The Energon Pub

I'm looking to invest. Sad to say my only experience with either has been Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

To those with any knowledge of guitars: Should I bother with a beginner guitar pack or should I just buy one I like and go from there?

Reason I ask this is because at the local shop: http://www.themusicden.com/c-945-guitar-packs.aspx
They have starter packages for both guitar and bass that seems to have a lot of good stuff. The guitar, instructional DvD/book, amp, gig bag (how it all fits in the box is beyond me). But my only concern about this is the guitar going to be crap?

Be it so, would I be better off just buying a cheap Strat from the same place for about $200 more?

Thanks,
CB

Cowboy Bebop wrote:I'm looking to invest. Sad to say my only experience with either has been Guitar Hero and Rock Band.
Thanks,
CB

IMO, that's not sad at all.

If playing the game has inspired you to go out and learn the real thing, I think that's great.

My personal opinion is that you start cheap.

Price does make a difference, but usually not for learning, and it's very unlikley that the guitar you buy will sound crap.
Most people I know who play at any degree, started with a cheap guitar with starter pack.

If I made one recommendation, I'd start electro acoustic.

go cheap for your first guitar. You will quickly decide if you want to pursue it further of if you want let it gather dust in the corner. Not to mention, if you can play well on a crap guitar you can play well on anything.

That being said, the Ibanez starter kits really aren't that bad. My first guitar was from one of them and outside of some minor fret buzzing it played great.

Something if yas want to make the time for,minus responsibilties...
Acoustic is a good start...hard..but develops finger strength and skill.
Some get a combo,electric/amp....up to you...electric is an easier way,
but...certain skills don't develop or arrive later.....all up to you..
grim

I would recommend you go with a cheaper guitar first, to get a handle on things.


My biggest tip is, buy instore! Haggle them down as low as you can. A lot of money can be saved that way.




Your first guitar will pretty much always be of a lower quality, but that's mainly because you go for a low-end one to begin with.


Having said that though, my friend picked up a red strat for £30 from our local music store, and it was really good quality (probably better than my first, which cost £90 )

Gutter Bunny wrote: Not to mention, if you can play well on a crap guitar you can play well on anything.

Don't take this the wrong way, but that's SO not true. Everything else GB has said was dead on. Ibanez starter kits can be nice, but do NOT buy one sight unseen. You literally have to go through 20 of them to find one that is worthy of purchase. Once you do, you're going to have to refinish the neck to keep it from warping within a month. Minwax tung oil does the trick for this. It's very easy to apply, and seals the wood perfectly. It's also very cheap.

I see that this post is a bit old, but oh well.

What to buy? It depends what you can afford. IMO, you should get something cheap, but also something quality enough to keep you interested. The really cheap instruments are unplayable, IMO.

The cheapest that you should be looking, is maybe a $300 Epiphone LP ... or something like that. It will have its minor issues, but beginners not be concerned with what typical problems will come with that instrument. i.e "fret rattles". Most people don't even notice this issue, but it becomes VERY apparent once you start recording in a studio. If you search for a really good one of these Epi LP's, it can be stage worthy with a set of sperzel tuners, and a pickup swap. Maybe some wiring work, too ... but they have gotten much better with that over the years.

Once you stick with it a while, and decide to advance ... then you can get something a bit nicer.

What kind of music are you looking at playing? This also has a lot to do with what type of guitar you should be looking at.

PM me with any questions, because I haven't been posting here much lately. I pretty much have, or have had everything that is out there.

I can also give you tips on buying, maintenance, repair, amplifiers.

If you're looking for a good quality, reasonably priced acoustic. Go to Carvin.com and check out their Cobalt series. 15 day money back guarantee, no questions asked. They are pro quality if you get a good one. If not, keep sending it back until you get a gem. Great company to deal with. Their electrics are really nice as well, but can get very expensive.

I'd say the best advice lies somewhere between what Gutter Bunny & AlienQuikSilver have said in that you wanna buy reasonably cheap incase you stop playing but you don't wanna end up with a piece of firewood as you'll never enjoy playing if you do and having a better quality instrument will help motivate you more.

Start working out what guitar players you like play and get a bit of an idea of what you think would "look right in your hands". Looks have little/nothing to do with anything other that your relationship with the guitar but initially that's very important for how you'll feel about playing it.

Borrow guitars from anyone you can and get them to teach you something on it - maybe you can find someone who got one gathering dust you can borrow semi-longterm until you can play a bit.

Find a mate who understands guitars and go round all the guitar shops trying out all the cheaper guitars (both of you) - explain that you want to learn and they're helping and they should be very receptive - if not move on. PM AQS as well!

Then work out how much you're prepared to spend (with your mate) as you'll always need more strings that you think when you start as you'll break them a lot more when learning. Remember that you might not persevere with playing and it's a reasonably big loss if all it does is sit in a corner. Seriously this is where borrowing guitars comes in handy - you can look to buy after you know you'll stick with it and you have a much better idea what you like.

AQS's comment about recording is, at this point, not that useful as you'll want to get good before attempting to record and I don't know anyone who's taken their first guitar into the studio (I've worked in a studio, rehearse in a studio, been semi-pro & just missed an oppertunity to support Metallica) - you'll generally want to upgrade to a semi-pro/pro instrument before then.

Finally try to get as much quality out of the guitar as you can as this is what you're actually playing - Cheap amplifiers and cables are easier to resolve later on.

Other that that get playing with as many different people in as many different styles as you can as soon as you can as that's where you'll learn the most, especially if you are consistantly playing with people who are a little bit better than you are.

Then finally ROCK!!!

So, what's everyone playing nowadays?


I'm playing my beloved Epi SG, which plays like a dream. A friend's dad couldn't tell much difference at all between it and his own Gibby SG.

Great finish too. No fret buzz, smooth neck, great distorted and clean. Grover tuners work great (haven't needed to retune yet, and it's been two months of solid play since I bought it).


What are you rockin on tonight?

Bass wise I'm mostly playing
Fender 5-string Jazz
Status Custom 4-String Active Fretless
Spector Legend Active 5-String
Line 6 & Behringer Effects & Modelling & DI
Peavey Mark VI Bass Head
2x15" Marshall cabs
4x10" Marshall cabs
Vox T25B Practise Amp

Electric Guitar wise I'm playing an cheap old beat up Encore Superstrat copy with a std trem that's been heavily customised over the years. While I'd love the sound of a detuned & distorted Epiphone Les Paul, I don't get on with the scale length as I've got big hand and long fingers.

I'd say buy a Stratocaster. Usually cheaper, good playing. Heck, I have one and it's great.

What I really want is a Gibson Thunderbird Bass.....

trail?..dedicated...?choice of variety...grim

Sherade wrote:I'd say buy a Stratocaster. Usually cheaper, good playing. Heck, I have one and it's great.

What I really want is a Gibson Thunderbird Bass.....

That's the bass I want!

That, and the bass version of the SG. Those be the only two basses that interest me.


Guitar wise, I want to own a custom SG and a Les Paul. And maybe a casino.

Dealer wrote:

Sherade wrote:
What I really want is a Gibson Thunderbird Bass.....

That's the bass I want!

Well, you're a KO of me!

Anyhoo, found a 70's BC Rich bass for $200.00..

Closest...to a gibson,it's own...mahogany body...bass eqivs of mumbuckers...Gotta see a snap,or a site.......a riddle..good,how
do yas turn an epi...in a les paul standard?.........Under grem'sguitar..runs through a marshall mini full stack........
1/2 the riddle is answered.

I used two kinds of woods,over the mahogony.1 to bring up the top.Another...mids. 1 piece is in the bridge. The other make the rest.
The finish is my bit...cause......

Not as clear as maple,but it has a natural reverb.Very loud..acoustic
as well. If yas don't know...see the page..gremlincreatives.deviantart.

It's my life,and a reg gig. Nice to have the time...and if....will
give yas the bit....doing the les paul..recorder bit...,but that's
another story.........mucho grim................

Sherade wrote:

Dealer wrote:

Sherade wrote:
What I really want is a Gibson Thunderbird Bass.....

That's the bass I want!

Well, you're a KO of me!

Anyhoo, found a 70's BC Rich bass for $200.00..

Correction- European release.
Improved QC, and a tidier paint job :p :smug:

Nice choices......saw a fender once...all mahogany and rose wood,pick ups like a gibo.....american issue.Would've but...a second yes.
Anywho..answer to...purple heart on the bridge..cause it brings out the highs,walnut for the rest...mid and highs. The paint is a secret.
Loud,clean...plays the accoustic well...put her through a marshall or
fender....wouldn't make a dif,marshalls are what I know,fenders..there's
guys...that .......have a good one. Appearance is.....cause grem
has preferences....

Thanks for the quality bit,if yas want to know,and.....always around..
just between finding the reg gig and developing the gallery...grim:).

I was blessed to have been given a Fender Fat Strat 7 years ago for my 13th birthday, I honestly don't think I would have stuck with it if I was given some cheap little peice courtesy of wal-mart.

Just buy used, I got a mine w/ amp for about the same price as one of those "starter packs" ($150) with a little 15w amp included. Surely I've upgraded to the big boys @ Gibson, but my strat is still of a great value to me.

I know it is very much possible to hunt down the same deal out there, I got a call last summer about a Fender Strat upgraded with noiseless pickups for the same price (reeeaaaal nice).

What's even easier than haggling down a guitar center is haggling down a college student, college student's parent(s), or just an old collector.

Hope I've been a help!

Haggling is awesome.

I got £50 ($100) knocked off the price of my SG, and a marshall switch pedal thrown in. And a short lead.