New Member

Hello,

Just wanted to introduce myself. I have been looking for a sensible forum to learn about guitars and this seems very promising!
I am 4x years old (where x is a VERY large number!). About 17 years ago I bought an electric guitar and an Ernie Ball book and tried to teach myself to play. Major failure! I understood theory and could find notes but never figured out how to change chords smoothly.
Anyway, it has always bugged me that I did not learn to play. (I actually have dreams where I pick up a guitar but cannot play!)
I like Jimmy Page, ZZ top, Guns and Roses, Lennie Kravitz, Stevie Ray Vaughn and AC/DC kind of music.
I'm ready to give it another shot. This time I am going to take lessons! My 8YO daughter just started taking lessons at the School of Rock in Agoura California. I wish they took adults!
Anyway, I am looking for a good instructor and a guitar. I want to get some GOOD theory books to get started. (Cary I will try the book you recommended a couple of posts ago.)
Also I need to figure out how to buy a guitar and it's hard when you can not play and really evaluate intelligently. I'm leaning towards a Les Paul. I gather they can all be variable, and tone is a personal grail. Any advice is appreciated.
A recent poster on the Gibson Les Paul forum said he had one r58 that would "kick in your teeth and then sh$t in your cornflakes" While the other two he owns would ask you to "pass the guitar polisher." How can I find the former?

Cheers,

Scott

Hi Scott,

Welcome - I'm another 4X'er and have found my love of guitar late in the game. I started out with a Strat and then discovered Gibson guitars and absolutely LOVE them. Don't get me wrong, I love Strats also, but for the music I play (Hard rock) I love the tone of the Humbuckers - you can take a look at some of my guitars on the show us your gear thread if interested.

I've found everyone here are very helpful and a few (Cary,Adaptable and Badger, I'm sure there are more...) exceptionally knowledgeable -

Welcome to Tube Freaks, Scott––I'm a late 3X'er, but please don't hold it against me.

If you like the look and feel of a Les Paul, but don't want to fork out that kind of money to start, then I can highly recommend one of ESP's guitars, particularly something from their low-cost LTD EC Series.

These instruments are beautifully built, with high-quality parts, and are insanely playable––and they're assembled in South Korea so they are incredibly cheap.

I bought ESP's archtop EC-400 (read my full review here,) and it is a truly phenomenal guitar––great neck, great action, real Seymour Duncan humbuckers, TonePros nut, and every bit as good as a mid-range Les Paul (IMHO.) They of course blow the Epi LPs out of the water.

ESP discontinued this model for 2007, and you can currently get them for a song & a dance ($450) at Musician's Friend. I got the gold top, and it's gorgeous.

I would personally shy away from throwing down big cash on a real Les Paul until you are able to pick one up, play it, and really discern what you like and dislike about it. Starting with something cheaper––but of truly high quality––will allow you to make much better use of your money when you're really ready.

I've gotta' get back to work, but I'll give your other questions some thought, and get back here soon.

Good luck!

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egr :: guitar spoken here

Thanks guys. 17 years ago I bought a Les Paul studio, and after 2 years sold it for what I paid. I hesitate to buy something that would have no resale in the event that I bomb out again. BUT! I'm not going to give up this time, and I'm a sucker for nicely made mechancal art-stuff.
(I'm into mechanical watches, air-cooled Porsche Turbos, and well made double-barreled shotguns .)
I may rent from the local guitar store until I can learn enough to find "the one". Or maybe I'll just borrow Grace's Atom Pink Sparkle finish Daisy Rock.....

It's kind of like Harry Potter choosing his wand. You know it as soon as you hold it. (Of course that is how I ended up with a Krieghoff K-80 last year that was twice my budget.)

I hope that when I die my wife does not sell my stuff for what I told her I paid for it.

Hey Scott, in that case I'd say just go out and find the best selection of LPs in your area, and prepare to spend a lot of time tryin' them out. You might even want to hit a few different stores, or travel out of your immediate surroundings if there's a better selection nearby (I go over to San Francisco when I'm looking for serious gear, even though it's quite a ways away.)

It's true that individual guitars of the same model can play and sound vastly different, so if you're really looking for your dream guitar you probably won't want to purchase it online (though most of the online retailers have pretty decent return policies for just this reason.)

Gibson has so many different makes of Les Paul these days that I can hardly keep them separated in my mind, though for classic rock you might want something with the PAF-style humbuckers (I believe Gibson calls them BurstBuckers on their new guitars.)

Whatever you do, have fun playing all those guitars, and don't lay your money down until you find the perfect fit.

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egr :: guitar spoken here

EX-Zactly!
I already determined that I like a 50s style neck more than a 60's style neck. I have huge hands. Then I just had the dude at Guitar Center play them back to back for tone. It's a journey!
Any input on PRS guitars? Also still contemplating an excellent theory book so that I can get up to speed until I take lessons?

American made PRS Guitars are excellent, on par with a high end Gibson....particularly the single cut models.

One suggestion, since you are just starting out, make sure you like the way the guitar sits on your leg when sitting down....as well as how it feels with a strap on. That's my personal issue with most of the PRS's that I've played...the bodies don't sit well on my leg when I'm sitting down.....with the exception of the Single Cut, Les Paul-like model. You may find the weight may be an issue. Strats and Teles simply feel right to me (5'10" medium hands). One of my first teachers was a big guy (6'6" with big hands)....He had a 1969 Gibson ES-335 that was just right for him. I've heard of guys who will only play Flying-Vs. To each his own.

I also second the notion to buy a guitar with a high probability of good resale value (American made). Not to be offensive, but of you are 4X years old...it will either sit in its case for years (in which case it could appreciate and be a great investment...make sure to tell your wife)...or you'll really relish it every time you play it and it will be an heirloom. My teacher with the 335 bought it for a few hundred bucks in the 70's....now it's worth a small fortune. A buddy of mine bought a 1962 pre-CBS Strat in the late 70s....it's worth a mint now. If you buy a second rate guitar made in a low cost geography or even the lower end American models, you'll actually be lucky to sell it for what you paid for it.

If you are looking to study theory, I strongly suggest musicianship and/or harmony classes at your local community college. It's relatively inexpensive...and it will help you build a community to help you out. Surprising, my local community college offer an excellent two year curriculum that can prep you for a music degree at a larger school....considering its less than $100 a class, you'll get more out of these classes than out of several books....supplemented with lessons from a professional in the style you want to play...You could be on your way in as little as a year.

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THIS SPACE FOR RENT

Scott,

I just realized that you are in So. Cal. I strongly recommend you buy your guitar at Buffalo Brothers in Carlsbad (maybe 2 hours from Thousand Oaks off the I-5). They carry Fender, Gibson, PRS, and other guitars of distinction. What they offer is a 100% trade up policy on any guitar you buy from them as long as you keep it in good condition. You can start with a fairly low end model, and work your way up to a truly collectible instrument. The staff there is very knowledgeable and they do not work on commission. Plus tend not to rotate as often as the folks at Guitar Center. I wish I would have known about this place even just 3 years ago.... It would have saved me a lot of money.

I also recommend going to the vintage room at big Guitar Center in Hollywood (perhaps before Buffalo Brothers). Here you can get a real sense of what makes great collectible instruments. Across the street from the GC there is a Mesa Boogie store, and a few others that carry lesser known guitars (like ESP or Valley Arts).

Good luck!

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THIS SPACE FOR RENT

This has been a very interesting thread, and I agree with most of what has been recommended to you, Scott. As an average guitar player with a small collection of guitars, I'll throw in my two cents...Most of my guitars are Gibsons or Fenders. From an investment point-of-view my best example is a 66 Jaguar I bought in 1982 for $250. It's now worth roughly 10 times that amount.

I started buying guitars again a few years ago when I rediscovered how much I love playing guitar. I have two guitars that are probalby questionable with respect to long-term value:
1998 Fender Nashville Telecaster (made in Mexico)
2005 Gibson Les Paul special (made in USA) photo of this guitar here: Modeling amps

But here's the thing...I LOVE those two guitars and play them all the time. As much as I love that old Jag, it is not as playable as the newer guitars and it is more difficult to maintain. My Les Paul feels great, plays great and sounds amazing -- and I paid $600 for it. I paid only $375 for my Tele.

If your intent is to get into this as an investor, then don't mess with low-cost guitars. If your intent is to get into this as a player, then really do your howework. Go to Buffalo Bros and play every guitar in the store. I have always found that when you do so, the "right" guitar(s) for you will always make themselves known to you. The first time I picked up that Les Paul special at Elderly Instruments in Lansing, I knew I was not leaving the store without it.

At this point I don't care if these two guitars ever appreciate, because I love playing them so much that I'll never sell them. And I did not invest enough money in them initially to be worried about their resale value.

I'm not suggesting that you buy a poorly-made guitar. What I am saying is that I'm convinced there are many guitars on the market available for under $1000 that will give you a lifetime of enjoyment. And that includes guitars made by other companies than the big two.

The best part of all this is how much fun you'll have trying out all of those different instruments. Enjoy!

Thanks for the advice. I'm not looking to be an investor/collector, but I want one nice guitar that I will love to look at and play. I'll definately check out those stores. I will probably lease until I'm ready to buy.