My Eternal Struggle for a new Guitar.

Updated
Grishnakh
Hello all. I've been searching for about 2 eternities already for a new guitar. I believe it is time to end this search soon. Which is why I have come to you all here at the consul of ESP guitars. I currently play a blue LTD H-50 on a Line 6 Spider III 75. I play metal music and will am starting a band now too as our only guitar player so I'm looking for a bit of an upgrade. This never had the complete punch I was looking for and now I think the unnatural sound of the Line 6 is kinda bad but overall I'm happy with it. I mainly listen to Black, Folk and Viking metal. With some Death here and there. Yet the band we are shooting for is going to have a black sound, only in the name of black metal we will let it naturally sound however it does. Just for the record my top 3 favorite bands are Rammstein, Nokturnal Mortum and Dissection. I'm looking for a guitar that I like the looks of and will give me a stronger metal punch. A black metal sound. Folk/Viking is often softer. Black isn't. Yet I really don't know where to go. I like the look of the KH-202. Only I have never listenned to Metallica nor do I intend to ever start. Yet I do love Rammstein and their lead guitarist Richard used the better KH on the first 2 albums, which are the Rammstein albums that make them my favorite band. Only Rammstein uses a ton of equipment and I fear that the KH-202 will not give me a Rammstein sound but a Metallica one. I also like the V series of LTDs. Do the shapes ever get obnoxious to those who have them? It worries me, it doesn't seem like it would fit a slower song either. I also like the F and M models of guitars too. Then theres the whole thing that will a new still lower end LTD improve my sound? Or is it all in the pickups. Could I put EMGs or a Seymour Duncan invader at my bridge on any guitar and still get a heavy tone? I want a sound and look update. Heavier on the sound. Could I just get the black F-50 with a Invader pickup in the bridge and get a good black metal sound? Or a heavier sound at all? Then I feel like by searching for a black metal sound I'm ruining part of the whole point of Black Metal. I'm ruining the natural tone that possibly I was meant to get. By searching for a tone I feel I'm going aganist the whole ideas behind Black Metal. Yet I can't stand playing songs that have a held out chord and my guitar with full distortion on can't hold it nearly as long as the song can. I generally have reverb up. Treble very high, mid 6-8. Bass 4-5 with distortion full. I enjoy it that way but it does make it less heavy, which is where I think my pickups are failing me. Please help me figure out where to go in my searching for a new guitar/sound.
Butch

A higher end ltd will sound better definitely. I would say go try out a couple of the higher end ltds. Experiment with different woods and pickups on the different models to find what you are comfortable with. That is the best way to decide what is best for you, also you will see what shape you are most comfortable with playing as well.

It's not much advice but i hope it helps.

Yoshi

anyone who doesnt care about tone is an idiot. plain and simple. Your tone speaks for you, it defines what you sound like. There is no black metal band out their that doesnt care about their tone, just that alot of them couldn't afford high end guitars. i reckon a m-400 is right for you, or a m-1000.

But at the end, the biggest component in tone is your fingers

57Octane

I like the look of the KH-202. Only I have never listenned to Metallica nor do I intend to ever start. Yet I do love Rammstein and their lead guitarist Richard used the better KH on the first 2 albums, which are the Rammstein albums that make them my favorite band. Only Rammstein uses a ton of equipment and I fear that the KH-202 will not give me a Rammstein sound but a Metallica one.

Okay... you've never listened to Metallica, yet your afraid you'll get their sound... Do you even know what their sound is? Do you even know if they "suck" or not?
Im sorry man, but you have to admit, that sounds kind of silly. :lol
A guitar alone, will not give you the sound of any band. The sound comes from the equipment combo (guitars,amps,etc.) and from the preferances of the player.
Case in point, Richard from Rammstein. In the first 2 albums, he used KH's plugged into Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers. All the rest of his junk is effects. For the 3rd album he steps up to Triple Rectifiers, but he still uses the KH's and all the rest of his stuff is still just effects.
The sound he gets, is a combo of the guitar, and the amp, and the settings of said amp.

So, if you want a KH, get a KH. It's just another building block in the construction of your tone.

Oh yeah, the "Metal" setting on the Line 6, is supposed to simulate Mesa Dual Recto amps. Try switching over to that, ditch the reverb and turn down the gain/distortion. Too much gain sucks like a cheap whore. It muddies up the sound and hides your playing.

And, WTF happened to the smilies in this section? o_0

Justin

get the rammstein sig XD
My advice
Since you play a lot of low tuned metal, stay away from trems
unless, you're not lazy. Also, since you play in drop tunings (Im assuming since you play lots of metal) you'll need a bridge that sounds good with low tuning. I hear TonePros sound great for low tuning. I think every 1000 series has a tonepros stock. The body style is up to you. If i was you, i wouldn't drop any pups in a 50 series. You'll notice the difference in the wood/hardware sooner or later. Im happy with every esp/ltd i've played. You can't go wrong with a Viper 400-1000 or ec 400-1000
Up to you
Good luck ;]

Justin

And, WTF happened to the smilies in this section? o_0

You can't type '':lol''
I don't know why :\

Grishnakh

Well most metal I play is actually in standard E. I enjoy that tuning the most. Metal does not mean is down tuned. Rammstein does some down tuning but Nokturnal Mortum and Dissection do not. Most Black Metal isn't down tuned, same goes for Folk and Viking metal.

I'll take your advice on not putting new pickups in my H-50.

Also, anyone know the differences between Seymour Duncan Invaders and EMG 81s?

Mr Pigwalk

You either want a F or an Alexi model (it's a rhoades goddamnit!!).

XxDBENCxX

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