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First Electric?

Royals32Royals32 Posts: 160
edited May 2007 in Musicians and Gearheads
I've been playing guitar for a little less than a year now and it's been exclusively on an acoustic. I want to get an electric but I have no idea where to start. I've seen the Fender Squier, and other starter packs, but I'm not sure those are any good. They seem like a pretty good deal, so I'm hoping they are. Sound, tone and top notch craftsmanship are less important to me at this stage compared to general playability (I DO plan on getting a "real" Tele at some point).

So, my question is...is there an ideal starter electric guitar that will get me going without breaking the bank?

I'm looking at spending no more than $200 right now so I know my choices may be very limited...
#==(o )

You are not your job.
You are not how much money you have in the bank.
You are not the car you drive.
You are not the contents of your wallet.
You are not your fucking khakis.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • SwitchSwitch Posts: 119
    From what i have learned, on a tight budget and just wanting a beginning guitar, a Squier Strat is usually the way to go (I chose a Tele - slightly more expensive as it's harder to find Tele packs), but with a bit more cash, an Epiphone (sp?) Les Paul are pretty decent. Just don't get an Epiphone Les Paul Special - They're crap from what i've read on here + other guitar websites.
  • MichaelMcKevinMichaelMcKevin Posts: 1,161
    I'm not a big fan of the Squier or Epiphone packs either, and I feel like Ibanez makes the best "bang for your buck" guitars in that price range. For practicality, I'd get a guitar with humbuckers since you want a tele down the road anyway. That way once you get your tele, you have two distinct guitars. I used to have one similar to this and it was great, especially if playability is your biggest concern...

    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-GAX30-Electric-Guitar?sku=519725
    Camden I '06, Camden II '06, Bonnaroo '08, Camden I '08, Camden II '08, Philly Spectrum II/III/IV '09, MSG I '10, MSG II '10, Made In America '12, Wrigley '13, Brooklyn II '13, Philly I '13, Philly II '13, ...
  • DiRtyFranK38DiRtyFranK38 Posts: 3,131
    DUDE WITHOUT A DOUBT GET A TRADITION! that was my first electric. they really are great for the price. check them out. i got mine in a strat shape..i still play it every once and a whileit really is beautiful for a cheaper guiatar..i'm telling you..go somewhere and play one!


    if you go to traditionguitars.com you can go to a page where you type in your state and it finds stores around you that carries them. later on i'll upload a picture of mine..thet really are great for the price
    2006: Hartford
    2008: MSG 1, Hartford, Mansfield 2, Ed Solo NYC 1
    2009: London (O2), Philly 1, 2, 3, & 4
    2010: Hartford, Boston, MSG 1 & 2
    2011: Ed Solo Hartford
    2012: Philly (MIA Fest)
    2013: Worcester 2, Brooklyn 1 & 2, Hartford
  • DiRtyFranK38DiRtyFranK38 Posts: 3,131
    ok here we go..here's some pics of my tradition..

    http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/778/p1000625ny0.jpg
    http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/488/p1000632se7.jpg
    http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/3412/p1000633nq8.jpg
    http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/5327/p1000634ze0.jpg

    as you can see it's quite a looker ;) for a fairly cheap price in your range, this is a great electric to begin with. out of all the fender "mimicks" tradition is without a doubt the best. mine listed above is the G10 deluxe [strat], if you want to know exactly.
    2006: Hartford
    2008: MSG 1, Hartford, Mansfield 2, Ed Solo NYC 1
    2009: London (O2), Philly 1, 2, 3, & 4
    2010: Hartford, Boston, MSG 1 & 2
    2011: Ed Solo Hartford
    2012: Philly (MIA Fest)
    2013: Worcester 2, Brooklyn 1 & 2, Hartford
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Posts: 12,223
    Mine was a little black Encore. I forget the model.
  • Royals32Royals32 Posts: 160
    DiRtyFranK38 wrote:
    ok here we go..here's some pics of my tradition..

    http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/778/p1000625ny0.jpg
    http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/488/p1000632se7.jpg
    http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/3412/p1000633nq8.jpg
    http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/5327/p1000634ze0.jpg

    as you can see it's quite a looker ;) for a fairly cheap price in your range, this is a great electric to begin with. out of all the fender "mimicks" tradition is without a doubt the best. mine listed above is the G10 deluxe [strat], if you want to know exactly.


    That is pretty nice! I went out yesterday and tried out the Ibanez suggested in an earlier post and it was pretty nice for $185 CDN. How much did you pay for the Tradition? Does it fit my budget of $200-ish?

    The guy in Long & McQuade told me that the Strat starter packs go for about $375 but they may not even be making them anymore and they haven't sold one in a few months. He suggested a Line 6 amp that they had for $130 so the Ibanez and amp would be $315 plus the fantastical 14% sales tax that we pay in Ontario. He said dollar for dollar that's the best they had to offer.

    I'm not buying anything for a few weeks and this is all helping tremendously...the search continues!
    #==(o )

    You are not your job.
    You are not how much money you have in the bank.
    You are not the car you drive.
    You are not the contents of your wallet.
    You are not your fucking khakis.
  • DiRtyFranK38DiRtyFranK38 Posts: 3,131
    Royals32 wrote:
    That is pretty nice! I went out yesterday and tried out the Ibanez suggested in an earlier post and it was pretty nice for $185 CDN. How much did you pay for the Tradition? Does it fit my budget of $200-ish?

    The guy in Long & McQuade told me that the Strat starter packs go for about $375 but they may not even be making them anymore and they haven't sold one in a few months. He suggested a Line 6 amp that they had for $130 so the Ibanez and amp would be $315 plus the fantastical 14% sales tax that we pay in Ontario. He said dollar for dollar that's the best they had to offer.

    I'm not buying anything for a few weeks and this is all helping tremendously...the search continues!


    hmm i got it literally the week it came out about 2 in a half years ago when i first took up guitar and i believe i payed...somewhere around $275...thats over but..i dont know what you want to do..i think its worth a little extra cash for a litttle bit better quality if you ask me. but i did see a tradition the other day same as mine just a bit newer for like $350...that me be where mine runs at now. i'm not sure. INVESTIGATE!


    as for an amp...for $150 get the roland cube 30!!! that was my first amp. for a cheap amp its the best. it's extremely popular just because of the inexpensiveness and quality for a "cheap" amp. obviously it is not tube. it's solid state..once again obviously. you cannot find a tube amp that cheap. but anyhow..it even has some nice little built in effects there to play around with! it has phaser, tremelo, flanger, and chorus...then there is another nob for delay and reverb. the amp isnt great distortion wise..for a cheap solid state it gets mufled..but if your just starting out you really wont even know. its great on clean. as for your guitar, yea keep investigating..but honestly..for a CHEAP amp its a no-brainer. get the roland cube 30. it'll get you where you need to go no doubt, untill you become more advanced and want a nice tube amp.

    here is a link: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Roland-Cube-30X-Amp-with-COSM?sku=487032

    bahh come to find out it's now $230. once again, when i got it it was $150. BUT if you go to that site and type in roland cube..there is a cube 20x for $160 which is the same exact thing just a bit smaller. maybe go with that. OR there is a roland cube 15x which is even smaller and doesnt have the effects in it...that goes for $100.
    2006: Hartford
    2008: MSG 1, Hartford, Mansfield 2, Ed Solo NYC 1
    2009: London (O2), Philly 1, 2, 3, & 4
    2010: Hartford, Boston, MSG 1 & 2
    2011: Ed Solo Hartford
    2012: Philly (MIA Fest)
    2013: Worcester 2, Brooklyn 1 & 2, Hartford
  • lucylespianlucylespian Posts: 2,403
    +1 for the Roland Cube series as excellent solid state beginners amps. HUghes and kettener Edition Blue are also worth a look, I have no idea of prices, the Rolands are probably cheaper, but not always.
    The Roland Microcube is also worth a look. who's pearljam has one, and I think he likes it.
    Music is not a competetion.
  • BrezBrez Posts: 570
    Mine was a black and white mexican strat. I loved it at the time but now looking back the neck was way too think for my fingers. I got waayyyy better after I got my American Deluxe w/ a thinner neck. I forget the exact radius of it though....
    And before his first step... He's off again...
  • Royals32Royals32 Posts: 160
    Well thanks for all the input everyone!

    It turns out that Tradition Guitars are not available in Canada (at least not anymore). Their website doesn't even offer a single dealer in Canada, so that's that.

    It looks like the popular choice is the Ibanez or entry-level Strat and then it'll be all about preference at that point. The Roland cube 30 sounds great, so that one's already in the bag.

    Off to go test driving, so I'll post back again with pics when I get what I get.

    Thanks again!
    #==(o )

    You are not your job.
    You are not how much money you have in the bank.
    You are not the car you drive.
    You are not the contents of your wallet.
    You are not your fucking khakis.
  • frisbiefrisbie Posts: 14
    Get a PRS SE or a Mexican Strat . . . both under 500, sometimes even less & both are high quality guitars that you can still get use out after to graduate to a more expensive guitar
    10/01/96, 08/22/98, 08/28/98, 08/20/00, 08/21/00, 08/27/00, 09/01/00, 12/08/02, 04/18/03, 04/28/03, 04/29/03, 05/02/03, 07/08/03, 07/09/03, 10/03/05, 05/12/06, 05/30/06

    Remove yourself from comfort, all progress involves risk.
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