A Floyd Rose locking-trem is incredibly fun to use, but also very hard to maintain. Intonation problems, bridge alignment, tuning...oh dear. (Don't even ask about drop-D or non-standard tuning.) It's reliable, but once something goes wrong, you're in for a world of pain. My first guitar had a Floyd Rose bridge, and my early experiences with it weren't fun.

Do some research before you get one. It depends on what kind of music you want to play. Try www.jemsite.com and www.ibanezrules.com and look at the tech sections so see what kind of work a Floyd Rose bridge would need.

And always, ALWAYS test a guitar before buying. Not just the sound or the fretboard feel - strap it on, jump around. It should feel comfortable in every way. Don't buy it after testing it on your lap only to find that you don't like the headstock dip when you're standing up at home.

I suggest you get one with a few built in effects, so you can experiment. I recommend the Line 6 Spider II 15. It's a bit smaller than what you're looking for (15W) but it sounds okay (if a little harshly digital) and with four channels and something like six built-in effects, it'll last you for a while. CK Music sells them for under RM800, I think, so it's affordable, too.

You could also try a Roland Cube.

Good point. I don't know why I forgot the Vox Valvetronix series, especially since I own the AD50VT.

AD30VT is a little over-budget, actually, retailing for around RM900, but it's pretty good for a smaller amp. The 15-watt version exists, too.

AD50 was for RM1200. I was planning to buy the AD30, but the difference in sound quality was so huge, that when my dad heard it he gave me the extra money right away.

Of course, for those who don't have such generous fathers, the AD30 is still a pretty good amp.

For some some bluesey overdrive, try the Ibanez Tube Screamer TS-9 or the Boss Super Overdrive SD-1.

SD-1 is a third of the price of the TS-9, and is slightly edgier. I think Bentley has both for sale, so you can try them side by side there.

Your chosen guitars cover everything across the board. It's almost as if you just laid down a few random brands! Maybe you should narrow it down to two or three first. Think about things like price and availability. Offhand, though I'd say your Santana and Linkin Park inclinations lean towards a humbucker-humbucker guitar, so the Strat's going to go. Of course, Santana has a warm, mellow, vintage overdrive sound and Linkin Park is a heavy-distortion contemporary nu-metal...

But seriously? If you're just starting out (and with these questions, you are) and have the cash to spare, buy a cheapish guitar that you like the feel of, to hell with the sound. When you're better, change the pickups or something. And don't forget a decent amp. You'll probably change your mind about what you like while you're playing, anyway, or at least your experience will let you make a more informed choice.

It might be your cable, yeah. It could be fine, but it's just picking up electrical interference from something. For example, if my cable is unplugged and lying on the floor, I get a whole lotta noise. Once I plug it in, it's fine.

There's plenty of information comparing single-coils and humbuckers on the internet, including this forum, so try a search.

But seriously, there's not alot the members of the forum can do for you, because describing a sound through words is really hard. For example, if I told you that a single coil was bright and glassy, whereas a humbucker is dark and fat, would you really know what I mean? Your best bet: try a Fender Stratocaster (3 single coils) / Telecaster (2 single coils) and a Gibson/Epiphone Les Paul (2 humbuckers) - those are about as different as you can get. Same amp, same settings. Get someone else to try it for you if you're not confident that you can really get the tone from the guitar.

Or another way is to find out what your favourite guitarists use.

This post has been edited by Reload: Mar 2 2006, 10:59 PM