New guitar for beginner

Froot

Hi all,

I'm looking to start playing so I started asking around among my playing friends and the general concensus is to (A) go for electric and (B) dont buy the cheapest or most expensive guitar I can find. Based on my musical preference it was recommended that guitars made by Gibson would suit me if I wanted to learn the music I like. I was also told to go for an epiphone guitar because Gibson isnt really worth the money at my level, though they sound sweet according to my more knowledgeable friends.

I went into a music shop in Cork and the guitar that was recommended to me was the Epiphone Les Paul Special II which can be found on the epiphone site here.

This is priced as €459 in the shop though I know I will get lots of little extra's thrown in.

I'm wondering if this guitar is worth that kind of money, is a complete waste on someone such as myself and will still be useful in the future.

The bands I like to listen to would mainly be: Soundgarden, Filter, Rage, Days Of The New, Tool, John Lee Hooker, Rammstein, Audioslave (because of Soundgarden and Rage). and that kind of thing. I know that is a somewhat varied list.

Thanks,
Froot.

Quattroste

If you have played this guitar and like it then go buy it. Personally I would not buy an epiphone and would go for a Tokai Love Rock instead. The Tokai's are Japanese copies of the Les Paul and are very good. Many on here can speak of their quality.

Karl Hungus

Froot wrote:

The bands I like to listen to would mainly be: Soundgarden, Filter, Rage, Days Of The New, Tool, John Lee Hooker, Rammstein, Audioslave (because of Soundgarden and Rage). and that kind of thing. I know that is a somewhat varied list.

You do not need a Gibson or Epiphone here. Trust me. Basically any guitar with humbuckers will do for what you want.

As such, I recommend an Ibanez RG321, which for the price is an amazing guitar. You'll have a lot more upper fret access than the Les Paul, and it'll be a much better player than any entry level Epiphone. It'll hold it's value more than the Epi aswell.

Anyway, it's a very, very nice playing guitar and it'll last you.

Froot

Any comments on acoustic versus electric to start with?

I do not know how to play, I would like as many opinions and as much advice as I can get thanks.

John

Acoustic would be simpler, only have to tune it. You'd have to buy an amp for the electric.

Mystic Fibrosis

I started learning on an acoustic and I regret it now. The neck of an electric always feels too slippery and thin to me (and I'm playing an RG wizard neck now, go figure). And since the action on acoustics is generally higher, you're going to have a harder time getting used to fretting things (that's just been my experience anyway). If you want to play electric, start on that imo. But you're definitely right on not buying the least expensive guitar you find. Nothing is worse than starting on a nearly unplayable guitar and giving up. (And since I started on acoustic and 'graduated' to crap Squier strat a year later, it's a wonder I'm still playing at all actually :P)

Karl Hungus

Froot wrote:

Any comments on acoustic versus electric to start with?

I do not know how to play, I would like as many opinions and as much advice as I can get thanks.

If you're looking to play music like the bands you've mentioned, there's no way you're going to be able to do that on an acoustic, so I'd say if you were to start on an acoustic you'd either get bored and give up, or go and buy an electric after all.

NeMiSiS

I'd go with the Ibanez idea myself, keep in mind you will need an amp also.. and maybe pedals.. and a wah.. etc.. haha.
I have not at this stage in my life played an Epiphone I have enjoyed playing, and I'm very open minded about these things...

TK

Karl Hungus

NeMiSiS wrote:

I'd go with the Ibanez idea myself, keep in mind you will need an amp also.. and maybe pedals.. and a wah.. etc.. haha.
I have not at this stage in my life played an Epiphone I have enjoyed playing, and I'm very open minded about these things...

TK

Microcube tbh. Has a few effects aswell, so there'd be no need to run out and buy pedals right away.

NeMiSiS

Ah in fairness, he might aswell startt out with something a little more upmarket, like this http://www.thomann.de/thoiw6_artikel-194439.html .

TK

Johnny Storm

NeMiSiS wrote:

Ah in fairness, he might aswell startt out with something a little more upmarket, like this http://www.thomann.de/thoiw6_artikel-194439.html .

TK

Nemesis - Surely he'd need something with more knobs?

Froot: +1 for the Microcube and Ibanez - get yourself an inexpensive tuner while you're at it. Try as many guitars as you can before buying.

Rustar

Microcube? What's that? One of those little things you make beef/chicken soup out of?

John

roflcoptor

Froot

Went into another music store he recommeded acoustic or electric acoustic.

Crowleys recommended Fender, the squier (squire?) strat mainly.

Pro Musica recommended an Epiphone LP standard.

Your advice is helping guys so keep it up

Im aiming for having a decision made on Saturday, I'm going back into Crowleys on Thursday when the guy said he would run me through the main differences between Epiphones and Fenders and show me the capabilities of both in general.

david

Get the ibanez, and for gods sake, buy online!

Karl Hungus

I cannot agree more with Freak, buy online!

The_g-man

Froot, to go back to your first post, you said Pro Musica was offering an Epiphone Les Paul Special II for €459. It didn't sound like there was an amp included, yet you can buy the same guitar here:
http://www.thomann.de/thoiw2_epiphone_les_paul_special_prodinfo.html
for a lot less. If you really feel comfortable spending that amount on a first guitar, you could get a lot more for your money:
http://www.thomann.de/thoiw2_epiphone_les_paul_standard_cherry_sunburst_prodinfo.html
or:
http://www.thomann.de/thoiw2_fender_lite_ash_stratocaster_mn_nt_prodinfo.html
If you want to keep the price down, you could stay with the epiphone or try this:
http://www.thomann.de/thoiw2_fender_squier_bullet_strat_rw_bk_prodinfo.html
The microcube speaker mentioned earlier is a very handy amp, as the effects and tuner are built in. Just with the prices in your local shops, you don't have to rush in.;)

Karl Hungus

The_g-man wrote:

Froot, to go back to your first post, you said Pro Musica was offering an Epiphone Les Paul Special II for €459. It didn't sound like there was an amp included, yet you can buy the same guitar here:
http://www.thomann.de/thoiw2_epiphone_les_paul_special_prodinfo.html

Eeep! Sounds like the shop is trying to seriously rip people off. :eek:

Johnny Storm

No doubt about it: try local, buy online.

And get your Cube, guitar, tuner, strap, lead, spare strings etc at the same time on line and save on shipping.

Froot

The_g-man wrote:

Froot, to go back to your first post, you said Pro Musica was offering an Epiphone Les Paul Special II for €459.

I was wrong about it, it's actually a Les Paul standard gothic... €385 on thomann afaik. so Pro Musica aren't that extortionate

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Johnny Storm wrote:

No doubt about it: try local, buy online.

I buy everything online, even phone credit

But I was apprehensive about buying something like this online because you cant really walk back into the shop and discuss anything with the person you bought it off re: accessories, repair or whatever...

I guess after sale service comes in handy.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Karl that Ibanez is looking mighty attractive at this point in time.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Man I hope I dont turn into "the guy with the guitar"...or even worse..."the guy who has a guitar and cant play it"

Johnny Storm

Froot wrote:

..."the guy who has a guitar and cant play it"

Join the club, pal!

Froot

Well I was thinking more along the lines of the guy who bought the wrong guitar and went at the whole learning process totally arseways...

Karl Hungus

Froot wrote:

I was wrong about it, it's actually a Les Paul standard gothic... €385 on thomann afaik. so Pro Musica aren't that extortionate

Fair enough, but the Epiphones are still pretty bad value.