Guitar Players Here: What is your favorite guitar to play and why?

Oddly enough, my favorite guitar to play is a certain telecaster which hasn't produced sound in the treble pickup since before the pandemic, so it's been out of the rotation. Lo and behold, I pick it up today after reading this post and it is somehow working again.

It's my favorite because of the quality of music I feel like it allows my to play, at least in my mind. I just feel like I sound my best through this particular guitar.

PRS McCarty 594 S2. I pick it up to play the most. It plays and sounds great. Has a fat neck which is the only guitar I have that has one, but it fits my hands great. I replaced the stock pickups with Bare knuckle Abraxas, basically hot PAF style pickups that sound great with about style of music. It's just a killer guitar.

ES-335. I'm not a collector and this guitar covers almost everything. Small cranked up amp, no pedals necessary. Just judicious use of the pick up selector, tone, and volume controls will take you from jazz to rock and anything in between. I just wish it had more attack and sustain, so I'm considering testing out a Les Paul.

I cut my teeth on a strat for years and I do prefer it's playability and ergonomics, but it's limited in the amount of usable sounds you can get out of it in my opinion, especially if you play heavier music. If you are willing to go down the pedal rabbit hole, then I would consider it more flexible in terms of tone shaping if that is what you are after. Not sure if that makes sense.

I'm a Strat guy hands- and torso-wise but I need humbuckers for my heavier tastes. So I built this as my one-size-fits-all Swiss Army knife guitar.

The mini switch splits the humbuckers into single coil mode, and I designed and wound my pickups to sound great as either H or S with less of a volume drop in the latter mode.

Les Paul guitars

I wish it was different, but my go-to would be that.

When I was first getting into music, I'd go over to my best friend's house where his two older brothers were musicians in local metal bands.

We would sneak on their instruments when they were out, I found the 1960 Les Paul gold top to be what I enjoyed the most and that became the standard in my head at 11.

Eta

I got in contact with the only surviving member of those brothers about 10 years ago, as I was interested in purchasing that exact guitar and was willing to offer a more than fair price. He didn't want to part with it for what became a ridiculous offer, as it was more sentimental to him than to me.

My favorite is my Halrey Benton electric 12-string because it's got a wide neck and sounds a Ric.

Although I'm equally enjoying my Fender strat due to it's great set-up and comfort with barre chords.

Just bought a Gretsch Jim Dandy “used” off of Amazon for 130 bucks. It was literally in brand new condition. Got it to be a sofa guitar as I found myself not playing my others for days and sometimes weeks since they are all hung on the walls. I LOVE it!! The small scale makes it a blast to fart around on. Play it all the time!!!

This is tough, because no 1 guitar can do it all. That's why most of us have several.

Playability is a huge factor. This is where I shy away from Les Pauls. Some can get real heavy. And the heavily lacquered necks are a turn off for me.

So it's Telecasters and Stratocasters for me.

I'm currently eyeing a Rosewood neck Strat. I'd bet the neck feels great.

I will add that the best playing guitar I ever played was a high end Ibanez Jem. Just not really my thing.

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My favorite guitars for the money are Schecter.

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Bought a Hellraiser Hybrid C-1 earlier this year and it's been a very comfortable guitar to play.

It may be that I'm more used to it, since I've played it for over 20 years, but I still prefer my LTD MH-100 just a hair more. I absolutely love both, though. Very similar in feel as they both have slim necks.