deciding on what new gear to get

whats up guys ive been playing guitar for a few years now and ive had a crappy starter pack for some time now and i guess yall know how much they suck so im looking for a new amp im wanna get one with lots of effect and decent watts not like a halfstack just a small amp to jam with and im trying to find a decent guitar with 24 frets thats is in the range of 200-300 bucks could anyone point me in the right direction im cluess on what to get

I would look for a used Ibanez RG model. You can find one used for around that price. 24 frets, floyd rose, although, that can be a problem for some!

man.. 24 fret guitars are a major pain in the butt to find around here.
You could go to every store in the Toronto area and only find one or two of them.
All I can suggest if things are similar where you are is to tell the stores near you to notify you when they get 24 fret guitars in so you can check them out, then be real patient. Either that or decide what you want from brochures and take a chance on ordering it.
If it's only a few hundred bucks you want to spend, check eBay.
It's pretty safe as long as you stick with qualified sellers and don't get it shipped across the border (major cost involved). Sometimes you can get really good deals on guitars with minor surface scratches etc.

I can tell you if you want a nice little, simple, versatile, and cheap practice amp then get a Roland Micro-cube. But only truly for practice. You will not be able to play with a drummer with this. But you can take it in the park as it's optionally battery powered! Blow away your acoustic strumming friends! I use mine all the time. It is a modeling amp with some decent sounds and a few very useful effects, great for trying different sounds on the fly when songwriting/arranging. Just remember it's only for practice, you will NOT get a great sound if you crank it. It's only 2 watts!!

If you want an all in one practice package, try out the new Fender G-Dec. Too much to explain, look it up. I've been playing for 9 years and I'm looking to get one as a practice/learning tool. Again, it probably won't work in a band situation but it's MUCH more like a real amp than the Micro-Cube. I love the cube but it does have limitations.

Nothing beats the sonic qualities of a real amp but when you live in an apartment you have to be realistic.

As for the 24 fret guitar I'd save up a few more beans and get a mid-priced ($500 ??) Ibanez. I'm weary of buying used guitars online. And very weary of $200 guitars. A used or cheap guitar that seems good to a newbie could have major fret problems....amongst other things.

-Tom

>I'm weary of buying used guitars online. And very weary of $200 guitars. A >used or cheap guitar that seems good to a newbie could have major fret >problems....amongst other things. Excellent condition, new strings and packed really well.

Weird... I've found just the opposite but I guess it's just pure luck.
I just bought a Yamaha acoustic for about $100 and it's amazing. Same thing with the Bass I got.
You've gotta expect to get what you pay for though.
I wouldn't buy a $500 +plus guitar off eBay.
I guess I think of it more as a cheap way of having a large variety of instruments at your disposal when you're multitracking. Every song starts to sound the same when you use the same instruments all the time.

Sometimes btw, you can overlook slight fret problems if the sound and feel of the instrument overall is worth it.
My 75 Gibson won't play some notes at all but you just learn to adjust your playing so that you go around them. Overall it's worth the inconvenience cause the feel of the neck is like butter compared to other guitars I've played.
(My other guitars are like cheese graters in comparison cause the frets are so high.)

The Micro Cube kicks out some major sound for a little amp. I got one to practice with and it sounds damn good for such a little amp. I like Ebay for buying guitars. Just bought my little sister a yamaha acoustic for 100 dollars. It arrived in great condition. If you buy on Ebay just stick with people that have %100 postive feedback. Another little thing I do to see if the people are worth buying from is to contact them with a question about the item and see how long it takes them to reply. If it takes them two days or they never respond, well then you know to stay away from those kind of folks.

Why 24??? Get yourself a good deal telecaster..I've had a starter kit for years to....you wont believe how nice teles are...dont limit yourself to 24

as far as the amp, i have an old peavey and I love it..

Don't know about other people, but I need 24 frets cause I play a bunch of solos that use the last 2 frets.
It's also hard to play fingertapping solos when 2 notes are always missing.
Actually, I wish somebody made a 27 fret guitar cause I've got songs where I have to use the pickup as an extra fret to play a high G note.
22 fret guitars just seem like half the instrument is missing or something.

It's kinda like, would you buy a guitar that couldn't play a low E note?
No way.
So why buy a guitar that won't play a high E note?

Originally Posted by: schmangeActually, I wish somebody made a 27 fret guitar cause I've got songs where I have to use the pickup as an extra fret to play a high G note.

ha ha, I do that sometimes, I didn't know it was possible to use it for real though! lol.

what you need to do is get one of azrael's dragons, 36 fret...