Try a cort. You might like the G250P.
http://www.cort.com/guitars/g_models/index.html

Cort is the company in Korea that makes guitars for Epi, Fender (subsidies, not the main fender line), Schecter, BC Rich, Conklin, Ibanez, and a couple other I can never remember. Their own line of products is awesome and very well priced because there are way less middle men.

The pickups cort has aren't my favorite, but they definitely work very well clean and they sound very righteous through effects and different amps. They're very versatile, if you don't play death metal.


Strats are good. I think they're definitely overpriced, but at the same time they are a very excellent line of products and I would be proud to own one (american made) if I had the spare $$.

For clean many people think fender is by far the best option for amps. I've never owned a fender amp, so I won't pretend to know the answer to that issue. I will say I like the sound of tube amps for clean over solid state by a huge margin and I know I'm not the only person who feels that way, but that's a personal preference I can't make for you.

For clean stuff another company I would whole-heartedly recommend would be Carvin. You might look at the TL60-FA or AE185. I'm actually thinking of investing in an AE185 if I can get a decent job over the summer.

I have no idea if these links will work or not..if not go to http://www.carvin.com and go to the jam room (product sound samples).
http://www.carvin.com/jamroom/rooms/tl60.html
http://www.carvin.com/jamroom/rooms/ae185.html

I hope that helps. :)