Suggestions for a do-it-all guitar...

Fifty9

crunchman said:

PRS DGT is very versatile.

A good 335 can rock out, but also be very articulate to replace the Strat.


agree with this. Coil split the 335 & stick a bigsby on it

bacchanalian

I recently traded a Suhr Alt T Pro but only because I bought a DGT.
The Suhr is just fantastic and covers a huge range of tones.
My DGT has a maple neck and it can be plenty twangy.

I don't think either replicate the tones of an LP, strat or tele.  I think they probably sound better.

Dominic

richardhomer said:

‘Super Strat’ style guitars are a good option - but the HB sounds aren’t that close to a Les Paul - whether this matters is down to taste.

A PRS DGT gets you very much into LP territory - but their are no ‘Inbetween’ single coil sounds. What single coil sounds there are, are good - but lack the ‘snap’ of a bolt-in maple neck guitar.

There is an inherent level of compromise with all ‘do it all’ guitars. You need to compare a few at a good dealer and decide if any work for you. 

PRS Brent Mason .......better than DGT and split coils out of phase sounds just like a Strat

grungebob

Go try a prs Vela. Very nice to play great range of sounds ( if you don’t need a trem) and you’ll have a lot of cash left. Or if you do like the Vela but want a trem I’d try one of The prs S2 studios and you’ll still have a fair chunk of change 

ICBM

What richardhomer said.

If you absolutely must have that distinctive Strat in-between 'quack' sound then you need a HSS or HSH Strat-type guitar, or you might get away with a HH with closely-spaced pickups and the option to split to the inner coils. The type of pickups then becomes important, some split better than others.

If the Strat sound is less important than a Gibson-type tone then I'd go for something more like a PRS, again with splittable pickups.

Neither will give you the exact sounds of the other main type of guitar, but you'd be surprised how close they will get if you just listen to the tone itself and not the way the guitar makes you play.

But honestly... with those two guitars already and that budget, and wanting something to mark a big birthday and that you'll keep for good, I'd buy an acoustic.

Sassafras

Rickenbacker for a bit of variety.
Telecaster for everything else.

Winny_Pooh

Prs S2 studio IMO

AlexO

Do you play live and who is your favourite guitarist?

Alegree

Pick a guitar you like the feel of, load a set of Chameleon humbuckers into it.
Up to 48 tone combinations at your fingertips.

monquixote

DGT is probably the most versatile guitar but finding something that inspires you is the most important thing.

terada

I’d go on a crimson course and build my own tele. 

stratman3142

HSS American Standard Strat for me for live gigs, but it's nice to have other guitars to play and for recording.

I take spare guitars to gigs, such as a PRS or Les Paul, with coil taps which gives them some versatility, but they stay on the stand as I don't recall the last time I broke a string at a gig on my HSS Strat.

I need the single coil sound with a humbucker in the bridge position. My HSS Strat also has S1 switching giving the option of putting the neck and middle pickup in humbucker configuration, which very occasionally comes in useful.

mudslide73

I'm in the Tele camp here. It's the "lukewarm water" to the Strat and LP's fire and ice. 

Roland

terada said:

I’d go on a crimson course and build my own tele. 

There is no thing as the perfect guitar, if only because your criteria change with age and experience. Treat it as a journey rather than a destination. If you’ve got the time and interest then making/modifying your own aped than the buy/sell Loop.

Roland

Alegree said:

Pick a guitar you like the feel of, load a set of Chameleon humbuckers into it.
Up to 48 tone combinations at your fingertips.

I really must try this some time

Jimbro66

Dominic said:
PRS Brent Mason .......better than DGT and split coils out of phase sounds just like a Strat

I'm not normally a fan of PRS but their Brent Mason model has to be one or the most versatile guitars out there and definitely one to try.

 

monquixote

stratman3142 said:

HSS American Standard Strat for me for live gigs, but it's nice to have other guitars to play and for recording.

I take spare guitars to gigs, such as a PRS or Les Paul, with coil taps which gives them some versatility, but they stay on the stand as I don't recall the last time I broke a string at a gig on my HSS Strat.

I need the single coil sound with a humbucker in the bridge position. My HSS Strat also has S1 switching giving the option of putting the neck and middle pickup in humbucker configuration, which very occasionally comes in useful.

I've got one I'm selling cheap as well

vonLayzonfon

Do-it-All closed down years ago. You'll have to look for a B&Q guitar...



I'll get me coat. 

Wazmeister

uberscott said:

Suhr Alt-T Pro covers a hell of a lot of ground. Semi-hollow swamp ash body with bolt-on maple neck, and two humbuckers with split coil switching gives you a big ol' range of tones. 

Another vote for the Suhr Alt T Pro...

I've owned many great guitars, including Nik Huber. CS and Masterbuilt (still own a MB Strat), but this will and does do everything. Rarely goes out of tune ever, and is truly superb.

Wonky

I think it's fairly easy to get a guitar that does a good approximation of both a Strat and a Les Paul and a few other things to boot.  The thing that isn't possible is to replicate how those different instruments make you play differently and influence you.  So I'd forget about the one guitar to sound like them all and just get one that makes you create magic.