstock, Compound (14 to 16 inches) Fingerboard Radius, MOTO Shark Fin Position Inlays,
Introduced: 1/2007

Never i repeat never buy a guitar that has all single coil pickups on it if your going to be playing metal it does not work well if you didn't know now you know. Also never buy a guitar with no name humbuckers or guitar manufacture made pickups if you can help it because you will not be happy with their sound and you will end up replacing them,well maybe for the exception of Ibanez they make really nice high output pickups.

Metal Method Guitar Lessons are worth some careful consideration if you are seriously interested in learning to play metal, heavy metal, hard rock, classic rock, blues rock, country rock, jazz rock or any genre of electric guitar music for that matter.

The course title,Metal Method, is a little misleading because it implies that it teaches nothing but Hard Rock electric guitar. The truth is that absolutely all types of electric or acoustic guitar music require the exact same fundamental understanding of music theory and guitar skills...no exceptions.

While the author Doug Marks is truly a Metal guy with his own band called "Hawk", he is more accurately described as a truly accomplished recording and performing guitarist with an amazing gift for clear and concise electric guitar training. He really gets it when it comes to teaching from the student's perspective.He's taught me so much and he can do the same for you. P.S. you should also check out RIFFMASTER a great tool for figuring out complex songs and solos.

Here is the guitar i was refering to earlier in the ESP LTD EC 1000 section. see what i mean a copy of a copy but still a really nice guitar just not as nice as the ESP. Color EX Model: Midnight Ebony
Body: Mahogany
Top: Quilted maple
Neck: Mahogany
Neck Profile: Speed-Taper, satin finish
Neck Joint: Glued, set neck
Fingerboard: Ebony
Fingerboard Radius: 14 inch
Frets: 24, jumbo
Scale: 24-3/4 inches
Nut Width: 1-11/16 inch
Pickups:
EX Model:
Neck Pickup: EMG 85
Bridge Pickup: EMG 81
Bridge: LockTone tune-o-matic
Tailpiece: LockTone stopbar
Controls: Master volume, master tone with push/pull coil-tap, 3-way toggle
Output Jack: Standard 1/4 inch mono
Power: None
Nut Material: Graphite
Tuners: Grover die-cast
Strap Buttons: Epiphone StrapLocks
Hardware:
EX Model: Black
Binding: Body, neck, headstock

ESP LTD WA600 Will Adler Camo Eclipse Electric Guitar

The ESP WA600 Will Adler is a metal machine powered by two Seymour Duncan pickups - a JB at the bridge and a 59 at the neck. Equipped with Schaller locking tuners, a Tonepros T3B-T bridge and T1Z tailpiece and chrome hardware. The 3-piece, Maple neck has a thin, u-shape profile and features a bound, Ebony fingerboard with star inlays, a flag at the 12th fret and 22 XJ frets. Additional features include Mahogany body, set-thru-body construction, bound body and headstock, 3-way toggle switch, master tone and two volume controls. Finished in Camo with matching headstock. Case not included.

Construction: Set-thru-body
Scale: 24.75"
Body: Mahogany
Neck: 3-Pc. Maple
Fingerboard: Ebony
Nut Type: Bone
Nut Width: 45mm
Neck Shape: Thin U
Inlays: Stars w/Flag @ 12th Fret
Frets: 22 XJ
Binding: Creme (B/N/H)
Hardware: Chrome
Tuners: Schaller Locking
Bridge / Tailpiece: Tonepros T3B-T & T1Z Locking
Pickups: Seymour Duncan JB (B) / 59 (N)
Electronics: Vol / Vol / Tone / Toggle

Features on a metal guitar is very different than features on a guitar bought for any other style of music.1:DO NOT buy guitars w/ bolt on necks,sustain is lost if not none existent w/bolt on necks.Only set neck or set through neck only. 2: If you want to play like a metal god someday you need a fast neck. A fast neck is one that is flat and thin not thick and baseball bat like. trust me makes a huge difference in your playing.3: No ,NO name parts. Only premium parts no exceptions. With these tips you should be able to find a good well made guitar.

The Ibanez XPT700 Xiphos series of electric guitars offers some metal-ready specs in a newly designed X body shape, as well as some slick finishes. Its unique body is made from mahogany, with a thru-body 5-piece Wizard II neck giving this axe incredible tonal power and ringing sustain. It then features a bound rosewood fingerboard with 22 jumbo frets and sharktooth inlays. A set of DiMarzio D Activator pickups were designed for the scorching sound modern metal requires, and then some! More up to date features include a reversed headstock, Edge III tremolo, die-cast tuners, and chrome hardware. Case not included.

X shaped mahogany body
Thru-body 5-piece Wizard II neck
Bound rosewood fingerboard
22 jumbo frets
Sharktooth inlays
2 DiMarzio D Activator humbuckers
Edge III double locking tremolo
Reversed headstock
Die cast tuners
Chrome hardware
Case not included

Here is an other guitar that is influenced by the classic metal guitar the Jackson Randy Rhodes Signature Model but the ESP has made several obvious improvements that Jackson should have made years ago, most notably easier access to the higher frets by cutting into the body more than any other company that makes a v-shaped guitar. The ESP LTD Alexi 600 Electric Guitar Rocks, according to Alexi Laiho, the highly acclaimed guitarist and frontman for Finnish metal band Children of Bodom, and has put his name on his first Signature Series guitars for ESP. The models, in two different finish combinations, are being released under the company's LTD brand.

"Alexi has risen through the ranks to be considered one of today's top guitarists," says Allen Steelgrave, ESP Director of Marketing and Artist Relations. "His model was originally designed with the ESP Custom Shop in Japan, but we were always besieged with requests from customers who wanted a model made to his spec. Now, they can get Alexi's custom axe, down to the most minute detail."

The new ESP Alexi offers a striking V-shaped alder body available in two finishes: black w/yellow stripe and white w/black stripe. The guitar has a neck-thru 25.5-inch design, using a 3-piece maple neck with a 24-fret ebony fingerboard and saw-tooth inlays. The ESP Alexi includes white binding on neck and head, and comes with professional-quality components including a Floyd Rose original tremolo, Grover tuners, and a single Seymour Duncan Blackout Active pickup.

Type: Neck-Thru Body
Scale: 25.5 inch
Body: Alder
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Ebony
Nut: Locking
Neck Width: 42mm
Neck Shape: Thin U
Frets: 24 Extra Jumbo
Hardware: Black Nickel
Tuners: Grover
Bridge: Floyd Rose
Pickup: Seymour Duncan Blackout Active

Plain and simple there is no reason to spend $2,000,$3,000 $5,000 on a guitar that looks,plays and sounds like a guitar that costs $500 to $1,200. What? your going to be a chump and pay that price for what a name or a case with a cool name on it. Look there's hardly a difference between so-called high-end guitars and mid-level guitars,so if you want to spend a butt-load of cash on one guitar i'll spend my cash on buying two or three guitars and have cash leftover to do whatever.

The LTD TM-600 Travis Miguel Electric Guitar features a solid mahogany, Viper body with a set in maple neck. The set neck joint is super strong and increases neck to body wood contact, assuring an excellent transfer of string vibration. Those vibrations are sent to your amp two beefy active EMG pickups: an EMG 81 at the bridge and an EMG 85 at the neck. This model also features the EMG-AB Afterburner tone circuit, which boosts input gain up to 20 dB-for the highest levels of saturation anywhere.

To keep your signal clean and mean, ESP has limited the controls to single volume and tone knobs on the TM-600 guitar. The neck features a fast thin U-shaped profile and a rosewood fingerboard with 24 extra jumbo frets, perfect for high-speed playing. The Floyd Rose tremolo bridge is ready to divebomb your fans. Black Nickel hardware completes the metal-ready look.

Guitarist Travis Miguel, along with Atreyu, have been taking the world of metalcore and hard rock by storm since the late 90s, and show no signs of stopping.

ESP LTD TM-600 Travis Miguel Electric Guitar Features:

Body Type: VIPER
Body Wood: Mahogany
Scale Length: 24.75"
Neck Joint: Set in
Neck Wood: maple
Fretboard: rosewood
Neck Shape: thin U
Frets: 24XJ
Nut Width: 42mm
Bridge: Floyd Rose
Pickup Bridge: EMG 81
Pickup Neck: EMG 85
Tone Circuit: EMG-AB Afterburner
Controls: Vol / Tone
Tuners: Grover
Hardware color: Black Nickel
Pickup selector: Toggle
Finish: polyurethane

Why buy the gibson version of the guitar at $3,000 to $5,000 when you can get this guitar for under a $1,000 with pretty much the same features. Built to survive in the "Concrete Jungle," the Epiphone Zakk Wylde Camo Les Paul is another savage beast of Zakk's line. It has a mahogany body with a maple top, set-in maple neck with maple fingerboard, and pearloid block inlays. The EMG HG4 humbuckers onboard are just what you need to be able to match the sonic power you've heard on all those BLS tracks. Additional high-grade features include a Tune-O-Matic bridge with stoptail, die-cast tuners, fully bound body/neck/headstock, and gold-tone hardware. Case not included.

Mahogany body with maple top
Set in maple neck
Maple fingerboard with pearloid block inlays
EMG HG4 humbuckers
Die cast tuners
Tune-O-Matic bridge with stoptail
Gold tone hardware
2 Volume and 2 Tone knobs with 3-way switch
Bound body/neck/headstock
25.5" scale
1.68" nut width
Case not included

The Ibanez RGT42DXWH electric guitar is a metal soloist's dream! This high-flying axe is made from mahogany, plus a 5-piece maple/bubinga Wizard II neck. The neck-thru-body construction makes for greater sustain and more fulfilling tone. It has a bound rosewood fingerboard, complete with 24 jumbo frets and sharktooth inlays that are all attitude. A set of IBZ Infinity pickups offer a wide array of tones from subtle to scream, and are widely responsive and dynamic. Other high-grade features include an Edge III tremolo, die-cast tuners, and satin chrome hardware. Case not included.

Mahogany body
5-piece maple/bubinga Wizard II neck
Neck thru construction
Bound rosewood fingerboard
24 jumbo frets
Sharktooth inlays
2 IBZ Infinity pickups
Edge III tremolo
Satin chrome hardware
Die-cast tuners
Case not included