Wants VS needs!! We all have both of 'em!!

Don't know why people go around 'bashin' up strats...

I think they are really the best guitars out there , provided , one knows how to play them...

But I can't play like Mark Knopfler, Rahul. :D :D :D

PS
I've heard quality fenders through Marshall amps and I don't particularly like the sound myself. I prefer my Fenders through Fender(-like) or Vox(-like).

I would love to have a Twin Reverb myself someday...

Imagine playing a telecaster through it...Mmmmm clean clean clean :wink:

I always say learn to play somewhat well and then buy good gear. There is always a certain embarrassment factor when you are a one-year beginner playing through a $1000 setup, and you get humbled by the homeless person playing a plank of wood with rusty nails and some cheese wire strung across it, who can still play more tunefully than you :)

Which is exactly why I never play guitar near homeless people. Never.

Buy the most expensive thing you can afford and then go up 200dollars. The best gear you can get will pay off. Seriously, I got really good on a 300dollar pawnshop ibanez and I can play whatever... and then I plug into my friends Anderson hollowbody and I sound like a god. You can only sound as good as your gear no matter how well you play, a 100dollar guitar is a 100dollar guitar. What you could do is maybe get a stacked humbucker for your existing guitar, drop a hundred bucks on a REAL Pickup and it will scream like any of those shecters. hehe. Just my 2 cents.

You can only sound as good as your gear no matter how well you play, a 100dollar guitar is a 100dollar guitar. I disagree. You can only sound like yourself, no matter what you play.

But you have to admit, in the vast majority of cases, people like Cobain excluded, the gear makes a HUGE Difference and the better it is the more you can do with it. You could play 100000worth of gear and you would still sound like You, wouldnt it? When I upgraded to a large 2x12 cab over my crate POS I still sounded like me, just a lot better.

If bills won't go unpaid because of the new gear purchases, I say go for it. After a year I'd imagine you've got a good idea what it takes to play and whether you have the motivation to stick with it. Dropping some cash on decent gear will make a difference.

With that said, however, a large percentage of tone is still in the hands. I've got a $600 Epi Les Paul and a Deluxe Reverb. They sound great together but I'm not always happy with the tone. A buddy of mine that has been playing guitar since the womb comes over and starts wailing away. It sounded heavenly. He knew how to shape the tone with his hands and I then understood that my gear wasn't really the problem. It was my lack of skill.

A good player can make anything sound good. A good player can make quality gear sound heavenly. :)

Jason

You say that u can make anything sound good... lemme bring over my 50dollar warlock with the bridge an inch off the guitar and an oversized barely sanded D neck hehe...

I don't think the gear ever makes a HUGE difference, once you get past the First Act level. But it's nice to have nice stuff, for sure.

And if it makes you enjoy it more and feel more self-confident, that will make a huge difference.

I don't think the gear ever makes a HUGE difference, once you get past the First Act level. But it's nice to have nice stuff, for sure.

And if it makes you enjoy it more and feel more self-confident, that will make a huge difference.

Yup , i am sure , it feels nice to own a Pete Townshend's SJ-200 Guitar :wink:

Yeah, it's a nice guitar! I still sound like a hack when I'm playing it, just with a nice tone.

There are probably deaf, dumb blind kids who play better. :lol:

I partly disagree with you Ricochet. You are correct that no guitar or amp will improve your playing abilities (actually that's not completely true either). But even if you are a hack you will sound a lot better with a good guitar through a good amp with great tone.

Good guitars (read expensive) are generally built better and play much easier. So, a good guitar can help your playing a lot. My first guitar had action so high it almost cut my fingers to play.

I say get a better amp too. Someone suggested the DeVille. The DeVille and Hot Rod Deluxe are very good amps with nice tone. And what is really an advantage is that these amps are extremely popular. They are everywhere. You can pick these amps up on E-Bay for as low as $300. So, if budget is a consideration, try looking for used amps on E-Bay, hopefully close to you. I got a Marshall DSL-401 for only $400 (they cost about $1200 new). The owner lived about 40 miles from me so I picked it up and avoided the expensive shipping for a heavy amp. Plus, I could look the amp over on the spot before I forked over my money. So, that is a good way to go.

The Blues Jr. is also a great sounding amp as is the Pro Junior. There are clips for the Epiphone Valve Jr. amp here. That is a pretty great sounding amp and is very inexpensive.

So start with a good sounding amp and later on pick up a better guitar. It never ends. 8)

I personally would recommend a bit of a different route than just the amp
I think you should keep the squier.
Then I think you should buy a Epiphone Blues Custom or Valve Standard. They sound better than the fenders in my opinion, and that way you will have enough money to buy a second guitar. Look for something with humbuckers. You don't have to spend all of the remaining grand. Find a les paul or something. Having a tube amp, a strat, and a humbucking guitar should be all the tonal diversity you need. If you want, look into some effects, but leave the distortion to the amp.

OK, I just ordered the guitar!!!! I've been through all the stores, played a ton of different guitars, and decided what I wanted....... here it is:

http://www.schecterguitars.com/spec.asp?id=3 #

I should have it Thursday - my B-day :lol:

Already have plans to jam all night with a friend and his band Friday!!!

Will send pix and a review soon!