Hey all. I have been playing acoustic for my first bit of guitar playing and am venturing into electric guitar world. I have some electric guitars and amps in my list of possible purchases. I am looking for suggestions/ recommendations out of this list. thanks!
1 Like
I like to play alot grunge but will mess around with some other genres sometimes
helping pick a guitar is a hard thing to do. You haven’t selected anything I’d steer you away from, so the stuff you are considering is all still viable from that standpoint.
I recommend you take a look at the grunge you enjoy, look at how the band created the sounds they play, and see if you have the functions necessary to get in the ballpark. This is mostly for the amp, but the difference between the single and HB coils will make a tonal difference that is hard to overcome.
I have not used any of the stuff you have in your list. I do have an Epiphone SG that seems to be pretty good. It has some quirks that I suspect are sought after (like sustain that is so long it is nearly annoying!), but overall I like it.
You probably want to try gear out before you commit as well.
Well worth a play of any guitar you are interested in.
IMO the LP will be more grunge with dual humbuckers, but do you like the shorter scale length etc?
The Boss Katana 50 will probably get you the best grunge sounds too
You might not want the extra expense, or need the extra volume, but consider the Katana 100 over the Katana 50 because it has some extra stuff that you might want further down the line (can’t remember the details but I think it relates to the effects loop)
2 Likes
Definitely try the guitars before deciding. Since you’ve been playing acoustic, you may find the weight of a Les Paul problematic.
1 Like
This is true generally and very good advice. Les Paul’s tend to be a lot heavier so you might want to go to shop to test them out to see which feels better. I do think that the cheap epiphones like the les paul specials are les pauls in name and shape only. they even have bolt on necks instead of the normal glued on ones you see in more traditional LPs. I’m not 100% sure but it’s totally possible that they have different weights than traditional LPs as well. Definitely worth actually trying out and getting a feel.
You certainly should be looking for a light Les Paul regardless of brand or construction.
For some reason at some time it was decided heavier was better. I guess backs and shoulders were stronger back then.
I’ve got an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plustop Pro and I’m pretty satisfied with it. True, it’s not light as a feather, but not super heavy either. I’ve recently bought a Fender Player Plus Strat, and sometimes it feels heavier than the Epi LP, actually. But I don’t think that the weight alone should be a deal-breaker.
As others have mentioned, visit a few stores and try what they have available to get a feel for them. It will be much easier to decide if you like or don’t like a guitar when you actually hold it in your hand.
I have both a Burst Epi Les Paul and a Bullett Strat. The Bullett Strat (neck) is used on the AV I recently uploaded both for the rhythm and solo parts. Both good beginner electrics so get both. The Strat is good cos you can upgrade all of it. You can also upgrade the electrics and pickups on the LP but you cant take it to bits.
They sound different so in time you may prefer one over the other. The strat is easier to play and live with whereas the LP takes more work but sounds great.
In terms of amps I’m not aware of the ones you list.
It has a bolt on neck right? Struggling to think exactly what you cant change on it compared to a strat
@RobDickinson My Epi Les Paul does not have a bolt in neck. Maybe cheap copies do but I doubt an Epiphone does. And you can’t stick a Gibson neck on it as Gibson’s are definitely not bolt on whereas you can put a Fender Custom Shop Strat neck on a Squier Bullet if you so desire.
This Epi certainly does have a bolt on neck
I stand corrected but what neck are you going to upgrade it with? I get the feeling the Epi the OP is looking at is higher spec.
Its basically that guitar. Its $300 , all the Epi les pauls at that price range have bolt on necks.
What neck you replace it with is totally down to you. It obviously wont be a gibson one but so what?
TBH no one buying this guitar will be replacing the neck anyhow.
The one linked by OP seems to be this model, indeed with a bolt-on neck:
To OP: it’s worth checking the given manufacturer’s own website as well since there may be further details/specs provided.
I have the fender champion 20. It’s a tidy amp. I got mine 2nd hand for 40gbp.
1 Like
I have to disagree on Fender Champ. Katana is probably miles better although I’d personally go for a tube amp like Fender Blues JR or Blackstar HT-5R (I have the 20R and could not be happier).
yeah i wasnt leaning towards the strat or the LP any which way. but it seems as though theirs more criticism on the LP ?
LP and Strat are at different ends of classic electric guitar spectrum.
LPs traditionally have humbucker pick ups, great for loud, in-your-face, powerful rock sound. One of the best examples of an LP user would be Slash.
Strats traditionally have single coils and great for a more mellow sound with great examples like Hendrix and John Mayer.
That does not mean you can’t play other styles, especially with modern levels of effect technology but these would be the most prominent styles for each type of guitar.