Bonfire_911

Hello, UGers, and Welcome to my 1st Thread!!

I need some help from people with more experience about buying guitars with a low- to-medium budget. I was hoping to buy a Charvel So-cal until I discovered they were not made anymore. The just dissapeared from every shop I know!

So I'm looking for an alternative to the Charvel. Since I live in Spain, I cant buy outside Europe without being criminally charged for it with ridicously high taxes due to a stupid new law from my government.

I'm now between the Jackson Adrian Smith San Dimas X series (about 400€ / $600) and the Kramer Pacer Vintage (this one goes for 530€ / $800). So which one, according to you, is the best bang for the buck?

I'm open to other alternatives, as long as they have some of the following specs:
- Alder/maple body, maybe even basswood.
- Maple neck, any fretboard (with markers!).
- At least 22 frets (24 won't hurt).
- Floyd rose bridge, the top-mounted one (if recessed, maybe still interested, but I prefer the top-mounted one)
- At least a Humbucker in the bridge.
- Passive pickups, and even a single volume pot, and no tone pot (I don't use it, so...)
- 6 strings. Not 7 or 8!

I'm currently using an ESP LTD MV-200, so i'd prefer a step up from it. I play mostly 80's Hard Rock (Ozzy, Dokken, Steelheart, Judas Priest), and a little bit of blues (some Gary Moore). The prize should not go above 650 - 700€.

I hope you can help me! Thanks for reading!

Robbgnarly

Get the Jackson.

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miio

Have you checked out the Kramer Baretta 84? It's pretty decent AFAIK. I'd also go for the Jackson chosen from those 2.

Heideck

get the jackson

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Wisthekiller

I vote the Kramer because they're absolutely amazing.

But I may be biased: http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/foru...d.php?t=1560098

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Upright fretted electric bass build!

jeleopard

The Jackson is incredible. It's really great for an X series, which aren't even bad to begin with.

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Bonfire_911

Yes, I've seen them and they look very cool! Who knows, maybe i get it after all, only complains are only one pickup and the colors. If they'd made it in blue, i would be amazing!

I see a lot of you guys are voting for the jackson. Is it REALLY that good? 'Cause if it's the case, I could have one in white w/rosewood fretboard for just 389€, which is 40€ saving... Sounds like a good deal! Also, can someone give me some info from the Pacer?

BobDetroit

Dude, get the Jackson.

Wisthekiller

The Pacer is one of the most amazing guitars I've ever played. I regularly play it over my Gibsons. The neck is an awesome one (if you've played an older Kramer, it is similar but not exactly the same). The finishes have been perfect on the few that I've seen. The Floyd is official and holds tune perfectly. The JB/JN pickups are suitable for literally everything. It's been my best guitar purchase ever. What do you need to know?

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Upright fretted electric bass build!

Bonfire_911

Well, I've tried a sambora (the 87' original) and the neck feels good and somewhat familiar (It didn't feel weird or difficult to play, even easier than in my LTD), how is the wood in the Pacer Vintage? Is it resonant? And how about the weight? I want something heavier and louder than my LTD, which has a very thin sound even with the Bridge Humbucker, A Duncan designed JB copy, and when unplugged... well, the resonance is almost null, not like the Sambora, which let you hear clearly all the notes even unplugged. Also, the sambora felt quite heavier compared to the LTD, but I liked it.

Wisthekiller

The neck is very easy. Besides being pretty, the wood is quite nice, it does resonate even unplugged (as in besides sustaining, you can actually feel the vibration throughout the body when you play a string). The pickups are REAL Duncans (JB/JN) which are much better than the Duncan Designed ones. Even with the JB, you'll have no problem getting a ballsy sound instead of a thin one (if you have an amp that can do it, or you just up the mids or lows a tiny bit if it's not good enough already-which it should be). You actually can hear most of the notes quite clearly when unplugged, sure it's not as loud as an acoustic, but you will be able to hear them.

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Check my Firebird build!-Comment on that bitch so I don't have to double post, even if it's a friendly "YOU SUCK!"

Upright fretted electric bass build!

jkielq91

Just from seeing the title I though of the Jackson you mentioned.

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I am the table.

Supernaut2k

For that kind of money you can get a very nice second hand guitar OP, shop around before you commit to buying a first hand guitar off the internet.

Bonfire_911

Alright, thanks for the info, man! I needed that because every ''review'' I've seen from that guitar didn't say very much about the quality of the wood, and that bothered me; I don't want to have another thin-sounding guitar!

Supernaut2k, I live in a small town were there are only 2 small guitar shops with Stagg, LTD, Cort... that are pretty much the same as my guitar, and I've searched the Internet over and over, and all the 2º Hand Kramers, Carvins, ESPs, that I liked, were way off of my budget or which is even worse, they were outside Europe, and buying a guitar from, let's say, US, would cost me 2x the price of the guitar, I know it seems crazy, but it's one of the nasty things (like there's no work) of living in Spain.
Thanks Anyway, I'll keep looking, who knows what I may find?

Supernaut2k

Not a floyd, but just to show you things are out there right now.

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/foru...d.php?t=1572470

Charvel ST MIJ,

same guitar here: http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/11...aditional-Strat)