My first guitar

So I'm going to live a dream and start learning how to play the guitar.

After much research and debate, I've decided to start learning on an electric solid body guitar. I know that many people recommend starting with an acoustic for various reasons (strengthens fingers, frets are further apart, etc) but as they say, "I wanna ROCK" So I'm following the theory that you should play what your heart desires so you will stick with it.

My music tastes vary from Rock to Metal. I like listening to Nickelback, Big&Rich, Queen, Kansas, Weezer, Eagles, Disturbed, etc, etc...

Pretty wide range there. Yea, I know Big&Rich is a country group but they are more Elvis than Conway Twitty.

So I've been looking at Guitars from Ibanez, Schecter, Jackson, and Gibson. The Gibson Les Pauls are the most expensive but I'm hoping I can find a good used one for under $600. Schecter seems to be pretty reasonably priced and I've read a ton of great reviews. Ibanez seems to have a cult following to some extent. Jacksons seem to be more oriented to metal than Rock, but I suppose it would be just fine.

I've pretty much decided on a VOX AD15 or AD30 as an amp because I liked the sound and the built in effects. I just need to get some opinions on the guitars.

I know the opinions are out there, so type away

Good man!

Guitars rock. Period.

Good choice with electric. Contrary to popular opinion, I think it's better to start with an electric. Some people just don't see enough progress on acoustics to whet their appetite because of how much more difficult they are to learn on.

Moving on to advice... Are you *sure* you want to spend about $600 on a first guitar? You can get 'decent' ones for considerably less.

*dons fire retardant suit* And stay away from Gibson - NOT worth the green.

As this is your first guitar, avoid any type of floating bridge/locking nut. I don't care if it's platinum plated, blessed by the pope or designed by God himself. WAY too much effort to maintain and upkeep for a first guitar - you'd end up setting it up and tuning more than playing - stick to strat style/hardtail/string-thru bridges.

My reccomendation - Yamaha Pacifica 112. Yup. I know what you are thinking. Yamaha... Guitar... But, they are awesome for the money - smooth neck, good setup from factory, and reliable.

Good choice for the amp aswell. They sound pretty killer for a practise amp.

I know I've used alot of guitar jargon in this, so if you don't understand anything or want any more help, yada yada, feel free to message me. It's always a pleasure to help a fellow guitarist!

Mylo said:

Good man!

Guitars rock. Period.

Good choice with electric. Contrary to popular opinion, I think it's better to start with an electric. Some people just don't see enough progress on acoustics to whet their appetite because of how much more difficult they are to learn on.

Moving on to advice... Are you *sure* you want to spend about $600 on a first guitar? You can get 'decent' ones for considerably less.

*dons fire retardant suit* And stay away from Gibson - NOT worth the green.

As this is your first guitar, avoid any type of floating bridge/locking nut. I don't care if it's platinum plated, blessed by the pope or designed by God himself. WAY too much effort to maintain and upkeep for a first guitar - you'd end up setting it up and tuning more than playing - stick to strat style/hardtail/string-thru bridges.

My reccomendation - Yamaha Pacifica 112. Yup. I know what you are thinking. Yamaha... Guitar... But, they are awesome for the money - smooth neck, good setup from factory, and reliable.

Good choice for the amp aswell. They sound pretty killer for a practise amp.

I know I've used alot of guitar jargon in this, so if you don't understand anything or want any more help, yada yada, feel free to message me. It's always a pleasure to help a fellow guitarist!

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You're talking about a Floyd Rose style tremelo/bridge, right? I've read about crap ones but I've also been told that it is fine if it is a Floyd Rose Pro or Floyd Rose Original. I've heard that you stay away from Floyd Rose "style" because they are made of cheap metals and won't hold a tune.

Is that what you're talking about?

As far as Gibson, I've been told that as long as you get an American made model, they're great. The imports are the ones to be avoided. Any thoughts on that...

Yamaha ehh? That pickup arrangement is certainly different from what I've seen. I'll check it out.

As for money, $600 is just my upper limit. I'm looking to spend less (possibly on used or Blem) but if I find a guitar that "speaks to me" I'll fork over the money for it...

As you can see, I've been doing a lot of research. I've been seeking opinions on several forums. IMO my biggest problem in finding a new guitar is that I can't actually test one out by playing since I don't know HOW to play it. I've got my first lesson lined up for tomorrow night. I'm thinking about getting the instructor to help me shop for a new one.

Thanks

Mylo said:

And stay away from Gibson - NOT worth the green.
!

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I wholeheartedly agree. You are paying for a name, not a guitar when you buy a Gibson(American made or not), especially a Les Paul model. They are nice guitars but there are countless other guitars that look and sound better than a Les Paul it isn't funny.
I agree that you shouldn't drop $600 either, you can find plenty of decent first guitars for less than $200.

You mentioned Ibanez... very nice choice, and they have some very affordable models. I have a GAX-75 and an RG. I would recommend them any day for any level player.

If you want a les paul body style, look at Epiphone. It's a carbon copy for the most part and they run about $600 new...so you should be able to find a used one for really cheap in comparison...

And trying to find anything than a gibson sg used for $600 or less is hard...unless you're just buying the nameplate off the head of the guitar...

The studios retail for something like $1800 new...just for a basic flat black guitar...

All good points on the Les Paul. Thx.

Yeah, definitely get a fixed bridge for sure. Best bet would be to narrow it down to a few, then go 2 guitar center or a local music shop, hold it, and see how you like it. I know you can't play yet, but you might not like the weight, how it sits in your lap, etc.

Just remember to read up on theory so you know what you're doing. Not just reading tabs all day. Good luck.

A suggestion:

If you like the appearance of the PRS style I STRONGLY suggest you try to find a local Cort dealer. Cort is the manufacturer of the Ibanez range but they have their own boutique brand and the M600 is a GORGEOUS guitar. I have one and when I'm not playing it I'm staring at it. It plays SO nicely and looks fantastic. I couldn't be happier with mine. It was about $450 new. These guitars sound great for rock and metal, and they even play blues pretty well.

The fit and finish on these guitars is great. They're what I automatically recommend to anyone looking for a superb guitar that's affordable.

Check it out. http://www.cort.co.kr/english/products/common/view.asp?product_id=125

+1 on the Cort - Indonesian/Chinese guitars are not as crap as they used to be.

Well done for the research, it's a good habit to get into where guitars are concerned.

Floyds - stay away from *all* of em until you know what makes a fixed bridge work and how to set it up, because all floyds need alot of care and attention, regardless of whether they are 'official' or not. It's just WAY too much hassle when you are trying to learn. (But for the future, IMO, official floyds and ibanez edge, lo-pro edge, and edge pro are the only ones worth having...)

Biggup on the Ibanez. My main axe is an RG (an RG8670TB to be precise) and it's my perfect guitar. Ibanez beginner models are great, too, but again stay away from those with a floyd - the RG321 is fixed and I always enjoy playing them. (So much I'm getting a 7 string version as my main 7 string!)

My normal forum haunt is www.jemsite.com - A site devoted to the JEM range of Ibanez guitars, but not just them - infact, there are even some Ibanez bashers on there Don't be afraid to ask questions; there are people just like you on there, and people who have been playing since the dawn of time. It's a great community that any guitarist should check out.

I will throw in my 'vote' for a Yamaha. In my experience you always get a great fret & board setup and finish with them. I have played and owned some of their electrics, acoustics and classicals. All great value. My brother has an Ibanez and loves it, but my mate has a Jem and hates it. Horses for courses really.

You should play them first and decide for yourself. Even just a few chords. But maybe not so important when you are just learning. Personally I would buy something cheap and then maybe in 6 months if you are progressing well, then buy something that suits your play style.

Also, NEVER drop big money on a guitar without playing it, or the same model, first. You might find a lot of reviewers online love guitars that wouldn't suit you. For instance, Gibsons get great write ups and many people swear by them. But I just don't like them. I would take a Telecaster every time

I say ESP but that's jut me... if you like the les paul shape the EC (eclipse) series is great. Since you're starting out, i'd get the EC-50 or EC-100, they have a Les Paul style that has a scoop so you can get to all 24 frets with out allot of stretching. The pickups and tuners are pretty decent on the 50, they are better on the 100. The EC-50 is 150 bucks, you can't beat it. Plus you can upgrade it later on and make it an even better rocker. It'd last you a long while.

Congrats on the new hobby. My vote has to be an Ibanez guitar for your first axe. I own an Ibanez guitar (and Ibanez Bass) along with a BC Rich guitar and an ESP LTD KH-202 (may current fav).

My advice is to go to Guitar Center and get the feel (like jotdess suggested) for a model that you like then price match at MusiciansFriend.com.

While at Guitar Center, just for kicks, check out some Crate amps.

Let us know what you end up picking up.

I also have an Ibanez GAX series guitar (without the downshifter though).

It's a great guitar - great action in the frets and keeps in tune really well.

soloudinhere said:

A suggestion:

If you like the appearance of the PRS style I STRONGLY suggest you try to find a local Cort dealer. Cort is the manufacturer of the Ibanez range but they have their own boutique brand and the M600 is a GORGEOUS guitar. I have one and when I'm not playing it I'm staring at it. It plays SO nicely and looks fantastic. I couldn't be happier with mine. It was about $450 new. These guitars sound great for rock and metal, and they even play blues pretty well.

The fit and finish on these guitars is great. They're what I automatically recommend to anyone looking for a superb guitar that's affordable.

Check it out. http://www.cort.co.kr/english/products/common/view.asp?product_id=125

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You can get a foreign made PRS for that much...I got one that I paid $75 for because I do a lot of business with a local mom and pop music store...

I knew there would be a lot of Ibanez fans but daaaaaang

Well, I'm taking a private lesson tonight using a loaner and my instructor is going to go shopping with me on Saturday. He also sells custom guitars (out of my price range) and amps. So he's giving me an open box deal on a VOX AD50.

I'm also keeping a regular eye on Craigslist. I live in the DFW area so there is always a good selection of instruments to shop around for.

BTW, does anyone have a suggestion for a good, reasonably priced, digital tuner?

Sgt Beavis said:

I knew there would be a lot of Ibanez fans but daaaaaang

Well, I'm taking a private lesson tonight using a loaner and my instructor is going to go shopping with me on Saturday. He also sells custom guitars (out of my price range) and amps. So he's giving me an open box deal on a VOX AD50.

I'm also keeping a regular eye on Craigslist. I live in the DFW area so there is always a good selection of instruments to shop around for.

BTW, does anyone have a suggestion for a good, reasonably priced, digital tuner?

Click to expand...

I have this one http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/product/buy_korg_ca30_chromatic_tuner?full_sku=101556009 and I like it a lot. I think mine is the GA and not the CA but anyway, I like it. It's very handy.

Another good investment is a fun little miniamp that's battery powered. Lets you make a musical appearance at festive outings without having to haul a big 30 watt plus amp with you.

As for the comment about getting a foreign made PRS for that much, that's true, but the Corts are the most well made Asian manufactured guitars I've seen so far. If you look at the fit and finish on one it is second to none in that price range. The foreign made versions of american brands are usually much worse. I feel like I got a good value from the Cort, and I did look at the foreign PRS and was not as impressed.