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  #16  
Old 03-27-2023, 07:16 PM
Paleolith54 Paleolith54 is offline
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Originally Posted by GoPappy View Post
My advice is to go to as many guitar stores as you can and hold and play as many different guitars as you can. There are so many shapes, sizes and weights of electric guitars that can feel differently in your lap (or on your shoulder, depending on how you play). I think it's important to play them and find one that just feels right to you.
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I agree. I think feel is far more important than any other variable. Pickups, wood, who plays it, all the things we amuse ourselves obsessing over pale in comparison to how good it feels in your hands IME.
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  #17  
Old 03-27-2023, 09:28 PM
hatamoto hatamoto is offline
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This is how I see it.

In the acoustic world a beginner would first choose body type: dreadnought vs OO vs OM. The electric equivalent would basically be a Strat, Tele, a singlecut like a Les Paul or a hollow body.

Depending on how detailed you want to be, the buyer would look for tone: There are many options in the acoustic world for tonewood. In the electric world, it pretty goes down to a single coil vs a humbucker. There are others, but I won't include them for the sake of simplicity

Then the acoustic buyer would choose if they want laminate or all solid or a hybrid. Electric guitars also have wood grades, but they're not as heavily emphasized.

Acoustic buyers would definitely need some kind of humidification system. This is a must. For electrics, it would be the amplifier. Do they want digital, tube, analog, hybrid or even go the ampless route? Then they have the pick the tonal character. Fender, Vox, Marshall, Orange vibe?

Electrics can also fall victim to humidity changes, but in my experience they are a lot more resilient.

Edit:
I just looked at your provided link. They will cut corners on starter packages. I would much rather buy them all separately. Some people will swear by cheap guitar and expensive amp or vice versa. You pick your poison. Honestly, I think they should be 50/50. For me, a great guitar is inspiring to play on, and I also need a decent amp for great sounds. Setting up an electric is easy. Adjusting the action and intonation is pretty much as simple as turning screws. I wouldn't even know how to start intonating an acoustic guitar, and I wouldn't be comfortable sanding down a saddle to lower the action.

Last edited by hatamoto; 03-27-2023 at 09:40 PM.
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  #18  
Old 03-27-2023, 11:07 PM
JackC1 JackC1 is offline
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Originally Posted by janinep7 View Post
And what would be the electric guitar equivalent of a professional quality set up, something on par with the Martin 000-18?
I think you can get something similar for way less in the electric world; somewhere around $1500 can get you a lower-end Fender/Gibson American model. Then you can use that saved money on an amp (or 2).

You have to try them first, the neck profile, body geometry (cutouts and even the locations of knobs), weight (the imports are generally lighter), trem setup, if you want a kill switch/different pickup configurations, etc. are really different between the manufacturers, more so than the acoustic guitars.

My first electric was a Fender Player Stratocaster in SSS. It's like the Yamaha FG/FS800 in the acoustic world. Everybody has one; and it plays just fine, even if a little unspiring. I think it's a good start (oh, it's also got the modern 2-point trem,making setup easier on string changes).
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  #19  
Old 03-28-2023, 06:38 AM
AX17609 AX17609 is offline
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This is exactly the type of scenario I'm hoping for. I hope my journey is just this straightforward. I like that PRS. It looks nice.
I hope my experience is helpful. The PRS is, indeed, very nice. But in your situation, I wouldn't hesitate to point you toward a Sire S3. The quality is astonishing at less than half the price. At your level, what you're looking for is left hand playability. That's the strength of a Sire. Also, with an HSS pickup configuration, it's a 'do everything' guitar.

A review can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8rjU9wzhps

Sweetwater sells them as fast as they come in. As I write this, there's only one left.

Last edited by AX17609; 03-28-2023 at 06:47 AM.
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  #20  
Old 03-28-2023, 07:57 AM
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Originally Posted by janinep7 View Post
I have no idea what I like or don't like yet. Nice to know that the Yamahas are good quality starter electrics. No surprise.

Maybe I should start my research by figuring out what my favorite guitarists are playing. BB King. Chuck Berry. Jimi Hendrix. Jimmy Page. Pete Townsend. Eric Clapton. Bonnie Raitt.

That would probably be a good place to start getting ideas.
Unfortunately that list of musicians are all over the map guitar style and brand wise
BB and Chuck Berry played hollow (or semi hollow ) bodied electrics
Jimi was best known for a Strat
Jimmy Page played a variety but early recordings were with a Tele
Townsend was all over the map
Both Clapton and Bonnie are know for Strats ...

This video of the 40 th anniversary of Austin City limits performance of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" gives fairly large sample of types of electrics

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  #21  
Old 03-28-2023, 11:34 AM
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Janine, there are a lot of people offering good advice in the form of their opinions. Yes, a dollar is a dollar, but if you shop price alone, chances are you're going to be disappointed in the long run.

Take the Telecaster, for example. Also commonly referred to as a "T-type" because there are so many knockoffs. But Fender, and its "little brother" company Squier also make a variety of models of the venerable T-type. At the very low end is the Squier "Bullet." These can be had for under $200, but remember the saying, "You get what you pay for." Consider also the CoO (Country of Origin). Many brands manufacture guitars in different countries, and quality control can be an issue, as can be parts included. China, Korea, Indonesia, Japan and Mexico are all sources for "Fender" guitars. Often you will hear people comment on the quality (or lack of it) from foreign shores. On my part, I have terrific guitars from all (except Korea, I think) and have no complaints. Just beware.

My personal opinion (worth every penny you paid for it) is to go up from the basement level and look at something mid-tier. That is, unless you plan to replace it in a year or two as your skill improves and you find the guitar lacking in delivering what you expect.
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  #22  
Old 03-28-2023, 12:45 PM
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I don't want to get into an argument with anyone. I'm just sharing my recent experience.

I'm someone who knows how to spend money for quality when that's necessary. But, what I learned in the last three months is that the old adage "you get what you pay for" does not apply to guitars. A remarkable transformation has occurred in the the last two years.

If you had told me that I would walk into a store ready to spend $2750 for a Les Paul and walk out with a $535 PRS, I would have said that you were crazy.

If you had told me that I would sit in front of an array of Stratocasters and Stratocaster copies and pick the one from a company I'd never previously heard of, I would have said that you were crazy.

If you had told me that I would eschew my favored Marshall amplifier for something the size of a loaf of bread with a name that sounds like a toaster oven, I would have said you were crazy.

I'm 73 years old and have played guitar since I was 14. I may be stupid about a lot of things, but I know what a good guitar feels like. What you can buy these days for next to nothing is unbelievable.
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  #23  
Old 03-28-2023, 01:06 PM
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Brent Hutto Brent Hutto is offline
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Originally Posted by AX17609 View Post
I don't want to get into an argument with anyone. I'm just sharing my recent experience.

I'm someone who knows how to spend money for quality when that's necessary. But, what I learned in the last three months is that the old adage "you get what you pay for" does not apply to guitars. A remarkable transformation has occurred in the the last two years.

If you had told me that I would walk into a store ready to spend $2750 for a Les Paul and walk out with a $535 PRS, I would have said that you were crazy.

If you had told me that I would sit in front of an array of Stratocasters and Stratocaster copies and pick the one from a company I'd never previously heard of, I would have said that you were crazy.

If you had told me that I would eschew my favored Marshall amplifier for something the size of a loaf of bread with a name that sounds like a toaster oven, I would have said you were crazy.

I'm 73 years old and have played guitar since I was 14. I may be stupid about a lot of things, but I know what a good guitar feels like. What you can buy these days for next to nothing is unbelievable.
My previous incarnation as a guitar obsessive was about 16-18 years ago. Eventually I got the (acoustic) guitar I really wanted, quit shopping, moved on to other musical pursuits and was basically out of circulation until a year and a half ago.

The change you describe, over a period of a decade and a half, was immediately striking. You can get an acoustic guitar for a thousand or so dollars or an electric guitar for far, far less than that which simply does not have any meaningful shortcomings.

Anyone nowadays who insists on spending $2,000-$3,000 on a "professional quality" electric guitar will no doubt get a good one (assuming she does some careful shopping and avoids the odd lemon). But there's no reason to pretend you HAVE to spend that kind of money or you'll get an unplayable piece of junk that'll be tossed in the landfill after you've been playing for six months.

It's a Golden Age right now for guitar buyers.
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  #24  
Old 03-28-2023, 01:07 PM
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Originally Posted by AX17609 View Post
I don't want to get into an argument with anyone. I'm just sharing my recent experience.

I'm someone who knows how to spend money for quality when that's necessary. But, what I learned in the last three months is that the old adage "you get what you pay for" does not apply to guitars. A remarkable transformation has occurred in the the last two years.

If you had told me that I would walk into a store ready to spend $2750 for a Les Paul and walk out with a $535 PRS, I would have said that you were crazy.

If you had told me that I would sit in front of an array of Stratocasters and Stratocaster copies and pick the one from a company I'd never previously heard of, I would have said that you were crazy.

If you had told me that I would eschew my favored Marshall amplifier for something the size of a loaf of bread with a name that sounds like a toaster oven, I would have said you were crazy.

I'm 73 years old and have played guitar since I was 14. I may be stupid about a lot of things, but I know what a good guitar feels like. What you can buy these days for next to nothing is unbelievable.
Definitely not trying to argue but I think the adage "you get what pay for" is still very much "generally" valid in guitars and most other things
That said I agree about a recent transformation
I think the transformation you speak of is absolutely correct BUT I would say going pretty strong for 5 years

But I don't think that "you get what you pay for " has gone away per. se. More that the transformation has actually been -- increased quality and playability at lower relative price points, and the transition point where improvement per dollar starts to get less has moved down also.
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  #25  
Old 03-28-2023, 01:59 PM
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Too many suggestions here already, and most of them are pretty good ones, too!

Janine? You need to wrap your head around the fact that the electric guitar is VASTLY different than its acoustic counterpart... I mean, they both have 6 strings and are fingered with many of the same chords, but, both in the playing, buying and "tweaking" the sound, they are incredibly unique unto themselves.

With an acoustic guitar, what you buy is a guitar that is "pretty much" going to sound the same, forever - no discussions about "opening up" or what aging and play time does to an acoustic - but, what you have is what you get; not a lot to be done with altering the basic tone and response of the guitar.

With an electric? You can do whatever you want to it, to get it to make the sounds you desire... new pickups, new volume and tone potentiometers, new bridge, new nut, new tailpiece... all of these can have marvelous effects on what the guitar sounds like... you can buy little boxes that alter the sound radically, in lots of cool ways.

So, what I'm saying is, it is extremely likely that you could buy, say, a Fender MIM Telecaster and modify it however you see fit... and end up with a guitar that sounds and plays every bit as good as a guitar that costs 10x more!

The biggest thing about electric guitars is, no matter how good they are, they are only going to sound as good as the amplifier through which you play them! The amplifier is easily 50% of the sound/tone/feel, and possibly much more than that, especially for the players whom you mentioned!

Take the time to find the body style and pickups configuration you prefer... be sure to have your guitar setup by a pro technician... audition amplifiers and see what you like.

In my experience, "the world of electric guitar" is a much deeper rabbit hole than acoustic guitars (even including acoustic amplification!), with a vast myriad of side-tunnels!

I can tell you that, after experimenting and checking out a lot of different pedals, amplifiers and options... my favorite way to play my Gibson ES-345 is with a straight cord into my silver-face Deluxe Reverb, using only the reverb and vibrato system in the amp!

Have fun with this! Keep us apprised of your explorations, too...
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  #26  
Old 03-28-2023, 05:57 PM
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You are in the Bay Area... buy used off CL. Get something like these and you can sell them later on and not lose a dime...

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/msg...595583082.html

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/msg...603924176.html

$385 without bargaining.

Way better than some garbage starter pack. Buying new and lose 40% walking out the door.
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  #27  
Old 03-28-2023, 08:11 PM
pickinray pickinray is offline
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Janine - to get started on your electric guitar journey, you need 3 things:

1. A decent combo amp, like this: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...1x8-inch-combo

2. A cable

3. An electric guitar

Other gear, like pedals, can come later. The most important thing is to choose a guitar that feels and sounds good to you. There are many different types of electric guitars and they all play differently. I recommend trying the following types to see which one you like best:
- Stratocaster (my favorite) - good all-around, made famous by Hendrix and Clapton
- Telecaster - also good all-around, but best known for that "twangy" country sound
- Les Paul - good for hard rock (think Boston and Guns n' Roses)
- Semi-hollow body (Gibson ES-335 type) - good for rock and jazz
- Hollow body - good for jazz, rock and rockabilly

You should be able to get a nice starter electric for around $300-500, maybe less if you find a good deal. I would look at Squier strats and teles, Epiphone Les Pauls, Epiphone and Ibanez semi-hollows, and Ibanez and Gretsch hollow bodies. Good luck and have fun!
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Last edited by pickinray; 03-28-2023 at 08:22 PM.
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  #28  
Old 03-28-2023, 08:28 PM
pickinray pickinray is offline
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Originally Posted by davidd View Post
You are in the Bay Area... buy used off CL. Get something like these and you can sell them later on and not lose a dime...

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/msg...595583082.html

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/msg...603924176.html

$385 without bargaining.

Way better than some garbage starter pack. Buying new and lose 40% walking out the door.
That guitar and amp would be a very good, inexpensive way to start. Mustang combo amps are great.
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  #29  
Old 03-29-2023, 10:16 AM
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I totally agree with the post by davidd. If the exact ads he linked are gone, the theory is correct, there are or will be many opportunities to duplicate these suggestions. O, If you prefer you can get the same thing, or similar new, from a store or online. The advice to get a pro set up is good, but most used and new guitars are very playable as is. Also, even a rookie can make most adjustments themselves, if you enjoy tinkering.

I've done lots of buying and selling on CL and FB Marketplace witout any issues. I realize you are female, but taking a friend along may make you feel more comfortable, as well as the common sense approach of meeting at a police station, busy parking lot, etc. I always have a phone conversation with the seller, and they've always been normal folks selling something they no longer want.

A previous post characterized Telecaster types as twangy country style guitars. As well as other guitar types having "genres". I disagree with that, almost any electric can be used for almost any style. There are many examples of Tele's being used by rock and even jazz players. I've had all the styles over the years, and I think if I had to only have one, it would be the Tele. If you buy used you can sell later for most if not all that you paid.

Lastly, I'm a firm believer that a guitar should definitely feel right in your hands and your lap, etc, and that it should look the way you want it to. If you want a purple one, find a purple one!

Good luck, it's lots of fun.
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Last edited by SCVJ; 03-29-2023 at 11:45 AM.
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  #30  
Old 03-29-2023, 11:25 AM
pickinray pickinray is offline
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A previous post characterized Telecaster types as twangy country style guitars. As well as other guitar types having "genres". I disagree with that, almost any electric can be used for almost any style. There are many examples of Tele's being used by rock and even jazz players. I've had all the styles over the years, and I think if I had to only have one, it would be the Tele. If you buy used you can sell later for most if not all that you paid.
Of course, you can play any style of music on any guitar. I was simply trying to give examples of what styles of music the different types of electrics are best known for. Teles are very versatile guitars, not only good for that twangy country sound. I had a Tele for awhile and liked it, but I traded it because I liked my Strat better.
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