AK2 has been playing ukelele for about a year and now wants to get an electric guitar. Grandparents kicked in $150 via Guitar Center gift certificate, AW and I did the same, and her cool aunt gave her $200 cash. We'd like to buy something that isn't junk, but she's clearly not getting anything too nice either. So, the goal is guitar and small amp around $400 out the door. Recommendations?
I'm no help on the guitar, but I think GC may have filed bankruptcy recently? Might be some deals coming up.
GC did file bankruptcy so there may indeed be some good deals but it's been so long since I looked at their offerings I'm not sure exactly what to recommend.
What I'd do is break it up. Say 250 for a guitar, 100 for an amp, 50 for accessories like a tuner and cable.
A quick search of their site and here's what I'd buy:
Guitar: https://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone/Les-Paul-Studio-LT-Electric-Guitar-Ebony-1500000041242.gc
You may already have a tuner at home, so just grab a 15 or 20' cable and the rest will be sales tax. Of course there's more you'll want, like a case for example, but if the guitar is stating at home I'd get a wall hanger instead. Cheaper than a decent case and it looks way cooler.
Of course, your money will go farther on the used market, but if you're not sure exactly what you want I'd stick to new stuff.
*for the record, this is very close to what I bought when I was 12. I think I had $250 for a guitar (Samick something) and had to save for several more months before I could buy an amp (Marshall mg15dfx, $130) and a friend at school gave me a strap and a cable. I wish I still had that stuff.
I bought a fender squire and fender amp off of CL for $60 recently. Perfect shape.
I, too, recommend used.
I highly recommend the Sawtooth brand for brand new. You should be able to get one, a good amp, and ask the accessories for under $400 easily.
After looking at a bunch of both cheap and expensive guitars, I thought that this seemed like the cheapest one that still feels like a "real" guitar rather than a cheap toy. https://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez/AX120-Electric-Guitar-Copper-Metallic-1500000309620.gc
I would take the 200 cash and see what the best guitar available at a pawn shop is. Then take the guitar center money and look at amps and accessories.
I love playing "what music stuff". Its awesome you guys are encouraging the move to guitar. Here are my 2 cents.
I have this amp in my office. Its a great little practice amp. Plus the one in stock in Canton is British Racing Green!
I'm confused, what exactly is the breakout between cash and gift card?
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Acoustic/Lead-Guitar-Series-G10-10W-1x8-Guitar-Combo-Amp.gc
I've got one of these, or maybe mine is the slightly bigger version with the 10" speaker. Either way it's good. Simple, sturdy, and doesn't sound bad. I have it as a spare practice amp but works well enough that in a pinch I've used it to play out at coffee shop type gigs and at church a few times. The brand name is misleading... Acoustic does in fact make amps for electric guitars :P
Guitars are so subjective. Typically the recommendation would be to sit down and play a bunch of different types but I don't know how possible that is in pandemic-land.
I have had good luck with Epiphone Les Pauls, may have to play a few to find the right feel as they are slightly variable. Generally better than the low end Gibsons.
In reply to mtn (Forum Supporter) :
Guitar Center gift certificate $300
Cash $200
i like Majdownshift's idea, but we went with a new Indonesian Squier Strat with a humbucker in the bridge position. They've got a 45-day money-back policy so we might go back for one of the Squier Strat starter kits.
That Vox Pathfinder amp is probably the best little amp in the market, I highly recommend it
Also, don't think that cheaper guitars aren't great. The main guitar I play in Interstellar Sledgehammer is a xaviere that was about $150 new. It's stupendous.
Although I'm late to the party, strats are pretty basic starter guitars, I had one for my first guitar ( an Excel actually) and it did me well.
FWIW, there are free/inexpensive guitar tuner phone apps out there.
Also, take her down to 3rd Wave sometime. It's one of my favorite shops in the country.
Squier Bullet Telecaster $120 to $180 depending on the sales. I've been playing off and on for 20 plus years and am loving the one I recently bought. It is much better than the price would suggest. It is just as playable as my American Strat and a fraction of the price.
I'm not a Gibson or Epiphone fan personally. They sound awesome, just as a Fender/Squier can, they just tend to be a little (or a lot) heavier and the necks a little more chunky. Get the kid into a store and let him/her see how any guitar feels prior to committing to anything.
Definitely budget for an amp. Boss Katana is very well regarded. There are also several low wattage tube amps that can probably be packaged with the guitar and be near your budget. The Boss is an all around very versatile package with built in effects. The tube amps will be more of a one trick pony in that they will only make one range of "good" sounds wheras the Boss is more of a jack of all trades. Should you go with the Boss get the 50w, mark II version.
Those two new would hit right around your $400 budget if you catch the right sale and would be a very usable setup. Don't hesitate to buy used either. GC will ship to store or your house for a very low price and their used selection is huge. If you buy the Squier don't hesitate to pm me and I will gladly give you my recipe for improving it.
Squirt Tele gets my vote:
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Squier/Limited-Edition-Bullet-Telecaster-Electric-Guitar-Lake-Placid-Blue-1500000219366.gc
I'm not big on guitar info whatsoever, but I can tell you that it's actually really easy to take cheap-ass boxmart crappy guitars and turn them into good ones for specific sounds; Jack White had a documentary done on him where he said his favorites were those guitars he used to find all the time in Goodwills because he could do anything with them and get whatever sound he wanted out. That video also had him making a slide guitar out of trash too. Dude's pretty berkin cool.
Santa brought my wife a Fender (Squire) Classic Vibe 50's telecaster for Christmas. Its the translucent white and looks pretty rad. Local music store put together a package with a low-end practice amp, cable, etc for a bit over $500 after taxes. The guitar was recommended by a friend as something beginner friendly that feels nice to play, looks nice, and will grow with her.
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