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Electric guitar beginner?


Ashley1!

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Epiphone G-310 SG

Modelled after the much more expensive Gibson SG guitars, the Epiphone SG G310 keeps it's cost low by using cheaper hardware and lower quality humbucking pick-ups.

 

Yamaha PAC012DLX Pacifica Series HSS Deluxe

The consensus is the guitar is reasonably well made, and the quality of the wood tends to be high. Those who go on to become serious guitarists might want to consider upgrading the electronics of the Pacifica HSS

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Try to find a guitar that's easy to play - a solid Squier would be probably be just fine, but if possible you'll want to play a few to find one you like.

 

Run your hand up and down the neck - do the frets scrape your hands? Strings get stuck under the fret ends? Put it back and get another one.

 

Plug it in. Electronics sound scratchy? No sound in some pickup positions? Put it back and get another one.

 

As for sound, a great guitar through a bad amp will sound very bad, an ok guitar through a good amp will sound very good. You don't need to spend a lot of money up front, find something playable and you can upgrade later if you'd like.

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Squire classic vibe telecaster. I challenge anyone to find a better bang for buck first guitar.

 

As a beginner, you don't want a trem and will appreciate the clarity of sound single coils will give you. Up to you but I'm wise with this sshhiitt.

+ 1

Ther is something to be said for the simplicity of a Telecaster. one volume control,one tone control and a basic 3 way switch. .Also the single coil pickups can help to develope a clean tone which is where it all starts .

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Do you play acoustic already or will this be your first guitar of any description? What kind of music do you plan to play? What is your budget? Do you know someone knowledgeable who can help you shop around? Where do you live, as that will help us determine what is available? Looking forward to your reply.

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Best to just go to a music store and try a few. Try to stay within your budget and not let him over sell you.

 

Get a Salesman to help you get a neck that fits your hand. Don't be vain and focus how a guitar looks. A great player can make any instrument look cool. The neck fit is the #1 thing you need to focus on especially when you're a beginner.

 

If you have a neck that's too fat you wont be able to get to the notes as needed and will likely get discouraged trying to build your chops up.

If you get something too thin or not wide enough you can wind up with allot of wrist strain trying to hold the chords down or getting dead notes because your fingers are too fat to fit between the strings. Tender finger tips are normal till you build callouses.

 

Looks and tone are secondary when you're learning to play. Most guitars today do have good tone and unless you're buying some piece of junk they should look OK. As you gain experience and develop an ear you can set off on a tone quest later and suit your needs. Get something solid and has some resale value if possible so when you trade up, you will get some value from it. Compare used guitar prices too, If something sells for 1/2 cost new there's usually a reason.

 

Get the right fit and it just comes down to putting in enough hours a day building your hands up. The rest is training your ear and mind to make your fingers do what the mind tells it too. You need something that wont have to fight because its a bad fit. Its like shoes. Too tight or too loose and you're always going to be bothered by them. A good fit and you don't even know you have them on.

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My advice is always to have any new guitar properly set up for you by someone who know what they are doing. That should be automatic with any purchase at any good store but unfortunately it is not. A good guitar teacher can help you evaluate the guitar and maybe suggest a good setup technician.

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I'd really want to know what kind of music you want to primarily play. I'd suggest getting as much as you can afford from whatever model appeals to you from the Fender line of guitars (including Squiers),. but if you're more into the harder to metal side of the spectrum, then something with humbuckers would be my suggestion, like Epiphone, ESP, etc. And remember that fatter may mean deeper, but thinner can be edgier. Cutting through the mix is sometimes more valuable than a full round tone.

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And then you can take free lessons from the Gibson and Fender web sites, as well as you tube, plenty of "backing tracks" to play along with/practice there . smiley-happy As well as downloading "play along" backing tracks from the Fender web site to play along with as well as thousands of downloadable "presets" to use with the Mustang amplifier...

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Those LP specials will be back at $99 before you know it. The Mustang Iv2 is actually a great practice amp, but don't get too distracted by the bells and whistles. Find a model you like stick to just that for a while I disagree with spending as much as you can afford. I'd wait to see if you like it and stick with it. Unfortunately a bad instrument does make it harder to learn. Best is to have a more knowledgeable friend help if you can. Otherwise try different guitars at the store. Even if you can't play, see how the guitar feels, if you like its sounds (you may need to play with the knobs, or ask the guitar shop employees). It is intimidating when you don't know anything. I was there not so long ago, so I still remember. But I say trust your guts. Don't worry too much about the looks, but you need to still feel that you like what you got. There are no really brands per se. You see people on this very forum snatching $90 Squiers and Epiphones and loving the deals they got. I'm using those two brands because they are the cheap versions of the two largest brands in the US (Fender and Gibson respectively). OK I take it back, I have never met a First Act guitar I liked. But I've tried Epiphone, Squier, Fender, Ibanez, PRS, G&L, Chapman, Gibson... in the stores. My most favorite ever was an Epiphone Les Paul. Better than several Gibson guitars 4 times the price. Yet the same model next to it was absolutely horrible, the neck actually had a twist to it and some strings kept buzzing when played. This is why trying before you buy is important. Don't worry too much about how any knobs, etc... You don't even have to know much about pickups, just listen to what you like. One thing that is not always obvious in the store is pickup buzz. Single pickups tend to have an audible buzz when not playing that some players can't get over.

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Short answer: Fender Standard Stratocaster. If you can't afford that, Squier Stratocaster. The tremolo is just too much fun not to have.

 

Consider an Epiphone Les Paul if your musical tastes are in that direction. You can also occasionally find Gibson Les Pauls at good prices.

 

Consider Squier mini if your hands are really small or a Fender Mustang.

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