My First Electric Guitar

Okay so I'm a complete beginner to the guitar, I've had an acoustic guitar for a few years now but after trying about 5 teachers and quitting on them after like 3 lessons (just a personality clash) I gave up....

That's right, I gave up... Until just recently when I stumbled upon Guitar Tricks thanks to google... I started working my way through the beginner videos and I was enjoying it however acoustic just isn't my style so I decided that I would grab an electric guitar...

So today I will be heading off to the shops and picking up one of these...

http://www.musicexpress.com.au/mexpress/0301605.html
(in Metallic Blue)

Just thought I would ask here (seeming as there are a ton of experienced guitarists here) and see if anyone has any experience with the guitar / amp I'm getting or perhaps a similar guitar / amp... Just want a bit of feedback on whether or not it is decent for a beginner etc etc...

Hey there Corplex, welcome to the site! As a beginner myself, I can tell you this place rocks (pardon the pun) and a great place to learn at your own pace from some great teachers (without the personality clash either ;) )

Interestingly enough, I purchased the same Squier package for my son a year ago and he's taking lessons now. It's a good beginner guitar and the amp is definitely more than adequate for learning and practice. Pretty loud if your neighbors are close. The distortion on it is pretty cool; my son (he's 8) gets a kick out of switching to it and 'rocking' out at the end of his practice.

A couple of months ago I got the guitar bug, and with my son starting lessons, I had to go out and get my own guitar. I ended up getting a Fender Strat, which is what the Squier is basically modeled after. While the differences are there and more pronounced for experienced guitarists, for the beginner like you and me, the differences are less important at the beginning.

Have fun learning here and wear that Squier out!

Originally Posted by: CorplexOkay so I'm a complete beginner to the guitar, I've had an acoustic guitar for a few years now but after trying about 5 teachers and quitting on them after like 3 lessons (just a personality clash) I gave up....

That's right, I gave up... Until just recently when I stumbled upon Guitar Tricks thanks to google... I started working my way through the beginner videos and I was enjoying it however acoustic just isn't my style so I decided that I would grab an electric guitar...

So today I will be heading off to the shops and picking up one of these...

http://www.musicexpress.com.au/mexpress/0301605.html
(in Metallic Blue)

Just thought I would ask here (seeming as there are a ton of experienced guitarists here) and see if anyone has any experience with the guitar / amp I'm getting or perhaps a similar guitar / amp... Just want a bit of feedback on whether or not it is decent for a beginner etc etc...

i have a fender strat but i played around with a squire today. they are not bad and have come a long way.

me personally i dont like beginnger packs and never have. that one pack is $550 and you might beable to get a nice guitar and an amp you wont need to replace in a year(if you start jamming with others) for $600 (with out the little things like a tuner chord picks and a book). but thats my opinion.

Howdy folks! I feels like I just came home. Hope everybuddy is well an' thanx fer lettin' me in.

My 1st elec. was a Kent. It was a red cheapie with (I think) 4 pickups. I think I paid 10 bucks to a pal who upgraded to a better cheapie an' needed the sawbuck. The strings was so far from the fretboard, ya coulda stuffed a lb. a' baloney in the gap..but it was a loota fun ta' finally get an elec. My 1st Fender was a Duo Sonic- I traded that one (with cash) fer a 1963 Strat I sure wish I kept that Strat.

My 1st guitar of all was was a Stella acoustic. My folks paid $14.00 for it an' it came w/ 3 free lessons. I dunno what happened to it, but I wish I still had it.

Over the years I've owned, bastardized & traded dozens of em', now I'm gettin' older an' I have just 3. A Strat (of course) - a Gibson Blues Hawk..(Cause it's wicked light fer jammin' an' sounds the bells too..) An' I own a Taylor 310 acoustic that I love ta death. (I tol' the wife ta' bury me with this one when the time comes.)

Hey Everyone,

Just signed up. Yep first post, so please be kind.

My first guitar actually was from Santa Claus (Sears), and it was an electric guitar with four pick-ups. It was called a Silvertone and it was electric blue. That was way back in the 60s. The Beatles were just on Ed sullivan (that might tell how old I am) and everyone wanted to play the electric guitar. My mom bought me "Beatle-Boots", and when my dad got home, he took them and burned them in the garbage can. So, I went in the house and cranked up the volume on my little amp to 10, and let it fly. I didn't know what I was playing, but it was loud, and it bugged my dad, so it was good.

Since then I have had many guitars, from Squires, Strats, Yamaha's and Ovations. I have always wanted a Gibson Les Paul electric and a vintage Martin accoustic...maybe someday. Right now I have 3 guitars, a Fender 1963 Strat, and two 1980 Ovation accoustics, of which one is a classical. The classical is what I play mostly now (though not classical music) since I ripped a tendon off my little finger and had to have surgery. The wider neck helps me out, and playing guitar is great therapy, both for the hand and the soul. I've only got back about 80% use of my little finger, so maybe my new handle should be -- "slow hand" -- literally.

Back to the Squire, it was a fun guitar. I did have to have the action re-set at first, as it had a minor fret-buzz initially. But once that was fixed it played okay. I used it as I traveled around the US living out of hotels for six months at a time. You get bored after a while, so the guitar came in handy. When I traded the Squire for my first Strat, it felt like I lost a good friend. It's funny how a guitar can develop almost a feel between you and the instrument, and seem like it is just a part of yourself. Even though I deemed the Strat a much better guitar, and definitely an upgrade to the Squire I had, I still missed that Squire that traveled so many miles with me.

So, get your Squire, play it all the time. Make it a part of you, and most of all let part of you come out of that Squire. I'm sure you will get quite attached to it in time. Good luck to you all!

Hey Corplex!

Did you get you new axe yet? When you do tell us all about it. I remember my first electric. I had about 4 acoustics before I bought my first electric guitar... if you could call it that. It was around '81 and I ordered it out of a Sears catalog. I don't recall it having a name on it. It was a red Les Paul copy with an onboard amp and speaker below the bridge. The neck was weak enough to bend almost a half step up if you pulled back on it. But the speaker gave off some satisfying distortion at high volumes and the built in tremolo effect was fun to play with. I learned a lot on that little funky guitar.