Hi, Looking to buy my first electric guitar and would appreciate your expert opinions.
The guitars I'm interested in are the lp style peavey hp sc1 or sc2 and also the epiphone les paul special 2. The peavey sc2 has a set neck, which i gather is a good thing rather than a bolt on type, especially in a guitar in it's price range. Plus i really like the look of the peavey.
I've only been playing a few months on a old hand me down acoustic guitar, so don't really have huge a amount of knowledge about which one to choose out of the three.
Thru browsing various websites, these come across as probably some of the best value for there spec and there price that i like.
Looking forward to your feedback.
Go play them both and decide.
We could tell you if we had any experience with that kind of guitar but it wouldn't stop you ending up with a poor product. All guitars are different, sometimes you get the rare find that is cheap but plays as well as an expensive guitar, why, we will never know.
Check it is playable (feels right, no fret-buzz, decent action - that's how close the strings are to the fretboard) and if you get it wrong it is just your first starter guitar and you are only putting £130 into it (unless you are in the USA then I don't know how much). Only thing I can say about the single cuts (I have a PRS SE-245) is that playing up high on the neck is a pain, depends if it bothers you or not.
together we stand, divided we fall..........
Well I don't know about the peavey, but the epi special II is a REAL entry level guitar. I have seen some set up pretty good, but most are pretty rough. I'm a les Paul guy and if my budget ran in the range of a special II I'd get a squire strat . What kind of bud jet do you have?
Paul B
I haven't played the Peavey but I really, really disliked the Epiphone. A friend bought it as his first guitar, and it felt really cheap, didn't stay in tune for long and sounded quite bad. I'd personally recommend either a Yamaha Pacifica, a Squier Classic Vibe Strat/Tele or an Epiphone LP Standard if you really want a Les Paul type. Agile guitars often get recommended too, but I've never played one before so I don't have anything to say about those.
Seeing as you've already been playing for several months, you'll probably keep playing. The lower your budget, the more difference you'll notice between small price differences. I'd suggest investing in a quality instrument you'll keep which is even easier if you buy used. It's simply a lot more enjoyable/less frustrating and you'll keep the guitar even if you buy a new one after some time. The ones I mentioned are, in my opinion, good instruments for a beginner that still offer decent quality.
The Epiphone Specials have very poor tuners. :( Other than that they aren't bad but not really a Les Paul. Now an Epiphone Les Paul Standard is a wonderful guitar but will cost quite a bit more. It is on par with a Fender Standard Strat. (AKA made in Mexico Strat) Price is about the same too. $400 - $500.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
The Epiphone Specials have very poor tuners. :( Other than that they aren't bad but not really a Les Paul. Now an Epiphone Les Paul Standard is a wonderful guitar but will cost quite a bit more. It is on par with a Fender Standard Strat. (AKA made in Mexico Strat) Price is about the same too. $400 - $500.
Right... the standards are great!! I love mine!! Not sure if you are set on a set style of guitar, but personaly I like the sound of the Epi DOTs, and Dot Studios. The studios are pretty cheap, but not the best looking finnish. Nice sound to my ears anyways
Paul B
The Epiphone Les Paul Special 2 has a 3 way selector toggle Switch featuring treble,rhythm and the normal standard setting. I enjoy the features on this guitar, it's perfect for people like me who like a quick attack but still have a heavy sort of bond.
I'm kind of in the same position as the OP. I've played with a Squier Strat and a low end Epiphone for about 6 months now. I'm leaning heavily in the Strat direction, but not sure exactly where' to go. I like playing modern (and some classic) rock, and my budget is to stay below $700.
I'm curious, for a new player, is there a noticeable differene between a Mexican Strat vs. an American? If so, I guess I'd be forced to find a used American Std since it appears that they start around $1,000+. Also, what is the Jaguar like? Is it more of a rock guitar? Does it have that "crunch" sound to it, or is that more common with a regular Strat?
Sorry if these are dumb questions. The world of guitars can be very overwhelming to a rookie.
To be quite honest: sound relies way more on amplifiers and then pickups. You might or might not notice a difference in quality between 2 guitars, at higher price ranges guitars won't necessarily be "better" but more "different" or more suited for a certain goal.
An American Standard will generally have better electronics, pickups, and will be better finished in most cases. Play it, and see if you find it to play more comfortable than a Mexican Standard. You can simply put new pickups/electronics in a MIM Strat, but the body/neck will stay the same and the cost will exceed a USA Standard's cost.
In short: if you want a MIM Standard, buy one of those. If you want a MIA Strat, buy one of those. Buy whatever feels most comfortable to you, the sound can easily be changed but playability can't. Also buy what you -really- want, in the end you won't necessarily be satisfied by the logical choice and probably you'll go for the John Mayer/SRV Strat that costs double the USA strat you bought.
I'm kind of in the same position as the OP. I've played with a Squier Strat and a low end Epiphone for about 6 months now. I'm leaning heavily in the Strat direction, but not sure exactly where' to go. I like playing modern (and some classic) rock, and my budget is to stay below $700.
I'm curious, for a new player, is there a noticeable differene between a Mexican Strat vs. an American? If so, I guess I'd be forced to find a used American Std since it appears that they start around $1,000+. Also, what is the Jaguar like? Is it more of a rock guitar? Does it have that "crunch" sound to it, or is that more common with a regular Strat?
Sorry if these are dumb questions. The world of guitars can be very overwhelming to a rookie.
If you have only been playing for 6 months I would say that you are going to find very little difference between equally setup American and a Mexican strats particularly on modestly priced amp. It could be years before you notice the difference and I know guys who have noodled around in bands for twenty years that couldn't tell you the difference. American strats have a slightly wider string spacing, that is the only objective distinction.
"What is the Jaguar like?" - great question. To anyone wondering if they should purchase a Jaguar there is a simple indicator as to whether it is the guitar for you; is there a Jag in your driveway? If so, you will love the Jaguar guitar. Sleek line, class, an overcomplicated wiring system no one understands, components that don't function together on this physical plane of the universe and the promise to spend countless hours getting chummy with it while tinkering in your garage. Getting it to work (briefly) in any kind of useful way requires diverse mechanical skills, conversational pomposity, a beard and several cable knit sweaters. Both Jag's being designed by 15 people who never met means fixing one issue will inevitably cause something else to fail and so on and so on. I have owned several Jag guitars and loved them but they are very flawed. That is only my experience and in truth I am not truly a qualified owner having only owned an MGC GT and a TVR Vixen 2500. Rightfully, I should have bought a Squier Jaguar not having the proper British sportscar ownership experience.
For the Simba4208: http://www.guitarfetish.com/Xaviere-Guitars_c_185.html
The quality and finish of these are easily comparable to $500 guitars - no polyester finishes and the easiest company to work with - ever. I own one of these and they are very good for the price - probably like a Mazda Miata for this comparison. All fun, no professional set of metric spanners.
