I really need help in choosing electric guitar

genie

heya folks, feels kinda weird to post in here cause i'm usually lurking in between AET section and Moving Train.

But i really need your help people, i need to buy electric guitar, and i don't know which one to buy, i've just learned the basic components which make up electric guitar, but i still don't know which one would be good for me.

ok, to give you an idea of what i want: i want guitar to have as many functions as it can, i want to play blues and grunge/metal songs on it, i want something for a reasonable price ( i.e not too cheap not too expensive ), i don't care about how it looks, what it can do and the sounds it can produce is more important to me. erm.....and that's it,

so what would you suggest to me Epiphone, or Gretsch or Fender....??

sennin

What's your budget?

genie

sennin wrote:

What's your budget?

my budget would be around £150...?( which is around $300 for you) i can pay slightly more....
but would prefer something which will cost less of course

MichaelMcKevin

Ibanez package with the amplifier
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-IJX121Metal-Guitar-Jumpstart-Package?sku=518877

I would have said Squier Strat package, but that's not going to cover your metal needs very well.

Actually, this LP Package would be a little more, but worth the extra bit IMO.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-LP100-and-Amp-Pack?sku=513153

(I understand it's Euros. I just don't know many music gear sites)

genie

GivenToCarve wrote:

Ibanez package with the amplifier
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-IJX121Metal-Guitar-Jumpstart-Package?sku=518877

I would have said Squier Strat package, but that's not going to cover your metal needs very well. The Epiphone Les Paul packages are in the same price range, but I've played one of the LP's from that package and I thought it was pretty crappily made.

Actually, this LP Package would be a little more, but worth the extra bit IMO.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-LP100-and-Amp-Pack?sku=513153

(I understand it's Euros. I just don't know many music gear sites)

aww, thank you! for all this information. i have been told to get an Epiphone, but then i thought maybe i should ask someone elses advice. hmm...Ibanez sounds interesting, never heard of this kind of guitar. I'm not going to go for the whole package, i'm going to buy a guitar separately to amplifier ( cause i might even borrow one ) and everything else.

MichaelMcKevin

genie wrote:

I'm not going to go for the whole package, i'm going to buy a guitar separately to amplifier ( cause i might even borrow one ) and everything else.

In that case, I'd try out some Epiphone and Ibanez models until you find one that suits you best in your price range. Those will cover all the sounds you're looking for and will most likely be the best crafted. Make sure you get to play the guitar before you buy it. Quality control is an issue with most major guitar companies. For example, the one you order online may not play and feel as good as the one you try in the store.

Jooooosh

Low end ibanez are great guitars. You can get a nice axe for under $400.

Schecter also has some nice low to mid range guitars.

genie

GivenToCarve wrote:

In that case, I'd try out some Epiphone and Ibanez models until you find one that suits you best in your price range. Those will cover all the sounds you're looking for and will most likely be the best crafted. Make sure you get to play the guitar before you buy it. Quality control is an issue with most major guitar companies. For example, the one you order online may not play and feel as good as the one you try in the store.

yep, i was thinking of buying it from a store and checking how it sounds before buying....the trouble is majority of guitars look amazing!! and my eyes go in all directions, that's why i want to know particular makes i should go for...to simplify my search.

i definitely want humbucker pick ups and tremolo arm

genie

Jooooosh wrote:

Low end ibanez are great guitars. You can get a nice axe for under $400.

Schecter also has some nice low to mid range guitars.

will have a look at that one

SomethingCreative

this maybe a little heavier sounding than what what you want but:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Studio-Electric-Guitar?sku=518351V

and as far as practice amps go you can get them pretty cheap

ianvomsaal

- If you just get yourself a cheapo Fender Strat, and then upgrade the pickups
(HB's with coil taps), you'll have a guitar that'll do a lot for fairly cheap $$$.

- I could build you a kick ass guitar, but it'd be a bit more than that (around
$550 + $70 for a hard case + shipping to London).
Cheers . . .

- Ian

lucylespian

Jooooosh wrote:

Low end ibanez are great guitars. You can get a nice axe for under $400.

Schecter also has some nice low to mid range guitars.

+1

i JUST DIDI AN ENTRY ELVEL GUITAR SHOP for my young student for his Xmas pressie, and I selected a Schecter Demon 6 for him based on teh following features

24 frets- really important for metal or Slash solos
good upper fret access
stoptail bridge - much better than a trem bridge for tuning stability and changing tunings
good pups
really nice neck
funky satin black finish, won't date or look gaudy later
great price

They do a similar version with a licensed Floyd Rose Tremolo, but TBH, I think they are more hassle than they are worth. A MASSIVE time- consuming pain to make the simplest tuning change. If you have enough guitars to have one dedicated to a trem , that's OK, but if it's your only git, I strogly advise to go stop-tail. I only have one guitar with a floating trem, and it's always in Eb, cos that's teh most used tuning for that style, for the songs I play.

All my others are stoptails, so I can go to drop D or D standard or open tuning etc, wihtout any hassle. A Bigsby is easy enough to change tunings on too, but iit's a lot of hardware for a little waggle.

PearlJamaholic

i like fenders but if you want something metal-ish maybe an epiphone sg might be nice but since you want tremolo maybe look into esp. i havent heard an esp in awhile so i dont know if they are still good but my friend had a V growing up and it sounded nice. ibanez has already been mentioned. also jackson guitars are nice. i knew a guy that bought one as sorta a beginner guitar but liked it so much that for his next guitar he just bought another higher end model.

im not big into metal so fender is great by me. the heaviest stuff i listen to is aic and early danzig, which both are just heavier versions of blues really. but dont over look fenders....... give them a shot while looking around.

just dont rush into anything. youll find exactly want youre looking for, if its reasonable, if you stay patient. there are like a bazillion different guitars out there.

genie

ianvomsaal wrote:

- If you just get yourself a cheapo Fender Strat, and then upgrade the pickups
(HB's with coil taps), you'll have a guitar that'll do a lot for fairly cheap $$$.

- I could build you a kick ass guitar, but it'd be a bit more than that (around
$550 + $70 for a hard case + shipping to London).
Cheers . . .

- Ian

thank you, but upgrade sounds like a lot of work. as for custom build then i'll pass on that for now.

genie

PearlJamaholic wrote:

i like fenders but if you want something metal-ish maybe an epiphone sg might be nice but since you want tremolo maybe look into esp. i havent heard an esp in awhile so i dont know if they are still good but my friend had a V growing up and it sounded nice. ibanez has already been mentioned. also jackson guitars are nice. i knew a guy that bought one as sorta a beginner guitar but liked it so much that for his next guitar he just bought another higher end model.

im not big into metal so fender is great by me. the heaviest stuff i listen to is aic and early danzig, which both are just heavier versions of blues really. but dont over look fenders....... give them a shot while looking around.

just dont rush into anything. youll find exactly want youre looking for, if its reasonable, if you stay patient. there are like a bazillion different guitars out there.

alright! can't research names you've given at the moment cause i'm at work and it's going to be a busy day today, but i'll looking into esp for sure

ianvomsaal

genie wrote:

thank you, but upgrade sounds like a lot of work. as for custom build then i'll pass on that for now.

An upgrade is easy . . .
Just buy some pickups and a different pickguard - now wire them in and screw the new pickguard on.
If you can solder it'll take all of about 10-15-minutes - if not a guitar tech can do it for like $25.

- Ian

who's_pearljam?

Genie, you're in London!


I was there in June for the Wembley show and one day we took a walk around on Denver Street, which was,,,,somewhere. Man, I forget what stop, but I think it was Waterloo. I'll look it up and get back to you.
But anyway, there was a street full of music shops, with all kinds of guitars. It would be worth a look, because you can sit down with all kinds of different ones and maybe one will strike your fancy. You may be able to pick up a used one, too. I saw some pretty decent deals and the prices weren't too bad. Well, for someone without American dollars, anyway.

Like Ian says, it IS easy to upgrade pickups. If you find a solid guitar that fits you,and play it for a while, then when you find what style and sound you're into, then you can upgrade later.

who's_pearljam?

Ok, not Denver Street! Swede and I DID drink a few beers that day, so the street names faded from my brain!

Denmark Street! Near the Tottingham Court tube station and I remember it was right near the Astoria.

http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/mapping/map.php?pc=WC2H+8NJ

There was a whole row of music shops right around there

genie

who's_pearljam? wrote:

Ok, not Denver Street! Swede and I DID drink a few beers that day, so the street names faded from my brain!

Denmark Street! Near the Tottingham Court tube station and I remember it was right near the Astoria.

http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/mapping/map.php?pc=WC2H+8NJ

There was a whole row of music shops right around there

aw, thank you! who knows maybe there is a Denver Street.

As for Denmark Street, then what kind of a music loving Londoner whould i be if i didn't know this place?! that's where i'm going to go shopping for my guitar.

and sorry for replying so late, i've been busy lately

genie

ianvomsaal wrote:

An upgrade is easy . . .
Just buy some pickups and a different pickguard - now wire them in and screw the new pickguard on.
If you can solder it'll take all of about 10-15-minutes - if not a guitar tech can do it for like $25.

- Ian

alright thank you for advice

samquigley

Haven't actually played one myself, but I've not heard a bad word said about the Yamaha Pacifica range. Basic strat shape and available with lots of different pickup/trem options. Oh, they're cheap, too.