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Fun Stuff => BAND => Topic started by: pentaen on 10 Mar 2008, 13:06
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Alright i have been playing the keyboards for longer than i can remember and ive been playing some live shows recently with DJ sets on ableton 7 and have been working with reason 3-4 for quite a while, but through my whole musical experience, i have felt something lacking. after hearing you guys' testimonials, i think its time i move up to the electric guitar...
so....where do i start if i wana keep the price within 550$?
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There are really quite a few good guitars in that price range. What do you want to play is probably a better question.
If you just want a place to start looking the PRS SE series guitars (Korean made) all play pretty well given their price point.
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Wait, $550 on just a guitar, or a whole setup? 'Cause if you want a whole set up for that much, you're talking Squires and practice amps.
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Get yourself a cheap Ibanez Gio or something. Really good, cheap starter guitars.
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Wait, $550 on just a guitar, or a whole setup? 'Cause if you want a whole set up for that much, you're talking Squires and practice amps.
You have a good point. I didn't even consider the amp.
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ah i got a few amps already, im just looking for the guitar
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Oh, okay. What type of stuff do you want to play?
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hm dunno thats tough i mean not jazz or metal specificaly
but i guess, somewhat broad, rock general...?
something to learn on that won't suck as soon as i break the curve.
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Hrm. I started on a Strat. It's a Squire, and I'm in dire need of a something with a little more ass-kicking capabilities, but I would recommend a genuine Fender Strat. You could probably pick up a Mexican one used for less than five hundred. You could even pick up an HSS one, so you have both the humbucker and the single coils to mess around with and figure out which you like better.
But if you're not sure you'll like it and keep playing later down the road, I guess you could by one of the nicer Squires for between three hundred and five hundred dollars.
Examples:
This one (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-Tele-Custom-Electric-Guitar?sku=515113) is quite sexy-looking. This one (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-Tele-Custom-II-Electric-Guitar-with-P90-Pickups?sku=519584) is basically the same thing, but with P-90s instead of humbuckers. I've considered picking it up instead of a Gibson LP Faded DC, since it's a solid guitar and a few hundred dollars cheaper.
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I agree with helmet on the topic of PRSs, I would be looking at getting one of those myself if it weren't for how I heard from Jeph the pickups won't work well with really low tunings. You ought to be able to get just about any of the SE models for $550, not sure about tax though.
I probably don't have to tell you this, but try out any guitar before you buy it, if it is at all possible. If the people at the store don't want you to try it out, there is probably something wrong with it. At my local store, they let people play the $1500 guitars, with supervision to make sure you don't break anything.
If you live in the hind-end of nowhere, you might not be able to find a store, but hopefully you at least have a guitar center or something.
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I agree with the Strat idea. My first (and only at the moment) electric guitar is a Fender Mexican made strat i got used for somewhere around $250 (i think). I love playing it and its a freaking workhorse. It's even been dropped a couple times (damn loose strap screw) and its still fine. Definitely a good starter.
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I know being an ass is bad but goddamnit are all of these "hai guys im learnin guitar" threads really necessary? I mean, we have a perfectly good guitar topic and these threads are made at least once a week, and there are three active threads on this board like this right now.
I mean, is it really necessary?
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I guess not, but I don't particularly like to yell at people. I mean, I could politely point them in the direction of The Guitar Topic, but I usually don't think of it until I've already posted.
Maybe we could sticky something about it like the "Private Tracker Invites" thing?
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I agree with helmet on the topic of PRSs, I would be looking at getting one of those myself if it weren't for how I heard from Jeph the pickups won't work well with really low tunings.
Funny you say that. I have one guitar that's a half step down and one that's permanently in drop D, but otherwise, I keep everything concert tuned, so I never notice. I do, however, remember recently reading an interview with Paul Smith where we was saying that they were redesigning some things basically because no one in rock uses concert tuning anymore. Now I'm going to have to go digging through all the magazines and store advertisements to try and find it.
Regardless: Last year on a whim (and by 'whim' I mean imagine my wife's surprise when I told her I was going to buy one guitar and came home with two) I bought one of the SE customs. (http://www.prsguitars.com/secustom/index.html) I have two complaints with it. 1) The freaking heel is HUGE. 2) The nut could have been dressed a little better on the high E side. Otherwise, it's great. Easily worth twice what I paid for it. Sounds great, plays easy, and I am officially in love with the 25" scale.
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What does it mean when you say the heel is huge? It is really abrupt? It covers a lot of space you would normally be able to use pretty easily?
I really know very little about guitars, I just put my fingers on the strings on one side, and pick the strings on the other side.
And is concert tuning the standard EADGBE? I always heard of it as standard tuning.
What finish did you get the custom in? I love the look of the Slate gray, as well as what I think the blue matteo would look like.
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Yeah, the heels on PRS's are pretty freaking terrible, just about as bad as on Rickenbackers
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Sure, go ahead and say that without telling me what it means :P
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The heel is where the neck joins the body. PRS and Rickenbacker both make heels more obnoxious than Fender, who at least have the excuse of, 'Fuck, we're bolting ours in! Whaddaya expect?'
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What makes it obnoxious? The angle? The width?
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PRS not good for low tuning? Mikael Akerfeldt might have something to say about that.
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How low does he go? Jeph said his PRS didn't do well with the Drop-C he was playing in at some point in the Guitar Thread.
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Buy a telecaster
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Buy a Danelectro
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Danelectro-59-Dano-Electric-Guitar?sku=514243
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Honestly, get something cheap that can cover all your bases (strat?) and then when you know what type of direction you plan on pursuing, get an appropriate guitar for that. A dano (whilst awesome) has a pretty specific tone, and I'd never recommend it as a first guitar.
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Well, you already got the heel thing explained, and yes, standard tuning is the same as concert tuning. The heel doesn't really 'get in the way' per se, but I definitely feel it with my hand and wonder why the hell it needs to be so large. I've considered shaving it down a little bit, but then I get scared and don't.
The SE I picked up is grey/black though it's darker than the one on the website. I'm not sure if that's the way they've gotten it displayed for the website or if they've lightened it up a little for 08.
I would also say don't just completely ignore all the 'buy a strat' stuff either. My first guitar was a strat (wish I still had it) and there are two strats in the house right now with the next guitar acquisition slated to be a third. Strats are pretty freaking versatile.
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A dano (whilst awesome) has a pretty specific tone, and I'd never recommend it as a first guitar.
Oh man, people in the 50s and 60s were doing it so, so wrong.
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There are really quite a few good guitars in that price range. What do you want to play is probably a better question.
If you just want a place to start looking the PRS SE series guitars (Korean made) all play pretty well given their price point.
I would advise against a PRS as your first guitar becuase you don't get a lot of bang for your buck. I'm in a hurry atm but I'll doubtless add further comment later.
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PRS not good for low tuning? Mikael Akerfeldt might have something to say about that.
yes, he would, and I quote:
"Don't ask me, I've never gone below Drop D."
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You could get a pitch bender?
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A Telecaster is a good purchase because it is suitable for learning and as a bonus it will stand you in good stead for the future.
Another Tele vote here. They're the most versatile, and damn cool looking. And you can find Mexican ones on Ebay probably in the $ 400.00 range. There's some Squire Teles out there too, I believe. Don't ask me about the various pickup configurations, though. I play bass, I don't know from P90s and humbuckers and all that stuff.
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A dano (whilst awesome) has a pretty specific tone, and I'd never recommend it as a first guitar.
Oh man, people in the 50s and 60s were doing it so, so wrong.
There is a reason they shut down, y'know. Sure, if you wanna play twangy 50s / 60s style stuff, then by all means get one - but they're not versatile.
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teleteleteleteleteleteleteleteleteleteleteleteleteleteleteleteleteletele
Seriously, they're versatile, not as obnoxious/overplayed as Strats, and pretty cheap for a Mexican-made.
I guess i haven't really played a real Fender Strat, but everything I've tried which is close to it is Squier and is hellish to play, while Teles have continually surprised me pleasantly.
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I have a tele.
For some things it's my absolute favorite guitar. Hands down. I really love it. It is so much fun to play.
I'm not sure I'd want it as my only guitar though. I'm not sure how much sense that makes, but that's how it is. "If you were stranded on a desert island with only one guitar, which one would it be?" I'm just not sure that I'd pick my telecaster. At least, not how mine is configured. Heavy as hell with two single coils. Maybe one of the thinlines that's been rodded up a little would be a little more well rounded, but I haven't played one, so I don't know.
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Ignore whoever said you can get a Mexican tele for ~$400 on eBay. You can get one for that on Musician's Friend!
Also, yes they are nice, and I always recommend a fixed bridge instrument for beginners
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I'm sure you're right. That was just a guess off the top of my head. I don't price guitars very often. I know what I see Mexican Fender basses go for these days.
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My friend has one of those Squier Teles with the two P-90s and it's outstanding. Squier's been getting a lot better, lately.