The beginner's electric

Hi!

Since the past six months or so, I have been trying to learn to play the guitar. I was using a really old acoustic guitar which one of my cousins owned (Givson, 20 years old!)

I am no longer a virgin beginner, I'd say. I can play something basic. I have a little trouble with barre chords but my guitar's action is really high, and well, I'm still a beginner. This gives you an idea of where I stand.

Next up, the type of music I go for is rock - not metal or hard rock, just rock. Some of the bands I love are Pink Floyd, R.E.M., Counting Crows, The Strokes, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Dandy Warhols... I don't want to play metal.

I now wish to buy an electric guitar with a budget of (including amp) 13-14k (maximum).

I've looked at the various forum links for advice. However there are few people who have asked the question with respect to playing rock (not metal) and in this price range.

Will be immensely grateful for your advice.

Thank you

PS: Someone I know recommended the Ibanez GRG -170 dx... Any opinions on the same?
PPS: Guitars which are not by a known international brand are not OK (I don't know much about guitars, so hoping that buying branded will prevent me from getting ripped off)

Thanks again!

 

That budget is barely enough for a guitar let alone both guitar and amplifier. Is there any way you can push your budget up? (Save for a few more months, borrow, win the lottery, etc.)

I'd suggest the Yamaha Pacifica 112. Maybe look for a used deal like https://www.rsjonline.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2408

You don't have many options here, really. This is the cheapest half decent guitar I can think of. I don't really like the Ibanez Gio line.

The amp you're going to buy will need to have built in distortion for you to play your style of music. Those amps don't really come cheap, unless you're willing to settle for a Stranger NS30 which is quite crappy. The Roland Cube/Microcube and Laney 15W are the cheapest decent amps AFAIK.

So, yeah, that budget, decent gear, not likely.

 

So, by how much should I push the budget up? The Yamaha Pacifica 112 is also a frequently recommended guitar online, another guy mentioned the Greg Bennett Avion AV1 and AV3 (which appears to cost about 10k and 13k respectively). Anything to say about those models?

Also, what would an entry level amp cost? Not pro gear, just decent (workable) gear. I don't want fancy sound effects at present (I'm not sure how important distortion would be for me at my current level btw)

Thanks for replying

 

jazzmaster! nothing shouts alt more than a jazzmaster.

it's a bit above oyur budget though. 45k... american retail price. perfect for the kind of music you want to play though.

oh, you'd need to consider a vintage voiced tube amp to get that thing going right...

in this case, i would strongly suggest ditching the brand name fixation cause you aren'T going to get crap for that; if you do get a branded guitar in that much, it WILL be really bad. do some research on lesser known brands and OEM manufacturers instead. you'll still need to double your budget if you want to get a passable amp in there too.

 

according to ur budget i'd suggest u to go for Greg Bennett AV1(around 11k) and marshall 10CD(around 3k)..

 

Didn't you want brand names? Or were you saying you didn't want Givson, Gibtone, and the like? Your budget would have to be at least 16k.

The AV1 is an option. You could consider Cort as well.

If you want to play Floyd and Rock in general you need some kind of overdriven sound, don't you? The Laney LX12 is an option. My advice is not to buy Marshall.

 

Thanks a lot for your replies you guys!

Throwing out models costing 45k is useless... I'm just a humble college student with limited pockets... I can raise the budget a little but not astronomically. And the brand name fixation just means that I don't want to buy stuff from giVson, hoBner and their ilk. I'd prefer companies with some name and brand value so that there is some assurance of quality.

I am open to the idea of upgrading my amp in a year or so (will be able to invest good money into it then). For now I want to buy a good electric guitar which will be able to last me into intermediate level. The amp is secondary for now, I just want something affordable that does not sound bad and does not hamper my training. I can always buy a better one later. I'm not a rockstar, guys. Just a beginner who loves music and wants to learn.

The Laney LX12 costs about 3-4K and would fit in my budget. Would you consider it a decent quality amp?

And I'm still waiting for an opinion on the Ibanez GIO line.

Thanks a mil, guys!

 

do NOT buy the marshall MG series. you'll have more regrets than a honor roll chick after mardi gras.

the AV1 looks kind of cool... you could also give a telecaster clone a shot, since jazzmaster clones with the right pickups are hard to come by.

another alternative would be a semiacoustic of some sort, like the greg bennett lasalle or royale. the best thing for you to do, really, would be to head over to your music store and really give different, offbeat, guitars a whirl. i think you will be sorely disappointed by the ibanezes and jacksons, as far as your music goes.

 

in your budget, you will be rudely shocked at how little quality there is - you're paying for the label and the markup ion prices made at an american corporate, not so much on quality. your guitar is being machine assembled at the same chinese (if you're lucky, korean) factory (from B-stock woods and stamped parts) which is also manufacturing the no-names!

i owned a squier affinity strat and swore to myself.... never again. calculations show me that my upgrading the squier to mex specs is actually more expensive than buying a mex strat in the first place.

so i'd advise you to stay away form the squiers, ibanez', epiphones and look at lesser known names that play and sound every inch as good (and probably better).

as for ibanez GIO: one of the worst guitars i'Ve played, even for budget guitars. stability was the biggest issue. weak pups. dunno if it's a one off but considering it's the absolute bottom end for ibanez, i wouldn'T be surprised if it's consistently shite.

BIG tip: someone on these forums (i think toddock) is selling his RG series for about 10k or so in mumbai, which i think is a steal. if i hadn'T dropped a bomb on gear this year, i'd have snagged it already. snap it up if you can, you probably won't get more bang for the buck.

 

Well Ibanez is not that bad for beginners i guess... you raise ur budget and u can always get a better guitar... Budget is a very imp factor..

 

Oh yes that Ibanez RG321MH. That is the best option hands down. Contact Toddock and buy that guitar.

The LX12 will serve you fine. I doubt you'll want an upgrade unless you start jamming with a drummer/decide to pick up a tube amp.

There is no assurance of quality at low budgets. Your (second, after toddock's RG) best option is to try and buy.

 

Buying secondhand entered my mind but I'd like a warranty for the guitar, especially since I'm a total noob and may not be able to get minor problems fixed by myself. Thanks for the tip though... Maybe someone with a little more experience would be interested.

I just got recommended the Yamaha Pacifica 112 again by someone from the UK that I know... In his opinion it's a great guitar for a newcomer on a budget. Anyone has played this guitar and can vouch for it?

Thanks again!

 

How much will Pacifica cost around?

 

Just buy what you can get and learn to play.

 

What minor problem do you expect to get fixed under warranty? Strings breaking? A new guitar is not necessarily better than a used one. A lemon is a lemon.

A couple of years down the line if you're still playing you'll be smacking your forehead wondering why you didn't buy a decent 17k guitar for 10k when you had the chance. But then again it's your money and your apprehension so we circle back to the post above this one.

 

@rickkkyrich: Around 13k, I believe

@thehundredthone: I don't live near Mumbai. I guess it depends on a objective assessment of how big a sum 10k is. If 10k were a throwaway sum for me, I'd leap at the chance to get what is (most likely) an awesome guitar at a very low price. But 10k is not a throwaway sum for me (as I mentioned before - still a college student with limited pockets) and I don't want to smack my forehead if later there's some problem in the guitar and I have to worry about sending it back to Mumbai OR what if the seller is not cooperative enough to take it back! A warranty would ensure I am dealing with a company which is legally bound to honour it's word and not a person, who may not. Atleast I don't want such problems on the first guitar I purchase.

Just a small matter of avoiding long-distance transactions.

 

I understand your position and would recommend you to buy an Ibanez (whichever one you can after compromising a little on your budget and your wants all of us do)

It plays well, you have the support of a large community of Ibanez users here. Also, frankly, and not to insult, but with your experience, I don't think you'll notice too much of a difference tonewise if you go for expensive woods.

I'd, however, sincerely advise you to PLAY the guitar before you buy. At this stage, what you want is playability. You don't want a guitar you don't bond with, as that can potentially put you off playing for..like...ever!

 

You don't think we all went through the same phase when we first bought a guitar? You seem to think that all of us here consider 10k to be a throwaway sum. We don't all own MIA Strats. My guitar cost me 12k, but I waited until someone could bring it down from the USA.

But when you appreciate the quality of gear that you will get in India for 10k (and trust me, you will, if you're still playing a couple of years from now) then you'll understand why I suggested you pick up the RG321MH. However I did not say that you should travel to Mumbai to buy it.

You could get a lemon when you buy from an online store and you will still have to ship it back to the store at your own cost.

Just a small matter of having to assume where you stay and how you will buy since you didn't mention it in your original post.

 

Ah yes... I live in Delhi. I'll buy it from one of the guitar shops here... Like I said, I appreciate the tip. A LOT. Just not feasible for me.

 

the pacifica is above your budget, if i'm not wrong. trust me on this one, the RG will serve you MUCH better than a piece of shit GIO or even a pac will. the fact that it's second hand shouldn't deter you - in ten years, i've only bought 2-3 pieces of equipment first hand to date, one of which was my "fender" squier and my biggest disappointment. i still prefer to buy guitars used than new - they've been broken in and around the block a bit. a LOT of beginners get themselves used axes with no problems...

warranty.... does not cover an EMP attack from outer space aliens or the PLO demagnetizing your pickups (we'll all be dead then anyway), your neck breaking when you drop it head first, or gremlins jumping out of the socket. other than that, it's a guitar, not a microprocessor that you can kill simply by touching it - so there's very little room for what can go wrong.

as far as maintenance goes the RG has a fixed bridge, which makes setup and intonation somewhat easier too - your kind of music doesn't necessitate the trials and tribulations of a tremolo, specifically the nightmare that is the floyd rose. so i'm not sure what issues you're anticipating or terrified about.

if i was you, i'd go for it. i'm not getting a cut from the proceeds or anything (i don'T even know the guy) - like i said, i'd be playing it right now, but i just bought a whammy and am spending pretty much the same amount on a mic. my next guitar will be in 5 years and i plan to really go all out on that one... so i'd take my chance while i have it.

here's the thread if you want to consider things over: https://indianguitartabs.com/showthread.php?t=42520

at the end of the day, though, it's your cash. however, why you'd want to spend more on a brand new inferior guitar puzzles me.