[CanuckTodd]

Hello forumites,

This is probably one of those "how long is a length of a string" questions, and the answer will be... it depends on.. it depends on.. it depends on.. but here goes:

For the past couple of months, I've been "borrowing" my neighbour's electric guitar. I had it restrung, had it cleaned and adjusted, but we had a jam session in his backyard this weekend and I brought it back. Now I'm electric-less.

I'm starting to shop around for a basic electric, but don't know what's good / bad or what to look for. I've tried some Fender Squire's for about $199 and some other low-end models, (Epiphone made in Korea models), and they don't sound great, but that could just be my playing.

Is there a standard fare, entry level electric, all purpose guitar, that doesn't sound wretched, is durable, and produces a decent sound?

I'd be willing to spend a few hundred bucks, but not thousands because I primarily play my acoustic with built in pick up through my acoustic amp.

I appreciate any advice and feedback that you folks can offer up.

I'm based in Canada, not far from Toronto and there are lots of guitar shops within striking distance.

CT

[munky]

If you can get your hands on a Fender Standard Strat or Tele (made in Mexico) you'll be in good shape. They play great, sound decent, and will last you a few years. More than you can say for your average Squire.

[CanuckTodd]

Thanks Munky! I'll have a look around for those!

[nocat]

I agree with munky 100%, and can vouch for MIM Strats. I love mine, one of the nicest
playing guitars I own...!!!
And if you don't need the whammy, you can easyl lock down the bridge and never have
to worry about going out of tune...!!!
I personally use the whammy quite a bit, and, this guitar, surprisingly stays in tune
quite well...
With that said... Go to some of the shops and play as many as you can get your hands
on... You will soon find one that "feels" right...!!!

[CanuckTodd]

Thanks NoCat,
I've been visiting the local guitar shop, and the musicians who happen to work in the shop are helpful, and let you play the instruments. I just got a handle on what makes one acoustic worth $4,000 and another worth $150 bucks, and now I'm trying to learn the difference with electric guitars. To a novice, they all pretty much look the same, and if you can't play them worth a damn, they kind of sound the same. I don't know what to listen for as I strum or pluck away like a newbie in the guitar store with the amp cranked far too loud (even at one!) to feel too comfortable. I just keep playing the same riff over and over and it's pretty much a wash between some of the guitars I play.
I'll play the opening riff to Neil Young's Southern Man, then some other dude sits down nearby and starts wailing these cool sounding solos, and then I just kind of shut it down! (Damn, how did he do that?) It's ok, I'm not a shrinking violet and I'll keep wailing away, but advice from veteran electric players is a big help. I have a feeling these too good to be true low-level entry guitars are crap, but can't really say why one way or the other.
The action? The tone? The sustain? The smoothness of the neck? The pickups? The craftsmanship?

[allthumbs]

"The action? The tone? The sustain? The smoothness of the neck? The pickups? The craftsmanship?" Yes. The action can be fixed simply but, upgrading other things can cost more than the price of a low end guitar.
The things you must watch for which will drive you nuts is poorly dressed frets. Frets that stick out further than the edge of the neck or are not properly filed will feel really rough when you slide your hand down the edge of the neck. It is very common with squires. You can file the frets yourself though. Softwoods ding easy. Cheap electronics will make it hard to get good tones. Sight down the edge of the neck to make sure it doesn't have a warp. Check to make sure the strings are reasonably centered over pickups and neck.
You can get a reasonably well put together cheap axe if you look long enough. The cheapies are often not setup so make sure you ask if a setup has been done or will be done. You could also check second hand stores. Find some that you like and I will point you to some reviews so you can get a better idea of the pros and cons of those guitars.

[nocat]

Right on the money, allthumbs...!!!

Ultimately the guitar you pick should 'feel' right. Some people prefer a Strat body styles
because they seem to be more balanced an lighter... You could sit with a Strap on your
lap, take away your hands, and it just sits there...!!!
Others prefer the Les Paul body for it's solidness and warm sustain...!!!
Don't let go of it when it's on your lap though...!!! LOL

Tip: When you try out a guitar for the first time, sit with it and play it unplugged...
Strum it, pick at it, play every string on every fret... Don't let the sales guy plug it in
just yet...(They almost always want to...)
Listen for dead notes or buzzing, specially around the 12th fret, (sure sign That the guitar needs
to be set up) but could also mean that there is a problem with the frets...

Strum the strings hard and listen for rattling from loose or poorly fitted hardware...
Play with the tuning knobs, make sure they move smoothly, without any play in them...

Hope this helps somewhat...!!!
Cheers
Ben

[CanuckTodd]

Great advice nocat, Allthumbs... Many thanks! I've committed that to memory and will shop long and hard before buying a dud. But I'm sure many a guitar player has shopped more with his wallet in mind than his ear and ended up regretting it. It's my birthday in July so that will be my birthday gift!

[mcollett]

Hello C.T., you may look at the Godin line of guitars. They're from up your way and get very good reviews from the local shop here in my town, Cincinnati. They seem to think you get the best bang for the buck over any of the name brand pieces in the same price range.
They have a nice web site too.
Mike
It's the parent company for Seagull acustics.

[CanuckTodd]

Thanks mcollett,
The sales guy had me playing a nice Godin the other day. I liked it, but mostly when he was playing it! I think that's a guitar store technique. Hire good players and they make any guitar sing! Thanks for the tip.

[Ultimate Garage Band]

Godin makes a great guitar.

What kind of music do you intend on playing w/it? One of the biggest differences in electric guitars are the pickups being either single coil or humbuckers. Name some songs/players you'd like to do and we'll tell you what they're using so you know what to look for.

[CanuckTodd]

Originally Posted by Ultimate Garage Band

Godin makes a great guitar.

What kind of music do you intend on playing w/it? One of the biggest differences in electric guitars are the pickups being either single coil or humbuckers. Name some songs/players you'd like to do and we'll tell you what they're using so you know what to look for.

I'd like to sound like Chet Atkins, Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and David Gilmour: but there ain't a guitar on the planet that's going to make that happen!

I play a lot of folk type of stuff, Neil Young, Blue Rodeo, Beatles, Johnny Cash.. Hmmm... looks like I answered your question... Probably more of a country feel than a hard rocking sound, if that helps.

Any advice is appreciated UGB!

[allthumbs]

Godins are a great bang for the buck. I have a radiator which is very twangy. It took me ages to tame some of the brightness down. That is one Godin I wouldn't recomend for general playing. I would be very surprised if you can find a Godin in the 200 buck Can. price range.

[nocat]

Check-out this site...!!!

http://www.penmachine.com/musicpages...uitar2005.html

[allthumbs]

Originally Posted by nocat

Check-out this site...!!!

http://www.penmachine.com/musicpages...uitar2005.html

I forgot about the Godin Hammer. Nice little axe.