Favorite Blues Guitar

MarkRobbins

Blues Junior
I hesitate to chime in on these things, because I know so little. But for the money you're talking about, you might want to look at a Dean Zelinsky Tagliare (that's what's in my profile pic.) The Tagliare Standard is in your price range: https://deanzelinsky.com/guitars/tagliare/tagliare-custom-model/tagliare-z-glide-standard
and he also has refurbs in the $400-500 range. Mine was a refurb, and I could never figure out what the original problem was. Not a scratch or ding that I could find. https://deanzelinsky.com/guitars/clearance-23
 

snarf

making guitars wish they were still trees
Trying to balance the weight and bang for your buck factor, I'd probably looks towards a Tele or a Epi Casino Coupe. Out of my guitars, my MIM Telecaster is somehow my lightest electric I think. I've not weighed it, but that's been my observation. Behind that one, my Epiphone Casio is probably the lightest. It's a big ol' body though, so the Casino Coupe might be more what you have in mind (it's kind of Les Paul sized). Either of those should fit within your budget and still give you enough for a basic amp or a couple of pedals.

I've got an old Parker I pull out occasionally that works just fine for blues, and it probably "fits" the genre even less than your Ibanez. You can blues on anything.
 

Elio

Student Of The Blues
If though
Ok! When I started all this last March I wanted an affordable, (not cheap) guitar and amp, and now I am hooked. I bought an Ibanez S521 (~$400) because it is an easy to play guitar with the understanding when I bought it that it is probably more suited to a metal head, but then again, I just put it in "set it and forget it" mode (thanks Ron Popiel) with a sound that was well suited to what I wanted to do. Well, here I am having grown up a bit since then and am thinking I might trade it in for better "blues guitar". What is the collective opinion?
The positives with this guitar is that it is easy to play and small and light. I pick up an Epiphone or Gibson LP and it feels like I am holding a brick, and I borrowed a hollow body from a friend and it feels enormous. I am not sure what to do. Thanks

If you like the feel and the sound of the Ibanez, what do you feel is lacking? A strat will have a similar size, weight, and feel, although a different sound with single coil pickups. I tend to associate blues with humbucker pickups, although Griff obviously favors his strat much of the time and with killer results.

Given that you have a starting point with your Ibanez, I would play as many different guitars as possible to get a feel of what you like better and worse and for what reasons
 

Elio

Student Of The Blues
Well, thanks to everyone and in particular Al Holloway. I turned down the guitar volume and adjusted the amp volume and it did make a difference. I am playing with it and it seems there are places I can go with the tone and sound that I didn't know were there. It ain't Lucille but better than before. Now, that doesn't mean I'm not going shopping))

Adjusting the pickup height is also very easy to do and can produce significant changes to the tone.
 

Grateful_Ed

Student Of The Blues
Hang onto your $$$ David. I started with early 80's Ibanez quitars, an AR100 which is like a double cutaway Les Paul with 2 humbuckers and was my first electric guitar and an early 80's Roadstar (strat copy) that I bought used for barely over $100. I've had as many as 30 guitars since then and still love those two. Are there better guitars? Yes.
Here's the thing (my best Adrian Monk impression) I started buying more guitars 'cause I thought I needed something better or different. My advice is to wait until YOU know what that may be. Try every guitar you can get your hands on. You'll know when you find one you really like. Guitar center is your friend! You can try most anything on the wall. You'll know.
Now, about that amp.....;)
 
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Jack

Blues Junior
My standard procedure is to go over to Sweetwater and Musician's Friend, look at stuff in my price range, pick out the prettiest one and, as long as it doesn't have super-high output active pickups, it'll probably do just fine for blues :)

One important thing is to take it in to your local guitar shop for a setup (assuming you don't do that stuff yourself). They'll get the intonation set so it will be in tune all up-and-down the neck, get the string height set so it plays comfortably, etc.
 

matonanjin

Chubby, old guy trying to play some blues.
If I (again I, not you) were looking now I would be looking @ PRS, Ibanez, Schecter, maybe a MIMM Strat or Tele, but that's me not you.

Good Luck
Couldn't agree more...I have one of each and play blues on each one of them :thumbup::cool:

@DavidLylis since you Got The Strat are you still looking?

If so, then I agree with @wildwood agreeing with @Crossroads! (y) I don't know anything about Ibanez or Schecter but I love my PRS guitars. since I got them I have to force myself to pick up anything else. So playable and such attention to detail and gorgeous to look at. And tone monsters.

PRS has an import line called SE. I think they are now made in Indonesia. Really reasonably priced and well within your budget of $750. What better blues machine than this Santana?

It's really nice to see your getting this affliction known as G.A.S that has ravaged so many of us here.:rolleyes::LOL::ROFLMAO:
 

matonanjin

Chubby, old guy trying to play some blues.
The more I play and learn the more I am coming to appreciate hollow bodies (or Semi-hollows). I didn't think PRS had a hollow body in the SE line. If I were the OP, and knowing what I now know, I would probably go for your link rather than mine. Sorry and all due respect, Mr. Santana.;):cool:
 

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
The more I play and learn the more I am coming to appreciate hollow bodies (or Semi-hollows). I didn't think PRS had a hollow body in the SE line. If I were the OP, and knowing what I now know, I would probably go for your link rather than mine. Sorry and all due respect, Mr. Santana.;):cool:

No kidding! I did a quick search when you mentioned PRS, because I remembered they had a C22 Semi in the SE line; when I uncovered that demo model I damn near bought it on the spot. If I didn't already have the Gibby 339 I probably would have. o_O
 
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