Electric Guitar + Amp recommendations?

[FakeSympathy]

Not sure how many of you play guitar, but here we go;

I have never played electric guitar, just acoustic. The reason I want to get one is that I feel there are techniques that are far easier to perform like bends, pull-offs and hammer-ons. And I can say this from experience while it's possible to do them on acoustic guitar, it's hard.

I am definitely more of a casual player, and I don't plan on going professional anytime soon; Just enough for self-entertainment or maybe even private event performances. I would say I'm comfortable with playing songs with simple-intermediate chords, fingerpicks, and strum patterns.

For pricing, I don't think I need to go all out, but I don't want to cheapen out and get elec guitars that sound terrible. I heard anything under $250 sounds bad and one is cheapening themselves out. I am not sure how much should I be spending for a quality guitar? One particular guitar I found was Fender American Performer Telecaster, which apparently is still a mediocre-sounding guitar for a price of $1400? I want to be sure about buying an eg as it looks like good ones are around the price of a gaming pc.

No specific brand preference, although I heard Fender, Yamaha, and Epiphone make some great ones.

Amp recommendation is also appreciated; Again, nothing too fancy, but nothing too cheap/bad quality either. I would prefer smaller-size amps for portability.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

For pricing, I don't think I need to go all out, but I don't want to cheapen out and get elec guitars that sound terrible. I heard anything under $250 sounds bad and one is cheapening themselves out. I am not sure how much should I be spending for a quality guitar?

What utter, mad donkey bollocks. I paid around AU$300 for my low end Epiphone LP. Sounds fine, no crackle, no buzz, makes noises when you pluck the strings. All you could want, really. Don't listen to the 'sound snobs', bunch of wankers. Same people who insist you need gold threaded speaker cables to get a 'good' home audio experience.

One particular guitar I found was Fender American Performer Telecaster, which apparently is still a mediocre-sounding guitar for a price of $1400?

If you like Fender, check out their Squier budget brand gear.

I want to be sure about buying an eg as it looks like good ones are around the price of a gaming pc.

Hell, if you want guitars aimed at 'professional performance' quality, you can pay over $10k for a guitar... you know, if you're a professional performer or a fucken idiot with too much cash for their own good.

I think what you'd be best doing is going to a music shop and noodling around with a couple of different guitars, checking their action and sound and what suits you best.

 

[Chimpzy]

Anyone who tells you you need high end gear to sound good is either A) an elitist snob, B) a mediocre player who thinks you can rely on gear as a crutch, or C) both.
You don't need a custom shop PRS with a Diesel tube amp, or whatever expensive boutique stuff is soupe du jour these days. Good sound is 90% player, the rest is the actual quality of the gear.

You can find great guitars for $250 or even less. That said, that is also the price range where you'll find a lot of garbage too. I find that once you pass the $400-500 mark, that sort of weeds out the trash, tho exceptions of course exist, it's just harder to discern them unless you know your stuff. Squier, Epiphone and Yamaha are fine, as is Ibanez, Schecter and ESP (tho the latter is mostly metal-oriented guitars). If you're willing to spend a bit more, consider looking into Carvin.

As for specific recommendations, that's pretty hard without knowing what your playing style, taste in music, and other preferences. As Rhombus said, the best thing you can do is go to a Guitar Centre or whatever and try instruments to get a feel for what you like. Prioritize in the following order: playing comfort, sound, looks. Looking good is great, but don't mean anything if it doesn't sound good, and sounding good is of little value if the guitar is not comfortable, cuz you won't enjoy playing it. But above all else, remember Zappa's Ultimate Rule: If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchin'; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty

Also, I don't know who told you a Tele is a mediocre guitar. Absolute legends been playing Teles for 70 years. That said, they are somewhat limited in their sound, or to put it a different way, any guitar can ostensibly be used for any type of music, but some guitars may lend themselves better for some types than others, and the Tele is what you get is you want twang. I you do like a Tele, don't bother with a MIA Fender tho, you'd pay a bunch extra just for the brand name. I would suggest a Squier Classic Vibe. Those would set you back $350-400 and have a reputation for very consistent quality and sound.

As for amps, for home use I would suggest something like a Boss Katana 50, Yamaha THR, Fender Mustang or Roland Cube. A couple of those also built-in effects, which can be handy. Not particularly suited for live performances tho, save for solo outings in small venues. Not in a live band, cuz the drummer will destroy you, tho this can be remedied by micing or DI'ing through the PA. You could also consider a small tube amp. Something like a Vox AC-4, Blackstar HT-5, Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 5. I also really like the Fender Blues Jr. Tube amps tend to be a fair bit more expensive tho, and require a bit more maintenance, but you'll have real tube amp sound.

 

[FakeSympathy]

Thank you both for your inputs.

Yeah, I'm definitely heading down to a guitar shop to try out the elec guitars they have over there. Hopefully I'll find a solid body that I like, with good price as a bonus

 

[Chimpzy]

Thank you both for your inputs.

Yeah, I'm definitely heading down to a guitar shop to try out the elec guitars they have over there. Hopefully I'll find a solid body that I like, with good price as a bonus

Oh, and while there, take the opportunity to try amps too. Ask for amps suitable for what you plan to use the guitar for, cuz otherwise they might slap you on a high end 100w tube full stack, which is cool and all, but won't be very representative.

Also, you probably know this already, but you don't need to buy at the shop. If you find something you like, it might pay to shop around. You might find a better price online.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Yeah, I would definitely go with something like this:

 

[Chimpzy]

Yeah, I would definitely go with something like this:

That ain't an electric. Unless it has piezo pups in the bridges or whatever

Also, not enough necks

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

That ain't an electric. Unless it has piezo pups in the bridges or whatever

Also, not enough necks

If that's not called "The Hydra" then I am going to be very disappointed.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Not sure how many of you play guitar, but here we go;

I have never played electric guitar, just acoustic. The reason I want to get one is that I feel there are techniques that are far easier to perform like bends, pull-offs and hammer-ons. And I can say this from experience while it's possible to do them on acoustic guitar, it's hard.

I am definitely more of a casual player, and I don't plan on going professional anytime soon; Just enough for self-entertainment or maybe even private event performances. I would say I'm comfortable with playing songs with simple-intermediate chords, fingerpicks, and strum patterns.

For pricing, I don't think I need to go all out, but I don't want to cheapen out and get elec guitars that sound terrible. I heard anything under $250 sounds bad and one is cheapening themselves out. I am not sure how much should I be spending for a quality guitar? One particular guitar I found was Fender American Performer Telecaster, which apparently is still a mediocre-sounding guitar for a price of $1400? I want to be sure about buying an eg as it looks like good ones are around the price of a gaming pc.

No specific brand preference, although I heard Fender, Yamaha, and Epiphone make some great ones.

Amp recommendation is also appreciated; Again, nothing too fancy, but nothing too cheap/bad quality either. I would prefer smaller-size amps for portability.

As a casual it won’t matter. Pros and audiophiles are about the only ones who will know the differences between makes, but that Fender should be more than good enough. Hell, I had a Mexican made Strat I bought as a graduation gift for myself after college, and it sounded pretty damn good with a Marshall combo amp. My dad played in a band for more than twenty years and he liked it too. IIRC it was about $1,500 for both pieces out the door, but that was nearly twenty years ago now lol. Shit, now I’m starting to want another one (sadly I sold that one after a couple years when money was tight being out on my own).

The big thing is just testing it out in the store, and ask questions. Most music stores (the good ones anyways) have really helpful staff because they love playing too.

 

[FakeSympathy]

So I went down to the guitar store. And you guys were right, just because the guitar is more expensive doesn't mean it sounds better than the cheaper ones.

I mean I played with fender player strato ($480), Epiphone Les Paul ($280), and squier affinity ($250) which all sounded good enough. Didn't even need to try out more expensive guitars.

Now I have to decide which one I like better... damn it all lol!

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Epiphone Les Paul ($280), and squier affinity ($250)

It's pretty common to be able to get these in 'starter sets' that come with the guitar, practice amp, leads, picks, capo, guitar bag and the like.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

So I went down to the guitar store. And you guys were right, just because the guitar is more expensive doesn't mean it sounds better than the cheaper ones.

I mean I played with fender player strato ($480), Epiphone Les Paul ($280), and squier affinity ($250) which all sounded good enough. Didn't even need to try out more expensive guitars.

Now I have to decide which one I like better... damn it all lol!

Having choice is not a bad problem to have!
I don't know guitars much myself, just that my two brothers played. I asked one of em, and he started out with the Affinity. He said "ehhh it was fine for getting started". Looking online, seems both have their pros and cons.
Did you ask the people at the store about the differences between them, or what they'd recommend? Either way, couldn't hurt to go back and noodle on em again now that you've done it once. Maybe now that the first experience has sat for a bit you might notice things you didn't before or come to a different conclusion on which suits you more

 

[mirbrownbread]

It also depends on what type of music you enjoy playing. For instance, Dean and BC Rich guitars sound balls-to-the-wall metal with the right pedals. Gibson and Fender are more mellow-y, jazz-y and blues-y. Yamaha and Ibanez are perhaps the most versatile ones, and I'd wager you can find more than decent instruments from those manufactures in the $500-$600 range.

Still, note that you'll need a lot of extra equipment to truly bring your favorite songs to life...

 

[09philj]

So I went down to the guitar store. And you guys were right, just because the guitar is more expensive doesn't mean it sounds better than the cheaper ones.

I mean I played with fender player strato ($480), Epiphone Les Paul ($280), and squier affinity ($250) which all sounded good enough. Didn't even need to try out more expensive guitars.

Now I have to decide which one I like better... damn it all lol!

I had an Affinity Telecaster as my first guitar. It's a pretty alright guitar, but not very comfortable for me. Now I have a Squier Classic Vibe Jaguar.

Miscellaneous guitar information to keep in mind:
1. Fender/Squier guitars usually have a 25.5" scale length, except for Mustangs and Jaguars which are 24". Gibson/Epiphone and Gretsch guitars are usually 24.75" and also have wider necks than Fender ones.
2. Single coil pickups are usually quieter, brighter in tone, less compressed, and more noisy than two-coil (AKA humbucking) pickups.
3. Stratocasters, Telecasters, and Les Pauls are widely cloned and you may find a good example from a brand that isn't their original creator. Jazzmasters are less commonly cloned but can be found. Mustangs and Jaguars are pretty much only made by Fender/Squier.
4. Tremolo/Vibrato systems tend to put the guitar out of tune if used aggressively.

Amp wise, the small practice amps I'd point towards are the Orange Crush 20RT (Or 35RT if you want more volume) or the Boss Katana 50. The Katana is more versatile but needs a computer to be tweaked to its fullest extent, the Oranges are more what you see is what you get. The Katana speaker is user replaceable which you may find useful as the speaker is a surprisingly large factor in what sound you get. Cheap Fender amps are mostly shit. Under no circumstances should you buy a Line 6 amp.

 

[Chimpzy]

Under no circumstances should you buy a Line 6 amp.

I'd say Line 6 is actually pretty good ... If you the kind of guy who can create his own mods, work the software and such. I know a guy like that and he sounds dope. Requires you really what you're doing, of course. Sort of ironic considering how popular it is with beginners.

 

[CriticalGaming]

I'd say Line 6 is actually pretty good ... If you the kind of guy who can create his own mods, work the software and such. I know a guy like that and he sounds dope. Requires you really what you're doing, of course. Sort of ironic considering how popular it is with beginners.

You can get a Line 6 POD, and download pre-made tones that sound amazing from their library. Not to mention you can make your own.

Amp modeling has come a LONG way, and there is no reason to shake your stick at an Amp Modeler over something more traditional like a Marshal or Fenderamp.

@FakeSympathy I think the guitar and amp combo you grab is dependent on what kind of music you aspire to play and learn. Especially if you are looking for a cheaper guitar, you are going to want something built more towards the kind of music you want because the pick-ups are going to be more one-trick ponies than what you'd find in a more expensive guitar.

While musical tastes can vary I'd say

Squires/Fender - great for Jazz, Blues, John Meyer, anything where a clean crisp sound is the go-to.
Schecters - Hard Rock, metal guitars. reasonably budgeted.
Ibanez - don't get a cheap Ibanez, their quality really suffers IMO on the cheap end.
Jackson - Another Metal guitar.
Ernie Ball/Sterling - A Sterling guitar is going to be the best all-rounder guitar on a budget. The cleans are decent and the distortion is pretty good plus they have a fantastic feeling neck.

 

[CriticalGaming]

If that's not called "The Hydra" then I am going to be very disappointed.

This is the Hydra actually

 

[FakeSympathy]

After a month of researching, trying out the guitars at the store, and get the feel of what I want, I've decided to go with this guitar (the 2-color sunburst one):

Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster Maple Fingerboard Electric Guitar 2-Color Sunburst | Guitar Center

Shop for the Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster Maple Fingerboard Electric Guitar in 2-Color Sunburst and receive free shipping and guaranteed lowest price.

www.guitarcenter.com

Now just need to figure out what AMP to get, and saving up for both! Might ask for a b-day present lol

 

[09philj]

After a month of researching, trying out the guitars at the store, and get the feel of what I want, I've decided to go with this guitar (the 2-color sunburst one):

Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster Maple Fingerboard Electric Guitar 2-Color Sunburst | Guitar Center

Shop for the Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster Maple Fingerboard Electric Guitar in 2-Color Sunburst and receive free shipping and guaranteed lowest price.

www.guitarcenter.com

Now just need to figure out what AMP to get, and saving up for both! Might ask for a b-day present lol

Solid choice, the stereotypical image of what electric guitars look like for a good reason.

 

[Chimpzy]

After a month of researching, trying out the guitars at the store, and get the feel of what I want, I've decided to go with this guitar (the 2-color sunburst one):

Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster Maple Fingerboard Electric Guitar 2-Color Sunburst | Guitar Center

Shop for the Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster Maple Fingerboard Electric Guitar in 2-Color Sunburst and receive free shipping and guaranteed lowest price.

www.guitarcenter.com

Now just need to figure out what AMP to get, and saving up for both! Might ask for a b-day present lol

Squier Classic Vibes have a good rep and a Strat is a versatile guitar. Should serve you well.