Any guitar gurus in here?

[coach]

Thanks. I gotta ask, how often do the frets wear out, if at all?

As stated before...they last a long time. They also are easy enough to just file the worn ones or fix "fret buzzing"...which is common on lower quality necks.
My American Kramer had a fret job done about 5 years ago. I have owned it since I was 16 and it has been beat on and has a ton of road miles on it. It did not have large or jumbo frets so filing them was not my best option.

 

[highboostgn]

Check out ultimate-guitar.com

 

[tb3]

lots of good info here!.....
just remember....
always play the guitar like your playin for someone else......
otherwise....
your jus playin with your'self

 

[longball]

How To Buy A Guitar

Here's a couple sites with good info to keep in mind when buying your first(or any) guitar. To the OP: Feel free to P.M. me if you have a question(s).

http://www.wikihow.com/Buy-Your-First-Guitar
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/browse/article.jsp?mediaId=m710486
http://guitar.about.com/od/commonbeginnerquestions/a/to_buy_guitar.htm

 

[Bruce Urie]

Longball has some real good readings there.......good ones.....

From me, I've been playing guitar since 1959......my Mom and Dad noticed I had a very acute attraction to music.......they got me a 1959 Gibson LG1 for Christmas that year.......one of the guys that my Dad worked with at Ft. Belvoir, Va, was a professional musician (guitarist) who had played with the Tommy James Orchestra way back......this guy was the best jazz, classical guitarist I've ever heard in my life...........He had Dad go to a music store and asked the man there to play three different acoustic guitars over the phone as the pro listened to them..........one was a Martin, the other a Gibson, the other was a Silvertone...........he picked the Gibson as the one to get for me........

He told me to get the most expensive, good guitar you can afford.........if first time........these sound great and they actually encourage you to do better............thus the Gibson.....if a guitar sounds and feels bad, then you lose the ability to really want to learn. Good point.

So I didn't have a choice, I had to take the Gibson acoustic, but never regretted it......it always sounded good and made my crappy learning curve even better, so it was a good choice.....later on I got my first electric, the '64 Gibson SG Special....red, single coil pickups....best sounding guitar ever......

So, go out and try all kinds of electrics, and if you can't play, have a good playing guitar player to go with you.....take the time to hook them up to a GOOD AMP, and play anything.....it's all about feel and sound.....what feels good to him will probably feel good to you (i.e., neck, weight of guitar, comfort in holding it)

But get the best sounding one you can afford...........if you can afford it, go by reputable brands, like Fender, Gibson, Martins, Gretch, Taylor.

If you can score a good deal on a Jazzmaster, get it.........they are just boss..never had a better, comfortable neck on my hands in my life..........

Just do it by feel, sound and brand.........it WILL take a while to choose, so don't be in a hurry......get what you can afford and the best if you can....................remember, if the guitar sounds bad, plays bad, so will you.

Only a true, accomplished guitarist can make a crappy guitar sound good..........so start with the best you can afford.

As far as amps, a good, little Fender Blues amp will do the trick....I've got two and they just rip for playing anything, jazz, rock, hard rock, even good for acoustic electrics..........cheap and dependable as hell........as of this point, I don't think you need a Marshall Twin Stack 100 watt amp.......trust me, you'll go deaf in five seconds! And broke!

Good luck......got some good suggestions here on this thread, read all, consolidate the information and go for it. My opinion here, is just one to consider.

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

["Turbo-T"]

Thanks, thought I'd post a little update....found someone close to me selling a blue ibanez electric guitar with stand, case,learners DVD,amp, the amp cord....and they're asking asking $150.00 OBO Below is a grainy pic.....you think I should jump on this deal?

 

[INEEDAGN]

Thats a left handed guitar...

If you are left handed, ignore this post. Leftys are less common so you probably wont find a better deal financially, but you still oughta go handle a few in person.

 

[INEEDAGN]

You could act like Jimi Hendrix and flip it over but that presents new problems that would have to be addressed.

make sure the neck is straight if you go look.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Actually I am said to be left handed, however what feels comfortable to me, is strumming with the right and holding down the strings with the left....so I'll guess a righty is what I need?

 

[Bruce Urie]

Looks to be a good deal to me to start out....I own an Ibenez (bass)and they are nice guitars....George Benson swears by them.........look down the neck to see if it's straight..........then push down the "e" string at the first fret and then again, the same string at the 12th fret....sight down and you should see a slight bowing of the neck away from the string...this is normal......all guitars must have a bow or it'll touch other frets when you are trying to make a chord, note, etc....then it's a dud.......do it for the other "e" string also (first and sixth string) If the neck is twisted, walk away.....

This method is also indicative of the space between the frets and the strings, ie, how high up the action is set.....make sure no other frets touch the string between the first and 12th....

Then check out the pickups....switch to the first one, strike a string, then switch to both, same thing, then the other two, one at a time.....no humming or crackling noise should be heard. You can switch to a pickup, turn up the volume and tap on it....you should hear the tapping through the amp....this is a sure way to know that it's at least wired on.

As for left handed.......you remember Duane Allman? How great that guy was? He was left handed and always played right handed.......that good......Jimi Hendrix was left handed, but he was incredibly ambidexterious.....I've seen him walk up to a 12 string guitar, strung for a right handed player, picked the thing up and played beautifuly right handed! And I mean beautiful!!!! Holy cats, I almost fainted.

Our old rythmn guitarist was left handed, got himself a Gibson Trini Lopez guitar in '65 and learned to play right handed.....so it's personal preference.....depends on how good and comfortable you are playing right handed.

If it were me, I'd stay left handed all the way...........hell, look at Paul McCartney! Besides, it's so cool looking.....I was thinking about buying this Fender Squire Strat for $199, a lefty, and setting it up to play right handed..........but since I get tomatoes and rocks thrown at me while playing right handed, why increase the chances of more and larger objects (engine blocks, etc.) being thrown at me.

Stick with left handed.....check out that amp, too..........no humming, growling (unless your dog doesn't like your playing)

This little combo should be alright to start.............see you at the Grammys!

PS: If you do become famous and good, please, never sell your first set up! Everyone I've known that has gotten rid of their first gear has very much regretted it.....even me.....(sigh)

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

["Turbo-T"]

Thanks Bruce and IneedaGN....the seller of this combo has been emailing the hell out of me on this, and I mean really....I send one email asking where he's located, and a second replying to his last 4 that I don't think i could use it because it's a lefty....seller has sent me no less than 8 emails in a 2 day period...I think he's hard up for selling....it's starting to raise some red flags if you know what I mean.

Anyways the seller is swearing up and down it's a righty and not a lefty...question on a righty, don't they put all of the tuning knobs, if they put them on the same side of the head, on the top?

 

[INEEDAGN]

Unless he mirrored the pic somehow, thats a lefty model. And the pic is too grainy to read any text to see if it's mirrored. Do a google image search or an ebay search if you don't believe me. By the way it appears to be an "hss" model meaning it has a humbucker pickup in the bridge position. doesnt really matter for a beginner, just emits a different tone in that position.

 

[longball]

[quote="Unless he mirrored the pic somehow, thats a lefty model. [/quote]

Sure is, I'm a lefty and all my guitars pretty much look like that.............Unless he mirrored the pic somehow...............

 

[longball]

[quote="but you still oughta go handle a few in person.[/quote]

Excellent advice!!! There are different size and style necks and fingerboards, one size does not fit all.

 

[RatFink]

You can get a brand new strat pack for less $$$ at Guitar Center. I've played the guitar in this package deal and I liked it for what it was.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender-...ctric-Guitar-Value-Pack-108089095-i1932694.gc

 

[longball]

[quote="]You can get a brand new strat pack for less $$$ at Guitar Center. I've played the guitar in this package deal and I liked it for what it was."/quote]

see post #2

 

["Turbo-T"]

Well I thought I'd post an update...so this seller now claims it's a right handed guitar and it was a mirrored image. Seller also claims he broke a guitar string....is that an easy and cheap fix?

Also seller now claims he wants to go bow hunting tomorrow and is offering it up for $100 this weekend.

He wants to meeet tonight to show it off. You think i should go for it? That's a Benjamin for a 6 string Ibanez, with practice amp, DVD's to teach you how, etc.

 

[Bruce Urie]

Guitar strings are the easiest things in the world to replace..............but if I were you, I'd take up the deal at the Guitar Center........new Strat with practice amp......it's only $139, brand new, free shipping, can't beat that........it's just what you can use............this way you'll be getting a perfectly working, tested out, brand new guitar and amp ready to plug in and rock...........that's what I'd do if I were you..........this sap who's selling doesn't seem to wired up correctly, so avoid him...........who knows what's wrong with that guitar. Go for the deal at Guitar Center. It's a better deal. Just my opinion, but I've been a musician for 53 years.....(jeez! That just made me realize that I must be old!)

Bruce '87 Grand National