Help with first Electric/Amp choices

As has often been said before, even the same make and model of guitar can sound and feel different from guitar to guitar - depends upon how it was set up I think.

I was set to buy an American Strat but could not find one that felt right but I did find a Mexican Strat that felt (and sounded) great. Previous Mexican guitars I had not liked at all - same make same model.

Get one that feels good.

I wanted to give you all an update on my final choices. I eliminated humbuckers because I really liked the strat sound, and narrowed my choice down to a standard strat, a "fat" strat with a double bridge pickup (both MIM) and a godin ext22. I went down to the music store and played all three on the same amp. After a little while, I eliminated the fat strat, and concentrated on a wine red standard strat and the godin. They both felt about the same to play; the godin neck felt a little better, but I really liked the way the strat looked. Somehow, I think I wanted an electric guitar which was more colorful :-). So I decided to buy the wine red strat. Actually, once I chose that, the salesguy brought out an identical guitar that was still in the box. The guitar felt about the same, but the fretboard wood looked nicer on the one in the box, so that's the one I took home!

Also, on the amp, I debated between a simple 15W amp and the VOX valvetronics. In the end, I bought a 30W VOX valvetronics, because I thought it would be nice to have some effects, and the 30W was only about $50 more than the 15W. It turned out to be a real nice choice for me because it has a variable power output that is independant of the volume control, and I can play it at lower powers by adjusting the power control.

So far, I really like the way both the guitar and the amp sounds. I am still getting used to the way an electric guitar feels and sounds. I think the guitar still needs couple of adjustments to get it completely right. I find some slight buzz on couple of the strings, but nothing serious. I plan to take it back to the store and have them set it up.

Now I have to learn to play some more leads...

Thanks again for all the great advice from this forum!

Great Choices Vink,

I'm sure you'll be happy with what you have for quite a while and I'm glad to hear you started out with a few different guitars and narrowed them down by feel.

I, on the otherhand, went with LOOKS first, My first electric was the ESP/LTD VIPER, I loved the look of it and still do, but when I got it home and played on it for a few days I realized it didn't "FIT" me right. I was really lucky that I was able to take it back for full value and trade across. I went home with the Gothic looking ESP/LTD F100. I've since purchased an Epi LP Custom and I play both equally.

To me it was about the feel and the viper actually hurt, I mean it felt like I had to stretch OUT THERE to get to the first fret. Being a total, complete newbie back then I didn't know what I was getting.

Anyhoo have fun with the strat and ROCK OUT HARD man.

Keep us posted. :o)

Cheers Dagwood

Dagwood. I'm not sure I'm following you here. Earlier, you said that a newbie knows nothing about the feel of a guitar and should choose primarily on sound and looks. Now, you're saying that you chose your first guitar based on looks and decided within a few days that it didn't "feel" right and returned it. You settled on a guitar that felt right.

First...
Early on in ones guitar playing ANYTHING is a pain to play. Our hands don't work, the right hand fingers seems to move then cramp up while the left hand is trying to find the right strings to play ... On the contrary, I think it is the LOOKS of a guitar that a beginner is looking at and 'wants'. Not feel.

Then later...
I loved the look of it and still do, but when I got it home and played on it for a few days I realized it didn't "FIT" me right ... To me it was about the feel and the viper actually hurt, I mean it felt like I had to stretch OUT THERE to get to the first fret.

So perhaps "newbies" know more about "feel" than you thought earlier?

OK, OK, maybe I'm busted.
:shock: :shock: :shock:

Maybe not, let me try and clarify my second post.

With the VIPER.. it physically hurt to reach that far out to the first fret to make those first few open chords I had learned. I mean it hurt bad!!

So I guess what I was refering too was "FIT" vs Feel. And the VIPER didn't FIT me at all.

To clarify what I mean by "FEEL" in the earlier post was about how the neck feels, the C-shape vs the V-shape. The feel of action, the feel of the frets, the feel of the bridge and how does the palm feel against it, where the knobs are... all that. And I still STAND BY my 1st remarks on that. a newbie still won't know what he/she likes at first.

Vink: cool choices. IMHO the left half of the amp models of the Vox are best suited for single-coils like your strat. Have fun!

Dagwood: Indeed. Most subtle nuances will not be noticed by a beginner, but some major difference will be noticed. So feeling plays a part, but not as much as with more advanced players.

Vink: cool choices. IMHO the left half of the amp models of the Vox are best suited for single-coils like your strat. Have fun!

Arjen, thanks! I have only experimented with the left side models so far, mostly with the botique CL and then a little with tweed, UK70 and UK80. So many choices to try betwee the amp, the different pickups etc..it's fun!

Took a while, but here are couple of pictures:

Very Nice! Enjoy the guitar and amp :)

Excellent choices and nice pics. :D

I've got the same amp, and a similar guitar. I really liked the feel, weight balance, and sound of the strat style too.

If you find a really good sound when you're twiddling all those knobs, make sure you jot the settings down (there should be some charts for the purpose at the back of the manual). It's a pig to find a really good sound and then not to be able to remember what the settings were when you want them again in a couple of weeks. :shock:

Happy times ahead... :D :D

I have my eye on that exact guitar, in that same color. Let us know how it works out for you. I have the 15W version of the VOX amp, and I like it a whole lot.

Have fun!

verrry purty! have fun and let us know when the "buyers remorse" sets in. :wink:
j/k

verrry purty! have fun and let us know when the "buyers remorse" sets in. :wink:
j/k

Actually, I've had the guitar for almost a month now, and not too much buyers remorse! I had some fret buzz to deal with, but the shop adjusted the setup. There's still a little bit in couple of positions on the 6th string, my teacher suggests going to 10's to get rid of it completely, I have to wait a little because I bought a 3-pack of 9's!

I really like it so far. I like the tone, and I really like how it plays. I like the amp a lot too, although I have not really tried out many of the different effects and models. I usually set the "power" level in the back to around 50%, and that seems to make the amp a lot quieter than if I set it at 100%. It is still pretty loud for me even in clean mode, I usually play it with the master volume set to 50% and my guitar volume knob around 5 or 6 most of the time.

Of course, I know you really mean "G.A.S" by buyers remorse! Well, I've been oogling at some of the humbucker adorned Agiles at rondomusic :-). But, probably some other things first, like the footswitch for the VOX and maybe something that can create drum rhythms..
I have my eye on that exact guitar, in that same color.

You know, that color is what really made me buy the guitar and amp that day .. I had just gone in to compare a standard strat with a Godin :)

Vink wrote:
Well, I've been oogling at some of the humbucker adorned Agiles at rondomusic .

Hey Vink,

I hate to feed the G.A.S. monster, but I have to tell you that my latest purchase was an SX strat copy from Rondo...$99.....and I'm very pleased with both the guitar and the service from Rondo. I think my next purchase may very well be an Agile LP copy.

Somebody help me :?