Hmm, electric guitar.....?

No, my parents aren't going to play. What have you been smoking? Kidding.

Yeah, i was thinking something along the lines of what Nigel said. Thanks.

Here, just get this ax .... it's got everything you'll ever want in a guitar, plus it's already amplified and comes with a quick-start guide to becoming a fluent player.

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Have a look at the yamaha in this price range, one of the best starter guitars on the market, so good that a lot of pros have them in their rack. The guitar sounds cheap until you look at the p&p. The mini amps can be DIed into a mixing console if you were ever to go on stage with it, the question would be if you could use it yourself as a monitor. Put some earphones in the amp and they generally sound awesome. Bottom line, dont buy a make of guitar unless a lot of your buddies have heard of them, there are enough good starter models out there

Even cheap guitars are suprisingly good these days - many of the more expensive guitars are made in the same far eastern factories anyway!.

Don't fall in the trap that you need an expensive guitar to sound good, it's more down to playing ability than anything else - a good guitarist will make a cheap guitar sound good, and a poor guitarist will make the most expensive guitar sound crap!.

A guy I used to work with (James) is a good guitarist, and a friend of his played a bit as well - he bought the top of the range Marshall stack, and a genuine Gibson Les Paul (so spent a LOT of money). Last time I heard he was looking round all the music shops trying to locate a specific old amplifier that Jimmy Page played at a particular gig, because with his existing gear he doesn't sound like Jimmy Page.

He doesn't seem to understand that he's never going to sound like Jimmy Page, because Jimmy Page knows more than the three chords he knows!.

Yeah but I bet you James looks damn good with that LesPaul and Marshall set up!! When he walks into a room people are probably impressed..... that is until he plugs in and the truth is then "heard".

https://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5151008

Hey WalMart sells a Yamaha Strat clone w/ 7w practice amp all for $220 and includes many extras. Guitar is made from a mix of US and imported components. But I would really visit a music store as I mentioned before, you can buy a genuine Fender Squier Strat w/ small amp for around $300. It comes as a package deal in one box, I believe. Many beginner students opt for this package.

Personally I've always felt the LesPaul was and still is a superior guitar over the Fender Strat. however the Strat has held its place steadfast in the music world.

Marks256 said:

Do you think this would be a good deal for someone just starting?

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Sure, 10watts isn't much, but it may get me started. I have been thinking lately that i want to learn the electric guitar. Anybody here know it already? I think it would be neat. Yeah, i now it is A LOT of work, too.......

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dont go for it...i was looking for an electric guitar one dayand musiciansfriend.com came out on sale with a PRS SE guitar...i have 2 of them today and love them both.

the pickups cant be too great in that ebay unit...save up for a good guitar that will last a lifetime.

Yeah but how much is a PRS? Aren't they considered to be a custom line that's costly? The ones I've seen cost tons of money and they don't play nor sound any better than a Gibson or a well tweeked Fender. They do look good tho.

HiTech said:

Yeah but I bet you James looks damn good with that LesPaul and Marshall set up!! When he walks into a room people are probably impressed..... that is until he plugs in and the truth is then "heard".

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It wasn't James, it was a friend of his (I can't remember his name, I never actually met him) - James was (and still is) a good guitarist, last time I spoke to him he had bought an American made Fender Strat.

Talking about "until he plugged in", my daughters old band (three young girls) played at a music day at a pub a few miles away, they had never been there, and they didn't know a single person (including the guy who ran it, it was me who had rung and arranged it). There were eight or so bands playing, my daughters band were fourth, following an excellent band called "The Gary Colemans" a ska band, and really nice guys.

Anyway, "The Gary Colemans" had finished and I was helping Melissa's band set up (all the PA was provided, along with a sound engineer) - I overheard someone in the crowd say "it's girl band" in a VERY condesending tone. As soon they started though they soon changed their mind, they were a seriously good band - and really rocked the place, best equal band out of the eight, along with "The Gary Colemans" - equal because of their completely different styles.

Back to the story, now it's set up - the fifth band on's guitarist carried a dirty great big Marshall stack in, and a really expensive guitar, and he was completely dressed in leather and chains (fat guy, looked a complete prat!). Didn't stay and watch them, but they sounded rubbish from down stairs, and they only played two songs!.

Personally I've always felt the LesPaul was and still is a superior guitar over the Fender Strat. however the Strat has held its place steadfast in the music world.

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Completely different instruments for completely different styles, Les Pauls are really for rock music, strats for lighter music - both have their place, and I wouldn't say either is 'better', as there's no area of comparison really.

Incidently, Melissa doesn't like Gibson's, she borrowed one for a bit, but prefers strat type guitars (when she plays guitar), she also tried a Gibson bass - but really didn't like that!.

HiTech said:

Yeah but how much is a PRS? Aren't they considered to be a custom line that's costly? The ones I've seen cost tons of money and they don't play nor sound any better than a Gibson or a well tweeked Fender. They do look good tho.

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PRS makes all sorts of styles.

They had mine sell for around $200 on sale

pics
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I started learning guitar on my own.....(when was it.....?) about May 06...so 5 months now i have been playing while teaching myself

hers a great link to some info i looked up at first
https://www.vdrums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24406

Start small...some of those eBay sets are good to get your started and cheap but if you want to move into this playing fast and get great lessons unlike me, go for a good guitar and now a $30 eBay style strat copy.

if you like a guitar body, you can always swap out the pickups and add a new bridge and all that expensive stuff.

I'm currently looking into the DiMarzio DP416 Area '61 pickup for my bridge with a pair of DiMarzio DP415 Area '58s for the middle and neck positions.

these pickups sound great IMO

I was thinking about going self tought. I am confident.....ish. By the way, moody, nice setup! I especially like the guitar. Cool colors, nice amp too.

The LesPaul has greater flexibility over the Strat because of it's body size which sustains notes longer, the pickups are better from the start, and hardware is a bit better. The Strat can be a formidable axe as well but bare stock the LP is a cut above. The Strat is easier to wield around on stage and has a comfort to the body like no other out there.... Leo Fender personally saw to that. Marks256 you should look around for used setups in your local classifieds. You'd be surprised what's available and the problem on eBay is you're trusting the seller to package it safely and that it's fully up to what it's advertised as. A well cared for used guitar & amp will sound no different than a new one and your wallet will love you for it.

People in my area don't know how to get rid of their stuff. The classifieds are filled with nothing that interests me.

Does anybody know if Barnes & Noble have any good "teach yourself" books? I really don't want to get lessons, because i really don't like the people around here....

Marks256 said:

People in my area don't know how to get rid of their stuff. The classifieds are filled with nothing that interests me.

Does anybody know if Barnes & Noble have any good "teach yourself" books? I really don't want to get lessons, because i really don't like the people around here....

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The classic book was "Play In A Day" by "Burt Weedon" - but it didn't do me any good!

As before, I would strongly advise some lessons, you will learn far faster, and far better - plus it gives you someone pushing you, when on your own you might just give up.

Don't worry about "not liking people round there", guitarists aren't normal 'people', they are usually decidely 'different'

One of the most importaint things about a guitar is the neck action and you can only find that out by playing it. If you do want to buy from eBay then I would recommed that you look for a Fender Squire or an Ibanez these are both good for beginers and it may be a good idea to get a used one as they have been "worn in" (believe me, it makes a difference).
Buy the amp separatly, I would go for a 25W combo.
Effects pedels make a world of differance!!!!!!!

Don't worry about "not liking people round there", guitarists aren't normal 'people', they are usually decidely 'different'

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You don't understand.... The people that give guitar lessons are old hags that are full of gossip and NEVER pay attention to what you have to say.

Marks256 said:

You don't understand.... The people that give guitar lessons are old hags that are full of gossip and NEVER pay attention to what you have to say.

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This is Charlie, the guitarist in Melissa's band, he gives lessons!. If all you can find is 'old hags' you can't be looking in the right places?.

I have had a few guitars over the years, but every time I bought one to start learning with, a few weeks later, before I had even broken in the strings, I busted fingers or my wrist etc, and couldn't play the guitar..so it would sit there gathering dust until I felt sorry for it and sold it off to a good home. I must have done that about three or four times before I eventually gave up and turned my attention to other things. That was years ago though.

Then, about two years ago, it just hit me again out of the the blue, I just felt the need to play again, so I bought a cheap acoustic, and started playing again. Within 6 months, I decided that I wasn't having any more accidents, so I deserved a better guitar, and bought myself a nice Washburn WD56SW, I figured that as it was a step up, it would help me step up so to speak...
I play about an hour most days in 10-20 min bursts, whenever I'm at a loose end I'll just sit down with a cup of coffee, and the guitar and just strum away the stress of the day...I would recommend it for anyone...

I also have a squier strat, but can't get my fingers to stop thinking acoustic...so I play that like a drunk on a staurday night, but hey it makes a noise, and keeps the pesky neighbours away...
I find that if I play the acoustic and then try to play the strat, I'm all over the shop...then when I finally get used to the strat, I can't go back to the acoustic, the neck is so different on both...muscle memory is such a sod sometimes...
I also find that if I think about where the changes are when I'm playing as opposed to just playing, warts an all, the kybosh is on it all and I trip myself up constantly, hehe, I can't think about and play at the same time

tunedwolf said:

I find that if I play the acoustic and then try to play the strat, I'm all over the shop...then when I finally get used to the strat, I can't go back to the acoustic, the neck is so different on both...muscle memory is such a sod sometimes...

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You need to play them BOTH more often, it should be no problem swapping between the two once you become a better guitarist.

Melissa has no problems changing from 4 string bass to five string bass, and that's a FAR bigger change than any guitar - with four strings the strings are parallel to each other, with five strings the strings taper considerably - so wide at the bridge, narrow at the machine heads. She also changes to 4 string fretless bass, 4 string acoustic, and various 6 string guitars (both electric and acoustic). It's purely a question of experience - but, like I said before, play them both often - say for your 20 minute stint, do 10 minutes on each. Before you know it you won't even know which one you're playing!.

One other thought?, don't know if it will help or not?, but if you're NOT playing chords try playing on different strings to what you normally would - the same note can be played at different positions on different strings. So instead of moving your finger across to a different string, move it down the same string (or to a completely different string) to find the same note - obviously this doesn't work for all notes and strings. This helps you to understand the positions of the notes on the different strings, and increases your left hand agility.

You could always try the "Niel Young" approach where the actual notes and timing don't really matter. The man's a genius !!!!

n.house said:

You could always try the "Niel Young" approach where the actual notes and timing don't really matter. The man's a genius !!!!

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Pretty cool guy - I'm always blown away by the number of different combinations with Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

He's the sort of guy you often get teaching guitar, which is why I'm staggered by Mark256's 'old hags'?.