well if you want a new axe i suggest tried and true gibson. i play an SG as my main axe and its been my tried and true for many years, though if you get an SG i'd put some better pickups in (if you get the SG special). I play a schecter c1 classic as well, i think they have a better sound then the omen so you may wanna look into the classics, you should be able to get a used classic in good shape for a good price (mine, literally like new was 450)... ok sorry just read ur price range scrap the gibson go test play a c1 classic, its an excellent piece of guitar, oh and not to bash but try some other distortion petals the metal zone has a really poor sound overall, i just got rid of mine in fact, its gets very thin and brittle and far too "synthetic" of a sound

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i'd suggest playing a bunch of guitars that are slightly out of your price range... and then when you find the one you like most... try and find one used online or at a local shop... some good online places are: ebay of course... www.instrumentexchange.com , www.harmony-central.com's classified adds, and www.musicgoround.com

i prefer the feel of used / "broken in" guitars sometimes... they just feel real. but you don't have to get one to used, you can easily find mint-ish condish guitars that rock, but it's been pre owned and has some belt buckle scratches on the back(which you'd probably end up putting on anyways) so it's quite a bit cheaper.

my guitarist bought his gibson sg special for $350 used but in mint-ish condish... normally they go for like $650 new...
with the money he saved he made a couple upgrades like new pu's & new tuners( all n' all probably costed him less than $200).
it really is a good axe... and with the new upgrades is sounds wonderful, plays great, and stays in tune better.
so he actually got a better guitar for a better price.

i'd suggest you do something similar.

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i wouldnt really go with a esp ltd, the majority look good but feel and play like shit. Far to fat a neck for the ones i played. The other guitar u mentioned (the schecter) i ve heard is pretty good but unfortunately i've never had the chance to play one.

On the other hand u could always buy a second hand guitar, i own an old aria pro ii magna series guitar, and it rocks. Real nice feel and thin neck. But i need some new springs for my trem as there all rustin and gone all shit. Anyways look second hand. I much regret not doin that wen i was a beginner

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get an ibanez rg 570 and change out the pu's...

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If you buy and LTD make sure its atleast a 300+ model... ie EX-350

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why didn't i think of that?

+1
some ltds are really nice....

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yeah, i particularly like the dv8r and one of those strat shaped ones with 81s in it... i think it was an m something.

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Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
How about not EMGs. Save up and get a ESP LTD H-400. It has a Seymour Duncan JB/59 set in it already. Dont be afraid to spend some extra money. In the long run, its worth it for a good tone.

If I were you, I'd get a Jackson KE-3 and change the pickups for a pair of EMGs (81 in the bridge, 85 in the neck).

The used market is your friend. As long as you practice common sense, you should be okay. I've purchased 3 items on eBay without any hassle whatsoever, and buying used locally is even less risky.

Oh, btw, I'd be pleased if you'd stop writing with that font. It's more difficult to read than the default font, IMO.

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Fuck EMG's , you want good pickups like what 'black dimmu' said or even better a dimarzio X2N, or a unusual seymour duncan custom/custom, which is the key to my sound.

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you said your price range is $400 -500 right?? you can get something good for that much, even new...

but for the uncomfortable thought of buying used.... find a local store that sells used stuff and hang around there for a while... seriously, i thought everything i wanted i would get new during my first year or two of playing... now i rarely buy anything new...
i can look at my rig now...
everything in my rig except my power condishioner, rack case, rack screws(some), cables(some), tubes(some), strings, and picks are used....
and i think it's all great. saved me loads of money...

oh, btw i have an ibanez pgm30 i'll sell ya... $450 bones + shipping
in new-ish condish, with a hardshell case...
i paid over $650 for it... then like $100 for the case.
discontinued, paul gilbert style guitar, pretty much stock(i made it stock again).

just let me know if you're interested... i'm just selling it because it's alot like my rg570 but it's in much better condish(like new, almost mint even, like a demo guitar at a store) so i can get more $$$ for it... and i don't want two guitars that are so much alike because i always just end up playing one while the other sits in it's case....
so i'm buying a tele.

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Check out the LTD EC-400

nice guitar, come stock with the 81/85 combo

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For used guitars, I would go to a music go round if theres one around you. Try out as many guitars as you can. Or. Go to a Guitar center and find more expensive guitars that you like and see if you can find it cheaper on ebay if your cool with that.

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i like 81s, x2ns, customs, just find the one that suits you most.

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Regular font. Alright I finally decided on getting the ESP LTD H-400. I also have another question though and instead of making another thread I figured I would keep using this one. I also want to get a new amp. I don't need a big ass full stack or anything for gigs or anything, just something nice that I can use when jamming with friends. I was thinking either a 65 or 100 watt combo amp (I think thats what they are called). Since the guitar costed a little more than expected my price range for the amp is probably like $300 or $400. I was looking around and found this. It looks like a good deal, but of course I don't know much: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...ase_pid/487143/ If that is shitty, some suggestions would be nice. Thanks.

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If you can save up $100 or so then you could get a 5150 combo used on ebay.

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Shitty amp. But with the guitar get it in amber sunburst, it comes with seymour duncans, not EMGs. Try to win this amp http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...3749896782&rd=1. Its ok if you pay alittle extra though

omfg!!! if there is any brand i will puke on, it's rouge... unuable, unless you want to sound like that shitty lo fi 70-80's punk....
for like $300-400 bucks on a combo, i'd have to go with black dimmu on that blue voodoo setup, not many amps sound as good as the blue voodoo's for the price. that setup is a 60w tube 1x12 combo which can get loud as hell, but it also has an extension cab for when 1 isnt enough.

or the 5150's are always a good bet for the price....

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