Choosing a new guitar

Kenix700 · #1 01-06-2009, 08:48 PM

Iv had my heart set on buying a JEM for a while now. But iv been thinking that im really not good enough to justify buying a 2000 dollar guitar. So i have decided to settle for something a little cheaper so i can put more money twords buying effects and whatnot.

So my question is what are some good cheaper priced guitars? The main thing i want is a good floating bridge. I would also like something with a nice finish. I like bright colors or natural finishes. My price maximum is about $800 and im willing to buy used. This way ill have something to look for when i go to the guitar store to try some out.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

GuitarBizarre · #2 01-06-2009, 09:15 PM

Don't do it. Eventually you're going to want the best you can get. If you buy a lower end guitar for the sake of also buying some other lower end gear at the same time, you're just going to eventually replace it all with high end stuff later on and end up spending more money when you can't sell the other stuff on at a good price.

If you can afford it at all, go for the guitar you really want. Itll motivate you to stick at it and do more with it, and it'll be a guitar for life instead of a guitar to keep around until something better replaces it. I've replaced guitars before but never because I felt I wasnt good enough for a guitar, or was too good for one, just because at the time I bought the older guitars, I only had that much money.

Foulacy · #3 01-06-2009, 09:22 PM

well you can get a really good guitar for $800 used. if you are at that point in your guitar life where you actually NEED a really great guitar, don't settle for something less. but otherwise it's not that big of a deal. for $800 used you can get ibanez's with edge pros, lo-pros and edge tremolos that will never go out of tune, and the guitar will be great.

look at a, rg2550, rg3120, rg1570 for starters. You can get a 1570 for $900 new. and rg2550's are $1000 new these days. But you can also look for used RG's that are great, rg550 20th anniversary, rg2550s, etc...

Kenix700 · #4 01-06-2009, 10:07 PM

I like the twilight blue finish on the rg3120.

newbieguitarmaker · #5 01-06-2009, 11:29 PM

Isn't the rg3120 more than $800 or even $1000

ColinMmmmm · #6 01-07-2009, 12:32 AM

Is this your first decent guitar? Cause if so you'd better get out there and play a bunch before you spend a good sized chunk of change. My biggest issue is neck profile - I've got an RG2550 and find the neck a little thin for my taste. These other guys are right though - you can get some awesome guitars for $800. What kind of amp are you playing through?

psychoshredder · #7 01-07-2009, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuitarBizarre

Don't do it. Eventually you're going to want the best you can get. If you buy a lower end guitar for the sake of also buying some other lower end gear at the same time, you're just going to eventually replace it all with high end stuff later on and end up spending more money when you can't sell the other stuff on at a good price.

If you can afford it at all, go for the guitar you really want. Itll motivate you to stick at it and do more with it, and it'll be a guitar for life instead of a guitar to keep around until something better replaces it. I've replaced guitars before but never because I felt I wasnt good enough for a guitar, or was too good for one, just because at the time I bought the older guitars, I only had that much money.

+1

It's like my epiphone vs gibson theory.
imagine a person in the market looking for his very first les paul.
when a person wants a les paul, normally he will look at epi or gibby.
since gibby is way too pricey, it comes to 2 options : buy the gibby no matter what, or buy the cheaper model, says epi and upgrade it later.

at the end of the day:
1. if the epi is good, he will think gibby is better, 'I wonder how a real gibby would play!! it must be better than epi ', then someday he will definetely but the gibby, he'll spend the money 2 times, one for epi, one for gibby.

2. if the epi is not good enough, he will still thinking that he has not tried gibby yet, there are a lot of good feedback about gibby, he must try the gibby! then he'll end up buying the gibby , again he spend 2 times. don't know if he satisfied with gibby at last?

3. if he straight to gibby no matter what, if he loves it, it last forever. if he hates it, he will not look any further to lower end model such as epi. so the money only spent 1 time.

my point is : if you have the money, don't settle for less.

Kenix700 · #8 01-07-2009, 01:13 AM

Ok my amp situation is screwed up. Right now i have a crappy amp that came with a starter Squire strat kit. My sister has an amp that shes giving me thats in 'storage' that were having problems getting. All i know about it is that its a Marshall.

As for the money situation, I have about $1000 dollars saved up right now for a guitar. I was planning on a JEM. However in the past weeks i had been thinking about how i would rather by a cheaper guitar and then have more money to spend on effects and other stuff i need. Plus have some left over to actually function (gas, food, stuff like that). It would take me forever to save up enough money for a JEM. Im a poor college student who works part-time at walmart.

As for the other guitars in my aresenal i have a Squier Strat thats about 10 years old. This guitar is a big peice of crap, but i like playing it sometimes. I also have an Ibanez RG7321 that i bought about 3 months ago. It cost like $400 and i love it to death.

I really would like a floating bridge for my next guitar. I also want an ibanez cause i really enjoy the looks of their guitars. That being said i really do not like how all of their guitars are black, this makes me mad.

Im going to a few guitar stores tomorrow and would just like a few models that you guys have personally liked so i can try them out.

callen3615 · #9 01-07-2009, 02:05 AM

I got a rg550 reissue rfr with upgraded dimazios. I have played jems, and as far as performance goes its every bit as good as a jem. Only payed 800 for it too, mint.

callen3615 · #10 01-07-2009, 02:09 AM

Heres mine,

Not very black is it?

Kenix700 · #11 01-07-2009, 02:15 AM

I know, im just saying every time i go into guitar center (the local music stores rarely have ibanez) they are all black except for like two!

BTW, i really like that red RG550, especially with the matching case!

Would they still have any chilling in guitar stores that i could try out?

Foulacy · #12 01-07-2009, 03:39 AM

only 550's you would find in a store these days would be used most likely. there are definitely other colors of ibanez that look great, black is popular which is why stores show them. if it's a guitar center, sometimes you can ask if they have the other colors of that model in back? there's a great chance they do.

NeglectedField · #13 01-07-2009, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuitarBizarre

Don't do it. Eventually you're going to want the best you can get. If you buy a lower end guitar for the sake of also buying some other lower end gear at the same time, you're just going to eventually replace it all with high end stuff later on and end up spending more money when you can't sell the other stuff on at a good price.

If you can afford it at all, go for the guitar you really want. Itll motivate you to stick at it and do more with it, and it'll be a guitar for life instead of a guitar to keep around until something better replaces it. I've replaced guitars before but never because I felt I wasnt good enough for a guitar, or was too good for one, just because at the time I bought the older guitars, I only had that much money.

I've taken that attitude myself, recently. I just make sure that if I'm getting a cheap guitar, it's good enough to mod. I tend to be able to PX my guitars for good prices anyway, so I tend not to lose money significantly in the long run.

jb4674 · #14 01-07-2009, 09:35 AM

Go look at pawn shops, you'd be surprised what you can find in there.

Jimmy

rob777vdy · #15 01-07-2009, 02:46 PM

if your heart is set on a jem then just be paitient and save a few more $$$$.you have 2 guitars already so its not like youve got no guitar,just use them in the mean time.all that said it sounds like you dont like black and the cheapest jems are probs 777vbk or 7dbk (think its the 7dbk the textured finish one ) still super awsome guitars all the same.if you really want a bright coloured jem your going to expect to pay $1500 at least, pending on condition.other alternative is the rg series dy rfr.i wouldnt mind either of those.