Guitar advice (just starting)

[ILL34GL3]

If you buy a cheap guitar with a vibrato bar, make sure the springs are strong enough to keep the tremolo unit flush against the body. Otherwise, you could have bad tuning problems. Oh yeah, get an electronic chromatic tuner for sure. I got a Korg CA-20 for like $20. It'll help you to sound as good as possible.

[AdamL]

Lots more good advice in this thread, thanks for it. I appreciate the debate and differences of opinions too, it's nice to have alternatives.

I went to the store today and got a little info. I was planning on just picking up the Yamaha kit, but that's not something they offer... well, not exactly.

Here's what the guy told me. He said a Peavey Raptor (link) was a good place for me to start. I gather this is a Stratocaster design. I'm not at all concerned with image, and so I wonder what the differences in sound are between this and the Yamaha model? Alternatively, to the Raptor, was an Oscar Schmidt OX10. Same price, looked a little better built but I don't know what to look for really.

The Yamaha they had was the Pacifica 112, which was $80 more.

For the amp, the fellow said to grab a Peavey Rage ($99) and that would suit me fine. I live in an apartment, so blasting it doesn't matter to me. What I'm really looking for I guess is crisp clear sound, and no plastic parts muffling and vibrating. (God I hate that.)

Thought I'd run this by you guys before I made any moves. I appreciate the suggestion about getting an FX Box. I suppose those will work fine with any amp?

Thanks again guys. Much appreciated.

[The Goober]

When you first start playing, the effects processor that you get will seem to make all the difference in your sound. The different sounds that you get from different guitars/amps is subtle and will take a while for your ear to pick up, but the difference between a clean tone and one dripping with chorus, reverb, distortion, etc... is very obvious. So, get a decent multi-effects processor and it will give you lots of different sounds to play around with. You may be able to get one with a line-level output that you can hook up to your stereo, and then you can skip the amp altogether. Experienced players will balk at this (and you will too, eventually) but for now its not a bad way to go - especially if your effects processor has as amp simulator built into it (also, your stereo will do a much better job at getting the full range of sound without being too loud). Eventually, you'll probably get tired on this somewhat artificial sound, but there's no reason to spend much money until you really know what you are looking for.

[AdamL]

I'm actually looking at them right now over at the BOSS website. I'm not sure what the equivalent is to the Boss-90 as prior suggested by another poster, as they don't seem to have the Boss-90 anymore. Maybe the ME-50? I smell more $$ [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Don't search the Boss site, search www.musiciansfriend.com that way you will know what Guitar Center sells it for, since they own GC.

I think you should just buy an amp with DSP built into it, that way you won't have to mess with presets, and it will be cheaper than buying both, however, it won't be as flexible.

[guller]

Fender has made some of the best guitars over the last 20 years. Except they sold them under the name G&L.

I was excited when Leo released G&L around 1980. I bought three or four if I remember correctly, the first year. I have not played their recent line, so I can't comment on that. Is the quality still up to par since the passing of Leo in the early 90's?

[MrTrik]

The benefit of buying a separate effects processor is totally flexibility. It allows your sound to be portable. For instance, if you start jamming with friends, you can easily use their amps and such but keep whatever sound you have in mind. Also, if guitar sticks for you, you will eventually upgrade beyond a starter amp and the effects are portable there too.

I bought my Boss90 years ago and I was using it more as an example than a specific recommendation. I probably wasn't clear on that. I think I spent $79 on the unit a couple of years ago because I was looking for a toy. Turned out to be money well spent for me since I use it a ton and it has saved me enormous amounts of gadget money which I could have spent on more and more single or narrow use effects boxes.

I'm sure Boss and other companies offer newer more capabable products for even cheaper these days.

I'm well aware of all the pros and cons of having separate effects (I'm aware you probably listed this for his benefit), but again, it all comes down to a bunch of ifs. If the guitar sticks... if he jams with friends... if he upgrades his amp....

The guy doesn't yet know the difference between a G-string and a Speedo. The real truth is, even an Eventide H8000 combined with a Lexicon PCM91, will not inspire him to practice.

In all honesty, he really should just buy a decent playing acoustic guitar, and get to work. If he really wants an electric, buy one and plug it into the computer and use the DSP effects off of the sound card. Even a soundblaster sound card has better digital effects than any $100 pedal board. If in six months he’s still 100% committed, well then go nuts- buy the store out.

[MrTrik]

I guess we will agree to disagree on this. I happen to think that a guy that wants pink floyd sound (or whatever his/her tastes are) will be much more motivated to practice and improve if he can actually get that sound out of his set up.

I recommended one way to achieve this for a couple hundred bucks. I won't stop recommending that approach when people ask, but I understand your point of view as well.