I am almost ready to purchase my first electric and was wondering if should invest more in the amp less in the guitar or more in the guitar less in the amp. I have a budget of around $600.00 mayby a little more. I have narrowed my choices down to epiphone les paul standerd, fender hss strat, and a Schectar c1 artist le. I can get the lp & fender for about 400.00 and have 200.00 left for an amp or I can get the schectar for 500.00 and have about 100.00 left for an amp. As far as amps I am looking at he line 6 spyder 3 in either 15 or 30 watts. Thanks for your suggestions.
seeing you are a basic begginer, and you have 600 to spend, you want an equall
investment, and by that i mean decent guitar and decent amp, split it equal, to much
guitar and lousy amp= your not happy, to much amp and lousy guitar= your not happy
do ya feel me 8)
even god loves rock-n-roll
defffff get a better amp...amps are more responsible for good sound than the guitar itself.
C) A better job. :P
Really though, it's tough.
Better guitar = Better feel
Better amp = Better sound
^ Yeah, I'm a regular Einstein, huh? :lol:
Which one are you willing to sacrifice?
I say save up. Another 400 and you could walk out with a nice set up. The other added bonus of waiting would be having the extra time to find the right guitar-amp combo that fits you, and your personal tastes.
2 cents on the dollar.
What you're going to use the amp for is the question.
i agree that the amp is very important, if not the most important thing, but if you are only playing small gigs or practicing at home then maybe you want to start with a better guitar.
#4491....
look for used stuff. it's cheaper, so you can get better stuff for the same money
Get a Squier 51 and a 500 amp. I use a 51 with my $1800 Orange quarter stack and I love the sound i get. If you can find the right guitar for cheap, get it.
aka Izabella
Don't save up. You want to play guitar and you want to play now.
You can get the Strat (roughly $400) and the Epi Valve Junior (roughly $140) which would be a very decent set-up for an electric beginner, in my opinion, and you'd have cash left over for a set-up (or a pedal? some strings? a capo?).
You could even save up two hundred more (color me a hypocrite.. heh heh) and you can nab the Fender Blonde Blues Jr. (roughly $400) and the Strat for a cool $800.
It really depends on what kind of music you plan on playing though, the Strat and a tube sounds right for me because it would fit into the style of music I like to play. If you're into straight masturbatory-shred-pyrotechnic playing, you'd probably want a solid state.
Used to be, was a part of me felt like hiding.. but now it comes through. Comes through to you.
look for used stuff. it's cheaper, so you can get better stuff for the same money
What he said.:wink:
The only guitar related purchases that I have made new are strings, a tuner, and a capo.
Oh, and a strap.
Both guitars, amp & effects, a bunch of books... all used.
Not to mention, pawn shops can be kinda fun to explore.
It's like treasure hunting.
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
Great guitar, cheap amp!
Good guitars hold their value better than amps,
A good starter amp in the wattage range you want can be had for about $200, the valve jr. really sounds compelling to me, I don't have one or have played one but a lot of people here that I respect love them. Besides, it's a tube amp!
I started off for years playing "cheap" amps like the Valve jr, they were called Fender champs, price one today! The Valve jr. has the same kinda vibe to me.
Of course, Squire 51's and an Epiphone Valve jr. sounds like a h*** of a combo and it looks like that you would have more than enough change afterward for a burger and fries for you and your date!
When I die, I want to go peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather, not screaming......
like the passengers in his car.
Are you playing in a band? If so, I would worry more about the amp. If not, spend a little more to get a nice guitar and buy a very good but small amp. It won't cost that much and will sound good. By the time you are ready to gig, you can buy a bigger better amp. The Epi Valve Junior is $140 and sounds great. I understand Roland Cubes sound fantastic and are not super expensive either. I hear good things about the Spyder too. I say go with your instinct!
It's also been my experience that my amps come and go but I tend to hang onto my guitars. You get more attached to them than the amps. I think cause they are hands on.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Get an accoustic! Just kidding. I'd start with the guitar. Find a guitar that you love and that you can't put down. Look for a guitar that feels good and plays great. If you are just starting out, your ears won't notice small differences in sound, but you can bet your hands will feel a big difference in the quality of guitars. Then see what you have left for an amp.
I'd get a better guitar and wait on the better amp.
I've heard people say that a great amp will make a bad guitar sound great, but that a bad amp will make a great guitar sound lousy. And this is undoubtedly true.
But a guitar that feels good in your hands and plays well will get played; one that doesn't won't get played no matter how good the amp is.
So I'd say get the best guitar you can get, use an amp that will get you by, and then later start thinking about where you want to go amp-wise.
A $100 guitar through a $800 amp sounds about the same as an $800 guitar through an $800 amp.
Likewise, a $100 guitar through a $100 amp sounds about the same as an $800 guitar through an $100 amp.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
KP - I'm not sure how interpret that post, but I'll take a stab at - it doesn't matter at this point.
I agree with most of the posts... spend the money on a guitar and less money on the amp.
Roland Cube amps are awesome deals... $150 will get you a 30 watt Cube which will have built in effects. I have a $99 Cube 15 for carting around and it sounds great, is LOUD, and has pretty decent disortion.
Definitely look around for used equipment - especially guitars. They don't generally "brake" for normal use. You would have around $450 for the guitar and accessories. I would target $300 for the guitar, $60 for the case (hardcase), $40 for straps and chords and picks and a TUNER (need that!!) and maybe $25 for a music book.
As for what you are looking at, hard to go wrong with a Fender Strat at $300.
-=- Steve
"If the moon were made of ribs, would you eat it?"
