Just curious

[Bradock PI]

Posted a little while ago for starter guitar gave budget of £200 - £400 but what would people have suggested if I had said my budget was £600 - £1000?

Also as a seperate question I was strongly advised to avoid Ibanez as they are difficult instruments especially for a beginner which seemed a shame as there were some japanese ones very close to my origional price range any comments.

[noodleplugerine]

Ibanez can be great beginner instruments, I think what people were saying was to avoid those with locking bridges. A locking bridge is ridiculously complex compared to a fixed bridge, and really not what you'd want to start on.

The problem with spending £1000 on a guitar is that there are many good guitars available, with a huge range of features, and as a beginner you wouldn't know what you want. If you really want to start with a great instrument then aim for something with good resale, that way you won't lose as much money when you finally do realise exactly what it is you want.

[Twinfan]

^ exactly.

Why don't you post up here some of the guitars you've been looking at and we can give you our advice on them?  That may help you out a bit  :)

[tomjackson]

Trouble is it takes a while of playing before you know what would suit you best, so I'd say go for something at the cheaper end of the scale, like Epiphone before you commit to a more expensive purchase.  Then when you've been playing a while you'll appreciate the way different guitars feel and sound.

I don't believe you have to start on a rubbish instrument, many of the cheaper guitars nowadays are great instruments anyway, it's just your second guitar purchase is usually the one where you will make the better more informed choice.

Some of the best guitarists I have ever seen still don't play instruments costing 1K!

[noodleplugerine]

Some of the best guitarists I have ever seen still don't play instruments costing 1K!

That doesn't neccesarily mean that they wouldn't appreciate a more expensive guitar..

[ailean]

+1 on all of the above points.

However, I will say this, the playing experience changes on a guitar in the 1K price range. Ibanez is a good example, the locking bridges on the cheaper models are by reputation unreliabe, but the one that we have (around 1K price) has been rock solid, and the guitar plays well.

Ok, what would I say... Probably a Gibson SG standard. Easy to play, versatile, light weight, keeps it's resale value, simple construction, fixed bridge, easy to set up. Works with most 'buckers so you can shape your tone. The scale length is easier to bend with.

That is a bit of a shot in the dark as you've not given any preferences, but if I had to suggest a guitar for someone who had never picked one up, that cost around 1k that would be it. But...

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! :)

[Twinfan]

Here's a thought.  A used Gordon Smith guitar is very good value for money and would be a great choice for you....

[Bradock PI]

Hehe I was forgettin peeps might not have read my otherv post as the advice did lead to me buying an Epiphone vintage sunburst standard plus top. This is pretty cool and I am probably going to have a new nut fitted and mebbe fret dressed to get it right then after a while get some bkps fitted.

I had thought if I got an epiphone SE now I may get something like a PRS 24 later or if I got a PRS SE now a gibson SE later or mebbe have one like those custom - but I am sure that I will change my mind many times before I do anything for now I am going to work with the epi.

[tekbow]

for what its worth, and depending on the kind of guitar you want, if u can pick up a second hand peavey wolfgang special (u.s. not the korean one) you'll be flying, have owned this and a standard and loved them both, but if u were talking about 600 -1000 then the specials the one. same pickups, (which lets face it, you're gona replace with bkp's anyway) same trem flat against the body (the only useful place for a floyd imo), with a dtuna. flat top and same neck profile. the necks on these are awesome, and tbh you're not losing out on the birdseye neck of the standard because i never thought the figuring was that great anyway. very versatile great feel, great guitar :) ueban legend has it he was using these on tour towards the end of his deal with peavey. he cetainly was playing them in the vids off the van halen III album. even if you dont like the man or his playing be under no doubt, he designed great axes