Guitar Shopping is fun, but deciding which to buy is a serious business!

stack

Hello,
I have been reading here since Christmas-ish when I bought myself a 70 euro electric off ebay and a microcube.

Now though I think its time to upgrade the guitar, since I am definitely hooked. My interests are....well generally I play typical rock, indie type stuff (or its more try to play, Stone Roses, White Stripes, Nirvana etc, etc...you know what I mean) and I started with some blues riffs (from How to Play the Electric Bules Guitar book) and liked that, so I also tried to learn a little jazz stuff (was in Copenhagen, and liked what I heard in jazz clubs)...

So anyway, I was thinking of the upto 500 yoyo bracket, (probably off the net, but who knows) so I wandered about the shops saturday afternoon...from Waltons across to Musician Inc (i think, you know the one I'm sure, if you know Dublin) then to Perfect Pitch. And after the initial terror of touching a guitar, never mind actually trying to play a few notes in the shop, I messed about with a few (actually if I had considered at the time that it was my first live performance I think I would have run away). Mainly epiphones (dot, dot studio, sg, les paul copies) in Waltons, squiers in the middle shop and an expensive fender and a peavey, then a dean and a yamaha in perfect pitch.

So what is this thread other than a report of my nice saturday afternoon? well I have a few questions and seek some opinions, that you may (or not) be able to help me with!

Well I was thinking of a dot or something like that, but I didn't really like it (high action maybe), nor any of the epiphones, nor waltons in general! So maybe that put me off the guitars, so I won't count them out yet. Does anyone have a dot and what do they think? (or of semi-acoustics in general)

In the middle shop (as it is now known), I plugged them into a Microcube, the squiers were better than my own, and nice enough (they had a 400 yoyo or so range of squiers), the fender very nice. The peavey too actually...Anyone any opinions of the shop? or the gear in it? They also had a variax modelling guitars cheap, a 300 was 389 yoyo, which is over 400 on Thomann. Does anyone have any experience of these? Personally I don't care about the quality of the modelling, just the sound (I don't know what a 52 gibson sounds like, but I know if I like what I hear) and playability.

I perfect pitch I was drawn to this :

http://www.yamaha.com/guitars/rgxa2/0,,CNTID%25253D62690%252526CTID%25253D600004%252526CNTYP%25253DPRODUCT,00.html

it looked modern and clean and different, and to me I liked the sound (again through a mircocube) and damn it it was light!! wierdly light. I think it was my favourite of the day, just cause it was different... so anyone seen, or even own one of these? Or even have an opinion on it? (like 'hey look its white, I like white')

I think I'd like any sort of guitar really, as long as it ain't too difficult to play, my fingers cause difficulties enough.

This might be long winded, but if you got this far, maybe you'll be as good as to slap up a few opinions of your own! Or any opinions of any guitars at all in this price range.

It wasn't me!

Tbh, strings being too far away from a fretboard is easily fixed. Guitars in shops in Dublin are mangled by the good, the bad and the everybody, and if you tried it in Waltons, they don't seem to set up their guitars at all, so definitely don't let it put you off. Tbh, you went and had a good day trying out a lot of guitars by the sound of things. You're now in the best possible position to tell us which one you liked the sound and feel of best. How it plays can be easily sorted out to suit you, for the most part, but of those you tried, which sounded most like what you wanted, or had the nicest, mot comfortable feel?

Quattroste

I like the look of that Yamaha and the blurb on it's creation is interesting. I'd say go for that if you really like it. I tend to trust my instincts.

With regards to the semi's, well I'd expect you to have to fork out more that the €500 for a good one. Cheap versions of these type of guitars (IMO) just don't cut it. I had and Aria and played an Epi Dot. Didn't like them at all. Now I have a Tokai ES100 and I love it, but they're, as I said, a bit more than your budget.

dudara

sorry - mistake wrong post

stack

Yeah there is alot of I have a dot and changed the pick-ups and now its as good as any gibson...which I find difficult to believe...but maybe its true!

As for me knowing best...yes probably, but I also have very little experience, so maybe there should be other things, or places, that I should be looking at! Or something a little different that someone might know a bit about!

and sure its nice to talk about guitars!

Karl Hungus

Hmm, have you considered second hand? You can get a very good guitar for a lot cheaper than a new one. Really get your money's worth.

Kenny_D

If you're looking at a dot, keep an eye out for a second hand epiphone casino. They come highly rated from what I can tell

stack

Yeah I'd consider second hand, again its a lack of knowledge is my problem in general...the shops are handy for the 'try-ability' factor.
Like when you say I'd get something much better for my money, I'm sure that is the case, but again I wouldn't be too sure what I was looking at really... but this is all part of learning I suppose.

Kenny_D

There is a Casino for sale on adverts. Here is a link if you're interested: http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=21491&cat=16

Patricide

Played that yamaha many times and yup agree with you that its freakishly light, It plays very well and sounds very well from my experiance and the only potential flaw in it for me is those machine heads.

There clyindrical instead of the standard shape and although it didnt personally annoy me, i know plenty of people who found it annoyin.

Yakult

^Yeah its nice guitar! But as stated the Machine heads are a bitch! Imo theirs better out there. But if you like that then by all means get it!

stack

Yeah I don't think the machine heads would be a problem from me at all...I'll go back in there again next week sometime. Its good to get feedback, just to know its not a completely crap choice!

See I'm sure there is lots of great stuff out there, I'm just not sure what.

Gandorf

If you're interested in a semi-acoustic you should also consider the Ibanez Artcore range. I bought an AS-73 from Thomann and I really like it. Very good value as well.

stack

did you try one out before you bought it?

Gandorf

I had tried an AS-83 that I liked, and took a chance on the cheaper AS-73 as it looked pretty much the same
I also tried various Epiphone dots and the Yamaha SA-500 (they had one in Musicians Inc). I liked the Yamaha but didn't rate the Dots. The AE500 looks interesting as well but haven't played it.

I do like the look of that Yamaha iGuitar (as I've taken to calling it) though....

stack

pretty Yamahas alright, I'll wander about in town tomorrow and then I'll decide....maybe!!

Blackhorse Slim

Just one thing - I'd stay away from the Squiers if I were you. If you're planning on spending that much, you can get the real thing - a MIM Fender Stratocaster for around €400 on Thomann. If you want a more meaty sound I'd recommend an Ibanez.

stack

Where do they have ibanezs in town (dublin) to try out? I think I'd prefer humbuckers, but so far that is all I can say. Didn't get back into town today, hopefully tomorrow....

It wasn't me!

Musicmaker and Musician Inc. both stock Ibanez.

stack

More guitar playing today, a yahama sa500 and an ibanez or 2 and a cort, and an epiphone sherton (though its a little too expensive)... and all I can say now is can I have them all?? Please?!! The yahama hollow body was very nice though, strange how I seem to like yamahas

The_g-man

There's a sheraton in the buy and sell for €450, might be worth a look.

stack

Bought an Ibanez AWD83 for numerous reasons...twill be here next week sometime!

http://www.thomann.de/ie/ibanez_awd83ttrd.htm

looks much nicer on ibanez site!

Johnny Storm

It looks like a lot of guitar for the money. Well done, enjoy it and dont forget your picture posting obligations.

Bulbinga, eh? Is that even legal in this country?

It wasn't me!

Nice, very nice indeed, cool buy. Hmm... I hope it is, I have a Warwick full of it.