Help me buy a guitar

[Siva]

I definately recommend checking out http://www.rondomusic.bigstep.com/. They make some cheap guitars, but they are very high quailty for the price in my opinion. Its hard to find a sunburst, alder body strat knock off for $100 anywhere else.

Anyway, I started on an electric and later bought an acoustic and thought I was no worse off for it. If it has six strings, you'll be able to learn to play the same as anyone else. It is more important to practice than to start on a one type of instrument. I actually like electrics for a beginner because it will have a cut away and you'll be able to play the higher notes that you wouldn't be able to access on a cheap acoustic without a cut away. Plus bends are easier on lighter gauge strings.

You aren't gonna care about the tone and the subtlties of the sound of the guitar when you start, so a cheap guitar and amp aren't necissarily bad to begin with. However, you'll soon find that most cheap guitar come out of tune quickly, their neck will bend and the action will become terrible, as will the intonation. There are ways to fix that, but one can only do so much with a cheap instrument. Make sure you get a decent tuner (they run for about $5-$10) and a cord too. And of course get a mountain of picks (pick gnomes are viscious).

So find out if you like it, learn to play, and eventually you might find it worth investing in a nice guitar (maybe a martin or taylor acoustic, or a decent electric with an amp). For now, just find something that'll take a beating, will stay in tune fairly well, and won't get warped to quickly.

I personally recommend this for its sexiness (and its the standard strat body type with decent wood) or this if you prefer the les paul body type (which is a bit more bulky, but the difference is in the sound).

edited due to poor linking skillz

 

[CptObvious]

I second the SX guitars from Rondo Music :thumbsup: In your price range there is really nothing better

 

[Sultan]

Originally posted by: Siva
I definately recommend checking out http://www.rondomusic.bigstep.com/. They make some cheap guitars, but they are very high quailty for the price in my opinion. Its hard to find a sunburst, alder body strat knock off for $100 anywhere else.

Anyway, I started on an electric and later bought an acoustic and thought I was no worse off for it. If it has six strings, you'll be able to learn to play the same as anyone else. It is more important to practice than to start on a one type of instrument. I actually like electrics for a beginner because it will have a cut away and you'll be able to play the higher notes that you wouldn't be able to access on a cheap acoustic without a cut away. Plus bends are easier on lighter gauge strings.

You aren't gonna care about the tone and the subtlties of the sound of the guitar when you start, so a cheap guitar and amp aren't necissarily bad to begin with. However, you'll soon find that most cheap guitar come out of tune quickly, their neck will bend and the action will become terrible, as will the intonation. There are ways to fix that, but one can only do so much with a cheap instrument. Make sure you get a decent tuner (they run for about $5-$10) and a cord too. And of course get a mountain of picks (pick gnomes are viscious).

So find out if you like it, learn to play, and eventually you might find it worth investing in a nice guitar (maybe a martin or taylor acoustic, or a decent electric with an amp). For now, just find something that'll take a beating, will stay in tune fairly well, and won't get warped to quickly.

I personally recommend this for its sexiness (and its the standard strat body type with decent wood) or this if you prefer the les paul body type (which is a bit more bulky, but the difference is in the sound).

edited due to poor linking skillz

what amp with this???

 

[RagingBITCH]

Doesn't really matter - at a budget price, you're just learning to play. Get the cheapest amp you can afford.

 

[erikistired]

go to the local music store, i know fender offers a guitar/amp beginnners set and i believe ibanez and gibson do as well. that's probably going to be your best bang for the buck.

 

[3chordcharlie]

For a beginner, I always recommend acoustic. You will simply learn to play better, due to heavier strings (leads to stronger fingers, etc). When you later start playing electric as well, you will find it asier than switching the other direction would have been.

But if you want to buy electric, the Les Paul Jr. is not an undersized guitar; it's a 24 3/4" scale, just like a Les Paul (not Jr.). The Jr. refers to a simpler, slightly smaller body design, and only having one pickup, not two.

I can vouch for the sound and quality of older Epi Les Pauls (not Jr.), though some of the post-1999 ones seem to be made a little more cheaply. I can't imagine you could buy one used for $100 though, but if you can, it's a great deal. I have one of te Epis from 1995 (I think) and it still looks, plays, and sounds better than any other guitar in it's price class. The mexican strats (not Squier) are also very good if you prefer that type of sound.

In the $100 range I'm at a loss; one of the beginner kits mentioned above is probably a good way to go.

 

[nakedfrog]

Another vote for learning on acoustic over electric here. Cheap Yahama, Epiphone, or Washburn acoustic, maybe even Ovation if you can get a used Celebrity in your price range. There are actually some decent-priced acoustic electrics. I got an Austin acoustic-electric for $180, and it actually plays really well. That gives you the flexibility to plug in for volume when you want to.

 

[Sultan]

Originally posted by: nan0bug
If you want an electric guitar for under $100, you really only have one good choice, and thats this Kramer Focus VT111S deluxe, you can pick up the standard for about $10 less and a fatboy for a $100.<BR><BR>Here's some harmonycentral reviews<BR><BR>Honestly though, you would be much better off to just wait a couple weeks and save up enough money to buy yourself something in the $300 range and an amp to go with it. <BR><BR>It also doesn't hurt to have money for a decent stand, a pick holder, some picks, maybe a strap, some fast fret juice and a spare set of strings for when you inevitably break one on a sunday when your local music store is closed.<BR><BR>You will outgrow a $100 guitar pretty quickly. The $100 guitar segment is for lazy parents to buy their kids a guitar for their birthday so they can get them off their back. $100 guitars will sound worse, have crappier hardware and be a lot less durable and more susceptible to you damaging little things like knobs than a $300 guitar will. The tuners will be garbage, expect to tune the guitar every 2 songs or so. <BR><BR>I'm not saying they're complete crap. $100 will get you a lot more today than it would have 10 years ago. Most guitar gods you listen to learned on a lot worse. You can always upgrade the hardware if you so desire, and a good setup will go a long way on any guitar. <BR><BR>I learned to play on a beat to hell 2nd hand Epiphone strat copy that was in far worse condition than that Kramer Focus will be. Just keep in mind that I also got frustrated with it after about 3 months and bought a new guitar.<BR><BR>Edit: One more thing, which I'm sure has been brought up before, is that if you insist on buying a $100 guitar, you should really check out scratch and dent items. Music shops usually get shipments of guitars, and some inevitably have scratches or dents, maybe broken hardware, and they will fix them and sell them at a discount. If you could scrounge up another $100 you could probbably get the equivalent of a $300 guitar that just doesn't look as pretty as a brand new one.

the reviews for this are prettttttttty bad

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Moonlapse
To be frank, you can not get a good electric at 100. I'd recommend the Washburn X10, if you'd be willing to pay an extra $20-30 dollars. As for the guitar you posted, I can't comment on it, but if you want to get a REAL guitar later on, then get a full size guitar. Mini's or Juniors are made for the youngin's.. since the fret length and body are smaller. Might as well get used to a "regular" size. <BR><BR>You need an amplifier (amp), to amplify the sound, obviously. Without it, the guitar will sound like utter sheet.. and sound will only be resonated by the wood, and the vibration of the strings, which would basically make it an acoustic, but without the sound box an acoustic has. You'll need to spend a extra 50-75 dollars for a cheap 15w amp. If you can't spend more than 100, then get a cheap acoustic (steel, not nylon), then work your way up to an electric.

I'll agree on the Washburn. The X10 and the X20 (which is what I bought for my daughter) are actually fairly well made guitars. Ibenez might have something in your price range as well.

The Epiphone LP junior you selected is I believe a 3/4 size guitar, and the pickup on it is pretty crappy.

Also, keep in mind you're going to need a case, an amp, and a cable. You ain't gettin' by on $99.

 

[biostud]

Buy one with 4 strings, they are easier to play

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Another vote for learning on acoustic over electric here. Cheap Yahama, Epiphone, or Washburn acoustic, maybe even Ovation if you can get a used Celebrity in your price range. There are actually some decent-priced acoustic electrics. I got an Austin acoustic-electric for $180, and it actually plays really well. That gives you the flexibility to plug in for volume when you want to.

If he goes acoustic, he'll need to prepare for SORE fingers, but that's the way I started. My first guitar was an Ovation Martix (which I still have) 20 years ago. The action was so high on it I nearly quit in frustration. Then I saw an article in Guitar World magazine about "sanding the nut" (coincidentally, that same article appeared in Penthouse that month ). That allowed me to lower the action and made the guitar more playable.

Get some soft, unwound strings if you go the acoustic route.