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General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: oboe on March 18, 2004, 07:03:43 PM

Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: oboe on March 18, 2004, 07:03:43 PM
My son's birthday is coming up and he'd like an electric guitar and practice amp.   Who makes a good quality guitar?    I think I can get a Fender Squire or Ibanez for around $200, is that good enough?

What about a practice amp?   Crate?  Marshall?  How much do you need to spend to get good quality and decent features?

Is there anything else I need to get him, like foot pedals or something?   Sorry I'm really outta my element here...

Thanks for your help!
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: SunKing on March 18, 2004, 07:11:07 PM
my new baby


AMP (http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-LIN-VHEADII.html)

Start him off with somthing simple. Fender squire is a good choice. If he sticks with it then consider a more quality guitar.

My 1st amp was a nice 2 channel 350watt Crate amp. also a good choice for a beginner.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Ripsnort on March 18, 2004, 07:11:27 PM
You have a basement, right? Far, far away from the living room and bedroom? ;)  SOundproofed is a bonus!
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Gunslinger on March 18, 2004, 07:26:29 PM
HEADPHONES.....an amp with a good headphones jack....OH and a good set of headphones as well.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: JB73 on March 18, 2004, 08:58:44 PM
age?

under 12 consider a non packaged 3/4 length neck. ask at a reputable music store, they'll know what one is. fender makes one and i believe epiphone does.

normal size epiphone is a les paul copy made by a subsidary of gibson. squire is a subsidary of fender. ibanez is ibanez.

crate makes some good amps. fender and marshall do to. get one of the 3. not an off brand.

30 watts is more than plenty for a beginner.

foot pedals are generally for distortion and stuff. have him earn the money to buy them on his own... he'll be more picky and appreciate it more. (they run from $45-a couple hundred) also decent amps have a distortion channel built in already.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: DiabloTX on March 18, 2004, 09:26:51 PM
I say screw it.  Get him a nice '59 Strat with a rosewood fretboard and a killer Marshall "Bluesbreaker" amp, an original not a reissue.  

On second thought, buy that for me and he can have all my guitars and amps  :D
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: capt. apathy on March 18, 2004, 09:56:10 PM
bought my kid a fender bass and amp a couple years ago.

bring cash.  pick the guitar and amp out and have the guy get it ready to go.  take out just enough cash to cover it, and maybe $10 more.

then you can go through the list of accessories  (stand, case, cords, strap)and they will usually throw them in for free or the extra $10.

you go through each item "It doesn't come with a case? he'll need a case when he takes it to his friends house right? I guess we'll have to just wait and buy it later when we can afford everything he’ll need"

we went in about 15 min before closing time and got them to throw in everything for $5 over the price of the bass and amp (And only had to pick up the cash and head for the door twice)

as far as what brands are best I have no idea. my kid told me what the guy teaching him to play said was best for him, I just handled the buying (I don't play any conventional instruments, but I do play a mean stereo)
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: JB73 on March 18, 2004, 10:08:13 PM
great advise capt...

forgot to mention... music stores are generally very open to barganing prices. especially with acessories and package deals.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: jigsaw on March 18, 2004, 10:27:42 PM
List prices in music stores can usually be bargined down 10%-30% depending on the item. It depends on the dealer cost of course. Hard to get better than 30% unless it's a used item.
Lots of good suggestions on the guitar so far. Especially the 3/4 scale idea. Amp wise, look into something around 10-15 watts. Peavy and Fender both make decent gear in that range.

You can also check out Musician's Friend (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/) to get an idea of list prices before you go in.

I'm a bit surpised that no one has mentioned getting him an acoustic to learn on. When I learned to play, I was told I couldn't have an electric until I'd become a capable player.

Another place you might want to check is local pawn stores. They'll have all ranges of things. I once walked into a pawn store in Dallas a few blocks from one of the big guitar repair shops and saw a custom shop Explorer for $600.00. Almost cried.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: NUKE on March 18, 2004, 10:37:10 PM
As for the Amp, I would get the Roland Cube30 even for myself now. My brother just got one and this thing sounds great. You get a-lot for the price.

 It would be a dream amp for a kid.

Roland is a very good company too....make all kinds of great, top quality  stuff.


Quote
High-quality DSP guitar amplifier with 30-watt output and 10 in. speaker

Includes 8 COSM guitar amp models: JC Clean, Acoustic, Black Panel, Brit Combo,

Tweed, Classic Stack, Metal Stack, R-fier Stack

Powerful onboard EFX section includes chorus, flanger, phaser and tremolo

Independent Delay/Reverb processor

Two-channel operation (Clean/Lead) with footswitch control of channels and EFX

Recording/Headphone output for silent practice and recording

Auxiliary input for connecting CD players, drum machines, etc.

Simple interface for selecting amp models and effects




http://www.zzounds.com/cat--Roland-Amps--3341

By the way I don't know if this site has the best price, I just referenced it so you could see the amp.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: SunKing on March 18, 2004, 10:55:25 PM
Musicians friend is GuitarCenter online. Avoid these egomaniacs.  Bunch of brats that learned to play a metallica riff and think they know all about music and gear. I buy from American Music Supply. They allow you to pay in payments without interest, the Musicans Friends will charge interest.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Cougar68 on March 18, 2004, 11:37:46 PM
Best thing to do is to find a privately owned guitar shop near you.  Not one of the big chains, somebody that does it because they love it.  Walk in with the cash in hand and tell them what you're looking for.  Ignore the prices listed on the gear and ask what the cash price is then knock off another 10%.  

As far as equipment, just about any guitar will suit a beginner.  It takes a little while to develop the ear and feel to be able to tell the difference between the higher end stuff.  Kustom makes a great 8" practice amp that usually goes for about $40.  It has a built in overdrive channel and a headphone jack.  

I don't personally recommend learning on an acoustic.  Acoustics are much harder on the fingers and some people tend to quit before they get the callouses developed because it just hurts after you play.  Plus there's a HUGE difference between cheap acoustics and good ones.  It's best to stay away from the bargain flat tops and wait until you're sure he's serious enough to put $600 or so towards a decent one.

Cougar
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: XtrmeJ on March 18, 2004, 11:54:59 PM
Just bought me a Gibson Les Paul. Looks like the SG with a hollow body. Limited edition. Sweet freakin guitar!
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: LAWCobra on March 18, 2004, 11:56:15 PM
Just bought a brand new mexican strat for $350.00
Still wanting a 59 bluesman amp got my dealer talked down to 900.00 from 1.490.00

Yeah a little squire would be a good place to start with a small marshall amp.


try here


http://www.guitartrader.com/index.icl?orderidentifier=ID1076620992610432275189170
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: hyena426 on March 19, 2004, 12:43:11 AM
Quote
I'm a bit surpised that no one has mentioned getting him an acoustic to learn on. When I learned to play, I was told I couldn't have an electric until I'd become a capable player.
)
Quote
I don't personally recommend learning on an acoustic. Acoustics are much harder on the fingers and some people tend to quit before they get the callouses developed because it just hurts after you play. Plus there's a HUGE difference between cheap acoustics and good ones. It's best to stay away from the bargain flat tops and wait until you're sure he's serious enough to put $600 or so towards a decent one.
yup right on the money

i teach guitar and work at a music store,, electrics are easier to play and hold down the strings for beginers,,i like acoustics and own many of them,,but i know with a kid,,its best to teach them some easy powerfull stuff to get them interested in playing at all,hehe,,plus now days you can get a amp and guitar for about the same price as a nice playing ovation acoustic or any martin knock off

i would get him somthing nice and cheap to start out with,,dont invest big bucks into a guitar till he can show he wants to stick with it,,,for 300bucks im sure you could get a sweet little amp and guitar from allmost any shop that will play just fine for beginer or pro

i recomend for beginers a crate amp,,cheap,,good effects and good bed room distortion,,fender good amps,,keep a eye out on ebay for old fender jam amps from the 1990's,,very good for beginers and i bet you could get one for 50bucks on ebay,,i use a seymour duncan convertible rack mounted head with 15inch cab and horn right now,,sucker really pumps out the juice if you want it too..more tubes than a tv,,lol,,but for a kid just starting out,,pick up a 20 to 30watt amp,,he dont need no big monster to play<~~very imperssed with fenders new cyber twin delux amps,,lots of options,,the marshals are good amps too,,any name brand is descent,,good luck:)
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: SirLoin on March 19, 2004, 05:36:11 AM
Fender Squire is prolly a very good choice for a begginer....Amps,anything under 50 watts(solid state..don't buy into tubes,let him learn some first)..Great small SS amps are made by Crate,Peavy..Fender and Marshall are slightly more and have better resale for when he's ready to trade for a tube amp.

Those amps should have a good built in distortion so additional effects pedals aren't necessary as they will only distract him from learning..(Effects pedals have the effect of making you sound way better than you are..I suk without my Boss GT-6..:)..)

It's a great way for a kid to make new friends if he gets into jamming..And I swear you learn more about relationships trying to get a band going than trying to keep a girlfriend..

And there is nothing cooler than walking down the school hall with a guitar case.!:cool:

Sounds like he's a lucky kid!

Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: jigsaw on March 19, 2004, 07:04:27 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Cougar68
Acoustics are much harder on the fingers and some people tend to quit before they get the callouses developed because it just hurts after you play.  Plus there's a HUGE difference between cheap acoustics and good ones.
Cougar


Good points. I had no fingerprints for a long time when I was starting out. My first guitar was an Alvarez. Never knew how much it cost as it was a gift from my dad.

The last couple of acoustics I bought are perfect examples of the difference in cost vs sound. Got a cheapy Ovation the day before a show in order to pull of an acoustic set the singer and I had worked up. Thing sounds like playing a lead box. The last one I bought was a custom balladeer. Sounds nice, looks beautiful, for a mid range guitar.

That roland amp mentioned earlier looks like an interesting item. Next time I'm around the music store I want to play with one.

Just for a comparison of of wattage, the last head I had was a Marshall JCM 800 50w. Never turned it up over 2 when playing out. Very few people I've played with used anything over 50w on the road. The guys with the 100w heads used to complain that they didn't cut through the PA. Reason being, they couldn't turn up the volume enough to make the tubes cook for a good tone. Tom Sholz came out with a thing called a "Power Soak" just for that reason. It was something like a big resistor you could put between the head and the cabinet so you could turn the head to full volume but buffer how much sound came out of the speakers.

Was in the studio once trying to get my tone dailed in for the room when one of the engineers wheels out this old Orange 20w (maybe 30w?) head and cab. That thing blew away any 100w head I'd seen.

Ok, enough rambling and history. Music and flying were/are big parts of my life, so I get carried away some times.
Lot's of good tips posted so far. I'm sure he'll be happy with what you choose.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: oboe on March 19, 2004, 07:26:52 AM
Tom Scholz of Boston?    

Thanks for all the advice guys.   Sounds like there's alot of guitar interest out there.    Really interesting about acoustic vs electric and beginners fingers.   Never woulda thought of that.

No basement here, per say.  The house is a split level so no true basement.   Headphones then are required I guess.

Jim is gonna be 14.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: DiabloTX on March 19, 2004, 07:27:34 AM
I disagree with not going acoustic.  I learned on an electric when I started out.  Much later I bought an acoustic.  After playing ONLY the acoustic for 6 to 8 months my playing increased SIGNIFICANTLY.  If you can make it sound good on an acoustic, you will sound amazing on an electric.  Tell the kid to pay for his discipline with patience, it will pay off in the long run.  Or tell him to combine the two but focus on the acoustic.  Also, you can have the acoustic set up with much lighter strings and reset the guitar's setup for light guage strings.  Acoustics really build up your fingers and muscle memory, much better than an electric ever did for me.  Either way he or she will benefit but I really think acoustic is the best way to go.  So my advice is to practice with an acoustic, play with an electric.  Kinda like golf; drive for show, put for dough.  Patience and persistance is the key for the big pay off at the end.


EDIT - One other thing that I learned.  I live in a townhouse to so I can't just "plug in and play".  When I bought the acoustic my wife did't want to hear scales and licks all the time so I got real good and palm-muting my picking so it wouldn't bother her.  I got really, really good with subtle phrases and passages.  When I got the chance to plug in and play my playing was much, much better.  It's easy to be loud, distortion makes heroes of us alll, but to be able to play subtly, that is what seperates the good from the better.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Wlfgng on March 19, 2004, 09:09:51 AM
Rip has a good point.. get a POD or something so he can play with headphones and sound like a pro.
otherwise possibly a hybrid amp (tube/chip) that allows a headphone to be plugged in but it still sounds good.  Many 'headphone' amps sound suck through headphones.

nothing like poor equipment to hamper a beginner.

as to acoustic vs. electric it all depends on what he wants to play.  Electric style is much much different than acoustic.. fingering, bends, positions on the neck and how they sound, etc etc      IMO it's best to give a kid a boost of confidence to get started so buy whichever style he's into.

if he's into electric stuff, buying him an acoustic is a mistake.


btw LINE 6 sucks if you want real tone.. they're great for the "jack of all trades, master of none" but they pale in comparison to a tube amp.  I know.. I have one and my Fender and Marshall blow it away.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Creamo on March 19, 2004, 09:35:44 AM
oboe, I did an advance search on Ebay for "Zoom 9002" and the auctions ended for good working models is about $50. Might even find em cheaper. They are older units and seem to have problems after abuse, but I can't think of a better unit for a begginer at little cost to you if you can bid on one that was taken care of. Mine still works fine, and it's pretty old.

It sounds terrific, from distortion, to the best sounding Lifeson clean Chorus, and is so portable you can wear it on your belt. That means he can pick up and play in the park with it if he wants. It has 2 headphone jacks, in case you want to sit down and listen with him which might be cool and easy on the rest of the household, and you can easily pass it out to a computer for an no cost amp without headphones. If they are too risky, I'd ask guys here what is a similiar newer unit. That really is the slick way to go.

Guitar wise, I'd almost bet electric will be his taste, just casually ask him what he likes and post it. If it is, we will know, so forget about anything but finding out what low cost electric guitar will STAY IN TUNE. I'm outta the loop but Wlf might know. Cheap doesn't mean it has to sound horrible, expensive won't make him sound like Steve Vai. In fact, some of the vintage guitars do sound pretty awesome, but anyone that wails on them has all new tuners and the like, no matter what the SRV crowd says that want to run electric fence wire to get more "tone".

Good luck.

Edit- Oh, and forget about the cool looking "V" type guitars. He will be sitting hunkered down over the thing for a long time. Stage models sliding down his leg aren't cool at all really.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Wlfgng on March 19, 2004, 10:08:25 AM
go to Musician's Friend (http://www.musiciansfriend.com)   hmm.. the link is down right now.

anyway, I agree with Creamo.  fug those V's and strange body shapes.  go with something comfortable and dependable.

The things to look for are
Straight neck with no 'humps' in it.  I.E. all notes play well up and down the neck.. not dead spots

solid attachment of the neck to the body...
(so many cheap guitars are NOT solid and impossible to get to sound good .  I.E. the neck shouldn't move at all)

good 'feel' to the neck.. this is individual taste.
(there are different shapes and sizes)
also you want low action (height of strings above the neck) but no  buzzing/rattling of strings (can happen when too low)

Whammy Bar.  in most cases don't get one on a cheap guitar.  For one to sound good and not go out of tune all the time, it must be made well and this runs up the price quite a bit.
Don't opt for the cheapie whammy system.. opt out.



----

I've seen a lot of Fender Squire's that will probably fit the bill.  Also a lot of decent-name knock offs .

Since I can't access musician's friend right now I can't give you more. but that's prolly more than enough already ;)
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: hyena426 on March 19, 2004, 12:12:18 PM
Quote
oboe, I did an advance search on Ebay for "Zoom 9002"
the rythme guitarist uses a old zoom pedal 9002 i beleve,,gots plenty of effects and really has stood up to the test of time,,i thought it wasnt going to last a year with on stage abuse,,but its still kicking down the road 4 years later,,lol<~~he paid like 150 for it new i think,,and keeps on working threw every bar gig we got,,so i cant complain about zoom thats for sure,,lol

as for big amps,ya best to stick around the 50,,60 watt range,,,not many use 100 heads for stage,,sence everything is going threw the pa system,,,good thing about my seymour duncan convertible,,its a studio amp,,it can run from 5watts up too 100 with a turn of a dial:)<~~very nice amps,,and hard to find in a rack mount like mine,,most are combo style,,,but still spendy to buy even used,,it has modules you can pull out,,that have tubes attached to them,,so you can internaly change the sound of it,,and some tubes have little eq built into the bottom of them,,so you can eq the tubes,,one of the most advanced tube amps i even seen<~~are othere guitar player uses a 50 watt soldano stack,,and it pushes out the power just fine,,on stage and off,,plenty of power for anyone
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Wlfgng on March 19, 2004, 12:21:59 PM
I doubt if volume will be a problem.

I have four amps, ranging from 30 watts to 100 and
the 30 is plenty for most places we play.  The ONLY time I use the 100 is outdoors.. and even then it's friggin' LOUD.

but the tone rocks (Marshall) :)


My fender (tube like all but the Line6) is the most versatile, and has the best overall tone.

Soldano, Berhinger (sp), etc etc.. are all more 'specialized' in tone.. killer tone but less flexible.

hell, you can get a Fender champ amp (cheapo), add a pedal or two (also cheapo) and you're good to go.  I still practice with one when I don't want to be in the studio (headphones) and don't want to be too loud.

fwiw I have a Zoom 9150 if anyone wants it....
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: hyena426 on March 19, 2004, 12:28:27 PM
dont forget old mesaboogie<~~too spendy i think,,but good sound:)
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Wlfgng on March 19, 2004, 12:32:58 PM
Mesa Boogie mark IIC methinks :)      but I might want to add one...


Someone mentioned the Roland Cube.. good solid choice with good tone.  Can't really go wrong there.


A lot of this is about choice really.  I mean you want to avoid wasting your money on crap but there are tons of good choices out there.  The problem, if you can call it that, is what your kid wants to play.   Some amps/guitars lend themselves better to certain kinds of music and styles of playing.

Let us know what he wants and I'd be willing to bet we could narrow your search down a bit and get him what's going to inspire him.  It's a tricky thing, beginning guitar.... have to keep realistic but inspired to continue.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Wlfgng on March 19, 2004, 12:43:30 PM
the way to go.. except I'd prefer a '58 strat :)

pawn shop ?
The best place to go if you know what you're looking at.

speaking of Mesa's...:
(http://www.nick-tucker.com/boogie.jpg)
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: oboe on March 19, 2004, 07:21:44 PM
Well his favorite groups are Blink 182, the Offspring, etc.   What style would you call that?

He also plays trumpet in the middel school jazz band, so I'd love to get him something that will be flexible in playing style and sound.

All good stuff here - it sounds like I might be looking for a Fender Squire and Roland cube amp.    

Thanks!
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Raubvogel on March 19, 2004, 09:20:37 PM
Epiphone Les Paul Standard. Avoid the Les Paul "Special" they are cheap as chit.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: jigsaw on March 19, 2004, 09:42:34 PM
Quote
Originally posted by oboe

All good stuff here - it sounds like I might be looking for a Fender Squire and Roland cube amp.    
 


That would be a good combo. Lot of tonal diversity. While at the store ask around about a good luthier / guitar tech. Invest the 20-30 bucks to have the guitar set up and strobed. It'll make a world of difference.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: hyena426 on March 20, 2004, 02:13:38 AM
Quote
Well his favorite groups are Blink 182, the Offspring, etc. What style would you call that?
heavy metal punk,,is what i would call offspring ,,sure turned out to be a good group:),,i thought they would be a one hit wonder back in the day,,but years later there still putting out hits and sticking to there music,,,like so many famous bands,ac/dc,,zz-top,.,there sticking to the formula that works,,lol,if he wants offspring sound and blink,,any old electric guitar and crate amp would make the sound he is looking for,,,,most 30watt amps will carry all the distortion and effects he will need for now,,300 bucks should bring a good combo deal from any local music store for beginer


cool amp Wlfgng:) havent seen one in a while,lol,,is that original or repo?,,or that vintage new amp look like alot of amp makers started to do,,lol

i like the fender cyber delux heads,,when you change settings all the noobs move,,would hate to see it go bad,,tech wonder,,lol,,but sure would be cool have stored away,lol
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Greese on March 20, 2004, 12:57:57 PM
My next setup (ideally, depends on how much I get for selling a boat...)

Warmoth guitar
probably a strat style, maybe a PRS style.

Tophat
Haven't decided on either the King Royale (vox AC-30 clone) or the club royal (less power).

Some sort of drive pedal (Fulldrive?)

Perhaps a compressor.

Should be making the purchase within the next month or so.  I still am considering some sort of Marshall clone, but I don't play arenas...  Any tips?
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Nwbie on March 20, 2004, 01:53:23 PM
Think I have the perfect link for you
This is what my 16 year old and his friends are doing now that their dad's and moms encouraged them to play guitars and have fun :)

By the way, Blink 182 is one of his favorites too, lol, got any earplugs?

Go to the media download part of the site (they are rebuilding their site so some of it is not up yet, but they have 2 mp3 files for download)

This may give you some inkling of the joyful noise that will being joyously emenating form your garage or basement:)

I think they are fairly talented, but I may be just a little biased :)


http://www.povertypaintball.com/vb/

http://www.povertypaintball.com/vb/index2.php?media


NwBie
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: NUKE on March 21, 2004, 12:52:57 AM
Quote
Originally posted by oboe

All good stuff here - it sounds like I might be looking for a Fender Squire and Roland cube amp.    

Thanks!


You really can't go wrong with that choice.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: DrDea on March 21, 2004, 01:11:38 AM
Quote
Originally posted by DiabloTX
I disagree with not going acoustic.  I learned on an electric when I started out.  Much later I bought an acoustic.  After playing ONLY the acoustic for 6 to 8 months my playing increased SIGNIFICANTLY.  If you can make it sound good on an acoustic, you will sound amazing on an electric.  Tell the kid to pay for his discipline with patience, it will pay off in the long run.  Or tell him to combine the two but focus on the acoustic.  Also, you can have the acoustic set up with much lighter strings and reset the guitar's setup for light guage strings.  Acoustics really build up your fingers and muscle memory, much better than an electric ever did for me.  Either way he or she will benefit but I really think acoustic is the best way to go.  So my advice is to practice with an acoustic, play with an electric.  Kinda like golf; drive for show, put for dough.  Patience and persistance is the key for the big pay off at the end.


  I gotta agree here.Playing an Acoustic first will lead to much stronger finger play.Better learning habits.Ive got an old Epiphone from the early 70's Much better than that Gibson Epi line.Also run a 84 Les Paul Sunburst with the PAF reissues.VERY nice git. :aok
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Manedew on March 21, 2004, 01:34:16 AM
ya steal strings are good ... but maybe consider a classical .. nylon stringed guitar...

easier on the fingers

but you should get the feel for a steal string if you plan on learning the guitar well....

Electric is a good start ... but should get him on an acoustic if he stays with it.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: LAWCobra on March 21, 2004, 01:36:57 AM
Don't be cheap spend some money on lessons too!
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: SunKing on March 21, 2004, 02:25:49 AM
jsut bought one of these.  http://www.guitarport.com  great alternative to having no amp or playing at home when others dont want to hear.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Greese on March 21, 2004, 03:23:42 PM
My first real electric was a squire strat.  Not a bad way to start at all.  Very versatile guitar, that will allow the entry level guitar player to progress many levels before they may want something else.  In fact, I know guys who play live with Squires and they sound great.

I had a Fender M-80 (little solid state amp) that I enjoyed for a long time.  It was a two channel (clean and distortion channel) amp that allowed me to play a variety of music without any additional equipment.  That combo stayed with me for probably two or three years, so it was well worth the money my parents put up for it.  

If you go too cheap, it might be a very short time before a player grows out of the equipment.  Fender makes a great line of solid state amps that don't cost very much, but will allow for some time before there is a need to move up to something more professional.  

Crate, Marshall (park), Peavy, etc. all make fine entry level amps that will meet most needs of a beginning guitar player until they progress to playing serious shows.

I would recommend something with a 12" speaker, and perhaps 50 watts or so (talking solid state here).  Amps with a little 10 or 8 inch speaker are cheaper, but the guitar player will grow out of it fast.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Holden McGroin on March 21, 2004, 03:30:11 PM
If your kid wants to play music instead of noise he will want to be a part of a Hank Williams tribute band.  For that he needs an acoustic.
(http://www.rne.es/r3/t1/021229/hank-williams-3.jpg)
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: hyena426 on March 21, 2004, 06:06:24 PM
Quote
I gotta agree here.Playing an Acoustic first will lead to much stronger finger play.Better learning habits.Ive got an old Epiphone from the early 70's Much better than that Gibson
 like a bunch of people on here,,i have to dissagree wth that,,its like working out,,you dont wanna jump to lifting 350 pound weights right off the start,,best to start out with somthing easy and work your way up to acoustic,,,lol,,,i love acoustics and i own a many,,a martin,,a old yamaha nippon gekki classical,,and a carlos m60<~~my beater,lol,,good sounding guitars

sure if he is into country and western or classical ,,he mite wanna learn a accoustic first,,if thats his style,,but oboe said his kid likes offspring and blink182,,if you get him a accustic he will be very disspointed,,lol,,sounds like he is wanting to rock out,,not mellow out<~~get him one down the road if he is intrested in learing somthing harder,i play them all,,and playing electric first didnt hurt my habits at all,,happy with all kinds of music:)

but i have to agree that playing acoustic will make his fingers tuffer,,but best to start them out with somthing easy playing,,i seen some people who couldnt hold down the strings on there acoustics and hardly electric,,what fun is that?,,hehe
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Lazerus on March 21, 2004, 06:57:57 PM
The difference between an expensive acoustic and a cheapie, other than the materials, is the set up, or action on the guitar. You can buy a fairly inexpensive acoustic, take it to that local, privately owned guitar shop, and have the action fixed for relatively cheap. The ease of use that comes from a properly set up acoustic, paired with the finger strength and additional knowledge that one gains from learning on an acoustic, are well worth it if you're in it for the long run.

I've built 2 acoustics from scratch, and have played for about 10 years, almost exclusively acoustic. I haven't played in about a year, but the 2 that I made are still sitting in the living room. I learned how to play on a cheap korean built POS, and got my hands on my grandfathers 1927 J45 after about 8 months. :D
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: DrDea on March 21, 2004, 09:56:55 PM
Not only that but its a blast to take the acoustic to places ya cant with a Electric.Its my experience that Chics love acoustics.:D :D
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: DiabloTX on March 21, 2004, 10:05:03 PM
Quote
Originally posted by DrDea
Its my experience that Chics love acoustics.:D :D



Case closed.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Wlfgng on March 22, 2004, 09:17:10 AM
chicks love both.. just depends on the mood they're in.

You can get a very good acoustic (a seagull) for about 300 bucks. no electronics but a good solid neck, good sound and playability.

For the aspiring rock guitarist (like your son) I would suggest you DON"T get him an acoustic unless you want to discourage him.  It's always about what the player wants.. not the parents, friends, etc.

FWIW I play both and like both (elect/acoustic) but there's a world of difference.

squire/cube combo is great..
You might want to look into a distortion pedal since he's into Offspring :)  I'm not sure what kind of drive is on the Cube.

--

sigh, unfortunately that Mesa Boogie isn't mine.. it's original though.. droool
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: hyena426 on March 22, 2004, 11:40:34 AM
Quote
For the aspiring rock guitarist (like your son) I would suggest you DON"T get him an acoustic unless you want to discourage him. It's always about what the player wants.. not the parents, friends, etc.
very well put wolf,,when im teaching a kid,,i ask him what groupes he likes and what kinda music he is interested in,,then you can get a good idea of what to show him after he learns how to tune his guitar by him self,,lol

and as for chicks,,,well i met my girl freind at one of are local shows,,and im very happy with her,,so my eletric hooked me up,lol

i play every weekend in a local bar band,,,,we play from 9 till 2 in the morning,,150 songs we learned to pull from,,cover and originals,,fridays and sats,,then switch bars with a local blues band<~~~which is a really good band,,and its good to switch from rock to blues,,so ya dont burn them out on metal,,,but they book us twice as much as the blues band,,and pay us more,,because we sell more alcohall,,blues and jazz,,and classical tunes mellow people out,,its for slow dancers and coffee drinkers,,and it dont sell as much alcohall,,people hear that rock,,go crazy and wanna get messed up,,lol we only play a few blues tunes,,SRV house is a rockin and pride and joy is about as much blue as we play,,lol

i like them both<~~i play and teach bass too,,talk about good for making your fingers strong,,lol,,but like wolf said,,if you get a acoustic for your kid,,he will be very dissapointed,,get him what he wants:)
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Wlfgng on March 22, 2004, 11:44:15 AM
Quote
i play every weekend in a local bar band,,,,we play from 9 till 2 in the morning,,

tell me about it.. I played both days this weekend and I'm paying the price now... ugh (looking for more coffee)
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: hyena426 on March 22, 2004, 11:47:32 AM
cool:) so you know my pain of having to pack up 3 truck loads of stuff at 2 in the morning,,,ugh!! the thing i hate most about playing late,,lol but some bars are cool and let us leave are main stuff in there till later in the week,,lol
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: Wlfgng on March 22, 2004, 11:59:42 AM
yep.. and we played two different places soo....

load, setup, jam, teardown, load, setup, jam, teardown, load, unload.....   sleep for 24 hours...   with a smile on my face.
Title: Electric guitar and amp
Post by: hyena426 on March 22, 2004, 12:17:54 PM
oohh ya,,that does suck,,and we got a power rack we call the herniator,,every time you pick it up feals like your guts are going to drop out your butt,,lol,,gots all are effects and 3 audio Centurion rms 1500's,,plus a 32 channel board we bring with us,,we got bigger board,,but after time you realize you dont need all that to run a bar show,,lol,,we pack 4,18inch woofers with us,,2,,15inchers with horns,, 5 ,,15inch monitors,,are persanol gear,,smoke machine,,lights and trusses,,and on big outdoors shows we have to take genie lifts with us,,eeeeeeeeeek,,talk about heavy

i hook up shows for a local music store i teach guitar at,,we have hooked up for bto,, pearl jam,,few country acts like chalie dannels,,marty stewart,lol,,im a light and sound tech durning the busy summer months,,lots of big outdoor shows that need help,,lol

only one proublem tring to sleep after playing music all night,,i keep hearing tunes runing threw my head while tring to sleep,,and even wake up with music still playing in my ears,,lol