Looking into saving up for a new guitar...

[Adamant Zoroark]

Okay, so, I have been playing guitar on and off since I was 12 (I've gotten better at rhythm playing but I'm still a god awful soloist), and I currently own two guitars: An Epiphone Les Paul and an Ibanez RG5EX1. At the moment, I'm looking into getting a third guitar with a niche neither my Les Paul nor my Ibanez has - My Les Paul isn't as good as my Ibanez for soloing (which I want to practice) but I can only keep my Ibanez in one tuning because it's too much of a pain in the ass to change to a different tuning on a guitar equipped with a Floyd Rose bridge.

Normally it's pretty easy to just waltz into Guitar Center, play a bunch of guitars, and decide what you think is best, right? I'd normally agree with that notion, but I'm left handed and play guitar left handed, so every time I go to Guitar Center they have somewhere around 5 guitars I can play, which basically restricts me to either waiting for something interesting to come up in their used section (which is how I got my Les Paul) or purchasing online. Also, I typically play metal and I'm looking into something that feels more like playing my Ibanez than playing my Les Paul; I prefer how my Ibanez feels due to its larger frets and thinner neck, though that's probably because I played it for about a year before getting the Les Paul, so I'm just more accustomed to its feel. However, I'm more fond of the Les Paul's sound. I'm not looking into saving up more than around $1200 for a guitar.

At the moment I'm looking at guitars from Schecter, as I've noticed that most of the guitars they have that I'd be interested in are available in lefty, but any advice on what you think I should go for and why would be greatly appreciated. Also, I'd like to note that I'm trying to avoid Floyd Rose bridges because I already have to deal with that on my Ibanez, and I didn't enjoy having to deal with TWO Floyd Rose-equipped guitars either.

 

[bearsfan092]

I've never owned a Schecter nor have had any serious experience with them, but I've gotten my hands on a Hellraiser w/ FR trem and some 7 string one I'm not sure of. I thought they both "felt" pretty good, and I think the speed will be comparable or perhaps even better than the Ibanez you have. The thing is, on both of them, I wasn't a fan of the sound, but if I recall correctly, I found out after the fact that they were both running some sort of EMG pickups (obviously not the same pickups since one was a seven string, but they sounded sorta similar).

If you are looking into a Schecter (I'd look at the Hellraiser, but it's got a Floyd Rose), I wouldn't be against it provided you got a change of pickups. The feel was there. It's just the sound wasn't. Don't ask me what pickups to get as I don't think I know enough to tell you.

Another option you might want to look into is a budget PRS. My main electric guitar is a PRS SE Custom 24, and I freaking love it. Reasonably fast neck and the stock pickups are solid. I pulled mine for 450 USD, although they typically retail for about 600 I think. I'm also not sure about the availability of PRS left-handed instruments, so check into that.

 

[Adamant Zoroark]

I remember hearing somewhere that PRS cut production of left-handed instruments in I believe 2006, but there's a chance I could find a used one. I'll have to look into it a bit more, though.

Also I do personally like the sound of active pickups (particularly EMGs), but I don't really care whether or not a guitar has them.