1. Buy YOUR guitar: not somebody else's. While I am one of the largest Led Zeppelin fans there is out there, I have never bought a Gibson Les Paul, Jimmy Page's signature guitar, simply because I don't like the playability of it or the sound as much as other guitars. Undisputedly, this guitar is great, and don't let me discourage you from buying it, as there will be a whole segment regarding it later in this guide. However, I find that a Gibson Explorer is suited slightly better to my hand size and picking style, and I can still achieve that wild tube overdrive for anything from driving lead lines to subdued and subtler crunch, as well as very sparkly but modern cleans when I want them. Plus, it looks cool on stage, and people ask me about it, so I have a chance to "stand out" a little more as an individual, which can be a challenge among so many other guitar players.
2. Test it with your amp: or if you're buying both a guitar and an amp, test all the guitars you try with the amp that you like most, and potentially one other. Guitars will retain their basic tonal characteristics from amp to amp, but there will be fundamental changes in the nuances and balance of the guitar's sound that you can't account for if you're playing one guitar with one amp and another guitar with another amp.
3. Don't be afraid to buy used: at least for guitars. I recommend buying off of Craigslist that way you can go and try out the guitar to test for any sort of strange things that make the guitar unplayable. You can buy vintage gear, even, and it's not always more expensive than new gear. But we'll discuss that later.
4. Make sure it feels right: The tone of your guitar is certainly important, but you also want to be able to play it! If the neck feels wrong, or the body is really uncomfortable, you might just want to spring for another guitar, because if you don't feel comfortable with it then you'll have a hard time making a real bond with it. The best guitars will sound great and feel natural.
To make this clear, if it is not already, this guide is for buying electric guitars, not acoustic guitars. This being true, I think a brief explanation of the electric guitar is in order.
The electric guitar, in it's first form, was put into production in the 1930's. These were not the electric guitars we think of today, like Stratocasters and Les Pauls, but rather "hollowbody" electric guitars, which sounded very clean and jazzy. As time progressed, hollowbody guitars got better, but a brilliant man by the name of Les Paul came around in the 50's and stuck some pickups on a solid plank of wood. He called it his "log guitar", and it was the birth of the modern electric guitar. Les Paul continued to design guitars and sell his ideas to larger companies. Two large brands, Fender and Gibson, steamheaded the effort to make electric guitars with solid bodies. The late 50's and early 60's was the golden age of the electric guitar, in which high quality components combined with simple yet beautiful engineering to produce some of the best instruments that have seen the light of day. After this, materials used started to become cheaper, in particular the finishes, and the build quality was not as good. Due to this, in the nineties, there was a sort of regression back to the idea of vintage guitars and vintage build techniques, and all of a sudden people wanted '59 Les Pauls again. Companies started to reissue them, and design their current new models in a more vintage style, but with modern technology implements, making the new millenium a good time to buy a great new guitar.
An electric guitar is a unique instrument in that it produces minimal sound on it's own, and relies on electromagnetic "pickups" to identify the sound and process it to send it to the amplifier. A simplified description is, the guitar's strings vibrate, the pickups "pick up" the sound, send it through the volume and tone potentiometer circuit, and then out the quarter inch output jack to a patch cable to the input on your amp. That's all you need to know about how it works, unless you plan on modifying or building your own electric guitar.
As I mentioned earlier, there are two types of electric guitars, a hollowbody or semi-hollowbody guitar and a solid body guitar. Here's a brief description of each:
Hollowbody: These guitars are based more on acoustic guitars than electric guitars. They are composed of a body that is hollow on the inside, and have two wavy shaped holes called "f-holes" that allow for sound to resonate out from the body. These are generally more expensive, but they also sound amazing. Wes Montgomery used a Gibson hollowbody L-5 on most of his recordings to obtain a sweet, warm sound that is easily heard on his recordings of "Road Song" and "Surrey with the Fringe on Top". The Who's Pete Townshend also used a Gretsch hollowbody guitar on almost all of his recordings with The Who to get that signature crunch sound we all love so much on tracks like "5:15" and "Baba O' Riley".
Solid body: This is what it sounds like- a solid piece of wood, with pickups attached to it. Most rock and roll players use a solid body electric guitar, because it is more playable, and it has very little feedback even when used with a large amp on full volume. It has a lot of character and can produce some killer sounds. Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Alex Lifeson, David Gilmour, and Eric Clapton all primarily used solid body electrics. This doesn't really mean much, because most electrics are solid body, but we will get to the significance of different solid body guitars in the next few paragraphs.
Regarding Bank: A guitar is different than an amp. In reality, it's sometimes better if your guitar costs less than your amp than if your amp costs less than your guitar. The main difference in the pricing of NEW guitars is where they were manufactured. For instance, if I buy a Japanese made Stratocaster, it will run me anywhere from $500-$700, but if I buy an American made Stratocaster, it can cost upwards of $900. While there is not much difference in the overall tone of the guitars, the American made ones are nicer, and generally have upgrades such as better pickups, a locking tremolo, nicer electronics, and better tuners. Higher grade wood is also a feature, which can make all the difference when it comes to the accentuating of the guitar's tonality. For example, a guitar made of low grad alder won't sound all that different from the same guitar made with low grade mahogany, but a guitar made of high grade alder will have a stunning difference from the same guitar made with high grade mahogany. Also, used guitars are great, such as an old Harmony guitar from the 60's or an early 2000's Gibson or Fender. Like with amps, however, you will have to spend some money, whether you like it or not. If you buy a bad guitar, you will sound bad, unless you're very good already (if so then you should check out some of the old walmart guitars, which I will do a segment on in this guide). Buying a bad guitar can fool you into thinking that you can't play, and can discourage you from playing at all. Getting the sound you want is important, and a good purchase is well rewarded with years of enjoyment in music. Plus a guitar like a Fender Telecaster will be worth twice it's value within thirty years, so it's actually a logical investment.
There's not a lot more to say about guitars in categories, so rather than continue to categorize them, I'm just going to do a segment on each of the guitars that I think are good starting points, as well as guitars that I personally love.
1. The Fender Stratocaster
... in all it's shapes and forms.
There's a few options here, so I'll go over them all.
The Standard Stratocaster ($500): This is a Mexican made Stratocaster, that will run around $500 new. It's a very good guitar, and a very solid one. You can get anything from those warbley Hendrix tones on "Little Wing" and "Bold As Love" all the way to the darker and more modern David Gilmour sound on tracks like "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" and "Time". It's, like I said, a solid guitar. Nothing special, but will serve you well for many years ahead of you, and will definitely have a good resale value.
The American Standard Stratocaster ($1000): This guitar is one of my personal favorites, as I own one. It's one of the best guitars I've played, for a few main reasons. First off, it's incredibly comfortable, whether it's played on your leg or hooked to a strap standing up. It's also lightweight, so on stage I don't get fatigued when I want to walk around or move the guitar into different positions. Aside from the benefits of the shape, this guitar's sound is incomparable by any other Stratocaster available new on the market today. If you want to sound like Jimi Hendrix, this is the guitar. Just try running it through a fuzz pedal and you will realize the sheer power of this guitar to wreck havoc on stage. I've also been able to carve my own tone out of this guitar, and it's very easy for me to express myself as a musician through this instrument and really make it audible in the sound that comes out my amp. This guitar has great available finishes, my favorite being the Tobacco Burst, and also has nice tuners, tremolo, and pickups that are not too high gain but not so cool they can't push a tube amp. Overall this guitar is a rip roaring machine, and will keep you excited to play it and keep sounding better for decades to come.
The American Standard Stratocaster HSS/any other HSS Stratocaster ($1000): Everything I said above about the American Standard Strat is true for the American Standard HSS Strat. The only difference is that while the Standards has three single coil pickups (SSS), the HSS has two single coil pickups and one humbucking pickup in the bridge. You may not know what this means. Single coil pickups have a cleaner, twangier sound, generally associated with the sound of a Stratocaster. Humbuckers have a dirtier, higher gain sound, generally associated with the sound of a Gibson Les Paul. I own guitars with both types of pickups and don't prefer either, but you might be limited in the amount of guitars you can purchase. If this is the case, the HSS is for you. It gives you the gain of a humbucking guitar in the bridge position with the soaring cleans of a single coil in the middle and neck positions. A great guitar, but if you're going for that distinctive Strat tone, then you might want to go for the Standard, rather than the HSS.
Let's move to another Fender Guitar, an iconic shape treasured by icons like Bruce Springsteen, Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones), and Jimmy Page while he was playing in The Yardbirds and on some select Led Zeppelin tracks including "Stairway to Heaven".
2. The Fender Telecaster
The American Standard Telecaster ($1050): This is like the shotgun of electric guitars. It's got power, twang, and real rock and roll grit and bite. It's got a bright tone, and a very distinctive one. From sparkling cleans to very crunchy overdrive tones, it's a powerhouse of punk rock, blues, and classic riffs that won't give up on you, ever. I would recommend this guitar to you if you have a lot of styles to play, or if you play through a Fender tube amplifier like a Deluxe Reverb or Fender Champ. It will sound great through any amp, but I personally love the combination of Fender Telecaster guitar and Fender Bassman or Fender Deluxe Reverb amplifier- it's just one of those sounds that you can't find with anything else. The Butterscotch Blonde finish is the only way to go, in which case you'll have to buy a model other than the American Standard, like the American Vintage '52 Reissue Telecaster. However, if you really want something else, check out the more modern Wine Red.
The Standard Telecaster ($500): Like the Standard Stratocaster, this guitar is not absolutely incredible. However, I would recommend the Standard Telecaster over the Standard Stratocaster. The Telecaster is easier to play, and will sound very good no matter what wood the body is made of. I've recommended this very guitar to two close friends when they just started guitar, and they've both purchased it and are still using it because they love it's sound, even though their ear for good tone is slightly more selective than it was when they just had started playing. If you don't spring for the American Standard, then the Standard is a perfectly good option. Plus, it comes in Butterscotch Blonde!
We'll move on to Gibson guitars now, starting with a guitar that changed the face of seventies rock and roll.
3. The Gibson SG
There are two models that I really recommend, one is from Gibson's other brand name, "Epiphone".
The Epiphone G-400 ($400): This guitar was my first guitar, and I still have it. It makes a great starter guitar, and it's very attractively priced. However, if you want to continue using it, you will have to replace the pickups that it comes with, as well as the tuners which do not hold their tune too well. By way of pickups, I recommend DiMarzio's, or Gibson Burstbuckers. I personally used Swineshead pickups, but sadly they are now out of business. You can still find them on Ebay every now and then, but they may be very expensive and while they are great pickups, you might be able to buy different pickups without hunting around. As for the tuners, standard Grover tuners are good, though I haven't replaced mine yet, only thought about it. However, you can get a quality guitar for only $300 more in modification investments, so really this guitar is a steal. You get the classic SG tone and shape for a fraction of the price, and can greatly improve upon the guitar with only a bit of investment, meaning it can last you a while if you like.
The Gibson SG ($1300): The guitar responsible for Pete Townshend's live performances, Angus Young's signature tone, and even some of Jimi Hendrix's heavier tunes. This guitar is a unique and versatile guitar that can really create some great tones if you use it correctly. It's also very playable and is a good guitar if you're looking for a very high quality instrument as your first guitar. However, it's also a great buy if you're experienced, as you can get some very interesting tones out of it in combination with a tube amp and a good boost pedal. Overall, a great guitar that is a good contrast to other Gibson guitars, and that will definitely let you stand out in the crowd if you decide to make it your signature guitar.
Here's another option from Gibson, one that's a little edgier... literally.
4. The Gibson Explorer
The Gibson Explorer ($1150): Most people believe this guitar is just for 80's hair metal, and can only achieve the sounds of a heavy chugging rhythm and a piercingly screaming solid state distortion lead. While it excels at that if you want it to, it's not even the best use of this guitar. The pickups are incredibly hot, meaning they drive a tube amp very easily and intensely, but that means that if you want a clean tone, you just need to bring down your gain and turn up your master volume. When you do this with the Explorer, it creates a very deep and harmonically rich tone, coming from that large resonating mahogany body. It can also do Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones if you bring your gain up, in which case it sounds awesome in a more overdriven state. One thing to keep in mind though, is that you will have to cut some of the bass frequencies on the EQ control on your amp to brighten up the tone a little, otherwise it can get muddy. Other than that, the guitar is very well balanced in terms of natural equalization. Players like Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Kirk Hammet of Metallica, and The Edge of U2 used this guitar extensively, yet people still question how they achieved their signature tones. I personally own this guitar and find it comparable to a Gibson Les Paul, but with better playability, a more tasteful range of gain, and a look that will get you attention.
5. The Gibson Les Paul
Undeniably the most beautiful guitar in the world, let's have a look at three of the most popular Les Paul models.
The Gibson Les Paul Standard ($2300): This guitar says it all. From a carved flame maple top to a solid mahogany body and a beautiful mother of pearl inlay, this is one of the best looking guitars out there. It's classic but comfortable shape and modern compound neck radius makes it easy to play on stage or on your couch, and it's burst bucker pickups and top of the line electronics provide the tone that has defined so many guitar players throughout the years of rock and roll. It sounds best through an amp that doesn't have too much potential for compressed high gain, because it starts to get muddy with a lot of metal-like distortion. This is definitely not to say that it doesn't like tube gain or fuzz. A crunchy amp like a Fender Twin Reverb or a cleaner Egnater amp will pair well with this amp. Of course, if you really want to go classic, play it through a Marshall all tube JCM 800 reissue, and rock out with some classic tube overdrive, but use it in moderation, because it can be a little muddy. This guitar has a lot of cool features, so go and try it out, because even though it's a great guitar, it wasn't quite the guitar for me at first glance, and it may be the same case for you.
The Gibson Les Paul Studio ($1400): Essentially all the great features of the beautiful Les Paul Standard but minus a few things- the sexy flame maple top, certain finishes, the highest grade wood, and the overall quality of the pickups and electronics. It's the guitar to buy if you want that Les Paul tone and feel but don't want to spend more than $2000 on the guitar you buy. If you get this guitar though, get a tube amp! Just like the standard, it sounds best with some overdriven tubes.
The Epiphone Les Paul Standard ($400-$500): First off, I don't recommend buying this guitar unless it is your FIRST guitar. It's got good playability, with a decent imitation of that Les Paul feel, but it's certainly no Gibson Standard or Studio. It lacks the same wide range of dynamics and Les Paul tone. It's hard to describe the difference here, but this guitar has a lot less "life" than the Gibson models. This is due to a lower grade of wood, pickups that are substandard, and tuners that don't hold their tune all that well. However, it's still a good guitar and looks very good in any of the numerous finishes it's available in.
That's all the big ones that are virtually impossible to go wrong with, now let's look at some of my personal favorites. WARNING: many of these guitars are hard to play and will only sound good for specific uses and if you really know how to play guitar very well. I wouldn't recommend MOST of these as first guitars for anybody. Nonetheless, they sound super cool, and can really draw attention from other guitar players as well as add character to your band or other group with their unique sounds and looks.
The Harmony H78/Meteor/Heathkit:
<<<Harmony Meteor
These two guitars are both great sounding hollow bodies with a lot of character and some very interesting sounding pickups. The H-78 is a little higher quality, and has the beautiful red burst finish, three pickups, and bigsby tremolo system. The Meteor is no slouch either though, with some harmonically rich "mustache" pickups and a very nice feel that makes it fit like a glove when you play it. Obviously these are both very jazzy or bluesy looking guitars, but I personally like to use them for bluesy rock or classic rock music, or with a load of fuzz through a slightly driven tube amp. Both of these guitars are available on Ebay, and they will run anywhere from $800-$1400. Though this is a bit pricey for these guitars, it is worth it if you have a Gibson and a Fender and are looking for something different. These are also great recording guitars, and they will certainly get the Rolling Stone critics wondering about how you got your signature tone on your most recent album. If you can't try it out at the place you're buying it from, at least see a demo of it on YouTube, or make sure there's a good refund policy.
The Gretsch Jet
There's one word to describe these guitars and that word is cool. They look like a Les Paul mixed with an old "Airline" Supro guitar, and they sound very good with an old Fender amp. You get that really clean and deep sound that's just on the border of breaking up. Plus, Gretsch instruments won't give up on you, so you don't have to worry about warranty issues or quality control. It comes in a lot of different models with various finishes and pickups, so try them out or watch a demo and see narrow it down to the one for you! It runs around $2200, so choose carefully.
The Ibanez GB10
This guitar is killing. I haven't ever played an Ibanez I liked as much as this one. It's soft rhythm humbucker tone matched with it's resonant yet streamlined maple body makes it sound as good as a Gibson ES-175 (a great guitar, I own one, the best for jazz). Flatwound strings are a must, as it warms up the tone and makes it sound very fluid. Go play this guitar if you can! It's very expensive, running about $3400 new, but you can find a good deal on Ebay for a used one.
The Supro Dual Tone
And similar Supro models
Well, that's it for this guide. Play the guitar, don't be afraid to spend some cash, and buy what sounds good!
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