Tom Curry Guitars

Hollowbody Electric

What’s the best electric guitar to get on a $500 dollar budget?

What’s the best electric guitar to get on a $500 dollar budget?
I would prefer hollowbody or semi-hollowbody, but solid is fine. I would like P90s or similar, my secondary choice is humbuckers. Teles and Strats are acceptable. The music I’m covering is The Strokes, Interpol, Pixies, Ramones, Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, Bloc Party, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus, etc. Need a clear, high high end, punchy mids, and crunchy lows. Any recommendations?
I don’t go to the shop often, and the guitar I have is a piece of….. poop. Replacing the pups and getting the action and frets taken care of is going to take a lot of effort on my parents’ pockets and time. Might as well order one from the internet based on opinions. I know the Dot Studio and Firebird Studio, both made by Epiphone, won an award from this guitar review magazine or something, so I’m sure those are pretty good.

Get a used one. I have a friend who had an “Austin”, an inexpensive guitar, and put in Gibson pickups, so although it isn’t a Gibson, it sounds like one.

You really need to actually get your hands on the guitar you are going to be playing. I own a lot of guitars (and amps) and can’t stress this enough – unless you are pretty sure of what you want (I like Gibson Les Paul Custom 1968 Historic Reissues… got any?), going through the Internet is always “iffy”. If you buy a good quality used guitar, you can get a $1,000 guitar for half the price if you don’t mind a few nicks and scratches, and as you will be playing the guitar and using it it is going to get a few nicks and scratches on it anyway.

BTW: where do you live? Maybe I can help – I know where that Austin semi-hollow body is!

BTW: “Bobknowsbass” is right about the Mexican Stratocasters, etc. – just change the pickups to American pickups after the warrantee expires – its a “secret” a lot of musicians on a budget know about.