Someone asked me the other day "What's the big difference between a €300 guitar and a €1300 one?" I was thinking about it and I wasn't sure if there was a difference that warranted a €1000 price hike. I think I agree with you though, if I'm going to get my fingers cut off by a standard strat I probably wouldn't play it as much and that'd be the worst thing that could happen.
As far as amps go, I was thinking about going for a marshall but would that be too... metal-y? I don't really need something that'll blow my brains out, yet :D A vox ac30cc, maybe? I really don't know yet so I'd be really grateful if you could give me a recommendation :grinthumb

As far as amps go, I was thinking about going for a marshall but would that be too... metal-y?

Not to offend any Marhsall fans.....but....in my opinion they are a little pricey for what you get. I once had a 4x12 cabinet that got accidentally dropped and the cabinet cracked. It was made of partical board! That was years ago though. But if money is not in the way go with Marshall or even better yet go with Crank!!! I played through one a while back in a music store and I think it is the most amazing amp I've seen in a while. This was a head and cabinet, not a combo. Guess you looking for a combo right? I currently have 2 G600 Crate heads and 2 4x12 Distex cab's with Pyle Drivers and 2 4x12 cabs made by Carvin. Although I wouldnt recommend Crate heads either, some of their combo's are nice though. If money is tight I would check out the line of amps made by Beringer!

In a perfect world, this is what I'd get amp-wise:
http://www.cornfordamps.com/launch.html

EDIT: sorry about that link, it's the mk50h I was talking about.

only £1999 :haha: I don't even want to know what that is in euros. Know anything good for about €500?

ahh, i wouldn't buy a behringer if it was powered by jesus christ on a bicycle

marshalls make amazing guitar amps, but yes they are quite pricey. thier line of bass amps is pretty disappointing if you ask me. a friend of mine has a marshall 120 watt all tube head, and with two 410's it was insanely loud. thier solid state stuff ain't no great chakes, though.

So who's better, in terms of making amps, vox or marshall?
I have heard marshalls are a lot more reliable, but is it a case of paying for the name again?

Go out and try different ones and see what you like.

Zep...I know you play in a band. I would not recommend Behringer amps in a band scene to anyone! All I was saying that if ParanoidGuy is just starting out playing guitar, and IF money was an issue i would look at these amps. For the money I think they are okay...but then again you get what you pay for!

Some of my first amps were little Peavey and Crate combo's. And they served me well when I first started playing. In 2 years I graduated to an Ampeg amp and a 2x12 cabinet and thought i was the man! Looking back it was a piece of junk too!

There is nothing wrong with Marshall amps...If I had the money I would buy them. But then again....if I had the money I would buy a Ferrari too!

Well I've totally worn out my epiphone sg and I'm going to work all summer and get a decent guitar(the fender) and I want to get a decent amp as well. To be honest I never really intended to turn this into a "which amp" question but I might as well ask, seeing as I'll probably forget if I don't :D I'll probably have about a grand to spend(I hope) after I get the guitar. So. What's good?

As I've said.....go try out some amps at the music stores. For a grand you could get a fairly decent combo amp!! I think that Peavy, Marshall and Crate make pretty decent combo amps. Not sure what you are going after though. Solid state, tube, any particular wattage or driver specs you are looking for.
Look online at some retailers, usually you can get some really good deals. Look at some pawn shops if you can. I seen a Marshall head and 412 cabinet in one last yeat for $850.00.

I seen a Marshall head and 412 cabinet in one last yeat for $850.00.
Woah, well I don't want to blow anyone's head off...yet :D I'm not in a band, and I'd probably only need a head, 100watt tops. I know, that's boooring :haha: but I I'd feel like an eejit with a deafening stack and nothing to do with it.
'cept annoy the neighbours :D

you should invest in a combo. crate makes some alright guitar combos, i believe they offer a 120-watt model with two 12" cones. of course it's a solid state amp, but still a fine amp for an amateur player.

as for halo71's comment about behringer...i see your point. being that i've never used a behringer outside of a band setting, but i noticed that it didn't vcut through at all.

paranoid guy....I wasn't saying you should buy a stack, only that you may want to look around some pawn shops. Never know what you may find. I've seen amps all the time in them for sale. Usually combo's though.

Maybe, but to be perfectly honest I have a stereotype about pawn shops, most people my age in Ireland do. I was told about a great website though, that ships to Ireland, and it's got the guitar here (http://www.thomann.de/thoiw6_fender_american_dlx_strat_ash_mn_tsb_prodinfo.html)
and the amp I was thinking about getting here (http://www.thomann.de/thoiw6_vox_ac30_cc2_gitarrencombo_prodinfo.html)
I shouldn't even be thinking about it yet though :( , I'll have to work all summer to get both but...I couldn't help it. I had too much free time in computer class :D
p.s. I forgot to ask, what does MN and TSB
mean, after the words "American DLX Strat ASH" ?

Not sure what MN and TSB mean. The strat I have I inherited and never play it anymore.....That amp looks pretty sweet! How much does that equal in U.S. dollars for that amp. I've never played with a VOX amp, heard of them but dont think I have ever seen them in music stores. 300-watt seems really high powered for a combo. But its been several years since I have played with one also.

As far as pawn shops go....if you really know what you are looking for or at and what its really worth. You can "sometimes" get some very good deals! I think ZepHead would agree with me on that statement!

300-watt seems really high powered for a combo. But its been several years since I have played with one also.

hehe it's only 30 watts. I did that too the first time I read the specs and I did a double take. That price comes to $1326.56, and I actually think that's kinda steep, maybe I'm overlooking something. Maybe it makes my breakfast too :D

Wow!! That is kinda steep for a combo, BUT!! You get what you pay for, so I am sure that is a kick ***** amp! That is probably an amp you will play through for many years to come also. Does it have pre-amp outputs etc?

It does indeed, all bells and whistles :D
As far as effects pedals go, what do you think of this (http://www.digitech.com/products/EX7/index.htm)?
I was reading about it in a guitar magazine, sounds(pun intended)good. :D

I cant speak for that pedal, looks like a good one though. But you may want to check out the Digitech RP80, its on that website. I bought one about 6 months ago. And for its size and price (about $65 US) its a pretty nice pedal. Many different effects and you can create custom effects as well. Have no gripes about it....

As far as pawn shops go....if you really know what you are looking for or at and what its really worth. You can "sometimes" get some very good deals! I think ZepHead would agree with me on that statement!true, true. i got my bass 750 used from a small guitar shop, and took it the very same day to deltronics and had a technician check it out. for $20 he went through the whole thing and checked the entire thing out. he said it was in great shape and i kept it.

i advise anyone buying a used amp to have it looked at by an experienced technician. they can tell you what's wrong, or about to go wrong. i paid $600 for my amp, and it's got a tube preamp with a 750 watt solid state power amp. considering that a comparable product today would cost me more than $1,200 i'd say i got a good deal.

I forgot to ask, what does MN and TSB
mean, after the words "American DLX Strat ASH" ?
Zephead, do you have any idea what this means?(or anyone else for that matter) This guitar here (http://www.thomann.de/thoiw6_fender_american_dlx_strat_ash_mn_tsb_prodinfo.html) is the one in question.

Maple Neck - Tobacco Sunburst Body

:o Peddant you are actually unfairly good. Thanks a million though :grinthumb

I've always liked Gibson's designs better than Fender's, myself. I've played on both Strats and LPs, and they both play comfortably, but for some reason, I like LPs better.

If I had a choice, I'd probably go with a Gibson Les Paul, or if possible, a Flying V instead.

Great, now you're after tying the vote :p Can you (or anyone) clear one thing up for me about LP's, which one is marketed as the best? With Fender it's obvious that the american deluxes are plugged as the best, but gibson just seem to be out to confuse you. Plus, most top end LP's I've seen were about €3000 even though they may be standard, or supreme, or some other thing. They definitely are the rich man's guitar anyway. No way could I afford one if those, and I wouldn't buy one if I could. Maybe if it was free, maybe :D

Paranoid, My STratocaster **Squire** is great. It lets me play with more ease and expression than most others I have tried.
Hedrix seemed to like it too.

There is a **sleeper** in the Yamaha stable. The cut-away electric classic type APX-6NA.

http://tinyurl.com/kfu7e

You have to try one in the Music store or pawn shop.

These are the only two guitars you need and they are not outtasite yet in price. These two guitars are **Different** in nature and sound.

Ever listen to **Los Indeos Tabajaras**? Paul Simon playing *Angie* on early Simon&Garfunkle album? RY Cooder - Bop til ya drop? James Taylor Steamroller Blues? Pepe Romero?? now lives with whole Spanish family in CA. ........You need a *Strat* to play Chet*s Yakity Axe.

I*m into the blues, by the way. Duke Robillard and Thunderbirds when they play Bluish like **Scratch My Back** 73s TG

Paranoid, My STratocaster **Squire** is great.
Then why did you vote for Gibson? :confused: Or was that someone else?
By **squire** do you mean the esquire strat series? I haven't really thought about them, know a guy who has one though, and he doesn't like it because he wants to play heavier stuff. I'm trying to get into that older stuff, so far I've gotten as "bluesy" as Gary Moore and I suppose Rory Gallagher. Was SRV a blues player?

Was SRV a blues player?

Are you serious?? lol.......yeah he played a little bit....

If I am correct....the Fender Squires are Jap models, they cost much less than the American made ones, but are still very good guitars....

Yup I was dead serious, I've never heard him :blush: I suppose that's next on the to do list, that and get some Dire Straits albums.

If you like Knoppfler, Neck & Neck with Mark & Chet is excellect for practice play - along.

Santana*s Black Magic Woman and Aye Como Va = play along

BB King - The Thrill is gone. Easy with Cm 1/2 up the neck.

SRV can be a challange... great stuff though.

JJ Kale [like the seaweed] Crazy Momma = All his stuff is fun to play along with.... Sounds simple at first, but there are some odd haunting values in JJ Kale. Top names have covered him and sold millions. Check used LP stores for his albums. TG

You will not be dissapointed with SRV!!! I've got all his CD's and a few of his DVD's. You should get the one where he played for the last time on Austin City Limits before his death! I bet I have watched that DVD a 100 times. He does a MOST impressive version on Hendrix's Vodoo Chile.....makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up every time I hear and see it! lol

If you like blues...I can assure you, you will like that DVD!!!!

Ok, I'll definitely get something of his. TonyGuitar, thanks for the recommendations, I'm trying to listen to a lot of different stuff, and that definitely fits the bill. For you two, I've got some recommendations too, Gary Moore(blues) Rory Gallagher(rock/blues), both Irish :grinthumb
Wooo I'm finished school for the summer, a lot more time to play guitar :grinthumb Just learned the solo in Red Hot Clili Peppers "I could have lied" but probably need a similar setup to John Fruscante to get the same feeling out of it. Ah well, it can only make me better...
EDIT:Gibson's winning :eek:

Well, here she is;
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i15/paranoidguy/CIMG0248.jpg
I went for a fender 60th anniversary strat cause of the whole limited edition thing, so hopefully it'll be worth more and rarer in a while.
Plays-like-a-dream :grinthumb Only annoyance (just a small one) is some buzz on the third string but apart from that the whole tone is just what I wanted, which is lucky, cause I found it on eBay for about €850. The asking price in Dublin for one of these is €1500!!! But customs screwed me around a bit so I ended up paying just over a grand for it, but I'm far from complaining :D
Here's the headstock
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i15/paranoidguy/CIMG0249.jpg
Now all I have to do is get a good amp...
Apologies for the sidewaysness :o

My friend has two Les Pauls and he just sold his Joe Satriani Chrome Dipped guitar. He's also an amazing guitar player...

He'd want to be, to justify owning two les pauls! Get some pictures of them, that'd be cool, if a little sickening :D
Maybe when I become the president of the world, maybe then I could afford two les pauls...

have you picked out an amp yet?

Boy, never thought I'd see this kind of debate here.. hehe.

Well, as Im a long-time bassist, I lean way towards Fender as far a basses go. Gibson basses are just..bleh.

I have a 1980 Fender Precision, and 1975 Fender Jazz... both very customized (full active on the jazz, brass-nut, custom bridge, and various other tweaks across both).

As far as electric guitars go.. I cant believe any *good* guitarist would be picking between the two since you truly need both for versatility.

Fender strats/tele's have that clean, thinner tinge with a lot of good feeling overtones, but do need a lot of work to be perfect... talking USA Fenders of course as the Japanese and Mexican models of years past were really a joke IMO.

Gibsons have that incredible sustain, warmth, depth and dynamics of tone along with great playability out of the case/stock.

I've never known a pro/studio guitarist that didn't have at least one of each and used which was best suited to the tone/sound they were looking for. Quite frankly, I don't believe you can compare them as same-same due to the mass variety of tone/overtone and feel of both.

I guess if you HAD to choose one, the choice would really be determined by what music styles/tone you were looking for...

have you picked out an amp yet?
I was going to go with something expensive but then I'm saving up to get a ps3 when they come out :D , so I think I'll go with a vox AD15VT (http://www.thomann.de/thoiw6_vox_ad15vt_valvetronix_gitarrencombo_prodinfo.html) and this ****-kicking pedal here (http://www.thomann.de/thoiw6_artikel-190023.html?sn=3022f0b621039c003427d062759fd2c4)
What do you think? I won't need any more power than that yet but if you think it's not good enough for the strat say so and I'll get something better.

Sharkfood, the only thing I mean by the poll is who actually makes better guitars, but at the time of this thread's creation I was unaware of the price difference between the two :o It's a big factor I suppose and I hope Gibson make better guitars 'cause they cost a hell of a lot more.
As far as electric guitars go.. I cant believe any *good* guitarist would be picking between the two since you truly need both for versatility.
Putting the boot in! Well let's say I'm not rich like you, and I have a grand five hundred in my pocket, and I want to get a guitar. I'd get a deluxe American strat, but maybe you'd get a gibson sg. Why? Cause you'd think it's
better, for one reason or another, and then you'd vote gibson on the poll. That's all I meant by the poll. Funny too that you have two fenders (very nice btw) and you prefer Gibson! Personally I think Gibsons are very overpriced and don't have as much versatility as a deluxe hss strat let's say.
But it's split down the middle if you look at famous guitarists, and I never saw
Hendrix whipping out a lp mid-gig, so was he not a good guitarist? :p

having used both digitech and dunlop pedals for both guitar and basses, i can say that digitech has NOTHING on the original cry baby. i'd get that before anything else!

vox does make solid guitar amps. just make sure that you're getting an all-tube model. for playing in a group (which everyone should to improve thier skills) you'll need a 60 watt minimum all-tube amp or a 120 watt minimum solid-state.

if you can't afford any of the all-tube models remember that a tube power amp will produce at least twice as much power than a solid-state amp of the same wattage.

Yup I just ordered that vox ad15vt, should be here on the 18th. Seeing as I'm not in a band at the moment I decided I'd just get that to muck around with for a while. When I eventually need something louder, I'll go with a hot rod deluxe.
I was also thinking of picking up a bass guitar and learning it too, is it much different from playing guitar?

i play bass, but i didn't play guitar first. most guitar players find basses difficult to play at first because of the much wider spacing of the frets. bass is best enjoyed with a powerful amp ;)

I might give it a shot. Know any good starter bass guitars?

i like fender but i think gibson has more to choose from. i would like to buy a new fender but cant afford it, so i have to make do with a yamaha pacifica.not a bad guitar but its unamplified sound isn.t anywhere near as good as fender or les paul.

good basses? yamaha makes some cheap but good beginner models. but i'd go to a local shop and see if you can get something good used.

I ended up going with a vox ad15vt, cause it's quiet enough and I'd heard good things. I love it. Tomrca, I've heard good things about those yamaha's too, for the price, and why would you play it un-amped?:D Annoy some people!
Zephead, if I get one, I'd be getting it online. You wouldn't believe how much I'd get ripped off here. Lakland eh? I'll look into it. Thanks.

They both have different sounds tbh but I personally prefer Gibson sounds much crisper to me. :)

As a part time working bass player, The Gibson is a great overall rock-n-roll axe. When playing classic rock covers, it can immitate alot of great bands sounds with only one guitar player. The Strat, how ever, has an unmistakable blues sound, even if heavily effected. SRV, Blackmore,Clapton and the likes have a signature tone that is all Fender
I prefer the Fender P-Bass special deluxe, but I am a bass player.

www.rockwithteaser.com checkit out

Zephead, if I get one, I'd be getting it online. You wouldn't believe how much I'd get ripped off here. Lakland eh? I'll look into it. Thanks.i made a mistake, which i corrected by editing my post. i meant yamaha but ended up writing lakland because i guess i was thinking about them at the time.

lakland specializes in high end custom built basses for famous musicians. thier cheapest one starts at $3500 (USD). i apologize for the mixup.

back to the point, many a bass player started out on yamaha bass guitars. they do not have killer tone or very impressive looks, but thier general playability and low price makes them a good choice for a beginning player.