New (another) guitar?

Hi all
Here is where i am at,
Started playing /learning 2 and 1/2 years ago at age 65 and been following Justin’s beginner and intermediate lessons.
My current guitar is a Yamaha RS320 Revstar.
I feel that I am now well into
intermediate stage with good knowledge of theory , chords, scales etc.
wanting to pursue soft rock, country rock (Eagles, Credence etc)
What to buy now???
Limited budget say $600- $800 Aus
Any ideas?
Glen

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Sorry should be AUS $1800

I got a Fender Telecaster last month, and I love it. It truly is an insanely versatile instrument and worth looking into I think. The Player version fits right in your budget as well.

Glen - what is the Revstar not giving you that makes you want to get another?
Or are you simply thinking of an upgrade whether to something similar or somewhat different?

The obvious contrast to the Revstar would be something with a different scale length and different pickups … Fender style with single coil pickups perhaps?
Do you want a fixed or tremolo bridge?

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Hi Glen,
Have fun now you got almost all the time, :smiley:… :sunglasses:
Greetings,Rogier

Hey, another Queenslander!

$1800 can buy you a pretty awesome guitar.

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As close2u has mentioned, what do you want from a new guitar?

I started with a Strat, then bought a PRS SE Singlecut as I wanted to scratch the humbucker equipped single cut itch, then built a Telecaster to scratch that country twang itch, then an Taylor GS-Mini as I wanted an acoustic I could actually play for a reasonable length of time (I’ve got a shoulder issue which makes full size acoustics uncomfortable to strum for more than a few minutes).

And I might have possibly just agreed to pre-order something else to scratch a slightly different itch…

Revstar was sold to me as a basic beginners guitar and it is easy to play but I feel that it has taken me to a point where I need another instrument as I explore justin’s lessons further.
Sound quality is fair to good but lacks comparison when i listen to others do their thing albeit some light blues , country rock etc

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I would suggest that you look on the In the blues YouTube channel to see what he has reviewed, he’s Australian and shops mainly in Australia so he mentions shops as well so that might be useful to you. Whatever you like the look of do not buy one until you’ve given one a thorough trial in a shop!

It seems difficult to conclude that the differences you are hearing are due to the guitar. Different amps and pedals, different conditions and, most importantly, different players.

If there are specific characteristics lacking in the Revstar, or if you just have an “itch to scratch” (as @mc above), sure go for it. But it seems like basing your decision on comparing to other players will probably lead to disappointment.

I think if your looking to buy a different guitar the best thing you could do is go to a good store with a variety and try some different guitars out… your goal is to find something that feels and sounds great to you. If ya don’t find anything that you like that’s better than what you have then stick with what you have. And keep in mind that you can pickup 2 guitars that are the same brand and model and identical… but they may feel and sound different. I would look at both new and used.

Dave

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Sound and tone is a very subjective thing.

Most guitars are capable of producing a reasonable tone, whether that tone is what you’re aiming for is a completely different thing.

Do you want that clarity of single coils in something like a Strat, the country twang of single coils in a Tele, the almost overdriven sound of Humbuckers in a Les Paul, or some overdriven P90s to think of a few?
And then you get into amps.

I’d suggest you spend some time watching and listening to youtube videos that demonstrate various guitars and pick up options.

Plus there is the fact that playing technique can make the exact same setup sound different between players.

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$1800 au will get you a decent guitar, esp if you look in the 2nd hand market. By the way, I’ve got a friend who runs several jams on the Sunny coast, let me know if you want more details.

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What guitars do Eagles use?
Gretsch and Duesenberg guitars can also be found throughout the set. As a result, Walsh used various Takamine and Gibson acoustic devices. A number of guitars have been played by The Eagles’ Don Felder, including the **Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster, and Telecaster

What guitars did Tom Fogerty play?

  • Guild Starfire VI. Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitars.
  • Rickenbacker 330 Electric Guitar. Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitars.
  • Gibson Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar. Solid Body Electric Guitars.
  • Kustom 200A.
  • Gibson J-200.
  • Gibson Flying V Electric Guitar
  • RICKENBACKER 360 os Doble-Bound
  • Gibson ES-335 Electric Guitar.

So thats quite a spread.

You have a double humbucker now, a HSS or tele would likely be next, or a 335?

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It’s not a “beginner’s guitar” at all.

It’s a decent guitar that is as good as many costing much more. For many people here it would be an upgrade from their current guitar.

If you want to get another guitar because there’s something you dislike about the Revstar, or because you want something different (e.g. single coil pickups) then go for it.

But you shouldn’t be looking to get a new guitar because of some incorrect perception about your current one not being good enough somehow.

Cheers,

Keith

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I’ll add that the whole “beginner’s guitar” thing is a bit suspect in the first place.

What people generally mean by “beginner guitars” is ones at the cheaper end of the scale, on the basis that you probably don’t want to invest too much in a new hobby to start with. What “too much” is will depend on your bank balance: if you are a billionaire then a $25,000 vintage Les Paul could be a “beginner guitar”.

There are some “beginner” guitars which are low-end instruments, often sold in a pack along with a cheap amp, aimed at providing an all-in-one package for the new starter. These are often very poor quality and are actually possibly the worst thing a beginner could get, as they will make learning hard.

IMO any guitar that you learn on should be an instrument that a professional player would be reasonably comfortable gigging with. Most modern guitars costing around $150-200 (USD) upwards fall into that category.

As a great example of that, Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike and The Mechanics) can afford to have pretty much any guitar he wants, but he recently revealed that he gigs with $200 Squier Bullet Strats, a guitar many people would consider a “beginner’s guitar”.

A guitar costing $500 or more should be a high quality instrument. As you go up in price, the law of diminishing returns applies, and you get increasingly less and less for your money. Above around $1,000-$2,000 you are mostly paying for cosmetics, like exotic woods or branding.

Cheers,

Keith

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Hi Glen, I bought a Fender Acoustasonic Player Telecaster about 3 months ago for approx $1500 (AUS). Its neck has a similar feel to a Telecaster, it has a light weight/slim body and the range of sounds (from acoustic to full electric) really has to be heard to be believed. The fit and finish of the one I purchased is good (mine hasn’t fallen apart yet :grinning:) and there are quite a few reviews of this guitar out on youtube if you want get an idea of its sound/style etc.


I’ve attached a picture of the guitar that I purchased but it does come in a range of colours if white is not your thing.

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thanks for connecting me to this discussion. I will have to look at bullet strats in my area. I have heard of them before and figured it could be a cool first electric guitar for me