Hey man, don't let those who don't like the 80s guitars cramp your style. Because, after all, it is your own.
My first serious guitar was an Ibanez Roadstar 410 with an Edge whammy that I bought when I was 16. Simple EVH style guitar (single humbucker with a coil split) that kept me happy for a lot of years. It was stolen in 2003 during my father's funeral.
So I looked at replacements, from mild to wild. I ended up with Fender Strat Highway 1 HSS. It is awesome, and is my number one right now. I know Fender isn't what it once was, but it is an excellent and very honest instrument. I added a Washburn N3 as a second guitar and like it (HATE the cheap junk whammy on it) as well.
I have played a few lower end guitars that might end up in the collection someday soon. One is the OLP MM1. For the price, unbeatable. Also, I REALLY liked the Samick Ultramatic that I played.
While looking for a new number one, I also learned a few things about the guitar market, one of the most important being that agathis is not worth the money at almost any price.
