OT: electric guitar for beginner

[JanG]

I have seen threads with lots of guitars and I have seen one with acoustic guitar advice. An electric guitar advice thread I have not seen.

My soon to be 16 year old son (8 yrs piano, sax in high school band) decided in January that he wanted to play the guitar. He got an inexpensive Epiphone acoustic and, after three months, tunes are coming out of it. He now would like an electric guitar and amp for his 16th birthday. He claims that he can tell the difference between the $150 Fender and the "way more expensive" models that he has played at a buddy's house and at Guitar Center.

A nice guitar and amp seem like a pretty good 16th birthday present. I would appreciate any advice on specific things to look for or to avoid. My initial price range is $400-500 for the guitar, based on limited cruising around the interweb. Obviously, he gets to choose, but I would like to be in a position to evaluate his choice armed with information.

Thanks.

[MilanoTom]

I started playing (and stinking at it) in the late 70s. The Epiphones and Squires today have a better fit, finish and playability than the Gibsons and Fenders from that era. The whole vintage market seemed to take off in the 1970s, probably as a response to the lousy stuff being put out by the major companies of the day.

Some of the parts (some of the entry-level Squires have cheesy tuners, for example) aren't as nice on the Squire/Epiphone level, and sometimes they don't use particularly high grade wood for the bodies, but they're nice guitars atmo. There can, however, be some variation from one to the next, even for the same brand and model, so it's worth trying them in person, rather than shopping from a catalog.

There's always the option of going the used-guitar route as well.

Tom

[skyflash]

I think it's tough to get a good electric for $400-$500, especially from the big companies. I would think $700+, but you may be able to get a good deal on a used guitar.

The most important thing is the style of music that he likes or plays. If you know what guitarists or bands that he listens to, try to find out what instruments they play. Those companies will usually have less expensive versions.

If he likes Hard Rock or Metal, a Fender would not be a good choice because their pickups are not the best for it. A Gibson (too expensive) or an Ibanez would make more sense. A Fender would be good if you're son is into Clapton or Hendrix.

Samething with the amp. They are either Tube or Solid-State. Tube's are more expensive and have a great warm sound to them. Solid-State could be good for some heavy rock, though.

[Fixed]

bro play the box for a year at least go get lessons he reads right ? get a teacher that can read too it is not a 3 chord world anymore
imho
cheers

[davidlee]

Here's the one you want:
http://www.gretschguitars.com/gear/index.php?product=G6136DL

Kidding,,, If he's dead set on an electric I honestly think a Fender Squire Strat is impossible to beat for the price. They play amazingly well for the coin and sound great through almost any amp. Pair that with a little 10 watt Fender Champ and there you have it.

Pm me if you want more advice.

Best,
david lee

[johnnymossville]

and the playability is very good, (actually, great) for a Fender, which many believe is a bit harder to play in general because the strings are closer together. I think it's a matter of personal preference mostly, because when I pick up a Gibson the strings feel miles apart.

Anyway, whatever you choose, play around with them awhile in the shops, you'll tend to gravitate towards what you really want sound-wise in the end. It's also nice to have a really good player there to demo the guitar, as they will blow your son away and he'll come home fired up knowing his guitar made such wonderful sounds. :)

[justinf]

Squire strat is great; I also recommend the Danelectro stuff, and the Epiphone Wildcat is actually pretty cool too.

[malcolm]

Fixed is right, but if he is going electric I assume he is a rocker and probaly wants something like the people he watches plays and I think some of the best values for rockers are used jacksons or ibanez from the '90s. The jacksons tend to have fairly thin necks and play fast and if you can find one of the neck through models I think the metal sound is great. One of my faves is an old jackson/charvel model 6. Grain of salt, the only place I'm a bigger poser than on the bike is with a guitar, but I've owned a bunch of them. Note charvel was gone way before the '90s though.

[93legendti]

PRS One
Fender Strat (imported)

Guitar Player's May 2007 issue has reveiws of 35 guitars under $500.

Guitar Player's October 2007 issue has a reveiw of the PRS One - which is what Leslie West would be playing if was the '70's and he was writing "Mississippi Queen".

In my experience, the resale will be better on these than Dano or Epi guitars.

[Oirad]

Mexican Strats or even an Ibanez (what my boy was weaned on at 13) before moving to Les Paul and other nice axes as he became more proficient and passionate.

-- Oirad

[false_Aest]

My first decent amp was a Marshall VS102R--it's a valve-state (clean is 1 tube; dirty is solid state) 100 watt combo with reverb. I bought it for about $450 in 1998 and ended up doing a nation-wide tour with it powering a 4x12 Marshall cabinet. It was plenty loud enough and sounded like the guitarists I wanted to emulate (Tom Morello, Jawbreaker, At the Drive In, etc).

I did 95% of my playing on an Epiphone Special (double cutaway) and replaced the pickups with Dimarzio P-90s. I hated the guitar until I replaced the pickups--then I fell in love with it. Too bad it took a stage dive and I cracked the head off the neck. If I remember correctly I paid about $475 for the guitar.

My next guitar was a Fernandez Monterey. With their crazy/strange sustainer pickup. It was $1k new but I'm sure you can get a used one for a steal. It's really really really flexible--in terms of sound. I have a track here: http://anti-aesthetic.net/indie/remedios.mp3 You can compare that to bands like Sparta, At the Drive In, or The Mars Volta (all their guitarists use Fernandez).
----
I don't think the Marshall VS102R is made anymore. I'm sure it's been replaced with a new shiny model--but you can probably find it used. If I were to buy an amp for someone now (or for myself--if I wasn't coveting a set of Record Skeleton Brakes) I'd buy a Tech 21 (brand) Trademark 30 (model). It will be just loud enough to give you a headache and quiet enough to prevent the cops from coming to your house all the time. And, if your kid complains about it not having enough power, one could play a 1200 person venue or record with it (provided you know what you're doing). This recommendation is assuming your kid is into all kinds of music and not something as strict as Jazz or real Metal.

As for choosing a guitar, I'd take your kid to three shops, set a price range and have him play every single guitar in that range. Choosing a guitar is kind've like choosing a saddle for your bike. Some things are popular for the minute (when I bought my first GRUNGE and Fender Jaguars/Mustangs were THE *****!!!) but they don't fit you. Thankfully I realized this and didn't choose whatever was popular and instead bought a guitar with a comfortable neck and that laid against my torso comfortably.

Finally, I'd warn you against buying a full tube amp. The best sound tends to come out of them when they're cranked up really loud.



ps. Musicians Friend and Guitar Center are the same company. They're the DEVIL. I'd buy a Tech 21 from zzounds.

[WadePatton]

A decent luthier would be a good place to check out. They usually have some axes around to sell too. My favorite flattop ever came from a pawn shop. Gibsons have been my favorites over the years, but my next one will be small-shop made.

Oh and I got my first Gibson at 15--a mid-sixties ES125T. Still have it. Wish I could say that about the Les Paul. :crap: :crap: :crap:

Another note--the most recent imports I've played were darn good, but they didn't used to be. I'd enlist a more experienced player to double check the soundness and setup of any used rigs.

[Der_Kruscher]

The PRS SE guitars are really nice guitars for the money - I'd start there.