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Entry level electric guitar

redrockredrock Posts: 18,341
edited May 2010 in Musicians and Gearheads
I know nothing about electric guitars and could use some advice....

My 15yr old daughter wants an electric guitar. She plays violin (+electric violin), piano, saxophone and is a bit past beginner on an acoustic guitar. She wants the electric guitar to learn to play rock (heavyish) as opposed to jazz/country.

My dilemma... not sure if this is a 'phase' or if it will continue, therefore I do not wish to pay (or her to pay!) a lot of money. I know there are a lot of 'starter' guitars out there, not sure where to start though. Her cousin has an Ibanez that she played around with (and I thought was quite nice - but what do I know!), but she loves strats! It was suggested she gets new as you never know what you get second hand.

Any suggestions?
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • jg1988jg1988 Posts: 181
    i would get a squier or peavey electric starter pack. they run for a couple hundred, and are perfect for beginners. plus they come with an amp, strap, cables, strings and picks.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Well, I've bought almost every single guitar I've ever owned second-hand, so I don't see that as a problem. In fact, I tend to recommend to people that they look at second-hand guitars, as it means you can buy higher-quality instruments used than you can afford to buy new. And for the most part, guitars are VERY durable, so unless it's obviously falling apart, it's probably intact. If you do look at a used instrument, then pay attention to how the tuners move, and plug it in and play with all the knobs and switches to make sure all the electronics work and that sound comes out of the guitar when it's supposed to.

    I'd especially worry about giving your daughter some really terrible instrument that will be disappointing to play. I see too many inexperienced parents get brand-new entry-level instruments for their kids, and the kids never play them because they're terrible instruments. Getting the action set up correctly is the biggest problem with any guitar, and the cheap guitars have this problem in spades.

    The other thing I worry about is your daughter will ultimately not like electric guitar. If you buy a $200 Fender Squier Strat, you'd be REALLY lucky to sell it to anyone for $100. If you spend $300 on a used Made-in-Mexico Fender Strat, then it's fairly likely that you'd be able to sell it for (guess what?!?) $300 if she decides she doesn't like it. And as a guy who's played guitar for almost 20 years, my Strat is a Made-In-Mexico. They're great instruments.

    That all being said, there are new guitars in the $300 range that are very nice and very playable. But it takes a good eye and good hands to know which new guitars are "playable" right out of the box. One of the advantages of a used guitar is that someone had likely been playing it, which makes it more likely that it's adjusted for good playability. Even so, any good guitar shop should be able to perform a "set-up" for $50 to $100, depending on how bad it is. Brand-new, a good guitar shop should have performed a set-up on a guitar when they got it, but I've seen too many guitar stores selling un-adjusted guitars. Also, brand-new guitars can take a few years for the wood to fully adjust to it's new life as a guitar, which means that new guitars will need a few tweaks here and there for a few years.

    Your daughter already has some idea of what she needs as far as fit, playability, action, etc. since she's already playing instruments (including acoustic guitar). So trust her impressions. Be sure she doesn't pick an instrument *just* because it's pretty; a good guitar is nice to look at AND comfortable to play. Even a 30-year-old dude can get distracted by a pretty guitar, so I'm not making a dig at teenage girls here. But if she already likes Strats, then I'd be looking at a Mexican Strat. If she likes heavier music (grunge, punk, metal, hard rock, etc) then I'd suggest looking at models with a humbucker bridge pickup (humbuckers being the ones that look like to pickups glued together; these Strats are also known as HSS models for Humbucker-Single-Single). If she's more into pop, indie rock, blues, or John Mayer, then I'd look at a standard Strat.

    If you find any that you like the looks of, send us links or descriptions. We'll give you as much of an opinion as we can over the internet. If you live in an area with Craig's List, check on there as there are usually pretty good buys on used Strats. Don't be afraid of eBay. Check your local guitar shops, and maybe even pawn shops, for some used instruments. Sometimes a good used guitar is harder to find, but it's worth the look when you get a good deal on a playable instrument. Good luck!
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • redrockredrock Posts: 18,341
    Thanks for your help. I think the reason I was suggested new is that I am not a musician and neither is my husband (lord knows where my daughter got her crazy talent from!!!). When buying off ebay or craiglist, you just don't know how the guitar has been treated, etc. Buying second had from a music shop is obviously different and I will probably going down that route as she will need 'professional' help in choosing. I googled quite a bit but there is information overload!

    She's been looking at Strats, but she also really likes the Les Paul - just to say she's not hooked on just one 'look'. She has also been in shops trying guitars out for 'fit' (she is petite). Up to now, she has been playing all her instruments (formally studying for three of them and at a quite high level) and I THINK she'll stick to electric guitar as well, but one never knows.....

    Kids :roll:
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Well, I would never buy a guitar from someone on Craig's List without finding a way to sit down and play it, check it over, and verify it's in decent shape. But it's a great source to find things locally where you can do that.

    As for eBay, there are two tricks.
    1) Check their feedback rating to make sure they're known for honesty and integrity
    2) See if they have regularly sold musical instruments in the past to see if they know what they are doing

    That doesn't mean you won't get burned by an eBay purchase, but it makes it much less likely. Usually, someone gets a bad guitar from an eBay seller who is known for trouble, OR is a great seller with a good history, but knows nothing about guitars.

    What style of music does your daughter like? What style does she like to play, or hope to play on an electric guitar that she can't play on acoustic? Different guitars produce different sounds, which is why different players prefer different models. A Les Paul sounds *completely* different from a Strat, so it's worth knowing in advance what guitar will fit her needs best. Like I said earlier, being happy with a guitar's looks is important, but it should be tempered by other, more tangible concerns.

    To be honest, this kind of post is slightly refreshing... I love talking with old grizzled musicians about the nuances of different instruments, amps, and effects, but it's always newbie guitar players who need the most help getting into it. Too many kids get terrible instruments, and then give up on trying to play them. I think we'd have twice as many musicians if kids weren't asked to learn on un-playable instruments.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • jg1988jg1988 Posts: 181
    id say a starter pack is easiest. a beginner will not know the nuances between guitars. once she gets better and knows what she wants then get another guitar. i learned on a peavey from a starter pack and then got a Fender, i still it after 12 years.
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