Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 Any suggestions? Was thinking about taking him down to the GUITAR CENTEr and get some advice there... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jc4prez Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Any suggestions? Was thinking about taking him down to the GUITAR CENTEr and get some advice there... My only advice would be weary of GC. You may be get a good deal but they sell guitars like their cars. They pressure you a lot. I have also herd about them reselling used stuff as new. many times they don't even have the box the guitar came in. Just use your best judgement. You can find a great deal sometimes Quote Link to post Share on other sites
the_fliz1 Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Any suggestions? Was thinking about taking him down to the GUITAR CENTEr and get some advice there... You can get a good Mexican made Fender Strat for about 300 to 350 dollars. I bought one a little while back just to play around with a Strat and didn't want to pay a grand for an American made one and I really like it. My brother in law had an American made one and if somebody wasn't really experienced with guitars they probably couldn't tell a whole lot of difference between the 2. It really all depends on the amount of money you want to spend. Also, my first electric guitar was a Ibanex AX30. It was a good guitar. I gave it to the same brother in law for his graduation present 3 years ago and he still plays it. The only one I wouldn't recommend is any of the Epiphone Les Paul's. Maybe it is because I love my Gibson LP so much, but the Epiphone ones that I have played seem really cheap to me. I have also heard complaints that they don't stay in tune. The action is really high on them and you can adjust it down a bit but you have to be careful doing it because you can get into some fret buzz. So after all of my rambling, to sum it up here are my recomendations for the price ranges: 200 to 500 - Mexican made Strat, Gibson Melody Maker, or a Yamaha AES 420500 to 700 - PRS Soapbar 2, or a Schecter C-1 Plus, also a Gibson SG Special.700 and up - You might as well go for an American made Strat or a Gibson Les Paul Studio. The LP Studio is my personal favorite but that is just because the one I have is the one guitar I have ever picked up that felt like it was made to be in my hands. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
anthony Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 My advice? Learn acoustic guitar first. or risk hiding behind amps, distortion pedals, power chords. Get a good all solid wood acoustic guitar. Like a Epi Masterbuilt. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stooka Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Learn acoustic guitar first. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jc4prez Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 My advice? Learn acoustic guitar first. or risk hiding behind amps, distortion pedals, power chords. Get a good all solid wood acoustic guitar. Like a Epi Masterbuilt. Couldn't agree with you more. I bought my girlfriend an epiphone Hummingbird for about 300 at GC and she loves it. good action and a great sound. not a bad guitar for a first guitar. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jimmyjimmy Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 I love these threads because I'm such a guitar geek.That and the idea of getting a kid his first guitar. Pretty much agree with everything "the fliz1" says.Mexi Fender's are great for beginners, intermediate players and pros alike.The Fender Highway 1 series of Stratocasters and Teles are good value for the money and assembled in the good old USA ($700-800 USD). The Paul Reed Smith SE (Student Edition) series are another good line of inexpensive electrics. My advice?Learn acoustic guitar first. There's good logic here and not only for the reasons mentioned.Acoustics (generally)have a wider fingerboard. A bit more difficult initially to navigate as a novice but it pays off down the road.Allow me to recommend the Martin 00-15.Small, again US made, and an easy player with a good tone; (different than what many are used to perhaps, all mahogany construction, very sweet).$700-800 USD. And my two cents: I'm not a fan of the big chain music stores either.It's my belief your generally better off with a small local shop in the long run. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ction Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 I kinda wish I had learned to play on an acoustic...I'm sure it would have helped a lot. That being said, I would have never had the patience to stick it out and keep playing if I hadn't had an electric guitar/amp to mess around on. There's a lot to be said for the power of distortion, even in the hands of a complete novice. P.S. In my limited experience, Guitar Center has been pretty good. I've spent a couple hours recently trying out guitars/basses/amps and no one has pressured me - in fact, the people that work there have been really helpful, even after I said that I was planning to buy used stuff off Craigslist. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 You're in TX.There have to be a billion little, independent guitar stores near you.Go to one of those and pick up a decent used instrument. You can get a good deal there and also build a relationship with somebody who actually KNOWS guitars and will help you out in the future. It's like getting to know a good mechanic that you can trust. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest David Puddy Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 my only advice... 1) listen to the dude who said to go acoustic first 2) don't buy if you feel uncomfortable with the salesman. if you feel uncomfortable, or have a hunch he's read you as an idiot (not to say you are) and he's going to extort you, just say "thanks" and leave. i felt like i got pressured into to spending more than i wanted on an epiphone i'm not sure i really like, and he talked me up on an expensive amp, and i'm regretful i didn't just leave and find another store. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jc4prez Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 my only advice... 1) listen to the dude who said to go acoustic first 2) don't buy if you feel uncomfortable with the salesman. if you feel uncomfortable, or have a hunch he's read you as an idiot (not to say you are) and he's going to extort you, just say "thanks" and leave. i felt like i got pressured into to spending more than i wanted on an epiphone i'm not sure i really like, and he talked me up on an expensive amp, and i'm regretful i didn't just leave and find another store. Did you goto the one on Halsted? I fucking hate that place. Its actully the guitar center I was speaking form experince on. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dannygutters Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Get a good all solid wood acoustic guitar. Like a Epi Masterbuilt. I've been very impressed with these, they are priced nicely and sound good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dannygutters Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Did you goto the one on Halsted? I fucking hate that place. Its actully the guitar center I was speaking form experince on. Yeah that place is awful, If you're looking for a guitar to start on and are in CHICAGO go to N. Ave Guitars on North ave or the Old Town School of Folk Music guitar shop on lincoln and wilson. These are much much much nicer and less pressure places. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TCP Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 The only one I wouldn't recommend is any of the Epiphone Les Paul's. Maybe it is because I love my Gibson LP so much, but the Epiphone ones that I have played seem really cheap to me. I have also heard complaints that they don't stay in tune. The action is really high on them and you can adjust it down a bit but you have to be careful doing it because you can get into some fret buzz.I got an Epiphone Les Paul on my 16th birthday (I'm 20 now) and I still play it and I still love it, it's a great guitar. The action has always been really low and I know for a fact that the lazy bastards I bought it off of did not readjust it. There's not fret buzz at all. It plays great and sounds great. I've never had any tuning issues at all. Maybe I just got lucky? I don't know! But I'd recommend one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dmait Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Any suggestions for a guitar for a toddler - I guess one of the 3/4 acoustic guitars? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TCP Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 I had a 3/4th acoustic guitar when I was a kid (Fred Penner was my idol) and I loved it. I didn't know any chords but that didn't matter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest David Puddy Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Did you goto the one on Halsted? I fucking hate that place. Its actully the guitar center I was speaking form experince on. no, i went to the Chicago Music Exchange on Lincoln. i'm embarassed to admit that i kind of only went there because i heard jeff and the gang shop there. it's an amazing place, but i felt uncomfortable with the dude who sold me the guitar because it seemed like he knew i was clueless and had a credit card in my pocket. but yeah, the GC on Halsted blows. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 no, i went to the Chicago Music Exchange on Lincoln. i'm embarassed to admit that i kind of only went there because i heard jeff and the gang shop there. it's an amazing place, but i felt uncomfortable with the dude who sold me the guitar because it seemed like he knew i was clueless and had a credit card in my pocket. but yeah, the GC on Halsted blows. Go to Geoff Benge's Guitar Shop on Damen (and Addison). Many of the guitars will be out of your range, but he may have some cheapos, too. Also, Geoff is a great guy and a MASTER repairman and luthier.www.geoffbengesguitarshop.com Seriously.Call ahead though, to see if he has anything for you. He just may. And, if he does, it'll be better than anything you'll get for the same price at Guitar Center. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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