[acegazda]

I'm learning to play guitar and was wondering if anyone could give advice on a quality starter guitar/amp (package?) around $400 for the amp and the guitar. Thanks in advance.

 

[intoflatlines]

Get a Fender MIM Strat or Tele and a cheap 5 watt amp. Stay away from Squier guitars and starter packs. Epiphone makes some decent entry level stuff.

 

[Jon118]

I love Telecasters, to me they're incredibly comfortable and sound much better than Strats. Again, that's opinion though. I personally have a Yamaha RGX520, but wouldn't recommend that for a first because it is on the heavy side and the neck is rather thick. But yeah, Squire guitars aren't the best, and starter packs are usually kind of bad stuff.

I have to agree with the Tele or Strat recommendation, I just don't like the tone of Strats personally and the Teles feel a bit better to me. Try whatever it is you're considering before you buy. You don't want to get something that you think you're going to like only to find out it plays terribly.

Mostly just go try some guitars first, and if you find one you like that is out of your price range, look for a cheaper version or a better price. There are generally substitutes out there for most popular models.

 

[chadbang]

Get yourself a modeling amp. That way you won't have to walk the slippery (and expensive) path of buying guitar pedals. It used to be you had to buy pedals for distortion, fuzz, delay, echo, now you can get all those effects build quite nicely into an amp. Highly thought of are the Roland Cube amps. They offer all the effects and bullet proof build. Cost around $150.

 

[aaron313]

Yea, go for the cheapest Strat. That's what I did.

 

[Clutz]

I'm thinking about getting a guitar again too. Last one I had was an acoustic guitar, but the problem for me was I couldn't get my fingers all the way around the neck - electrics have narrower necks, right? (I have small, girlish hands)

 

[nirvanalvr12]

I'm in the same boat. I got a Seagull s6 for my birthday a couple months back, and now I'm looking into an affordable electric to learn on as well. I've heard good things about the Epiphone SG-310 and the Telecasters. Let me know what you decide and how you like it.

 

[feh1325]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clutz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm thinking about getting a guitar again too. Last one I had was an acoustic guitar, but the problem for me was I couldn't get my fingers all the way around the neck - electrics have narrower necks, right? (I have small, girlish hands)

electric guitar necks are just a little thinner than acoustic guitar necks.. they don't really get wider as you go up the fret board. however, it is much easier to play and electric than an acoustic. you don't have to press down as hard

yes, i have small hands as well

 

[Omega]

THE BEST deals in guitars are nearly always on the used market...simply because the burnout rate is high, and guitars don't really go bad with time or normal usage (shoot, a good guitar can weather moderate abuse for decades).

Check Craigslist if you're in a big city, go to Guitar Center and ask to see their best used deals. CL might score you a great deal. GC will not be great, but they shouldn't lead you astray either.

If you cannot play a single chord yet, you need to take a friend (who plays guitar) with you when you buy one. How else can you test what they sound like? You also want to make sure the neck is straight, the headstock is not damaged or warped, etc. For an electric, there really are no rules on what sounds "good"...just get what sounds good to you, and is comfortable for you to hold. There are different models of electric guitar that are known to have a certain sound, and many people refer to these guitars when recommending. You probably are familiar with the sound, by knowing musicians who play these guitars.

Electric guitars get their sound from four things, mostly:
1) the guitarist (duh). Playing styles vary greatly, bending, slapping, picking strings, etc. Nearly every great electric guitarist has a signature sound that suits their style. If you don't know your style, cool. The fun is finding it

2) the shape and build of the guitar. Electrics come in solid body, hollow body, semi-hollow body, composite (ie, fiberglas) body...if you can imagine it, you can probably make an electric guitar of it. However, certain form factors and materials are known to conduct vibration to the pickups in an optimal way...and these tend to make the best guitars. The more sound that reaches the pickups, the more the pickups can detect and send to the amp.

3) the pickups. These are the electric devices that sense string vibration and transmit a signal to the amplifier. An unplugged electric guitar makes sound, and can sound good...but it will not be as loud and full as an acoustic, since the acoustic has a sound chamber and most electrics do not. Pickups can have a HUGE effect on the sound of a guitar. Conversely, it is stupid to put nice, expensive pickups on a cheap guitar body, because you've already lost most of the sound before it gets to the pickups.

4) the amplifier "stack." This takes the electrical signal from the pickups and amplifies and shapes it, and can also add effects. Metal music sounds like it does because the amplifiers are driven to heavy distortion and chords are layered and sustained to give the metal effect. Many effects are more subtle. Amplification and sound shaping is one of two main advantages of electric guitars over acoustic guitars (the other being that electrics tend to be faster and easier to play).

Stereotypical types of guitars...
Fender stratocaster: the "classic" played by Eric Clapton. Can play nearly anything when combined with a good amp. Can have a nice fat sound, good for blues and rock. Dual humbucker pickups, solid wood (often spruce) body, and often has two rounded cutouts for high-fret access are the characteristics. A good first guitar, but they're never cheap. Pricing for these guitars scales with where they are manufactured. American > Mexican/Korean. It isn't that manufacturing is so much better in the USA, it is that they withhold the good electronics and materials for the USA models. Made in USA models ARE better, but at probably thrice as expensive, not worth it if your'e buying new.

Fender telecaster: sharper tone, sounds more like classic rock. GREAT for solo work, like many british bands use. Shoot, even John Mayer frequently plays a tele, to good effect. Personally, I love the tele sound...but it is not as widely useful as a strat, for example. Single coil pickups, single cutout for high-fret access. Looks a bit "old school." If you want to play solo rock, could be a good choice.

Gibson Les Paul: can be excellent for metal and rhythm...nearly all metal bands have a Les Paul or twelve on stage. Can also be good for other genres. I'm not personally a fan of the Les Paul, since I find them to feel small and uncomfortable form factor, but there is no doubt some of the greatest guitars made are Les Paul's or Les Paul-inspired. Signature rounded shape, compressed fretboard make a Les Paul. Usually have dual humbucker type pickups. If you're playing with friends who also play, a Les Paul could be fun. It could also "feel right," where other guitars do not, and that woudl make it an obvious choice.

Other posters recommendations to get a cheap-ish practice amplifier with built-in tone controls were wise. Roland makes some nice practice amps for ~$100, they're called Cube models. You can usually find them for a good price at Musician's Friend:

Roland Cube @ Musician's Friend

You can also find some great deals on mediocre guitars at Musician's Friend...check the clearance section. I would not recommend buying a guitar without playing it, but if you're new and don't know what "good" is anyway...and you just want a learner guitar, it can be a good way to go. Don't spend more than $250 this way though! Low-end Gibson's (and Epiphone, which is a Gibson brand) can be pretty poor (in my opinion), Washburns are made well enough, but don't sound exceptional...some of the best deals for cheap guitars are in knock-off models (like Squier, Seagull, etc).

This Squier scratch-n-dent looks like a good deal

Also, nobody has mentioned that you should include a budget for a decent electronic tuner. Learning to play in tune is an essential skill, and you can't expect to be in tune unless you're already a highly trained musician, have perfect pitch, or have some feedback mechanism

Good luck on the guitar journey, stick with it and it can be reward you throughout your life!

 

[intoflatlines]

Yeah, craigslist has tons of great deals on guitars and amps.

Get a little modeling amp. My girlfriend has the little Roland micro cube and it sounds great for the price. You also get some built in effects. Go to a guitar store and check out how the guitars feel and play. Who cares if you can't play well, most people that jam out loud at those stores suck anyway.

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

I just bought an Epiphone Les Paul for starting out on electric guitar. So far it has been good and I really havent had any issues.

 

[bloodydoorknob]

If you're serious and plan on playing for a while you shouldn't hold back and invest in a quality guitar. Dig around in the used market and try before you buy. Good luck!

 

[acegazda]

Thanks for all the feedback. There's a local music shop near me and also a guitar center a little further away. I'll check out craigslist too, but only if I can find someone really close to me. The only song I can play as of now is "all the small things" (blink 182) but I can play it pretty well so I can try that out at the store. The amp with built in distortion is cool. Thanks again.

 

[musicmind]

There are many good guitars to start with, Yamaha Pacifica, MIM strat, Ibanez RG/SA series, Washburn, Peavey, ESP etc, depending on your price and the kind of guitar you are looking for.

I think its best to demo them yourself to see how you like the feel of the instrument and if the neck profile is comfortable for you. Whichever one you do get, it will be worth it to have it setup properly, to have the action lowered to your liking and to have the intonation set for the guage of strings you want to use.