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Second Guitar

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(@anonymous)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
Topic starter  

I was wondering how long after buying your first guitar should you start looking at getting a second. And I mean both as in, Oh I have an acoustic let's try electric now. I also mean you have an electric/acoustic and now want something better. What sort of things should be considered when buying it then you did not necessarily consider while buying your first?


   
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(@wes-inman)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5582
 

Great question.

Right now I own 7 guitars, 5 electric and 2 acoustic.

I myself look for something different in a new guitar. I love my Les Paul for it's sustain & rich tone. I like my Strat for a classic Blues tone, plus the good ole Whammy Bar (Tremelo Bar). My Tele is great for Punk with distortion or pure Country played clean.

Everybody is different. Some people love one particular guitar and collect many color combinations, woods, different pickups, etc.... I saw a pic once of a fellow who owned about 40 Fender Strats.

Me, I like each guitar to be different.

It is good to have an electric and acoustic. You do not really play them exactly the same. You tend to play on all 6 strings on acoustic. You also tend to use techniques like fingerpicking. This is all important to know and learn to be a complete guitarist.

On electric, most use a pick. And you basically play on 1, 2, or 3 strings. You use techniques like bending strings.

These are just generalities. I have always played my acoustic more like an electric. I bend strings all the time. And of course you can strum or even fingerpick full chords on an electric.

I think most songwriters use an acoustic to write songs, while to write a heavy riff you would use an electric.

As most people become better guitarists, they naturally want to step up in the quality of their instrument as well. Generally, a more expensive instrument will play and sound better. So, it is natural to want a better guitar as you gain experience.

I would say look for a guitar that turns you on. A guitar that looks great to you, has awesome tone, and plays like butter. You will enjoy guitar that much more.

And lastly, some people like Nick buy guitars just because they can. :D

If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis


   
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(@anonymous)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
Topic starter  

Thanks for the advice. Assuming I already had both an electric and acoustic, I'd go for a better electric. I like the sound better and prefer the pick and only playing a couple strings. Plus, holding those chords can hurt.......

And I'd buy guitars just because I could..........if I could. I think I like the Les Pauls too. Though the one I want and the ones I can get are two different things. My 'dream' guitar is $6200 US. Someday......


   
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(@wes-inman)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5582
 

OneWingedAngel

Oh, I know what you mean about Les Pauls. Mine is a Studio, and I got that used from a friend at a real bargain. I cannot afford the top of the line models either. But I am VERY happy with my Studio.

I realized I didn't really answer your question.

The better (more expensive) guitars are just better overall. They tend to have much better tuners and hardware. The electronics are better. This is very important if you play all the time as in a band. You want a guitar that lasts and can put up with heavy play.

The better guitars are usually made from better woods with better tone. You are not as likely to have problems with the neck warping, etc... The fret job is usually better, no burrs, or uneven frets. Better guitars tend to have a better finish as well.

But there are exceptions. There are many inexpensive guitars today that are of very high quality. And some expensive guitars are not the quality of the past. So, you have to look a guitar over real careful before you purchase. Turn all the knobs and listen for noise. Bend strings and see if it stays in tune. Turn the machine heads and see how firm and smooth they feel. Run your hands up and down the neck and feel for burrs. Play each fret of each string to see if the frets are all even. And look at the guitar all over real careful. It is easy to miss small defects.

Hope this helped, and hope you get that $6200 Les Paul someday. :D

If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis


   
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(@josephlefty)
Reputable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 373
 

I am with Wes here.........

When I look for a guitar, I look for something different each time.

I consider myself to be complete with a full size acoustic, a smaller cutaway electric/acoustic, a tele, a strat and just recently a les paul. I won't 'want' for another guitar for a long time now.

I just bought a nice Tonelab and have an EQ, the only thing missing is a good amp, all in due time.

I like all of my guitars for their individual purpose. I never know which guitar I will pick up to practice with.

Lots of toys help much with motivation. 8)

If it was easy it wouldn't be worth doing.


   
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(@paul-donnelly)
Noble Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 1066
 

The important difference between cheap and expensive guitars is that expensive guitars have better quality control. So while you could get a great Squier (and I've had very good luck with those), you've got a better chance of getting an awful one. So play a guitar before you buy it. The only time I worry about a guitar's price is if it's too expensive for me. If a guitar sounds good then I don't care how little I pay for it. I'll take a less expensive guitar any day.


   
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(@anonymous)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
Topic starter  

I have another question. While looking at a catalogue, it said some were 'Student Guitars' and some were 'Lead Guitars.' What is the difference?


   
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(@chris-c)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 3454
 

"Student guitar" should mean cheap but reliable and good value for money. Preferably they should also be reasonably forgiving and versatile.

The distinction between "rhythm" and "lead" guitar seems to have blurred a lot these days, but basically rhythm players played the chords and the lead player was more focused on playing 'one note at a time' - if that makes sense. :D


   
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(@chris-c)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 3454
 

I was wondering how long after buying your first guitar should you start looking at getting a second.

24 hrs should be enough. :twisted:

I'm still a beginner, but my path went like this:

1. Buy steel string acoustic dreadnought. Leave in case for 30 years without making serious attempt to buy a book, hire a teacher, or self teach.

2. Drag guitar out of attic. Decide neck was too narrow for big fingers, and steel strings too painful. Buy wide necked classical style nylon string guitar (Yamaha CG-101MS - a great "student" classical guitar). Take a few lessons.

3. Discover that fingers were getting tougher (and smaller... :? ). Buy Yamaha Pacifica Electric (great "student" electric guitar. Beautiful easy-play neck, two single coil pickups and one humbucker type. Strat copy in shape.)

4. Guitar coveting gathers pace. Buy Johnson acoustic electric hollow body. Can practice unplugged or plugged with same guitar. Different sound and style too...)

5. Drag out original guitar again and discover just how good it was all along!! :oops:

6. Start lurking in guitar shops and eying off 12 strings, basses, Les Paul copies, etc. Currently coveting a Cole Clark "Fat Lady" dreadnought style acoustic with cutaway body and pickups for playing plugged in as well...

Once you get in the grip of it the journey never stops. Always chasing the perfect note, the better sound, the slicker neck, or even just the colour and finish you can't resist... :roll: :wink:


   
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(@mushin)
Eminent Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 30
 

sounds all to familiar.

bought my first acoustic steel string dreadnoughtjust before chrissy last year. Didnt get to play with it until Jan this year. Went OS for work and took my axe. When I came home for R&R, I left the axe in India with friends. Decided to buy an electric while back. Now looking into a Bass or a 12 string acoustic.

Bass it is I think.

cheers

Mick
.


   
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(@forrok_star)
Noble Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 2337
 

Everyone will have different reasons for having more than one guitar. Speaking for myself it started out as a hobby, now its as a collector. Use to be I'd purchase one a year but over the years it turned out to be more than that. This year its been three already and I've kind of lost count of the total. Every guitar has its own personality, looks, sound and plays different. When I play out generally there are four, each is used for a certain tone and playing style.

Joe


   
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(@anonymous)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
Topic starter  

I can still never make out whether the next guitar (i hav a classical acoustic now) should be a Strat or a Tele.I hav never really played them.Will i get all the effects in a tele as they come in a strat.Why is the tele DIFFERENT than strat ? :?


   
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(@ignar-hillstrom)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 5349
 

I only ask myself two questions:

1) does it add something?
2) can I afford it?

So far this resulted in (from first to last, only those still in my possession):

Yamaha G55-A classical
Dean Avalanche double-fat strat
Ibanez RG550 HSH, floyd-equiped, superstrat
Ibanez PF60 western
Ortega R180 classical
Ibanez AFS75 jazzbox
Dean Edge09 bassguitar

I don't have a strat, tele, semi-hollow, SG or twelve string. Don't have much money either. But I can live with what I've got. 8)


   
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(@scott_r)
Trusted Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 54
 

I'm probably just echoing what everyone else has already said, but I definitely agree with the idea of getting guitars with different "personalities". Personally, I just don't see the need to have multiple LP-style guitars around, for example. I have 5 guitars now, each one offering some aspect of unique-ness.

I consider this Oscar Schmidt 335-style guitar to be my most versatile. I can play it plugged or un-plugged, and I can get some great tones out it. And it was cheap, to boot.


   
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(@josephlefty)
Reputable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 373
 

Joe, let us know when you know the total. We would like to see a pic of all that, I would figure you have more than my local guitar shop.

If it was easy it wouldn't be worth doing.


   
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