Guitar Tricks - i need help on choosing a guitar!!!HELP

james37

06-01-2005, 02:25 PM

R. Shackleferd

06-01-2005, 03:00 PM

Ibanez generally makes quality axes. Even though I'm not sure what model you're talking about, that's a good place to start. I used to have an RG...it came from the box with an electrical problem, so I sent it back. But after that it never had any problems until I sold it bout 5 years later. I got my money's worth for sure.

Musician's Friend (http://musiciansfriend.com/) is a cool place to browse (and buy) and you can read reviews. Their catalogue is always in my bathroom. :)

Andrew Sa

06-01-2005, 03:09 PM

I would recommend getting a used instrument, or saving up some more cash and buying something slightly above entry level.

You want to buy summin that you will still want to play in 5years, you may have others,but still keep that axe. dont think you should buy an entry-level guitar,only to need/want another one 3months later.

james37

06-01-2005, 03:10 PM

i meant one of those jumpstart things. the one i meant includes the grx40

Andrew Sa

06-01-2005, 03:14 PM

I dont think you should get any Ibanez Gio, or Fender Squire...an Epi is alright tho, just not a special!

R. Shackleferd

06-01-2005, 03:25 PM

This all depends on how much you're gonna spend. An entry level guitar is meant to be just that, however one from Squier or Ibanez is gonna be better than somethin ya pick up at Wal-mart. $100 jump in price makes a big difference in this range, even within the same brands.
I'll echo the endorsement of Epiphone...although I haven't played their entry level ones, my SG-400 is awesome (bout $350-$400).

james37

06-01-2005, 03:29 PM

are packages a god place to start? some of them claim to be better than just starting ones, and you'll want to play it in the furure too . is this true though?

Andrew Sa

06-01-2005, 03:33 PM

I know my thoughts may not be echoed here, but I believe that all starter pack things bad quality...when I worked in a store, I didnt find a single decent guitar in a starter thingy...Look at a Yamaha Pacifica 112, those are really good guitars for the price you pay...and you'll still be playing it in a years time.

x0o_BurnOut_o0x

06-01-2005, 04:47 PM

HEY! Shackle, dont hate on the Walmart guitar! lol thats what i learned the basics from....Nothing good, but when you dont know better you think its great. Its not something ur gonna want after you know what your doing but it starts you off.

However,as far as getting a starter guitar, I love Epiphones, I would only choose a real Fender Strat over an Epiphone, and only barely. Everyone bad mouths the Epi's but i rele love them. Excluding the fact that some are bad, and some have cheap hardware, it is a great brand that makes good instruments for the money. And the cheap stuff on them, you can replace and with a few mods and replacement parts, you can make them rele shine. Look for an Epi over a Squire, your paying mostly for that little Fender name under Squier, on the headstock...

R. Shackleferd

06-01-2005, 06:47 PM

HEY! Shackle, dont hate on the Walmart guitar! lol thats what i learned the basics from....Nothing good, but when you dont know better you think its great. Its not something ur gonna want after you know what your doing but it starts you off.

Ignorance is bliss I know. You can't always drop an extra hundred or three, but you get what you pay for. I ain't hating exactly...a Wal-mart guitar is better than no guitar at all for sure, I'd hate that.

x0o_BurnOut_o0x

06-01-2005, 07:15 PM

lol i agree on that man. Me and that guitar had some good times, but its awesome when you get to upgrade... :)

rockonn91

06-01-2005, 07:33 PM

i meant one of those jumpstart things. the one i meant includes the grx40

heres one i had in mind a while ago.... a silvertone rocket 21 (http://www.wwbw.com/Silvertone-Rockit--Electric-Guitar-Combo-Package-i105090.music)

Portis_26

06-01-2005, 07:45 PM

i first got the yamaha starter pack. came with the eg112 which i thought is a very good starter guitar (although i cant say ive played other starter guitars), a little practice amp which isnt good (you can get an ok clean sound but the distorsion sucks, but its really small and w/ a distorsion pedal its good for college use), a set of strings, some picks, a strap, soft case, a crappy cable, and a book. the book i thought was good because it thought you how to actually read sheet music and play individual notes which complements most other beginner books which deal strickly w/ chords. it was about $150 i think. i ended up getting a new amp and guitar about 4 months later, but i could have used the starter pack stuff longer.

kills2many

06-01-2005, 08:11 PM

Jolly McJollyson

06-01-2005, 08:19 PM

:cool: IBANEZ MAKES GOOD GUITARS,I SAY GET EITHER AN ICEMAN OR ANY OF THE SA SERIES IBANEZ.COM LOOK THEM UP.I HAVE AN ICEMAN MY SELF,GOOD CLEAN TONE AND CRUNCHES LIKE A MOTHER FUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKER.....
You're gonna want to edit that last word...

I'd prefer a Carvin to an Ibanez though, but as far as a first guitar goes, Yamaha makes some pretty solid starter sets.

Andrew Sa

06-02-2005, 04:31 AM

i first got the yamaha starter pack. came with the eg112 which i thought is a very good starter guitar

Now, they no longer have a starter pack with the eg112, only the 012 and an rgx model.
See if you can find a Yamaha Pacifica112, which is not the same as an eg112,it is better.( I dont think they put them in those starter pack things tho)I cannot sing the praises of this guitar high enough... I wish I had bought one as my first guitar...they are really amazing.
I have a friend who has a Pacifica112 that he plays over his Fender Mex strat...so that indicates how it holds its own

james37

06-02-2005, 05:05 AM

:cool: IBANEZ MAKES GOOD GUITARS,I SAY GET EITHER AN ICEMAN OR ANY OF THE SA SERIES IBANEZ.COM LOOK THEM UP.I HAVE AN ICEMAN MY SELF,GOOD CLEAN TONE AND CRUNCHES LIKE A MOTHER FUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKER.....

yeah i know the iceman is good, but im a beginner, so would it really be worth it?

Andrew Sa

06-02-2005, 05:25 AM

I dont like Iceman 200's, but Iceman 400s are amazing.

james37

06-02-2005, 05:33 AM

yeah but is it worth it?

Andrew Sa

06-02-2005, 08:06 AM

I reckon you shoudl get a Yamaha Pacifica 112 or any lower end Cort. Maybe try find a Cort G254 guitar, this is the newer version of the Cort s2550. I have an s2550 and she sees more play time than any of my other guitars...If you find a nice Cort, you will be very happy. As with a Yamaha Pacifica 112.

Best of luck...just look around and always try the guitar first...entry level products are notoriously inconsistant, so one guitar may not play like the next, even though they are the same model

james37

06-02-2005, 02:10 PM

the thing is, i's have to buy like the amp and everything seperately it i just buy a guitar. I totaly forgot about that lol

rockonn91

06-02-2005, 05:16 PM

the thing is, i's have to buy like the amp and everything seperately it i just buy a guitar. I totaly forgot about that lol

eye, but sometimes thats better.

starter packs arnt always that great.
i mean, they will help you out but they wont last you.

you might as well get a good guitar that will last you a LONG time and a better amp the the 10-watt that usually comes in a pack.

its my personal belief you shouldnt get an amp any less than a 30 watt.

garthio

06-02-2005, 10:31 PM

what do you guys think about the washburn dimebag guitar!

R.I.P. Dime
You will never be forgotten

james37

06-04-2005, 12:16 PM

what do ppl think of the new ibanez icx220 iceman? is it worse than the older ones?

chasting

06-04-2005, 06:00 PM

I am about 18 months into learning guitar so by no means am I an expert but I went through the same problem you are ...what to buy.

I did a lot of research and settled on an Ibanez GAX70 (SG knock-off). I paid $183. It has a nice neck and good sound for the money.

I would not worry about this first guitar lasting 5 years. After playing a while (2 years) you will have a better feel for what you need in a guitar (tremelo, single/humbucker coils, dark vs bright sound) and what sound you are looking for out of the guitar.

I also purchased a Roland Cube-15 amp for $99 and it is also a great started amp. Same goes for the amp, after playing for a while you will better know what you want out of an amp.

Hope this helps...

Curt

marayo

06-05-2005, 09:05 PM

I also got an Ibanez GAX70. I've been playing for 2 months only but I think is a great guitar for the money. I bought a Crate amp with few cool effects for $99 at guitar center.

Akira

06-06-2005, 06:00 AM

As regards Ibanez: the older the better.

chaval

06-06-2005, 11:56 AM

:) i think is never to late if u have the desire to do it

I bought my guitar wen i was 18 and never took it seriosly but now im 32 and im focused in learning well to play.

I know some but now i want to explore more and learn more
and u are only 15 u have the world in ur hands

Akira

06-06-2005, 12:53 PM

james37

06-06-2005, 03:15 PM

is it a bad idea to buy one off the internet? I can't test it etc. My local music shop has a few though but not a big choice

R. Shackleferd

06-06-2005, 03:31 PM

Just look into return policies and customer reviews. In my 1st reply I linked to Musicians Friend. I've had nothing but good experience with them. And when I got that bunk Ibanez, they took it back and replaced it with no problems. I'm sure there's other sites like them (perhaps others can suggest), but they're all I've ever used.

wissam ibanez

06-06-2005, 07:08 PM

man i think that you should play classical guitar at first or acoustical one then choose an electrical guitar with a good fingerboard and good pickups
and don't care about the tremolo system because it's not important
ibanez packs gives you what you need :eek: :eek:

Kidrock64

06-06-2005, 10:40 PM

my first guitar was a $10 garage sale classical guitar I took the nylon strings off and replaced with steel. my second was a westburn d10, third was a takamini acoustic, my 4th is my Fender Highway 1 US Strat. I like the strat the best.

Kidrock64

06-06-2005, 10:50 PM

sorry washburn d10. It was a good acoustic but hard on the fingers and I agree you should learn an acoustic first, open chords before power chords. as far as a place to buy one? go to your nearest university or college and look at the announcement boards or bulletin boards. Theres always a student somewhere who needs to sell their guitar to buy hot dogs. I bought my d10 from a guy who was living in his office waiting for a plane back to Hong Kong. He didnt have much bargaing power.

james37

06-07-2005, 11:18 AM

thanx people you're all really helpful!!!! At least im not completely clueless now :D

LoCkEd&RoCked87

06-08-2005, 06:19 AM

i started off with a package, with a yamaha eg, amp, tuner, strings pics, etc. I would do it because you have everything you'll need to play and somethings you dont, and if your not satisfied with you equipment you can always upgrade it later.

sikamikanico

06-08-2005, 07:16 AM

get ure self a squier affinity strat there cheap and really good :)

danmurrelljr

06-08-2005, 08:08 AM

Most of the music stores online I've looked at have really good return policies. Musician's Friend is good, but I have been buying items from SameDayMusic.com because their shipping charges are fair (usually ground shipping is free, 2 day is $4). I bought my first electric several weeks ago, which is one of the MusicYo.com Kramer's and have been very happy with it. I paid $105 with shipping for their Focus 211S. If you want to find really good user reviews of almost anything you can imagine, look on harmony-central.com. I research everything there before I even think of buying something. Good luck!

jamesi

06-09-2005, 10:40 AM

james37 i am a new member but I have a nice Fender that does my job just fine it was new but had a chip on it but plays fine. Look around you may find a nice one for a steal for alittle leg work or surf the net some. :rolleyes:

superm@an

06-10-2005, 10:37 PM

Hi i'm James

I'm completely stuck on choosing an electric guitar to start on, and I have no idea what would be a good deal. I dont really want to end up with a cheap rubbishy guitar that doesn't work etc. If anyone has any suggestions on a good one to get started with then tell me!!! I did consider the Ibanez ijs40, but is that a good idea? If it is then tell me, that would help me loads!!!

Thanx!!! :)
DUDE IF YOU WANT TO START PLAYING GUITAR YOU SHOULD DEFINATLY START WITH A FENDER STANDARD STRATOCASTER, I THINK THE CHEAPEST ONE ACN COST ABOUT LET'S SAY $350 HOPE YOU CAN START PLAYUING IKE HENDRIX LATER

Akira

06-11-2005, 08:44 AM

james37

06-11-2005, 01:18 PM

DUDE IF YOU WANT TO START PLAYING GUITAR YOU SHOULD DEFINATLY START WITH A FENDER STANDARD STRATOCASTER, I THINK THE CHEAPEST ONE ACN COST ABOUT LET'S SAY $350 HOPE YOU CAN START PLAYUING IKE HENDRIX LATER

I know the're good but what are all those copies by diffent brands. It seems like there are so many, but why??? Would it be a bad idea to buy like a chinese made one rather that a real one? I think theres one in the local music shop made by AXL or something....

Lordathestrings

06-12-2005, 12:47 AM

Don't worry about it. Until you've been playing for a while, you don't really know what will suit you best. And forget about brand names and country of origin. This is a guitar to start with - it won't be something you're stuck with for the rest of your life. Get a guitar that feels good in your hands, and makes you feel good about playing it. The rest comes later.

The main thing now, is to get something to work with that inspires you to stick with it. As you develop better skills you will arrive at a personal list of what features are important, and which ones don't matter so much. And then you won't need to ask anyone else about it, 'cause you'll know for yourself.

blujnlver

06-12-2005, 03:17 PM

This reminds me of what I went through buying my last computer, I had a couple thousand to spend and got so mired down in specs that two years later I was still using my old Compaq with Win 95! I finally went out and just bought one and got on with life. Sames true for buying a guitar, your not marrying it, and your first one's not a lifetime investment. First decide who you like, what kind of guitar do they use?, does it have humbuckers or single coils?, the sound is totaly different, then go out and play some. I use Guitar World in my hometown cause it's the biggest, don't buy sight unseen because they're all different, I have played Fenders that wouldn't make good firewood, same for the other brands, and don't listen to people who degrade lower end models, I have two Squires and they outplay many Fenders I've owned same with the new Epiphones. Hell I even have a $90.00 Kay Star-ter single pickup that I still enjoy playing! Bottom line, relax play a few find one that feels good and sounds good buy it and learn to play! don't get caught up in name brand hype and remember, if you really like playing it's not going to be the only one you own, it's like a disease, I have fourteen now and can't resist thinking about another one! Which reminds me, where did I stash that old Dano?..hmmm

Lordathestrings

06-12-2005, 03:46 PM

... don't get caught up in name brand hype and remember, if you really like playing it's not going to be the only one you own, it's like a disease, I have fourteen now and can't resist thinking about another one! Which reminds me, where did I stash that old Dano?..hmmmLMAO!! :D

I've managed to cut back to 9 of 'em, but I still GAS for "Just one more"... Urrp! My favourite T-shirt has "The One With The Most Guitars Wins" printed on it.

Akira

06-12-2005, 06:26 PM

My favourite T-shirt has "The One With The Most Guitars Wins" printed on it.

Lmao, awesome t-shirt. :D

I'm aiming for one a year.

jrogers31756

06-12-2005, 11:09 PM

hello i just join this site and i just wanted to let you know about the squire buy fender it is a cheap one but i am going to tell you what it is an amazing guitar i got the new one called the fender 51 or somthing like that it is half strat and half tele it is the koolest but i lke what the other guy said find one that fits your hand and makes you want to say damn i want to play that.... hey that is whay i bought that one