Guitarists - Selection Question

[FastRam]

I'm thinking about taking up the guitar again, after 30 or so years, lol, :thrasher:

Starting over from the beginning, I've done a little research on guitar selection. I am looking at solid body electrics. I don't want to spend big dollars ($200 - $300) to start with but I do want a decent instrument. Besides feel and tone, what else should I look at or for when selecting an instrument? Any trade offs possible, e.g. better quality wood vice lower grade electrics?

 

[Django]

The possibilities are so many that you'll need to narrow it down a bit.

But, I'd try to find a good used one to start. You'll find that there's thousands of kids who thought they wanted a guitar, but never applied themselves. A treasure trove of nice guitars are laying at waste in the backs of closets and under the beds of spoiled kids whose parents never made it compulsory to get past the painful fingertips and dedicate themsleves after discovering that some pain and hard work are neccesary to actually play guitar.

The market is flooded with great, barely played guitars.

Good luck on your treasure hunt....

D

 

[SilvrSRT10]

I picked up an Epiphone SST Classic of ebay for just under $200. The nice thing about it is you can plug a set of headphones into it and practice without bothering anybody or go ahead and use an amp. Don't know if that option is available on all of them. It's available with either a 2" or 1.75" nut depending on hand size and what feels comfortable to you.

 

[joemags54]

The possibilities are so many that you'll need to narrow it down a bit.

But, I'd try to find a good used one to start. You'll find that there's thousands of kids who thought they wanted a guitar, but never applied themselves. A treasure trove of nice guitars are laying at waste in the backs of closets and under the beds of spoiled kids whose parents never made it compulsory to get past the painful fingertips and dedicate themsleves after discovering that some pain and hard work are neccesary to actually play guitar.

The market is flooded with great, barely played guitars.

Good luck on your treasure hunt....

D

D speaks the truth. I have had good luck on e-bay. At least it's a great place to start, even to judge market and pricing. I have two friends who both started playing recently and both bought Squires. (I think it's a low end line from Fender). Or there is Epiphone (low end Gibson). Th most important aspect of starting with a small step, is you. Your tastes, sound desired, play style, all may change over time. Even ask relatives. I found a '67 Gibson j45, all original, from a cousin who was happy to give it to me. (I traded it for some WWII memorabilia). Right now I'm thinking about adding a nylon string, or twelve string to the family. Try and pick a guitar that is easy to play for starters.
I can't emphasize too much that Django is right. There is pain, mostly physical, but, some times emotional. You practice your heart out and wonder why you feel you're getting nowhere. It is a long journey, each player, on their own, in a different place. You may want to study under a good instructor, who enjoys teaching, but mostly for support when your feeling doubt and pain. Hope I didn't overdo this response. I really enjoy playing. I'm also lucky to be in a band that plays a paying gig, at least once a month. What good is any art form if you can't share it?.
Keep us updated here, on what you decide. :thrasher:

 

[THEWELSHM]

Learn to play like David Gilmour:rock::rock::rock::rock:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W6hBI1SAL4[/ame]

thewelshm

 

[HOT RAM]

D speaks the truth. I have had good luck on e-bay. At least it's a great place to start, even to judge market and pricing. I have two friends who both started playing recently and both bought Squires. (I think it's a low end line from Fender). Or there is Epiphone (low end Gibson). Th most important aspect of starting with a small step, is you. Your tastes, sound desired, play style, all may change over time. Even ask relatives. I found a '67 Gibson j45, all original, from a cousin who was happy to give it to me. (I traded it for some WWII memorabilia). Right now I'm thinking about adding a nylon string, or twelve string to the family. Try and pick a guitar that is easy to play for starters.
I can't emphasize too much that Django is right. There is pain, mostly physical, but, some times emotional. You practice your heart out and wonder why you feel you're getting nowhere. It is a long journey, each player, on their own, in a different place. You may want to study under a good instructor, who enjoys teaching, but mostly for support when your feeling doubt and pain. Hope I didn't overdo this response. I really enjoy playing. I'm also lucky to be in a band that plays a paying gig, at least once a month. What good is any art form if you can't share it?.
Keep us updated here, on what you decide. :thrasher:

had no idea you played :rock:

 

[Riff62]

Im not in a band..I just play with myself...lol

Seriously, what Joe and Tim have said is true..you gotta break some strings, and walk away once in awhile before you get it right..I have been playing off and on for a long time, have had a hell of a journey, and got to do some interesting things with some interesting people because I stuck with it, and even when I sounded like crap, or couldnt remember a solo or whayever, I remembered to have fun...I learned to play by ear, and right handed, so A couple years ago I got the idea to learn to play left handed because I am left handed..Its a challenge, and very much like starting over again..I suck, I get mad thinking it should be alot easier than it is, and wonder sometimes if I am retarded because I cant make a chord sound right..then I blame old age, since my fingers have seem to have gotten fat..In the end I may just go back to playing right handed, but I will have given it a good shot this way.
I have a variety of guitars..nothing worth mentioning really..most are cheap ones that I can beat up and not worry about too much. My only advise in that regard is never buy a guitar based on name, or price..Just because Joe Blow plays a 4000.00 axe and you want to play like him, doesnt mean you need one too..When you do your Jimi at Monterey fire solo you wont care as much if you melt your pickups..lol

 

[joemags54]

had no idea you played :rock:

Yes, I have been practicing (for almost 7 months) a chunk of "Minor Swing" by Tim's favorite player. I was going to surprise him and post it for Tim's birthday. I still can't get it smooth. I do have a chord solo of "White Christmas" I may trot out....

 

[SRT 10 Rooster]

It'll be tough to find ANYTHING under $500 if you want something that going to sound, look, and play good. Even used. You can pretty much figure on gutting the electronics if you want to sound decent, so focus on the construction and finish of the guitar. Pay special attention to the fret work. Side of the neck should feel smooth, and not try to peel skin off. ( I've seen this in real life!)
There are a lot of things to keep in mind, but the main things are, if you have bigger hands, get a longer scale, wider neck guitar. Neck/nut width is measured at the top where the fretboard starts. Most are 1 9/16" ( Fender ish) or 1 11/16" (gibsonish). Long fingers need more room so a wider neck feels better.

I've heard a lot of good things about Agile brand and if you have the money, the PRS SE series are nice. Schecter has some amazing guitars for the money.

Good luck. Just remember, a crappy guitar will make for a crappy experience.

 

[Django]

It'll be tough to find ANYTHING under $500 if you want something that going to sound, look, and play good. Even used. You can pretty much figure on gutting the electronics if you want to sound decent, so focus on the construction and finish of the guitar. Pay special attention to the fret work. Side of the neck should feel smooth, and not try to peel skin off. ( I've seen this in real life!)
There are a lot of things to keep in mind, but the main things are, if you have bigger hands, get a longer scale, wider neck guitar. Neck/nut width is measured at the top where the fretboard starts. Most are 1 9/16" ( Fender ish) or 1 11/16" (gibsonish). Long fingers need more room so a wider neck feels better.

I've heard a lot of good things about Agile brand and if you have the money, the PRS SE series are nice. Schecter has some amazing guitars for the money.

Good luck. Just remember, a crappy guitar will make for a crappy experience.

Comment:

I disagree that anything under $500 is going to discourage the student due to a lack of quality. I've played $50 Harmony Sovereigns that were as good as a top of the line Martin or Guild. They are NOT needles in a haystack.

As I said in my first submission, there are so many guitars languishing in closets and under beds.... Go find 'em.... They are not that difficult to acquire. There's millions of spoiled little brats who thought that having a great guitar makes you a great player. It's like a crow who flys up the ass of a dead cow to reach the gut without work...... At least that's what the Chinese say.

The world is your guitar case (oyster)... Go pry that muth'a open.

Django

 

[SRT 10 Rooster]

Sorry, should have said MOST under $500. Didn't mean that there aren't amazing guitars to be had, just meant walking into the average guitar store. Lots of Chinese made firewood rejects.

Pawn shops are a great place to find deals if the owners aren't pricing like new.

My main point was to find something that feels comfortable to play and is solid.:rock:

 

[USMC11]

Craigslist. If you want a good electric in that range you might be able to find a gibson sg or les paul studio but itll take some searching. You can get a made in mexico strat any day of the week in that price range.

There are plenty of very inexpensive guitars that play just as good if not better than very expensive guitars. It's all in the build.

For a short time, I owned a beautiful Les Paul custom. It played terribly. I bought it from the custom shop and waited a year for it. Of course with this type of order you have to pay up front. I found myself playing my beat up strat and not the Les Paul. Luckily I was able to find someone to buy it for only 200 bucks less than I paid, but I got super lucky on that one.

This is not to say that the Les Paul isnt a fantastic guitar, it is, and I love them, but the custom I ordered was crap.

But yea, go on craigslist because you can actually see and play the guitar. Don't buy a guitar from ebay or ever without actually playing it. A good guitar fits like a glove.

As far as what to look for...

Make sure the guitar is free of buzzes....make sure the action can be lowered to your liking without buzzing like crazy.

Test the guitar through an amp and mess with all the knobs...if you hear crackling at any point, other than when you're putting the cord in the jack, be careful.

pickups are important. if looking on craigs, you might be able to find a cheaper guitar with solid pickups...id look at if the pickups are custom or not.

look at the base of the neck and up the neck for any cracking...

cant think of much else.

 

[Django]

Place an ad on Craig'slist that says:

Wanted: Used solid body electric wanted. Must be in ex cond. no junk. Ph# etc.

All the parents will come out of the woodwork.

You'll see how flooded the market is.

D

 

[FastRam]

Thanks for all the comments -- I greatly appreciate it. I have been searching around locally, ebay, craigslist, Guitar Center and Music and Arts stores. I found a used Jackson Kelly KE3 Pro on craigslist, called and the guy didn't return my call -- I guess he sold it. I'm not a big fan of ebay and didn't concentrate much there.

Next stop was the Guitar Center. There I found another used Jackson KE3. It was a little too "used" for my liking and I didn't like the way it felt. It was also missing the volume knob and tremelo bar. It sounded OK even with my limited playing ability -- an E chord only goes so far, lol. So, I moved on to a new ESP LTD M-100FM. This guitar was nice and loaded with features for $300.00. I played it and was happy with it, felt good and sounded good. But, not trying to be a impulse buyer I decided to hold off on purchasing it and visited my local Music and Arts store (same place where my daughter takes guitar lessons). There I found a new Epiphone Les Paul Std. Plus, actually they had several on hand. This guitar reminded me of the style I started with years ago. I "played" several different models. Each sounded and felt good. I settled on the Amber finish. Here's a link to the instrument I purchased and BTW I didn't pay the on line price either

http://www.musicarts.com/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Plus-Top-Electric-Guitar-518341-i1149990.mac

Now its time to relearn what I have forgoten. But, the best part is I get to play with my nine year old -- maybe she can teach me how to play Jingle Bells and Row Row Your Boat :rock: This is going to be fun.

 

[Django]

Dog face, I agree with your last post, wholeheartedly.

FastRam, what you said about an E-chord triggered a thought in me....:

Knowing an E and and A chord will go along way to getting you on the road to playing rock n roll ...All you have to do is learn the 2 simple bar chords and the chromatic scale from open E to the 12th fret and so on. This two simple positions will enable you to play the easy 1-4-5 (3 chord rock, folk, bluegrass, blues etc) progession upon which most music in the western hemisphere is based. This enables you to play with a brass band or even a piano combo that plays in piano keys like Eflat, Bflat, F... etc..... It's only really 3 chords, whether its E-A-B7 or Eflat A flat and Bflat... It's still only 1 or 2 different chords in different positions up or down the neck.

Easy-peezie-Japanezie.

D

 

[FastRam]

Dog face, I agree with your last post, wholeheartedly.

FastRam, what you said about an E-chord triggered a thought in me....:

Knowing an E and and A chord will go along way to getting you on the road to playing rock n roll ...All you have to do is learn the 2 simple bar chords and the chromatic scale from open E to the 12th fret and so on. This two simple positions will enable you to play the easy 1-4-5 (3 chord rock, folk, bluegrass, blues etc) progession upon which most music in the western hemisphere is based. This enables you to play with a brass band or even a piano combo that plays in piano keys like Eflat, Bflat, F... etc..... It's only really 3 chords, whether its E-A-B7 or Eflat A flat and Bflat... It's still only 1 or 2 different chords in different positions up or down the neck.

Easy-peezie-Japanezie.

D

Thank you sir!! :rock: It's practice time.