Just Starting, What guitar and amp should I Buy?

[stratman50th]

Ok fellow jammers Here's your chance to do this again, but do it right.

I'm just starting out. I want to buy my first electric guitar and amp.
Should I buy a package?
Should I buy the guitar and amplifier by themselves?
Should I buy new or used?
How much do they cost?
What is a single coil and what does it sound like? What's a Humbucker?

Opinions please, but explain why you chose one over another, as in what genre of music is it best suited for.
You all have done this a hundred times. Let's get a good list going so that next time somebody asks "the" question, you can point them here.
Thanks!

[ZampraZ]

Hello mr not beginner

Yes buy a package, assuming you dont hear diffrence in a les paul and a telecaster it doesnt matter.
as i said , your ears are untrained buy a package
buy new, they cost little buy squrie fender pack
a humbucker is like a double single coil see single coil as nice cleaner tone and humbucker for rawer more dist
i say get fender squrie pack mr not newbeginner

[KeithB]

If you can, try several models in person to see what feels best to you.

[Robot_Boy]

i personally prefer buying used guitars. you get more for your money, and they have few of the teething problems new guitars can have. however, unless you know what youre looking at, or you have someone else who knows their stuff with you, you could buy a guitar in pretty bad shape without realising.

packages are a good way to go for a first time deal, theyre fairly priced and contain everything you need to start out. so long as you stick to brand names, the differences between them all are trivial, they all contain much the same stuff and are of much the same quality. the prices of good starter packs would begin around 130 quid maybe, but like i say, stick with brand names (squire, ibanez etc) and you cant really go wrong.

my best advice for what not to do is stay away from obscure brands and retailers. you get all the help and support you need if you go to a good music shop. dont be afraid to ask people in stores, theyre usually more than happy to help someone on their way towards learning guitar

[Cassidy]

First, understand that even if you say "I like AC/DC, Green Day and Older Beatles songs and want to sound like them" it doesn't tell anybody anything. Besides, most specific sounds are more a result of the amps and effects used than the guitar.

If I were a beginner, I wouldn't even worry about the brand names or the difference between single coils and humbuckers. I'd go to the big guitar sites like "musiciansfriend" or "zzsounds" and do a search for electric OR accoustic guitars, low to high price. Then read everything about each guitar until you get a feel for them and some basic background.

Then go to a good guitar store. Explain that you're a beginner and you have "???" dollars to spend. Let them plug you in to everything that's in your budget so you can feel and hear... and yes, even try the used stuff.

A couple points here... be sure you check out what I consider the "automatics". the Fender Squier Strat, Fender Squier Telecaster, and the Epiphone Les Pauls... more of these three are purchased by beginners than any other guitars. We have a store here that always has Squier Strats used for $99.00, and I've seen several that were very nice. Think about it, if you have $400, and buy a nice Squier for $99, you can buy an excellent mid-size solid state amp, or even a nice used mid-size tube amp and have a terrific setup... and that will help you stick to your lessons a lot more than a crappy starter package from WalMart or Best buy.

If you find something you love, buy it. Then go home and learn!!

If you don't find what you want, go to another store. And of course, in between you'll want to spend a lot of time reading Jam Session archives about guitars and amps so you can learn LOTS!! Don't worry, it's fun.

Cassidy :cool:

[Robot_Boy]

If you don't find what you want, go to another store.

thats good advice. patience is a virtue, as they say, when youre buying a guitar, you should never 'settle'.

[Stray Dog]

I've dug up a post I made about the sounds of different pickups, so here it is!

Ok, pickups.

1. Single coils. These are the ones which most famously are in Stratocasters and Telecasters. Words to describe their sound are thin, cutting, twangy, snappy, quacky, lively, bright...
Good points: Awesome for blues, country etc as they have are full of twang and character, sound awesome clean (and overdriven too!).
Bad points: They could be said to lack punch, they are rather thin-sounding, not very fat. This all depends on the amp you are using as well though. But not as fat and powerful as humbuckers.
Strats and teles both have different, unique sound, the tele is "twangy" while the strat is "quacky".
IMO, if your thinking about blues, you will want some form of single coil... not for you if you want metal.

2. Humbuckers. Most famous for being on Les Pauls and SGs, and also all sorts of guitars designed for metal and jazz. They sound darker than single coils, and also fatter, more powerful, and deeper. In general they handle distortion better. They lack alot of the character of single coils though, and can sound a bit 'flat'. They are the ones if you are playing metal though. IMO they sound a bit boring clean, but thats personal preference. But for some good thick, warm, full-bodied clean jazz tones they are great.
Good points: Fat, powerful, thick-sounding, handle distortion well, no hum.
Bad points: Lack the character and liveliness of single coils.

There are also some other pickup designs...

3. P90s. These are basically big, fat single coils. You could describe them as half way between SCs and HBs in tone, but there is more to them than that. They sound like the single coils of strats and teles, but fatter, with more low-end, not as sharp and bright... considerably warmer and meatier. They dont twang and snap as much as regular single coils, but still have lots of twang compared to humbuckers. Overdriven, they are best described as raw. They are very versatile, you can get raw punk tones, shimmering crystal cleans, smooth lead tones, crunch, breakup, anything you want. Many consider them the best pickups, and the most versatile. Good for blues, classic rock, hard rock, jazz, punk... They hum alot. They come in soapbar or dog-ear forms, these are not the same size of humbuckers. But many companies sell them in the same size as humbuckers - these arent really TRUE p90s though.

4. Mini-humbuckers. I don't know much about these, but as I understand it they sound a bit brighter than regular humbuckers, though probably a bit thinner too. They ARE humbuckers though, good for crunchy tones I believe.

5. 'Metal' humbuckers. I know nothing about metal and the guitars used for it, but I understand there are loads of pickups designed for it which give fantastic, really heavy distorted tones, but pretty much suck for cleans.


The type of guitar the pickups are in will make a HUGE difference. P90s sound completely different in a telecaster than in a hollow-body jazz guitar, for instance.

[ajdelacruz]

Interesting thread. I can't imagine how often we've all been asked this. Also, how many times we've had to take someone to the store to try out guitars for them and help fend off the pushy sales person trying to sell them on a 1k Les Paul starter guitar. Haha, anyway.

I think everyone should start on acoustic, but if your heart is set on an electric and amp, a package isn't a bad way to go. You can sell or give away the guitar when you outgrow it, and the amp will always be good to have around to practice with.

Pickups... I don't remember a beginner ever saying anything about pickups, aside from asking, "what does this thing do?" To which I like to respond, "It's electric, careful not to touch it." I don't see any reason to suggest one over the other.

I think used stuff is great, but make sure you consult with someone who knows what they're doing before making the purchase. Sales people don't count.

I get this "how much should I spend" question a lot. It depends on the person. The only thing I'd say for sure is, "don't go high-end." As you get better, your growth will determine when and what to spend your money on. You find your sound as you develop, so save up your money for then and just focus on developing. For a first guitar, stay in the sub $350 range.

In terms of brands, I usually say to avoid Fender because the low-end ones are overpriced. Look at all the ones in your price range and pick the one that you think looks the coolest. Also, I ask if they have a favorite guitarist or band, then tell them what that person is playing and, most times, manufacturers make low-end versions of it. :) I guess I'd also use this response if they asked about single- or dual- coil pickups.

[Eclectifish]

Here's what I tell beginners:

Go to the music store and have the salesman play several combinations of guitars and amps. You need to get a combination that YOU like the sound of. If it sounds good to you, you'll want to play it more. If you don't like the sound, you won't practice so you won't get any better.

Buy a guitar that you like the looks of too.

Check the action on the guitar to make sure that it's not too high.
Make sure the neck is straight (sighting down the neck is good -- also try the trick of fretting at both ends of the neck and sighting down the neck to make sure that the string doesn't rise above the neck too far.

If you can get all of these things in a package, fine. But I'm betting you might want to go a little better than one of the basic packages.

BTW, I'm still in favor of beginners learning on acoustic. But if they hate the acoustic sound and really want to learn on electric, then they should because it really is all about enjoying the sound of your instrument.

[Cassidy]

In terms of brands, I usually say to avoid Fender because the low-end ones are overpriced.

And... like everything related to guitars and amps, this is an opinion, and I personally and totally disagree with it. Not to say that Ajdelacruz is wrong, but remember, all opinions are usually based on experience, and my experience with low end Fender has been excellent... my 18 year old that I've been teaching to play would completely agree.

The Squier by Fender stuff is better built now than ever, and there are some excellent Made in Mexico Fenders on the market. The other great thing about an entry-level Fender is that you can spend a little at a time and upgrade it over time... replacing pickups, tuners, bridges, pickguards, controls, or whatever... eventually turning it into exactly the beast you want your guitar to be.

Cassidy :cool:

[ajdelacruz]

Yeah, about low-end Fenders, go with what you like. I didn't mean to imply that the quality is bad, I just said that they're overpriced compared to what the competition is offering of the same quality. But they're overpriced because Fender is the standard, and it's a cool thing to have a Fender guitar. It's like Nike over L.A. Gear or something. The same quality shoe might cost $30-$50 more, but if you like the way it looks or want to play in the same shoe Kobe plays in, then go for it. I'm not taking anything away from that. If you have a predisposition to a Fender, or someone suggested you get one, go for it. If you don't have a predisposition (which is what I thought the question was), you can get an equal quality guitar cheaper. This isn't subjective, it's a fact about commerce that if a logo on a guitar means you can sell if for a few extra bucks, sell it for a few extra bucks. This is especially true in the low-end arena where a lot of large manufacturers are competing. Large manufacturers like Yamaha, for example, can't get ahead in the high-end arena, there's not enough overhead, but they can compete with Fender by offering more for less in the low-end arena. ;)

Sorry all Fender devotees, don't crucify me! I'm a friend to Fender! I swear, I once recommended a student purchase one of their re-issue strats! A lot of my favorite players play Fenders! Clap your hands if you've got nothing against Fender...:hands:

Go with what you like. :) In fact, I'm saving up to buy my cousin the new Kobe shoes for his birthday. :D

Also, it's a completely valid point that it's easier to hotrod or upgrade a Fender.

[LightSeeker]

Here's what I tell beginners:



BTW, I'm still in favor of beginners learning on acoustic. But if they hate the acoustic sound and really want to learn on electric, then they should because it really is all about enjoying the sound of your instrument.

Yeah, you should really start learning guitar on the acoustic. You'll develop much more strength in your fingers and when you'll switch to electric you'll be playing much better than if you would be starting out aon an electric

[Sexymonkey]

If you are however looking to have a versatile combination I recommend this setup:

Vox Valvetronix (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Guitar/Amps?sku=481958) is an excellent amp, very versatile with various effects. You can get higher wattages(louder) for more money though. Perfect practice amp however.



Squier "Fat" Strat (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Guitar/Electric?sku=510629) is a VERY versatile guitar from a reputable maker. It has two single coils for great cleans, while having one humbucker that can be used for heavier stuff. This is more versatile than a normal strat because a normal strat has 3 single coils instead of this one that has two single coils and one humbucker.

Humbuckers are generally quieter sounding when playing with distortion, and don't cause as much feedback as single coils. They sound crunchier with distortion as well. This little combination can prove very useful and you'll probably be satisfied with the sound. As all things go I recommend you play this combination first and see if YOU like it. Also try out all the Squiers in the store and see which one you like more. If you're willing to add 50$ you can get the higher quality version of that Squier, the Standard Fat Strat (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Guitar/Electric?sku=511944) .

[t_shirtsnjeans]

It's about tools to learn a 'trade'.

Here's my input. When I was a kid I got a cheap set of tools for Christmas and they were so crappy and I really really wanted to build stuff. The saw was flimsy, the hammer kept coming apart, the screwdrivers stripped, etc. and I got frustrated and gave up. If I'd had at least some quality to the tools, and I wouldn't have cared if they were used, I would have kept doing woodwork instead of waiting until I was in my 40's to start doing woodworking.

The same goes with music. If you start out with crappy stuff your ears, eyes, hands, etc are going to tell you that you made a bad choice. Or if you get set on learning on the crappy stuff your ears may become accustomed, eyes get deceived, hands lying to you, and when you do go to quality stuff it may seem like junk. Start out with good used stuff and learning will be more fun instead of work.

I'm glad I started out with a Fender Musicmaster back when I started learning. My brother had an old Silvertone that was well past it's prime before it became a guitar, and it sounded, felt, and looked awful. I learned a few songs on it, but when my dad got me the Fender it was all over but the crying. I was in love with my guitar even though it was almost 20 years old. It played so easy, sounded great, and I made it look like I wanted it to look.

Go into a pawn shop and look at how many Wal-Mart specials are in there. I've seen guitars and amps that I wouldn't set under the tires of my Suburban to keep it from rolling in there. I wonder why.

Find someone who KNOWS guitars and amps and go WITH THEM to look for guitars and amps. You will never regret it. They know what to look for in pups, necks, sharp frets, scratchy pots, tuning keys, etc, and the same with amps. In other words find a mentor that knows guitars and amps and plays them all the time, don't find a part-timer, find someone who is obsessed with them.

[Exothermia]

I would personally recommend starting on an electric, because they're easier to play. Experienced players will say starting on an acoustic will make your fingers stronger, but they can't very well make your fingers stronger if you never play, and the fastest way to get someone to give up on guitar is to make it too hard for them.

I remember when I started playing, and I started with a cheap electric, I played a friend's acoustic, and it was very uncomfortable. The body was big and unwieldy, the action seemed very high and hard to play. So i played on electrics for 4 or 5 years and then got an acoustic, and now it's a breeze to play.

Most guitar teachers will tell you that learning on an acoustic is more likely to make you give up because it's too hard to play, and most people who start learning guitar are young people who like to listen to and play loud music, which you can't produce on an acoustic.

So go find a cheap electric and the cheapest, most powerful amp you can find and start shaking some windows. Before long you'll figure out what's good and what's not. Your first guitar won't ever be your last guitar, guaranteed.

[SKEETER]

I suggest trying to find a Tradition guitar made in Indonesia, or a Squire made in Indonesia, and a Crate amp.
You should be able to get a Tradition guitar for a little over 200 bucks, and a Crate amp for about 250 or less.
I use a Tradition guitar live, and a Crate amp. Both are very professional gear with a very low price. There is no sense buying "beginner" gear when pro gear is so cheap.
If you cannot find a Tradition, Squire will do. I prefer Squire guitars to Fenders.
Also, stick with stuff made overseas, It is better made and cheaper, and most often better designed.
I have a Crate amp that I paid 230 for new. I have been playing 40 years, and record and perform. I use the Crate for small gigs and it sounds like a huge amp. I checked out Fenders, Marshalls, and off brands in the same price range and the Crate sounded better, had more features, and was cheaper.
I have had quite a few Crate amps and they are very well made and dependable. I also have a Crate tube amp I use for big shows. I wouldn't trade it for any other amp out there.

[KingOfNoPants]

I started my guitar career on a Squire Bullet, the guitar was $99, a Squire Sidekick 10watt amp was another $50. After buying all my acessories and things, after taxes, my first guitar cost like 200dollars, and it lasted two to three years. I got a cheapo, 'cause I didn't know if I would stick to it. But it was an extremely high quality guitar, and was really easy to play. I liked it alot.

About a year into playing, my dad bought an all black acoustic fender dg-11 guitar. Its still my acoustic guitar, and it plays really well. Its a good acoustic.

About a year ago, I decided that I was going to play guitar for like, forever. So I wanted a guitar that would really last for a long time. I bought a Fender Fat Strat, and used my ten watt amp until I could save up to buy a new amp. The Fat Strat is a great guitar. It can play just about everything. I love my guitar to death. My friend bought a Schecter for a ton of money, I'd take my 400 dollar Fat Strat over it any day. When I got the money for an amp, I went over to guitar center and got an amp that could play with my friends drums, it was when we were just getting started playing music with each other. I got a 300 dollar Crate 120 watt amp. That thing is loud! And it has great distortion, and is all the power I need. I really like my setup. It does everything I want it to, and more.

[machine]

The best advise i can give is to buy a guitar that you like and looks good on you....even if its cheap....

Becasue of improved manufacturing in Korea ...alot of cheap guitars have a good build and play quality....

You can either buy a cheap ibanez as they general are very playable instruments and flexible and high quality....(personal choice of course)

You can go buy a better second hand guitar also..(which is what i did)

The main thing that let me down was "poor" distortion amps (carlsbro,peavey,crate)...if you want a great budget amp...get a marshall..MGD...or if you can afford an AVT20..THEY SOUND AWESOME FORM THE MONEY....other sound too fizzy and horrible...but marshalls have great distortion


How about "cort" ..they are the manufactures in Korea that make guitars for "ibanez"...you get the same built quality....but half the price...

M200 is about £100 http://www.thomann.de/prodbilder/cort_m200_bk_pimx_170791.jpg

Or have you tried www.gear4music.com they sell cheap guitars

regards

rob

[flamin-gitaur]

Ok fellow jammers Here's your chance to do this again, but do it right.

I'm just starting out. I want to buy my first electric guitar and amp.
Should I buy a package?
Should I buy the guitar and amplifier by themselves?
Should I buy new or used?
How much do they cost?
What is a single coil and what does it sound like? What's a Humbucker?

Opinions please, but explain why you chose one over another, as in what genre of music is it best suited for.
You all have done this a hundred times. Let's get a good list going so that next time somebody asks "the" question, you can point them here.
Thanks!

This is how I did it-

I bought a used guitar from a pawn shop, and an amp that basically "worked". That is what I used for about the first 3-4 years of learning how to play guitar. Once I was familiar with the gear, and it's capabilities, I was able to make a more educated decision as to what I needed and wanted when it came time to up grade. And in retrospect, I think this was the best way to go, simply because I started out on humble gear, and once I was finally able to get something better, It made me appreciate it alot more and I was able to differentiate between what I had and what a higher quality piece of gear was capable of. Call me old school if you want. but to me, I just feel that starting out on top of the line gear (if your fortunate enough) doesn't provide you with the true learning experience.

[weeble]

Fender Squire packs are as good as any for a beginner make sure you grt tht 15watt amp though

[SKEETER]

I prefer the Korean instruments. I have been playing for 41 years, and played some of "big name" gear,.... and I prefer the Korean and Indonesian and Japanese stuff, The Chinese guitars are hit or miss, but at least as good as domestic guitars, which are hit or miss too.
I prefer Crate amps. Cheaper, more durable, and sound as good as a lot of the much higher prices stuff.