Any Good Buys Here?

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by TripleB

Thanks for the advice...I think I shall take it and look at new guitars (but not going $ crazy) instead of used. With that in mind, I have a question:

If thinking of guitars under the $180 range (that's pushing my limit past the max when you include amp), which of the following manufacturers do you trust to typically put out decent quality products regardless of the price:

- Yamaha
- Epiphone
- Ibanez
- Dean
- Squier
- Rogue
- ESP
- Mitchell
- Kramer
- Jackson

I appreciate all of the input!

TripleB

I sense some 'analysis paralysis' setting in here. Do you have someone who can accompany you to a store and help you with this? At the lower end of the scale, there are some very good guitars to be had, but the sample variation is likely to be wider, so focusing on brand name alone might be misleading.

[TripleB]

Originally Posted by Wasper

I would say, that in that price range ($180) new for electric guitars, I would look at guitars with fixed bridges.

The guitars with the tremlo arms (whammy bars) in that price range are usually very cheaply made and keeping the guitar in tune becomes a pain in the rear. Just skip that whole potential nightmare and stick to guitars with fixed bridges for now.

Thank you very much for pointing this out to me! Here's how much of a newbie I am...I knew I didn't want the whammy bar on my guitar (had read about the causing tuning problems...and the fewer problems I have the better), but I thought I could just remove it and it would be just like a guitar that didn't have one. Didn't realize there were fixed bridges that were different from just removing the whammy bar.

I appreciate the links and showing me a wide variety of pickup configurations...there seems to be a good variety of guitars in that $150-$180 range!

Originally Posted by roylor4

I don't know if Kramer makes something in your stated budget.

The budget Epi Les Pauls are better than the Fender Squier stuff for the money (IMO) but I don't like their one piece saddle AT ALL though. Yamaha Pacifica's get some love universally too.

I think this is the only Kramer I found under $200: https://www.guitarcenter.com/Kramer/Focus-VT-211S.gc

Thanks for the info on the Epiphones...I really like the looks and options on the Epis...wasn't sure how they compared to others in that price range though.

Yes, it seems like anything Yamaha makes gets great reviews!

Originally Posted by eatswodo

I sense some 'analysis paralysis' setting in here. Do you have someone who can accompany you to a store and help you with this?

"Analysis paralysis"...I love it!!! My wife calls it "overanalyzation"...like yours better.

Unfortunately I do not....which may be the reason I try to analyze things so much prior to heading to the store!

Thanks to everyone for your input!!!

TripleB

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by TripleB

"Analysis paralysis"...I love it!!! My wife calls it "overanalyzation"...like yours better.

Seriously, if you're new to this, and don't have expert friendly guidance, I'd second the thought that you should avoid anything with a vibrato/tremolo/whammy. Way too much complication at this point. I'd give that advice to novices (can I say that without causing offence?) with a lot more money to spend as well, but have been chastised here before for doing so.

That means you're limited to fixed bridge guitars. A lower end Epiphone Les Paul or a Squier Tele should narrow your focus. Ordinarily, I'd go for Yamaha too, as the best of the bunch at this end of the market, but all the low-end ones seem to have whammy bars.

[Gmountain]

Honestly, to get something playable and including an amp you are going to be at around $220.

I don't think you need to avoid Stratocaster guitars w0ith whammy bars. I never see tuning problems with mine, and I never insert the whammy bar.

[MikeBmusic]

Knowing you have a strict budget, I'd tell you to stay away from the electrics at this point, and use all your cash to get the 2 acoustics.

I don't think you have the knowledge to do a basic set up on an electric guitar - which will cost you $40-$60 each to have someone else do it.
The cheapest electric guitars come with non-adjustable saddles (I'm thinking of the Epi LPJr I got for $40 used!), meaning the intonation "is what it is".
Cheap electic guitars tend to have cheap electronics and pickups and less-than-great sound because of that. Combine that with a small cheap solid state amp and you've got lousy tone, usually grating or piercing to the ear, buzzy, fizzy, BAD!

[Buddha]

Hi,
Cool story about you and your son. Good luck. Yamahas are good, squier Bullets are not good but the Affinity series are good choice for beginners, really good for the price quality ratio.

[jwguitar]

Originally Posted by TripleB

As you know my son (11 yo) and I (50 yo) are looking to learn how to play guitar this summer when we are both off from school (I'm a teacher).

I was looking to get us both an acoustic (he prefers acoustic because it's a more natural sound and it's cooler than an electric) so we could learn together on the same type of guitar.

However, someone in one of my threads, where I asked if newbie 50+ year old players started out with an acoustic or an electric, said to get both acoustic and electric. Now I think he may have been talking about me eventually getting both for myself, but it made me think that it might be cool if I got an electric guitar for me and the acoustic guitar for him.

We could switch back and forth, learn both, decide which one we truly like the best, maybe add a some variety to our learning, etc.

So I started looking for a decent used electric for me and found a few after just a short look at GC...would love to know if you think any of these might be a good buy for a newbie guitar player without much money to spend.

Also, does anyone know if GC charges if you ship a used guitar from one of their stores to another one of their stores? I would definitely want to open it in front of them in case the condition wasn't as described or if shipping damage occurred...and if they do charge for shipping then some of these may be as cheap new. edit: Another reason I'd like to have it shipped to the store is that I'd like for them to check the set up on it.

Here are several of the ones I've found:


- Squier Bullet Stratocaster HSS solid body black and silver $80 great condition https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Sq...r-114285517.gc

- Squier Bullet Stratocaster HSS solid body black and white $88 great https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Sq...r-114222722.gc

- Yamaha Pacifica HSS solid body black and white $100 excellent condition https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Ya...r-114177055.gc

- Ibanez GRX20Z HH solid body black $100 excellent condition https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Ib...tric-Guitar.gc

- Squier Affinity Stratocaster HSS solid body blue $120 excellent condition https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Sq...r-114299681.gc

- Yamaha Pacifica HSS solid body electric blue $120 great condition https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Ya...tric-Guitar.gc

- Yamaha Pacifica HSS solid body black and white $120 great condition https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Ya...r-114300473.gc

So, is there one (or more than one) of those that are a pretty good deal for the money and would offer me something decent to learn on? If so, which one(s) would you recommend? Really like the variety of the HSS set up but am open to anything.

I appreciate any help and advice you can give me!

TripleB

I would check out some of the entry level acoustic and electric guitars from Cort as they are made with really high quality control. Their factory actually manufactures other famous guitar brands but you can save a lot with the guitars under their own name because they are not as well known.

[Res Ipsa]

TripleB,

Lots of good advice here. Rather than adding to the opinion mix, may I suggest a go-fund-me campaign? You have a compelling story to tell, and you might raise sufficient funds to buy nicer guitars. It''s amazing how successful a go-fund-me effort can be.

Most of us have upgraded from our first guitar once we became more proficient. Suggest you skip to the next level by raising, say, $1,000?

Just a thought.