Anyone play the guitar?

I've been playing for about 5 months on a 40 y/o classical and I'm getting pretty decent so I want to step up to a new electric. I'm looking at the mid range Ibanez tremolos or fixed bridges but I have no idea what to get for an amp. Anyone have any advice??

 

How much are you looking to spend, and what type of music do you plan on playing?

 

I don't know much about Ibanez guitars (sorry), but I can definitely recommend that you take a look at Ernie Ball Music Man guitars if you get a chance. I picked up a new Axis Super Sport about a year ago and it is the most versatile, best sounding/playing electric I have.

 

With guitars, you get what you pay for. At the top of the lists are your American made guitars. After that are your Japanese guitars. I would probably based on experience put Korean made next, followed by Mexican after that. If you are getting a mid range Ibanez, you're probably getting a Korean made guitar. The Presitge line guitars are the Japanese made line. I only own American made guitars and one Ibanez Presitge RG. If you're not to into the guitar yet, a mid range Ibanez should do you fine. For the amplifier, it really depends what sound you're going for. If you want a really heavy distorted sound, a solid state amp will be fine. If you want a bluesy rock sound, you're going to want ot get something that is tube driven. I own a Peavy 5150 II stack. I would recommend a Peavy, Marshall, Mesa Boogie or Fender Twin Reverb amp. But again, all those amps are up there in price, it's really going to depend on how much you're looking to spend. A Peavy Twin Combo is not a bad choice, and I think you can get one for under $300.00. Crate's used to make a decent combo amp too.

 

Yeah, they're bottom of the barrell...Perfect guitar to buy a 5 yr old knowing it will be broken in a month.

 

I've easily got about $8K in guitars not counting equipment.

 

I play a Taylor Acoustic Guitar (GA4) and A Peavey EVH Wolfgang Electric guitar (only Peavey really worth investing in, however they don't make them anymore Eddie Van Halen took his brand to Fender) Ibanez makes some decent mid range guitars for bedroom and garage rockers. As far as tremelo and fixed bridge guitars it depends on what type of music you want to play.

As for amps, Peavey, Fender, Marshall or Mesa Boogies are all great amps, I will say you get what you pay for and if you really want a quality amp I would go with an all tube amplifier. I personally own a Peavey 5150 2x12 amplifier and its a beast.

 

I've decided to throw in here for the simple reason that you did not specify now WELL one must play to comment!

I suck. Badly. Horribly. I have precisely zero musical talent, I can't read sheet music, and I've never had a single musical lesson. It takes me 10 times (easily!) as long as the average guy to 'learn' a piece of music.

That said, I *love* playing, have a guitar worth less than a grand, and have a fuckin BALL playing in the office at work on lunch while some of the gang hang around and take turns. I played in a couple of garage/outdoor cheapass carnival cover bands back in the late 80s, so I muddle through rough covers of hair band metal and headbanging, and have fun doing it!

SO...I suck, but it sure is fun!

(We'll see how close some people are paying attention here. I'll even inline a pic of my axe and see if anyone can successfully ID it...hint, it ain't what you think and its even less easy)

 

That guitar can be a number of brands. It could be a Fender, Charvelle, Squier, Washburn, Arai Pro, or any of the numerous Fender rip off on the market.

 

I would have to disagree with your assertion that you can make a cheap guitar the same as a higher end guitar by simply swapping out the pick ups and other add ons. For one, the art of making a guitar (Luthier) is an art, and the higher end guitars have a finer craftsmanship in regards to the neck, the frets (rounding them off) ans well as spacing of the frets (there's a mathematical equation behind it). I've played numerous Fender Strats, from Mexican one's (Taco Casters) to cheap chinese one's, to Japanese ones (Sushi Casters) to good ol American made Super USA Strats and not one of the non American made one's played as smoothly or had the feel of the American one. Changing the pick-ups, then bridge, the nut or the pickguards wouldn't of made a difference. For one, unless you change the body and neck out, the resonance and sound doesn't compare, and when you're buying a higher end guitar, more times than not, that's what you're paying for the quality of wood of the guitar.

 

Great info guys, I was surprised at the response rate lol. I know the Gibsons are supposed to be the best, my friend just bought a Les Paul for like $4k. I don't have his money. The Ibanez prestige are nice being made in Japan but they're just outside my price range. I'd like to stay under 400. 300 is preferable though. The RG tremolo's are made by Cort I believe which is Korean. I've heard good things about them but then again I've heard not such good things. The amps confuse the crap out of me. I know I don't want a small practice amp b/c if I decide to play in a band I want an amp that will be able to keep up with the drums. I'm still learning about distortion, reverb, etc. I'm trying to keep the whole package around 600. What are the benefits and drawback to getting an amp with or without a tube?

 

All I'll say thus far is...you named the brand correctly In my defense, it was hideously 'refinished' by some prior owner at an unknown point in time. I picked it up a like $150 at a pawn shop back in '01.

 

Tube amps are, sadly, way out of your price range...at least the ones worth really owning. If you ever see an old Marshall Boogie or ...mesa 2 I think it was? ... from back in the day at a pawn shop or somesuch, sacrifice a kidney to get it cheap if you can.

 

The line 6 spider valve amps sound pretty good and the combo falls in that price range. Getting a mesa would be great, but there's some decent tube amps that can be had for less than $600. I used a peavey valveking for a long while and it sounded good with a decent cab, which could cost more than $600, but get the head now with a cheapo cab and upgrade the cab later.

There really isn't any comparison between a high end guitar to a ~$500 guitar. The woods are different, the finishing work is better, the sound is better...it's more than looks and hardware. Pick up a custom shop les paul and an epiphone lp...the custom shop weighs substantially more...for a reason. Better materials = better tone. Plus the frets won't lift after a few years, nor will the neck go out of whack with heavy strings or as temperature/humidity changes in your house each season.

In my experience no matter how much you upgrade a cheaper guitar, it never gets quite to the feel of a high end instrument. Maybe if you pay a luthier to refinish the frets and tweak it just right, upgrade all the hardware and you could get close...but you're getting close to what it would cost to just buy a nicer instrument...and that money isn't adding value...it'll be gone when you sell it. It's the same as cars. You can definitely modify a civic to accelerate faster, stop faster and grip better than a BMW M3...but it'll cost too much money and never be as good (definitely won't be as tolerable for day to day use).

Having said that, import guitars are great to own...easier to have fun with since you don't have to worry about them...but the USA made guitars are definitely worth it in the end.

If I had to recommend a good all around guitar, the PRS SE series are some great guitars for the money...they give you more of the fit, finish and sound than looks...and a parker p44 is pretty awesome too (just got one tonight).

Also, there are some korean ibanez prestige guitars...the sz4020 is one...a beautiful guitar too.