Guitar in question is a BC Rich Son of Beast. $100 gets it. No case, amp, anything but the guitar.
Anything to be weary of?
Guitar in question is a BC Rich Son of Beast. $100 gets it. No case, amp, anything but the guitar.
Anything to be weary of?
I recently had/sold a cheap low-end BC Rich that was part of a trade deal, and I was pleasantly surprised with how well it played & sounded. As long as the neck is straight, nothing appears broken, and it puts out sound when plugged in, it's probably a decent deal.
I've got a Mockingbird, never had a lick of trouble. 
As mentioned, with a straight neck and solid electric connections you can hardly go wrongat $100.
Plug it in. Does it play? Is the neck warped at all? Do you see any cracks, especially anywhere in the neck or the headstock?
That is a good deal, but not a great deal. I'll guess that it is a factory second or B-stock; look for a "2" or "B" stamped or printed on the back of the headstock. You can find new 2nds of most bc riches for about $150-300. It isn't necessarily a bad thing, just find why it was a second if it is. Usually just cosmetic.
Since we are talking guitars I have a question.
I played way back as a kid. I played acoustic only. I was far from good but I always had fun. After that i moved to the electric base and jammed some with some friends (they needed a base player).
Eventually people got married and what not and that ended. I stopped playing and I honestly have no idea what happened to my guitars.
Fast forward twenty five years and a couple years ago I have been thinking I would be fun to pick up a guitar again. I have been thinking electric for the reason I could put headphones on and only bother my self. I will need some lessons as I am assuming i will be starting from the beginning.
So what guitar would you recommend? I would have no problem spending on quality as I have always found that having better(not the best) equipment to start with will make what you are trying to learn that much easier.
So what brands should I be looking at. I don't mind dropping a couple hundred on used quality stuff or am I better off getting new?
I don't think you could go wrong with a Squier or an Ibanez when it comes to cheaper..
BC Rich?!?
Don't you know pointy guitars give you V.D.?
That "pointy guitars" line was said to my 16 year old face by a grey bearded curmudgeon at a guitar shop when i tried to trade in my first guitar (some sort of Kramer ) on an old Melody Maker. It was his way of saying i can't sell that in this shop, but it has stuck with me as one of the funniest universal truths i have learned.
Squires and ibanez would certainly be a safe bet. If you want to go a little nicer, step up to a Mexican fender.
Most of my guitars were purchased used. Right now (like, it's in my lap right now) I'm playing a 1998-'99 Fender Precision Bass purchased at our local shop here in Daytona for $199. It didn't come with a bag, but someone had fitted a Seymour Duncan pickup. The neck feels great, fret finish is just fine, and it has nice tone. For the price, it's the deal of the day.
For playing through GarageBand on my computer, I use an Apogee Jam--love it. Right now I'm home alone, though, so the GK amp is on. (That was another killer used deal.)
Also, I'd say pick something that makes you happy. If you want to play a pointy guitar, buy one. If you want a Strat--or Tele, Les Paul, SG, PRS, etc.--then get one. When you meet the right guitar, you'll know.
David S. Wallens wrote: When you meet the right guitar, you'll know.
I know exactly what you mean. I remember the acoustic I had. Some no name (EDIT so I thought at the time) BUT the neck was thinner and a bit narrower and the body was a bit more rounded and thinner then the "standard" starter ones that you could get from the school or the local shop that the school pointed you to. I remember finding it at a garage sale about two weeks in to my lessons at school and I promised my dad a life time of yard work to get it. I had that same guitar until life got crazy and kids and marriage and all that. I miss that guitar. I only remember thr first three letter of the name on it. "Gui" it was in a script sideways on the head so when you were playing it was level with the person playing it.
I just did a Google search and it looked almost exactly like this. A little less ornate guard below the Rosset and I dont remember it being that dark a black on the body but may be it is the photo may be my memory is fading.
I wonder if it was really a Gibson and my memory is just not that good.
It may have been a Gibson. Pretty guitar.
Possibly a Guild?
For both of you guys, here's what I suggest:
Go find your local guitar barn and pick up and feel some guitars. Some will feel great in your hands, and some won't. The necks, bodies, and ergonomics differ greatly among different designs and companies. Once you find something you like, hit your local Craigslist and go nuts.
Squier, Epiphone, and Ibanez (and some others) make some very affordable stuff that can play as good and sometimes better than real expensive stuff when properly set up. I am a cheapo when it comes to buying gear, and I find that buying used is the way to go. I have only ever had one new guitar: an Ibanez TR70 bass I got for Christmas back around 1998. All my other stuff was bought used for $300 and under, even my Warwick Streamer which retailed for over a grand. Heck, my current project Epiphone cost me $15! If you can wrench on cars, you can wrench on stringed things. And if you play, you will have to, so you might as well go used. Even new stuff needs work sometimes to play right.
You have to be careful though: some brands don't do much to distinguish their cheaper stuff from the high quality lines. I always have trouble with B.C. Rich stuff like that, so watch out!
I used to have a bronze series BC Rich Warlock and it was a great guitar. Great neck, big frets and once I set it up the action was great. Not bad for a $150 slab of pointy awesomeness. But I sold it because I never play it and have long since left the über metal pointy guitar phase. I've been thinking about getting a mockingbird though...
So, did anyone buy a guitar lately?
In reply to dean1484:
Same boat here except 2 years past you... I picked up a nice Gibson Les Paul custom with a cheap Crate amp for the cost of building half a roll cage for someone. It was the only way I was getting paid so I accepted... It sounds great - but it's a bit of a heavy, awkward thing to sit and play. It has no way to lay it on a leg without using a stool or sitting sideways. I practice standing up most of the time.
On a do-over I would absolutely get a Fender Strat or a decent quality knockoff like their Squier line just for it's comfortable shape. I'd also get it with humbuckers (atleast one) and a Yamaha THR-10 practice amp right out of the gate if I was doing it over again. It's a small modelling amp you can carry anywhere that makes big sound at quiet play levels and tons of tones/effects for different styles of play. I finally broke down and bought one so I could play songs like they are supposed to sound w/o needing 45 different foot pedals. On that note... the Zoom G3X is a good affordable way to go if you already have a nice small amp you like but no tones/effects/drums/looper. My friend has one I covet.
Next... practice tools... Rocksmith 2014 on Amazon for $30 with the cable for whatever you have (XBox, PS3, PS4, Steam, Windows, OS-X). It has helped considerably for motivating me to pick up the guitar and play something. It's always there for me - it's got songs, riff repeater, skill games, and jamming. Best $30 I spent in a long time.
My advice here is probably a bit naive, I'm just spouting things that worked or didn't for me - I'm sure real players will chime in. I'm never going to be a guitar hero or even passable as a gig guy but I'm glad I got back into it. It passes time on long winter evenings noodling around instead of finishing the bourbon and yelling at all the people who are wrong on the internet.
There are so many stupid good < 200 guitars these days, it's just amazing.
For me personally, I played a little cheap Epi Les Paul Jr type thing. I think it was $99 on sale, and I feel for it hard. And I don't even like Gibsons.
I also have an Epiphone Jr.: one humbucker, two knobs, no binding, no frills.
It's my "traveling" guitar. I bought it used for like $79, so if anything bad happens to it the world won't end. It's feels good and plays nicely.
It's this:
Linky: http://www.epiphone.com/Products/Les-Paul/Les-Paul-Junior.aspx
My $15 Epi Les Paul Special II that I have been fighting with lately is a comfortable to play guitar. I absolutely love the neck on it. New, they can be had for around $100 on sale. It's basically David's guitar with two pickups, a floating bridge, and no pick guard. They even make ones with P90's, if that's your thing.
David, this is the one I fell for: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone/Les-Paul-Special-I-P90-Electric-Guitar.gc
Two p90s in that little plank, and it was a helluva guitar for a hundred bucks. Grab a used one or wait for them to go on sale.
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