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  #16  
Old 02-24-2018, 08:54 AM
roylor4 roylor4 is offline
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The guitar: Les Paul con - weight. They be heavy. Pro - thick rich tone.

IMO, the best bang for the buck guitars available are the G&L Tribute series. When they are listed as the SDOTD at MF, they can be had for $299. Absolutely great necks. The Bluesboy is one of the most versatile sounding guitars I have ever picked up - but it is fairly heavy as well.

Amp: There are a lot of great sounding and affordable modelers out there. You may want to consider the Yamaha THR5 or THR10. Great tone, small package and portable.
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  #17  
Old 02-24-2018, 09:25 AM
Dru Edwards Dru Edwards is offline
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Hi Terry, some great responses in this thread.

Some guitar stores allow you to rent guitars for a week/month/etc for a small fee. How about rent an Epiphone Les Paul for a week and follow that up with a Strat or Tele rental? You can also demo an amp at the same time.

The Gibson faded series offer great value at a nice price. Not to confuse things but SGs are nice guitars too and not nearly as heavy as a Les Paul (if that's any concern to you).
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  #18  
Old 02-24-2018, 09:49 AM
paulp1960 paulp1960 is offline
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The G&L tribute series look like great value for money, more expensive than a Squier here in UK but probably better built guitars.

The Ibanez Talman Tele models are cheaper and look like well-made guitars as well.

With the Talman and less so the G&L it might be harder to find after market parts (eg Talman pickguard, bridges etc) if you wanted to customise your guitar at a later date.

For decent cheap Strat-style guitars you could also consider the Yamaha Pacifica range.

For a cheap amp the Vox VT20X modelling amp sounds pretty good to me.
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  #19  
Old 02-24-2018, 10:52 AM
guitararmy guitararmy is offline
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https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...hoCjf4QAvD_BwE

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...hoCL8IQAvD_BwE

I like strats and teles, but with coil-tapping humbucker pickups so I can get a mix of single coil and humbucker tones.
For doodling at home a Roland Cube amp works for me at bedroom volumes.
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  #20  
Old 02-24-2018, 11:31 AM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1neeto View Post
...Les Paul’s are mostly known for their chunky tone thanks to their humbucker pickups...Les Pauls are heavy. Big solid mahogany body with a carved maple cap can make a Les Paul weigh as much as over 12 pounds...The big body might feel uncomfortable to some, and even though the neck is set, upper fret access is not that easy. And last but not least, a “proper” Les Paul will set you back over $2000. A Studio model will give you the Gibson logo on the headstock for about $1200, but that’s still a good chunk of cash. Anything under $1000 and you’ll have to settle for an Epiphone.

Strats on the other hand are known for their bright and sparkly single coil pickups...The bad? Again the long scale can be a deterrent to some. Also the radius is typically 9 degrees, with vintage style necks as curvy as 7 degrees. 12 degree are easily available too, and might feel a bit more at home for acoustic players...
In order:
  • Many LP's are equipped with P-90's, and if you find the humbucker tone too "thick" they're an excellent alternative - my '11 Studio '60s Tribute goldtop looks like a sweet under-the-bed '56, plays beautifully thanks to the factory Plek job (first year as I recall), weighs less than my Gretsch 5622T semi, and has enough sparkle to do surf and country credibly (sounds almost like a Gretsch Duo-Jet on steroids when played through a clean amp - think some of those overwound TV Jones PU's and you'll be close). While it's significantly lighter thanks to the weight-relieved body, it's also much livelier and more acoustically resonant than the full-solid version; FWIW I had the opportunity to A/B mine against a gennie '58 goldtop/darkback (a one-owner job in the possession of a local senior citizen - yes, they're still out there) several years ago, and the LP mojo was unquestionably there - tonal differences were more like variations on the same theme, and less dramatic than one might think given the '50s LP mystique; in short, the Studio LP's (which can be had for under $1K) are as "proper" as any other Gibson version - and IME far superior to their Epiphone namesakes overall...
  • Mathematically speaking, neck radius (perhaps a misnomer) is not measured in degrees but in inches, where the curvature of the fingerboard corresponds to a section of a circle of a given radius (7.25"/9.5"/12" etc. - larger numbers denoting flatter fingerboards). As with scale length/neck width these are largely a matter of personal preference and technique - the late-'60/early-'61 Fender 1-5/8" width/7.25" radius is my all-time favorite, and I've never had issues with bending or fretting out on any small-radius neck. I've also never had any difficulty accessing the upper frets on either my LP or Strat, nor being able to articulate notes due to differences in fret spacing - I've played Rick 325's and Fender Mustangs/Duo-Sonics/Jaguars comfortably, and the latter is on my short list as soon as I can find a lightweight example - but as with everything else guitar, YMMV...
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  #21  
Old 02-24-2018, 12:24 PM
harpspitfire harpspitfire is offline
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i suggest deciding on a humbucker style verses single coil pickups first and foremost- then find a guitar (forget the name brand at this point) that has a neck action your comfortable with, reviews will not help you at this point- you actually have to play the guitar, for an amp? good luck here- you might find a decent used small amp for $25 you love, or get a $200 new amp you think sucks, i'll say much though, it's going to be tougher to match a humbucker guitar and amp for overall sounds
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  #22  
Old 02-24-2018, 12:54 PM
DukeX DukeX is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dru Edwards View Post
Hi Terry, some great responses in this thread.

Some guitar stores allow you to rent guitars for a week/month/etc for a small fee. How about rent an Epiphone Les Paul for a week and follow that up with a Strat or Tele rental? You can also demo an amp at the same time.

The Gibson faded series offer great value at a nice price. Not to confuse things but SGs are nice guitars too and not nearly as heavy as a Les Paul (if that's any concern to you).
Great suggestion, Dru.

I also agree SGs are a great choice for a HB (or P-90) equipped guitar.
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  #23  
Old 02-24-2018, 12:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffreyAK View Post
Another vote for, go check out some gear and see what you like. You mention Les Pauls, Strats and Teles, but they're pretty different beasts suiting different people, and there are LOTS of other guitars out there that may suit you much better than any of the Big Three. Amps are even harder, lots of options depending on what kind of sound you want.
This and do not forget setting aside money for a set of headphones. Playing electric guitar in an apartment is an invitation for complaints even at what the player believes to be low levels.
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  #24  
Old 02-24-2018, 02:41 PM
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KevWind KevWind is offline
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Lots of good suggestion already
So I will simply comment that while you stated you were looking for budget and the low price models .You did not really give an indication of what your budget actually is (and perhaps you not sure)
As someone who went through this about year and 1/2 ago
One thing you might want to do is figure out what your maximum budget rage really is ?
Like
$600 --- -$800 ---$1000 --- $1500 etc. It will make your shopping and any suggestions here all the more efficient

Personally I agree with a couple of suggestions so far
Guitar_ is matter of trying the different types to get a notion of what playability you prefer and basic tone you gravitate towards

Amp _Start with simple and focus on the amp tone (me personally ) I discovered that I like tube and mostly clean sometimes with a bit of saturation And do not like like most digital onboard amp modeling (particularly in the the lower priced models)

And as Denver Steve mentioned consider looking for amps with a Headphone jack because you are soon going to want to drive the amp a bit, and it may quickly come to the attention of your neighbors
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  #25  
Old 02-24-2018, 04:21 PM
TerryC TerryC is offline
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You guys are awesome, thank you all so much for all well thought out replies. I don't know many guitar players in real life so having somewhere online to come for advice is so nice.

So I had a chance to go to a local shop and play some guitars today and I think I can narrow down my preferences.
-I think I prefer a shorter scale. This actually surprised me, as in the acoustic world I lean more towards long scale, but for playing with bends, hammer-ons, and bluesy sorts of stuff, the Gibson scale just felt proper.
-As to sound, I didn't quite understand what was meant by calling a tone "thick" but I think I get it now, and the darker, thicker LP tone sounded awesome to my ears. I liked an SG I tried as well, but I kept going back to the LPs as my favourites.
-I favoured the Gibson necks as well; some of the fenders I was playing felt like the necks were too thin, and coupled with the thinner nut it just wasn't quite as comfortable.

Thus: I think I want a Les Paul -- they just felt right. I definitely didn't realize they were so heavy, but as I'll be playing sitting down, this doesn't really bother me.

I wish money wasn't such a factor, but I think I'll have to set my upper budget at around $800 USD. This isn't set in stone, and it could be pushed a tad given waiting awhile longer, but also if I could get away with spending even less I'd be very happy. I'd prefer to buy new, just because I don't have any experience evaluating used electric guitars and would be afraid of getting ripped off, but I'm not necessarily opposed to buying used, as it seems that by deciding to go in the LP direction, anything I can do to stretch my dollars will be a big help.

Based on today, I think what it's going to come down to is whether or not to go with a high-end Epiphone or a low-end Gibson.
-I tried an Epi LP 100 and wasn't crazy about it.
-The Epi LP Standard and Standard Pro were much better. Felt good, sounded good. The standard pro has coil-tapping switches, and while having more options has appeal, I definitely preferred the usual humbucker configuration.
-Tried a couple different Gibson studios, and was very pleased with how they felt and sounded (wish they came in a burst though!). Similar experience with a faded T model. I liked the Gibsons better, but I don't know if there was enough of an improvement to justify the difference in cost.
-I intentionally didn't stray into the high-end LP realm because I didn't want to fall in love... maybe some day, but for right now the cost is just too prohibitive.

As to amps, I didn't experiment with very many -- I got so caught up trying guitars that I didn't want to test my better half's patience any longer. To those that mention having a headphone jack, I couldn't agree more, and think that for my situation it's a must-have. I was playing with a Fender Mustang 1 v2 as per Bob's recommendation and felt like this amp would give me everything I could possibly need, and at an affordable price. I'll definitely shop around some more, but I feel some-what comfortable that that amp will be the one.
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  #26  
Old 02-24-2018, 04:50 PM
Gmountain Gmountain is offline
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I have found I like the SG better than the Les Paul.

For an amp, take a look at the Vox AC10. It's a real tube amp, sounds great at low volume, has decent controls, and is loud enough to hold it's own if you want to jam with some buddies. Plus, it has that wonderful Vox tone.

GC has used ones for around $375, and there are some for less on Reverb. But it's a great amp.

Reverb has a Gibson Les Paul Tribute Gold Top (2013) for $539.
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  #27  
Old 02-24-2018, 04:53 PM
roylor4 roylor4 is offline
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Hi TerryC,

Good for you - there is nothing like wrapping your mitts around a guitar and trying them yourself. Yeah, LP's are a pretty good slab o' wood too.

A buddy of mine really prefers the thick sound of humbuckers all the time, while I prefer them for Blues leads and Single coils for rhythm work.

I strongly suggest you do yourself the favor of spending time with amps using the guitar you intend to purchase, if possible.

Guitars and amps either fit w/each other, or they don't. An amp that sounds great with a Tele might sound horrible with a LP or vice versa.

Those LP faded's look awesome. You may want to make an offer and see if you can get one within your budget.

Good luck and enjoy the hunt.
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  #28  
Old 02-24-2018, 06:09 PM
Steel and wood Steel and wood is offline
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I think if you are starting out (and on a budget) then a solid state amp like the Fender Mustang (with built in effects and a host of amp settings) makes more sense. (Have some fun, find your preferences before finally going down the tube amp and pedals path if that's what you decide).

My thoughts!
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  #29  
Old 02-24-2018, 06:26 PM
Seanr Seanr is offline
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Hi Terry. Hope you are enjoying the search.
I was in a similar situation a couple of years ago - ended up with a mim tele (great price in local classifieds) but Gibsons or Epi's are great guitars too.
What I have really enjoyed though is the little Yamaha THR 10C I bought. I tried the Blackstar offerings and Fender Mustang 2. Blackstar was ok but didn't really grab me. Fender was ok too but only 1 stock model of amp worked for me in the shop - probably could get a better sound if hooked up to a computer, but not my thing. The THR however was easy to dial in a great sound with just the knobs - 5 amp simulators plus 'clean' acoustic and bass programs. The thing about it which is great though is that it sounds good at low volume - you won't be doing gigs with it. Quiet enough that I play at night in the lounge while my partner and kids are asleep in the next rooms. If volume is a concern this thing absolutely rocks. Also gets loud enough for some fun during the day.
I am also looking for lower wattage tube amp, but even with attenuation Bugera v5 or Vox ac4 likely are going to be too loud. What do I want tube amp for? Just to play through a tube amp when the opportunity comes my way - during the day on weekends. So I will probably get to play it once a fortnight or month when I get one, but I play the THR every night and I expect that will continue even if I get a tube amp. Online reviews people have stated they are excited to get home and plug into it and I agree. You may see things differently but give them a go.
Hope you enjoy the dark side.
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  #30  
Old 02-24-2018, 11:44 PM
Mr Fingers Mr Fingers is offline
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There's never been a better time to buy used guitars, and particularly more budget-proceed models. Factories are churning out surprisingly good ones at insane volume, and as the guitar declines in popularity, used ones are glutting the market. It is far, far less effective to gather up written recommendations than it is to simply go to a guitar store, look, and try some for yourself. Fortunately, the options are just to broad to cover in a post. Most would say to try a Tele, a Strat, a Les Paul, and a "shred" type (say, Ibanez) and see which of those broad types appeals to you. In each type, there are good guitars at prices from $500 to $5,000, and you can often get a seriously good instrument for even less. Enjoy!
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