In my opinion, that âX makes my heart beat fasterâ factor is important. Donât dismiss it. Ideally, you want a guitar that makes you want to pick it up and play it, for whatever reason. It doesnât need to be a completely quantifiable and rational reason. It could be anything: you like the color or the way it looks, you like that it was owned by a relative, you like that it says âFenderâ, or whatever.
There are a lot of less expensive guitars that are quality instruments, and will cost less than a Fender. But if you really like Fenders, I think you should seriously consider getting a Fender. My advice is to look for used Fenders made in Mexico. Theyâre good instruments. New theyâre priced higher than the Squires and less than a U.S. Fender. A used one should be cheaper than new, of course, but you still might need to save up (especially if you want to buy an amp at the same time).
With that said, thereâs nothing wrong with starting on something that doesnât say âFender,â and getting a Fender later. Thatâs especially true if youâre really limited by your budget and arenât sure when you might be able to afford the Fender (i.e., you canât really save up in a reasonable amount of time). Itâs probably better to get started than to wait, in that situation. If youâre considering that, take a good look at the Squire âclassic vibeâ guitars.
Ultimately, itâs up to you. Just keep in mind the advice to âget a guitar that makes you want to pick it up and play it.â That kind of qualitative factor is often more important than it might seem.
Let me tell you the whole story of how I got my acoustic guitar: A friend of mine was stationed in Estonia, got bored and bought a Fender CD-60S - despite already owning another acoustic guitar (which she had left at home). Fast forward to the following winter. My friend had by now fallen in love with piano and frequently had lessons and both her guitars stood there, unused. I wasnât feeling good and she kept saying that music would help me. I kept repeating that I donât own any instruments (okay, a Kalimba, but I mostly use that for meditation). She then said: Well, Iâve got two guitars, which one do you want?
I have no idea what the other one was, but as soon as I heard âFenderâ, I was in love. Never played the guitar, only heard it through a shaky phone call (and it wasnât in tune at that time), but I loved it.
So⌠yes, Iâll definitely keep all those other guitars in mind and I will try them out (if the store has them), but I think youâre quite right. The name might be the thing that will make me take it off the wall. Funnily enough, the name Squire would do that as well. It probably makes me seem quite superficial that the name does something like this
Question time: You said that Fenders made in Mexico are good - but how do I find out if itâs made in Mexico or in the States? The store close to me (Zoundhouse in Dresden, if you want to look it up) got quite a nice selection and second hand guitars as well - Iâm just not sure if they know just which factory (used) guitars come out ofâŚ
Hi Estel,
Fender replaces Standard Series with Player Series
Many new Mexican guitar and bass models.
Brand news 19-06-2018
The Standard series, built in Mexico, has been Fenderâs entry-level series for many years and is therefore extremely popular. After all, it is the most affordable option with the Fender logo on the head. These Standards are immediately replaced by the Players, which stand out with a pao ferro key and a lot of choice in colors.
I copied this from âmusicmakerâ
GreetingsâŚ
@roger_holland Thanks! That helps clear it up a bit. Still, I guess, Iâll have to âtake what I can getâ once I can afford an electric guitar. Iâll try to trust my ears and hands - and hopefully it doesnât get too expensiveâŚ
@DarrellW Thanks for the links! That sends me once again down the rabbit hole of researching gear - what a lovely place to be in
I have never heard of the Baton Rouge guitar. But it is an moderately inexpensive model sold on Amazon with a quick search. It is probably a fine entry level instrument. Many of those can be just fine if the set up is ok.
I think you probably made a good choice. You felt a bond and that is the most important thing, regardless of why!
I asked her and this is it: Baton Rouge 112100 AR11S /D western guitar.