Beginner buying first guitar

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Beginner buying first guitar
Topic Started: Jul 27 2008, 10:23 PM (188 Views)
Hippo	Jul 27 2008, 10:23 PM Post #1
Newbie Posts: 3 Group: Members Member #8,690 Joined: July 27, 2008	Hello there fellow guitarists. I've been really interested in starting to learn to play the electric guitar the past couple of years and think that now is a good time to start or else i'll be waiting forever. I guess the best place to start is to buy a Guitar and amp . Well, as I am a beginner I don't know a whole lot about guitars; which to consider and which to stay clear of so I'm here to seek advice. I have a budget of around Ł1000 (~$2000). I know that you're going to tell me to start off with something cheaper in-case I find that guitar is not for me, but I really want to get something of good quality as I feel that it will encourage me to practice more. Also I would like to keep the guitar in the future when I become more aquainted with playing it. The price includes the amp. Does anyone have any good suggestions? I know I will have to go out there and try them before i make a purchase but I'm hoping you can push me in a direction to get me started. I'm wanting to play something along the lines of Green Day, The Kooks... Thanks.



monwobobbo	Jul 27 2008, 11:08 PM Post #2
Posts: 610 Group: Moderator Member #8,625 Joined: June 23, 2008	ok you don't have to spend that much (there i got that out of my system). i teach beginners here in the states so i feel obligated to give the same advice. there is nothing wrong with wanting good gear however it is overkill to spend that much as a new player. you could spend about half of that and still be very happy. GUITARS: ok i'm not real familiar with what is available in the UK however from the magazines i've glanced at it seems that fender, gibson, epiphone and ibanez are readily available. i would start with either epiphone (if you want a more traditional style guitar -les paul or SG-) or Ibanez for the more metal style guitars. as always look at the used section (better guitars for cheaper) and try to bring someone with you that knows something about guitars. TRY THEM YOUSELF and see what you like and what is comfortable. blowing alot of cash without knowing what is good (for you) is foolish. AMP: ok now if you can afford a tube amp then go for it. Peavey makes good affordable tube amps. Vox makes valvetronic amps which have a tube preamp and solid state power section these are supposed to be decent as well. a 50 watt 1x12 (thats a 1 12 inch speaker ) should do the trick and be usefull for practice and playing with others when you are ready. although many will tell you that a solid-state amp is crap its not true. they are more affordable and can yield good sounds if you take the time to work with them. once again TRY THEM YOURSELF and see what you like. the best advice i can give is to do your homework and try as many different guitar and amp combinations as you can. see what guitarists you admire use and go from there. remember though that what they use might not work for you. ( i love jimmy page for instance but have never gotten along with Les Paul style guitars they just don't work for me) hope this helps use your ears and not your eyes a flashy paint job or lots of cool knobs don't always translate into great sound. i'd rather have a beat up guitar and a plain looking amp that sound great.
	and now for something completely different


Ryan0rz	Jul 28 2008, 01:22 PM Post #3
Newbie Posts: 14 Group: Members Member #8,659 Joined: July 12, 2008	Don't spend that much. Since you don't know anything about guitars, what you think is cool now - you probably won't find cool in like a years time when you actually know about guitars. Or even it might not suit your playing style. For example, when I first got into guitars I thought jagmasters were the coolest things in the world - But now I wouldn't even consider looking at buying one. So id suggest looking at something less pricey, like epiphones, MIM fenders etc. These are decent guitars, and are not too expensive. If you're into the whole metal scene...just watch yourself. The lower end ibanez, jackson type guitars are generally crap. Just try before you buy! For amps - don't think bigger is better. I imagine you'll be playing in your bedroom, so to go with the advice of getting a tube amp is probably a bad idea. Unless you want to drive your parents, or neighbours crazy. You can get smaller sized tube amps these days though, which apparantly sound great. They're more expensive than solid states too. Btw, you're from the UK right? Lot's of people here refer to tube amps as valve amps, to save any confusion. They're the same thing though. I have a solid state amp myself, and I hate the weak sort of sound that comes from most SS amps. But as a beginner, I could barely notice any difference. Good luck trying to find something! Edited by Ryan0rz, Jul 28 2008, 01:24 PM.



Hippo	Jul 28 2008, 08:52 PM Post #4
Newbie Posts: 3 Group: Members Member #8,690 Joined: July 27, 2008	Thanks for taking your time with your helpful advice. I understand what you are saying but I am willing to take the risk. It's not like I won't be doing thorough research before I buy one. I appreciate the concern though! I found a Gibson studio in as new condition for Ł595. What do you guys think of this particular guitar? Is the quality far off the standard model? I heard that it is lighter than the standard which is appealing to me. Would it play Green day stuff well? I guess I really can't go wrong with the praising reviews i've seen about it. That would leave me about Ł400 for a decent amp. Thanks again guys. Edited by Hippo, Jul 28 2008, 08:54 PM.



monwobobbo	Jul 28 2008, 10:30 PM Post #5
Posts: 610 Group: Moderator Member #8,625 Joined: June 23, 2008	Les Paul studios are decent guitars they lack some of the frills of the standard and custom models. now if you're thinking Les Paul style guitar then there are a few worthy options for the same price or a little less that would be just as good or better. as mentioned epiphone makes several Les Pauls that are great quality and less expensive you'll get more bang for you buck (pound) with one of them. PRS makes a Les Paul style guitar called the SE single cut (i'd take this over the LP studio any day.) they are lighter than a gibson and have a great sound. my last suggestion is a new model from Ibanez and its one that i recommend to beginners that insist on spending over $200 on a first axe. the ART300BNC is Les Paul shaped and uses the same materials in construction (mahogany body and maple top) it also has active pick ups and sounds great for the price. i saw a review of it in a recent guitar mag and they liked it alot. i tried one out and it is an excellent choice for the beginner and intermediate player. you won't be ashamed to say you have it 5 yrs from now and it is a band worth guitar. and yes they will all be good for playing Green Day (god knows why anyone would want to but thats just me ) again i will stress that spending a huge amount of money on equipment for the beginner isn't the best plan. if nothing else then when you suck (and you will to start) then you won't have the its cheap stuff what do you want excuse. i've been playing for over 25yrs and haven't spent that kind of cash on a guitar or amp yet. i tell my students that you don't need rock star calibre equipment to sound good. any decent guitar and amp will do the trick. as for the advice on a tube amp or solid state well its your choice get one with a master volume and pissing off the parents etc won't be such an issue. for the record i have both and find that there are some solid state amps that have a decent tone you just have to work with them to coax them out.
	and now for something completely different


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