The Best Guitars for Playing and Recording at Home!

Home recording, especially when the subjects are music and voice, is a very complicated art and science.

An experienced recording artist knows that the appropriate PC, software and equipment are essential to great sound and quality work, as well as the right combination. However, compatibility also comes into play when choosing your guitar, along with other things to look for.

Furthermore, generally speaking, any high end guitar you might choose should sound good on any amplifier you run it through. That is not to say though that you might lose a lot by plugging a $2500 guitar into a $100 amp. Let’s be serious. Plug it into a decent Line 6 amp, Mesa Boogie, Marshall, or Fender amp to really get what you are paying for.

With that in mind, if you’ve got your home studio up and running and now need to replace or make a first purchase on a guitar, do some research and read up on what would be best for you. Do you prefer a light-weight model, something small or are you only worried about your budget?

The Best Pick
The guitar I would most like to record in my home studio with would have to be a PRS SC250. This is a beautiful electric guitar that offers the PRS standard. With PRS guitars each model has it’s own sound, which is great for selection.

The PRS SC250 sounds better than any Gibson or Fender I have had the pleasure of laying my fingers on, and that is saying a lot for someone who use to spend every day demonstrating guitars for the public in the music store I work. If you pick up one, it should sound and play exactly like the next one. No more spending an entire day playing several guitars of the same model to find the one that sounds the best. Plus the pickup choice is well done with the usual 3 selections and controls that help you play this thing which feels like playing glass.

This amazing guitar, however, comes with a price. Because it is relatively new (2007), it’s difficult to find, which is disappointing. It’s priced at $2,500 and well worth the cost but is obviously for the serious musician.

Next Best
The next best to a PRS SC250 is, hands down, a Parker Fly. The first time I ever saw one was when Dave Navarro was playing with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and I hated the thing. I had never seen a guitar that sounded so decent but looked so ugly. When I began working for a major guitar chain, however, I tried one out and was amazing to play. The sound is decent and the guitar is lighter than some acoustics, which makes it an awesome pick if you’re playing live, outside the home.

The Musicman Axis
Third on my list would be the Musicman Axis guitar. Musicman is a company which was begun by Ernie Ball, who has a reputation for his excellent products. These guitars have an amazing sound and are easy to play. The attention to detail and simplicity of design on the Axis is what makes it so popular.

Last but not Least
Fourth on my list would be a Gibson SG. I’ve always been a sucker for it’s evil look and after playing one, it has beaten out the Les Paul for me. Plus, the Gibson SG is lighter and you have the peace of mind knowing that your guitar has a great reputation and an industry leader that can warranty their products. A decent SG can also be purchased for under $600.

The Others
There are many different brands and custom made guitars for you to choose from, which will make the task of picking one out difficult. I have yet to find a Fender that was a must have and Ibanez makes a few that I would record with if necessary, but mostly I am only impressed by their bass guitars. The same goes for Washburn, which has some crazy designs but average sounds.

All in all, however, the best way to know what’s right for you is to make a list of what you want in your guitar, pick up to a dozen models that fit most of your requirements, and then go out and play them until your fingers bleed and you know exactly what you want.

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