I reccommend looking into RG 770 reissue, PGM and JS models for new Ibanez guitars. Other good new Ibanez guitars in this price range are theRG1570, New 1550. RG2570s, S5470, new RG3570, basically any presitge Ibby is a possibility.
Other brands:
-American fender strat (it's a little cliche but it's a great gutiar for not too much money)
-American tele if you're into it (same reasons as above)
-A Ernie Ball Music Man Silhoutte (on the high side of your range, and I've heard EBMM is losing it's quality a bit)
-A lot of ESP LTDs are in this range. I'm not too experienced with them though.
-If you have no problem with Gibson then I reccommend looking into Explorers and SGs, maybe flying Vs and if you can find a good deal sometimes a Les Paul classic can be had in this price range
-The new Charvel USA stuff is supposedly good here's a thread about it
http://www.jemsite.com/forums/f19/ne...hlight=Charvel
-I don't like them but a lot of people do, Schecter has a lot of gutiars in this range too.
-Difficult to get a little but an Edwards of varius type would qualify in this range too.
However, you should just try
EVERYTHING in your price range and then decide. I regret not doing so enough in my life and going in and out of expensive guitars without finding what I really liked until I played an RG560. I have to admit before that I thought Ibanez as the Korn brand and as a washed up 80s guitarist brand (this was because I'm a 90s kid and I dislike Korn soooooo much). But once I realized Satch is the most amazing guitarist I have ever seen and that Paul Gilbert and Steve Vai are not washed up in the slightest, I felt encouraged and played an RG. I found that all my gibsons, G&Ls, fenders, and so on were good but shy of the mark on how the 560 hit me. I'm not trying to sell you an RG, I'm trying to tell you that you never know what guitar will just do it for you in every way and make you want to practice and play all the time.
And even though you want a new guitar, I have to say it, used would serve you better, for this much money you could get a
killer guitar on the bay.
