Looking for help buying a Guitar.

I've never played Guitar in my life, but I have always wanted to, and am definitely going to be picking one up in the next few days.

A friend recommended me to pick up an Ibanez guitar. I'm aiming for an Electric Guitar that's comfortable to play, and at a price range suitable for beginners. Help on other subjects such as amps and straps, or whatever is welcome too.

I already know how to play piano and trumpet, but I was wondering if I should purchase any books, or whether I could just use the info on various websites. I may consider private lessons, but I want to pick up the guitar first.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I've played some inexpensive Ibanezs that played pretty good, so if you can get one for cheap, why not. You don't want to get something too good to learn on, because the easier a guitar is to play, the easier it is to become lazy and develop bad habits in your important development phase. A good starter amp would be a small Crate {or at least, that was a good starter amp back when I was learning to play}. If not an Ibanez, then look at some of the less expensive Epiphones or a Squire. I wouldn't play an Epiphone or Squire, but that's just because I've been playing for a while and have a Gibson Les Paul Studio {pretty much one of the low end Les Paul models, but perfect for my level of skill and still a great guitar}.

You could probably find some good websites to look at, or spend five bucks on a good chord book, which is what I did. You might want to either get a handful of private lessons to teach you the basics, like tuning it, basic chords, and very basic theory, or if you have friends who play, ask them to show you a few things.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

My friend started on a squire strat. It's not much compared to what he's using now, but it was perfect for a beginner.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Eqiphone. Bang for your buck. Gibsons once you're ready.

Double Post:
www.musiciansfriend.com

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Bollocks to brand.
Shop around, try as many as you can, buy the one you feels best to you and is with within your budget.

Try out a Fender Strat/ Gibson Les Paul to feel what a good guitar is like and use that as a benchmark. If it's your first guitar, don't go way over the top as far as cost is concerned. There are plently of good yet cheap guitars out there. Cheap doesn't always mean bad.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Always try before you buy.

Unless it's a fender.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

American Fenders, maybe. But by all means, feel out the indonesian makes before you take one home. We aren't even telling the poor soul what to look for. Heh. Go to a physical guitar shoppe and ask questions. Don't be embarrassed or shy. The people there selling what they've got are probably your best bet for any useful information. Key words are:

Intonation
Action
Tone
Sustain
Solid Body
Hollow Body

Point at any attribute of the guitar and ask what it is and what it does. If an employee can't give you ample education on those terms, ask another.

FELIPE NO

Things happened pretty fast, and I picked up an Ibanez. I'm not really sure if I got a good deal, but with amp and everything, it cost me around 600$ CAD.

The only thing that I'm disappointed in, is that it sounds exactly like an acoustic guitar. What do I need to buy to get those crazy distortion stuff. I tried playing with my amp, but it wouldn't change much.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Thanks to Guitar Hero (though it's worth noting most, if not all, music in that game is electric), I've gotten interested in learning to play and probably buying an acoustic guitar. Any thoughts on what to get and what might get me the best education?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Newbie1234

Things happened pretty fast, and I picked up an Ibanez. I'm not really sure if I got a good deal, but with amp and everything, it cost me around 600$ CAD.

The only thing that I'm disappointed in, is that it sounds exactly like an acoustic guitar. What do I need to buy to get those crazy distortion stuff. I tried playing with my amp, but it wouldn't change much.

You have two options: A) Get a better amp or B) buy a distortion pedal. I recommend the Boss Metal Zone pedal. Digitech makes a decent distortion pedal as well. Those can go for about 80 bucks brand new and cheaper if you get them second hand.

Of course you could also try to mess around with your amp settings. It does have a little button for you to push in and you get gain right? Or a knob that when turned you get distortion? Distortion tone varies for person to person and is something you shouldn't concentrate right now, though I do realize that poor distortion can make you bummed out to play. So mess around with the knobs a bit.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Cannot go wrong with Boss accessories. You can listen to samples at their site. The often arrogant musicians at www.musicianforums.com would be happy to school you in every way. If you post a humble thread, the elitists are likely to be kind.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

As far as guitars go:

Play it, and whatever you think sounds and feels best, go with it. Remember to try the guitar through multiple amps, so you get a feel what kind of tone it generates. Play with the settings on the amp and the guitar, see what you can do with it.

As far as pedals go:

I definitely recommend BOSS pedals. It depends on what type of music you want to play, but I recommend the SD-1 and/or the DS-1. The SD gives you less "distortion", but can be more subtle than the DS. A full dicussion of the differences between Distortion, Overdrive, and Fuzz are way out of the range of this thread, but http://harmony-central.com has some great explanations and tutorials, and is a good place to start.

General guitar advice:

Play every day. Find tablature to songs you like online, and play them. Don't be afraid to not follow the tab exactly if you think it's wrong. This is the internet. After you get comfortable with that, try working a song out by ear. You may also want to learn play transcribed music on the guitar. It's not too difficult if you can already read music. Practicing scales is a good way to get that done.

Good luck!

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Thanks everyone for the advice. Sounds like I'll definitely be picking up a Boss pedal, although probably not any time soon. I want to be able to play a few simple songs, and just get the hang of the instrument before venturing into the distortion business if it means more purchasing.

Playing the guitar itself is definitely a bit different from what I was expecting. Just pressing down the strings can be a bit tough on the fingers, which is something I'm not completely use to yet. The strings are also pretty close together, so it ain't always easy hitting the right ones quickly.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I've got a DS-1 that I was extremely pleased with back when I had a shit guitar and a 15 watt Crate amp. You've most likely got a better guitar than I had, so you'd probably be pretty pleased with a Boss pedal. Since you're obviously not going to be able to really test out a pedal yourself, go to a guitar shop with a friend who can play and have him test out a few pedals for you, on a guitar and amp similar to what you have, that way you can get an idea of what kind of sound you can expect from the pedal. If you don't have a friend who can do that for you, in my experience many of the salespeople at guitar shops are cool dudes and chicks and would help you in the same way.

Also, as far as the pain on your fingers goes, practice a lot and your fingertips get pretty tough {callouses are your friend until one peels off and your fingertip is so sensitive that you can literally FEEL the air around it even when your finger is stationary}.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Newbie1234

Thanks everyone for the advice. Sounds like I'll definitely be picking up a Boss pedal, although probably not any time soon. I want to be able to play a few simple songs, and just get the hang of the instrument before venturing into the distortion business if it means more purchasing.

Playing the guitar itself is definitely a bit different from what I was expecting. Just pressing down the strings can be a bit tough on the fingers, which is something I'm not completely use to yet. The strings are also pretty close together, so it ain't always easy hitting the right ones quickly.

Play some barre chords (chords that use your index finger to cover the width of the neck). That'll put a cramp on your hand. You'd really feel the cramp if you played acoustic since they use heavier guage strings to make it resonate with the wood.

FELIPE NO

The low end Ibanez electrics are crap. Epiphone guitars play like a set of railroad tracks. Squiers are awful guitars that won't even stay in tune half of the time.

The beginning instrument line of choice is the Godin line. They are Canadian built guitars and come stock equipped with decent pickups and the necks play awesome, even on their bottom end instruments. www.godinguitars.com
I learnt on an LG before I bought my Les Paul. The LG hauls any Epi, Squire or Ibanez in terms of action, playability and tone.

Further advice. You have experience with instruments already. Spend no less than about $600 - $700 for your beginner instrument since lower in quality will only frustrate the learning process.

In addition, if you have around $1,200 to part with and you have a thing for the fender sound, try G&L guitars. For just over a grand, you can get a handcrafted instrument that supercedes an $1,800 fender in playability and tone.

Double Post:

Originally Posted by Newbie1234

Things happened pretty fast, and I picked up an Ibanez. I'm not really sure if I got a good deal, but with amp and everything, it cost me around 600$ CAD.

The only thing that I'm disappointed in, is that it sounds exactly like an acoustic guitar. What do I need to buy to get those crazy distortion stuff. I tried playing with my amp, but it wouldn't change much.

You got jacked, mate.

P.S. Electric guitars are generally pretty easy on the fingers. If you're having difficulty playing it, chances are that you need to get the action adjusted. This can be done by your local guitar technician.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I recently looked at a Seagull for a friend. Not top of the line, but a really nice sound, and it's definently not a cheap guitar. I bought a 150$ Sunlite for my first guitar, and I regret it. If you're gonna take care of the guitar, dont go with a cheap one. Seagull gets my vote.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

They have Guitar Starter Kits at like Costco and BJs and all sorts of Wholesale Clubs for about $149.99 USD. I would reccomend one of them to at least start out with. Usually comes with a Yahama guitar but if that's not your style pick up a cheap guitar at a Guitar Store (Look at the differences of used and new prices as well, If you're a begininer, don't go for super-top of the line stuff. A Mediocre Guitar will suit you just fine I think)

I just started playing myself but I've got over 12 different guitars and amps in my house because both my brother and dad play a lot. It's a fun thing to do. Best Advice I can give you is remeber: You're just starting out, Don't expect to be the next Rhoads/Van Halen in 15 minutes. Practice, Practice, Practice.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I dont know much about guitars but being a sibling of a traveling artist I must say, the best starter brand I've heard of everyone say is Yamaha. Cheap and reliable for what you need. Cause if you decide not to keep up playing, it doesnt put too big of a dent in your wallet.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by russ

I've got a DS-1 that I was extremely pleased with back when I had a shit guitar and a 15 watt Crate amp. You've most likely got a better guitar than I had, so you'd probably be pretty pleased with a Boss pedal. Since you're obviously not going to be able to really test out a pedal yourself, go to a guitar shop with a friend who can play and have him test out a few pedals for you, on a guitar and amp similar to what you have, that way you can get an idea of what kind of sound you can expect from the pedal. If you don't have a friend who can do that for you, in my experience many of the salespeople at guitar shops are cool dudes and chicks and would help you in the same way.

That's a good idea.

Originally Posted by Traumatized Rat

The low end Ibanez electrics are crap. Epiphone guitars play like a set of railroad tracks. Squiers are awful guitars that won't even stay in tune half of the time.

I don't know how low end my Ibanez is, but it works fine, seems like a solid build, and that's all I'm looking for.

Originally Posted by Traumatized Rat

P.S. Electric guitars are generally pretty easy on the fingers. If you're having difficulty playing it, chances are that you need to get the action adjusted. This can be done by your local guitar technician.

I think it's just because I'm new to it. I'm still able to play long periods of time no problem, so I'm not too worried.

Originally Posted by Jiraiya

I dont know much about guitars but being a sibling of a traveling artist I must say, the best starter brand I've heard of everyone say is Yamaha. Cheap and reliable for what you need. Cause if you decide not to keep up playing, it doesnt put too big of a dent in your wallet.

Actually, someone at the store told me that Yamaha electric guitars were pretty bad, but they make good acoustic ones.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I may have missed it, but what style of music are you interested in learning to play or innovate someday?

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Elcee

I may have missed it, but what style of music are you interested in learning to play or innovate someday?

I like catchy guitar riffs, and the good solo, in whichever style of music it may be. I don't have any long term goals of innovating anything any time soon, and I just want to learn how to play what is already there.

How ya doing, buddy?

I meant genre/sound. ^_^

FELIPE NO