What Guitar To Buy With $300-$500 Budget?

[donyuso123]

Im an intermediate player planning to buy a new guitar. I play mostly metal/heavy metal/rock. i thought of the ESP LTD MH-50 or B.C.Rich Ironbird Standard. Looked at some ibanez but i think they are abit pricey. Im looking for a guitar with the floyd rose kind of bridge. Please recommend some guitars. Thank you.

 

[donyuso123]

Recommendations please.

 

[portunderground]

Floyd rose, around that price is hard to find a good guitar. How bout fixed bridge? options more open then. If im not wrong, there is a craftsman with FR going for around $300++. But I think pickups will be muddy under high distortion settings.

 

[subversion]

you might wanna top-up your budget a bit more for guitars with a good dual action whammy bridge. in the sub$500 price bracket, such bridges are really a compromise on tuning stability.

 

[elkj]

get a cheap guitar, change the bridge and change the pickups?

 

[subversion]

the more effective discourse- get a better amp, he he...

 

[tyzjames]

you can take a look at the Cort X series, preferbly X-9 and above (the X-6 and below are quite sub standard). My first guitar is the Cort X-9, and the pickups (Mighty Mites) are good and I have had not much problems with tuning etc.

 

[subversion]

i just tried the X1 yesterday- it's an acceptable guitar. enjoyed playing it actually...

 

[EugeneSmasher]

For heavier styles of music, I personally recommend LTD 50 series. But I agree with Subversion. Avoid tremolos at this price range. More trouble than they are worth. I particularly liked the LTD VP-50.

 

[donyuso123]

Im planning to buy the B.C.Rich Ironbird Standard because it has somewhat good Rockfield pickups and a Floyd Rose Special Bridge at a good price tag. $480. Im still an intermediate player, to me, the pickups doesnt make much difference. Is the Ibanez Edge III Tremolo good? Please keep the recommendations coming in. thanks.

 

[loldude333]

The EDGE III is definitely a cut above any licensed FR except for Gotohs and Schallers. However, it does have some quirks, as such it cannot compare to the original Lo-Pro EDGE or the popular EDGE Pro II, which i have on my Ibanez. IMHO even Gotohs or Original FRs pale in comparison to an original Lo-Pro EDGE. The bridge is very important in a guitar, get a guitar with a good bridge because it'll be easier to keep. I mean, if your guitar goes out of tune every 5mins, would you keep it? I certainly won't.

 

[donyuso123]

I see. Im not sure which guitar to buy. LTD MH-50? B.C.Rich Ironbird Standard? Or save up a little bit more for the Ibanez RG370DX?

 

[subversion]

em... how much is the MH-50? wonder why it's more costly than the RG370DX...

 

[donyuso123]

It is way cheaper than he rg370dx. At svguitars, rg370dx costs 680. The mh-50 is 395 at Davis and the ironbird is 480.

 

[tyzjames]

@subversion: I had the X-6 as well as the X-9, the X-6 couldn't hold its tuning for its own good. The pick-ups on the X-6 were also a tad too muddy. Just jump one model up to the X-9 for about 100 bucks more and the pickups and bridge are way better.

 

[Brenkoh]

Hello there. I have a musicman olp Floyd rose with upgraded dimarzio pickups. The guitar is out of production alr. Interested ? SMS me at 90679019. Brendon here.