Taking the plunge

[Bradock PI]

Ok all the talk and shiny guitars - I am going to get a starter instrument. I will be working on the piano still but I have worked out there are times when I am at my PC and have 10 mins here 15 mins there which I can't use for kb but I could use for guitar.

I have biggish thick set hands so I can't start on my wifes daisy rock - so suggestions please for a first instrument budget prolly £200 - £400.

[ailean]

Best advice I can give you is to walk into a guitar shop and pick up one of everything they have, don't look at the price tag, just get the feel of it. Once you know what feels right then let us know what you liked and hopefully someone will come up with something.

My first guitar was a Les Paul style, they can have quite think necks which may suit your needs, but you can probably get just about any neck profile on any body shape if you look hard enough.

Go have a play!

[d1dsj]

I don't have one myself, but the PRS SE's are well worth checking out. I'm thinking of the hollow body at some point.

[blue]

my own opinion is that for a first guitar you should definately get something with a fixed bridge, tuning is hard enough to get to grips with at first without the headache of a vibrato bridge.  there are a large range of guitars in that price range, and the majority of them are perfectly decent instruments.  really, as someone who doesn't play, the best thing is probably to simply pick something you like the look of.  my main suggestion is to avoid whammy bars!

if i were to suggest an ideal starter guitar, something like a squire telecaster would be hard to beat.

[Sifu Ben]

As his budget stretches to more than twice that price, I'd say it's fairly easy to beat (MIM tele standard for starters).
What sort of music do you like?
Who do you want to sound like?

[WezV]

squier CV i reckon

[Sifu Ben]

Unless he wants to play Slipknot.

[indysmith]

Yamaha Pacifica 112!
Cheap, fantastically built, feel fantastic, and will give you a taste of both humbuckers and single coils.

I still play mine ALL the time - it's a brilliant guitar, and not just for the price.

Oh, and I knew it wouldn't be long, Bradock ;)

[MDV]

If you have big hands aim for the 25.5 inch scale 43mm nut stuff - usually found on superstrats. Look for things that are strat like but sharpened up and more angular, jacksons, ibanezes, that sort of thing. They tend to have the biggest necks, string and fret spacing wise.

I dont think 112s have the same nut width but 1mm shouldnt make much difference - a 112 is a superb guitar for the money, you generally cant go wrong with them. Under the low end  of your budget as well.

[WezV]

I dont think 112s have the same nut width but 1mm shouldnt make much difference - a 112 is a superb guitar for the money, you generally cant go wrong with them. Under the low end  of your budget as well.

which give you some money to spend on BKP's... they are great guitars for modding

[Roobubba]

my own opinion is that for a first guitar you should definately get something with a fixed bridge, tuning is hard enough to get to grips with at first without the headache of a vibrato bridge.  there are a large range of guitars in that price range, and the majority of them are perfectly decent instruments.  really, as someone who doesn't play, the best thing is probably to simply pick something you like the look of.  my main suggestion is to avoid whammy bars!

if i were to suggest an ideal starter guitar, something like a squire telecaster would be hard to beat.

Something like a telecaster would be hard to beat... HARD ENOUGH WITH A LARGE HAMMER.

At least start on a strat or something that doesn't look like total arse.

Roo

[blue]

my own opinion is that for a first guitar you should definately get something with a fixed bridge, tuning is hard enough to get to grips with at first without the headache of a vibrato bridge.  there are a large range of guitars in that price range, and the majority of them are perfectly decent instruments.  really, as someone who doesn't play, the best thing is probably to simply pick something you like the look of.  my main suggestion is to avoid whammy bars!

if i were to suggest an ideal starter guitar, something like a squire telecaster would be hard to beat.

Something like a telecaster would be hard to beat... HARD ENOUGH WITH A LARGE HAMMER.

At least start on a strat or something that doesn't look like total arse.

Roo

ah, but the strat has the whammy bridge!

yeah, tele's look quite good after a bit of a battering, you've got the idea now Roo!  :)

[Twinfan]

If it's a starter guitar, don't spend more money than you have to.  You might not like it.  I'd buy one of these three:

* Yamaha Pacifica 112
* Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster
* Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster

Go with whichever you like the look of/is cheapest etc.

Unlike Roo, my vote goes to the Tele  ;)

[blue]

i agree;  it's the most straightforward, with the least fiddly bits to go wrong.  when you're learning it's just a guitar, wood and strings, nothing else to get in the way.  and as you can see from twinfan's own tele, can be upgraded later if you want.

[dave_mc]

+1 on the pacifica 112v. those classic vibes are meant to be nice too, but i haven't tried them yet.

you can block those strat-style trems pretty easily, so they shouldn't really be a problem.

though if you're willing to go up to £400, you could possibly do better than either of those... if you're willing to pay the extra (and considering you already play an instrument, there's a good chance you'll stick with it)... you could get a higher-end pacifica, and tokai are starting to re-release Japanese-made versions of the strat (and maybe even tele) for around the £400 mark, which are bound to be worth considering if you're after that style of guitar...

btw, i think this is a record- the forum inducing GAS in a non-player... :lol: we must be doing something right...