Recently I've become interested in learning to play guitar myself, so naturally I've been looking into buying one. Problem is, I don't know what to start with. I know that no matter how good the guitar is, it's still going to sound like shit if I don't know how to use it, but I'd still like to invest in something decent. So what to you think a good beginning set up would be?
Question for guitarists.
- Thread starter OctoberVision
- Start date
Morningrise
...I am just thin air...
An ESP is a good begginning guitar, and is a great guitar all around. They are not too expensive and sound good. I do not like BC Rich's (which is what many metalheads go for) just because they are so weird to hold an play. But I think an ESP (such as an LTD) is good. Check out www.esp.com I think that is the correct site
BillowOfZeal
and I looked up her skirt
rogue27
Misanthropic Lich
I don't think that is the correct site.
I've always used a Fender Stratocaster. I don't know if those are good or not, but it seems to work fine.
I guess I should have also mentioned that my knowledge about guitars is almost completely nonexistant. I checked out the ibanez and esp webpages, and all the model numbers and specifications and so forth totally went over my head.
DracWell
Chemical Pariah
Ibanez are the best, in my opinion. and btw. the prices etc at ibanez's website. is for their BEST guitars. ... the have MUCH cheaper ones out there. I bought mine new for about 6.000 swedish crowns (about 600usd).. but that was at a 25% discount. but still. they make GREAT guitars. I'm getting a RG7620GK soon. Not a new, too much money 
(15.000skr)
(15.000skr)
SentencedToBurn
Dubbs
I started off with a fender strat. I thought it was good until i started playing my friends guitars more. Then i realized mine sucks and theres are so much easier to play. But i agree that i think you should start off with a less expensive ibanez. Then work your way up.
Ibsen
Bullshit Artist
- Aug 12, 2001
- 690
- 1
- 18
I personally like playing Ibanez and I think that it is a good guitar for beginners, but there is a little trick with them. The majority of all Ibanez guitars come with a system that dosn't allow you to tune a single string without affecting the other ones. This may seem great since your guitar will never go out of tune with this system, but it's a hassle if you replace a string. If you want to go with Ibanez, ask for one without a fine-tuning system. You can tell if it has one or not because you should see big, black, box-like bars that divide the head and the neck. Your best bet, though, is to go to the local music store and try out different guitars. At first I wanted a Fender but I tried out different guitars and realized that they sucked for what I wanted to play (no offense to the guy with the strat). There some other good ones as well. I like Gibson SGs and PRS and ESP are alright. Maybe you should check out what your favorite band is playing.
Silhouette
Pop till ya drop
October- If you say that you have basically no guitar knowledge and no previous experience with guitars, I would personally go with a reasonably cheap guitar to see how you like it. Nothing worse than buying a guitar worth $1000+ if you don't even like learning the guitar. If you are really serious and know you want to learn, then I guess go for what's been mentioned above.
(Disclaimer: I'm only a self-taught guitarist myself, so I really don't have much idea on guitar mumbo jumbo, just common sense)
(Disclaimer: I'm only a self-taught guitarist myself, so I really don't have much idea on guitar mumbo jumbo, just common sense)
I have been playing guitar for around a year and a half, and have a mexican strat and have played a good amount of guitars. For a company, in the lower price range, I think ibanez is a good bet, but for slightly higher price range, I have heard good things about Fernandes, that features the infinite sustain system. Their website is www.fernandesguitars.com. My recomendation would be if any of your friends guitars if they have them, and get them to teach you some chords and basic stuff so you can now what to look for in a guitar. Soom things that you have to consider when buying a guitar is the pickups (those are the things under the strings on the body). Their are two types, single coils (which are only one bar), and their are humbuckers (which are to single coils side by side). Definetly go for humbuckers, they will give the heavier rock sound, and don't hum. The other thing you should consider is what type of bridge, which roots the strings to the body. Their are again two main types, hardtail and tremolo. Hardtail doesn't allow whammy bar dives or other tricks, but it has much better tuning stability. Tremolo let you do all sorts of tricks, and their are two types, fulcrum, which is what you will find on a strat, and floyd-rose, like you will find on the middle ranged ibanez. I would recommend a hardtail for your first guitar, but if you decide for tremolo, go for floyd-rose. They are harder to change strings on, but are better tremolos.
yourdeadgroom
Black Stone Wielder
Don't go for a cool shaped one (eg V shaped), go for a traditional shape, and above all else make sure it is comfortable to hold. The shaped ones often have balance problems, particularly when you play standing up, and learning to play is hard enough without this problem. They are ok once you know what you are doing, and you manage to find one that suits your technique/style, but for now, avoid them. I'd also recommend not getting one with a tremelo system, you will find it hard enough to get in tune as it is, without having to try and balance your string tension with the tremelo's springs etc......
discouraged1
disco my arse!
Well, I play the guitar for 9 years (both acoustic/classical and electric one) and since you don't have any knowledge about buying one yet, bring somebody with you to the shop who could tell you if the guitar is good or bad (and he could also tell you what type of guitar suits you).
The thing is, what guitar sound would you like to have?
If you like the hard metal sound a la Megadeth or Opeth on Morningrise, try Jackson (though they are very expensive).
If you like the heavier, dirtier sound, like Amorphis and Anathema have(and I think Opeth on Still Life and BWP), then try Gibson (my favourite, but expensive even more, Epiphone is also good guitar that Gibson make for lower price).
I don't like Fenders, they have very light and thin sound.
It is also important what type of strings you will play, most of people use 9's (but I use 11's, very heavier and hard to play, but fit the Gibson).
If you take some great, expensive guitar, you will learn how to play (and therefore to play well), it's up to you how strong your desire for becoming the good guitar player is.
cheerz
The thing is, what guitar sound would you like to have?
If you like the hard metal sound a la Megadeth or Opeth on Morningrise, try Jackson (though they are very expensive).
If you like the heavier, dirtier sound, like Amorphis and Anathema have(and I think Opeth on Still Life and BWP), then try Gibson (my favourite
, but expensive even more, Epiphone is also good guitar that Gibson make for lower price).I don't like Fenders, they have very light and thin sound.
It is also important what type of strings you will play, most of people use 9's (but I use 11's, very heavier and hard to play, but fit the Gibson).
If you take some great, expensive guitar, you will learn how to play (and therefore to play well), it's up to you how strong your desire for becoming the good guitar player is.
cheerz
rogue27
Misanthropic Lich
*shrug* I'm not offended by someone saying Strats suck. In fact, I want to hear what people think.
I don't own a guitar myself, but I've used my brother's and dad's guitars, both of which were Fender Stratocasters.
One was made in one country and one was made in another. I know my dad's was the more expensive one, and I liked playing it better... it may have been mexican. I don't think it was too much, probably under or around $500. I think my brother's guitar may have been about $250 or $300.
I haven't played many other guitars, but I liked my dad's fender much better than some cheapo guitar one of my friends had.
I'd like to buy one myself someday... I just don't know what's good and affordable.
I don't own a guitar myself, but I've used my brother's and dad's guitars, both of which were Fender Stratocasters.
One was made in one country and one was made in another. I know my dad's was the more expensive one, and I liked playing it better... it may have been mexican. I don't think it was too much, probably under or around $500. I think my brother's guitar may have been about $250 or $300.
I haven't played many other guitars, but I liked my dad's fender much better than some cheapo guitar one of my friends had.
I'd like to buy one myself someday... I just don't know what's good and affordable.
Well first of all, let me thank all of you for your help. I think I'm going to go for an Ibanez due to it's high recommendation from many of you here. Now I guess the question at hand is which model. The S and GRX series have caught my eye..but I can't seem to find any prices on the ibanez webpage.
Judging by the write up of the GRX though, it seems like that would be the least expensive of the two.
Anybody have any idea what the S series generally goes for?
(I know I could just just call the local music store about this stuff, but I'd feel pretty silly. I have no idea what I'm talking about and would rather sound like an idiot online than on the phone. heh. )
Judging by the write up of the GRX though, it seems like that would be the least expensive of the two.
Anybody have any idea what the S series generally goes for?
(I know I could just just call the local music store about this stuff, but I'd feel pretty silly. I have no idea what I'm talking about and would rather sound like an idiot online than on the phone. heh. )
Prometheus
Member
dune_666
Lord of the Strings
Well it depends on what kind of sound you're going for. If you're into lots of sustain and smooth bassy leads I'd recommend an Epiphone Les Paul classic or custom. If you're into more brighter tones, then maybe a strat copy or knock off (i.e. Squire) is for you. I for one can't stand Ibanez/ESP guitars. Double locking trems are a pain in the ass to fool with when you change strings and for making set-up adjustments. The can cause intonation problems and go out of tune more, not to mention KILL sustain. If you go for one of those though, get a stop tail, its better. The new PRS Santana SE is an excellent beginner guitar (about $600). You can get a stop-tail, descent p/u's, and a good PRS wide-fat neck. If you've got lots of cash, nothing better than a Gibson Les Paul (custom, standard, classic) or a PRS (Mikael uses a CE 24).
Also, check out Carvin (www.carvin.com). You can get a completely custom guitar for about $600. Nice finishes, tons of options are available.
Also, check out Carvin (www.carvin.com). You can get a completely custom guitar for about $600. Nice finishes, tons of options are available.
Soul Forlorn
Member
I've been playing guitar for about 14 years now. I've gone through tons of guitars and currently own 6 guitars and 4 basses. I've tried out loads of different ones and have become fairly picky about guitar choice. When a beginner asks me this question I first ask "How serious are you about playing guitar?", "What's your budget?", and "What sound are you looking for?". First and foremost, let me say this: If you buy a guitar that is of poor quality and sound, your learning will suffer. What I mean is that if you get a guitar that has poor sustain, hardware problems, and just overall doesn't seem to fit you right you'll find that you're just going to get frustrated and will spend too much time dabbling with playability/hardware issues rather than furthering your learning.
If you're serious about playing and your budget allows it, spend a little more on your first guitar. You'll be thankful later. I'm not saying go out and spend a grand on your first guitar, but around 400-600 bucks can get you a decent guitar if you're careful. In my personal experience, anything under $300 is junk. Don't go that route unless you plan on spending more money to upgrade pickups and hardware.
You seem to be leaning towards Ibanez. Ibanez makes some fairly good quality guitars. Like previously mentioned, stay away from guitars with a floating tremelo, like a Floyd Rose. It's not worth the hassle. As a beginner you're not going to want to spend all you're time tuning and setting up your guitar instead of learning. Get something with either a fixed bridge or a strat-style tremelo. Tuning is WAY EASIER and faster and it will allow you to get into different tunings on the fly.
Although your amp/effects probably have more of an impact on your tone, the guitar, specifically the type/brand of pickups it has makes a world of difference. Basically, you have two different types of pickups, humbucker and single coil. Humbuckers (the wider ones that look like two single coils joined together) give you a powerful, fat tone. These are what you use for thick distortion. Single coils give you a clear, clean, glassy tone which is quite good for clean styles. I recommend getting a guitar that has a humbucker in the bridge position and a single coil in the neck or even better a dual humbucker equipped guitar which has splitting capabilities. Then you can have a humbucker tone or a single coil tone at the flick of the switch. To sum it all up, a stock Fender strat isn't going to sound good for metal just like a Jackson RR1 isn't going to give you a good blues or overall good clean tone. That's not what they're made for. They can be upgraded by changing the pickups to handle different musical styles but don't expect certain guitars to sound good for all styles of music straight out of the guitar store.
Here are some of my personal faves for under 600 bucks. Carvin- you can't go wrong here. 1000+ dollar guitar for under 600. You can order one already in stock or have one custom made. Fender- good quality, great resale. ESP- great quality.
Also, Schecter, Hamer, and Fernandes make some good quality guitars for low bucks. The new Parker P-38 would be a great choice. That new Prs Santana is quite nice as well.
Here are some I'd stay away from. Epiphone- almost every non-jazz style Epiphone I've played is complete shit. Junk pickups, hardware, frets, etc. To top it all off they charge too much for this junk! I've also never played a cheap model Jackson or B.C. Rich that I was happy with. USA made Jacksons and B.C. Rich guitars rule though.
The main thing is just get a guitar that "feels" right to you and that doesn't have any major quality issues. Then later on you can upgrade the hardware and pickups. Putting in good pickups(which basically no cheap guitar comes with) makes a world of difference in terms of tone and playability. Good pickups can make a guitar seem to play much easier, mainly because of the output and sustain.
I'd recommend spending some time at www.harmonycentral.com They have tons of user reviews on practically any guitar you can think of as well as faq's and other articles. There is a mountain of useful information there that has steered me in the right direction more than once before.
Anyway, cheers to you. Good luck and enjoy learning the guitar!
If you're serious about playing and your budget allows it, spend a little more on your first guitar. You'll be thankful later. I'm not saying go out and spend a grand on your first guitar, but around 400-600 bucks can get you a decent guitar if you're careful. In my personal experience, anything under $300 is junk. Don't go that route unless you plan on spending more money to upgrade pickups and hardware.
You seem to be leaning towards Ibanez. Ibanez makes some fairly good quality guitars. Like previously mentioned, stay away from guitars with a floating tremelo, like a Floyd Rose. It's not worth the hassle. As a beginner you're not going to want to spend all you're time tuning and setting up your guitar instead of learning. Get something with either a fixed bridge or a strat-style tremelo. Tuning is WAY EASIER and faster and it will allow you to get into different tunings on the fly.
Although your amp/effects probably have more of an impact on your tone, the guitar, specifically the type/brand of pickups it has makes a world of difference. Basically, you have two different types of pickups, humbucker and single coil. Humbuckers (the wider ones that look like two single coils joined together) give you a powerful, fat tone. These are what you use for thick distortion. Single coils give you a clear, clean, glassy tone which is quite good for clean styles. I recommend getting a guitar that has a humbucker in the bridge position and a single coil in the neck or even better a dual humbucker equipped guitar which has splitting capabilities. Then you can have a humbucker tone or a single coil tone at the flick of the switch. To sum it all up, a stock Fender strat isn't going to sound good for metal just like a Jackson RR1 isn't going to give you a good blues or overall good clean tone. That's not what they're made for. They can be upgraded by changing the pickups to handle different musical styles but don't expect certain guitars to sound good for all styles of music straight out of the guitar store.
Here are some of my personal faves for under 600 bucks. Carvin- you can't go wrong here. 1000+ dollar guitar for under 600. You can order one already in stock or have one custom made. Fender- good quality, great resale. ESP- great quality.
Also, Schecter, Hamer, and Fernandes make some good quality guitars for low bucks. The new Parker P-38 would be a great choice. That new Prs Santana is quite nice as well.
Here are some I'd stay away from. Epiphone- almost every non-jazz style Epiphone I've played is complete shit. Junk pickups, hardware, frets, etc. To top it all off they charge too much for this junk! I've also never played a cheap model Jackson or B.C. Rich that I was happy with. USA made Jacksons and B.C. Rich guitars rule though.
The main thing is just get a guitar that "feels" right to you and that doesn't have any major quality issues. Then later on you can upgrade the hardware and pickups. Putting in good pickups(which basically no cheap guitar comes with) makes a world of difference in terms of tone and playability. Good pickups can make a guitar seem to play much easier, mainly because of the output and sustain.
I'd recommend spending some time at www.harmonycentral.com They have tons of user reviews on practically any guitar you can think of as well as faq's and other articles. There is a mountain of useful information there that has steered me in the right direction more than once before.
Anyway, cheers to you. Good luck and enjoy learning the guitar!
discouraged1
disco my arse!
If you're into lots of sustain and smooth bassy leads I'd recommend an Epiphone Les Paul classic or custom.
Yeah, right!
That sounds like my own Slash signature Les Paul classic!
Yeah, right!
That sounds like my own Slash signature Les Paul classic!
Soul Forlorn
Member
Who knows maybe they're better now but I owned an Epiphone Les Paul several years ago and it was the biggest hunk of shit I've ever had the unfortunate experience of playing. The tuners, fretwork, and pickups were just plain fucking junk! Besides that they're overpriced. Epiphone has a few decent jazz style guitars but I wouldn't give a squirt of piss for the rest of them.
