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Post subject: Just starting out! Your thoughts?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:17 pm
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What’s up everyone? This is my first post here and I have a few questions and need a lot of help from those that know their stuff.

I have always been a musical person, but have never ever picked up a Guitar, never learned to read music nor learned to play any instrument.

I mention all of this because I am going to, within the next two months, pick up an electric guitar, take some lessons and learn to play. I quickly realized I have a TON of options when it comes to guitars. Not just in brand but in style and sound. Well, I talked with the guy at the local shop and I came away a bit more knowledgeable but no less confused as to what I need.

I am not looking to buy a lifetime guitar or something that a professional artist takes on stage daily, but I definitely do want something that sounds decent and not some toy box sounding guitar. I just want to learn on something that will sound correct when I play a song. I am one of those people that knows when something doesn’t sound right and simply can’t stand it. lol

Anyways, what the dealer recommended was a strat boxed set. I can’t remember a model or anything but I am pretty sure it was a squire strat of some sort. But he says I won’t be able to play some of the stuff I told him I really like.

For instance, I told him that I do want to be able to play Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson and he said that I would need this other guitar in the store for that. I then asked him if I could play Black magic woman on it and he said I would have to go back to the other guitar. Label me confused.

So in the end, I want to learn guitar. I want to get myself a good guitar to learn on. I want something that sounds good. I am willing to sacrifice a little more money for something that will give me a bit more sound quality but I don’t want something to expensive. I am hoping to, all told, spend about 300 to 500 dollars on something to start. If that’s not possible, let me know.
I really like Eric Johnsons stuff, I like Santana too. I also like Slash's stuff as well, specifically Paradise city, sweet child o mine and welcome to the jungle. (I do realize Slash plays a Gibson) But I should also say, I like pretty much anything that has electric guitar in it. I enjoy listening to most of the stuff out there, and probably wouldn’t mind playing all of it lol.

Anyways, please help me out here. Give me some advice. What should I get? What should I definitely stay away from? Any tips? Anything and everything you could tell me would be great. If I can get through buying one in the first place, I am sure I can play it.

Sorry this got so long. Thanks in advance guys.

EDIT: I do realize that the stuff I mentioned is stuff that I wont be playing for a long time and after a lot of practice. Its the way the songs sound is why I mention them mostly.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:36 pm
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Hey dude, welcome to the Fender Forums.

I would suggest a Mexican Stratocaster (I would have suggested my personal preference, the Telecaster, but none of those artists you have named play them), but unless you want a tiny, cheap amp (for I'm assuming the amp and accessories are included in the price range) don't get it.

Your best bet, as far as I know, if you are looking for a strat, is a "Stop Dreaming, Start Playing" pack with an Affinity Squire Stratocaster and G-Dec Jr. amp (etc). It is listed on Musician's Friend at $350.

My uncle just got a G-Dec Jr., it's pretty cool. It has a bunch of rhythm settings, digital effects... It's nice, but I haven't had to much time on it.

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Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:31 pm
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Hi, Carbonite! Welcome to the Forums! Since I have been playing for all of FIVE months now (cough, cough), I am happy to share my deep expertise with you.

On what guitar to buy, of course pick one that feels good to you, and I agree with the usual advice it's important to get something that sounds good, stays in tune etc just so you don't make things more difficult for yourself. I was fortunate that a Mexican Strat came into my life just at the right time, but I've heard very good things about the Squier starter kit.

And please come back and let us know how you're going! Don't be afraid to ask any question you have - everyone's been nice, welcoming, and incredibly helpful to me so far.

It's a great adventure you're starting.

_________________
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2002 LP Special Ebony Faded
2008 G-Dec
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TS 808
DS 1
Gretsch 6120DS (on loan)


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:40 pm
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Welcome to the Forum!

My personal opinion is to go with a Starter pack that includes everything you will need to start off. Take lessons and practice a lot. If you should decide to continue to play guitar you can always buy a different guitar later.

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:52 pm
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Hi Carbonite and welcome to the forum. One day you buy a beginner guitar, then after a while you realize that you want more, more. Your beginner kit doesn't satisfy you anymore and you need serious more expensive stuff. Okay it's called GAS and there is a treatment for that. :)

Seriously you have a plan and it is a good idea. But take your time, you'll learn a lot from your first gear but I think that the most important thing is to take guitar lessons. The Tone is in your hands, they are your music instruments, you'll hear that here from time to time.

You already had good answers so don't hesitate to visit a lot and share your experiments. Good luck. 8)

Claude.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:17 pm
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Thanks for the great replies everyone.

Well, I think that the Affinity Squire Stratocaster and G-Dec Jr. amp might have been the one the guy at the store reccomended. So I guess I may end up with that as my first guitar.

I would like to ask, exactly what is a Mexican Strat? I dont see it on the fender site anywhere.

Also, as it pertains to online, what is the most reputable guitar shop?

And yes guys, I dont intend to go anywhere. I will update with my progress as it happens and will likely be asking questions along the way.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:48 pm
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Location: Australia
heh..."Cliffs of Dover..? Yeah, if you wanna play that, you'll be wanting this EJ signature model we have over here.." Best up-sell ever...

This is kind of stating the obvious, but the most important thing when starting out is to have a guitar that is actually playable...i.e. the action is not so high that you can't fret a note and the intonation is correct (so you know that it's at least able to be tuned, even if it takes a while to get the hang of tuning it).

So...invest in a decent setup; if you get a teacher, they'll probably be able to help out there without charging extra, or else they'll know someone who can do it for you. Or you could probably get it done when you buy your instrument...trying to dredge up memories from 20 years ago when I started taking lessons...heh.

Sounds like you have the right idea -- any Fender product will have the potential to play well, regardless of price. Learn a couple of chords, try a few out and trust your judgment...preferably alone in a room (unless you have a friend/teacher you trust with you), as you don't want any interference from pushy salespeople.

P.S. A Mexican Strat is one that's made in Mexico (MIM here on the board. or MIJ for Japan) and tends to be cheaper because the labour involved costs less. I've not played one myself, but a quick look around the forums should show that many players swear by them, even if they can afford one made in the US


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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 6:45 am
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Carbonite wrote:
Thanks for the great replies everyone.

Well, I think that the Affinity Squire Stratocaster and G-Dec Jr. amp might have been the one the guy at the store reccomended. So I guess I may end up with that as my first guitar.

I would like to ask, exactly what is a Mexican Strat? I dont see it on the fender site anywhere.

Also, as it pertains to online, what is the most reputable guitar shop?

And yes guys, I dont intend to go anywhere. I will update with my progress as it happens and will likely be asking questions along the way.


Carbonite, go to the US price list in the Resources section at the top of this page, look at the beginning of the parts number, MIA starts with 011 and MIM starts with 013. There's a lot of other starting numbers but I don't know their references but here's a few guesses, Japan, Korea, Custom shop etc.

Claude.


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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:18 am
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As far as online shops go, I've heard good things about Musician's Friend, http://www.musiciansfriend.com/, although I've never bought anything from them myself.

_________________
2008 MIM Strat w 3-tone sunburst
2002 LP Special Ebony Faded
2008 G-Dec
'59 Reissue Bassman 4x10 combo
TS 808
DS 1
Gretsch 6120DS (on loan)


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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:25 am
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Sweetwater and zzsounds are good folks to deal with also.

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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:43 am
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Location: Magnolia, Texas (just north of Houston)
It really depends on your price range. I would get either a Fender Stratocaster Made in Mexico model or a Squire Deluxe. As far as an amp I would recommend the Roland Micro Cube 20 or 30x. They are really sweet sounding amps, they already have some effects on them that sound good. They also pack a good punch for solo practice. If you are in your room and do not want to be heard you can plug in a good set of headphones as to not disturb the neighbors with you practice sesions.

I think you can pick these items up for arounf $700 (US). IF that is still too high, Squire has the "Starter Pack" that comes with everything (small amp) for just under $200.

But if you are wanting to learn Slash or Eric Johnson stuff I would go for the higher end stuff. Please look at the links for a price check only, the local stores should be around the same price range:

Amps:

I really like the sound of this amp. I played on one in the store, Phenominal cleans, and built effects are some of the best I have heard.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=487031

Careful with this one...hard to get a clean tone, but different sounds are built into them and you can modify tones to suit your needs.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=480868

Guitars:

You will not get the sound you want, but good learner pack

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=513287

There are different colors for this and this is the '08 model. The '09's are a little more expensive, but both will get you closer to the sound you want (with some modifications down the road).

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=516039

If you are going with Squire I really recommend this one, to me it is the best bang for the buck. You may still want to tweek it later down the road:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=517231


Sorry a little long, but was trying to give you some ideas. Good luck on your endeavors and if you do purchace, please let us know what you decided and if you can post pics, we love pics.

Welcome to the Forum.

Disclaimer: Most of these product are Fender except the Roland Amp. There are other brands out there, but as this is a Fender Forum, I was trying to stick to Fender products as much as possible.

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2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head


Last edited by rkreisher on Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:08 pm
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Welcome to the forum. You can`t go wrong with a Fender Stratocaster made in Mexico. The guitar is not entry level and will give you many years of enjoyment and will sound good as you progress. A Squier is a bit on the lower end of Fender`s line up so I would stay away from that model because you`ll only want to upgrade later on. You can pick up a used Mexican Strat for a decent price. I bought one on Ebay for $170 with Texas Special pick ups in excellent condition for an `03 model. For $300-500 you can get a decent set up. Also look on Craigslist.com in your area. I`ve seen many amps for sale at an affordable price. I saw a Fender Frontman for $50 this morning so the bargains are out there if you look.

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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:23 pm
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I think I will stay with the Squire Strat with that jr amp for now.

I like to many different tones to be able to nail down one guitar setup I think. For instance, here are some links to some of my favorite guitar songs. (No particular order)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl3qsBVWN8Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oobDQ0vdm8M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pau8Zf7srlU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkkE7yDXr6g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik8JjtxHI0M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5gJJ7K1 ... annel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrDv3K7RNI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIpIsM4K ... re=related

And thats just a few. In fact, any electric guitar you here is likely to be something I like.


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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:30 pm
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Yeah, if you are not very knowlegable about guitars, it would be a good idea to bring someone along who is. Careful with e-bay, craigslist, and pawn shops. You would be supprised at what some people do to the guitars...(ie. Starcaster body with Fender neck, strat clones with Fender necks, or putting decals with Fender on them on lower end guitars.)

I find that most major outlets will sell the real thing, careful with the smaller shops. While most are very good, some are not. I do know that GC and SA will sell used items in their stores. I know a couple mom and pop shops in the Houston area that are great.

Research before buying used equiment. Good Luck. The deals are out there.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head


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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:36 pm
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The local shop here is good. Its an authorized dealer as well.

I didn't mean to make them sound bad.

He was just saying stuff I knew nothing about yet. He said that I need a humbucker pickup for eric johnson stuff and for the other stuff I mentioned I didnt.

He didnt try to upsell me, I was basically doing that to myself. In fact he was going through options with me and was even willing to put a better guitar with the fender package, though used, a higher quality guitar that wouldnt take the price up. That wasnt a fender though, it was a gibson.

He played some stuff on both of them and I could definately hear the difference. The used one was a higher quality guitar. (Not saying Gibson is better than Fender, its just that it wasn't a low end Gibson.)

In any event, I am pretty sure I will get the package mentioned before. When I actually start to learn to play I will look into something solid.

Thanks for all the help everyone.


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