Echoes97 said:

---

NOTE, I'm also a huge pedal guy and have a bunch and have been through TONS of others. Mostly boutique-y stuff, but have had a lot of the usual suspects also. Fire away if you have questions there.

---

Do you have photos of your pedal steel guitars? I absolutely love the pedal steel (don't play it). Robert Randolph is one of my favorite musicians ever.

How is selling on Reverb? I've only used eBay before.

Aggiemundo said:

---

So hopefully this isn't too off topic of great and top notch electrics. I've got a fourteen year old son who loves rock, real rock, and is dying to learn to play electric guitar. He's asking for a guitar for his birthday and lessons. I'm in a place where I can get him the best to start with. What would you recommend?

---

My opinion (because I had one) is to take a look at the PRS SE line. These are the Korean made ones and are top quality for the price level. I remember spending about $600-700 for a SE single cut about 10 years ago.

Thanks for the thoughts so far all! As far as bands he's big on the Stones, Pink Floyd, Ac/Dc, and Zeppelin. So maybe I do need to consider that.

Aggiemundo said:

---

Thanks for the thoughts so far all! As far as bands he's big on the Stones, Pink Floyd, Ac/Dc, and Zeppelin. So maybe I do need to consider that.

---

Hey Mundo, so IMO if he likes this sort of thing, he might be best served by a Strat style guitar that has a humbucker in the bridge (back, by the tailpiece). Preferably with single coil in the other 2 positions. This will give him a lot of variation in tone, but still be able to do heavier sounds with the humbucker in the bridge. He'll be able to get a lot of mileage out of a guitar like that, and for younger players the (modern) Strat style neck is easy to learn on. Something like this is pretty affordable (relatively) but is pretty high on quality:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LegyHSSTB3S--g-and-l-tribute-legacy-hss-electric-guitar-3-tone-sunburst

DallasTeleAg's advice is very solid in terms of buying used gear. You can get a *lot* more bang for your buck that way. If you are in a major population center, go to guitar shops and talk to the people there. See what used inventory they have. If you could get into a used Japanese/American Strat or G&L Legacy (not Tribute) you'd be in great shape, but those might be higher price range, just really depends on your budget. There's lot of cheaper options as well such as the Mexican Strats and G&L Tribute Strats (like I linked above) that can be quite good.

Again, DallasTeleAg is right in that you'll want to get him both a guitar and amp. You don't have to break the bank on an amp, again I would venture out to music stores and see what they have. Shop around and see what you can find, there will be amps available in the lower budget range that will do fine for a beginner, like a Boss Katana 50 MKII, Positive Grid Spark 40 or something similar. Those 2 will have a LOT of stuff to play with that are fun for beginners and might help keep his interest. If he loves it then you can get him a proper tube amp down the road.

Good luck, let us know if you have additional questions!

Aggiemundo said:

---

Thanks for the thoughts so far all! As far as bands he's big on the Stones, Pink Floyd, Ac/Dc, and Zeppelin. So maybe I do need to consider that.

---

Another option would be a fat strat - it has the HSS pickup config which is very versatile.

Echoes97 said:

---

Positive Grid Spark 40 or something similar.

---

yep. these are a lot of fun. as he learns songs from his favorite bands he can play their tones with a push of a button on his phone/ipad (the amp has bluetooth) or create his own amp/pedal combos.

https://www.positivegrid.com/spark/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5MKmmZPT7gIVvxitBh1XEQ94EAAYASAAEgJjBvD_BwE

Aggiemundo said:

---

Thanks for the thoughts so far all! As far as bands he's big on the Stones, Pink Floyd, Ac/Dc, and Zeppelin. So maybe I do need to consider that.

---

Sounds like a guitar with humbuckers is the way to go then.

Cromagnum said:

---

Aggiemundo said:

---

Thanks for the thoughts so far all! As far as bands he's big on the Stones, Pink Floyd, Ac/Dc, and Zeppelin. So maybe I do need to consider that.

---

Sounds like a guitar with humbuckers is the way to go then.

---

What's the old saying, "Nobody sold more Les Pauls than Jimmy Page playing a Telecaster"?

I got this guitar in today, a Telecaster branded with the Anime Evangelion. It was a limited run in Japan only, but fender recently brought in a handful to the states.

Got it for $2 to $3k less than they have been selling for on Reverb. People were paying a ton to import these in. Love the matte black finish on the hardware and the translucent smoke gray on the neck.

The pickups are Lace Alumitones which are really odd looking. There is nothing underneath them but a couple wires. It's just all open air on the underside. Might look at replacing the pickgaurd with something better looking, but otherwise it's a great guitar.

Nice! Love a gaudy guitar.

I have not had any bad experience, so far. I believe Reverb now takes more than Ebay. I just love browsing reverb because they tend to have a large selection, and I love the GUI.

Aggiemundo said:

---

Thanks for the thoughts so far all! As far as bands he's big on the Stones, Pink Floyd, Ac/Dc, and Zeppelin. So maybe I do need to consider that.

---

A Fender MIM HSS strat is what I would buy him, if he were my kid. That would be what I would recommend, unless he just hates the look of a Strat (if so, pick another hobby =p) or you just can't afford to pay that kind of money. Remember, you can always resell it on reverb with minimal loss. Just keep the box it's shipped in.

As mentioned above, the HSS stands for Humbucker/Single/Single. It will allow you to get that Humbucker tone you want at the bridge, but still allow you to do that sparkly Strat neck tone, like Gilmour loves to showcase better than anyone else.

At that point, it just comes down to how much you want to spend. You can find an American Standard or Professional HSS Strat used for $800-$1000. That is a quality American made guitar that can last him for the rest of his life. The Mexican Fenders are incredible guitars for the price, and are made with the same woods as the American models. I don't know how many of the components are the same as the American models, but then it is just assembled in Mexico. It is a real Fender guitar, not a Squire or some lower quality brand.

I don't have experience with G&L, but I'm sure they are fine. G&L was the company Leo Fender co-founded after leaving Fender.

Again, I would HIGHLY recommend a used guitar. Buying a new guitar for a beginner is a waste. Hell, with a strat, the more beat up it is, the better! Best looking guitar after taking some wear and tear.

https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=Fender%20Stratocaster%20HSS&condition=used&price_max=1000

Find one he likes, then run it by us on the price, and we will give you an idea of what you should offer the seller. Make sure the seller has good ratings, and you should be safe. Reverb also guarantees the sales. Looks like the Fender Professional Strats are going for around $1K. You could potentially talk someone down to $850, if they want to get rid of it. I just sold an American Professional for $900. Any American Standard or Professional after about 2011 is a fantastic guitar that will last the rest of his life.

In case you are not aware (Obviously there are times they play others if needed):

• Stones: Fender Telecaster
• Pink Floyd: Fender Stratocaster
• AC/DC: Gibson SG (Angus) or Grestch (Malcom)
• Zeppelin: Telecaster on earlier recordings (Including the solo to Stairway), Gibson Les Paul on later

DallasTeleAg said:

---

I have not had any bad experience, so far. I believe Reverb now takes more than Ebay. I just love browsing reverb because they tend to have a large selection, and I love the GUI.

---

man...i go down quite the rabbit hole every time someone posts a link to reverb. that website is dangerous to your wallet.

Picked this one up yesterday. Liked the one I got, but blue is my color and this finish is just stupid. My wife was apparently not on board with me nabbing this one while it was available and putting the other up for sale at the same time. So, if anyone's in the market, the guitar in the OP is for sale. Looking to get $1600. I'm also selling that Tele I posted. Trying to sell it like it is for $700 but I'm willing to part it out if need be.

https://sound4less.com/products/prs-paul-reed-smith-ce24-custom-color-maple-neck-rw-fret-85-15-pickups-push-pull-six-classic-sounds?variant=32679536164926

Oh and a piece of advice on reverb, they're going to add sales tax no matter what. If it's a retail location listing on Reverb and you're buying an instrument, it's worth the time to find their website and see if it adds sales tax or not.

Haha... nice figuring.

On the plus side, I bought it at about 2 AM. When I had second thoughts the next morning but it had already shipped, the seller gave me $200 off and then told me if I called him first on anything that wasn't a custom color, he'd give me 15% off. That was a dangerous offer. For him or me, I don't know.

Also, in the process of that call with the seller, I got an earful of how custom colors work with PRS. Apparently they offer some of their sellers some private stock colors if they've sold enough. I'd seen custom colors a few places but didn't know what the deal was.

Man, you guys are all above and beyond on the assistance. Thank you!

Looking at your comments and through the used sites recommended I think something like the two below would be options he'd be thrilled with. Any thoughts?

https://reverb.com/item/38742475-fender-american-special-stratocaster-hss-3-tone-burst-with-texas-specials

https://reverb.com/item/31415110-fender-stratocaster-hss-shawbucker-2015-tobacco-sunburst

man...i would have been beyond thrilled with either of those for a first guitar. honestly, i'd be thrilled to have either of those right now.

Those both look pretty awesome. I'll let the strat experts speak more to the guitars on a whole, but I'd be all about that first one. Great looking burst on both sides, bridge HB to go between sounds, and a hard shell case. That case looks like it's worth $200 all on it's own and if he wants a gig bag for short trips, those can be had for relatively cheap.

Yep, both of those are quality looking guitars at first glance. The first one with the locking tuners and case is a beauty for sure. The locking tuners are great, though your son won't have to learn how to properly string a guitar with those.

Both of those are high quality instruments, without question. As Ruddy said, I'd love to have either of those right this minute! Haha. This one's pretty sweet too, no locking tuners but has case and is a bit cheaper.

https://reverb.com/item/38596573-2011-fender-american-standard-stratocaster-hss-w-up-graded-v-mod-and-shawbucker-pickups

Up to you on the finish/color, that's a purely personal decision. Out of those first 2 you listed, it's tough because there are key differences, Pros for #1 are the aforementioned locking tuners, case, and strap locks. Pros for #2 are the electronics (coil tap humbucker, 250k/500k potentiometer). #1 is also a "Special" vs. #2 being a "Standard." Not incredibly different but the "Special" has more of a vintage bridge/trem system, which honestly I don't think your son will care about, but just noting the difference. Also, Standards have their "Micro-Tilt" neck adjustment feature, which again you may never need, but is a "nice to have". FYI the one I listed above is also a "Standard".

Now I would probably call the first guy and ask him more about the bridge pickup. He wasn't especially detailed in the description. Does the bridge have coil tap? What is the bridge pickup model specifically? Also make sure that the guitar at the very least has a spot in the bridge for a tremolo bar. 99% chance there is, but you'll want to be sure. It should come with one also, but that's not a huge deal if not, cheap to replace.

Any of these guitars are NICE, way better than most guitars that beginners typically play. Your son should be very thankful! As DallasTeleAg said, they will also hold their value very well, so you don't have to worry about that. Good luck, you're on the right track!

Going to get shot for this...but I'm going against the grain with the advice that's been thrown out. From a tone perspective, 90% of why I hear is from the amp and any pedals/effects going into it. Don't get me wrong, a humbucker sounds different from p90s sounds different from single coil. But - I believe you have to really get a price difference in two similar guitars to make a large difference in tone and I think there are decent pups in some cheap guitars.

Put the money in an amp - especially as a newbie. Bang for the buck.

Traditional guitar names are going to cost big bucks. I think you can get some pretty good guitars off amazon that you don't have to pay much at all for that can still have a good sound - firefly and ivy are two great brands that are about as cheap as you can get and still sound pretty good. They have LP and 335 shapes that do pretty good imitations (with different headstocks so there aren't copywrite issues).

Pay to get them professionally setup after (and don't be surprised when that is half the price of the guitar. Setup will have them playing better and feel better in your hands.

These are not collectors items and will only be worth $100 bucks after you buy it...but you may only be into the guitar for $300 to start. I don't believe the same kind of shortcut is there for amps - which is why I advocate putting your money there.

Incoming for all the real musicians hating on cheap guitars....

There are certainly some cheaper guitars that are just fine. The problem with them is the components are typically going to be cheaper and likely need replacing. A good setup can help, but that price point just ups the possibility that no setup can save it. My bigger concern with the cheaper brands is playability for new players which is predominantly going to be who buys them. I generally worry that poor quality can make it less likely the person continues with guitar. And really, by the time you get a setup on one of those, you could've just gotten an entry level strat or LP for a little more used.

Have a look at this one too:

https://reverb.com/item/38596573-2011-fender-american-standard-stratocaster-hss-w-up-graded-v-mod-and-shawbucker-pickups

edit: didn't see the post further down w/ this one linked


I've heard good things about the Schecter Nick Johnston Strat. They've been rated pretty highly in the comparison vids I've seen on youtube. Here's a link to a new one for $799. I've seen used ones on Reverb for around $615. I haven't played one, so I can't comment on how they sound.

https://reverb.com/item/36321062-schecter-nick-johnston-traditional-h-s-s-atomic-frost

Also, one more note on the two you posted. The first has the CBS era large headstock. I really don't care for that just from an aesthetics standpoint.

No burning here, and you are right to an extent. However, my counter point is that the guitar (especially for beginners) is the thing you hold in your hands and is a direct conduit to everything else downhill from there. A good guitar that someone enjoys and wants to play is worth almost infinite $$$ in terms of the value they will get from the instrument.

I have owned damn near every level of guitar (outside of just ridiculous custom shops, etc.), and do agree that you can get amazing value out of cheaper ones. Hell, I just bought a $300 Ibanez Semi-Hollow that I hardly can put down. My 1997 Jimmy Page Les Paul ('59 Reissue) sits in the case nearby. So yes, there is truth in the cheaper guitars theory.

However, IMO for a beginner the (relative) quality of the instrument can be very important in terms of comfort and playability, which in turn *should* help keep their interest, which will pay off in the long term. The other benefit of buying quality instruments (especially used) is that they will hold their value very well. Hell I bet you could turn around and sell any of these Strats we've linked for exactly what you paid for them in a year or 2 if need be. Hopefully Mundolito will want to keep his for the rest of his life.

For the Jason Becker fans. Pretty cool new tribute guitar from Kiesel.

JB Yin Yang

The problem with you guys is you are coming from an angle of knowledge, experience and ability. I have a totally different perspective.

For those who haven't spent years of constantly having a guitar in their hand, playability in a cheaply made guitar that's been professionally setup is pretty good. It's after some time of playing that you understand the subtle differences in a Gibson and a Firefly.

An amp you can hear in your bedroom on the first day of trying to play with it.

i understand what you're saying, especially for beginners. hell...i've got a $180 squier tele that's easy and fun to play and actually sounds pretty damn good.

My 2 cents:

Yes, amp is EXTREMELY important for great tone. However, I would say a beginner is not truly going to be trying to find their "sound". A beginner needs a good guitar to play. Also, the poster said he didn't mind paying that kind of price, and the value is not going down. If the kid decides he doesn't want to play, you could sell it for the same price and are out the taxes and shipping you paid on it.

As we have said earlier, an American Strat is a professional level guitar. It can last him for the rest of his life. There is nothing to really upgrade there other than aesthetics or personal preferences later in his guitar life.

You can pick up a decent solid state amp for cheap. Having a guitar that is comfortable and easy to play will help him learn to play. Also, one should ALWAYS keep the guitar out on a stand, where it is seen. This helps keep it top of mind. If you see a guitar that you love the look of and you know plays great, it helps to get you to pick it up.

I will agree with you on your other point, though. If you are buying used, you could definitely use a professional setup. That can cost you anywhere from $40-$80. Setting the action, neck relief, string height, pickup height, and intonation helps for a better experience. These are things he should learn to do, in the future.

On the American Special: I am not familiar with that model, so I don't know what type of neck is on it. I am also not a fan of the large Strat headstock.

The $900 strat looks like an American Standard form 2015. I wonder what they did with the hardcase. All American Standards came with the hardcase. I would negotiate around $800 without the hardcase (and you would get a great guitar at a great price).

The 2011 Standard linked by gggmann is a fantastic deal. It includes the hardcase AND is the Sienna burst. That finish only comes on the Ash body strats and usually costs at least $100 more. If I were picking one, that is the deal I would pick. I would even offer $700, to see if he accepts, though I wouldn't have a problem paying the asking price. In fact... you better pick that one up fast, or I might grab it.

As for the Schecter, they make fantastic mid-range guitars. However, if I had the choice between a Fender Strat and a Schecter S-style, I would always choose the Fender.

A little extra. My first mid-level guitar, after my squier strat pack, was a Schecter S-1 Elite. While it is a fine guitar, an $800 Fender American Standard would have blown it out of the water. The standard has all American parts and that ash body is killer. I love ash bodied Fenders. My CS Telecaster has an ash body, which seems to really help bolden the bridge pickup, taming a little of the harsh highs.

Really nice find by gggmann

EDIT: LOL... I also missed Echoes linking it. Great find, Echoes97!