I’ve been learning to play accoustic guitar for a little over a year now, and although I still dispair at overall quality of my playing sometimes, I can still acknowledge that I’ve made a lot of progress, considering I started from zero. My renditions of Stairway to Heaven, Ziggy Stardust and Wonderwall are at least recognisable, if not hugely flattering.
During particularly busy periods it’s hard to find the time to practice, which has sometimes led to a frustrating cycle of starting to lose callouses, finger strength and muscle memory, and then having to spend time building them back up again, which makes you feel like you’re not making any progress. So in the past few weeks I’ve been making an extra effort to find 30 minutes to play every day, even if that means delaying getting back to that work issue that’s bugging me for a while, and that’s definitely helped with my consistency.
I’ve got to the stage where I think I’d like to have an electric guitar as well as the accoustic, so I can start trying out a few different styles. This is a generally more expensive proposition of course, and I’d like to get a decent one that will last me for a good while. While my skills don’t justify buying a seriously high-end instrument, I’m certainly willing to spend a decent amount to get a quality ‘axe’ that will last a few years and grow with me.
I was in town today so I popped into our local guitar shop to play with a few. I liked the visual style of the Gibson Les Pauls, but actually when I played them, I preferred the overall feel of the Fender Stratocaster. I also really liked the Ibanez ARX which seemed kind of half way between the Les Paul and the SG.
Any opinions from more experienced guitarists (not difficult)? I have a couple of months yet before I plan to buy and I’m intending to drop in to try a few more out in between.
Oh, and in the land of make-believe instruments (which is considerably easier), my wife and I passed a couple of milestones last night. We’re starting to both play on Expert now, and we got our first set of five gold stars (which requires everyone to play on Expert and score above a certain threshold), and I also got this:
October 8th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
I have a Fender Strat, love it to death, and it suits my play style (blues, classic rock, indie, alternative). I also have a parts-o-guitar based off of an Ibanez GAX body that is fantastic. My suggestion for you is to go out and play every guitar you can until you find “the one” that fits you just right. Strats are king for versatility, but nothing can beat a good Tele for tone. Les Pauls have that beefy tone that defined late 60s-70s classic rock. Ibanez make solid guitars too, I personally dislike the necks on some of them (they’re too thin), but the Artcore series and some of the other ones are fantastic to play on.
Hope this helps, and I’m glad to hear you’re keeping up with the playing!
October 8th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Actually you’ll find playing electric guitar much easier due to having steel strings as opposed to brass ones on your acoustic. Personally I’m not a fan of strats, they feel very “60’s”, but then others may really like that. The Gibson Les Paul’s are gorgeous to play, and I could never doubt one. In fact, I might get one for Christmas/Birthday. The Ibanez’s are okay but I’ve always found that they feel cheaply made. I think it’s worth going to a guitar shop and having a little play on one to see what you feel. The strat’s are known for their high action, whereas the Les Paul’s are known for their low action. It’s down to personal preference really, but you’re not going to know until you own one unfortunately
October 8th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I haven’t had the chance to play a les paul yet sadly, although i would really miss the whammy bar. I currently have a fender strat, ibanez and a jackson (my favorite). I would just recommend that you just find one that you like the sound of and feels the most comfortable to play, especially the weight, size and shape.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
One thing to keep in mind is what sort of pickups you get on it. There are all sorts of types and layout configurations.
Also if you have a tremolo on it, make sure to get a “floating” one (like a “Floyd Rose”). They’re a little different to tune, but once tuned they tend to stay there MUCH longer.
Once you buy an electric guitar, consider getting a “POD” from a company called Line 6. I think they’re on a 3rd version now. It basically simulates various amps, has effects, can load/save settings to a computer, and other stuff. It will also let you practice with just it and headphones for instance without the need for an actual amp. It has a line out you could use to send sound to your computer should you ever want to record something. Not sure how much they’d cost over there etc., but maybe you could find an older version or used one etc. on ebay.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
No idea personally, but if your interested I can get my mate who teaches guitar now (who also conveniently happens to be on FaceBook): http://www.guitar-lessons-leeds-and-bradford.co.uk/ to give you any tips you may need. He’s a bit of a guitar nut.
October 8th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Thanks chaps, I can use all the input I can get, I’m still very much learning.
@Kezzer: I’d actually heard the reverse, that the Strats were known for their lower action than LPs. But then I can always get that adjusted I guess.
I found the Strat I played the easier of the ones I tried so far, and I liked the variation on the various pickup settings, it seemed wider than the LP or Ibanez. I went in there with a bias against the Strat (just from the looks, I prefer the LP), but I came out with the reverse impression having actually used them. I’ll definitely need a return visit to play some more though, especially since there’s quite a big price range even once you’ve chosen a make.
October 8th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I’m going to suggest you stay near the low end of your budget for the guitar, because 1) you want to be spending at least as much, preferably more, on an amp - pound for pound the difference will be more significant, 2) the next thing you’ll want will be effects, and more effects, and 3) I don’t care what you say, you will be wanting yet another guitar before this time next year.
@Paul: I suspect being on Facebook is probably the opposite of convenient for Steve, i.e. the very thought will have steam coming out of his ears.
October 8th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Most importantly, whatever happens Steve, please promise everyone you won’t buy a “Flying V” guitar. And try not to find the skull guitars from RB either :).
If you want to go for looks, check out the PRS guitars. I think they’re beautiful. They’re certainly not cheap though :).
October 8th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
@Ciaran: interesting point, thanks, I’ll bear that in mind. I started looking at amps online and was struck by how much variation there was, and was getting the message that it’s better to spend a little more on these since a good guitar on a crappy amp will sound crappy anyway. Next time I go to the shop I need to take a look at what amps they have too…
@Kentamanos: don’t worry, I don’t like the Flying V at all
October 9th, 2008 at 12:48 am
I play a Godin (model SD) and find it’s useful for taking a break with when I get frustrated.
One thing you can do if your guitar shop is any good, is buy a relatively cheap guitar and get it set up as any type of (expensive) guitar that you like in the shop. Cheaper then buying expensive, and it feels like a high priced model.
Of course use the stores expertise to let you know what ones are worth doing that with though.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:36 am
It’s really a matter of personal taste and preferences. Therefore it’s hard to get any advise what kind of guitar to play.
As you and other said, the first thing to consider is, that you need to feel comfortable with. If you are hunting for “the tone” it might be different but that’s a special case
You don’t need to buy an original, sometimes copies are good enough.
Strats usually have thiner tone but clearer. You can get some nice funky tones when using the in-between positions - meaning using the 2 fronts or the two pick-ups from the back. Their pick-ups tend to capture rays coming from lamps or other electrical devices. Some use modern tricks to reduce this - but if you go for a Strat-like guitar you maybe want to check if it works fine in your environment (computer, monitors, lamps). I had to turn (old) monitor and lights off
TFT works better 
Les Pauls have a warmer sound. I think you have less diversity in tone but more punch.
I personally don’t like the les Paul Necks so much. I prefer those from Strats. I also like playing funky stuff.
A floyd rose is a pain to adjust (i personally think). Maybe consider it as toy for *later* and start by doing vibration through fingers. You wont be able to do nice *dive-bombs* a la van-halen (unless you are ready to readjust the strings each time
) … but well..
October 9th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Hey bud! Paul Downey pointed me your way.
You definitely need to check out a Yamaha Pacifica. They are easy to play, sound great and you can usually pick one up for around £150. Vaguely strat style but much better than guitars 5x their price.
Other then that, just go out there and play loads of guitars. Don’t let price be too much of an issue, therefore be prepared to pay for quality - it’s definitely worth it. I’ve had cheap guitars before that have literally fallen apart after the first year and as a teacher I see people who are doing the same and just have to end up buying a new instrument.
The bottom line is that the guitar you want will make you pick it up and play it! It’ll be the kind of thing that you can’t put down and therefore just want to keep playing and therefore getting better and better at! If you play enough guitars you’ll begin to see the sorts of things you’ll look for and you’ll know it when the right instrument comes along.
The other half of it is getting a decent amp. Again you don’t need to spend a fortune on something but if you’re paying electric then it’s worth the investment right? After all it’s the other half of you guitar really and is very important to the overall sound. I recommend a Roland Cube but again, be a gear slag - play with a few and see what you like about different ones.
If you have any questions give me a shout. You can find me here.
http://www.jonathanvipond.co.uk
October 9th, 2008 at 9:03 am
My personal choice for a versatile instrument that is comfortable to play generally sits with the Ibanez, I currently use a SA series (forget the exact model) for most of my noodling around and find it a good hybrid between the Les Paul and the Strat. It also has a slightly thinner body so is lighter to cart around as well.
Personally I prefer a fixed bridge (like the les paul) or a string through the body design, if I want to go mental on a floyd rose I will use a Whammy Pedal thanks
October 9th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Once again I appreciate all the input - while I realise personal choice is a big factor, I’ve certainly got a few more things to think about for next time I drop in at the shop, so this has been useful. I’m definitely going to balance my budget more between the amp and the guitar based on what’s been said, and I have a few more options to think of & see if I can try out. Unfortunately our single dedicated guitar shop is small so the range I have at my disposal isn’t huge, but I get the impression it’s better to choose from among those you can actually try out than to to go the mail order route.
October 9th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
I have an old Washburn MG34 with a Floyd Rose floating term. I can honestly say (and this may reflect my inability to set it up properly) that the thing never stays in tune. I would agree that you don’t need to buy an expensive guitar. My brother has an old Yamaha, which is a really nice guitar to play. He just bought a top end Ibanez (Universe maybe?) and it’s niiiiiiiiiiice. Still, it is all about finding one that suits you and your needs. Definitely only buy a guitar you can play, even if that restricts your choice. I’ve been playing guitar for 26 years, and I still suck! Here’s proof:
http://www.soundclick.com/MikeStoddart
Good luck and welcome to the wonderfully sexy world of the geeeeeeetar
October 9th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Take a look at Hagström guitars (http://www.hagstromguitars.com/). Great quality and reasonable price - beats an Epiphone every day
I also own an Ibanez (although a quite cheapy one) and it can’t compare with my sweet Swede!
October 12th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Hi Steve!
The guitar is very important!
Buy one you really, really like - don’t be stingy - you can get an amp later on.
Do not listen to experienced guitarist, because they can get tone out of cheap and crappy guitars.. :p
If you like the looks of Les Paul and the playability of a Strat, try the Ibanez SA series or a Paul Reed Smith.
But, take your time.
You definately have to try the guitar before you buy it.
So wait until you find something you (really) want.
My two cents..
October 14th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
let me bring up another consideration. i may be the only one this matters to, but the next guitar i buy will be headless and practically bodyless, like the classic Steinberger guitars.
why? because i like the idea of strapping the guitar to me before i sit at the computer or walk around the house so i can grab it and noodle at every available idle or down time. the worse obstacle to doing that is the head of the guitar which will get banged up (or nearly) going through doorways and require you to use both hands to move the guitar appropriately as you navigate your house. but the body size matters too a bit.
now, i was sold on the steinberger’s just from the shape, but apparently tons of folks like them for their tune, stay-in-tune-as-you-bend-so-you-can-bend-chords whammy bars (optional, i think they are called TransTrem) and other properties. they also use an unusual material that’s supposed to have killer sustain and sound.
so make sure you read up about those and consider them.
personally i love the way they look also, altho that’s almost totally not a factor for my decision to buy one
October 16th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Deciding whether you want an electric or an acoustic really depends on what type of music are you playing. Generally speaking, electrics though are also very good at clean tones produced by acoustics. Now, as to which guitar are you going to pickup, it all depends on your budget and your choice of feel (fretboard, neck radius etc).
For large feel, there are Ibanez or Jackson guitars. For medium feel, there are Gibson and Epiphone. And also Fenders.
You might also want to try Myaxe guitars, which are closer to Gibsons and Epiphones in feel. They use semi C-shaped bolt on necks for added sustain and ease of play. You can check out the website at http://www.myaxeonline.com
October 24th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
[...] mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I plan to get an electric guitar in the next month or two to complement the accoustic that [...]