Conference napalm::guitar

    I'd say look at the new Ibanez models and the Charvels.  They both
    make some excellent instruments.
    
    Greg

    
    
    
    	Hmmm... I was just thinking about my next guitar when I read
    your note.  I've been dubbing around with a Fender Mustang for a
    couple of years now (well one and a helf anyway) and I love it but
    it's got a small neck and a small body.  I agree, I think that the
    strat pickup arrangement is very versatile and it also is easy to
    customize later on....
    
    	Personally (and I'd appreciate inputs on this too) I'm looking
    for a decent body to drop my Jeff Beck and a couple of single coils
    into... THEN add a good neck which I intend to purchase from someplace
    like Stewart-MacDonald.  I kinda went through this a while back
    with the mustang, but decided against any more major mods to that
    guitar...  If I get a decent deal on a body with wiring and stuff
    (like on the on ethat was posted here recently with a broken neck)
    then add a stock neck I could have a decent 3 pickup guitar for
    a couple of hundred dollars...  Anyway that's the way I'm thinking
    about going about it.....
    
    Steve

    
      I bought a Dean BelAire from the C.O.M.B. Mail order house a few
    months ago for about $300.00 and I must say it is really very good.
    It's got a Floyd Rose tremblo system, and 3 EMG select pick ups. The
    neck and center one are singles, and the bridge one is a humbucker.
    It's got a 5 position switch, but you'd have to add a switch to the
    humbucker to make it switchable to a single coil. It's also got one
    volume pot and two tone pots, one for each single coil. It's kinda a
    art deco strat style, and came in black, white, or the one I got,
    purple! A real pretty guitar. My room mate saw it and ordered one the
    same day. Everybody who has seen/played it seems to think it was a very
    good buy. C.O.M.B. has an very good return policy, and I've bought
    quite a few items from them (Casio DG-20, telescope, RC cars...) with
    few problems with the shipments, and none at all with
    returns/exchanges. Send me some mail on WALLAC::ZICCARDI with an
    address if anybody's interested and I'll send you a copy of the order
    blank/catalogue.
    
                                 mIkEy Z.(who still plays a tele custom)

    	Ibanez RG550's have humbuckers in the bridge and neck position
    	and a single coil in the middle.  The 5 position switch gives
    	you the following combinations:
    
    	1.	Bridge pos. humbucker only
    	2.	Bridge and middle pickups (as two single coil)
    	3.	Middle only (single coil)
    	4.	Middle and neck (as two singles)
    	5.	Neck as humbucker.
    
    	These guit's come with unfinished maple necks and fretboards
    in all body colors and unfinished maple neck with rosewood fretboard
    for black bodies only (at least last time I checked).  They all
    come with the Floyd Rose licensed Ibanez Edge tremolo.
    
    Overall, I've been quite happy with mine, however the trem does
    take some getting used to (I was used to Kahler trems and the Floyd's
    are a different animal altogether).
    
    	Hamer makes a model (Steve Stevens maybe?) that has two humbuckers
    with coil taps for each.  I think Alan Starr and Tony Camuso both
    have this model.  Input fellas?  Hamer makes fine instruments, but
    they were just bought out by Kaman (makers of Ovation).  I don't
    know what the expected impact of this will be.  My guess is that
    the quality will remain high.
    
    	joe.

                     -< Nobody's mentioned it yet >-
    
    I went through the same thing, never seemed to be satisfied. I
    eventually met a guy who makes guitars in Dublin. Any shape any
    flavour you name he makes it. I eventually settled on a Strat shape
    with two singles and a humbucker, 5 position switch and a seperate
    switch for the Humbucker (R Phase). 
    The neck is mapel with an ebony fingerboard. Trem & M heads are
    Khaler. 
    The finished instrument, although marginally more expensive, was
    well worth it. You may not be buying a brand name but at the best
    of times what the hell so long as you get what you want.
    
    Paddy the poet.
    

    
    I got the new guitar (sold the Les Paul) last week.  Ibanez with 2
    single coils, a humbucker, and a 5 position switch.  Whats the model?
    Don't really remember, I figure any model name that resembles a serial
    number isn't worth remembering, but it starts with 'R'.  I first tried
    one Ibanez with the same pickup combination, but then the salesman put
    the next better one in my hands, and I couldn't go back to the first
    one!!  Anyway, I'm very happy with it.
    
    Dave                                  

    Sounds like you hooked up with a Roadstar to me.
    
    jc (who usta own a roadstar)