Originally Posted by: yogijules

I'm going to think about what sound/vibe I want, look at the guitars my favorite musicians play, and go to a music store to try several. Probably Craigslist from there.[/quote][p]

Sound plan, except for the Craigslist bit. But I've already made my personal preference position clear on that previously.

[quote=yogijules]Are there issues I should know about when buying used (manXcat, you mentioned "cast-off problems")?

By "cast-off" what I meant was that frequently, the least frustrating smartest way to fix a difficult to fix, seemingly impossible to detect or expensive to fix problem is [u]to just get rid of it[/u] and replace it with something else. Decent people wouldn't onsell a problem anything deceptively inflicting it upon someone else. Not everyone is either decent nor honest. You can figure out the rest.

So no disrespect intended, yogijules, but if you have to ask, you're probably not really equipped to discern a dud unless it's something cosmetically readily apparent, and I couldn't explain all you need not only to know here without turning this into the equivalent of an additional volume to "War & Peace". Nothing to do with intelligence per se, but with an aptitude for the technical coupled with assimilation of knowledge acquired from exposure to hands on.

I think the primary thing to remember is that buying second hand is caveat emptor, and the owner may, or may not, be tellin' you porkies about why s/he's unloading it. New, you know everything is as it should be, and if not, you have a dealer to take it back to with factory warranty to back you up. I like a bargain as much as the next guy, but in the end, it's not just a price thing, but an pleasurable experience = minimal frustration thing.

Better a new Squier Affinity Tele or Strat that at most needs a neck relief and intonation adjustment OOTB. They play surprisingly well. Don't let their price point fool you. Watch this from that timed link. And that's just a humble fixed bridge Squier Bullet Strat. Set up propertly, any of the myriad of new guitars at low pricepoints in the US won't be a limiting factor on either your play or tone initially. Pickups and strings do matter, as does everything which will hold a guitar in tune. Tuner mechs, nut, bridge. [u]But most important is fit[/u]. Like I said earlier, buy new, go comfort, and just dive in. Don't be concerned about it being the perfect guitar. If you're a committed guitarist and find you enjoy electric, it won't be long before your collection starts growing.

[br]This girl has some anecdotal advice to share stemming from her own journey over the past three years which you might be able to relate to. Rachel started with a Squier Strat, but moved to an expensive (& very nice) Ibanez once she knew the direction she was headed because that was [u]and is[/u] a good fit for her figuratively and literally. OTOH, drop dead gorgeous a guitar that it is, I wouldn't buy what she has because it's a shred neck really orientated to metal which is what she's into. It's a personal thing. i.e. I'd rather chew my own arm off and club myself to death with it than play or ever inflict the agony of listening to metal upon myself.

Personally, my favourite axe is the Tele, although I use all three of the common tools in the electric toolbox. Here using one playing one of my fav rock songs, is a gal who thinks so too.