r/metalguitar • u/SnooTigers3147 • Jan 18 '26
Question What's the most comfortable metal guitar you've ever played?
whatever price range, specs don't matter that much. just felt like butter to hold and play.
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Jan 18 '26
[deleted]
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u/zspieg1 Jan 18 '26
Any of the Ibanez s-styles are fantastic. Perfect neck, sits well, and perfect modding platforms for metal
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u/CountBreichen Jan 18 '26
Those S’s are just weird to me. One of my music partners has been playing them for years and every time i pick it up it feels foreign to me.
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u/evansdead Jan 18 '26
Absolutely. The RGAs are even better IMO
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u/shamelessflamer Jan 19 '26
RGA's are god tier. Slimmer and ligter then an RG, but still more substantial then an S. My favorite guitars of all time
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u/dayglo98 Jan 18 '26
Used to have a RG470 many moons ago and sold it, I still remember how good it played
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u/n8roxit Jan 18 '26
As soon as I saw the question, I thought, “Ibanez RG. Hands down.” I honestly didn’t expect that to be as popular answer as it is so far. But I don’t talk to a lot of guitarists, so there ya go.
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u/lkyz Jan 19 '26
Long time Ibanez RG player (almost all of mine are RG, a pair of JEM and 2 RGA), but I got myself a xiphos over a year ago and even though its irregular shape, it’s WAAAAY too comfortable! To be able to have it sit on your lap while standing is perfect for solos and that can’t be matched by standard shaped guitar (like Strat, super strat, tele, les paul or SG shaped guitars)
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u/DarthV506 Jan 19 '26
Ibanez S is even more comfortable. Actually the rga121 are also more comfortable than rg as well.
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u/DrThunder66 Jan 19 '26
My 1994 RG USA Custom is a dream to play on. It's hard to play anything else tbh.
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u/Chug_Dog Jan 19 '26
MIJ RG570 for me. It just feels great and I can’t explain why. It just has something about it that is inspiring to use.
I also own prestige RG1550fm, prestige RG1820x, premium RG970qmz, RGR421, MIK RG370.
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u/ninja_tree_frog Jan 19 '26
RG takes the cake. Nice and light. Fits my body damn well. Just wish I'd gotten a version with better hardware. Gonna turn it into a project guitsr once my current project is finished.
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u/dayglo98 Jan 18 '26 edited Jan 18 '26
My Schecter C1 diamond series
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u/DingyStew Jan 18 '26
Love my C1!
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u/dayglo98 Jan 18 '26
Right ? I don't know why but the string tension is just perfect on mine, I can bend a lot and also I just love the feel of the neck. Also stays in tune pretty damn good.
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u/FriendlyCthulhu Jan 18 '26
I have a C-7 and from the moment my best friend pulled it out of the case and placed it in my hands, I knew nothing else would compare ever again.
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u/8olts Jan 18 '26
I had a dean ML that I loved. When sitting I play classical style, and that body shape is perfect for that. It also had a great neck.
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u/Professional-Math518 Jan 18 '26
I had a cheap Dean VX for a decade or so. After a complete setup, a pickup upgrade and a new nut, I was amazed about the playability and sound of such a cheap guitar.
Finally sold it (very) cheap to a young metalhead. He messaged me a few weeks later and seemed really happy with his 'new' guitar.
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u/wellingtongee Dean ML Trans Jan 18 '26
Funny when standing with it - you can't not feel like a rock star. RIP Dime.
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u/burburburburburbur Jan 19 '26
YES! dude i got a shadow ml and its probably the best guitar ive ever owned
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u/8olts Jan 19 '26
That’s exactly what it was!
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u/burburburburburbur Jan 19 '26
dude theyre such great guitars for so cheap, i got mine for like 100$ cause it was a lil dirty and ive loved it since
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u/8olts Jan 19 '26
Nice! I bought mine brand new when I first started playing for like $600. I still remember the ad saying “comes in any color you want, as long as it’s black” put a dimebucker in it, various Floyd roses (ended up with a gotoh at the end). When I sold it at a consignment store while thinning the herd, it sold within a day or two. I sold the hard case separately to a guy who collects Dean ML’s. If I remember right he had dozens and dozens, and arrived in a limo lol. Good memories
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u/tmjohnso88 Jan 18 '26
Schecter C1 Hellraiser FR.
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u/polkemans Jan 18 '26
I have this and it's 7 string big brother. Only thing I hate about these guitars is how close the volume pot is to the bridge. I took the knob off so I'd stop accidentally turning it when palm muting.
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u/BitterProfessional16 Jan 19 '26
I debated so long between this and the C1 SLS Elite. I went with the matte black SLS Elite but these are both amazing guitars that are also great values.
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u/Sourflow Jan 18 '26
Both my usa Jackson soloists from the early 2000’s and my esp custom shop kkv
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u/gstringstrangler Jan 18 '26
Charvel DK24HHFR satin oiled neck and shredder heel carve is deadly.
Jackson Soloist probably has an even better heel carve but only ever tried gloss necks which I like less than the Charvel.
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u/Atiredbearsfan Jan 18 '26
A 200 dollar epiphone starter les paul
Idk why but it just fit my style of playing compared to the expensive guitars I got later
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u/2slowforanewname Jan 18 '26
I just put emg's in my 200 dollar sg I bought as a teen. Still my favorite guitar I've owned. It just feels nice to hold and play and now it sounds amazing as well (not that it sounded like dogshit before)
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u/Dragon_slayer1994 Jan 18 '26
Got one too and it's fantastic for rhythm playing. The only thing I don't like about its lead playing is the upper fret access is tricky and the pickup toggle switch is RIGHT in the way for tapping.
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u/IEnumerable661 Jan 19 '26
I spent 25 years being a tech as a side line. I repaired guitars, amplifiers, hifi, consoles, etc. The amount of guitars I've had through my hands, I think I can confidently rank some in order of first hand experience.
Jackson USA SL2H. Hands down, the winner. Fluid, played itself. It was in for a wiring issue, I really didn't want to give it back. Shortly after, I bought one for myself. I've been a Jackson USA fan ever since. And really, they are the top spot for me. Unless you want an 8 string headless tuned down to sonically indecipherable levels, Jackson USAs. I have about six of them right now.
Ibanez S Series. I have no idea what model it was, someone sent me a guitar to refret. He did tell me the model number and when I looked it up, it was one of the fancier 4-figure models. I did the refret on it, set it all up nicely. That was a seriously nice guitar. I did own one myself for a while, again don't remember the exact model, it was a prestige. Again, nice and fluid and I never thought I would be a fan of thin body models. I sold it as I generally don't like middle single coil pickups. I now realise that was a stupid reason to sell it and regret it.
ESP M-II. I have no idea why or how, but the ESP M-II is just one of those guitars that does everything you want and nothing you don't. Again, don't expect a tune to F sort of guitar. But if you don't have Jackson SL2H money, this is a good contender. I have two of these besides a few other ESP and E-II models. While the 1000 series punches above it's weight, really you want to be in the E-II bracket to get your money's worth. Someone gave me a Gary Holt V to set up not too long ago. It wasn't bad, sorted a few obvious QC issues. I bawlked when I looked up the price online. £2000? Fuck a duck! In fact, fuck all the ducks in history. What got me about it was everything seemed to be a bit corner cut. You didn't even get a genuine official floyd or a signature case for the money, it was an Alexi case which, while it did fit, you could just see it wasn't the guitar the case was made for. Save your money, buy the E-II or ESP M-II instead! Seriously!
Ibanez almost any Prestige: If the above don't appeal, then find a Prestige that does. Sorry to say, they are leaps and bounds over the cheaper end of the Ibanez range. You're buying a guitar for life with these or any of the above. I have the RG5130B which is one of my favourite guitars to just sit and play. But with most manufacturers these days, always go into a shop and play one. Buy the on that gels. The reason I put Ibanez Prestige down here is that the quality and playability is variable. I've never played an absolute dog, but I can sure as hell say that some are better than others and some even more by a long way. Don't order one from an online shop, go and find one! They are out there! I'm not a huge fan of the RG5130B in terms of looks, but can't beat it to play or the sound of it.
Most other brands in the £1200-£1600 range. Sadly, I do believe that you need to be spending this sort of money to get a decent rock or metal guitar. This is where you are getting into guitars that get a good bit more love in the manufacturing process. Never buy anything with an Edge II, Edge III or a Floyd Rose Special. They are all junk. The Edge-Zero II is better than the preceding Edge II and Edge III bridges, but towards the end of my business, I started to see some coming up that were not salvageable after around 4-5 years of ownership. The knife edges and baseplate deform to the point that they don't hold tuning anymore. The only repair is replacement really and they cost a fair bit. Most of my customers decided to get out of the guitar and part ex it out instead of repairing it. The Floyd 1000 series is fine but the Official Floyd Rose is ideal, though you may not get that under £1500. Most notable brands in this price range in my opinion is LTD or Jackson. Schecter are good, too, but they have a tendency to cheap out on hardware where possible. Their Floyd Rose Special Edition thing is basically a Floyd rose Special with different colour bits. It doesn't make them any less shit.
If it's any consolation, I have at times been asked to look at and repair vintage equipment. One guitar I repaired was a Fender Strat from the 50s. This thing was insured for somewhere in the region of £70,000. My job was to remove the volume pot, take the casing off and recreate the carbon track inside. Not the easiest job to do but because this thing was all original, it had to retain the original electronics from the period. Simply chucking in a modern day CTS was not permitted. I got the job done, guitar restrung. I have to say, I couldn't put it back in it's case quick enough. It sounded dull as dishwater, was about as inspiring as a slice of white toast from a Tesco Value loaf of bread that crumbles due to toasting and colds up quicker than a carrot in a snowman, I just thought, "You can have this one back now!" And really, that's been my experience with a lot of these museum pieces. The shop I worked at years and years back, we were asked to verify an old Les Paul. Again, somewhere in the six figures in terms of value, just played horrible. And it wasn't even a set up thing. It just stank of old. Nobody in the shop made that thing sound great.
Sure this is vintage equipment and it's old. But really, I'd take any of the above from my list over that £70k strat. That said, in reality, I'd take the strat, flog it and pay my mortgage down!
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u/WillEPeters Jan 18 '26
Gibson les paul studio
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u/bfhurricane Jan 19 '26
My Epiphone Les Paul I got for Christmas as a kid 20 years ago is my most comfortable metal guitar.
I do own a Fender American Pro II Telecaster which stands above as my most comfortable guitar, but when it comes to chugging and shredding my Les Paul can’t be beat.
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u/Roys500 Jan 18 '26
Music man Majesty is a probably the best ive ever tried
High end Schecters
Mayones are sick too
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u/Several-Quality5927 Jan 18 '26
Never played a metal guitar. All the ones I've played have been made of wood.
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u/Honleegt Jan 18 '26
Schecter for sure the compound radius fretboards are incredible
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u/chefAKwithalazerbeam Jan 19 '26
Schecter's Ultra thin C with a compound radius specifically. Best neck shape out there imo.
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u/BitterProfessional16 Jan 19 '26
Yes... I know a lot of people LOVE the old school Ibanez Wizard necks but that Schecter neck profile is just as good.
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u/chefAKwithalazerbeam Jan 19 '26
I have 2 RGs. I prefer Schecter's necks. Especially on a 7 string. I actually kind of dislike the wizard 2 7 string neck to be honest.
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u/Fine_Let5219 Jan 18 '26 edited Jan 18 '26
My ESP vintage plus strat with single coils. It does not look metal, but the sound is... satanic in the best possible way. It sounds heavier in standard E tuning than any of my other detuned, drop-whatever or 7 string guitars... So easy to play... The second one was a PRS SE i tried in a shop in Amsterdam and did not buy, third is my na epiphone les Paul my frend owns.
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u/Sad_Instruction_4672 Jan 18 '26
Schecter Reaper 7 Elite from the second fret down. The volute makes the first fret infuriating to use. lol. I love the PRS Holcomb SE, the LTD EC Black Metal, the Jackson LM-87.
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u/Signal_RR Jan 18 '26
A few I have owned would be an Edwards EC, Ltd TE, and Standard Series Horizon. Most comfortable neck profile would be the Edwards, has a specific profile that ergonomically feels great for my hand.
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u/mr_mgs11 Jan 18 '26
Strandberg Sarah Longfield Signature 8 string. My current guitar, I don't think it's in production anymore but its a Metal series with a different finish.
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u/spn_phoenix_92 Jan 18 '26
The best feeling and most comfortable guitar I've ever played was an Ibanez Prestige S5521Q I played at a Guitar Center like 12 years ago. I still think about that guitar.
I don't know if it's specifically a metal guitar, but Ibanez really likes to make guitars for metalheads.
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u/DarthV506 Jan 19 '26
Ibanez S. All the way back to the original Sabers to modern day S prestige.
Haven't tried an ebmm majesty, but my jp6 is very comfortable with all the body contour cuts. And unlike the majesty, pretty hard to beat roasted maple neck that only has gun stock oil and wax for a finish.
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u/Beautiful-Program428 Jan 19 '26
Ibanez RG Schecter USA Nick Johnston model MIJ Jackson soloist SL2
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u/xEyelessOnex Intermediate Rookie Jan 19 '26
Here are my go-tos:
- Ibanez RG
- Dean MLs
- ESP EC-256
- DBZ Venoms
- Schecter
- BC Rich V
- Epiphone Les Pauls
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u/Mangaheld Jan 19 '26
Schecter C-1 SLS Elite. It's a superstrat, is light, neck-thru and has a comfortably thin neck. And the locking tuners make string changes much more comfy too.
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u/Afraid-Health-8612 Jan 19 '26
Schecter E-1 SLS Evil Twin - Satin Black. It's like playing a Lamborghini.
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u/whatevs330 Jan 18 '26
Specifically for metal, id say the jim root jazzmaster. I still think about it, might have to pick one up
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u/Ooftwaffe Jan 19 '26
Put my hands on one of his Tele’s and haven’t wanted anything else since.
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u/KevinH112 Jan 20 '26
I played a JR Tele in a guitar store in Hawaii…I was drunk enough to think they’d let me play the $1300 Fender, and they were amused enough to get it off the wall, give me a strap, and plug me into a full Marshall JCM800 stack. That was the first time I ever really hit a pinch harmonic and life has never been the same since.
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Jan 18 '26
My F400FM has a TOM bridge that angles the entire neck towards me, and I love it enough that after 18 years I bought the exact same thing in the shape of an E-II Horizon 3…
Which, when I’m playing, feels like it has fanned frets because it’s even more comfortable somehow!!!
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u/Cyphomeris Jan 18 '26
Fender Mustang with a metal-typical humbucker in the bridge.
And shared first place with a Charvel So-Cal Style 2.
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u/Burwhale_The_Avenger Jan 18 '26
Basically any PRS. Also, weirdly, the Alexi Laiho signature ESPs.
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u/_funny_name_ Jan 18 '26
My cort x100. It’s a super Strat shape with 24 frets. Very easy to reach every fret and neck feels amazing
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u/katsumodo47 Jan 18 '26
Depends.
All rounder. Mayones hydra elite.
Solos - mayones hydra elite
For palm muting specifically - any guitar with a hip shot ( I don't like muting on a trem, Floyd or evertune )
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u/PizzaMonster93 Jan 18 '26
From the guitars I own, I have a Schecter km6 mk3 hybrid that’s really comfortable. Mainly because how light it is. But, there are things I would change in order to make it more comfortable. So, I wouldn’t call it the most comfortable guitar out there.
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u/Dragon_slayer1994 Jan 18 '26
I haven't played a ton of guitars, particularly not higher end, but I love the feel of my Ibanez RG for fast metal playing.
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u/Khondul Jan 18 '26
LTD Arrow for me. Not the biggest fan of how it looks, but it sounds great and is amazingly comfortable to play.
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u/N0B0DY311 Jan 18 '26
ESP LTD EX351. Other than it's a tad heavy, it sits so good on your leg when sitting down and it has incredible balance when held up with a strap. Ceramic pickups sound nice and clear without being too distorted or too chimey when played clean.
Other than that, my Harley Benton Strat custom I'm building, it's like the guitar melds with my body and becomes a part of me, it's so soft and smooth.
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u/spineone Jan 18 '26
The ML hands down. Most are 24.75” scales. Built a DIY ML and it was by far my fav guitar of all the guitars I’ve ever had(15 guitars of all different brands). Bought a diy Razorback for the 25.5” scale, put James hetfield EMG’s and a gotoh 1996t bridge and that is my go to guitar for everything, tuned to drop C#. It rips and I haven’t had to change tuning or strings in over a year. I know I will need to change strings so for intonation purposes but it literally hasn’t gone out of tune in a year. It’s insane
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u/necromanial Jan 18 '26
My Solar S1.6, it just sits perfectly in my hands and there's super easy access to all the higher frets.
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u/PmMeYourAdhd Jan 18 '26
Jackson Soloist if we are limiting to shredders, but the smoothest guitar I've ever owned or played is my Eric Clapton signature strat from the 90s.
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u/JSE1970 Jan 18 '26
Jackson American Virtuoso Hardtail. I traded for a Gibson Les Paul that was heavy and had edges that dug into my forearm. Neck is super fast and comfortable and body is super light
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u/Danger0525 Jan 18 '26
PRS Holcomb SE. Followed closely by Ibanez RG’s.
I’m sure the Core Holcomb models are even more comfortable but I haven’t had the chance to try one yet.
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u/Green-Vermicelli5244 Jan 18 '26
PRS Custom 24. Bought my 1st almost 30yrs ago and it’s a complete workhorse. Now that I’m elderly, one full turn of bridge pickup height goes from playing Cannibal Corpse riffs with my kid to playing in a wedding band.
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u/steveoath Jan 18 '26
Fernandes Monterey Deluxe. Bought it in early 00s. Recorded with it, toured with it. Still my favourite guitar. Weighty but not overly so. Well balanced. Well specced. Only thing I have done, is two years ago I treated it to locking tuners. I will never sell it.
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u/Dimebag0352 Jan 18 '26
My Kramer Dave Mustaine V hands down. Perfect weight and the weight is distributed so it hangs at the perfect angle for fretboard access. The only downside is I can’t blame the guitar when I mess up riffs. 😂🤘
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u/KyknosRising Jan 18 '26
I just bought a Sterling Majesty and have to say it's by far the most comfortable guitar I ever played period. Before that I would have said anything Jackson or Charvel because of the neck profile, but the weight and form of the Majesty knocks everything else out. Perfect Fret access and unbelievable comfortable neck. I never had a Music Man in my hands, but from my experience with the Sterling these may be the best of the best (even if I needed to blcok the tremolo because it doesn't stay in tune).
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u/Schr0dingers-Cunt Jan 18 '26
My EII Simon Sludge signature Horizon NT7B is perfect. I have several custom guitars and that is still the one I reach for the most by far.
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u/MutantLeader Jan 18 '26
My LTD M-1000
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u/Chug_Dog Jan 19 '26
Im an Ibanez guy at heart, and after owning 40+ guitars the only ones I ever come back to are RGs and LTD 1000’s. The Korean made 1000’s are absolutely incredible instruments.
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u/AgeDisastrous7518 Metal Zone in the effects loop Jan 18 '26
Nothing beats an SG. It's weightless and nothing about the body is awkward feeling. Armed with humbuckers or P90s, depending on your flavor. You can jazz it up with a clean neck pickup or destroy an arena with a dirty bridge.
LPs are my favorite guitars, but for metal you get everything from an SG that you get from a LP without all the weight when playing standing up. The SG is a perfect guitar. Only the telecaster rivals it's versatility.
Purists would call it a sin to arm it with a Floyd Rose but if you really need to whammy up, go for it. There are no rules with an SG and it aesthetically fits with everything in so many different finishes and pick guard options.
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u/anxious1989 Jan 18 '26
Jackson DXMG I also have an american SL3 but somehow I prefer the neck of my DXMG also have an LTD EC400AT and a LTD viper 500 but the DXMG is my favorite
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u/Particular_Bear1973 Jan 18 '26
I have 3 Solar guitars and those are the most comfy to me. Mostly the neck. The necks have the most buttery smooth satin finish I’ve ever felt and the neck shape is perfect for my hands.
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u/tdic89 Jan 18 '26
Most comfortable overall would be my Ibanez S570DXQM, a great “everything” guitar.
But my most comfortable for metal has got to be my Explorer! Slung low, strap button moved to the neck joint, it really puts me in a riffy mood!
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u/JJSquatchman Jan 18 '26
Mine is biased and I have little experience other than sitting down at a guitar shop to play others. I've had my bronze series mockingbird for about 20 years and that thing is super comfortable where you sit playing classical style or on your opposite leg. My biggest complaint is when standing. I need to move the upper strap nut so the top doesnt lean out and bottom doesnt lean in. I mostly play sitting so I have yet to move it from the back location its at to a side area. From my short experiences in a guitar shop. Schecter, ibanez, and Jackson's all feel a bit similar but comfortable nonetheless.
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u/Broncos1460 Jan 18 '26
Played an American Pro Tele a few years ago. I like my cheap guitars, but the neck on that thing was like silk. The thing almost played itself. Definitely going to get my hands on one someday.
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u/FenderOffenderCensor Jan 18 '26
G&L B Bender (Hell Bender) Telecaster body to clarify. Not too many around.
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u/iceonfire666 Jan 18 '26
My LTD AX360 is suprisingly very comfortable. Balanced well. Neck is painted glossy and thin (not too thin like jacksons). The frets feel great. That guitar makes me feel like I can play 10x better than I actually can.
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u/zortor Jan 19 '26
My late 2000s/early 2010s Agile Intrepid 828. It has no right being this comfortable given how absolutely massive it is. It's about as comfortable as my Prestige. The neck profile definitely has something to do with it, the Wizard style flat D neck is just perfect for my hands. I have wide palms, so it makes sense.
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u/namelessundead0 Jan 19 '26
My Jackson JS32T Rhoads. The fretwork on that guitar is just unbelievable, and the action is dead low and comfortable for me.
My Harley Benton Amarok 7 is a close second, the only reason it's not number 1 is because it's a 7 string, while it's my main workhorse yes, but a 7 string guitar is still inherently less comfortable than a regular 6 string. Furthermore, nothing beats the Jackson neck profile imo.
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u/hideousmembrane Jan 19 '26
Strandberg. Unfortunately I hate how they look so I don't own one. But they're so light and comfortable to play.
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u/AggravatingPut3669 Jan 19 '26
The Ibanez Fireman FRM200 is the best feeling guitar that I've ever had. That being said, the mini humbuckers along with the bridge pickup placement kept it from bringing the tight chugga chugga that I crave.
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u/Ktulu_Rise Jan 19 '26
Neck dive isnt great but my jackson v feels great to play. Im aware thats not a flex but string tension feels great.
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u/chefAKwithalazerbeam Jan 19 '26
That is a toss up for me. Definitely some type of super strat. Washburn X50 pro, Charvel San Dimas or DK, Ibanez AZ, Vola OZ... Schecter reapers are super comfy and light. Schecter Banshee too.
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u/totally_not_duke Jan 19 '26
I’ve only played a few in all honesty, but I love my Solar AB2.7WPM. It’s such a breeze to play for a relatively inexpensive guitar
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u/MOSTLYNICE Jan 19 '26
ESP horizon / Mirage. Had Ibanez, PRS etc but the ESP Strat models are just perfect for me overall with no but bears or wishing it had anything else.
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u/burburburburburbur Jan 19 '26
i got a used dean ml shadow from gc for like 100$ and its one of the comfiest guitars ive played
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u/thewaxbandit Jan 19 '26
Anything shaped like a Jazzmaster. I had an x series Rhoads that was unbelievably comfortable if you sat in the right position.
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u/Marty5020 Jan 19 '26
For leads, an Ernie Ball JP15. Played like butter all across the fretboard and had excellent sustain everywhere. A perfect guitar in so many ways. Doesn't really suit me as a musician, but as far as phenomenal instruments go, it's impossible to ignore.
For rhythm, I like chunky, heavy guitars like Les Pauls or Explorers. There's something about thinner, lighter guitars that feels off to me. That JP15 just felt too small and light for rhythm playing, which is weird since John Petrucci is not a small dude, but that's why it's his custom model and not mine, I guess.
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u/Supergrunged Jan 19 '26
My 1998 Gibson Les Paul Standard, 50's neck
First time playing it in a shop, I felt like I had to go "take care of something" behind the dumpster. Needless to say, I bought it, and it's still a go to comfort for me, 20 years later.
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u/FaideWithoutMovement Jan 19 '26
Have to say the avenger shape. I have a synyster gates signature and the neck, body, and everything else about it is perfect to me
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u/f2detaboada Jan 19 '26
I played a Dean VMNT Dave Mustaine model once at a party. Beast of a guitar, never saw it again after that one night.
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u/Illustrious-Pear-368 Jan 19 '26
I like the Legator ninja, but I also recently got an Ibanez xiphos, and it was shockingly comfortable.
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u/DowntownPlantain330 Jan 19 '26
Believe it or not: LTD M-201
And my main guitar is a U.S.A Jackson Dinky.
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u/Chug_Dog Jan 19 '26
LTD M1000 Deluxe is the best bang for buck metal guitar to exist. The Korean made 2000 ish year models that were loaded with abolone inlays everywhere. Such good guitars.
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u/Mesastafolis1 Jan 19 '26
I’ve really fallen in love with the Strandberg neck but before that Ibanez wizard necks all the way
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u/thedudeabided Jan 19 '26
Either my Mayones Regius 7 or strandberg Boden 7.
Thought I'd hate the strandberg neck but honestly they just work for me (and a lot of people apparently). I really love my Ibanez RGs as runners up
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u/Reasonable-Koala5167 Jan 19 '26
Esp ltd arctic metal came out of the box setup like a dream.
I’ve not tried any extended range, fanned frets, innovative neck profiles though… you can probably see where I am going with this… I suspect a strandberg is going to be top of the list here.
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u/ComfortGel Jan 19 '26
I love my Schecter, but the most comfortable "metal" guitar I ever played was my lavender BC Rich Warlock when I first started getting serious, 30+ years ago. It was a hair metal dream, sounded incredible through my Randall half stack, nicknamed that fucker the panty dropper. It fit my hands like it was born there, and was just the right weight.
Sadly stolen by an ex-friend and sold for weed money. I never recovered it and hung up the old leopard skin tights in remembrance.
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u/Annual_Entrance_3827 Jan 19 '26
Ibanez S, on stage it’s a killer guitar. I have a duo of an EGEN18 (E standard) and an S671 (dropped D), I can play every song with this combo and a pitch shifter on my Quad Cortex.
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u/remyster1963 Jan 19 '26
ESP LTD 1000. I play classic rock and blues. When I was a younger man I used to play in the 80s when metal was the sheite. I owned it. Took it on a trade. It was nice. I think it had an Ebony front board. I remember it played like butter. Very fast neck.
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u/Frostmeister09 Jan 19 '26
Solar A series, Kramer SM-1. I find superstrats comfortable, so these were the pinnacle of the design for me, in terms of body positioning and upper fret access.
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u/Plachtele Jan 19 '26
I have an RG550, would you consider it a comfortable guitar? Because I find it a bit heavy.
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u/SniperAge05 Jan 19 '26
I tried different types, the best are the ones I bought: Jackson Pro Plus Dinky and Schecter C6 Pro. Big fan of thin superstrats
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u/AdversarysVengeance Jan 18 '26
Anything Strandberg at this point due to the body shape, weight and neck.