Any clue guys? I just bought the one off of amazon with the adapter... now I'm looking to buy a guitar... so I can learn how to play the damn guitar finally.
Rocksmith... where can I buy a good cheap guitar to learn to play?
- Thread starter Chrono
- Start date
Aikouka
Lifer
- Nov 27, 2001
- 30,383
- 912
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I'm assuming that you're new to a guitar, so you may want to try Craigslist. Just avoid the cheap-o brands that are sold at large retailers like Walmart. An example of those is First Act. You probably won't need to spend a lot of money at this point, and you can probably get a decent guitar for around $150 that is actually worthwhile. You've probably heard of brands like Gibson, but Gibson markets cheaper variants of their own guitars under the Epiphone brand. So, when it comes to a Gibson Les Paul vs. Epiphone Les Paul, you're going to see some cheaper materials, foreign-made, cheaper electronics, but much cheaper cost. For example, my friend and I were in Guitar Center today, and he showed me the "Mexican Fender" that he has that costs between $400-600, and the American variant that pretty much costs twice as much.
I was in the same boat as you as I bought Rocksmith as a complete guitar newbie. I didn't really find anything that I liked on Craigslist, and I went with a cheaper, starter guitar: the Epiphone SG Special. It was only $169. I had an option for a $249 SG-400 (Used), but when I had my friend play a store model of the SG Special vs. a SG-400, he said that they sounded pretty close overall. It really just offered some fancier tuning that I was rather foreign to, but if I want to upgrade later on, I can always do that! Anyway, you can always grab something like a basic Epiphone Les Paul Special II, and see if you enjoy it without breaking the bank. Of course, there may be some of them on Craigslist, but the ones local to me were really no cheaper than retail and obviously have no ability for returns!
I was in the same boat as you as I bought Rocksmith as a complete guitar newbie. I didn't really find anything that I liked on Craigslist, and I went with a cheaper, starter guitar: the Epiphone SG Special. It was only $169. I had an option for a $249 SG-400 (Used), but when I had my friend play a store model of the SG Special vs. a SG-400, he said that they sounded pretty close overall. It really just offered some fancier tuning that I was rather foreign to, but if I want to upgrade later on, I can always do that! Anyway, you can always grab something like a basic Epiphone Les Paul Special II, and see if you enjoy it without breaking the bank. Of course, there may be some of them on Craigslist, but the ones local to me were really no cheaper than retail and obviously have no ability for returns!
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CuriousMike
Diamond Member
- Feb 22, 2001
- 3,044
- 543
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We just bought our sons guitars for Christmas; we know nothing about them.
My wife and I both talked with "Musicians Friends" over the phone to get an idea of what was worthwhile in that-try-it-and-see-if-it-sticks-but-don't-buy-something-so-crappy-it's-sure-to-fail price range.
For the electric, we ended up with this as the guitar
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/squier-bullet-strat-with-tremolo
My wife and I both talked with "Musicians Friends" over the phone to get an idea of what was worthwhile in that-try-it-and-see-if-it-sticks-but-don't-buy-something-so-crappy-it's-sure-to-fail price range.
For the electric, we ended up with this as the guitar
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/squier-bullet-strat-with-tremolo
Aikouka
Lifer
- Nov 27, 2001
- 30,383
- 912
- 126
I'm assuming that you mean a Fender not a Squier, so won't that run around $400-500 new?
MentalIlness
Platinum Member
- Nov 22, 2009
- 2,383
- 11
- 76
Acoustic or electric ? It is fun to learn to play, and seeing your progress over time. Stick with it, you'll learn quick.
I bought a Ibanez GRX20 for a $129 new not too long ago and it is a fantastic electric guitar for being so cheap.
I bought a Ibanez GRX20 for a $129 new not too long ago and it is a fantastic electric guitar for being so cheap.
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Got a decent left handed Ibanez from Guitar Center for $40 shipped. Open box or return or something.
Nice Korean knockoffs here: http://www.rondomusic.com/electricguitar.html
Not bad for $225. http://www.rondomusic.com/al2000csb.html
Not bad for $225. http://www.rondomusic.com/al2000csb.html
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ImpulsE69
Lifer
- Jan 8, 2010
- 14,946
- 1,077
- 126
I'm an instrument fanatic....I really can't play guitar THAT well, but I own 3 decent ones simply because I wanted them...even one of the Ibanez Giger ones (I'm a huge Giger fan). While I've dabbled with them for years, it wasn't until Rocksmith came along that I actually am trying to learn how to play better. Instead of starting easy...I started with Lamb of God - Redneck. Almost there! 
....not lol
....not lol
MetalMat
Diamond Member
- Jun 14, 2004
- 9,692
- 36
- 91
You can probably get a used for around 200-250, I picked up one new for a little under 300 a few years ago. I had a Squier but I never liked it, just played and felt cheap (similar to the old Peavey Predator I had). I also have an Epiphone gold top I got for dirt cheap a while back, it is ok and I would recommend it over a Squier but I feel it is harder to play on it than my Strat. I still miss my Gibson Les Paul that got stolen
If you don't want to mess around with ebay or craigslist you could go to a local pawn shop and check out some of the guitars, normally I steer away from pawn shops but sometimes you can get good deals on instruments.
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MetalMat
Diamond Member
- Jun 14, 2004
- 9,692
- 36
- 91
I have seen the Peavey bundles and I would advise steering clear of the low end Peavey electric guitars. Peavey makes good intermediate to higher end guitars and bass guitars but their low end stuff is terrible.
When I first started learning guitar I had a low end Peavey and it was total junk, I think it actually hindered my progression. I was jamming with some buddies one time, one of them had a shitty Peavey low end bass and the neck of his bass guitar broke in the middle of a song for no reason.
I am not sure about the other stuff woot offers (Kona, Spectrum), I have never seen them nor know anyone that has used them.
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ibex333
Diamond Member
- Mar 26, 2005
- 4,091
- 119
- 106
I got an Ibanez RG2-EX1 from ebay. It was slightly banged up and pickups were damaged and rusted. The seller lied to me and said everything works well, when in reality this guitar probably spent most of its life on his balcony exposed to the elements. The bastard offered me to ship the guitar back to him at MY expense and he would refund me. I was gonna give him bad feedback, but didn't because I was afraid of feedback retaliation. Got the instrument fully reconditioned by some guy I found online. All together everything cost me around $200. Was still a descent deal back at the time considering the price of a new one which was around $300.
I tried playing it a few times and got discouraged very quickly, because I couldn't get my amp (a Roland Micro Cube) to sound anything like metal or rock is supposed to sound. I watched tons of you-tube videos, but I think all these people are liars and they are hiding some special gizmo from sight that they used to get the distortion just right.
Anyway.. I just got Rocksmith recently and dusted off my guitar. After several hours of torture, I was finally able to get my PC to recognize the real-tone cable. But little did I know. Apparently over time, the strings have corroded, (so much for stainless steel) because the bottom E string snapped under tension during tuning! I am so angry... Now I cannot use the guitar or the software, and have to wait till new strings arrive from Amazon.
In retrospect, I shouldn't have went for this Ibanez. It looks badass, but it isnt the best choice for a total clueless beginner. A cheap knockoff Fender strat would have probably been a much better choice, especially with all the money and effort I put into it to get it actually working. Who cares that it doesn't sound very good. Learn to play at least something.. ANYTHING! Then consider a better guitar. You'll be surprised just how much patience, dedication and iron will is required to play even the most basic tunes, and do it PROPERLY.
PS: By the way, does anyone know why the Rocksmith's song list is so lame and short? I want to see something from Metallica, AC/DC, Scorpions, As I Lay Dying, Trivium and Killswitch Engage. Very much doubt that will ever happen.
I tried playing it a few times and got discouraged very quickly, because I couldn't get my amp (a Roland Micro Cube) to sound anything like metal or rock is supposed to sound. I watched tons of you-tube videos, but I think all these people are liars and they are hiding some special gizmo from sight that they used to get the distortion just right.
Anyway.. I just got Rocksmith recently and dusted off my guitar. After several hours of torture, I was finally able to get my PC to recognize the real-tone cable. But little did I know. Apparently over time, the strings have corroded, (so much for stainless steel) because the bottom E string snapped under tension during tuning! I am so angry... Now I cannot use the guitar or the software, and have to wait till new strings arrive from Amazon.
In retrospect, I shouldn't have went for this Ibanez. It looks badass, but it isnt the best choice for a total clueless beginner. A cheap knockoff Fender strat would have probably been a much better choice, especially with all the money and effort I put into it to get it actually working. Who cares that it doesn't sound very good. Learn to play at least something.. ANYTHING! Then consider a better guitar. You'll be surprised just how much patience, dedication and iron will is required to play even the most basic tunes, and do it PROPERLY.
PS: By the way, does anyone know why the Rocksmith's song list is so lame and short? I want to see something from Metallica, AC/DC, Scorpions, As I Lay Dying, Trivium and Killswitch Engage. Very much doubt that will ever happen.
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gorcorps
aka Brandon
- Jul 18, 2004
- 30,738
- 450
- 126
You can NOT just leave a guitar sitting around and expect the strings to be okay. They have a finite life if they're under tension whether you're using them or not. There's a reason that Musicians Friend sells 10 packs of strings... you should always have multiple packs on hand. I know you have no way of knowing other than trial by error, but it sounds like your expectations were pretty off and it soiled your opinion of the guitar. What you have (assuming it was reconditioned properly) is still a good starter guitar and nothing about it makes it harder to use than a Squier Strat. In fact yours looks like it's even better because most of those starter Strats have a tremolo bridge, which IMO is a huge mistake for a beginner. You have a set bridge which is a better starting point.
Fallen Kell
Diamond Member
- Oct 9, 1999
- 6,039
- 431
- 126
Dude, all guitar strings need to get replaced over time. Heck, some do not even last a week keeping the sound they originally made. They cost like $15, go to any mall and simply pick them up. Don't wait a week buying them online and waiting for delivery.
Also, do yourself a huge favor and lookup a good local luthier. My 40+ year old Les Paul needed its 3-way selector switch replaced and the wiring all redone (40 years of oxidation will do a number to copper wires). It's intonation was also pretty out of wack and I could no longer fix it by simply adjusting at the bridge. So I took it to a good local luthier since I knew the work was beyond my ability. No, I did not go to a Music Man, or Sam Ash, or Guitar Center. I went to a local custom shop that designs, builds, and repairs guitars and basses. That way you know it will be done right.
Yes, it takes a bit of time and practice. Your fingers need to develop muscle memory, which takes hundreds of hours of repetition. They also need to develop twitch muscles which also take hundreds of hours to build up. That said, there are tons of songs out there which you can play within a day or two. Heck, there are probably over a thousand songs which only use 4 or 5 chords total. If you want to focus on just rhythm guitar, you can also learn to plays the Blues with another 8 chords. The great thing about learning the Blues is that you are also learning Metal at the same time, and not even knowing it. The difference is entirely just the speed, and effects. But the Blues are a lot easier to begin with.
But that said, don't buy a POS guitar, as it will wind up costing you more money because you are going to simply replace it. Look through craigs list, ask around at your local music shops. There is almost always someone wanting to sell their guitar either for fast cash, or because they want to try something different. I got an American Telecaster for $350 which was in mint condition (I took that one to college with me since I was not going to take the Les Paul and risk it getting damaged or stolen). You will find plenty of deals on very good used guitars in the $300 range.
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MetalMat
Diamond Member
- Jun 14, 2004
- 9,692
- 36
- 91
Dude its not like you are SOL, just change the strings out. Rocksmith is kind of lacking in the metal department, you can get Megadeth, Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera and Judas Priest but thats it. Those songs are going to be extremely hard to play if you are new to guitar though, the solos in Painkiller make my head spin.
Aikouka
Lifer
- Nov 27, 2001
- 30,383
- 912
- 126
With a little bit of effort, you can convert(I believe) any Frets on Fire (Guitar Hero clone for PC) song to a Rocksmith song. I found the tutorials on how to do it pretty easily on Google, so get crackin'!
That's what I figured, and I sat on my bed the other day just deciding on a fret and string and seeing if I could do it correctly. It's sort of like learning how to type without looking at the keyboard! Everyone starts as a bit of a pecker but eventually learns how to be one.
Fallen Kell
Diamond Member
- Oct 9, 1999
- 6,039
- 431
- 126
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