Shop wisely & choose the best electric guitar you can find for the money!
Dec 27 '01 (Updated Mar 13 '03)
The Bottom Line The most important fact to remember is to make sure that your guitar and whatever amp you own or intend on getting next match up for great sounds and tone!
From the most expensive to the least expensive, the electric guitar is a musical instrument that can give you years of enjoyment when properly cared for.
The same can be said about cars. They come in many different models, styles, makes and price ranges. Some models are better known and more popular than others but that doesn't mean that the less popular ones are not any good. The same can be said about guitars!
Would you buy a car without test driving it first? Would you not compare it with other models and makes? Obviously, the sensible thing to do is to look into it, research everything about it and compare it with other similar models! Unless, of course, your looking for the best second hand car you can find for 500$. The same goes for a used guitar.
1. What you should know...
If you are on a budget, don't waste your money on the most expensive guitar. There are a lot of very good electric guitars for the budget minded. If you can afford it, buy the best money can buy and you won't need to upgrade later. You can research on Epinions and Harmony Central for electric guitars in your price range to see what people have to say about them. In my opinion, if you are looking for a second hand guitar, you can't go wrong with a Fender Strat or Tele, they are probably your best bet! The Strat being one of the most versatile guitars ever made and the Tele being the most basic hard working guitar on the planet.
A very important fact to know before buying an electric guitar is that the all-time classic rock and roll guitar/amp setups are a Gibson into a Marshall and a Fender into a Fender. Make no mistake, these setups are a perfect match. The most important thing to remember is to make sure that your electric guitar and whatever amp you own or intend on getting next match up for great sounds and tone.
Another important factor to consider when buying a guitar is the kind of music you are going to play? Most guitars are very versatile, but many are made for specific types of music such as metal.
2. Some recommended models to try out:
I would recommend you try Fenders, Gibsons, ESP's and Ibanez for a general idea of the different makes and models...then compare with others such as BC Rich, Brian Moore, G&L, PRS, Peavey, Schecter, Godin, Yamaha, etc...
Anything above 1200$ will be of good quality no doubt. Where it gets interesting is in the 500 to 1000$ price range where you could find very decent guitars, maybe you will find one that you feel is just as good if not better than a 1200 to 1500$ guitar?
Check out the following models: BC Rich Mockingbird, ESP Viper 300 or 301, the Epiphone Les Paul Custom, the G&L Legacy. Compare these to other models and see what you like best.
Also, for the budget minded, in the under 500$ price range, you could find truly awesome quality guitars for that money. Seek out Godin SD or LG Performance Series guitars. You won't be disappointed. In addition to Godin guitars, look at the Peavey Predator Plus, the Schecter Diamond Series PT or the C series Omen6. Even Yamaha guitars such as the RGX121S, the AES800 or the AES500. All great buys for the money.
3. What about the pick-ups on the guitar?
Another very important factor to consider are the Pick-Ups on the guitar.
Pick-ups are the electronic components that are under the strings on the guitar body. Pick-ups carry the string sounds and delivers them to your amp. The better the pickups, the better the sounds! There are 2 different types of pickups: single-coils and humbuckers.
Single coils are bright sounding, some say even chimey, but they have lots of character...good for all round playing, especially blues and rock & roll. Single coils are known to capture interference - a humming sound caused by other sources. Popular single coil sounds can be heard from artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn.
As for humbuckers, they sound full, smooth and thick, and give a very fat and creamy overdrive sound with almost no interference whatsoever. Popular humbucker sounds can be heard from Santana and Slash.
If you don't like your guitar's pickups, you can buy better ones and have a guitar technician install them for you. Seymour Duncan pick-ups are considered the best. Dimarzio pick-ups are not far behind. The best way to compare pick-ups is to go into a guitar store and ask a technician that you would like to try several guitars to compare the various pick-ups available. This will at least give you a better idea of the different sounds between a single coil and a humbucker pick-up.
To conclude, do your research, read all the reviews you could find, shop intelligently and if you are on a budget choose the best guitar you can find for the money based on you favorite style of music!
Good luck!
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vanwarp
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"Only sick music makes money today." Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher (1844 - 1900)
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