tigressA Posted March 14, 2011 Posted March 14, 2011 The other day my love and I were talking about music and listening to Pink Floyd when he mentioned wanting to learn how to play electric guitar. Later I had a lightbulb-moment, thinking that will make the perfect birthday present for him. His b-day is in less than a month, and one week after mine. I was struggling for a time to come up with a good gift idea for him, but now that I have one I'm all excited, naturally. I plan on giving him at least a guitar and some lessons. I've been looking online for the last couple of hours and have seen a lot of value packs--guitar, amp, etc all sold together, for around $200. I'm currently surfing musiciansfriend.com and guitarcenter.com. On guitarcenter.com I have my eye on the Fender SE and Ibanez IJX20 value packs (both top-rated). Should I bother with the value packages at all, or just focus on finding a decent guitar + lessons and either let him get the amp and what all else, or use another occasion to gift him those things?
runner Posted March 14, 2011 Posted March 14, 2011 you rang ? since he's just starting out, stick to the value packs for now- no shame in it. he can upgrade in a couple years once he's really into it and actually producing original work. don't get anything fancy brandy that's pricey. he'll look like a poser for having top gear and not being able to do anything with it. nice idea by the way !
somedude81 Posted March 14, 2011 Posted March 14, 2011 If I had the money, or somebody who loved me, I would love to get this. http://www.rockband.com/blog/fender-squier-available-today It's a real guitar that's also a game controller. It comes with a training mode which I heard is really good.
Crusoe Posted March 14, 2011 Posted March 14, 2011 I am sure there are people here much better qualified to answer this. Just wanted to say I got my first guitar at the age of 11, a cheap piece of junk. I tried to learn but it never truly grabbed my interest. A few years later I saved up and bought a better one, still not a good guitar though. My interest rose, but the guitar was never in my hands for long. Many years later I decided to buy a good guitar, what a difference, have barely put it down since. Personally I would the best guitar you can afford, a little amp and let him get the lessons.
Author tigressA Posted March 14, 2011 Author Posted March 14, 2011 I'm wondering if I should get him an acoustic at first, instead, because a friend of mine told me that since he's just starting out it would be a better choice...but I want to go with what BF wants, which is electric. What about electric acoustic, though? Anyone familiar with those? I might go that route...ahh, so much to think about! Thank goodness I still have some time.
IrishCarBomb Posted March 14, 2011 Posted March 14, 2011 On guitarcenter.com I have my eye on the Fender SE and Ibanez IJX20 value packs (both top-rated). Both would be good choices. If he likes Pink Floyd, he'd probably prefer the Fender. I wouldn't buy it off the internet, though. I'd be flattered if someone got me a guitar as a gift, but I'm picky about which ones I like. It will be easier to return it for exactly what he wants if you buy it in the store, versus online.
Author tigressA Posted March 14, 2011 Author Posted March 14, 2011 I wouldn't buy it off the internet, though. I'd be flattered if someone got me a guitar as a gift, but I'm picky about which ones I like. It will be easier to return it for exactly what he wants if you buy it in the store, versus online. That's true, but I don't think even he knows what he'd be looking for. Perhaps for his b-day I could just have us go to a store and have him pick something out with the assistance of an employee who would know what they're talking about, and get it for him. Good idea?
IrishCarBomb Posted March 14, 2011 Posted March 14, 2011 I'm wondering if I should get him an acoustic at first, instead, because a friend of mine told me that since he's just starting out it would be a better choice. Acoustic are harder to learn on, IMO. They have bigger necks, which make it harder to play many chords. They also tend to have higher "action" (put simply, the distance you have to push the strings down), making it harder to a beginner to play it. The benefit of an acoustic guitar is that it's simpler. You just pick it up and play. What about electric acoustic, though? Anyone familiar with those? I might go that route...ahh, so much to think about! Thank goodness I still have some time. Electric-acoustics are pretty much for gigs. Non-electric-acoustic guitars are too quiet for larger gigs. So, to project the sound, they need to have a pick-up installed in them, or they need to be mic'ed. Electric-acoustics have a pick-up installed already and can just plug into an amp or sound system directly. A beginner wouldn't have much use for the electric aspects of the (otherwise ordinary acoustic) guitar.
Author tigressA Posted March 14, 2011 Author Posted March 14, 2011 Acoustic are harder to learn on, IMO. They have bigger necks, which make it harder to play many chords. They also tend to have higher "action" (put simply, the distance you have to push the strings down), making it harder to a beginner to play it. The benefit of an acoustic guitar is that it's simpler. You just pick it up and play. Electric-acoustics are pretty much for gigs. Non-electric-acoustic guitars are too quiet for larger gigs. So, to project the sound, they need to have a pick-up installed in them, or they need to be mic'ed. Electric-acoustics have a pick-up installed already and can just plug into an amp or sound system directly. A beginner wouldn't have much use for the electric aspects of the (otherwise ordinary acoustic) guitar. Thank you, thank you! I knew posting here was a good idea. So I will stick with the electric...I just thought of something else. I found who looks to be a reputable guitar teacher really close to where BF lives, and I think I will contact him before making any commitment to a purchase. I figure he's got to know what he's talking about since his career is all about teaching people how to play. He's had to come across all sorts of guitar brands, etc. I could find out exactly what BF would need to start out.
IrishCarBomb Posted March 14, 2011 Posted March 14, 2011 Good idea? Of course! Honestly though, you probably can't go wrong with the Fender SE Squire pack. (I'd personally suggest the brown sunburst color, but really all of them are great) If you have time, just wander into a guitar shop and ask questions. While some shops have the guitar geek employees that scoff at "normal" questions, many are super helpful and don't always try to sell you crap you don't want. I've honestly been shocked at how much nicer Guitar Center employees have become in the past decade.
IrishCarBomb Posted March 14, 2011 Posted March 14, 2011 I just thought of something else. I found who looks to be a reputable guitar teacher really close to where BF lives, and I think I will contact him before making any commitment to a purchase. Good idea. He may know of local stores where you could get an even better deal, too.
johan Posted March 14, 2011 Posted March 14, 2011 I don't know much about electric guitars. Sorry. Hopefully sooner or later someone will respond with some helpful advice.
fishtaco Posted March 14, 2011 Posted March 14, 2011 To be honest, those starter packs are junk. But the thing is, if you spend like $700 to get some mid ranged stuff, and after two months, he quits, that would be a waste of money. The best bang for the buck, is to look on craigslist for used gear. If he stops, you can sell the gear back on craigslist for probably the same price you got it for. But, you'll need a friend that knows what to look for to help you. Second best bang for the buck, is to buy no-name brands. They have poor resale value, but these are low end stuff anyway, who cares about resale value. What you'll get is a better instrument for the same price. Look on http://www.rondomusic.net. If you buy an Ibanez starter pack, you're paying for the Ibanez name. Any electric guitar less than $300 (not including the amp, the guitar by itself), I would get from Rondo. As for acoustic vs electric. Acoustic guitar requires more finger strength, so it may be tougher to start. But you don't need an amp. For the same quality, acoustic guitar also tend to be more expensive than electric guitar, because the construction of it has more impact to the sound than electric guitar. But overall, electric guitar will cost more money because you need an amp, and good amps are expensive. Eventually he'll also most likely venture into using effects, maybe pedals, maybe multi fx processor, and that would require even more money. I should stop now. I can go on forever, I'm a slut when it comes to music gear. You do not want to know how much money I spend on music equipment.
Author tigressA Posted March 14, 2011 Author Posted March 14, 2011 (edited) To be honest, those starter packs are junk. But the thing is, if you spend like $700 to get some mid ranged stuff, and after two months, he quits, that would be a waste of money. The best bang for the buck, is to look on craigslist for used gear. If he stops, you can sell the gear back on craigslist for probably the same price you got it for. But, you'll need a friend that knows what to look for to help you. Second best bang for the buck, is to buy no-name brands. They have poor resale value, but these are low end stuff anyway, who cares about resale value. What you'll get is a better instrument for the same price. Look on www.rondomusic.net. If you buy an Ibanez starter pack, you're paying for the Ibanez name. Any electric guitar less than $300 (not including the amp, the guitar by itself), I would get from Rondo. As for acoustic vs electric. Acoustic guitar requires more finger strength, so it may be tougher to start. But you don't need an amp. For the same quality, acoustic guitar also tend to be more expensive than electric guitar, because the construction of it has more impact to the sound than electric guitar. But overall, electric guitar will cost more money because you need an amp, and good amps are expensive. Eventually he'll also most likely venture into using effects, maybe pedals, maybe multi fx processor, and that would require even more money. Thanks, Fish. I will definitely keep this in mind while shopping around. I called the instructor and had to leave a message, so am waiting for him to get back to me. Hopefully I'll get some good pointers from him. I think you're right about the starter stuff--I read a lot of the reviews and they were really, really mixed. People either said they loved it/it totally sucked b*lls. So I'm going to steer clear of that option now. Edited March 14, 2011 by tigressA
Eddie Edirol Posted March 15, 2011 Posted March 15, 2011 If I were you I'd hold off on looking at lessons for him. Do like fish says and get a cheap old guitar and a small amp from guitar center or someplace. if he really wants to learn, theres plenty of free and really good lessons on youtube. When you just want to fiddle with a guitar, you dont want to pressure of going to paid lessons at times when you dont really want to go. You dont know if he's serious enough about it. let him fiddle with the guitar and youtube first, and if he pays for guitar lessons himself, if he REALLY wants to learn, then you can buy him some additional lessons.
LeaningIntoTheMuse Posted March 15, 2011 Posted March 15, 2011 Fender strats are the best! But just a piece of advice...get him an acoustic first. The reason why is that it's much, much harder to learn on an acoustic, but then you will be able to play both acoustic and electric. Many people that learn on electric can't play acoustic guitars.
fishtaco Posted March 15, 2011 Posted March 15, 2011 Fender strats are the best! Oh man, be careful, you're starting a war! Go ESP guitars! But back to the topic, all entry level guitars suck, bad, doesn't matter what brand. So it doesn't really make sense to have any sort of brand affinity until you're at least going into the mid range stuff.
Author tigressA Posted March 15, 2011 Author Posted March 15, 2011 If I were you I'd hold off on looking at lessons for him. Do like fish says and get a cheap old guitar and a small amp from guitar center or someplace. if he really wants to learn, theres plenty of free and really good lessons on youtube. When you just want to fiddle with a guitar, you dont want to pressure of going to paid lessons at times when you dont really want to go. You dont know if he's serious enough about it. let him fiddle with the guitar and youtube first, and if he pays for guitar lessons himself, if he REALLY wants to learn, then you can buy him some additional lessons. Thanks, I didn't think of the lessons that way...yeah, it could be pressure on him. I didn't realize there are lessons on YouTube. I can make a playlist full of those for him to fiddle around with and then, as you said, offer to pay for some if he really wants to go there. Leaning, from what BF said he's really not interested in acoustic, and this is for his birthday so I'm not going to go against what he wants. Thanks for your input, though. Great ideas everyone, thank you! Keep 'em coming!
LeaningIntoTheMuse Posted March 15, 2011 Posted March 15, 2011 Oh man, be careful, you're starting a war! Go ESP guitars! But back to the topic, all entry level guitars suck, bad, doesn't matter what brand. So it doesn't really make sense to have any sort of brand affinity until you're at least going into the mid range stuff. Yeah, I agree. I have two off brand acoustics, doesn't matter, both sound good and are good for recording guitar parts. I just like the feel and the sound of Fender Strats, but I am really wanting the Manson Matthew Bellamy (of Muse) brand, which he designed after his own guitars. I am a huge Muse fan, they're one of my favorite bands, and would love to own anything tied to the awesome Matt! But, again, go with acoustic. And then when he's mastered the acoustic, get him an electric. He will thank you later.
LeaningIntoTheMuse Posted March 15, 2011 Posted March 15, 2011 Tigress, there are plenty of sites out there that teach you how to read guitar tablature, and how to solo and all that. And some people are born naturals. My favorite band, Porcupine Tree, the guitarist Steven Wilson just picked up a guitar and *knew* how to play it. Tori Amos sat down in front of the piano at the age of 5, and just *knew*. Your boyfriend might be the next Jimi Hendrix.
Eddie Edirol Posted March 15, 2011 Posted March 15, 2011 Leaning, from what BF said he's really not interested in acoustic, and this is for his birthday so I'm not going to go against what he wants. Thanks for your input, though. Ah, he wants to rock along with his favorite songs....
fishtaco Posted March 15, 2011 Posted March 15, 2011 Yeah, I agree. I have two off brand acoustics, doesn't matter, both sound good and are good for recording guitar parts. I just like the feel and the sound of Fender Strats, but I am really wanting the Manson Matthew Bellamy (of Muse) brand, which he designed after his own guitars. I am a huge Muse fan, they're one of my favorite bands, and would love to own anything tied to the awesome Matt! But, again, go with acoustic. And then when he's mastered the acoustic, get him an electric. He will thank you later. I'm a Muse fan too. They write awesome stuff. My band actually covers Muse songs acoustically, with bongos & hand percussion, like hippie Muse. That's actually a sign that the songs are strong and well written. You can strip out the fancy studio wall-of-sound approach, and it still sounds great. When I was playing in an electric cover band, we covered Muse too. But I'll have to go against you regarding acoustic. If the guy wants electric, he should go for electric. Because, the learning curve is big. He needs to be playing things that he likes to motivate him to keep going. So if he likes to play Pink Floyd on electric, do it. Once he gets into the groove, he'll naturally want to pick up the acoustic. Even though you are right about acoustic being more challenging.
Author tigressA Posted March 15, 2011 Author Posted March 15, 2011 Tigress, there are plenty of sites out there that teach you how to read guitar tablature, and how to solo and all that. And some people are born naturals. My favorite band, Porcupine Tree, the guitarist Steven Wilson just picked up a guitar and *knew* how to play it. Tori Amos sat down in front of the piano at the age of 5, and just *knew*. Your boyfriend might be the next Jimi Hendrix. Good point. BF did say he used to play harmonica in college. I don't know if he had to learn to read music or if he just *knew* how to play. I'm still really iffy on getting him an acoustic. I did have a close friend of mine suggest the same thing you did, but I really don't know if I want to go against what he said he wanted, particularly since it's for his birthday! But that it's for his birthday and electric is what he said he's interested in are the only things stopping me. I realize that what both you and my friend said makes sense. P.S. Both BF and I are Muse fans, too!
Author tigressA Posted March 15, 2011 Author Posted March 15, 2011 But I'll have to go against you regarding acoustic. If the guy wants electric, he should go for electric. Because, the learning curve is big. He needs to be playing things that he likes to motivate him to keep going. So if he likes to play Pink Floyd on electric, do it. Once he gets into the groove, he'll naturally want to pick up the acoustic. Even though you are right about acoustic being more challenging. That's what I was thinking. Fish, I'm on rondomusic.com right now. Could you give me some pointers as to what to look for? (I'd like to keep the total to $200 or less, ideally, but will shell out a bit more if I absolutely have to...)
LeaningIntoTheMuse Posted March 15, 2011 Posted March 15, 2011 Good point. BF did say he used to play harmonica in college. I don't know if he had to learn to read music or if he just *knew* how to play. I'm still really iffy on getting him an acoustic. I did have a close friend of mine suggest the same thing you did, but I really don't know if I want to go against what he said he wanted, particularly since it's for his birthday! But that it's for his birthday and electric is what he said he's interested in are the only things stopping me. I realize that what both you and my friend said makes sense. P.S. Both BF and I are Muse fans, too! Yeah, now that I think about it, fishtaco is right. If he wants to "rock", he'll want an electric. My recommendation is a Fender Strat, or a Manson model. Both are excellent guitars, although very pricy. If you can afford it, get him the Muse one, because as a fellow Muse fan, I would be in heaven if my girlfriend got me that guitar! (Oh, and off topic: I saw Muse live last year, on the Resistance tour. One of the best concerts I've ever been to. They completely rocked the stage. I've been a Muse fan since 2004, so I've always loved them.)
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