Help selecting a guitar package

Well if the kid is into hard and heavy rocking I'd be tempted to go the ibanez route.

But if he really digs Hendrix/John Fruciante..... he may like the squier.

Hi there.

The Ibanez starter pack may give you a little more versatility since the guitar has both humbucking & single coil pickups. Pickups affect the output coming from the guitar. Humbuckers are often a higher output pickup, making it ideal for use with distortion or overdrive......staples of modern rock music. The Fender package might be closer to a Classic Rock sound since the guitar will have single coil pickups.

I would guess the quality to be about the same. Have you considered taking your niece to a guitar/amp store and letting her try out a starter pack that's in the same price range as the ones you've listed above? $500 is a lot to shell out if she doesn't like what you've chosen. Plus, I'm pretty sure that there are starter packs less expensive if you're budget conscious.

OK.. so first of all, is she rely into guitar, or is it kinda a passing fad thing? I ask becouse Ive seen the entry level Squires selling for more money used, then some of the other entry level brands. Just incase she ends up giving up guitar, and selling it. OK... so that out of the way.. Im not a fan of "kits" myself. You normaly get a guitar.. and a chezzo amp that doesnt realy sound well, and a bunch of box filler stuff.. If shes into it... I would get a nice Squire strat.. and some of them are realy not that bad playing, and sounding guitars.. and get a nicer pratice amp. I dont know whats out your way, but I assume your not in the US. But here you can get a pretty useable amp for about $100, and a nice playable Squire Strat for about $150. Add a clip on tuner for under 30 bucks..[agean... US bucks..] a cable, and shes ready to go. A young girl is going to want to pick out her own strap anyways... and will probably not realy use one for a wile anyways if shes just learning. Frankly I would not worry about what pickups it has... if shes a new player I doupt she knows the sound shes going to go far anyways. I would look more into how the guitar plays, and maybe eaven invest in getting the guitar setup for her after she gets it.

Hi Harshana. Welcome to GN.

I think both are good deals. Do you write from New Zealand? When I was in there some years ago I found very good deals in Ibanez gear, surely it is cheaper to get those products there.

Ibanez has very good guitars in the entry level (and I have a Squier Bass...).

Both guitars sound different so I agree with others, it could help if we would know the musical tastes but she will need some years to find any difference. It is also a good idea if she could to choose, perhaps she is more oriented to one or other guitar just for the color or aspect.

Good luck!

Hi Harshana

Could you tell us the type of music she likes and would like to play. That will influence the purchase.

Hi all,

Thank you all for the replies. My Niece is in New Zealand and I'm in Sri Lanka. She already has an acoustic guitar. She has been dreaming of owning an electric guitar for long time. I want to surprise her, so don't want to ask her what she needs. I don't think she's into hard rock type music. From your comments I gather :

1. Quality wise both are very similar (no major pluses or complains)
2. Sounds of two guitars are different and good for different type of music.
3. Features wise, Ibanez is better ?

Anyway, Its very likely I will go for the Squier. Like most of you said, she'll be able to use this for many years till she really feels that she needs an upgrade / change.

Thanks again for your inputs.
Harshana

She will need an upgrade soon, all of us need upgrades soon independently the number and quality of our guitars...

Now Squier is usually an entry level, Ibanez has several qualities and several styles of guitars. You selected very basic models in both brands. Your niece will enjoy her new Squier!

I don't think she's into hard rock type music.
The Squire would be my choice then.

Here we are trying to figure out what a 13 year old girl would like... I showed them both to my 12 year old babysitter, she liked the Squire too. What more proof do you need than that.

Here we are trying to figure out what a 13 year old girl would like... I showed them both to my 12 year old babysitter, she liked the Squire too. What more proof do you need than that.
Thats funny. I did the same with my 10 year old. :)

Granted.. shes biased sence she got her hello kitty strat 2 years ago. :lol: