Electric Guitar For Younger Brother...

Discussion in 'The Guru's Pub' started by kanej2007, Feb 17, 2015.

  1. kanej2007

    kanej2007 Guest

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    Next month is my younger brothers 14th birthday.

    He has been talking to me about buying an electric guitar to practice on...

    I not much of an expert in guitars and apart from Gibson & Fender, that's pretty much it!

    The budget is around $500-$600, can he get something decent in that range?

    He seemed interested in this guitar:

    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/esp-standard-series-eclipse-ii

    Is the guitar any good? Is there anything better or a better recommendation?

    Thanks gurus.
     
  2. stevevnicks

    stevevnicks Guest

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    Don't need one
  3. Twiddles

    Twiddles Maha Guru

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    Depends on what he wants to play, big hands, small hands etc ;)
     
  4. stevevnicks

    stevevnicks Guest

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    yea very true :) didnt even think about that hand size heeh

    i have quiet big hands and long fingers.

    guess it would be best to take the person to guitar shops and see what fits/feels best for them to learn/play on.

    the guitar he has put link to has 22 extra-jumbo frets

    the guitar i put link to has 22 medium jumbo frets
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2015

  5. PNeV

    PNeV Guest

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    Take him to a store and let him play anything. Pictures of Guitars are only half the story. Many a time I have like the cosmetics of a Guitar, only to try it and don't like the way the neck feels etc. I for one personally do not like the feel and shape of Ibanez Wizard necks, much prefer a chunkier Les Paul/Strat type.
     
  6. stevevnicks

    stevevnicks Guest

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    i used have a fender squire vibe

    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/squier-classic-vibe-stratocaster-50s-electric-guitar

    sold that and i got my ibanez s470 and loved the feel right away over squire vibe
     
  7. Twiddles

    Twiddles Maha Guru

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    I've used Fenders Ibanez, ESP (Scythe) and it just depends on the model. Try a store, playing on one is a VERY good idea, you're going to use it for a while ;) It an expensive purchase which really should "try before you buy".
     
  8. Fender178

    Fender178 Ancient Guru

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    I have a fender strat and it is a very good guitar. My one friend owns a Gibson Les Paul. Also look at Epiphone as well because they made similar style guitars as Gibson but for less money. I would go to a Guitar/Music store to try out some guitars to see what your brother likes.
     
  9. nhlkoho

    nhlkoho Guest

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    ESP's are very good guitars and they have a pretty good selection of starter guitars. The LTD M10 and M50 are very good for the money. Sometimes you can even get deals on those that come with amps.

    Plus ESP's are very easy to learn how to play on because of the thin necks.
     
  10. Twiddles

    Twiddles Maha Guru

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    ^ This.

    My most recent purchase was this: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/esp-ltd-alexi-600-electric-guitar Pretty sweet guitar :)
     

  11. PNeV

    PNeV Guest

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    What sort of music are they likely to play? Versatility is important for me in an instrument, I prefer Alinco V magnets in the Pickups instead of Ceramic so they clean up better. Also, I prefer Passive over Active.
     
  12. eclap

    eclap Banned

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  13. Texter

    Texter Guest

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    This. What was it...made in China, finished in the US? Their early guitars looked like crap from Planet Tacky but the fretwork, so playability, was very nicely done. That on a 500-600 budget leaves room for a 15W practice amp and a 5 meter lead, maybe a fancy digital tuner and a strap with flames lol. And let's not forget a pack of strings and a bunch of picks to find out which feels nicest. Oh right...and headphones + earplugs. And a string clipper. And a gig bag. And a Guitar stand.
     
  14. BigBlockTowncar

    BigBlockTowncar Ancient Guru

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    Does he have an amplifier? An electric is useless without one.

    I would recommend plugging into the computer. For the cost of a decent amp, computer modeling is going to be much better sound wise and it won't drive the parents crazy.

    As far as a guitar....it's 2015, the electric guitar has been around for decades. The technique of building them and making them reliable is common knowledge amongst manufacturers. Virtually any low-cost instrument you purchase these days will be similar in terms of what to expect. The setup might need adjustment, the fret edges could be a little rough, cheaper switches and electronics, saddles with sharp edges......but the reality is that the necks, bodies, the construction element is all pretty accurate these days and done on computer controlled machines. The difference between the higher priced guitars is generally in the setup and finish of the instrument (the high time factor items). Real chrome plating instead of polished pot metal, top notch fret jobs, ornate paint jobs etc.

    He won't start to notice things like fingerboard radius, scale length, etc until later on, so you might as well just get something that he likes the look of and will play. A guitar that has the ability to split the humbuckers would give more variety. I would get something that has passive pickups first.
     
  15. nhlkoho

    nhlkoho Guest

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    And don't spend your whole budget on the guitar. He may not like it and play it for a few months and there's $500-600 down the drain. Go with a cheap model first.

    I still stick buy my ESP recommendation but even a Fender Squier would be good for a noob
     

  16. morbias

    morbias Don TazeMeBro

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    As has been mentioned already you really have to play a guitar to decide if it's for you or not. I started off with a cheapo Squier strat that I modded the hell out of with scalloped frets, dual rail pickups etc., many years down the line I ended up buying a JS series Ibanez (I had an S series previously and that was pretty good so I thought it would be similar in feel).

    The thing is, to this day I still prefer the Squier and find it so much easier to play! Sadly it now sits in my parents' attic while I have the JS in the corner of my room, as a result I don't play any more because every time I pick it up I wish it was the cheapy strat. I keep meaning to swap them over but never get around to it, one day this is going to happen for sure...

    The point is, there is a lot of brand snobbery in the guitar world but it's best to ignore all of that and find a guitar that feels right, because it will ultimately make you a better player.

    My buddy from school had one of those ESP Les Pauls you posted a link to, it was a blue maple bodied one and I found it awesome to play. Cheap guitar but great value for money, more expensive is not always better!
     
  17. nhlkoho

    nhlkoho Guest

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    +1

    I have a pretty good selection of guitars and none are the high end models. I buy LTD over ESP, Epiphone over Gibson, etc... The best thing to do is go to a store and try a few out. You'll know what feels good in your hand when you play it.
     
  18. PNeV

    PNeV Guest

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    *drool*...

    [​IMG]
     
  19. kanej2007

    kanej2007 Guest

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    Thank you so much everyone for your feedback.

    As many of you have already mentioned, it is indeed a good idea to take him to a shop and try a few out.

    He has small hands at the moment since he's just 14. :)

    He'll also need an amplifier, probably go for a Marshall since that's what most people use.

    It's best to go for a cheaper/budget model at first since he may not like it and it'll be a waste of money...
     
  20. PNeV

    PNeV Guest

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    Advice on amps, some really good budget amps are:

    Roland Cubes
    Peavey Vypyr
    Marshall MG
    Blackstar HT-5
    Yamaha THR10
    Orange Micro Terror

    Maybe Line 6 Spiders, but in the past people have said them to sound very digital and fake.
     

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