Originally Posted by: KFS1972Other than fret wear, what do I look for in a used guitar? I currently have zero playing ability so I can't really try it out as some might.[/QUOTE]

Does it feel comfortable in your hand and lap. While you may not know your preferences just yet, you often know if the neck feels like an old friend or a 2x4 by just holding it. All necks are not alike and often the make or break for a new guitarist. It's where the rubber meets the road. Not all hands are alike. Mine are relatively small to average size so I tend to shy away from the rounder and more robust necks. As corny as it sounds, it's like when you hold hands with a girl and realize it's a pretty comfy fit.

Originally Posted by: KFS1972Is the guitar or the amp more responsible for the difference in character of the sounds?

Neither really. If someone put a gun to my head, I'd almost say the amp but might take the bullet anyway. Your sound start with the pick up so everything after that (the amp) will be affected by it. Whereas you might hear a more twanky or hollow/bluesy sound with a single coil 'strat' type pick up a la Clapton or SRV a humbucker will give a warmer overtone and more adaptable to Rock/Metal.

That's the start of the chain though. The amp also has to do its job. You can't perform a tone miracle with a small amp but cam make it sound pretty respectable. The amp take the signals described above and gives them the character of the style of music you want. Depending on the amount of distortion and what tone knob setting you set will determine how you sound too.

Really, they are kind of inseparable. I would first lean towards guitar with pick ups you like and work upwards with amps as you go.

[QUOTE=KFS1972]Finally, I keep reading how Ibanez is so well suited for metal. Does this mean that they may not be as easy to play or sound as good in other types of music? Do guitars have that kind of tunnel vision?

Guitars are very versatile. In most cases you can use most guitars for a good number of different styles. From the beginning, you may not have the exact Black Crowes sound but can at least get close to the vibe. It can be a matter of adjusting the amps distortion level and a little tone adjustment to bring in to the neighborhood. Since the artists you named are varied in type of guitars used, amps and settings, no one guitar or amp could perfectly do it all but with some tweaking, you can get the vibe with most equipment.

When I started playing, I had a great guitar (a modded '68 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe) and a very small Peavey Decade amp that was ok if a little anemic. To me, if the guitar wasn't comfortable to play, I wouldn't have stuck with it. The amp was ok because it made noise enough for me to work with. As time went on, I got bigger amps (although, oddly...my set up was odd to say the least..) and my tone got bigger and I had more options. Still, having a solid guitar was the most important part for me. I can make most amps sound fairly good so what I held in my hand was the priority.

My thoughts anyway...