You Guitar guys!! I have a question.....

[73dodge]

I am going to buy my son a new electric guitar to replace his cheap wally world special, I promised to get him another better one if he improved with his lessons and practiced. He has a really crappy electric one now that we got at Walmart just to see if he liked playing and if he did not then we did not invest in a major purchase, so anyway it's out lived it's usefulness and he's gotten better and even his teacher is impressed with his ability to play, sorry couldn't help the fatherly pride thing.

k back to the topic at hand

So my questions is what would be a good guitar brand to get him to step up to I am looking to spend about 300 - 400 also looking at used guitars.

Is this reasonable? Should I go more or is that right with the money? What is a good brand to look for and what do you look for in a used guitar. I know there are areas to look out for with anything you buy used, like looking for rust in a Charger under the carpeting. But what about guitars. Do they appreciate in value?

Thanks for the help all you Jimi Hendrix clones

[73chgrSE]

Only the really collectable and expensive ones appreciate in value like Gibson Les Pauls or Fender USA strats. "Epihone" is a brand owned by Gibson that sells for under $500 for many models. Also Fenders lower line is called Fender "Squire" and they are nice too. Ibanez is another brand that you will see alot of used ones out there. They aren't bad and are usually alittle less $$ than the other two. If possible let you son play the guitar in the store to see if it is OK and feels good to him. Everyone has a different feel for the instrument and Fenders have very thick necks. Ibanez necks are typically thinner but sometimes easier for smaller hands. Hope that was helpful.

[ChargerBill]

Personally I have seen used USA Strats and Strat customs go for around $400 to $600 on ebay....pretty nice ones too. Keep in mind that a  lot of these guitars went for 2 to 3 times this price when new, so they are good quality instruments (most of them if they were mainbtained well) In all honesty I would look at a good used Strat first and buy from an seller with a high rating and a good track record. My buddy has sold around 40 guitars on there and has a very high rating, so if you want something in particular let me know.

[Ponch ®]

I agree...Epiphone or Fender are the way to go.

[Brock Samson]

  Good advice from these guys up above...
But I have a couple questions...
How old is your son, and what does he like, he must have a preference... a kid who listens to Steve Vai, or Zakk Wilde or other shedders isn't gonna go for a big honkin hollow body Gibson no matter how good it sounds... 
However if you son likes Jazz players like Joe Pass or John Scofield no little, skinny light stringed no sustain plank of wood is gonna do...   
Usually theres two camps the gibson Les Paul and E-335 Guys and the Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster guys..
There's tons of fender stratocaters out there and copies and various varyations on their design such as the Ibenez,...
  The Epiphone is a nice guitar too,  i'd recommend either,.. but let your son decide, let him play as many as he wants but i suggest you plug in the finalists and see if they humm have any rude noises when handeled,.. also look at things like how smooth the overall product is, the edges of the neck and pickguards and such, look at a couple fine guitars $1,000-2,000 in price to compare these details,..
Some guitars wont tune well, they will be out a alittle bit at a particualr point or will have flat or dead spots. or the pickups are weak when going for tone either warm or bright...
Some fine guitars end up in pawnshops and they are kept behind the counter...
put a few hundreds on the counter and you can get a real fine bson or vintage Fender...
sometimes the metal is the difference because you might pay for a nice lookin flashy paint job and come to find out after he plays and gets it alittle sweaty, the bridge or tuners and even worse the electronics are pot metal and snap off... or corrode,.. no,..  not a happy situation..
ewwwww.... 
You should be able to get a GREAT guitar for 400 bucks but your gonna have to invest some amount of investigation.
It could be a great amount of fun for your son too... 

[JimShine]

I would suggest a Mexico made Fender. The bodies and necks are cut in Corona California along with the other mass production USA Fenders. The difference is the bodies and necks are sent to Mexico for final shaping, fretting, painting and assembly. Much of the hardware is usually imported stuff made by Ping on the Mexico models, but there are nicer models with better parts and pickups. I would go for a middle grade Mexico model. Steer clear of the USA "Highway" series if you are looking for value. The guitars start out much like the regular Mexico models, they are shaped here, sent to Mexico for the labor intensive stuff, sent back to the USA for a cheap single stage finish, assembled (with import parts) and fret dressed in the USA to technically get the "Made in USA" branding on the headstocks. You can find similar quality guitars with the Mexico label for less.

[Ponch ®]

  Good advice from these guys up above...
But I have a couple questions...
How old is your son, and what does he like, he must have a preference... a kid who listens to Steve Vai, or Zakk Wilde or other shedders isn't gonna go for a big honkin hollow body Gibson no matter how good it sounds... 
However if you son likes Jazz players like Joe Pass or John Scofield no little, skinny light stringed no sustain plank of wood is gonna do...   
Usually theres two camps the gibson Les Paul and E-335 Guys and the Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster guys..
There's tons of fender stratocaters out there and copies and various varyations on their design such as the Ibenez,...
  The Epiphone is a nice guitar too,  i'd recommend either,.. but let your son decide, let him play as many as he wants but i suggest you plug in the finalists and see if they humm have any rude noises when handeled,.. also look at things like how smooth the overall product is, the edges of the neck and pickguards and such, look at a couple fine guitars $1,000-2,000 in price to compare these details,..
Some guitars wont tune well, they will be out a alittle bit at a particualr point or will have flat or dead spots. or the pickups are weak when going for tone either warm or bright...
Some fine guitars end up in pawnshops and they are kept behind the counter...
put a few hundreds on the counter and you can get a real fine bson or vintage Fender...
sometimes the metal is the difference because you might pay for a nice lookin flashy paint job and come to find out after he plays and gets it alittle sweaty, the bridge or tuners and even worse the electronics are pot metal and snap off... or corrode,.. no,..  not a happy situation..
ewwwww.... 
You should be able to get a GREAT guitar for 400 bucks but your gonna have to invest some amount of investigation.
It could be a great amount of fun for your son too... 

that's a pretty sweet axe, Brock. I need to put together my first guitar (an uknown brand Korean Strat Copy) again. I took it apart a few years ago when I broke the neck  - the body has been under my bed since and the hardware in Ziploc bags. Yeah, I could probably buy me a new Squier with what its gonna cost me to rebuilt it, but this one has sentimental value and that awesome screechy metallic sound you can only get from a cheap single coil pickup.

[73dodge]

Thanks for the replies guys, I don't think I am going to buy anything from Ebay because I don't know enough about Guitars to bid wisely.

As for his style he really does not have one at least that I know of, he's still pretty green but I am hoping that getting him a better guitar will help him get more involved in playing and start looking at what style he likes. Personnally I am a Stevie Ray Vaughn fan but that's me.

So Ponch Epiphone or Fender eh I like Fender personally I guess because of name recognition but I will be looking this weekend and I'll be posting on this thread when I find something and want you guys to give me an opnion of what you think.

Thanks again for the advice

[Brock Samson]

 heres my first fender,..
a good guitar will improve your playing by a quantum leap...
this is a '1974 three bolt neck flexi flyer,..modded... a few times.. 
i paid 420 bucks for it back in '75... i have light strings on her.

[Ponch ®]

Thanks for the replies guys, I don't think I am going to buy anything from Ebay because I don't know enough about Guitars to bid wisely.

As for his style he really does not have one at least that I know of, he's still pretty green but I am hoping that getting him a better guitar will help him get more involved in playing and start looking at what style he likes. Personnally I am a Stevie Ray Vaughn fan but that's me.

So Ponch Epiphone or Fender eh I like Fender personally I guess because of name recognition but I will be looking this weekend and I'll be posting on this thread when I find something and want you guys to give me an opnion of what you think.

Thanks again for the advice

Epiphones are 'economy' Gibsons. I own an Epiphone Les Paul and it plays and feels just as well as my buddy's Gibson. You can pick one of for just about $400 too.

Whatever you do though, stay away from "store" brand guitars like Sam Ash's Carlo Robelli. Theyre junk.

[Brock Samson]

yup,..

But the pickups on a Gibson are gonna be about 8-10% warmer though...
my GF got me this gibson model on the left for my B-day... two years ago...


personally for a beginner I suggest the Epiphone,.. Strat's are more comfortable to play,.. but,
a hollow body gibson copy can be heard without being plugged in.
...just something to think about... 

[Brock Samson]

hey any of you cats into Jean Paul Bourelly?..

[JimShine]

Not all Gibson pickups are warmer. Get into ceramic magnet and higher output models like the 500T and they have a scooped tone with accentuated highs and lows, but lacking mids (warmth). Or the 496R which is a bright humbucker. For warmth you need a 57 Classic style or a alnico magnet model like 498T.

[Ghoste]

I had a Les Paul with the 498T and hated them.  Too bright for me (on a Gibson anyway).  The Paul I have now has Burstbuckers in it and those are a nice traditional Les Paul sounding pickup (to my ears).

[73dodge]

Not all Gibson pickups are warmer. Get into ceramic magnet and higher output models like the 500T and they have a scooped tone with accentuated highs and lows, but lacking mids (warmth). Or the 496R which is a bright humbucker. For warmth you need a 57 Classic style or a alnico magnet model like 498T.

Uh yea what ever you said sounded ok......................

[Ponch ®]

Not all Gibson pickups are warmer. Get into ceramic magnet and higher output models like the 500T and they have a scooped tone with accentuated highs and lows, but lacking mids (warmth). Or the 496R which is a bright humbucker. For warmth you need a 57 Classic style or a alnico magnet model like 498T.

I have the Alnico II pro on the bridge. I got it 'cause I found out that's what Slash uses. And I still suck. 

[JimShine]

I had a Les Paul with the 498T and hated them.  Too bright for me (on a Gibson anyway).  The Paul I have now has Burstbuckers in it and those are a nice traditional Les Paul sounding pickup (to my ears).

Maybe it was wired in series or tapped?

I use Alnico styles, but by Seymour Duncan in the early-mid-80's. I am not a fan of Gibson pickups made over the past 20 years.

[69CoronetRT]

Only the really collectable and expensive ones appreciate in value like Gibson Les Pauls or Fender USA strats. "Epihone" is a brand owned by Gibson that sells for under $500 for many models. Also Fenders lower line is called Fender "Squire" and they are nice too. Ibanez is another brand that you will see alot of used ones out there. They aren't bad and are usually alittle less $$ than the other two. If possible let you son play the guitar in the store to see if it is OK and feels good to him. Everyone has a different feel for the instrument and Fenders have very thick necks. Ibanez necks are typically thinner but sometimes easier for smaller hands. Hope that was helpful.

Agree. For the money, the Mexican Fenders are a great bargain as well as used Epiphone 'Gibson's'. Good used ones can be picked up all day in that price range. Let him play them and see which ones fit HIM and his style best. All guitars feel different to different people.

[chrisII]

ok, im a bass player and a sound an light tech (so i do have a clue hear altho i dont play 6 string) im guessing your son is young and into the "rock star"  or "pop star" idea (prob rock star if dad likes SRV). so I would say get him a strat (or quality copy) that he is comfortable playing. if he is playing a POS from walmart now even a real strat with its larger neck if set up well will play MUCH easyer than a cheap guitar. poorly intonated guitars will mess up his sence of pitch for the notes also, so get him off the POS soon!  there is nothing wrong with the hollow body guitars from gibson other than that the bodys are bulky, and to a youngster they probly look as dorky as they do to me. if he thinks its dorky (an he might not say so) he will loose interest in it. also if he wants to be a rock star and you dont let him play through an amp he will get bored. yes there will be times when you have to ask that he turn down, but realise that not leting him crank it up sometimes will stifle his desire. now being a kid and not a pro playing out on a reg bassis, he doesnt nead fancy pickups yet, just a solid body , decent hardware, and a straight neck. you can buy him a heck of a good guitar for his neads for the money your willing to spend.
       our guitar player had a fender "showmaster" for a while he loved the guitar but had problems keeping it from going out of tune during a set due to the "floating trem" but they are a well made guitar (neck through body) with decent hardware. new they are in the $600 range but a used one would be a good choice with lots of bells and whistles to keep a young mind occupied.

[JimShine]

I am a guitar tech and earn my living on repairing, setting up and even selling guitars. Been doing it more than half of my life.

I suggest decent pickups and hardware to any kid that has made it past the experimental stage of a cheap guitar. Why? Inferior components interfere with learning. A properly setup guitar with decent (not top shelf mind you) components lets the kid learn on a functional guitar rather then spend most of his time tweaking things to make it perform right. Get the kid to learn how to properly string and setup the guitar (floating trems are maintanable if one learns how to use them correctly). The key is to get the guitar to perform and sound decent after restriung with minimal adjustments needed inbetween restrings. The trick is finding the best equipped hardware guitar for the money. I do not care for the hardware on most sub-$400 Epiphone guitars. But that is a personal thought. I know I end up changing lots of tuners and pickups on those guitars. There are low end Mexico Fenders as well with crap hardware. You will know the good stuff from the bad when you see it. There are other brands out there that are in the same price range with better hardware already on the guitars. Some of the Schecters are nice for the money. Mid line and above Fender mexico models and higher end Epiphone models too.  I would go to a big chain outlet and really look at some models before making a choice.

I mentioned the humbucker deal above because it isa  common misnomer that all humbuckers are warmer than single coils. It isn't always true.

[Ponch ®]

I am a guitar tech and earn my living on repairing, setting up and even selling guitars. Been doing it more than half of my life.

I suggest decent pickups and hardware to any kid that has made it past the experimental stage of a cheap guitar. Why? Inferior components interfere with learning. A properly setup guitar with decent (not top shelf mind you) components lets the kid learn on a functional guitar rather then spend most of his time tweaking things to make it perform right. Get the kid to learn how to properly string and setup the guitar (floating trems are maintanable if one learns how to use them correctly). The key is to get the guitar to perform and sound decent after restriung with minimal adjustments needed inbetween restrings. The trick is finding the best equipped hardware guitar for the money. I do not care for the hardware on most sub-$400 Epiphone guitars. But that is a personal thought. I know I end up changing lots of tuners and pickups on those guitars. There are low end Mexico Fenders as well with crap hardware. You will know the good stuff from the bad when you see it. There are other brands out there that are in the same price range with better hardware already on the guitars. Some of the Schecters are nice for the money. Mid line and above Fender mexico models and higher end Epiphone models too.  I would go to a big chain outlet and really look at some models before making a choice.

I mentioned the humbucker deal above because it isa  common misnomer that all humbuckers are warmer than single coils. It isn't always true.

i need to set up a mexican tele that im lending to a friend. Im having trouble adjusting the height and tension of the bridge(s) (im not sure if thats the term...i mean adjusting the screw behind the bridge that moves it back and forward - each string has one). any tips?

[Ghoste]

I've often told people to buy as much guitar as they can and to pay close attention to what the kid wants.  It needs to be a qulaity instrument for the reasons Jim mentions plus, a better playing and sounding guitar will encourage them to keep at it.  And, if they don't decide to stay with it, you have a better chance of reselling a better guitar.  As for the kids wants, well, the cool factor has to be there too.  No 13 year old boy will want to get a piece of junk out to show his pals what he's learned if they laugh at him because it isn't cool.
It's a delicate compromise really.

Oh, and Jim, my LP with the 498's was a Classic 60.  As far as I know it was wired stock but I did buy it used so...

[dodgecharger-fan]

73,  I picked up a guitar/amp/bag/cord/string/picks package deal at a place around the corner from HQ.

It's not a package deal in a box, though. The store did their own bundling after I told them what I was looking for.

It was meant for my daughter and she did take lessons, but never played at all in between.
So, now, it's basically mine. (Good thing I picked a blue finish.)

It's a Peavey Raptor Plus EXP guitar with a Peavey Rage 158 amp (small practice amp that's perfect in the house. )

I didn't expect a LOT out of this setup, but, darn it, it turned out to be pretty good. Her instructor even commented on how well the guitar played and sounded.

I've added a Zoom 707II to give me that "ready to tour" sound and to generally add some fun to my "noise-making" sessions.

[Ponch ®]

I've added a Zoom 707II to give me that "ready to tour" sound and to generally add some fun to my "noise-making" sessions.

how do you like it? I've had a 505 and a 1010 and I thought the effects sounded 'fake'. I finally picked up a couple of Danelectro pedals (flanger and chorus), and I thought they sounded pretty good. 

[JimShine]

"i need to set up a mexican tele that im lending to a friend. Im having trouble adjusting the height and tension of the bridge(s) (im not sure if thats the term...i mean adjusting the screw behind the bridge that moves it back and forward - each string has one). any tips?"

Moving the saddle back and forth is to adjust intonation. It has nothing to do with feel. Mess with them and not know what you are doing and the guitar will not play in tune. The up and down adjusters are to adjust the action. No tips there except adjust where you want, retune, then fret the string all the way up and be sure there is no buzzing.