Some good guitar retailer websites to visit are:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ , http://www.zzounds.com/ , http://www.elderly.com/ , http://www.sweetwater.com/ , http://www.music123.com/ and http://www.samash.com/. There are many more, including Ebay and Amazon. Although, I don't advise researching guitars on those sites. They tend to have less detailed specs and are better suited for experienced guitar buyers. I will cover buying and selling on Ebay in a future post.
Electric guitars tend to have solid bodies. They have pickups that transmit the vibration of the strings to the amplifier. There are two popular styles of pickups: single coil and humbuckers.
The most popular brands are Fender and Gibson. Both companies have been making electric guitars for more than 50 years. Most guitar companies have an entry level brand. Fender has Squier and Gibson has Epiphone. The entry level guitars tend to be decent guitars but are made of lower grade hardware and electronics to keep the price down. You can find a large selection of nice entry level to intermediate guitars in the $150 to $700 range. Fender and Gibson are heavy weights in the guitar industry. Most other guitar companies make their own versions or copies of Fenders and Gibson.
Fender's flagship model is the Stratocaster. It is the guitar designed by Leo Fender and made popular by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Gilmour and many others. The "Strat" has 3 single coil strings and a 25.5" scale. The scale is the distance between the bridge and the nut. Single coil pickups have a glassy tone but can be noisy and prone to loud feedback. The body is flat and has a large pickguard. It also features a "bolt on neck". The neck is attached to the body with 3 or 4 bolts. The fretboards tend to be rosewood or maple. The Strat features a tremolo bridge that allows the player to change the pitch of the note(s) with the tremolo bar. Squier has inexpensive versions of the Stratocaster that start around $150 and go up to $400. Fender Strats start at $450.00 and go up to several thousand dollars.
David Gilmour's Fender Stratocaster
Gibson's flagship model is the Les Paul. It is the guitar designed by Les Paul and made popular by Jimmy Page, Duane Allman, Slash, Gary Moore, Joe Perry and others. The Les Paul has a 24.75" scale .75" shorter than the Strat. The strings feel slightly softer than the Strat due to the lower tension. The Les Paul has 2 humbucker pickups. Humbuckers are two single coil pickups wired as one. They are far more quiet than single coils but twice as powerful. They produce a beefy tone. The body on the Les Paul is "carved" which gives it an arched appearance and gives it the trademark Gibson tone. Carved tops are labor intensive and add great expense to the cost of the guitar. The Les Paul features a "set neck". The set neck is a design that utilizes a special joint and glue to secure the neck. Many people claim a set neck is better for sustain than a bolt on neck.The Les Paul has a fixed bridge (no tremolo). The Epiphone Les Pauls start in the $200 range and go up to $800. Gibson Les Paul start in the $800 range and go up to several thousand dollars.
Gary Moore's Gibson Les Paul
Some popular alternative brands to Fender and Gibson:
Ibanez, PRS, ESP, G&L, Washburn, Charvel, Jackson, Yamaha and Schecter. The
truth of the matter is most of the entry level guitars are built by 2 major
companies: Samick and Cort. The quality will be very similar.
It's time to visit your local guitar store once you establish a budget and have a good understanding of the brands and models available. Try to take a guitar playing friend with you. If you don't have one, ask the sales person to play the guitars for you. Listen closely to the differences. Don't be afraid to ask questions and don't allow yourself to be pressured into a purchase decision. Don't be afraid to buy from Internet retailers. Make sure they have a generous return / exchange policy - read the fine print. Many have 30 day and 45 day return policies and price match policies.
My "budget friendly" recommendations:
Budget friendly Strat style guitar: Yamaha Pacifica 112J or 112V. You can find the J for $199 and the V for $299. They feature solid alder bodies, maple necks, rosewood fretboards, medium jumbo frets, Alnico V pickups, decent tuners and a decent tremolo unit. I believe they are superior to the Squier line and compare favorably to made in Mexico Fender Strats in the $450 - $700 range.
Budget friendly Les Paul style guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Standard. You can find them in the $339 - $399 range depending on the finish. They are the closest thing you can get to a $2000 Les Paul.
My "best of both worlds / budget friendly" recommendation: Paul Reed Smith (PRS) SE Custom 24. You can find them in the $650 range. They feature a 25" scale (between a Strat and Les Paul), a tremolo unit similar to a Strat and dual humbuckers like a Les Paul.
Please keep in mind that I am giving you my recommendations. I am not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned in this post. There are a lot of great guitars out there that can fill your needs. Take your time and you will find a guitar that "speaks" to you and fits your budget.
Feel free to email me for advice on your purchase decision.
It's time to visit your local guitar store once you establish a budget and have a good understanding of the brands and models available. Try to take a guitar playing friend with you. If you don't have one, ask the sales person to play the guitars for you. Listen closely to the differences. Don't be afraid to ask questions and don't allow yourself to be pressured into a purchase decision. Don't be afraid to buy from Internet retailers. Make sure they have a generous return / exchange policy - read the fine print. Many have 30 day and 45 day return policies and price match policies.
My "budget friendly" recommendations:
Budget friendly Strat style guitar: Yamaha Pacifica 112J or 112V. You can find the J for $199 and the V for $299. They feature solid alder bodies, maple necks, rosewood fretboards, medium jumbo frets, Alnico V pickups, decent tuners and a decent tremolo unit. I believe they are superior to the Squier line and compare favorably to made in Mexico Fender Strats in the $450 - $700 range.
Budget friendly Les Paul style guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Standard. You can find them in the $339 - $399 range depending on the finish. They are the closest thing you can get to a $2000 Les Paul.
My "best of both worlds / budget friendly" recommendation: Paul Reed Smith (PRS) SE Custom 24. You can find them in the $650 range. They feature a 25" scale (between a Strat and Les Paul), a tremolo unit similar to a Strat and dual humbuckers like a Les Paul.
Please keep in mind that I am giving you my recommendations. I am not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned in this post. There are a lot of great guitars out there that can fill your needs. Take your time and you will find a guitar that "speaks" to you and fits your budget.
Feel free to email me for advice on your purchase decision.
Good Luck,
MG316
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