I think you would be very lucky to find a guitar you love first time around. Best to think of it as an experiment. I consider myself incredibly lucky to find a guitar that feels like a wonderful old friend on only the second attempt. But it did cost me AU$2,400. 
You will have much more chance of progressing to guitar 2 if the first one is nice to play. If it is just nice to look atā¦ wellā¦ I guess it will always look good sitting in the corner of your room.
It seems that youāve already made your mind so anything anyone says here isnāt going to make a difference.
If you want a strat, save up and buy a strat. Otherwise buy whatever you feel like.
Cheers.
Hi Lefteris, @Lefteris
That sounds a bit harsh to my ears ā¦ I think the question and struggle is good because Avleen is looking for confirmation and hopes to get it from fellow forum members, and we are talking about a strat model and they come in a wide price range and also little different versions. the entire forum is full of people who hope to find confirmation in their choice and do not have the money (or the desire) to purchase another one after a wrong choiceā¦
Greetings
Hi Rogier @roger_holland !
Letās have a look at the data:
Fellow members provided some pretty good answers based on the available information.
Unanswered.
That has been answered by all fellow members who replied to this post and recommended to shop local if online is considered risky.
So, my assessment still stands. Usually 1+1=2. Itās that simple.
I think if you have saved for something and its all the money you have it needs to tick the boxes you want!
So to me how it looks is important as it makes you want to pick it up but it also got to sound and play well so I would say you need to set your criteria to include these I brought my first guitar online from Thomann.
Good luck with everything.
30,000 INR, total budget.
You put my feelings into words.
Thank you so much.
I am closer to making a decision.
I looked at their website and facebook page. There are reviews from customers on Facebook. The prices are very good.
Are guitar review videos sponsored? That can be hard to tell, but what Iād do is look at other posts by the reviewers to see if theyāre looking for sponsorship $. If itās a channel with lots of followers, that can lead to a sponsored review: many of the teachers with large followings are more attractive to manufacturers looking for sponsors, and often they also include guitar giveaways (so is sponsored). Still, the instructors/reviewers have a reputation to keep (usually) which usually keeps them honest. Just my opinion. Iāve never tried one of their guitars, or heard of them.
I also agree with checking out their return policy (and shipping costs), which is your bail out option if itās not for you. Iād expect to pay a significant shipping cost for a return, such that youāll be wondering if itās worth it to return or if itās better.
@Avleen , if your local store doesnāt have a guitar that you like so that you can try it, then your other option is to order online.
Google says there are some stores in India that ship guitars. Unfortunately, their return policies are despicable apart from that at Ace Music.
Seeing that this store only has Newen guitars, I can see why youāre asking and youāre hesitant to order.
But then again youāre not very open with the details soā¦ all I can make is assumptions and all you can get is generic opinions.
Howerver, Iāll try to be specificā¦
If you fear that you wonāt like the guitar, buy the newen from a store which accepts returns if you donāt like the product.
If you plan to keep the guitar and you donāt care about returning in case you donāt like it, then I see that Squire strats are priced the same as the Newen guitars. So, since you like the iconic strat shape, go for a Squire I guess.
In either case, it is likely you will need to do some setting up on your own.
Specs-wise, theyāre not too different. I donāt like the oak body of the Newen. Poplar that is used for the Squire is a more common choice.
I also see that the Newen guitars only come with rosewood fretboard but you can get a Squier with a maple fretboard if you prefer that.
The amp you picked will do the job. Donāt forget you also need a cable and a tuner.
Good luck.
What do you think of the Tagliare? I moved away from Chicago a couple of years ago and thought it was cool that heās located there. I really like what I just read on his website. Iām in the market for my first electric.
Iāve had no problems with it at all. Iād do it again. By the way, I grew up in LaGrange, lived in Wheaton as an adult, worked in Naperville, before moving to Minnesota for a second career.
Thatās really great to hear. Iām going to investigate it further. I lived in Lisle for a bit and worked in Downers Grove and Oak Brook Terrace. We were living in the northern suburbs until we moved to rural Georgia.
Hey @Avleen Have you made your choice with your first electric guitar because I am having a similar doubt with the newen brand and a well known ibanez guitar,both of which fits my budget.Let me know your experience.
You canāt really go wrong with Ibanez, even their inexpensive guitars are pretty decent, they have a brand name to protect so have to make sure what they sell is fit for purpose; lesser known brands do not!
However, there are three guitars the stand out to me:
My first guitar was a Squier Bullet hardtail strat. Got it on Amazon in November 2022 for $159 US. It sounded a little tinny to me, but better after a set up. I think its a fine first guitar and used it through Grade 1. I have since purchased a used PRS which i use almost exclusively. I use the Squire when I travel by car and have been thinking about upgrading the pots and definitely the strings one of these days.
Avlen,
Buy the guitar and amp you want. Nothing wrong with your choices.
However, if you find that itās hard to play, take it to a Luthier (guitar tech) and have him/her perform a full set-up on it, which normally includes:
This is normally done along with a string change, so this would also be a good time to consider thinner strings if youāre experiencing excessive finger pain. Many people start with .009"-.042" strings, but .008"-.038" will be even easier on your fingers. As your fingers strengthen, you can always change to thicker strings.
A proper setup on any guitar, regardless of price, is the best thing you can spend your money on as a new guitar student IMHO.
YMMV
Yamaha Pacifica for me. Iām biased as itās what I got as my first guitar, bought second hand from ebay
Itās a great piece of kit
Hello, itās a problem for most of us, budget, I could not spend more than ā¬260 for an amp and a strat. So I bought a Dimavery ST 303 and a Blackstar 15W amp after watching a view Youtube vids. I bought this guitar online because it was not available in our country. From what I heard on those vids, the sound looked ok to me. I am very happy with my so called budget guitar. The amp has a bright clear tone sound, reverb and gain,
