[Konda]

hey

at the moment i play on a old accoustic guitar from my mother.
i wants to play mostly blues and such stuff. and now i see so much les paul guitars fro the highest to cheapest :-)

now on what details i have to watch when buying a les paul guitar.

whats about the epiphone special II starter set?

i hope you guys can help me a bit ;-)

greets konda

[Ballard]

Hey Konda! Welcome to Guitar for Beginners and Beyond!

First things first- how much money are you looking to spend? Gibson Les Pauls are some of the highest quality electric guitars sold, so they can cost you a pretty penny. Epiphone guitars run cheaper, and while the quality is not as great, they are still pretty solid guitars.

I'd generally stay away from Starter Packs. They generally feature low-quality products that will break quickly or sound like trash. UGB has a great thread on that here.

Think about it. An authentic Les Paul costs thousands of dollars. It's not possible to sell a guitar with even half it's quality, include an amp, a case, and a bunch of other things, all for $200.

Another thing to watch for if you're buying on sites like eBay or Craigslist is fakes. Since the Gibson Les Paul is the world's most famous electric guitar, hundreds of thousands of fake, low-quality copies are out there, especially on the internet. They are authentic looking but sound like garbage, and can be distinguished only by minor details. I suggest buying your guitar personally, or from an accredited site like Guitar Center, zZSounds, or Musician's Friend.

Now, a standard Epiphone Les Paul is far better than a Starter Pack, but costs more. It's a beautiful guitar and it sounds fantastic.

If you have more money to spend, I'd suggest this Gibson Les Paul. It comes with a hardshell case and costs only $800. It's a little less fancy looking than standard Les Pauls, but it's still a beautiful, great sounding guitar.

I hope you find what you're looking for! Just remember, don't skimp on money when buying a new guitar. Spend as much as you can, because you get what you pay for.

Best of luck!

Eugene

[cshude]

I'll put in a little plug for Sweetwater Music for another great retailer- most of their business in online, although I've also visited their facility as well. They have the best customer service I've experienced. period.
http://www.sweetwater.com/

They are very knowledgeable and can definitely help steer you in the right direction in terms of getting the most out of your budget.

[fly135]

The starter pack will get you going, but you should really plan to get a different amp. The amp in the pack isn't going to satisfy you for long, and is really going to hide the sounds that you'll be able to get out of the Epi LP.

[Ballard]

Originally Posted by fly135

The starter pack will get you going, but you should really plan to get a different amp. The amp in the pack isn't going to satisfy you for long, and is really going to hide the sounds that you'll be able to get out of the Epi LP.

Agreed.

But I also don't think an Epi for less than $200 will get you much of anything, even plugged into a Marshall.

[krissovo]

Originally Posted by Ballard

Agreed.

But I also don't think an Epi for less than $200 will get you much of anything, even plugged into a Marshall.

I would agree with that statement, I tested loads of Les Paul's from Gibson and Epi and the best compromise I found was the Epi LP Custom. OK its not quite the Gibson in tone but the build is great, looks great and sounds awsome. For blues just play it clean on virtually any amp and it will sound great. I have the white one of these:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=518350

The best clean amp I played this on is the Roland cube 30, the VOX amp is the best all rounder for differnt tones and if you want to be blown away then put this baby into a blues junior and make those tubes work hard!

[Konda]

thanks for the answers guys

think the gibsons are to expensive to me. somebody knows something about a label called johnson? i found a good looking cheap les paul from them.

of course i go to a shop near my home and test some guitars. so we will see what kid of guitars i will buy :-)

so cya

[Ballard]

Originally Posted by Konda

thanks for the answers guys

think the gibsons are to expensive to me. somebody nows something about a label called johnson? i found a good looking cheap les paul from them.

of course i go to a shop ner my home and test some guitars. so we will see what kid of guitars i will buy :-)

so cya

Just be careful. Remember, cheap fakes deliver much lower quality sound and break easier. If you can't afford a Gibson, try and splurge for an Epi LP Custom.