Advice on buying guitar

Xzava · #1 10-19-2011, 05:12 PM

Hello,

I'm just looking for some advice on a guitar to buy.

The New Zealand dollar is quite over valued at the moment, so I thought I'd take advantage of that and buy a guitar on ebay.

I like semi hollowbodys But I'm not sue what else i should be looking for other than that.

I want to play Jazz mixed with a bit of Rock and Metal.

Thanks in advanced :]

Atticus · #2 10-19-2011, 05:40 PM

You can't go wrong with a Telecaster, probably one with humbuckers if you want to play metal or hard rock too.

BigDaddyLoveHandles · #3 10-19-2011, 05:43 PM

Hmmm... a guitar for both jazz and metal....

Retroman1969 · #4 10-20-2011, 04:29 AM

I think you're on the right track. A Semi like a 335 style guitar would be a good choice for crossing those styles. (best bargains: Epiphone Dot and Oscar Schmidt Delta King)
An equally good choice is the aforementioned Telecaster. (best bargains: Squier and Fender MIM)

Best part is both of those are all over the place and can be found at all price points.

fws6 · #5 10-20-2011, 04:52 AM

One guitar that was originally designed for playing jazz, but did great in Rock and Metal is the "Gibson Les Paul"....

Depending on your budget; Used you can find an Epiphone LP underneath 300; a Gibson Studio around 700-800; the (discontinued) double cuts around 1400; and a standard around 1600 ? I personally dont like the really heavy ones but for the rest they seem the perfect option for playing jazz to metal on the same guitar.

Just a thought

Xzava · #6 10-20-2011, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retroman1969

I think you're on the right track. A Semi like a 335 style guitar would be a good choice for crossing those styles. (best bargains: Epiphone Dot and Oscar Schmidt Delta King)
An equally good choice is the aforementioned Telecaster. (best bargains: Squier and Fender MIM)

Best part is both of those are all over the place and can be found at all price points.

335 style is def what I'm after, I'll go to my local music story and try out some Les pauls and Telecasters.

Regarding the 335 sytle, What are some more Brands or models that I should be looking at? around the $500 mark.

fws6 · #7 10-21-2011, 03:42 AM

If you are in New Zealand, and want to buy a $500 guitar in the USA it might not be worth the effort. Sure you'll benefit from the current exchange rate, but shipping and import taxes will also be hefty. Unless you are looking at a bit higher budget guitar, the importing isnt all that beneficial and you probably can find better deals when you buy (used) locally.

cjm · #8 10-21-2011, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xzava

I like semi hollowbodys But I'm not sue what else i should be looking for other than that.

I want to play Jazz mixed with a bit of Rock and Metal.

There is another active thread here that has touched on this theme...probably you have seen it.

It is my contention that you cannot buy a guitar that will do what it appears you want it to do.

"Versatility" works from the perspective of a manufacturer: "I can build one model and market it to entirely different demographics for entirely different purposes."

This versatility does not apply to you as an aspiring guitarist. Sure, you can buy an ES-335 (or a clone) and use it for EITHER rock or jazz.

But if you try to use it for BOTH rock and jazz, it won't be much good for one or the other, or if you attempt a compromise setup, it won't be much good for either.

In other words, unless you are prepared to change strings, change action height, recompensate/reintonate the bridge...every few hours, you aren't going to have a guitar suited to what you are doing at the moment.

You've got a couple of choices: You can play jazz or you can play metal and you can buy a guitar that you can setup for whichever direction you decide to go with. (Personally, and I'm sure this comes as no surprize, I'd suggest forgetting about metal and focusing on jazz as something musically rewarding, rather than on something that is mostly posturing and prancing about to raucous noise, but that's just me.)

OR...you can choose to play both and buy two guitars...one for jazz and one for "Rock and Metal." Perhaps an ES-175 type guitar for jazz and maybe a Les Paul type as your rock guitar...but that's only one of a million different combinations that might meet your needs.

That's how I see it, and I'm sure it's an opinion that will offend a lot of people. But it was also the opinion and advice of Howard Roberts who played a lot of jazz, but who also recorded more rock anonymously as a session musician than any rock star you've ever heard of.