That (insert guitar model here) sound?

I'm a budding player who bought himself a Seagull accoustic for his 38th birthday because he'd always wanted to learn to play. I'm at a point now where I've got several chords down, am advancing on barre chords and hoping to start playing along with my iPod soon. Lately, I've been thinking I'd like to get an electric eventually, as a sort of "reward guitar". In other words, I'm committed to playing & learning on my accoustic, but lets' face it, I'd like to rock out in my bedroom some too.
So, I've been spending some free time in Guitar Center, just totally goofing off. I really don't know what I'm doing, but figure it's fun to play around on their inventory and maybe learn a thing or two before I'm actually in the "market" to buy. One thing that seems to get drummed in is that I should decide upon a budget (easily done) and a "sound" that I'm interested in creating. As for budget, I like to think I'll be in the $7-800 range for a guitar and maybe $200 for a little bedroom amp. Easier said, $1,000 for the package (though I hope my wife doesn't see that I wrote that!).
I've spent some time fooling around with the highway one strats & teles. I know the reviews here haven't been great, but I actually like the way the strat feels in my hands. It seems rather similar to my accoustic. The GC I go to has Epi Les Paul's within easy reach, though I've had a hard time finding Gibson's outside the vintage room. I've also played with both a 50's and 60's vintage strat.
OK, so here's my question... can someone point me to the definitive strat sound, vs a tele sound vs a Gibson sound? I've been reading & hearing this a lot: that I need to know what sound I want, so that will narrow down the guitar I should look for. Is there a song, or player that you could say "listen to this.. it's a strat/les paul/ something else"? Or, would it be better for me to list the kind of music I like and hope to play and then others could suggest a guitar I should shop for? In all the playing around I've done, I've found it difficult to hear a difference between each guitar. I can feel a difference, in terms of how it plays in my hand, but can't hear it yet. Is that something I'll learn as I keep doing it?

Hurry up and get a Line6 Variax 300 for $299. It lets you experiment with the "classic" sounds of most commonly used guitars. How close is it? You won't fool a vintage collector, but you'll definitely convince most other people that you are playing that classic guitar (be it a Strat, Tele, Les Paul, Hallow body, or even some weird ones like sitars & dobros). Best of all, it's not a "guitar synth" with delays and outboard gear. It is a real guitar that simply molds the signal to sound like classic guitars.

You can stay well within your budget and get the guitar with the Podxt Live. Which would simulate just about every guitar/amp/effect combination you can imagine....and act as a recording interface. I gig with this rig regularly, and other guitar players consistently compliment me on my tone.

Then all you need is a good clean amp.

As far as stereotype sounds for most classic guitars....here is my list:

Stratocaster: Robert Plant's Big Log, Dire Strait's Sultans of Swing, Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall, SRV, Most Hendrix
Telecaster: Dire Strait's Walk of Life, 70's Elvis (James Burton), Danny Gatton, Prince, Rolling Stone's Start Me Up
Les Paul: Steely Dan's Don't Take Me Alive, Allman Brother's Blue Sky, Most early Santana or Journey.
ES-335: Steely Dan's Kid Charlemagne, John Scofield fusion stuff, BB King

I'm a little brain dead right now, but there is an initial list.

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Really? I guess I've approached this from more of a purist view and haven't looked at things like this at all yet. Are they really as good as you say and not gimicky? I've just thought all along that I want a strat (or whatever), not something that simply sounds like a strat. Does that make sense?

Hi Eric, and welcome to Tube Freaks.

Yeah, I think if you listed the kinds of stuff you'd like to be able to play we might have an easier time leading you in the right direction.

In very generic terms the Strat tends to have a rather bell-like tone, while Teles lean towards "Twang" and Les Pauls are great for both overdriven tones, and even fat and smooth jazz tones.

Of course, some guys can make their Strat bark like a dog, or pull some serious chicken-pickin' licks out of their LP, so real tone is truly in the hand of the guitar player.

That said, there is a very distinct sound difference to each of these instruments, and though you may not hear it right now, you will definitely come to appreciate it once you've been playing for a while.

Give us some insight into what kind of sound you're looking for and we should be able to help you get there.

Also, while it may seem surprising (and I've always been a bit of a purist myself,) the Line Variax really has gotten some great reviews, and I know that adaptable uses one extensively on stage.

It would be a cheap way for you to get to know the various sounds of the different guitars that are available.

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egr :: guitar spoken here

Good insight, Cary, as always.

If I would have gotten a Variax earlier, I would have saved a bit of money...because I would have figured out what tones really appealed to me, rather than bought my Am Deluxe Strat. You should at least give one a try at your local Guitar Center....geez, and for $300, it's a no-brainer compared to the other cheap guitars out there.....I paid $600 for my first one. It plays at least as good as a Mexican Fender....and if a beer bottle hits it or my lead singer trips over it while its on its stand....I don't worry about it. If cosmetics and enhanced playability are important to you, there are even 3rd parties that will put your Line6 electronics inside the body of another guitar you like the feel of (Strats, Teles, and PRS style bodies/necks). I'm seriously considering putting mine in a Tele.

Also, one other point I'll boldly make: Unless you spend $1200+ on a guitar, it's value will likely depreciate...so yeah, you can get a $800 Highway One or MIM Fender.... or an $600 Epiphone Les Paul Custom.... but like a car, the minute the return policy from the store expires, it will be worth 75% or less of what you paid for it. You'll have a better chance of holding value on the highest end domestically made models....You might get lucky with a limited edition or a small run reissue and they may appreciate... but even those are few and far between.....so as a non-collector, the Variax is an amazing value. Live, my Variax and Line6/Bose rig holds it's own compared to vintage Strats/Les Pauls and big Marshal stacks.....Its definitely not a gimmick. The Variax is simply a real versatile sounding and playing guitar.

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It's probably an eclectic enough list that the real answer is that I simply need to find a guitar I like and not worry about all the rest. My question was really prompted by a desire to know what to listen for as much as anything else. Or, put another, perhaps more simple way, what do people mean when they say "that classic strat/les paul sound"?

I can't disagree with this, of course, but then I'm not so sure I'm looking for an investment instrument so much as I'm just wanting to buy something a step or two above bottom of the barrel that will sound good for a long time. The $7-800 price point seems to fit that. I'm not good enough, nor do I ever plan to play publicly, to justify spending any more than that (and even that will be tough to get past my wife!).

I will give one a try. I confess that I'm skeptical when it comes to all the modeling amps and guitars in general. It's probably an ingrained aversion to synthesizers that's driving my prejudice. I'll let you know what I think after I check one of these out. You're absolutely right that the price makes sense. I think I'll just need to learn more about it & understand more about how it works.

Hi Eric, I suppose we all listen to very different types of music, but for what it's worth: when I think of the classic Strat tone I'm thinking of guys like Hendrix, Stevie Ray, John Mayer, and of course Eric Clapton.

They all play with various rigs, effects, etc, but the sound of a Strat is pretty unmistakable once you learn to hear it---whether it's blistering hot, ala SRV, or just smooth and soulful like Clapton.

The Les Paul, to me, is epitomized by guys like Warren Haynes, Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend... of course all of these guys played other guitars as well, but tended to develop their signature sound around the LP.

For a low-cost, high-quality LP style guitar I can highly recommend ESP's LTD series of guitars. They are assembled in South Korea, but are built extremely well, with high-quality parts.

I own an EC-400 Archtop, basically a Goldtop Les Paul clone, and I got it for less than $600. It's got real Seymour Duncan humbuckers in it, not the cheapo "Duncan Designed" clones, and incredible sustain and great tone.

You can check out their current line here, though the EC-400AT is no longer in production, so you can get it for a song and a dance at most online retailers. I wrote a review of it here.

I'd buy an ESP LP clone over something like an Epiphone any day of the week. The quality is just phenomenal for a guitar in this price range.

For a low-cost Strat I personally like the Classic Player '60s Strat––a guitar designed by Fender's Custom Shop, but built in Mexico, meaning you can get it for I believe around $700 to $800.

I reviewed this one as well, during my Quest For The Perfect Strat. Really amazing guitar for this price range.

Hope all this helps

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egr :: guitar spoken here

It very much does, thanks.
I called the local GC (Atlanta) and they don't keep the Line 6 guitars in stock anymore. He said it's not worth it because people who want them simply order them on-line. So, the only way I'll be able to actually test drive one would be to order one through GC, paying in advance, & then simply return it within 30 days for a full refund if I don't like it. He said I could avoid return shipping costs & all that, if I do it that way. Shame.

Classic Strat Sound: Sultan's of Swing It sounds rounded and shimming with a lot of dynamics in the individual notes. Chords have a strong "chimey" quality. Not too over driven.
Classic Les Paul Sound : Stairway to Heaven The rockin parts. Solo included. The Paul sounds strong with lots of sustain (they say a proper Les Paul can sustain a note for nearly a minute). It can saturate went playing full throttle, and nicely overdrive an amp. Chords don't fade as fast has they do with a Strat.

Sure there are a lot more variations... but if I could name one sound with the characteristic song that everyone is familiar with.... it's those two.

I'm surprised you couldn't find Line6 gear at GC. I just saw one there last week (Although it was the Variax 600 model).

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Thanks guys. This helps a lot.