guitars does the brand really matter?

[geordie_vaper]

wouldnt spend throusands on a guitar, looking at maybe £150-£250 at tops

[ionian]

That's interesting osdset - as a Les Paul owner, I've never considered it from that point of view. Mind you, my les Paul lives in a hard case and is looked after very carefully. It's an epiphone, not a Gibson (limited budget when I bought it 20 years ago) but I didn't buy it for maintenance, looks or ease of playing - the tone and sustain of solid mahogany was too creamy to resist!

Still I'd never recommend it to a new player. Although the action is beautiful, it's a heavy and awkward guitar, and the cutaway takes some bendy thumb skills.

Couldn't agree more about the luck of the draw with regards to individual instruments. If you go in a shop and try an Instrument, and they go in the back to get you a stock one when you say you want to buy, don't put your cash down until you've heard it play! It's happened to me and I walked out of the shop when he wouldn't sell me the display model. I'll get that all white strat one day, although I need more guitars like I need more vaping equipment - not very much required...

[thatguy]

In the future, if you enjoy playing and have the money to spare (2-3 grand) the musicman JP series are about the best I've played. At the moment, just take 150-200 into a decent music shop and talk to staff, pick a few up try to play something, anything just to see how they feel. When beginning, a good feel is more important than great sound imo. I've found independant shops tend to give better advice and service as each customer means more to the staff. Oh, if you know any guitarists, ask one to come along with you to keep an eye on any dodgy staff trying to upsell you or palm you off with the piece of trash thats been in their storeroom since noah got back on dry land.

[Deleted]

Go to a store Geordie... GuitarGuitar in Newcastle will let you sit there for as long as you like trying different ones, you will know when one feels good,.. i love strats but cant get comfy with them coz my knuckles wrap the Volume controls all the time.... plus where i pick is always over the center pickup and my pick catches the pickup.... there are small tweaks to avoid it, but i like to keep things stock so that guitar is just not for me.... i also have trouble with Les Pauls, they constantly slide off my knee when sitting down.... its a bigger fight for me to keep hold of it than it is to play it .....lol... you have to try them, and as someone said... stay away from cash convertors

[enjay]

geordie_vaper Yamaha Pacifica, squire strat type or a Vintage, all super cheap and seriously good for the money.



@agenthoover I hear you on the les and strat, had three les pauls now and got rid just as quick. Love the tone but the actual guitar is a ballache.

Regarding the strat though, adjust the centre pup right down out the way, obviously it'll effect the sound to an extent but everyone knows the neck is the best sound anyway ha ha

[Deleted]

Yeah i did the lowering pickup thing but just felt that it should be there if i want it, i like to keep guitars stock so that still left the controls issue... i know there are options to move the controls, as in reduce them down to 2 thus removing the 3rd, It was an American standard that i had and didnt really want to alter it to be honest.... i actually use a LTD 256 Viper now and love it over anything ive had... was pretty cheap too, i only dabble at home so its good enough..

[geordie_vaper]

going to have a look in guitarguitar when am next over newcastle just didnt want to come across a complete newb so i dont get fleeced going to have a play with a few and come back with findings on ones i try

[Greg]

Aug 2, 2014 19:45:02 GMT geordie_vaper said:

going to have a look in guitarguitar when am next over newcastle just didnt want to come across a complete newb so i dont get fleeced going to have a play with a few and come back with findings on ones i try

Don't worry mate we'll set a guitars for resale section up just for you 

[enjay]

Aug 2, 2014 19:33:11 GMT @agenthoover said:

Yeah i did the lowering pickup thing but just felt that it should be there if i want it, i like to keep guitars stock so that still left the controls issue... i know there are options to move the controls, as in reduce them down to 2 thus removing the 3rd, It was an American standard that i had and didnt really want to alter it to be honest.... i actually use a LTD 256 Viper now and love it over anything ive had... was pretty cheap too, i only dabble at home so its good enough..

Handy thing with the strat though is you should be able to gran a different scratch plate and just swap it over then you can keep the original to stick back in as and when you like.

[geordie_vaper]

Aug 2, 2014 19:58:26 GMT Greg said:

Aug 2, 2014 19:45:02 GMT geordie_vaper said:

going to have a look in guitarguitar when am next over newcastle just didnt want to come across a complete newb so i dont get fleeced going to have a play with a few and come back with findings on ones i try

Don't worry mate we'll set a guitars for resale section up just for you 

was going to ask were i could shift it on after i find out i cant play to save my life, will even throw in 10ml of e liquid

[osdset]

Aug 2, 2014 18:22:58 GMT ionian said:

That's interesting osdset - as a Les Paul owner, I've never considered it from that point of view. Mind you, my les Paul lives in a hard case and is looked after very carefully. It's an epiphone, not a Gibson (limited budget when I bought it 20 years ago) but I didn't buy it for maintenance, looks or ease of playing - the tone and sustain of solid mahogany was too creamy to resist!

Still I'd never recommend it to a new player. Although the action is beautiful, it's a heavy and awkward guitar, and the cutaway takes some bendy thumb skills.

Couldn't agree more about the luck of the draw with regards to individual instruments. If you go in a shop and try an Instrument, and they go in the back to get you a stock one when you say you want to buy, don't put your cash down until you've heard it play! It's happened to me and I walked out of the shop when he wouldn't sell me the display model. I'll get that all white strat one day, although I need more guitars like I need more vaping equipment - not very much required...

Epiphone! I rest my case! Isn't it ironic that at one point (the CBS days I think) Epiphone were making better Les Paul's than Gibson could. PRS are better guitars IMO (at least when Paul Reed Smith was making them by hand), now they are churned out by the thousands, even the freboard inlay work is sub contracted out to Pearl Works or someone similar.

It's a shame Patrick Eggle sold out to Levinson Guitars, Eggle made good quality instruments that easily equalled Gibson, and they were British!

[erik514]

Aug 3, 2014 1:48:16 GMT osdset said:

Aug 2, 2014 18:22:58 GMT ionian said:

That's interesting osdset - as a Les Paul owner, I've never considered it from that point of view. Mind you, my les Paul lives in a hard case and is looked after very carefully. It's an epiphone, not a Gibson (limited budget when I bought it 20 years ago) but I didn't buy it for maintenance, looks or ease of playing - the tone and sustain of solid mahogany was too creamy to resist!

Still I'd never recommend it to a new player. Although the action is beautiful, it's a heavy and awkward guitar, and the cutaway takes some bendy thumb skills.

Couldn't agree more about the luck of the draw with regards to individual instruments. If you go in a shop and try an Instrument, and they go in the back to get you a stock one when you say you want to buy, don't put your cash down until you've heard it play! It's happened to me and I walked out of the shop when he wouldn't sell me the display model. I'll get that all white strat one day, although I need more guitars like I need more vaping equipment - not very much required...

Epiphone! I rest my case! Isn't it ironic that at one point (the CBS days I think) Epiphone were making better Les Paul's than Gibson could. PRS are better guitars IMO (at least when Paul Reed Smith was making them by hand), now they are churned out by the thousands, even the freboard inlay work is sub contracted out to Pearl Works or someone similar.

It's a shame Patrick Eggle sold out to Levinson Guitars, Eggle made good quality instruments that easily equalled Gibson, and they were British!

Yep totally agree about Gibson.  Hugely overpriced for the quality they are producing.  A couple of years ago I was looking for a les paul style guitar and ended up with a PRS tremonti.  A bit on the expensive side but worth every penny.  Easily the best guitar Ive played and really versatile.
The inlays are manufactured by someone else but the guitars are still all manufactured in Maryland as far as I know.  Hoping to get a custom 24 next year.

[geordie_vaper]

well i have narrowed it down to:

Ibanez GAX30-BKN
Epiphone Les Paul Special II Ebony
Ibanez GSA60-BKN Black
Ibanez GRGR121EX-BKN Black Night

still need to pop into the shop but those are ones i am looking at

[erik514]

To be honest I would avoid all of them.
Ibanez make some really nice guitars but for that price you will get far more for your money if you went for a second hand Ibanez RG or an Ibanez S. Go to a good music shop and ask about second hand gear. If its a decent shop they should have replaced the strings, set the action and intonation and done any neck adjustments that it might need before they sell it to you. There really are some nice second hand guitars available for around that price that would be much better to learn with.

[Deleted]

The Ibanez range has some good good low cost guitars, the RG350DX being one of them.... however, a lot of Ibanez guitars have either a Floyd Rose trem or one that trys to mimick its features... good when they work but are a ball ache to set up, you could get one and have it blocked off but if it were me i would be looking for something with a fixed bridge..