Best Guitars for Ambient

[Nate2112]

So I recently joined a local Progressive Metalcore band as the ambient guitarist and I am in need of a new guitar. Any suggestions of guitars good for ambient?

[Maverick]

It would seem to me that it is more the effects you will choose, rather than the guitar. You'll likely be so drowned in modulation and delay that no one will be able to tell what kind of guitar you have. Just my humble opinion.

[rushfanNlv]

I have to disagree with you on this one. I think that a guitar with single coils in the neck and middle position will yield more the ambient sounds than say a double humbucker. Just my opinion.

 

Get yourself an old YamahaF500 fro Ebay. Great ambient sounds on that ting.

[Maverick]

Eh, what the hell do I know? I'm a blues and rockabilly player!

 

:guitar:

[The Analog Grownup]

Any guitar can be used for ambient. Find a guitar that feels right in your hands, and use a bunch of effects. Humbuckers are just as good in my opinion. Ambient is usually a crapload of reverb, delay and a bunch of other effects. In the end nobody will be able to recognize what guitar was used :P

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

Yeah I see "ambient guitar" and think crazy reverb and delay. Amps and FX will make more of a difference than the guitar itself. That said ambient does imply a cleaner source than distorted. A pair of Fender amps set wide apart with the guitar going through a rack multiFX/reverb unit, not a pedal. That's what I think of when I hear/see "ambient guitar" as a term.

[Maverick]

Well maybe I wasn't so wrong after all!

 

But seriously, I do agree with the idea that the tone should be cleaner like with a middle or neck position single coil pickup.

[EagleMoon]

That would agree that single coils will give you a clearer brighter tone. If it were me I would probably get a HSS Fender Strat.

[Maverick]

That would agree that single coils will give you a clearer brighter tone. If it were me I would probably get a HSS Fender Strat.

 

Yes!

[Ancient Ways]

Telecaster?

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

Clean doesn't necessarily mean bright.

[The Analog Cub]

Definitely more about the effects than the guitar itself, but I would steer clear of anything with hotter pickups.

 

I strive more for a tone similar to Adrian Smith or a heavier sounding p/g era Lerxst, so ambient sounds aren't my area of expertise.

[The Analog Grownup]

Yeah I see "ambient guitar" and think crazy reverb and delay. Amps and FX will make more of a difference than the guitar itself. That said ambient does imply a cleaner source than distorted. A pair of Fender amps set wide apart with the guitar going through a rack multiFX/reverb unit, not a pedal. That's what I think of when I hear/see "ambient guitar" as a term.

Well maybe I wasn't so wrong after all!

 

But seriously, I do agree with the idea that the tone should be cleaner like with a middle or neck position single coil pickup.

That would agree that single coils will give you a clearer brighter tone. If it were me I would probably get a HSS Fender Strat.

Definitely more about the effects than the guitar itself, but I would steer clear of anything with hotter pickups.

 

I strive more for a tone similar to Adrian Smith or a heavier sounding p/g era Lerxst, so ambient sounds aren't my area of expertise.

 

Think outside the box, man! :D-13: :smoke:

[Maverick]

Definitely more about the effects than the guitar itself, but I would steer clear of anything with hotter pickups.

 

I strive more for a tone similar to Adrian Smith or a heavier sounding p/g era Lerxst, so ambient sounds aren't my area of expertise.

 

Definitely the lower the pickup output, the better. But I'm pretty sure that any guitar the TS would be looking at would have original lower output pickups.