No regrets here!
 
 

jbow

57Gregy
There's an Epiphone Dot Studio at the pawn shop up the road. The price seems a little high for a used Dot ($285), seeing how some new ones can be had for ~300. It plays great, I like the thin neck and I've always wanted an ES-style guitar. I blame Alvin Lee for that.
So I convinced myself that I couldn't afford another guitar to sit on a stand with the other guitars I play maybe once a week, then the saleslady says, "we have layaway".
Arrrggghhhh! Why do they do this to me?

First, I am glad you have found something that you are both happy with, that is great!
About the guitars:
PAwnshop: Make them an offer of 210.00 (never pay asking price unless you have to) and work up to a meeting point, maybe 245.00, if you want it. End of the month is a good time to get a deal at a GC if they have not met their sales quota.
I have had my eye on an Epiphone ES-339 Pro in natural. I like the idea of a slightly smaller body but I don't want or need a bigsby. Can you add a Bigsby on the cheap?
Rain, if I were you I would consider, since it is only 2 or 3 hundred dollars, make a down payment with someone like Sweetwater and get the guitar you really want. It isn't like it is 2 or 4 thousand dollars... and I can tell you from a lifetime of experience... settling for something that will approximate what you really want, never really does it. It is like trying to get the Marshall sound without buying a Marshall, you can do it but you'll likely spend more than you would have on a real Marshall but you'll likely have a better amp if you do. If you try to get it cheaper... well, you'll never quite get there and you'll soon be looking again. Have you played all these guitars? Personally, I like to play any main guitar I buy before I buy it, most guitars are like Levi's jeans. You don't know if they fit until you try them on, the tag means nothing.
Good luck and if possible, don't "settle" over the matter of a couple hundred dollars... get what you really want. Find a way. Just my 2 cent.
 
J

I saw that ES-339 online last night - looks sweet, and if not for the fact that I'm really stuck on the Bigsby, I'd get that one. 
 
As for getting the one I really want, until we get the green card and I'm authorized to work, my wife provides for the both of us and she already spoils me, so I try to be budget conscious. I can sometimes sell gear to raise part of the money for what I need, but she's already bought an awful lot of things for me and the home studio, including my SGJ and a bunch of other guitars. In this case, I'll try and raise the money for a while and maybe suggest the rest as a birthday present or something...
 
 

Rain
 
... 
But for this project, I'll eventually need something a bit beefier because I am after something that's got a bit more of a live feel, so layering tracks isn't really the best idea. I need a guitar that will take a bit more room sonically, sound a bit more rich and not so much gnarling. I need the sound of wood.
 ...

 
If I may state it, from my inner feel of these words, and they were very nice and strong (!!! ... always love that!), this will require another guitarist for you to put together properly, after you have it down, because you will need to concentrate on the beef'iness of your own part! But that is just a feeling, and not necessarily a reality.

The key word for what I want to do arrangement-wise is "sparse", at least for the guitars. I think that it's more a matter of conjuring a kind of tone that has the sonic density to stand on its own, something chunky, woody. The Les Paul gets me pretty close, but, why not get the right tool for the task, right? :)

It's here! Just arrived about an hour ago. It's gorgeous, Rain. Workmanship is very clean, and the finish has more red to it than your original picture indicates.
After arriving in the US, they are set up by Epiphone. Mine was set up by #26, and he/she did a fine job. Action is comfortably low, and I don't believe it will require much, if any adjustment.
In the middle position(all three pickups engaged) it has a delightfully rich, warm sound.
There is a strong potential for this guitar to replace my trusty Ibanez LP as my go-to.
The Bigsby is tre cool. The first few whacks knocked it out of tune, but the strings settled fairly quickly, and it seems pretty stable now.
Bottom line, I'm very pleased with what this guitar delivers.
On a side note, I am now grounded, but it was worth it

Thanks, Robert! :)