Wise answer, but that means you're not a child of the 80's Edit:-- you correct spelling, and like a Ibenez tube screamer (but not other effects), "Clearly then Watson", you must be a bluesman
I just switched my amp to the "driven" mode and crunched out some power chords and played some fast scales. Rockin'.
Ibanez I really don't have a feel for the blues. I can sort of play a little of it. But what I really like is to play in minor scales in a melodic way, for reggae or folk. It's my own deal. I work on techniques rather than specific tunes for the purpose of making a performance. Or I should say, I did do that before I hit the doldrums.
I guessed blues because a linear thought process combined with a free edge... May I suggest a CD line called "band in the pocket"- a generic line of tunes on CD in various genres (styles/keys etc) for use as a back up band. Excellent for basement hacks and odd schedules
Look up a Les Paul SL, they are basically an SG shaped like a Les Paul. Nice and light (particularly next to a brick Studio) 60s fast neck and standard pickups. Only reason I still have a second guitar (an 82 B.C. Eagle) is that pesky 22 fret fretboard. Sometimes you gotta have those extra two frets I never really liked that Stats, primarily because I can't stand floating bridges. I've wanted for a whammy bar exactly ONCE since I was 15. Its not a feature that I look for. When I do have a guitar with a floater on it I just jam the thing with a couple blocks of wood and call it a day.
The floating bridge really sticks in my craw. All of my Strats up to this point have been hardtail Strats for that reason. This is my first Strat with a floating bridge, and I have to say that it is turning out not to be a problem at all, so I am readjusting my attitude. I don't think I'll ever use the tremolo arm, though, I just unscrewed the thing and stored it.
Tuning wasn't so much the issue, sustain was always a bit worse....which is vexing. That and snapping a string is fatal, with a solid you just ignore it and finish the song. Which is obviously more of a concern gigging, which I haven't done in ten years. Speaking up its about time for my biannual tuss rod adjustment.
I thought the sustain would be a bigger issue, but I forgot to say it's turning out to be pretty good. Haven't broken a string in years. I kinda neglect that these days.
I had a Highway 1 Strat for a while, about 10 years ago. It was my second Strat, but it was the one that caused me to absolutely despise a floating bridge. If it has a trem, I stay away from it. I hate 'em like I would an ex-wife. A few pages back, but about the Mustang amps... I have a Mustang I, and I like it pretty well. I want a small tube amp, but living in a townhouse like I do makes it almost impractical. There is so much that can be done with them that I just feel overwhelmed with it at times.
I dont know much about trems, but on my squire Strat I just put extra springs in the bridge to pull it flush with the guitar. The spring tension is greater than the string tension so even if a string breaks the rest of them still stay in tune.
The Studio Lite came out in the 90's. The body was made of mahogany with chromyte (balsa) inserts for lighter weight The M-III added a middle single-coil pickup to the mix. I don't think these were that popular though and are kind of sought after by collectors. A current day Gibson Les Paul Studio would probably be around 6.5-7lbs if you searched I bet. But I think it goes what the Les Paul is all about. That weight gives the LP that warm, heavy tone.
Yeah I've heard that same argument mine is a 1998 I think (I'd have to look at the serial and I'm at work) The SL isn't quite as deep, but its good enough. Certainly nothing along the lines of a Strat. Its got a nice balanced tone, and you don't spend half your time screwing around with custom gages or putzing with buying two sets of strings at a time because it actually likes regular steel 0.10s . I LOVE that guitar. My issue with the Studio was that I had to borrow when my bridge pickup decided to fry during sound check. HOLY CRAP my shoulder was fried by the end of the first set. Pretty sure that studio was a late 80s early 90s and christ it was HEAVY. Yeah that is the other way. Until you run into one of THESE fucking things. http://www.google.com/imgres?q=trem...ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:106&tx=117&ty=67
That's where nifty devices like a Tremol-no come in. Pretty dandy for turning any trem off, or just dive-only.
Yuppers. Or pair of wood blocks on either side of the fulcrum. No more trem, just the joy of getting the thing intonated and tuned. Viva la Solid (my take anyway). ....now if we could just get more neck-throughs without paying $2000 I'd be happy.
You wouldn't like my 2012 Standard then. I weighed it the other day and it's 9.4lbs. I love the weight though. Even though my Strat copy is easier to play, I just hate playing it. The fingerboard is wider and the neck is thicker on my Gibson's but I prefer the extra challenge. It's just more rewarding to play. I'm trying to decide if I need another LP or to get another amp. I'm thinking something along the lines of a Gibson GA5 or a Fender Vibro-Champ or Tweed Champ. Looking for a Class A all-tube that's blues/rock oriented.
Here's my partscaster I put together a while back. Tele thin-line body with book matched swamp ash body & Mary Kaye nitro finish. I made the control plate from ebony & inlaid the dice. I turned the ivory control knobs on a lathe & the switch tip is also ivory. It's a nice little guitar but I pretty much suck at playing. But I can sometimes entertain myself anyway. Here's some other guitar related stuff I've done. Jig for painting bodies. Truss rod cover. & pendant with 14K gold bezel.
My rig is an odd assortment of crap I collected over the years. I have a Vox VC120 that basically use as a processor for an old Peavy Ultra/Mesa 4x12 tube halfstack. Its old its heavy and it ugly.....but I can jump from barely warmed over blues to wrath-of-god in one touch of the pedal, and the damn pedal has something like 64 settings memorized, I have a notebook with what is where stuffed in the back of the Vox LP Standards .....if I as A) Gigging regularly and B) used to it it wouldn't have been an issue. Going from the Eagle to a log on the fly frigging hurt through. I've drooled over Standards for years, the added price over added performance just never added up to me. Specially when there are used PRS CE24s floating around for right around 2 grand