Good guitar for a beginner?

smutek · Post by **smutek** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:12 am

Thinking about picking up guitar. Any recommendations for a decent, low cost electric for a beginner?

Ultimately I want something I can just dick around on, learn at my own pace. Would like it to be electric because I plan on running it directly into live.

I know nothing about guitars. I did have a Rickenbacker 6 string electric when I was a teenager, but I never learned to play it. Ended up trading it for 2 skateboards and a half ounce of weed.

Also, don't know if I want to pick up a guitar or a bass. Any suggestions for a beginner, as to what might be easier to learn?

bicarbone · Post by **bicarbone** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:32 am

smutek wrote: Also, don't know if I want to pick up a guitar or a bass. Any suggestions for a beginner, as to what might be easier to learn?

You should really choose the instrument that appeals most to you, it's not a matter of which one is easier to learn, right?

Anyway regarding guitars, I would say Ibanez Artcore series are pretty decent for the price and they are quite a few to choose from.

The best would be to take a friend who plays guitar to a store and then maybe even consider some second hand stuff.

leedsquietman · Post by **leedsquietman** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:33 am

you traded a Rickie for 2 skateboards and some weed !!

DOH !! Have ya seen how much Rickenbackers in good shape cost these days

My recommendation would be something like the Yamaha Pacifica 112, it looks like a strat but plays better than a Squier Stratocaster. It also has a humbucker pickup at the bridge and 2 single coils for more tonal variety and has a great action. They were selling a version of this called an EG112 with a 15 watt amp, plastic case, tuner and strings at costco recently for around $250 bucks.

I still own and use my Pacifica 112 and I also have a Pacifica 412. I like Yamaha guitars, IMHO they sound and play better than equivalent Fender (Squier on the Pac 112 or Fender Korea or Mexico whatever on the 412). Ibanez guitars are also quite nice and have some good choices in the budget end.

Best idea - get to a music shop and audition the ones you can afford to buy and see which you like, because I'm sure that some people will say I'm talking sh*t and Squiers are better or whatever, it's so subjective.

bicarbone · Post by **bicarbone** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:41 am

leedsquietman wrote:you traded a Rickie for 2 skateboards and some weed !!

DOH !! Have ya seen how much Rickenbackers in good shape cost these days

Yes, this made me scream too, but I didn't want to rub it in.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:41 am

find someone who plays that will go around the shops with you. find something that looks good to you, everyone has a style the prefer. I imagine you're more the humbucker type (heavier sounds), dunno know about your fave body type/color.

on picking out a good guitar, tune a string with a tuner, hit the harmonic at the 12th fret, check it on the tuner, it should be the same note, that's how you check the intonation (check for a fucked up neck.)

buy used, get more. get something that looks cool and has the pickups you want (single coil/humbucker/lipstick...) and spend $50-$100 at a luthier and he'll set your guitar up nicely.

buy a stand and NEVER put the thing away, practice while you watch TV. do like I've been doing, think of a song, find the tab and the youtube, play along. use Live to slow the song down and/or loop tough/fun sections.

bass vs. guitar - IMO you can have more fun earlier with a guitar than a bass. the easy stuff is more fun to play.

I hope it was good weed.

bicarbone · Post by **bicarbone** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:46 am

... nearly 30 minutes Tone Deft... I thought you had skipped this post

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:50 am

bicarbone wrote:... nearly 30 minutes Tone Deft... I thought you had skipped this post

I swear I've been playing guitar most all of this time, all weekend, I SWEAR!! that just involves the internet and tabbed browsers.

check this site daily for deals, I got my bass this way
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid

bicarbone · Post by **bicarbone** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:54 am

Tone Deft wrote:
bicarbone wrote:... nearly 30 minutes Tone Deft... I thought you had skipped this post
I swear I've been playing guitar most all of this time, all weekend, I SWEAR!! that just involves the internet and tabbed browsers.

check this site daily for deals, I got my bass this way
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid

the first time you got blisters on your fingers, was it due to:

a) learning to play the guitar

b) browsing this forum like a madman

smutek · Post by **smutek** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:54 am

bicarbone wrote:You should really choose the instrument that appeals most to you, it's not a matter of which one is easier to learn, right?

Good point. Will go with a guitar.

bicarbone wrote:
leedsquietman wrote:you traded a Rickie for 2 skateboards and some weed !!

DOH !! Have ya seen how much Rickenbackers in good shape cost these days

Yes, this made me scream too, but I didn't want to rub it in.

I know I know, I've been kicking myself for YEARS over this.

leeds, is this the one you were talking about?

http://cgi.ebay.com/YAMAHA-EG112-ELECTR ... dZViewItem

Thanks for the good info everyone, please keep it coming.

Tone Deft wrote: I hope it was good weed.

TD, i can't even remember if it as good weed or not..... I hope it was too! This was probably close to 20 years ago. I was either still in high school or just out.

Back to guitars, I don't know the first thing about the harmonic first fret, or anything else guitar related. Total nOOb, I do have friends who play though, so I am sure I could get some help getting started.

Precision · Post by **Precision** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:39 am

leedsquietman wrote:My recommendation would be something like the Yamaha Pacifica 112, it looks like a strat but plays better than a Squier Stratocaster. It also has a humbucker pickup at the bridge and 2 single coils for more tonal variety and has a great action. They were selling a version of this called an EG112 with a 15 watt amp, plastic case, tuner and strings at costco recently for around $250 bucks.

Good call - gets a thumbs-up from me

gjm · Post by **gjm** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:20 am

Tone Deft wrote:

find someone who plays that will go around the shops with you.

+1

I recently helped one of my guitar students buy an electric. I asked him to go to the store by himself first and pick out his three choices on price, looks and playability. I then went down to the store the next day and played all 3 in store, took me an hour. In the end we all settled on a KARINA brand guitar, it played better, felt better and was the least expensive of the three. (Other choices in store were Fender Squire, Ibenez, Samick). We stayed away from the very bottom end of the market. If its your first guitar (not really but.... you know what I mean) and you develop a bit of a liking for guitars, then its probably not going to be your last. Every now and then guitar players 'grow out of' their guitars and move up to the next level. So don't put too much sweat into it, or money for that matter. Buying from the store meant a 1 year warrenty as well. Buying second is a good option, but the buying process tends to take a bit longer. However, when buying second hand people tend to throw in extra's, like strings, books, tuners, straps, picks etc. Best advice is to get someone to help you road test the guitars. You will find a way to pay them back. Good luck. G.

leedsquietman · Post by **leedsquietman** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 8:22 am

That seems like it, the only difference I can tell on the ones I saw a while back were that they had white scratchplates (like a Squier) and that the amp bundled claimed to be 15 watts (as opposed to 7.5 for this ebay model). But for 99 dollars that should be a heck of a buy...

That guitar is almost identical to the Pacifica 112 which I have and they definately play more like a 450 dollar guitar than a 100 dollar guitar. The Pacifica 412 (my main guitar) plays like a thousand dollar guitar.

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/revi ... a+112/10/1

the eg112 is almost identical to the Pacifica 112.

darkenedsoul · Post by **darkenedsoul** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:04 pm

If you have about $200 to spend the Ibanez GAX70 or other low end models are fairly decent. Peavey Predator Plus (floyd rose floating bridge, more a pain to restring...I have it set up instead). A starter electric guitar package at a local Daddy's Junky Music (if one is in your area/state) or Guitar Center would be fine. You can get one of them Squire packages w/amp for around $200 give or take.

Patch · Post by **Patch** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:10 pm

I bought a copy SG specifically to learn to play 20th Century Boy by T-Rex. Imagine my surprise when I found out the main riff is only 2 notes...

2 NOTES!!!! The baddest riff EVER is only 2 Notes!

I still haven't learned to play it, though. Think I'll make an extra effort this week...

darkenedsoul · Post by **darkenedsoul** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:59 pm

Patch wrote:I bought a copy SG specifically to learn to play 20th Century Boy by T-Rex. Imagine my surprise when I found out the main riff is only 2 notes...

2 NOTES!!!! The baddest riff EVER is only 2 Notes!

I still haven't learned to play it, though. Think I'll make an extra effort this week...

I am one of the older ones (age-wise) here but that song isn't ringing a bell at the time...2 notes? Power chords perhaps? Pick note on one string, one string right below it press down 2 frets lower for power chord. i.e. top string (low E) fret 3, 5th string (A) 5th fret, play em together, you got a power chord!

I've been taking lessons (again) for a bit now, I need to work on pentatonic scales, scales in general, et al. It's certainly VERY different getting around on compared to a keyboard (used to play synthesizer for Shroud of Bereavement for past 4 yrs, left in end of Dec. 07) so it's taking me a bit to get used to that alone. But I need to sit down every day and pick one of mine up (GAX70, Peavey Predator Plus tuned down to A

, Ibanez RG7321 7 string (wanted low B) and a Fender acoustic starter pack guitar setup. I usually was playing the Peavey (nice rig for the money, decent action from other guitarist friends) or the Ibanez GAX70 (SG style) but since the PPP is tuned down to A I won't be bringing it unless I am working with instructor on learning some of my friends bands tunes (or do it on my own once Nick sends me the tabs - Evoken = killer doom/death metal from NJ).

Mike

Good guitar for a beginner?

Good guitar for a beginner?

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