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GAF: Help me buy a new guitar!

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M

mattx5

Member
Disclaimer: The guitar I have at the moment is a shitty imitation Strat (Jay Turser brand I think? Ugh...) Don't fret however, I'm not a guitar noob despite my current setup.

Alright, so I have about 1000$ CDN in the funds right now, not sure if I want to spend it all or not.

I'm debating whether or not to blow it all on a guitar or go for something cheaper but invest in some pedals - I want to start taking my jamming more seriously (actually try for some decent sounds, do a bit of home recording now that I'm focusing more on composing), so new equipment is necessary.

The sound I'm looking for is a mix between Brit pop and alt-rock (though to be fair, a lot of the sound comes from the pedals in alt-rock).

Actually, let me specify: Something that would sound equally good for mellow Kinks/Paul McCartney-esque stuff as it would for Radiohead/Blur-esque stuff? Is that even possible?

Anyway -

Here's what I'm looking at:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/510475/

308599.jpg


It would be pushing the price a bit (it's listed in USD), but it looks like a solid guitar, especially with the two seperate pick-ups.



Now I'm wondering, are there cheaper alternatives? I used to be a bit of a brand whore, but I'm open to anything that offers a great sound.

Any and all suggestions are welcome :)
 
M

mattx5

Member
Help me Obi-Tre-Kenobi, you're my only hope...

In the meantime, I'll look through older "hAlP me pUrRCHSE GEETAR PLS1!" threads.
 
A

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Don't blow it all on a guitar. Invest into a mid-range guitar and use the remaining money for a nice amp. The amp makes the biggest difference in the sound of a guitar. My personal suggestion is look around at Schecters -- I have a C1 Classic and it's one of the best guitars I've ever played...costs $700 which isn't terrible. I'm also a huge fan of ESP-LTDs
 
karasu

karasu

Member
I need an amp. Reccomendations? I got a new guitar recently (Black Beauty) but it sounds like a toy through my little ten watt practice amp.
 
B

blackwind

Will NOT use his faux signature to promote random shit
get a Fender Strat. I had an immitation at first but owning a real one is just so much better.

Go for a standard Strat! (make sure it's not Squire....)

You can try
Musicians Friend

and

Guitar Trader

its probably going to cost you around 370-500 but it's worth it....a guitar that will serve you for many years to come...
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
I have to agree. Forget the special '72 Tele, get a regular Tele (I like the Blue Agave) and spend what's left on an amp--those Marshalls suggested are nice.
 
M

mattx5

Member
Sorry, I forgot to mention the amp I have at the moment -

It's a Marshall MG30DFX, it's decent for a practice amp I guess, I'm not really focused on upgrading my amp at the moment, I'll probably do that later on this year... err, I mean next year - I have a decent part-time job, no student bills to pay or anything, so saving up won't be a problem. Right now I want to buy a new guitar along with some pedals...
 
I

icecap

Banned
Fuck PRS, schecter, and ESP (especially the LTD models). Those are good guitars but not for the sound you are looking for (Brit pop and alt-rock).

A made in America Fender strat would be a very nice choice actually but they are expensive as hell. You could always get a Mexican fender, but those arent as nice as the american ones. I would also recommend getting a Les Paul type guitar. Obviously not gibson cause i doubt you have the money. get a tokai or Agile. Im gonna get an Agile as soon as i can, these guitars are highly praised and are cheap!

Agile makes les pauls from as little as $150 to $630 and they are all quality (obviously different specs though). Just go to www.rondomusic.net and browse around.

al3500bc1.jpg
 
A

AZRandom_guy

Member
Well the guitar style doesn't matter all that much, but more of your pickup choice and amp choice if you are looking for a certain sound. If you are looking for that alt-pop sound a guitar with a single pickup would probably do the job, but for Radiohead or Blur you might want to go with a humbucker pickup. Alpha has some good suggestions - Schecter is a pretty reputable guitar company and they make some decent guitars for the cost.

As far as the amps go, you will probably be looking for something that has two separate channels: clean and overdrive/distorted. There are some small Crate, Peavey, Marshall and some other amps that you can pick up that have two channels and that sound pretty decent for the price. Something like a Peavey Studio Pro or something should be fairly inexpensive.
http://www.peavey.com/products/brow...00440590/cat/64/begin/1/Studio+Pro%AE+112.cfm

One thing that you will find as you start playing more and acquiring more gear, is that you may never achieve that "perfect" sound. I have had about 7 guitars over the last few years and 4 different amps, and although it's semi-easy to get a sound similar to what you hear on your favorite band's albums, it's not always easy to duplicate it.

As for my gear, I rock a Mesa/Boogie Mark IV head, Rectifier cabinet and a Les Paul. Dream gear? Maybe a Triaxis and a PRS. =)
 
M

mattx5

Member
AZRandom_guy said:
If you are looking for that alt-pop sound a guitar with a single pickup would probably do the job, but for Radiohead or Blur you might want to go with a humbucker pickup.
Click to expand...

That's why I was looking at the Tele Custom because it has a single pick-up and a humbucker, though that's just convenience, I could always just get any guitar and outfit it myself with a humbucker if it's not already included (though it would most likely require some rewiring).

I'm partial to the Fender brand, though I'm open to trying all things. I never did like the shape of Les Pauls since I like to play seated a lot, but I'll just buck up and start playing standing up more often I guess - I'll go to the store and try a few of the less expensive models...
 
A

AZRandom_guy

Member
mattx5 said:
That's why I was looking at the Tele Custom because it has a single pick-up and a humbucker, though that's just convenience, I could always just get any guitar and outfit it myself with a humbucker if it's not already included (though it would most likely require some rewiring).

I'm partial to the Fender brand, though I'm open to trying all things. I never did like the shape of Les Pauls since I like to play seated a lot, but I'll just buck up and start playing standing up more often I guess - I'll go to the store and try a few of the less expensive models...
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, I meant you should look for a guitar with the humbucker at the bridge position. I know there are Strats that have a humbucker in the bridge position, and I've seen Teles with them also (El Hefe from NoFX used to play one) but I've never seen a Tele in the store that had one. Always thought they were a custom job.

Fender is a good brand - they are very reliable, easy to work with/on and their customer service is good. I've owned 2 Les Pauls in my life, and I find myself coming back to them because they are extremely comfortable and sound great, no matter what style of music you play. They are pretty comfortable when playing while standing as well and not too heavy, and they also balance very well when standing. You can pick up an Epiphone Les Paul for pretty cheap, and they are decent.
 
M

mattx5

Member
I simply can't afford a true Gibson Les Paul and from all I've heard middle to high end Epiphone models are pretty damn good, so I'm not sure I understand the warning?
 
L

Lemurnator

Banned
What kind of sound are you looking for?

22_12.JPG


Gibson SG Classic with P90's if you want some crunch. :rock

I don't know how long they'll stay in production but if you can get one now DO IT. You might want to have the machine heads changed out though.

They run about $800 but in my opinion are the best of the SG guitars. It's the style Pete Townshend played mostly. I'm not a huge fan of Les Pauls personally, they're too heavy.
 
F

Flizzzipper

Member
Can't go wrong with a tele. If you're partial to Fenders I'd recommend getting one. The MIM ones are fine.

As long as you got a good amp it doesn't really matter what your guitar is.

Why have you people had to call Fender customer service on a guitar?
 
M

mattx5

Member
Lemurnator said:
What kind of sound are you looking for?

22_12.JPG


Gibson SG Classic with P90's if you want some crunch. :rock

I don't know how long they'll stay in production but if you can get one now DO IT. You might want to have the machine heads changed out though.

They run about $800 but in my opinion are the best of the SG guitars. It's the style Pete Townshend played mostly. I'm not a huge fan of Les Pauls personally, they're too heavy.
Click to expand...

SGs are nice, but I have no use for one. I guess it's really a toss up between some variation of a Tele or a Les Paul for me. I think I'll hold off for a month or two before making my purchase though.

On a side note, let's talk pedals!

Can anyone reccomend a good fuzz pedal?
 
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