Quote:
Originally Posted by stlguitar
...Given this constraint, what would you buy?
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I must be starting to sound like a broken record to those who've been here for a while - but my choice for an amp would be the
Roland Micro Cube amp ($125).
As far as the guitar goes, it depends on what kind of music you want to play - there are a lot of choices out there. Personally, my choice for a beginner guitar that you could keep around forever would be the
Squier Affinity Telecaster - but I play mostly classic rock and country-type stuff, so YMMV.
The reason I like these two choices is that they're both "keepers", even if you stick with it and start upgrading your gear like most do. The Micro Cube is a great travel amp - it's small and portable, can be played anywhere (will run on a set of AA batteries for about 20 hours) and you can also use it as a "front end" for recording (via the headphone/record out), or as a backup amp if you were to ever start gigging - you could plug directly into the board via the rec out jack if needed. The aux in also allows you to plug a CD/mp3/etc. player in to jam along with, and the headphone jack means you can practice in "stealth mode".
The Affinity Tele was the second electric guitar I bought (after my MIM Strat). It plays well, looks good, and was cheap enough that I don't feel bad about using it as my "beater" guitar. I throw it in a gig bag and take it with me when traveling, and don't worry as much about it being damaged or stolen as I would with my more expensive guitars.
The stuff in most "starter packs" will cost as much (or more!) than the above, will be lower-quality and not as versatile, and will end up in the junk closet as soon as you start upgrading. The Micro Cube will always be handy if for no other reason than because it offers portability that other amps don't. Besides, the above choices will leave you with enough change in your pocket to buy a cable, some picks, a couple sets of spare strings and a decent
tuner to complete your setup!