electric guitar

[paper1225]

DS8 wants an electric guitar for christmas. He has been playing his acoustic for about the last year and takes lessons.........any recommendations of what brand? Do not want a "little kid" toy, but do not want to spend to much for it.....would like to buy it with or in a set with an amp.

 

[Darcy03231]

DS8 wants an electric guitar for christmas. He has been playing his acoustic for about the last year and takes lessons.........any recommendations of what brand? Do not want a "little kid" toy, but do not want to spend to much for it.....would like to buy it with or in a set with an amp.

I would talk to his teacher and get a recommendation. I would also check into buying a used one over a new one. Sometimes they are barely used (kid lost interest after hardly playing it) and you can get a really good deal on one.

 

[erincon23]

Costco has had a Fender electric guitar set with an amp. My son is a semipro guitar player, and says that this one isn't bad. I don't remember how much it is. Best Buy sells nearly the same set, I think. Fender products in general are good.

Erin

 

[tar heel]

You can get a decent guitar and amp set at Guitar Center/Sam Ash-type places for around $200. It may be the same Fender erincon mentioned. My husband is a guitarist with expensive tastes, and he thought it was a good guitar for my son to start with. My son (a college senior) now has his father's same expensive tastes, but he hasn't gotten rid of his first guitar b/c he still plays it once in a while.

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

I got my first guitar (Ephiphone SG special)for $169 in sam ash-

Hunt around cause now that the holidays are coming up guitar center and sam ash usually have packages guitar and amp for $200.

 

[tar heel]

Epiphone is what I was trying to think of . . . That's what DS's is, too. It's a lower level line from Gibson.

 

[momxx5]

At Christmas time, meaning now, music stores......Music & Arts, Guitar Center, etc,....both at the stores and online have boxed sets.
DS got his first electric guitar like that. It was a great deal....under $200 including amp. It has been used alot. Last yr he upgraded his guitar and then for birthday updated the amp.

 

[Purseval]

Craigslist is loaded with musical instruments. Pawn shops are also a good alternative. If you want quality from a mainstream dealer Squire (Fender) and Epiphone (Gibson) are lower-cost alternatives made by major manufacturers.

My son, who is now in his 20's, started playing young also. The biggest problem at that age is reaching for the chords, your heart is in it but your fingers won't cooperate

 

[stitchfan18]

I don't know if it is a good guitar, but my mom got my DH an electric guitar from Kohls last year for about $80 on BF. I saw it in their add again this year. It came with a little amp, and it seems to work fine for him when he decides to pick it every so often.

 

[mrodgers]

Cheap guitars are nearly impossible to learn and play on. Those "Fender" guitars you see at places like Target and Costco are just that, cheap guitars. The setup is horrible and that is what makes it very difficult to learn. To get a setup done, it would probably cost you just as much or more to have done as you paid for the cheap guitar.

I know, I have a cheap acoustic my wife bought me a long time ago. I pick it up and mess around all the time, but haven't learned a darn thing because it is so hard to learn on.

The options.

Buy a cheapie $100 guitar form a retail store. Take it to a shop that can work on it and set it up properly. Will probably cost you $100 and you still have a cheap guitar (cheap wood, cheap parts, etc.) that you've paid $200 for. Or don't get a setup done and have a $100 guitar sitting in the closet because it is too difficult to play.

Buy a half decent $200 guitar from a shop. The shop will set it up for you, with a much easier job for the shop to do because it is a decent guitar to begin with. You bought from the shop, chances are the shop will set it up for nothing. Now you have a pretty good guitar with a good setup made from good wood and good parts and it is a joy to play.

 

[Andrea from PA]

My 13 yr old has 2 used guitars -- 1 Les Paul & 1 Explorer - both are Epiphones and have been great to us over the last 2 years.

I also urge Guitar Center or Sam Ash -- they have many "good" used guitars & can also tell you what basic guitars can be purchased & then "modified" with upgrades later.

You do not need to live near a Gutiar Center to do this. I purchased son's Explorer from a Madison WI store & had shipped. They were VERY helpful over the phone.

 

[IDoDis]

I researched entry-level guitars when DS wanted to start playing a year and a half ago. My nephew has been playing for years so I also got his opinion. The guitar shops have an entry level Squire, carrying case & amp in a box for around $200. I was told that was an "OK" guitar, but that there was a better one for not much more money.

We went to look at it which is the ESP LTD Viper 50. DS played both with an amp and the ESP did have better sound quality. DS's guitar teacher said DS's Viper had a better "pick up." Not sure what that means though.

DS's guitar had a small scratch on it so we got a $30 discount. The price was $239, but we got it for $209 and then bought a better amp separately. I think the amp was around $79.00. So all in all, we paid about $90 more, but it's worth it for us. The cheaper guitars don't stay in tune as well. However, the Squire is still good for a beginner if you buy the same model that is sold in a music store (not one sold at Wal-Mart, etc..).

Here's the EPS guitar my DS has:
http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_viper.html (It's the red Viper 50 at the bottom of the page). Most music stores should carry this as it's fairly popular for beginners.

 

[nd5056]

Guitar Center Bf deal:


Fender Electric Guitar & Amp combo:


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