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New player looking for a better guitar.

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(@damien-gray)
Eminent Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 17
Topic starter  

(Please note that my definition of expensive is relative)

Hi there. I've been playing on and off since about April. I really suck. It's mostly my guitar/amp combo (a silvertone Strat clone with a crappy 15watt amp)

I've recently gotten $100 to do with what I like. I have nothing else I need to buy, so I'd like to buy a nicer guitar. I'm looking at the ones on RondoMusic. They all seem nice, but are predominantly strat shaped. I'd like to get away from that shape.

My budget is $150 (including shipping and handling), the website that I'll be purchasing from does not have to be RondoMusic.

Thanks for all of your help, and I look forward to spending many lonely evenings here alone with my guitar ^_^

My guitars:
http://damiengray.ath.cx/guitar/strat_body.jpg
http://damiengray.ath.cx/guitar/strat_and_star.jpg


   
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 Nuno
(@nuno)
Famed Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 3995
 

Hi Damien,

You will get a similar guitar to your Strat copy with those $150. Why do you keep playing with your current gear while you save more money for a better guitar?

Meanwhile try to learn as songs as possible and practice almost every day!

And welcome to GN!


   
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(@damien-gray)
Eminent Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 17
Topic starter  

Well, I'd save money, but I don't have a job :P

One of the benefits of being a teenager I guess.

My guitars:
http://damiengray.ath.cx/guitar/strat_body.jpg
http://damiengray.ath.cx/guitar/strat_and_star.jpg


   
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 Cat
(@cat)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1224
 

Spend the $100 on what you've already got. Have a GOOD luthier restring it with .008's and reset the truss and bridge. learn to play with minimal fret pressure or pick contact. Don't think of getting another one until you can "outplay" this one.

See ya in two years, matey! :wink:

Cat

"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"


   
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(@rahul)
Famed Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 2736
 

You can get an SX or Douglas LP shaped guitar within the 150$ and get it shipped too.

http://www.rondomusic.com/shadow2ts.html

Good Luck !


   
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(@gnease)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5038
 

as Cat suggests, a good setup can do wonders. there is less expensive and method of getting this that will also help you understand your instrument better: DIY. buy a Dan Erlewine book on guitar repair and maintenance for ~ $20 (Amazon). The version sold under Guitar Player's name is quite good and covers setup and repairs for most types of guitars you will ever own. seasoned players and techs use Dan's books for reference. even if you never do any work on your guitars, this book is still worth owning. it will help you decide when/if a set-up in needs and will get the results you want, understand what different adjustments and repair will/won't do, prevent rip-offs and recognize good vs. bad work ... plenty of marginal techs out there.

Cat's preference for 0.08 gauge is not universal. It's important to choose a reasonable gauge that does not overly challenge you as a noob, and stick with it for some time until you understand what change might serve you best. very light and very heavy gauges come with different and not-so-obvious advantages and disadvantages. many find success in starting in the light to mid ranges and moving in the direction that suits their feel, tone, playing style and particular guitar. some of us with sizable collections have very different gauges and set-ups on different guitars. I've had some guitars that were never-quite-right until I made a made shift in the string gauge and the guitar then magically "opened-up" in some dimension. YMMV.

$150 might get you a better guitar. there is a lot of variation in the materials and assembly qualities of starter kit guitars ... and guitars, in general. some are quite good. some not so. in any case, you should go to a shop periodically and play different models to see what you begin to like -- and also get and idea of the quality of guitars in the $200 - $250 range, as that's about a on-line good deal equivalent to $150. nobody can predict what you will happen to love -- you've got to find it on your own. and mail/web order will likely get you the best deal, but is a bit like a blind date. at least date the available "sister" in the store a bit before agreeing to go for the other sight unseen. and when you do get a new guitar, the Erlewine book I recommended above will help you decide if what you've been sent is good/bad/ugly. you can't be afraid to return marginal axes, but first you have to recognize what you've got. (OTOH, sometimes we make strange choices. recently I bought a couple Eastwood guitars on the web, and one arrived nearly and the other with a nasty gouge in the wood ples subtle but significant set-up and assembly issues. love won out. I kept the guitar, got some compensation from Eastwood (not really enough ... but it was love) and did all the repairs and changes myself. a noob should never go through this. and noob never would have recognized the tailpiece alignment issues -- only the gouge.)

-=tension & release=-


   
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 Cat
(@cat)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1224
 

$150 might get you a better guitar.

Maybe if you spend $150 for someone to STEAL one! Yer right, Gnease...it's not 1966 when you could buy Fender's very best for that!!! That repair book is a great idea, too. Sadly, everything "costs" and unless you successfully bid at some Deceased Estate Sale...GOOD LUCK! :cry:

Cat

"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"


   
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(@gnease)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5038
 

$150 might get you a better guitar.

Maybe if you spend $150 for someone to STEAL one! Yer right, Gnease...it's not 1966 when you could buy Fender's very best for that!!! That repair book is a great idea, too. Sadly, everything "costs" and unless you successfully bid at some Deceased Estate Sale...GOOD LUCK! :cry:

Cat

it wouldn't seem to make sense that $150 could get one a better guitar, but this ends up being a bit of a special situation in the US. due to heavy import and consumption of Asian-made guitars (see Rondo and the like), prices in the US are much lower than most of the rest of the world -- though it is changing as the US dollar weakens and transportation costs fluctuate. in addition, many of the starter-pack guitars sold in department and electronics stores under the Fender, Gibson, First Act and Silvertone marques actually are inferior to quality of lower end/cost Squier, Epiphone, Turser, Samick and others sold at exactly the same price in other stores/on-line. it's unfortunate, but Best Buy, Walmart and similar sell junk like the Fender Starcaster (they repurposed that name) to unwitting parents whose kids are begging for the stuff they see there. they have no idea the same amount of money would be better spent on-line or in a "real" music store.

down in the lower price regions, every buck buys a lot more than for mid- and high-priced guitars. so holding out for $175 or $200 can def make a big difference, as can patiently waiting for sales or going for a used instrument.

BTW, I bought my first good electric in '75 for $100 + a traded PoS Checkmate amp. it was a spankin' new 'lawsuit' Ibanez SG copy. spending that $100 was a big deal for a high school kid making $2.40/hr and saving for university.

-=tension & release=-


   
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(@mmoncur)
Estimable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 168
 

I would consult a friend who's a guitarist, if you can. Let them play your guitar. Maybe it just needs a setup, maybe it's terrible and a $119 Squier would be a dramatic improvement. It's hard to tell.

Also, please don't take this the wrong way but...

Hi there. I've been playing on and off since about April. I really suck. It's mostly my guitar/amp combo (a silvertone Strat clone with a crappy 15watt amp)

It's not mostly your guitar/amp. It's mostly YOU. There's probably someone who could pick up your equipment and make you weep with beautiful sounds. (It's sure as heck not me. I suck too.)

I'm not saying you're hopeless, but I think you'd be amazed how much better you'll be after more than a few months of off-and-on practice.

Also, it took me 6 months of playing to find out what kind of guitar I really wanted, and to learn how to tell if one I picked up in a store was better or worse than what I had. So I'd hang onto that $150 for a while unless the guitar you have is truly unplayable (again, ask a friend or someone at a shop to try it out.) Ideally you'll hold on to it until you have $300 or so, and then you can get a truly nice guitar...

Good luck and never give up!


   
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(@trguitar)
Famed Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 3709
 

Good advice above ....... yeah, you can get an OK guitar for your $150 but it really won't be much better than the Silvertone. I think you would find yourself back in the same spot only $150 poorer. Ditto on the setup. It will work wonders. Something that nobody has brought up though is what about a better amp? If you really must iinvest your cash on improving your rig you might have a lot better chance for an upgrade for your $150 there. What do you think guys?

"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --


   
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 Cat
(@cat)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1224
 

Okay...if yer broke...yer broke. But ya still want a guitar. We've all been there, matey.

When you go shopping remember that you are NOT looking for mother of pearl inlays, fancy doo-dads...eight gold-plated pickups...locking pegs...whammy bar...and built-in cappucino maker.

A good neck (with truss rod) means good action. A completely adjustable bridge, too...and a metal nut. That's where I'd zero in on. For SURE...there are "factory freaks" that come out as good as they get...even the cheap companies make a few BY ACCIDENT :oops: ! If you see something on a rack...try it...and, criminy...TRY THE IDENTICAL ONES sittin' right next to it, as well!!! Go to different stores and try those very same ones, too. Like I said...to say that they vary...is an understatement.

You may also want to haunt those "auction houses" and try some there. Remember: only bid to your budget!!! There are hidden fees and all the gasoline spent on rooting around to consider.

Hope this helps...

Cat

"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"


   
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