Looking for a new axe to craft some new souls?Well, there are plenty of great options – let’s delve into 10.
The tone of a Neo soul guitar is usually clean and clear, with the emphasis on clarity – so those beautiful and complex chord sounds really sing – rather than power.The key is to look for guitars that convey harmony well.
There are no hard and fast rules, but in this guide, we’ll look at more models in the single-coil field.Thanks to their lower output and brighter sound, they’re great for playing spectacular chords and pushing harsh melodies.
When humbucking pickups do appear, their sound is usually more on the retro end of the spectrum, with the soft brightness of the bridge pickups and the warm woody feel of the neck pickups.Ultra-high output pickups are more likely to cause problems for the rest of the signal chain, as it’s easier to get shiny cleans when your pickups aren’t hitting the front of the pedal or amp.
When overdrive is heard in a neo-soul, it’s usually a slight crunch rather than a bubbly high-gain fusion tone.Using a pickup with a restrained sound will help the listener better focus on the performance, rather than the muddy, distorted tone.
Aside from the electronics, it depends more on your playing style requirements: some new soul players make heavy use of vibrato bars for articulation, while others prefer hardtail bridges.Modern, ergonomic touches, such as a full access neck heel, flatter fingerboard radius, etc., will also be more common on this list than old-fashioned correct specs – simply because new souls require a lot of Fingerboard acrobatics.
+ Ultra-modern update to a classic design+ Noiseless pickups – Ultra-modern specs might put off some people
Fender’s Player Plus line is designed to modernize classic designs.Here, that manifests as three noiseless single-coil Strat pickups, delivering an extra clean tone that is, well, clean – no hum, even with compression or overdrive.
Auxiliary mode, provided by the push-pull knob, adds neck pickups to switch positions one and two, giving you two sounds not usually found on a Strat – a deeper tone of the neck pickup versus a brighter bridge or Combining the middle positions certainly helps make things sound complete and clear.
In terms of playing experience, the neck carving is always slim and comfortable, and the fretboard edges are curled for minimal interference from opponents.The fretboard is also sculpted to a relatively flat 12″ radius, which means that playing all the way “on the board” is a breeze.The modern two-point tremolo and locking tuners are nice too, helping to keep things steady during the most sensible swings.
Price: £939 / $1,099.99 Build: Contoured alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 12″ radius fretboard, 22 medium jumbo frets, synthetic bone nut Hardware: 2-point six-saddle tremolo, Fender rear lock Tuner Electronics: 3x Player Plus noise-free Strat pickups, five-way blade selector switch, volume, tone (mid and neck), push/pull bridge (add neck pickups to positions one and two) Scale length: 25.5″/648mm
+ Weight reduction adds some much-needed ergonomics to the Les Paul+ split-coil humbucking pickups—maybe too lean for some
The Les Paul Studio can be an attractive option for serious players: The Les Paul Studio features a triple low profile finish with a classic double humbucking single cut design that essentially eliminates all unwanted contact, Only what is needed is left.
Les Paul Studio’s humbucking pickups sound after the famous restricted PAF pickups, however, they have more mid-to-high bite, perfect for a clean sound and a push-pull volume pot that lets you split the two pickups that give you easy access to single-coil sound and greatly expand your tone.
The construction in particular includes a weight-saving body, which is a big plus if you don’t like the rather heavy mass of a traditional Les Paul.While many of the guitars on this list feature 25.5-inch scales to provide a lively tone, depending on your approach, the looser feel provided by the 24.75-inch scale may be put to good use.
Price: £1,299/$1,599 Build: Lightweight Mahogany body, Maple top, Slim Taper profiled Mahogany neck, Rosewood fretboard, 22 frets Hardware: Tune-o-matic bridge and tailpiece, GraphTech Nut, Grover Tuner Electronics: 490R Humbucker Pickup (Neck) 498T Pickup (Bridge), Two Push-Pull (Coil Split) Volume Controls, Two Tone Controls Scale Length: 24.75” / 629mm
The AZ-2204-HRM combines the sleek, slim design approach Ibanez is known for, and the more retro styling of the Model S makes it a great choice for new souls.This isn’t a metal-focused shredder, but the generous heel carving, 22 jumbo frets, and relatively flat 12-inch radius make it a fast-playing dream.
Seymour Duncan’s Hyperion pickups also cover a lot of ground, and you can change that with the Alter switch, which enables auxiliary tones for each pickup, offering a total of nine switch positions.While you can get through the full set without two songs having the same key, it does mean you can get some really interesting clean tones with non-standard switching.
Price: £1,799 / $1,999.99 Build: Alder body, toasted maple bolt-on neck, 12″/305mm radius, toasted maple fretboard, 22 jumbo stainless steel frets, 12″ radius Hardware: Gotoh T1802 Tremolo Bridge, Gotoh Magnum Lock Headstock Height Adjustable Post Electronics: Seymour Duncan Hyperion humbucking pickups (bridge) and 2 Hyperion single coils (middle and neck), 5-way hyperswitch with coil Separation, volume, tone, dyna-MIX9 switch system with Alter switchScale Length: 25.5” / 648mm
Despite its slightly offset appearance, the Harmony Silhouette has more in common with the likes of the Jazzmaster than the traditional T-shaped, thanks to its two pickups and three-saddle bridge.
All three pickup locations offer plenty of punch.In pure EQ terms, this is a very high-pitched guitar, but that doesn’t mean it’s harsh – the clean tones are lively, especially when digging through chords, and it’s compressor-like without any pedaling required .The pickups here are actually mini humbucking pickups that have their own very unique tone due to their smaller footprint on the length of the strings.
The liveliness of the pickups, combined with the rock-solid hardware and smooth neck profile, make it a great choice for the Neo Soul – complex chords that will stand out effortlessly.If you really need some wiggle, Harmony also offers a Bigsby-equipped version.
Price: £1,299 / $1,299 Construction: Alder body, bolt-on maple neck, ebony fretboard, 12″ fingerboard radius, 22 frets Hardware: Telecaster-style three-saddle bridge, locking tuner Electronics: 2 Gold Foil Mini Humbuckers, One Roll, One Scale Length: 25” / 635mm
Not only does this guitar look important, but it’s also ready for new soul playing.The small, semi-hollow body gives its sound plenty of bells, no hum or uncontrollable resonance.HSS arranger is also convenient, offering a variety of sound options.The mini humbucking pickups in the bridge, kind of silhouetted, give you just enough kick without risking overpowering the sound with the heavier bass response of the full humbucking pickups.
This lively sound is aided by a slightly semi-hollow structure, which sits only on one side of the guitar.The bridge options here can also be customized to your needs – it comes with a Gibson-style two-piece hardtail, or a Wilkinson vintage Stratocaster-style tremolo.
Price: £1,359 / $1,599.99 Construction: Alder body with 3-piece maple neck, Ebony fretboard, Hardware: Two-piece hardtail bridge and tailpiece or Wilkinson Stratocaster tremolo, Tusq nuts, Grover locking tuning Electronic: 2x Seymour Duncan STR52- 1 single coil (neck and midrange), 1x Seymour Duncan SM-1b mini humbucking pickup (bridge), 5-way blade switch, one volume, one tone.Scale Length: 24.75″/629mm
+ Affordable entry point into the world of Silver Sky + Unique features – won’t turn Strat purists
John Mayer’s Strat-inspired PRS Signature model caused a stir when it was released, and even more when the affordable SE version was released.SE Silver Sky still presents the Model S as a nuance of the original: a refined guitar that wears inspiration on its sleeve, but still offers a fresh experience.The neck feels particularly good, with a rather unique 8.5″ radius fingerboard that separates the rounded retro feel of the 7.25″ early Strat from the more modern ‘board.
The pickups are also excellent, with plenty of clear flash when sweeping.A dedicated bridge tone control is also a nice touch, allowing you to tame ice axe attacks that can occur when using a single coil in the bridge position.
Price: £895/$849 Builder: Solid double-cut poplar body, bolt-on maple neck, 8.5″ radius rosewood fretboard, double-action PRS truss rod, bird inlay, signature SE headstock decal hardware : 2-point steel tremolo, vintage style tuner, PRS composite nut Electronics: 3 635JM S single-coil pickups, volume and two tone controls, 5-way blade pickup switch Scale length: 25.5″/648 mm
+ Thinner than many all-hollow guitars + Three voices from neck pickups – may be too “traditional jazz” for some
This absolutely gorgeous guitar is Ibanez’s interpretation of a double cut hollow body.Despite its affordable price, it does look like a big deal and comes with some high-end specs.
While it can definitely master traditional jazz tones, it still has a few tricks up its sleeve: mainly the Tri-Sound switch, which operates only on the neck pickup.This small toggle switch provides three different pickup tones for the neck pickup, which means you can split the coils or run them in parallel for two additional tonal options if you don’t want it to be warm jazz.The pickup itself is an Ibanez Super 58 — a pickup that George Benson, Pat Metheny and John Scofield also love on their iconic models.
Despite its all-hollow construction, this is definitely not an old-fashioned full-size jazz box, with a slimmer body and neck providing a flexible playing experience for the modern player.
Price: $699.99 / £569 Build: Linden hollow double cut body, three-piece nyatoh and maple neck Hardware: VT06 floating tailboard, Ibanez tuner Electronics: Two Super 58 pickups, individual tone and volume controls , Tri Sound split/series/parallel switch neck pickups Scale length: 24.72″/628mm
+Classic look with modern specs+Plenty of ergonomic touches.- Pickups may be too retro for some
Suhr’s Classic S was inspired by the pieces on its sleeves, but given that the shape is one of the most common on the market, it’s no surprise that Suhr brought its own twists and modernizations to the format.The Gotoh 510 bridge differentiates the performance of double-lock tremolo like the Floyd Rose from the more traditional Stratocaster tremolo, while the strikingly contoured heel makes playing in the high register a breeze.
Guitars are available in HSS and SSS configurations, depending on your preference.The single coil here is Suhr’s own V60LP, and the humbucking pickup is a Suhr SSV.Both the V60LP and SSV are known for their dynamic, lively vintage pickup sound: perfect for crisp cleans and warm, singing drive sounds.
Price: £2,399 / $2,999 Build: Alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 9-12″ radius Indian Rosewood or Maple fretboard, 22 frets Hardware: Tusq Nut, Suhr Lock-On Tuner, Gotoh 510 Tremolo Electronics : 2x or 3x V60LP single coil, humbucking pickup when SSV selects HSS, 5-way blade switch, one volume, two tone controls Scale length: 25.5″/648 mm
While not as modern as the Player Plus Telecaster offering, the standard Player Telecaster is kept lean but not overly retro.There’s a six-saddle bridge with a block steel saddle, as well as a modern “C” neck carving, making playing a breeze.
The fretboard isn’t as flat as the Player Plus’s 12 inches, but 9.5 inches.At the top of this list, however, are the pickups—a pair of Player Series Alnico VTelecaster pickups that sound slightly softer than the most modern single-coils on this list, but are by no means underpowered.
The rest of the guitar is standard Telecaster fare: there’s a reason this design has been around since the 1950s.Despite its simplicity, there’s basically nothing a good Tele can’t do.Well, maybe dive bombs – but they’re not particularly common among new souls.
Price: £719 / $849.99 Build: Alder body with bolt-on maple neck, 9.5″ radius maple fretboard, 22 frets Hardware: Synthetic bone nut, 6-saddle through-body TV bridge, w/ Block Steel Saddle, Die Cast Tuner Electronics: 2x Player Series Alnico V Telecaster Pickups, 3-Way Blade Switch, Volume and Tone Controls Scale Length: 25.5” / 648mm
If the other semi-hollows on this list are a little too modern, then maybe Gibson’s ES-339 is for you.While it’s traditionally styled, the smaller body makes it more suitable for new soul sounds than bass jazz leads or infinitely continuous rock feedback.
It comes with a pair of 57 Classic humbucking pickups, and while they don’t have coil separation, their low output and crisp sound will make your tones sound punchy and clear.The semi-hollow structure is perfectly combined with the low gain sound,
Like its Les Paul brethren, the ES-339 has a relatively short 24.75-inch scale: whether that’s positive, negative, or completely neutral is up to you.
Price: £2,049/$2,799 Build: 3-ply maple/poplar/maple top and back, mahogany neck, spruce brace, maple center piece, 12″ rosewood fretboard, 22 fret hardware : ABR-1 tune-o-matic bridge and aluminum hardtail, Grover Rotomatic tuner, electronics: 57 Classic (neck) and 57 Classic+ (bridge), two volume controls and two tone controls, 3-Way Switch Scale Length: 24.75″/629mm
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