Input on gear purchase?

So I've recently started two new jobs, and am looking to get some new gear. Right now I play a 2011 Am. Std. Strat, most of my playing is at church going direct through a Digitech GNX3, and at home I use a Blues Jr...sometimes I bring it to church on youth nights, and use it when we play out.

I've been wanting a John Mayer Strat since I can remember...but I'm just wondering how much different it will be than my Strat now. I really dig my Strat, and to be honest im losing the desire to cop my guitar heros tones ...its more in the fingers anyways ;). So Im thinking about getting a Les Paul Studio Satin, an Ibanez AC240E A/E, and a POD HD300. All three add up to about the cost of the JM alone.

This way I will be able to expand on my tone palate with the Les Paul and Strat options. I think the HD300 will sound way better than the Digitech. (Don't need the HD500, too much going on for me) and I need a good Acoustic...so all in all, for my devices, being in my situation what would you do? Thanks fellow music enthusiasts!

Get the LP-I'm sure the sig Strat is nice, but you'd be paying for the name mostly.

Um, cough, cough, Tele, cough, cough...

You have an American strat.

If the AMerican Strat is you only or your main guitar then I don't see the creative upside to getting another Strat.

Kind of like eating cheese burgers at home 6 nights per week and then going out to a fancy diner and ordering a cheese burger on the weekend.

You should mix it up.

Have you ever seen one of these in the flesh?? - Beautiful Guitar - Linky (http://www.guitarcenter.com/Gibson-Les-Paul-Junior-Special-with-Humbuckers-Electric-Guitar-107597189-i2333562.gc) Look at the price! I have 4 Les Pauls and every time that I walk into GC this Special makes me drool.

You have a nice single coil guitar. Get a humbucker guitar. Mixing it up will give you more creative potential.

RE: pod hd300... I looked at the range for a while and came to the conclusion that if I got the 300 I would be wondering whether I should have went for a better spec... Then I had a stroke of luck and found a nearly new HD400 for sale privately.Nearly a year later I'm still happy with it and glad I did not settle for the 300.

I certainly agree that you already have a good Strat, and could now consider a contrasting (and complementing) guitar.

On the other hand, thinking like that has led me down the slippery slope of collecting lol...

If I'm correct, sound wise, all the Pod HDs sound the "same" just more frills as you go up. I just don't want something that I'm gonna end up spending more time tweaking and playing with settings than I do playing.

I bought a Epiphone Bonamassa LP and I think it is the best bang for buck as far as les pauls go. If you need a guitar with humbuckers thats what I would look at. If your good with a strat and just want something new a good acoustic 6 or 12 string is nice.

Simple question: what do you *need* to expand your music making? The JM is a great axe, but, IMO, those kinds of guitars are for people with money to spend, or someone who *knows* it will do precisely what they want, and nothing else will. Sounds to me like you are still stretching out if you are looking to add another electric and an acoustic.

Me, I'd pick one or the other, and probably push my $ and get a keeper acoustic - maybe a nice, solid wood A/E with cutaway and a good preamp/DI. That's going to put a lot more options at your fingers, so to speak, than another electric. But, if you add an electric, there's lots to choose from. I just would just say that if your the kind of person that finds yourself looking at "nice things," going for the lower end may just be money wasted. Save a little, and get a used LP Standard. Then, you are done.

Finally, if you just use the Digitech for church, how much time have you spent getting it to sound the way you want? I have a POD HD, and I can tell you it's likely still going to require spending hours to get it sounding the way you want it to, or that will make you feel like it was money well spent. The stock patches are largely a technology demo, and you'll find little there that you can take and use w/o fiddling. And, if you don't spend a lot of time to learn what you can do with it, well, why bother? If you still plan to add one of these, I'd try them out and listen through a powered PA speaker or similar to get a feel for the capabilities, and try the different models out, too, if possible. If possible, keep an eye open for used ones. I see very lightly used ones on CL every couple of months by people who bought them, and then *didn't* spend the time needed, obviously.

If I'm correct, sound wise, all the Pod HDs sound the "same" just more frills as you go up. I just don't want something that I'm gonna end up spending more time tweaking and playing with settings than I do playing.

More/better features as you move up. You can plug them into a computer via USB, and do most of the heavy tweaking that way. Works very easily!

Get the LP-I'm sure the sig Strat is nice, but you'd be paying for the name mostly.

^This.

You have a nice Strat already, so if I were you, I'd get a Les Paul.

At one point, I had five Strats. I looked at them one day, and decided it was ridiculous having five, so now, I have one left. I kept the best one.

If I'm correct, sound wise, all the Pod HDs sound the "same" just more frills as you go up. I just don't want something that I'm gonna end up spending more time tweaking and playing with settings than I do playing.

... Which is your call, your judgement to make... you asked for input :roll: