What (electric)guitar to get?

[Joris ErikPaul van Aalst]

Hi!
I've been playing guitar now for about a year or so. And I've only been playing acoustic guitars. And now I'm thinking of buying an electric. But... I'm not really sure which I should get...
I've been thinking of the Gretsch g5235t. Partly 'cause I want a Bigsby... So if I'm getting something else, I think I'll fasten one on my own... so that will, probably, cost a little bit more... but I don't know. So please come with some suggestions.

By the way, I play like 50's, 60's and some early 70's stuff, like rock n roll psycadelic kind of... For example Beatles, Stones, Elvis, Buddy Holly, Faces/Small Faces, T. Rex, well you get it...

[Duffy]

My advice would be to go to as many stores as you can. Don't buy anything right away. Play as many guitars and amps as you can. Eventually you will find one that you know was built for you; kind of like looking for a new puppy - when you find the right one you know it, it is evident, there is no question in your mind. But you have to look around and play a lot of different guitars. You might want to buy more than one but if you want to start with one don't be afraid to spend some money for a good one. Obviously you have been playing acoustic for a while.

The amp is just as important for the sound as the guitar or more important. A great amp will make even a junk guitar sound great; a great guitar will sound like junk thru a junk amp. You sort of have to find a financial balance where you get a good guitar and a good amp, because you need both in order to get a good sound.

Fender makes an all purpose type little tube amp called a Super Champ XD that costs 299 US new from the big internet places.

A suggestion for a great guitar is the Les Paul copies made by Agile and sold thru http://www.rondomusic.com , no affln. The Agile Les Paul copy type guitars are very good guitars and definitely excellent beginner electric guitars and some even come with Bigsby's on them. Check out their web site. Many say that the Agile AL-3000 and above models are way better than the cheaper AL 2000's and 2500's, but I think the cheaper versions are great guitars. I have an AL 3100 cherry sunburst flammed maple double bound body one that sounds great stock, no need to upgrade anything.

Speaking of tremolos on guitars, Fender makes a great simple spring counterbalanced tremolo that has been a landmark of electric guitar history and still exists today in its refined but essentially the same form. Many players like Fender Stratocasters for their variety of sounds and the trem. You can get them with quiet noiseless pickups, because, unlike humbucker equipped guitars like a lot of the Les Paul types, a lot of typicallly available stratocasters have "single coil" pickups that have a distinct sound but produce some background noise when not strumming the strings, called sixty cycle hum in the US and some other electrical frequency in other parts of the world, but noticeable as a hum thru the amp that gets louder the louder you turn up your amp. This hum can be undesirable to some players and they often prefer to get "humbucking" guitars equipped with humbucker pickups - these are very quiet and stronger pickups that send a stronger signal to the amp, sounding louder and more full at the same amp volume, often, and are noiseless. The Agile Les Paul types are humbucking guitars in general, although they have single coil versions for those that prefer the single coil sound and are not unimpressed with the accompanying hum.

The hollow body and semi-hollow body electrics have a different sound from the solid body electrics. Solid body electrics are more removed from the acoustic guitar in sound and playability, and are a more modern evolution of the electric guitar, although the modern day hollow and semi-hollow body guitars have evolved quite a bit since they first carried electric pickups.

I would say the bottom line is to "get what YOU want". You are paying for it. You are the customer. Avoid pressure from other people and salesmen. Play a bunch of them, sleep on it before you make a decision. Think it thru and try to pick out the one that you really bond with, regardless of color and style. Sometimes the best guitars "pick you out" rather than you picking them out. Don't be surprised if you wind up getting something you didn't have the faintest idea you might like. The same goes with the amps. Listen to them closely and don't be afraid to turn them up - you are the customer. Pay attention to the "feel" of the guitar in your hands and how the chords fall into place - there is a lot of difference in how the guitars feel, especially the necks and fretboards. The Agile Les Paul types feel good to most people that talk about them on the forums. If you buy one of these, at a great price and a very excellent value, you will not get a chance to try one out anywhere most likely, but the company has a very reasonable return policy so you can try a different style one and so on. Although this is time consuming sending guitars back and forth, the same could be true for a guitar that you bought locally and had to return for repairs. Lots of times these have to be sent out for repair and you wouldn't be any farther ahead doing this than getting an Agile. Most Agile guitars, however, are received by their owners in perfect condition and the quality control is claimed to be superior to many of the big name similar guitars costing a few hundred dollars more, or more. I have no affln. with Agile or it's distributor. I am just mentioning them because you may not know about them and you asked for suggestions.

I personally like Fenders and Epiphones, as well as Gibsons and Ibanez'es, to mention a few. The Agile's are a real value and great guitars, but there is also a lot to be said about going to stores and trying out various Fenders, Epiphones, Gretches, etc., until you find one that sounds and feels just right for you and what you think you need. If you are like a lot of us you will wind up buying other electric guitars later anyway, to get other specific sounds and different feeling guitars, tones, and vibes.

One thing that can really throw you off track is going for a specific color guitar, because the one in the color you are looking for might not sound or feel as good as another one in a different color. With this in mind, the sound and feel of the guitar might make the most sense to put your weight on, rather than color or styles of the guitar. I think it takes a lot of trial and error to find the right guitar. A lot of people are still looking for that "right guitar". To many it is the quest, not the destination, that is half the fun. Plus as your playing gets better and your ears get better, you may find yourself reaching for a different type of guitar sound, feel, or look; even a differnet completely different amp. A lot of people start out with inexpensive solid state amps and then progress to more expensive tube amps.

Today there are a lot of great inexpensive tube amps available for a player needing a low power amp; such as the Fender Super Champ XD at fifteen watts and plenty loud, the Fender Blues Junior also fifteen watts but more simple and a great sounding amp; the Bugera V22 twenty'ish watt tube amp combo, the Jet City amps and amp heads and cabinets, the Blackheart amps and heads and cabinets, etc., all costing a reasonable amount. Sometimes you can even find these amps used at excellent prices. One good way of finding out what is a good amp or guitar is to research out what some of the professionals are using, or even local muscians around your area. Professionals and semi-pro's usually have had a lot of trial and error experiences and know what good solid reliable equipment is, that will produce excellent music.

Buying blindly is always a risk and can result in you spending a lot more money in the long run than if you had researched out some really decent equipment to begin with.

I personally started out with a half way decent Schecter super strat but didn't have a decent amp for a while; due in part to resistance from my X wife. My present woman encourages me to only buy real good equipment, instead of spending money on mediocre stuff. I'm upgrading my stuff, but there are many moderately priced guitars and amps out there that would serve you very well. I would say try to stay away from gimicky stuff and odd ball stuff, and go with tried and true products.

I played a real nice Blackstar Venue Series HT Club 40 (http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Blackstar-Venue-Series-HT-Club-40-40W-Tube-Guitar-Combo-Amp?sku=423768), no affln., that was a super great amp with enough power for having a lot of fun, expecially if you live somewhere that you can turn the amp up a little, but it works great at low volumes as well. There are plenty of amps that you can spend less money than this on also, of course; and that Fender Super Champ XD is one versitile little amp that packs a great punch and is a tube amp but emulates about eight Fender amps and eight other more high gain amps, plus has some very high quality built in effects, but is not over computerized like a lot of the digital modelling amps. But digital modelling amps are very cool too.

It all comes down to what you really like, and don't be afraid to spend some money. Overbuying a little can give you some growing room, but if budget restraints are all to real, you have to do what you can.

I hope I gave you some decent ideas. There are a lot of other options available and I only mentioned a few decent ones, at least in my opinion. Keep looking and you will definitely find something nice; and good luck. Have fun.

[Eric]

Seems like a lot of stuff could work for you, but the first things that came to mind upon reading your music list were either a semi-hollow (e.g. Epiphone Dot) or Les Paul-style guitar.

[wingsdad]

Hi, Joris,
Just a few questions to narrow down the field before suggesting what might fit your needs:

What's your budget, given you'll need an amp to go with the electric guitar?
What type (model) of acoustic guitar have you been playing?
Do you consider your hands/fingers to be small or large? i.e., are your fingers long and thin or short and fat?
With a year of playing acoustic guitar under your belt, do you have a preference to play mainly rhythm, chord work?
A Bigsby can be a finicky device and complicate keeping a guitar in tune, which could be discouraging as you venture into playing electric.What's made you decide you want/need a Bigsby?
What's your short-term and long-term plans or goals? Will you be playing more as a hobby, self-amusement, self-expression, for a year or two or more? Do you see yourself participating in some jam sessions or playing in a band?

[Retro Hound]

One of each.

[sunvalleylaw]

One of each.

Yeah, I was going to say "all of them" ;)

But really, the others give some good advice. Maybe narrow it down based on their advice, then go play some and see what one seems right. That's the one.

[oldguy]

What (electric)guitar to get?

That's a hard question to answer. You've been given some good advice, I'd say the others here know what they're talking about. Wingsdad made some very valid points.

Be sure and try out a Baja Tele in Desert Sand finish w/ the Twisted Tele neck pickup and S1 switching before you make up your mind, though. ;)

[Katastrophe]

+1 to all the advice given so far.

For the type of music you describe, a Squier or Fender Strat will serve you well, and cover a lot of sonic territory. It has a serviceable tremolo, and is MUCH easier to restring and intonate than a Bigsby equipped guitar.

The Gretsch is a great guitar, and is put together very well, but doesn't really have "that great Gretsch sound" that the other models do, with the stock pickups. Adding a Bigsby to a guitar will entail either the purchase of an extra Vibramate kit, or would require covering extra holes in the guitar from the stock tail piece, depending on the model of guitar and Bigsby.

Just to add some extra choices, look at the Epiphone Casino with P90 pickups. It's a great guitar, and will cover a 50s and 60s vibe quite well. I recently saw where Epiphone will be releasing an ES-355 guitar, complete with Bigsby, as well. It would meet just about all of your requirements, and handle music from the 50s to the 70s quite well.

Good luck on your search, and post about it! Finding the right guitar for you is a fun process. Play all that you can and don't let anyone (salesmen) pressure you into any type or brand. If it works for you, and sounds good, then go for it!

[Joris ErikPaul van Aalst]

Thx for all answers...
And I've been asking this on another forum, and they told me 'bout the Bigsby, and that they wasn't very pleased with it... And I've decieded that I'm going to a local shop, and then feel what's best for me.
Just a question... Is there anyone that knows if the Gibson Les Paul Studio is good, or just shit?

[Eric]

Thx for all answers...
And I've been asking this on another forum, and they told me 'bout the Bigsby, and that they wasn't very pleased with it... And I've decieded that I'm going to a local shop, and then feel what's best for me.
Just a question... Is there anyone that knows if the Gibson Les Paul Studio is good, or just shit?
Depends who you talk to. I've read reviews comparing many Les Pauls where the studio was said to be of very very poor quality, like less than the Epiphone Les Paul they had in the comparison. Others say that there's no difference between the studios and the Les Paul standards except for the binding and other prettyifying features (i.e. that the quality is 100% equal).

So I don't know. But from my experience in the stores, it seems like the studios usually have kind of sharp frets. If I was buying, I'd probably buy an epiphone before I'd buy an LP studio, but that's factoring in cost along with the quality. I've seen many a good guitar player rock an LP studio pretty convincingly.

[Katastrophe]

Like any major manufacturer, there are some that slip through the QC department... Studios, especially the Faded ones, can be great players at a decent price for an American guitar. It seems like some Gibby owners can be quite corksnifferish, thinking that a fancy maple top and binding make the guitar. It doesn't.

Epiphone also makes a LP Studio as well. I've played a few that were great. If you're going in that direction, look at the PRS SE Singlecuts. I'm a fan of those guitars, and every one I've played has been really good for the price.

[Duffy]

I played a mint used worn brown Gibson Studio the other day that was selling for 400, mint.
I was expecting a lot more. The tone was mediocre at best and didn't even come close to a LTD Deluxe Viper in heritage cherry with covered Seymour Duncan pickups - a 59 neck and JB or Custom 5 bridge. The Viper stomped the studio. The feel of the Viper was superior, and the sound was way better in all respects, pick response, clarity, tone, power, smoothness, everything. The fretboard felt way better and the guitar was beautifully finished with great components, even spertzel type locking tuners.

The studio looked good, but didn't sound that great, to me. Someone else liked it because it was only there about a month.

I would have gotten the Viper or one of many other great guitars they have there like the Fender Deluxe Telecaster with noiseless pickups, the Epiphone LP Plus Top, or the LTD EC-1000 Deluxe Les Paul type with Seymour Duncan covered humbuckers, not EMG's. They had a tobacco sunburst one and a gold top one. Also they have an LTD Viper Deluxe in antique white with Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro II covered pickups that sounds and plays incredibly. These cost almost exactly the same as the Gibson Studio.

I had a Gibson SG Faded that didn't sound better than my Epiphone SG '66 copy of a Gibson standard SG, and that is with stock pickups.

Put or have put, something like a set of Seymour Duncan 59 neck and JB bridge pickups in an Epiphone LP Standard Plus Top and you will have an outstanding LP type guitar for way less money than a comparable Gibson.

Also, those Agile AL3000 and AL3100 LP copies sound and feel great straight out of the box with no upgrades necessary unless you want to put in some super great pickups, becaue the stock pickups are great to begin with. Even the Agile AL2000 is a great guitar and can be upgraded with some way better pickups very inexpensively and yield a super great LP type guitar for around 350 US; like the Agile Lemon Drop Project guitar that has recently been completed and is documented right here on the Fret - look for it, just type in "Lemon Drop" in the search bar.

You don't have to spend a fortune to get a really nice guitar, but for the same money you can buy a junk guitar - so beware, and stick to the ones with really great reputations or ones that you are getting near one hundred percent positive feedback on.

Most of all, with the exception of the Agiles which stand on a great reputation, try out every guitar that you are thinking about and give it a critical listening to in a relatively quiet place - even take the guitar and amp to the acoustic room if you have to.

I would hve to think that the Fender type tremolo is probably an improvement over the Bigsby - it might not look as classy, but it works real well, especially the newer ones with the two point fulcrum points on the tremolo bridge plate where it pivots on two studs coming out of the body rather than on six screws that the bridge plate piviots on - these can be softer to the touch and more responsive than the six screw type. These come on American strats and a few Squire strats like the Deluxe which is a nice inexpensive strat.

Whatever you do, you would be wise to find a really well built guitar to begin with. Don't get one that has any functional shortcomings like high action, poor sound, or other things that need to be fixed right away - because you might never be able to fix them. Get a good solid guitar to begin with and you can fix it up and mod it into a super screaming zonker with some time and money.

My next project guitar will probably be something like a good solid used Fender that I build up into a really great guitar.

PRS SE guitars are great, as mentioned. I recently bought a tobaco burst flammed maple Singlecut Tremolo guitar in mint condition for 250 out the door and this is one awesome guitar that I like stock but could see putting in some real good Seymour Duncan or other covered pickups in it before long even though the stock pickups are great. If you talk to the store guys and tell them you are looking for a used real good guitar they will keep a look out for you and call you if you give them your number. I would not rely on one store only. I always shop at multiple stores and keep my eyes open for great guitars.

One place has a G and L S-500 Tribute import strat copy in sunburst with the USA MFD pickups and a rosewood fretboard that is an awesome guitar played thru a Blackstar
Club 40 amp, and it costs less than a Gibson Studio. G and L is the company Leo Fender formed after he sold the original Fender guitar company and they make some modified fender style guitars that many consider upgraded versions of the old standby - they have great new two point tremolos and really nice bass and treble tone controls that are different than the tone controls on Fenders that mostly are one band tone controls, instead of separated bass and treble controls. Not to detract from Fenders, which are great, but to give you another option that is less expensive in many cases than a Fender for what some would call more of a guitar. Again you have to play them to decide what is right for you.

In the end, if you play enough guitars you will probably find a lot of guitars that are right for you - then comes the delima.

Two possible approaches would be to either buy an expensive supposedly really good guitar based on its reputation and reviews, or buy one that you pick out regardless of price and play it and kind of "pay your dues" and find out what may not be as outstanding in your guitar's sound and then try to refine your choice by finding one that betterr meets your expectations. None the less, there is nothing wrong with buying a real good guitar to begin with, but these usually cost a lot of money, and some of them, from the Big Name's are far from the best guitars that they make. This is why buying from their competitors can sometimes get you just as good a guitar for far WAY less money, although it may be made in Korea instead of the USA.

Take your time and sleep on any decision to buy some guitar that you are REALLY impressed with, this will give you time to weigh it in perspective with your other ideas. And don't forget the amp. That is just as important as the guitar.

Remember that you have one very strong advantage when buying any guitar: you can always walk away from the deal. These salesman and sellers HAVE to sell guitars, we don't have to buy them. You can walk away and come back later and see if they will make you a better deal, especially if you feel anything isn't quite exactly right about the buying experience.

[hubberjub]

Damn Duffy. I thought my posts were long. Just kidding.