Who plays guitar?
polycounter lvl 18
I'm looking to pick one up... but not sure what to look for?
I know I could go to the store and ask. But I don't want to able to go in there with recommendations from people who have experience. So I can avoid having the guy trying to make the most money out of me.
I'm not looking for anything extravagant. I guess I just want something cheap/basic that I can learn with. And in the event that I decide to continue... then I'd shell out more money for a better model.
I just don't want to spend a lot of money on something I may not like down the road.
Thanks
I know I could go to the store and ask. But I don't want to able to go in there with recommendations from people who have experience. So I can avoid having the guy trying to make the most money out of me.
I'm not looking for anything extravagant. I guess I just want something cheap/basic that I can learn with. And in the event that I decide to continue... then I'd shell out more money for a better model.
I just don't want to spend a lot of money on something I may not like down the road.
Thanks
Replies
If it's acoustic you're after, I recommend the same one I have, a Charvel Jackson electric-acoustic.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/chrisdejoya/ChristineCharvel.jpg
It feels like an electric more than anything else, and won't be too hard on your hand muscles. Good luck with the hunt!
Ok yeah that was totally smart ass. I have seen some gnarly guitars but I don't know a damn thing about them. Good luck with your search for the Pick of Destiny.
Good luck.
i would say try holding different guitars and see how they feel, standing and sitting. neck thickness, body shape and body weight can have a lot of influence on your playing.
My personal favorite is the Jackson Kelly I used to have.
Had a very nice, thin, and easy-to-play feeling neck on it, good sound, and I loved the look of it, too. The one I had was a cheaper model that cost me $500 new at a music store, but that was 10 years ago.
Have fun, man.
I have the reverse model. I agree the neck on this one is nice.
First starting out, Ibanez is a popular choice. Schecters are good as well.
My next guitar will be a Gibson Flying-V. I love that warm tone of a Gibson.
1: it feels good to you
2: it sounds good to you
3: check that there isnt any bad manufacturing like a bend in the neck or any cracks etc
4: check if you want any complicated equipment like floating bridges or not
I dont think it honestly matters if its a fancy brand name, obviously the big brand names have better manufacturing in most cases but that doesnt mean theres a huge difference between them and the cheaper brands. Im not sure what guitars are sold near you so I cant suggest specific brands or makes.
I learnt to play on a little 3/4 acoustic my sister had lying around and it was still fun. Went on to a steel string acoustic(random korean make of some kind) and it sounded so much nicer that I didnt care it wasnt a Gibson. Now Ive got a Cort electric and it does everything I ask it to and sounds really good to me
think about how much you really want to learn and base your pricing around that .. If you know you are going to be dedicated it might not be a bad idea to get a little better starter one if you know you will get more out of it, and if you just aren't sure it's probably best to get the lower range one to see how long your enthusiasm lasts.
but playing guitar is freaking awesome and I totally recommend it, been going about 5-6 years myself and the better you get, the more you want to play, seriously.
first year or so I was young and stupid, my parents were getting me lessons and I barely practiced because it was the basics... stopped after about a year.. picked it back up 4-5 years later and been playing ever since. wish I never took that break.
Epiphone also do a decent range of not-too-expensive guitars, I quite like the Gibson SG copies.
I would tend to avoid the more extravagant shapes (Explorer, V, pretty much anything BC Rich) - they may look really "metal" but you will regret it the instant you start playing. The cheap versions of these guitars tend to be poorly balanced and that will really upset your playing. I wouldn't want to front the money for a good, well-balanced one of those as a beginner, it's just not worth it.
I'll have to look up what all the terminology means.
Aside from the whammy bar bolt snapping off and me getting used to the floating bridge; it's been rock solid - and I do play it an awful lot. I also think it's a great idea to go to a guitar store and just feel the weight of the guitars. I once tested out a friend's Les Paul knockoff and it felt like a brick compared to the s470!
Good luck with your guitar purchase!
http://www.hagstromguitars.com/superswede.html
i picked one of thes babies up and it does play and sound pretty awesome! really afordable aswell
its china made but still seems really solid. neck is thin and real fast (bit like SG)
i'll list some pros and cons for different guitars here, and why they would be better for a beginner. also, note, i used to work for a guitar store too (sound control), so i've seen my fair share of bad purchases from people who think they know better
Les Paul:
pros:
amazing tone, good solid neck, pickups wound to a high standard, and it packs a punch sound wise.
cons: unless you're buying an epiphone, which you shouldn't do if you're buying a les paul, then you're looking at a hefty price tag, the guitar itself is heavy but that's the nature of the beast.
Ibanez:
pros:
Very lightweight, can get some really interesting sounds, the prestige series are SO flexible (tonewise, and the way they play).
cons: good luck learning how to tune a floyd rose on your first guitar, the "floating" bridge models are crap, go for a hardtail or floyd rose, but be aware of the consequences. the tone can be kind of thin sometimes, and they are steriotyped as a "metal" guitar.
prs:
not gonna bother with cons, cos honsetly, there's fuck all bad about them. unless you're willing to shell out several grand for one of the standard, or custom models (i'm SO in love with my custom it's not even funny, i love it more than i love my woman, or sex with that woman...) then look no further than their lower end range!
much like Gibson have their Epiphone range, PRS have their "SE" range, which are quite simply beautiful. they have an amazing diversity in tone, are made from mahogany rather than ash, which is the case with fenders/ibanez etc. the neck will very rarely, if ever, need adjustments, and if it does, it's damned easy. there are several styles of SE guitars, from single coils, to coiltapped models, and all out metal verieties. but all round they feel good, and play well, they sound awsome too. so if you're looking around £400 for your first guitar and are deciding between epiphone, ibanez, fender, or prs, it's prs every day of the week.
remember though, while the guitar is important, the amp drives the sound, a cheap amp will make the best guitar on earth sound shit.
ps. i actually play PRS and Ibanez guitars, i have a custom shop ESP on the way too.
They just came out with this one, I'll be interested to see the price, seems like it's aimed at the more budget end of the market but comes with all the PRS goodness. I might get one, I'll have to see how it plays. The vintage mahogany finish looks amazing...
the SE series is by far the best beginner/intermediate instrument line out there.
that new guitar looks looovely, i wonder if they've deliberately underwound the pickups to give it more of a vintage sound? will be interesting to give it a go!
My friend gave it to me. He messed around with trying to scallop out the fret boards... and gave up. So he moved on to a few other guitars.
Although, I think there may be something wrong with the guitar? Or it might be my amp. It doesn't seem like it picks up the sound consistently. Or am I just playing too soft?
It's cool and I'm having fun so far. If I stick with it I'll be sure to pick up my own. I saw some of the Ibanez guitars at the store and they look pretty cool. I would have probably bought them on the cool factor alone.