Verified answer

You'll be able to get a Gibson for 1500.

My brother got a Gibson SG in canada for around 600 dollars I think.

SGs are awesome: http://www.abcsounds.co.uk/images/gibson-sg-standa...

i own both and there are pros and cons on both guitars. The Les Paul- Pros:Les Paul Studio sounds better than the SG Standard & it feels great, and its a lot more vintage looking than the SG by my tastes. It also comes with a hard case. Cons:LPS is a little thicker and heavier than the SG and its harder to reach the last few frets. SG Standard: Its thin, and light, it has a pretty good sound, very portable, and also feels great to hold while playing, its super easy to reach every fret. Cons: The input for the cable is on the face of the guitar so for me its a little less comfy. It doesnt sound as great as the studio. Any way, regarding the sound you can change it by installing new pickups. So overall i prefer the Les Paul Studio.

gibson over esp, for sure. but if you like grunge or alternative then you should consider a jaguar or mustang.

i've done TONS of shopping for guitars, i've played guitar for 15 years, been in a couple bands. etc. and the guitars i look at are around $600-850. less and you might compromise quality, more and you're just a rich kid with a guitar on the wall. you want to be able to play it, so it has to be worth something, but you don't want to be afraid to touch it or put stickers on it or paint it or generally **** it up. if you've got $1500 and i were you, i'd buy a thurston moore jazzmaster. that's a way indie guitar. super cool. green and black too, it's cool. the jazzmaster is good for its tone and ability to tune to odd tunings. the mustang is small as heck, and goes to 22 frets.. i think the jaguar goes to 22 frets.. yeah, but the jazzmaster is 21 like the strat. anyway, the gibson is a good guitar, and the humbuckers are good. jaguars also have humbuckers. it sounds like you've had your eye set on a gibson so i'd recommend you go for it. you have to get something that is you. hey, maybe u really like the esp ..weird, but whatever, it's your music!..

p.s. kurt cobain wasn't a fan of the telecaster. he played fender jaguars, mustangs, and strats. he loved jaguars and mustangs so much he designed the jag-stang.

p.s.s. don't get an ibanez unless you're trying to tell people you are trying to play heavy metal. they have good guitars, but.. too heavy metal influenced for me..

grunge = mustang, jaguar, jazzmaster

metal = ibanez

alternative = mustang, jaguar, jazzmaster, maybe a strat or tele, but strats and teles are so popular.. ugh..

hard rock = GIBSON!.. hard rock.. gibson, totally. not esp.

esp sort of says to me... hard rock with metal taste.. i don't know, that's what i see when i look at it.. because of that sharp edge. but i don't know how ESP's sound. who uses an ESP?

i want you to feel free, but i'd say take the gibson over the esp 100%. isn't the esp just a rip off of the les paul? are you a rip off? is that what you're trying to say? maybe you are a crazy ripper, and that's exactly what you're trying to say, i have no freakin idea.

oh, and i admit Gibson SG's are cool.. i'm just too much of a fender guy.. but i could see myself liking an SG.. as a matter of fact.. that's a good suggestion for you. just make sure you pick em up and play em at the store and get a feel for the tone and the feel, then you'll know.

I would go for either an ibanez gem or a fender telecaster, kurt cobain and beck were both known fans of the telecaster. its got ultra clean pickups, and sounds really good with a little distortion, but if you are after a louder sound, like Joe Satriani, Herman Li, or Steve Vai.... something super distorted i would lean towards an ibanez... plus the body shapes are awesome! good luck with whatever you pick!! rock on dude \m/