Electric Guitar

Get a Fender Squier. They're versatile, have good action, and most importantly, cheap.

 

What he said.

Be warned though.. a piece of crap is a piece of crap, no matter how shiny the paint is.

 

Squeir's are excellent axes and come highly reccomended with reason; however, before you buy anything, I suggest you do a bit of shopping around. Ultimately, the worth of a starter electric lies in:

a) Its sound

B) How comfortable it is to play

Squier's sound excellent but the size of their neck can make them a bit awkward to play. Many Les Paul knockoffs have thinner necks and shorter neck scales make them a bit easier on the hands. Also, all electrics sound different, even guitars of the same ilk. The only way to guarantee a good buy is to pick some up and noodle around for yourself.

 

stick with a Fender...Strat if you can...but Squire if you must conserve money.

also, a good Gibson is always a quality buy..

 

A Slammer guitar is the low-end brand from Hamer. I don't know anything about them beyond that, though.

Fender also makes a Strat that's made in Mexico that's very good for the price, if you're willing to spend a little more (about $350 new) for something that will probably last you a little while longer.

 

if you are a beginner i strongly recommend a epiphone lespaul, epiphones are made by gibson, they are very cheap, sound pretty good, and have that awesome lespaul look. you could probably buy one brand new for like $150.

Good luck

 

What kind of music are you interested in playing?

 

Depends on the music you are playing, for sure. For just rock music, I'd go with the Epiphone Les Paul. I like the Squires, but they go out of tune way too easy for my taste. Make sure you get a digital tuner.

This is what I play in my new funk band, Funky Japanese Brother and the Rising Suns:

When you get more advanced, spoil yourself with one of these. Mine's in classic sunburst, left-handed of course. I started playing when I was around 14, because I realized that no rock band wanted a piano player.

 

I bought my son an Epiphone Les Paul a few years ago to start out on. It works as good as anything.

 

Here's my baby:



Here are the specs:

http://www.brianmaycentral.com/list.html

(CTRL-F for 'Kelly')

Everything you need in a guitar, for someone who funks like Steve Cropper but punks like Brinsley Schwarz.

 

don't get a fender squier. At least throw some extra money down for a Fender Tele even if it's made in mexico. Fender Squiers suck

 

Please do not buy a Squier or Epiphone. These are poorly made (the hardware and electronics are abominable) and have little to no resale value. If you give up guitar at some point, you will not be able to recoup your costs on these guitars. If you stick with guitar, you will need an upgrade eventually and these guitars will give you nothing in the way of trade-in value.

Depending on your budget, I would suggest the Japanese-made Fenders from the 80s. These are well-made and are quickly becoming the next "thing" in collectable guitars (nothing like a generation turning 40 and nostalgic to increase the value of a guitar). However, they're still inexpensive, and vary enough in their pickup options to be useful for a variety of musical situations.

I have three guitars but these two are my main ones:



2002 Hamer Newport (wonderful blend of Gibson hollowbody, Gretsch and Rickenbacker guitars)



1959 Les Paul Custom

 

if this is your first guitar ever.. then I'd suggest you go with an acoustic.

 

My first guitar was a Lotus Les Paul copy that I got in 1984 for about $200. My brother still has it today. I'm sure it was a fluke, but it turned out to be a decent guitar.

If you're going to get a cheap guitar, I wouldn't do it online. There's no replacement for playing it before buying it. My brother also has a real Les Paul that has always given him trouble. But the cheap Lotus is still going strong after all these years. Hit the music stores and find something you can live with.

 

Montgomery ailine, i just got one, exactly like the one that the dude from the white stripes has, it sounds so awsome.

 

this is all you need

 

What UTWeezer said. Word!