Any Guitar Players Out There?

1979camaro

Ultimate Fish
Oct 22, 2002
5,862
2
0
42
San Ramon, CA
#1
Hey all,

I am contemplating trying to learn how to play guitar (again). Back in the day when I was a wee middle schooler I started taking lessons on an acoustic guitar my folks had but I didn't stick with it very long...didn't have the mental mindset. Now, as I have reached a wisened old age here I am thinking about trying again but probably want to get an electric guitar. Not sure why exactly, I suppose it just seems sexier.

In doing a little research, the two brands I know of (Fender, Gibson) are more than I want to pay, but it seems Epiphone and Ibanez make more moderately priced knock-offs.

Anyway, basically what I am wondering is if someone can point me towards a decently priced, but still decent quality, beginner's electric guitar.

Any thoughts/info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Kevin
 

JeLeAk

Large Fish
Jan 4, 2005
491
0
0
39
Alaska
#2
i went to costco and bought a yamaha guitar/amp combo lol

i guess it depends on how serious you are about the guitar... its like any hobby, pay for the best right away and deal with a bit of sticker shock, or end up paying triple of the sticker shock with numerous upgrades down the road

i am not into the guitar(im a drummer the guitar was a impulse buy), so i cant tell you if this brand is better than that one for less... but you get what you pay for
 

1979camaro

Ultimate Fish
Oct 22, 2002
5,862
2
0
42
San Ramon, CA
#3
yah, i figured that was the case about get what you pay for...i am not looking to play in a band or anything serious like that so probably relatively cheap is better than super good quality from my end
 

Igor The Cat

Superstar Fish
Jul 14, 2003
1,678
6
0
31
Seattle, Washington
#5
epis's are MUCH better than ibanez, this is partly beacuse they are owned by gibson, if i where you id look at this

but im not a big electric guitar, just call me if ya need any help with tenor guitars, mandolins, violins/fiddles, or anything bluegrass/gypsy jazz/folk

cheers

-Java
 

KahluaZzZ

Superstar Fish
Jun 12, 2004
2,778
3
0
47
Montreal, Quebec
Visit site
#7
i've been playing 14 years...now you can have a really good deal on fantastic guitars for a fraction the price in the '90's. Ive been playing with an Ibanez 24 frets custom for the last decade.
My recommendations on electric guitar on a budget : Ibanez for their neck, and Epiphone Les Paul for the whole package without tremolo ( anyways who really uses it ).
Solid wood, less errors made in asia than in the USA and not called Gibson...so split the price by 3. For 475 $ ( CDN ) so like 450 nowadays ;) you can get away with a pretty sexy hot electric guitar with a low touch, awesome pick ups for the price.
Also the Epiphone SG ( AC/DC style ) is really impressive...massive wood, good overall feel, sound and touch, but heavier than the Les Paul .
Those combos amps/guit are really crappy usually and makes you wanna quit real quick. Fender does that now, Yamaha too and it's a shame...2 great comapnies tho'.
"learn quickly and get the package" is not the way to go. Like a reef, man. Ok i'm drunk...bachelor party ;) tonight...just came home.
If you wanna have fun...don't grab a $hitty guitar...it's the best way to quit..aim average/semi-pro... anyways for a budget of 400-500$ you can have a long lasting one that you may eventually custom...like changing pickups.
Guitar wood can crush, split, bend over the years and it can be because of the varnish or kind of wood used in the make up.
When you wanna buy an electric guit', check the distance between the neck and the strings..it's a good start...also try to bend the neck a little to see if the sound changes..if it does, it might not loast long enough to be a good buy. Just my opinion, but i've played a long time.
 

JeLeAk

Large Fish
Jan 4, 2005
491
0
0
39
Alaska
#8
yeah, the combo i got was a real chezzy guitar, i am not serious about playin the guitar and got one that justifies my interest... all i ever really wana do is some iron man intro or other really simple songs

dun dun dundundun dududududu dunnn dunnn dunn dunn dunnnnnnnnnnn *I am ironnnn mannnn* lol
 

Submariner

Large Fish
May 15, 2006
128
0
0
48
Central Maine
#9
I'm a fender man myself, but the important thing is to get something that is comfortable for YOU to play. And if you're looking for a good sound, you've got to get a quality amplifier too. A great guitar is still going to sound like crap on a crap amp. It depends too, whether or not you plan on playing with other people. If you're going to have another guitar, and a bass and drums around you, you want to get a pretty good sized amp. There's nothing worse than having your volume maxed and stilll not being able to hear yourself!!!

I've been playing my squier strat for 13 years and it's never let me down. I know that Kahlua and some of you other guys would call it crap, but for 200 bucks its a good beginner's guitar. And I've just never seen the need to upgrade. :)

But if you want something of respectable quality, plan to spend $400-$600. And about $300-$500 for a decent amp.

Another bit of advice, when you learn, start from the beginning. Learn all the basic chords, what keys they belong to, where the notes are on the fretboard, etc. Don't just grab some tab and start memorizing it. There's nothing more frustrating then playing with someone who can crank out Back In Black from beginning to end, but when you ask them to play an A minor they don't know what you're talking about.

:D

JeLeAk: If you could play Iron Man, you'd be able to play a LOT of stuff on guitar. That's really not a simple song. Barre chords with a lot of sliding like that takes some skill. :)
 

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Submariner

Large Fish
May 15, 2006
128
0
0
48
Central Maine
#12
Pawn shops can be a good place as long as they let you play the guitar first before you buy. You should ALWAYS play a guitar before you buy it. If electric, you must also play it through a good quality amp. If the pawn shop doesn't have an amp, bring a friends with you or something.
 

Jan 13, 2006
792
2
0
Colorado
#13
out of all of my husbands gutairs he plays his Ibanez the most, its a really nice setup, and it has seen better days but it is his favorite, if you want more than just a basic electric guitar sound you may also want to invest in a pedal, if you dont mind not playing a guitar before you buy it a good place to look is Musician's Friend - Buy musical instruments, music gear, musical equipment online they have really good prices. all guitars sound a little different so it really depends on what kind of music you want to play or what kind you listen too. I dont like epiphone the sound is not that good mainly because they are all made in china or japan nowadays, but, they dont have the same heart as some other bands. Hubby and his band just got their first gig at the local bar they are playing this wednesday so im wishing them the best of luck.

edit: this is the ibanez hubby just bought it has really nice sound and a really decent price tag.
Buy Ibanez GRG170DX Electric Guitar online at Musician's Friend
 

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fishtrap

Large Fish
Mar 19, 2005
429
1
0
#19
I've built and repaired guitars full time professionally for over 25 years now. Worked on thousands of guitars and basses -literally and have been posed this question hundreds of times.

Lets start here. Is there a guitarist that you really like the sound of? See if they have a website or look them up on guitargeek | the guitar rig database. Do they play a Strat? Les Paul? PRS? Something else? This should give you an idea of the type of guitar to focus in on.

For entry level stratocaster type of guitars, the Japanese Fender Strats give allot of bang for the buck. The parts are all of standard size, so changing pickups at a later time is no sweat.

For Gibson style guitars -Les Paul, SG, 335's, the epiphone also can be a good buy. Again, the parts like pickups are standard and easily replaced when you want to tweak "your sound".

For the "Super Strat" guitar(floating/locking tremolo and humbucking/single coil pickup combination), Ibanez has them down. Standard parts.

I have to disagree with other posters that equate price with quality. Granted, there is very cheap junk out there, but there is also some very expensive junk as well. The reverse is true.

Every guitar is an individual. Two Strats can come off of the same assembly line one right after the other. Both may sound and feel totally different. Wood is an organic material, just like people and fish -no two pieces are exactly the same. They will have different resonant frequencies. Even solid body electrics do have acoustic properties that affect the tone. Most guitars require quite a bit of hand sanding and assembly, even if the neck and body are made on CNC equipment. This can change the feel of a guitar just because the finishing sander had a few cocktails at lunch and over sanded the neck.

So, IMO, you should at least pickup the guitar and "feel"it before you plunk down the cash. If you like the basic shape of the neck, or the sound, most playability issues, like a bit of fret buzz or high action (the height of the strings from the fretboard, curvature of the truss rod, nut height) can be adjusted by a repair tech.

If you have a guitar shop nearby, stop in and ask to play a few guitars. Try some amps as well. There are sooooooooooo many amps out there. Try one of the Line 6 type modeling amps. They have dozens of different amp tones in one package. Then you can try them all at your leisure and begin to develop your own distinct sound.

Finally, the quest for perfect tone is 100% subjective and you may find yourself searching for it for the rest of your guitar career. Have fun and enjoy it:)

BTW... if some of the terms sound like Martian, Google them. Most guitarists speak Martian anyway. I know, I do:D