Guitar shopping

[Bennett.]

I bought a Les Paul BFG.

SICK guitar!!

 

[BigTimeTimmyJim]

If you're just getting one to mess around with from time to time, why bother spending a lot of money on it?

If I were you I'd get one of the Squire strat starters. The quality of Squires has gone up a lot in the last couple of years, so just because it's a cheap guitar, don't think it's a terrible one.

The Vox Valvetronix amps are amazing value and I'd recommend getting one (I use a VT20+ as my home muck-around amp and it's quality), but it really depends on what you're aiming to play.

I bought a Les Paul BFG.

SICK guitar!!

I dig the tone you can get from those things, but the appearance never did anything for me. I always referred to it as a Barely Finished Gibson.

 

[Bennett.]

I dig the tone you can get from those things, but the appearance never did anything for me. I always referred to it as a Barely Finished Gibson.

Tone is incredible in those things. Humbucker isn't wax potted which creates some wicked feedback.

Love it almost as much as my Burns Brian May

 

[Poetic Justice]

Fairly true. Though I understand it's improving.

Also, Greco, late 70s, early 80s Les Pauls, are by all accounts (and my own limited experience with a mate's one) fantastic for craftsmanship, sound and looks.

EDIT: Any excuse to show my main baby off...it's a Cort, mahogany, set-neck, maple-cap, etc etc. Coil-splits on both PUs

Cort obviously don't have a prestige name (despite making heaps of guitars in their Korean factory for the big USA companies), but it is a cracker. If you ever stumble across one of these on Ebay, snap it up...an absolute cracker.

Anyways, not that it helps you, I just wanted to show off my axe

Sweet! I don't see too many people mention Cort's name.

Last time I bought a new electric I wanted a PRS guitar but they were way too expensive for what I wanted to do. I still really liked the shape so I looked around. I settled on a red Cort KX-Custom. Awesome guitar!

My teacher honestly is baffled any time he plays it, the quality and the sound of it for the price (cost me $1100 at the time.)

I recently bought a Maton acoustic, and spent about $1500 on it. I was looking around for a while and didn't know if I wanted to spend that much. I looked at a couple of guitars around half that price and thought bugger it and spent bigger because I knew that I would still always want a Maton.

If I was in your position, I'd look to fork out the extra for the Gibson. Quality is long remembered whilst price is long forgotten. And if you're gigging, you're certainly earning money that helps justify the expense.

Also; I played a telecaster. Nice guitar, but you have to be really into them to appreciate them. After playing the guitars I play, I just couldn't get comfortable with a tele.

 

[Poetic Justice]

Thanks J Moore,

Unfortunately I don't have time to trawl ebay for a second hand bargain.

I need to go retail and go bang, it's there.

Good advice on the Les Paul/Strat though but I don't know a whole lot about other brands and what to look for.

Given you're in Melbourne; check out http://www.frettedinstruments.com/

They are on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy and you may be able to find something a little better second hand with them.

I wouldn't even consider anything like a Squier.

Even with eBay you can still find bargains and like with brand new guitars also; it doesn't take much effort and you may be rewarded. You can pick up entry level Epiphone Les Pauls for around $700.

For just mucking around and what not your budget is pretty high anyway. Should be able to get yourself something relatively good really..