I'm going to buy a guitar here in a few months and I want to get some research done before I commit my money. I'm not sure what to look for in terms of quality, longevity, etc. I'm mostly interested in playing rock/metal. I played off and on a few years ago, but I never had a guitar of my own. I'm trying to stay under $500 for the guitar, not including the extras.
Fender is great quality ( well I am a bit old school) and you can find them reasonably priced. I also think Ibenez is pretty great too. These both can be found fairly cheap in price depending on the model you get. 500 bux will get you a decent one. The best thing to do is go to your local shop and look around find one that has good play action ( how it feels to push the strings) and has a look you like that fits your budget. Each guitar has its own sound and it really all boils down to the individual.
I personally play Acoustic, but for you....Yeah, I think an decent 3-400 dollars can get you a decent Ibanez or a Epiphone. I think for the best bang for your buck for metal/rock those would get you the sound you want. However...a Fender is also quite versatile (I personally like this brand for Electric Guitars).
Don't get one with a whammy bar!
I have an Ibanez RG that was about what you are going to pay. I like it. It has a Floyd Rose tremolo that stays in tune for the most part. It also has humbucker pick-ups at the bridge and neck to reduce noise. Action is good and it has 24 frets (two full octaves). It can be a little bright in tone compared to others but that depends on strings, amp, etc. All in all, it's a good guitar and very easy to play.
Look at musiciansfriend.com for a lot of guitars and reviews. I agree, Fender makes a good quality electric. If you are limited by $500, the Epiphone (Gibson knock offs made overseas) are decent: deeper tone. And go to a local shop and try a few different ones. Gook luck.
Look at musiciansfriend.com for a lot of guitars and reviews. I agree, Fender makes a good quality electric. If you are limited by $500, the Epiphone (Gibson knock offs made overseas) are decent: deeper tone. And go to a local shop and try a few different ones. Gook luck.
definately go electric if your into rock/metal, id suggest a fender squire as a good start or even an ibanez s, sx, or rg are generally cheap, look and sound great for the price
dont settle for one of the strat look alikes like an sx brand or any other copy as they dont have the quality of the tone of an actual fender.
also, ive tried out the cheaper end Epiphone les pauls, and i must say they do not match the cheaper fenders and ibanez in sound, but i suppose its whatever your into.
get to a music shop and start trying guitars in your price range, but stick to one of the main brands.
dont settle for one of the strat look alikes like an sx brand or any other copy as they dont have the quality of the tone of an actual fender.
also, ive tried out the cheaper end Epiphone les pauls, and i must say they do not match the cheaper fenders and ibanez in sound, but i suppose its whatever your into.
get to a music shop and start trying guitars in your price range, but stick to one of the main brands.
i just bought an Airline Dlx and its great.....chambered body....gives it a beautiful tone......although above 500 mine was 699 but well worth it
I play metal on my acoustic, its a washburn, and its all i had for a while, and even then, i still dont play my electric that much
I have a couple ibanez guitars and they play well. For $500 you should be able to get something decently nice. If you want to play rock/metal, make sure that the guitar has humbuckers and not single coil pickups.
What about an amp? An electric guitar without an amp is a bummer.
Also, I would add that some research wouldn't hurt. Go to a site like musiciansfriend.com and browse their selection. If you see something in your price range that your interested in and you can't find it at a local store to try out, go to a site that has guitar reviews and see what people that have purchased that guitar think about it. I always do that whenever i'm purchasing anything. I've saved myself alot of grief finding out if the product is crap before purchasing it.
What about an amp? An electric guitar without an amp is a bummer.
Also, I would add that some research wouldn't hurt. Go to a site like musiciansfriend.com and browse their selection. If you see something in your price range that your interested in and you can't find it at a local store to try out, go to a site that has guitar reviews and see what people that have purchased that guitar think about it. I always do that whenever i'm purchasing anything. I've saved myself alot of grief finding out if the product is crap before purchasing it.
Last edited by Volatile_Squirrel (2007-07-22 20:03:38)
Epiphone is pretty decent. It's a cheap Gibson, but they're rarely cheap in quality.
Well yeah I knew I would have to get an amp/cables/etc. So I went to Guitar Center and talked everything out with one of the guys there. He totally sold me on a company called Schecter. The quality is astounding. They are a pretty underdog company right now and seem to be rising up. So the guitar was pretty cheap, but like I said I'm amazed by the quality of it for the price. Its got Floyd Rose Tremolo which is supposed to be excellent at staying in tune.
The guitar I got has an awesome matte black finish. Here is a picture of it, as well as the Schecter website.
http://www.schecterguitars.com/index.asp
The guitar I got has an awesome matte black finish. Here is a picture of it, as well as the Schecter website.
http://www.schecterguitars.com/index.asp
Last edited by Kylau (2007-07-22 23:03:08)
thats a nice looking guitar... and practice... practice... thats the most important thing...
Love is the answer
Schecter ? Underdog company ? Their guitars are used by Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) for a long time, now (his are strat-type).
From what I know, they're excellent guitars, but usually really expensive.
From what I know, they're excellent guitars, but usually really expensive.
Well I guess underdog wasn't the right word. Low Key is probably a better term. This is MY first guitar, but I've dabbled a little bit in the past. I'm excited to get started again though, I seem to have forgotten everything I knew a few years ago...
Is the Yamaha Pacifica 521 still around? I bought one about 14 years ago and it still plays awesome. A friend bought an Ibanez at the same time, and he is still playing it too. The two were almost identical in feel and sound, but the Ibanez he had was REALLY heavy, and I liked the Yamaha's weight better... I think I paid $300ish for it... WELL worth the investment...
First guitar? Don't get one with a floyd, it'll piss you off for ages until you know what you're doin with it
I'm a helicopter mechanic... I'm sure I can figure it out. And I have the friendly neighborhood guitar center to help me outFatman wrote:
First guitar? Don't get one with a floyd, it'll piss you off for ages until you know what you're doin with it
Ok you were right. When I was in the store I thought it would just be a pain in the ass to change the strings, but its a FUCKING PAIN to get it tuned. I finally got it tuned and after ONE little wiggle of the tremolo and its all jacked up... Thank god for the Guitar Center's 30 day return policy. I'm going to go back and get the Damien 6, its the same thing just without the Floyd Rose so the strings go through the body...Fatman wrote:
First guitar? Don't get one with a floyd, it'll piss you off for ages until you know what you're doin with it
Last edited by Kylau (2007-07-23 23:10:55)
Whoa whoa! Don't return that baby!Kylau wrote:
Ok you were right. When I was in the store I thought it would just be a pain in the ass to change the strings, but its a FUCKING PAIN to get it tuned. I finally got it tuned and after ONE little wiggle of the tremolo and its all jacked up... Thank god for the Guitar Center's 30 day return policy. I'm going to go back and get the Damien 6, its the same thing just without the Floyd Rose so the strings go through the body...Fatman wrote:
First guitar? Don't get one with a floyd, it'll piss you off for ages until you know what you're doin with it
Just buy yourself and electronic tuner and bam! You have yourself a tuned guitar in a minute.