Question on purchasing an electric guitar

[Birkenau]

Yah, so I'm buying an electric guitar soon, and I need some general advice on what I should be looking for. I'm planning on eventually playing mostly black metal and currently have no idea on how to play. I'll also need a recommendation on an amp to start off with. My budget for both guitar and amp is about $400-550AU ($300-$400US).

I'm tossing up on whether to buy through ebay or just buying it at some guitar shop near me. If anyone wants to point out anything worth getting have a look here http://musical-instruments.search.e...opZ1QQsbrftogZ1QQsofocusZbsQQsorefinesearchZ1

 

[Kenneth R.]

considering the production style of black metal, i'd say anything that catches your eye will do.

don't spend too much on a first guitar, as you need to learn first, but don't get a junk one either. that's really the only advice i could give

 

[Nebulous]

In terms of what to look for, try to learn something on another persons guitar to be able to play the ax yourself.

As for when you go buy one, you'll prolly end up with a strat copy, especially since you live in Oz like myself. WHen you play the guitar, it should feel quite "smooth". That is, it shouldnt kill your fingers or anyting, especially when you bend a string.
Listen to the guitar, play each note on every string. I know it sounds stupid and might make you feel foolish, but if a fret has damage on it and doesn't do its job (in terms of making the note a semitone higher) then your ax us fucked. At the same time, try not to buy a guitar that has any fret buzz, although if you havent played much, you might not be able to recognise it for a few days.
Put the guitar into an amp, and turn all the knobs and pickup selector switches with out playing any notes, and listen for any crackles or noise you dont like....tho with BM you might like it lol.

As for an amp an guitar for 400-550, i wouldnt bother with an amp, or just get on what ever shittty $50 amp the store has, as with that budget there wont be alot of difference in quality between $50 and $150. Try spending the greatest amount of money on the ax. For 550 on an ax you could pick up a cheaper Jackson, or possibly a ESP LTD model, which would bester suit your metal needs than a strat or Les Paul copy.

Best advice tho.....have someone with you that can play (if you know anyone), and see if you can muster up a few more $100, a budget of around$800 could get you the said amp, and if you know of any dealers around you, you could pick up a Cort guitar. If it looks metal and sais Cort on it, it could retail from $500 to $1500, but the cheaper ones play quite nice, so yeah, try giving those a go.

Fuck dude, if after this post you wana know more,lol, your a greedy bastard ;p just ask away, or PM me if you do.

Daniel\m/

 

[Birkenau]

Thanks for the advice. I think I will definately have to bring one of my friends along who knows what he is doing.

 

[Nebulous]

The thing is, even if you have someone there to tell you wether the guitar is or isn't fucked, its still your preferance as to what sort of feel you like, and even if you think you dont have any idea what feel you preffer, after playing a few ax's you'll start to get the jist of what you like.

If ya want dude, PM mewhat area you live in, i could give you some advice on shops to check out, or even help ya shop 'round

Daniel\m/

 

[Vital Remains]

LTD are a great value

 

[Birkenau]

*bump*

I put a deposit on an Ibanez Guitar+Amp package today woo! Now, at the moment I can't really afford guitar lessons, so are there any good sites to start learning from or anything I should be practicing in particular?

 

[Majesty]

www.cyberfret.com
www.wholenote.com

Playing scales is good training,some find it boring though.

 

[Terrorside]

whatever you'll buy take the Gibson guitar.

 

[ThousandBeingPlague]

As a Black Metaller you should only purchase a non negro instrument such as a keyboard, because true black metal is the music of Arayan purity.

 

[ThousandBeingPlague]

All joking aside though if you're into into black metal learn you Harmonic, Natural, and Melodic Minor scales.

 

[BlackViking666]

It all depends on what kind of tone you want American guitar rule of thumb is Gibsons have less twang but more low end chunk while on the other end Fender guitars have less low end but more twang than Gibsons.
I would suggest getting Ibanez because of there punchy tone and speed you can gain from them there also feel really comfortable to play.
Marshall in my opinion make the best amps hands down.
Krank make pretty good amps so do Randall.
If you want to learn to play just practice the metal technique basics first things like palm muting ,tremelo picking,power chords,and harmonic minor scales.

Good Luck \m/

 

[darkenedsoul]

I went with an Ibanez GAX70 black SG style for a beginner guitar (got hardshell case, etc...) for <$300 US (I know someone at Guitar Center). Guitar itself is comfortable. I also picked up the V-Amp 2 processor/modeler for mucking around with distortion and whatnot. I have never played guitar and don't know how far I'll go with it. I just wanted to learn a bit to maybe do some rhythm playing perhaps down the road and to just learn how to play at a leisurely pace. I play synth and I've found a fair amount of musicians are multi-instrumentalists (drums usually or bass). And for an amp I got a little 15w Peavey and it's plenty loud enough for home playing/practice space jamming.

Also went for a Fender acoustic starter kit package but can't spend a lot of time playing it due to shoulder pain at the moment. Reason for the acoustic is if I don't feel like breaking out the electric and use it plugged into the PC (via OMNI Studio from M-Audio).

Mike

 

[risnercharles]

I would have to say go with the Ibanez or maybe a gibson off brand
as for lessons you could prob learn a lot from guitar pro you can find lots of tabs and scales online that play on it from www.mysongbook.com
if you have any questions on how to get guitar pro or anything else just pm me

 

[Never78]

As for a first guitar, yeah, just get whatever really. I played a SYNSONICS guitar $50 for 7 years!! It does not stay in tune long, harder to press the strings, doesn't sound nearly as good, but all the proper tones and what not are there. I hooked it up to a Boss Metal Zone Mt-2 and a cheap amp to practice metal.

The day you decide that you are CERTAIN you want to continue along this path is the day you get a real guitar. If you are really into Black Metal, as I am, then I suggest a Jackson RR-5 ($1,500) or the like in the Jackson line; there are cheaper ones and even more expensive ones. Eventually I might get the $2,400 shredder, but I really do not need it. I am currently recording a black metal album that has the exact sound I was aiming for (high speed melodic tremolo of the early to mid '90s Norwegian scene).

Scales are your best friend and are easy to learn on your own, but even that is not necessary. I am self taught (for 11 years), never knew what a scale was until my fifth year, and by then, I did not even need them. I know where all the notes are by instinct and the sounds that they make just by playing them so often, and the beauty of the black metal style is that it can easily be transcribed to your guitar from your own head without massive chord construction, as many of the notes are obviously single notes at a time, recording track to track. The Metal Zone pedal is a must for a black metal feel, and I suggest also getting a cheap 4 track recorder when you can, unless you are going to be playing with others, as the melodic style demands that you hear what you are creating.

All joking aside though if you're into into black metal learn you Harmonic, Natural, and Melodic Minor scales.

Indeed. Harmonic minor I play in very often. Also, look up tabs whenever you can when you need new ideas for ways of playing your particular style. It also helps to run searches now and then of forums by using google; you will find many of your black metal questions answered in this manner....though I must say, there are few if any sites devoted to teaching how to play black metal, which is a completely different style than most other types of metal (unless it be black metal of the now, which is largely power chords).

 

[Nostalgiaplatz]

go for a b.c rich

 

[Lord Divine]

He's already got an Ibanez, I believe. But yes, learn scales. I play black metal as well, and I use my scales all the time. The scales are there so you can know which notes sound good together, instead of randomly playing a riff, but accidently adding in "country" sounding notes and wrecking the piece. Start out with A Minor root scales. Great for starters. If you're strictly playing black metal, I'd suggest concentrating on Minor scales, but I would strongly reccomend learning many scales, from majors to minors, and pentatonics and blues. It will, if nothing else, increase your playing ability, thus making you a better, more knowledgeable guitar player.

 

[Niklas]

I'd go for a cheap E.S.P or Ibanez, my first 'decent' bass guitar was an ESP and ive never had any problems with it. Id recogmend them to anyone, and they're very reasonably priced.