Electric Guitar Advice

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skaladar
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:46 am

For some time now I’ve been thinking it might be nice to have an electric guitar for a few different reasons. Aside from having a new toy to play with I guess the main reason would be so I could play some leads that require bends that just aren’t practical, or even possible, on an acoustic. I don’t’ aspire to begin shredding intricate leads or anything like that but being able to add occasional licks and riffs to acoustic recordings with an instrument that offers a wider variety and different sound and capabilities (i.e. aforementioned bends) is something that interests me and I’d like to be able to do.

I have virtually no experience with playing a “regular” electric guitar however I often play acoustic electrics through an amp and mixer with various effects so at least that end of it is not foreign to me. The actual instrument is another story. The last time I held an electric guitar was probably 30 years ago and even then I didn’t play it for any length of time. I recall thinking, gawd, how do you play this thing with these mushy loose strings?

With that being said I’d like to ask all you fine people here for any experiences or advice you may have in this area. Given the situation I am not interested in investing in anything near to a top end electric but at the same time I don’t think I want to be looking at an entry level guitar either. It’s not like I’ll be learning basic chord shapes or strumming patterns on it as some of the starter guitars seem to be geared for. I guess I’m not really looking for recommendations on specific makes and models either although that wouldn’t hurt.

I know conventional wisdom says go and play as many guitars as you can until you find one that feels, plays and sounds to your liking, and I would do that if I was interested in another acoustic but having essentially no experience with electric guitars I feel I’d be lost taking that approach. I was going to do just that this weekend when it occurred to me that I am likely to have an abundance of good advice right here. I rather listen to you folks than a salesman regardless of good he/she may be.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences and any suggestions, advice or thoughts on the matter you may have.

♫ Ken ♫


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Music Junkie
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:22 am

Ken:

I have three electrics currently:

Fender Strat (first guitar I ever bought) - used at my local store for $499
Epiphone Les Paul Std - new for $600
Tom Anderson Hollowcobras S - new for $3,800

I go through phases where I play acoustic only and then electric only (the acoustic only phase has lasted for a looonnnggg time this time... ;) ).

The Fender is fun and plays pretty well (as far as I can play anyway). The neck is pretty smooth and the frets are a great height. I replaced the single coil pick-ups with some stacked humbuckers and installed a switch so I could "cancel" the humbuck and get a more single coil sound when I wanted. Kind of a cool mod that a friend of mine told me about.

The Epiphone has good sound, but, to be honest, I don't really like the bigger/higher frets that it has. Feels funny, and is very heavy. I rarely play this and will eventually sell it. It was an impulse buy that I wish I could take back. That being said, I have friends who own them and love them.... :unsure:

The Tom Anderson is my favorite by far. It is a hollowbody mahogany that gives a great range of tone from full blown rock to some soft west coast jazz. Being on the higher end though, it is not one of those you normally rush out to buy for a first time electric. Tom is a local dealer just over the next hill from me here in Ventura. He is a very cool guy and his staff is incredibly helpful. In fact, one of them helped me pre-solder my switches and pick-ups on my fender when I did the mod I mentioned above.

There are SOOOOO many electrics to choose from out there. I have heard good things about Schecter and Ibenez for the mid range ($400 - $1000) range of electrics.

One lesson I learned when messing with the electrics is that if you are looking for a certain "tone", you need to try each guitar out with several different amps as well. With all of the new amps out there, I have heard some guys get some amazing sound and play very well on some low end guitars.

Even though it is a tough decision, it should be a fun one. Getting to try out lots of guitars and actually purchase one is a good thing...... :P

Let us know what you end up with!

MJ


BigBear
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:12 pm

Ken- the overriding consideration with electric guitars is to remember the guitar itself doesn't make the sound (to any significant degree). The guitar is just a holder for the pickups. So what matters on an electric is good electronics and playability.

I have a Les Paul Studio (in black and gold) that I play occasionally because it is so easy to play. Light guage strings and a fast action make it nice to play leads on. I picked this guitar up, almost brand new, a few years back, for around $650 an eBay. I love the guitar but not the neck so much. I really should have purchased a Fender Strat with it's great neck. But I always wanted a Les Paul and I have no real regrets.

Then I bought a little Roland Cube 20 (Bill (haoli) has the Cube 30). I love it. Plenty of power for your house, great special effects and an input for effect pedals. I bought it from a guy, almost new, off of Craigslist for $100!! My point is you don't have to sell your car to get into electronic music.

The biggest challenge I've had is playing too hard. Electrics are very sensitve and don't need much of a stroke to make them sing. "Wailing" on an electric is like a light brush stroke on an acoustic!! lol!

So buy a cheap guitar, get a little cube amp and wail away. It's a blast!!

Cheers! :cheer:


tovo
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:18 pm

Ken,

Take a look at the Gretsch hollow body electric guitars. Well priced, look and sound great and sit well in your lap given they are wide and somewhat like an acoustic in that regard. Played by George Harrison at one point and also the preferred choice of Rockabilly artists like Brian Setzer of Stray Cats fame. I bought one recently and can't put it down.

Good luck mate.


sbutler
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:35 pm

tovo wrote:
Ken,

Take a look at the Gretsch hollow body electric guitars. Well priced, look and sound great and sit well in your lap given they are wide and somewhat like an acoustic in that regard. Played by George Harrison at one point and also the preferred choice of Rockabilly artists like Brian Setzer of Stray Cats fame. I bought one recently and can't put it down.

Good luck mate.
Good point Tony, if that Gretch was good enough for Chet, its good enough period.


Max
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:53 pm

Electric Guitar shopping....YEA!!! :woohoo:

First, narrow down your parameters. Solid body or Hollow body... I'm guessing solid if you want to practice lead stuff.
If solid, then Fender Strat style, or Gibson Les Paul style. The difference is mostly 3 single coil pick-ups (Fender) or 2 double coil humbucker pick-ups (Gibson)

The pick-up configuration is one of the main factors in determining the overall sound of the electric guitar you choose to play.
There are camps that say the single coils have more of singing sound, a brighter sound, etc.
And there are other camps that boast the extra punch of power you have with the humbucker pick-ups.
You also tend to get a warmer sound out of the humbucker pickups, all other things being equal.

If you go to youtube and search for Fender Strat vs. Gibson Les Paul you'll get a few hits and be able to hear the difference.

There are many different manufacturers that are variations of these two, but single coil or humbucker is probably where you should direct your energies to start with.

Max


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skaladar
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Fri Jan 13, 2012 1:39 pm

Thanks for the replies guys. There’s a lot of good information here and it’s given me plenty to think about. At least now when I go into a guitar shop I'll have some idea about what I’m looking for.
What I see and what I feel when I get there and what I eventually walk away with is anybody’s guess at this point. I’ll be back with an update and possibly more questions as things develop.

Thanks again for your time,

♫ Ken ♫


dsmarion
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Fri Jan 13, 2012 2:05 pm

Hey Ken,

One thing about the Les Paul verses Strat style if you choose to go with one of these solid body styles. They are VERY differnt to play in terms of feel, not just the electronics. Most people I know either love one of the other, very rarely both. The necks have a completely different feel to them and the right hand resting on the bridge has a very different feel as well as the placement of the piclups in relation to the picking hand placement. Make sure to spend the time to see which one suits you if you want either one of these. I have always liked (and owned) Les Paul styles but I do like the sound of a Strat and the feel of the neck - I just don't like the bridge feel on the right hand at all. Just food for thought.

Scott


heyjoe
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Fri Jan 13, 2012 4:37 pm

Hi Ken

You're getting lots of good advice here, as you already know.
As people have said its mainly a choice between single coil type guitars ( Fenders predominantly), and Humbuckers ( Gibson predominantly).

It really depends upon the sound you are looking for- for sure the guitar will be a huge part of that, but the amplifier will be too- if you decided to get one ( which most people do). Different guitar/ amplifier combinations produce different sounds, its all about the choice.

Maybe it would be worth telling us you favourite electric players and seeing what guitars/amps they use. Similar sounds can be got for a lot less money.

Personally, I have 2 Strats ( 1 old-maple neck, 1 new-rosewood neck), and a guitar which hasnt been mentioned so far, a PRS-which is brilliantly made, sounds great, and was a very reasonable price.

Good luck with whatever you decide to get.

Joe


sws626
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Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:58 am

I second Tony's suggestion to look at a Gretsch. I probably would have gone with that if I hadn't already bought a Gibson 335. Of course, it all depends on what you want to play; but I find the Gretsch guitars to have a familiar feel to an acoustic, but with a lot of versatility. Plus they are both lovely and reasonably priced.


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