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Post by sufuking perbley on Jun 15, 2016 17:15:57 GMT -5
So I decided to start playing guitar recently. I own a pretty shitty, banged up classical guitar, it sounds shitty and it's totally killing my learning mood. I love the look and sound of hollow and semi hollow guitars, so of course, I would like that to be my first guitar. My problem is that my budget is practically non-existent (meaning I have to beg parents to get me one while I'm still unemployed). Now from what I gathered hollows are a bit more pricier than solid body guitars, but I've noticed some cheap copies of Gibsons by Stagg and some guitar makers I never even heard of, which are within the price range my parents would dish out for their only child /rolls eyes. Now my question is, is it a good idea to get a cheaper guitar (keep in mind I'm a total beginner) or should I wait a bit longer and get a better guitar? I figure cheaper guitars have pretty low resale value so if I end up sucking and sell the guitar, I wouldn't get much back, but I would also like to begin playing as soon as possible, especially since I'm pretty much doing nothing at home until I get my "degree". And in case I do actually decide to get a cheaper guitar, what are some "good copies" or cheaper hollows in general? I don't care whether my guitar looks good or nah, I don't plan on letting anyone see me play any time soon anyway
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Post by boneheadsbolero on Jun 16, 2016 11:44:32 GMT -5
Go cheap. You can get perfectly playable cheapos these days.
Practice. Get better. Do drugs. Practice some more. Buy a better guitar. Form a band with your brother. Fight constantly. Break up. Stick a burning bag of poop on his doorstep. Ring the bell and run.
And always remember.......rawk like fuck!
That is all.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2016 12:08:44 GMT -5
You can get a Takamine acoustic for less than $200 easily. They stay in tune, sound fine, and take the beating that you will most certainly be giving it. I have been playing the same $200 guitar for the past 17 years and it has never given me any problems.
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Post by madferitusa2025 on Jun 16, 2016 12:28:07 GMT -5
If possible you need to get to a music store and try various types. From a beginners standpoint I would look for an instrument with good action. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_(music)Less expensive guitars can have good action, but many don't. Only way to know is to try them. I would also look at neck thickness and width. Personally, for instance, I find Gibson (Les Paul, SG) necks (and classical nylon string guitars) to be thick and wide, and harder to wrap my fingers around. Fender necks seem to be thinner and easier to grip as well as being overall lighter in weight. Yeah it's a pain to try so many at a music store but, when you find one that feels right, it's worth it. I guess at that point you could order (apologies to the music shop salesman) it from wherever you wanted to. If you internet order a guitar without trying it, and it has lousy action, it will be harder to play as you learn chords and scales. Could just put you off it. Not to mention a waste of money. I'm certainly no expert, but this has been my experience. Good Luck.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2016 13:44:08 GMT -5
Playing around with guitars is the best way to find the right one for you. You want one that sounds how you want it to, has low action and is comfortable for you to play.
An important thing to check for when buying guitars second-hand or brand new is fret buzz. Play every fret on every string individually and make sure that the sound doesn't buzz, or isn't too quiet or tinny. It isn't too much of a problem right down at the end of the neck as you won't be using them frets too much anyway.
Low action is paramount, especially for new guitarists. If the strings are too far from the fretboard, it's going to be harder to play + it won't sound as good. You want it as a low as possible.
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Post by uǝɥʇɐǝɥ on Jun 16, 2016 13:52:02 GMT -5
If you want to go electric, I would recommend you a Squier Strat, maybe even one from the Vintage Modified range which has Duncan pick ups in it - a Orange Micro Terror with a box to it and you can't go wrong
Check your local pawnshops first.
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Post by Manualex on Jun 16, 2016 14:15:11 GMT -5
If you do buy an electric guitar and want to learn with 30 bucks you should buy Rocksmith 2014. There is one Oasis SSong(Dont Look Back In Anger) bundled with the game/software and 5 that could be bought separately(Wonderwall, Live Forever, Supersónic, Some Might Say and Champagne Supernova) and 600+ other songs.
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Post by sufuking perbley on Jun 16, 2016 15:20:19 GMT -5
Go cheap. You can get perfectly playable cheapos these days. Practice. Get better. Do drugs. Practice some more. Buy a better guitar. Form a band with your brother. Fight constantly. Break up. Stick a burning bag of poop on his doorstep. Ring the bell and run. And always remember.......rawk like fuck! That is all. Fuck, so I gotta get my parents to adopt a kid to have a good guitar? Well, that's it, admins, close the thread, no guitars for me If possible you need to get to a music store and try various types. From a beginners standpoint I would look for an instrument with good action. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_(music)Less expensive guitars can have good action, but many don't. Only way to know is to try them. I would also look at neck thickness and width. Personally, for instance, I find Gibson (Les Paul, SG) necks (and classical nylon string guitars) to be thick and wide, and harder to wrap my fingers around. Fender necks seem to be thinner and easier to grip as well as being overall lighter in weight. Yeah it's a pain to try so many at a music store but, when you find one that feels right, it's worth it. I guess at that point you could order (apologies to the music shop salesman) it from wherever you wanted to. If you internet order a guitar without trying it, and it has lousy action, it will be harder to play as you learn chords and scales. Could just put you off it. Not to mention a waste of money. I'm certainly no expert, but this has been my experience. Good Luck. I always figured action can be adjusted at the store? O: If you do buy an electric guitar and want to learn with 30 bucks you should buy Rocksmith 2014. There is one Oasis SSong(Dont Look Back In Anger) bundled with the game/software and 5 that could be bought separately(Wonderwall, Live Forever, Supersónic, Some Might Say and Champagne Supernova) and 600+ other songs. That's actually my plan, I already tried RS but with bass and it was really fun so I'm excited to try it with the guitar I'm just worried about the number of frets available, RS is meant to be played with a guitar with 24 frets, but most I saw on guitars I liked was 22 frets. My biggest problem is that there is only one music store where I live and all they have in terms of hollow and/or semi hollows are 4 Yamaha guitar that are outside my budget, and even if I go second hand, the closest guitar is way too far to just go over and try it out. I live in a very non-musical backwater country. My only chance is ordering a new guitar online from a local webshop, because most people who sell used guitars don't even know which guitars they are selling (once saw a Gibson be referred to as Gipson multiple times in one listing) or even if they are selling a guitar in good condition. Ordering from Amazon and similar stores is close to impossible because I would pay enormous customs fees and shipping costs. I saw an new Epiphone Dot for a little less than 500 USD, Wildkat for a tiny bit more, Ibanez Artcore AF55 for 420 USD. I also saw a used Stagg copy of the ES335, a used Aria copy of the same guitar and a Samick copy of (guess what?) the ES335, which are all within my budget, but can't be tried before buying. And I must say I never heard of Aria and Samick guitars. I assume that a webshop would allow me to return the guitar within a short period after the purchase if it doesn't work for me, but I doubt I could do that when buying a used guitar. And I thought shopping for a smartphone is tough shit!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2016 15:40:24 GMT -5
Carboot sales and auctions are a great place to pick up cheap guitars. Obviously a lot of them will be terrible, but if you know what you're looking for (low action etc.) you can sometimes get real bargains. I bought a 90's Squier Stratocaster for £14, spent about £20 doing it up and then sanded the logo off the headstock to make it look classier.
Be prepared to invest in a new pair of strings if you're buying a second hand guitar though. Often, they haven't been changed for a long time and they will have gone rusty and won't sound anywhere near as good as fresh strings. Same for new guitars really if you're buying a cheaper brand, as they often have cheap and nasty strings straight out of the factory.
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Post by sufuking perbley on Jun 17, 2016 6:01:08 GMT -5
So my mother is willing to dish out the cash for a new Epiphone Dot. Any thoughts?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2016 6:58:29 GMT -5
So my mother is willing to dish out the cash for a new Epiphone Dot. Any thoughts? Never played one myself but they definitely look the part! How much are you looking at paying? I'll see if I can find one cheaper for you.
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Post by carlober on Jun 17, 2016 7:23:44 GMT -5
So my mother is willing to dish out the cash for a new Epiphone Dot. Any thoughts? That's cool! Are you going for a normal Dot or for the less expensive Dot Studio? I own two Epiphone semi-hollows and one of them is a Sheraton II, which basically is a fancier/posh/more refined version of the Dot. It looks amazing, the finishing is great and it plays well (not that I've tried better axes like Gibsons and/or USA Fenders, and I'm pretty much shit at playing guitar, mind me! ). Action and intonation were alright when I got it, but even if they're a bit off they are easy things to fix with a screwdriver and some patience. I believe the pickups on the Dot are the same ones used in the Sheraton: on the net some say they're shit while some others say that there aren't many differences between those and the Gibson '57 Classics. Personally, I initially thought they lacked a tad of clarity and that they were a bit too bassy/muddy (the neck pickup in particular): what I've actually found out later is that adjusting pickup height can really do miracles on this area. I've lowered them a bit (it takes 10 seconds!) and it made a massive difference. The neck pickup is still a little darkish for my taste but it doesn't get used much anyway. Here it is. Well, actually it looks a bit different now, as I've put a Bigsby vibrato on it and changed the knobs.
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Post by sufuking perbley on Jun 17, 2016 9:53:23 GMT -5
Never played one myself but they definitely look the part! How much are you looking at paying? I'll see if I can find one cheaper for you. 400 USD. I'm sure there are cheap Dots on the net but most stores don't ship where I live so I doubt I can get it any cheaper, what with customs and shipping. That's cool! Are you going for a normal Dot or for the less expensive Dot Studio? I own two Epiphone semi-hollows and one of them is a Sheraton II, which basically is a fancier/posh/more refined version of the Dot. It looks amazing, the finishing is great and it plays well (not that I've tried better axes like Gibsons and/or USA Fenders, and I'm pretty much shit at playing guitar, mind me! ). Action and intonation were alright when I got it, but even if they're a bit off they are easy things to fix with a screwdriver and some patience. I believe the pickups on the Dot are the same ones used in the Sheraton: on the net some say they're shit while some others say that there aren't many differences between those and the Gibson '57 Classics. Personally, I initially thought they lacked a tad of clarity and that they were a bit too bassy/muddy (the neck pickup in particular): what I've actually found out later is that adjusting pickup height can really do miracles on this area. I've lowered them a bit (it takes 10 seconds!) and it made a massive difference. The neck pickup is still a little darkish for my taste but it doesn't get used much anyway. Here it is. Well, actually it looks a bit different now, as I've put a Bigsby vibrato on it and changed the knobs. I would take the Studio if it were available but right now Dot is my only option, at least until I get good enough and rich enough to get a better one. Sheraton (doesn't Noel have one ) looks absolutely amazing, but I have my eyes set on that Wildkat Royale because wow just look at this beauty:
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Post by carlober on Jun 17, 2016 10:31:07 GMT -5
sufuking perbley , did you have a look on Thomann? They're based in Germany and they're probably the largest guitar shop in continental Europe. Usually their prices are among the best ones on the market. For instance: Dot (Cherry Red for the classic Noel Gallagher look): 355 euros ( link) Dot (Ebony, the classy choice): 329 euros ( link) Dot Studio (Cherry Red, price is great): 255 euros ( link) I'm quite sure they can ship almost everywhere in Europe.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2016 11:31:08 GMT -5
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Post by sufuking perbley on Jun 17, 2016 11:47:21 GMT -5
sufuking perbley , did you have a look on Thomann? They're based in Germany and they're probably the largest guitar shop in continental Europe. Usually their prices are among the best ones on the market. For instance: Dot (Cherry Red for the classic Noel Gallagher look): 355 euros ( link) Dot (Ebony, the classy choice): 329 euros ( link) Dot Studio (Cherry Red, price is great): 255 euros ( link) I'm quite sure they can ship almost everywhere in Europe. Ooooh, I didn't have a look, no! This seems like a good place to look around, thanks! Though, Dot would still cost me the same as at the shop I'm planning to buy from, when shipping is added, plus I can't pay in multiple instalments, which is key for me because cashing out that amount at once would be impossible right now :C However, getting Dot Studio might be possible here! And aw man, I just found a used Riviera for 410 USD! And with a gig bag!
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Post by carlober on Jun 17, 2016 12:19:48 GMT -5
sufuking perbley , did you have a look on Thomann? They're based in Germany and they're probably the largest guitar shop in continental Europe. Usually their prices are among the best ones on the market. For instance: Dot (Cherry Red for the classic Noel Gallagher look): 355 euros ( link) Dot (Ebony, the classy choice): 329 euros ( link) Dot Studio (Cherry Red, price is great): 255 euros ( link) I'm quite sure they can ship almost everywhere in Europe. Ooooh, I didn't have a look, no! This seems like a good place to look around, thanks! Though, Dot would still cost me the same as at the shop I'm planning to buy from, when shipping is added, plus I can't pay in multiple instalments, which is key for me because cashing out that amount at once would be impossible right now :C However, getting Dot Studio might be possible here! And aw man, I just found a used Riviera for 410 USD! And with a gig bag! The Dot Studio is really a bargain imho What kind of Riviera is that? Is a regular version or the P93 custom?
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Post by sufuking perbley on Jun 17, 2016 13:03:26 GMT -5
The Dot Studio is really a bargain imho What kind of Riviera is that? Is a regular version or the P93 custom? I'm pretty sure it's the regular, but it seems to be at least 17 years old and apparently rare. I'm trying to identify it from looks alone since there is no model specified, but I keep getting sidetracked because young handsome Noel keeps popping out!!
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Post by Flatulence Panic on Jun 17, 2016 15:15:24 GMT -5
I recommend this quality piece of craftmanship, Liam thrashed out Songbird on a beauty like this:
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Post by sufuking perbley on Jun 19, 2016 2:23:26 GMT -5
I recommend this quality piece of craftmanship, Liam thrashed out Songbird on a beauty like this: Nah, I was thinking this one.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2016 9:39:21 GMT -5
I've been searching for a new guitar (+ amps and other stuff) too and this is what I got. I have just one problem, where do I find money for that?
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Post by sufuking perbley on Jun 19, 2016 11:31:30 GMT -5
I've been searching for a new guitar (+ amps and other stuff) too and this is what I got. I have just one problem, where do I find money for that? I'm only getting the guitar, yet I still have that problem
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Post by sufuking perbley on Jul 13, 2016 10:30:48 GMT -5
In case anyone is curious, tomorrow I'm picking up this guitar, wine red colour, used, 130ish GBP, 177 USD, whichever is your preferred currency. A new Epiphone of my dreams will have to wait for better days.
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