Are you a gear junkie?
Jan 13 '05 (Updated Feb 18 '05)
The Bottom Line Listen to the experts, but follow your own heart.
My betters in this section have already covered many of the technical aspects and brand comparisons relating to choosing an electric guitar. My essay will focus on some tips I have picked up along the way, with a bit of diatribe thrown in for good measure.
Before commencing, please allow me to go slightly off topic for a few paragraphs, as I feel duty bound to share my observations on a phenomenon which I have encountered frequently in the past 30years, namely, the “gear junkie”.
I can't quite figure out what drives so many of us to become compulsive collectors of guitars, amplifiers, effects and related sundry items. I say “us”, because until a few years ago, I fell firmly into this category.
Those who have gone through this phase (either with musical instruments or other consumer products) will recognize the classic symptoms: Always being on the lookout for the latest gear, never being fully satisfied with what we own, impulsive buying, the desire to have every guitar tone ever produced at our disposal. Basically, the firm belief that too much gear is barely enough. Before we know it, we’ve spent so much money that we are embarrassed to add up the receipts, every room is cluttered, and we have long lost track of what we own or where we’ve put it, and all this time, we try to convince ourselves - and others - that we have the situation under control…
Back in 1997, I turned full time guitar teacher and started to notice this compulsive behaviour in many of my students. They would buy a lot of effects pedals, and would be considering their next guitar before they even knew all the major open chords. Much of their lesson would be wasted, because they preferred talking about equipment rather than concentrating on the task at hand. It took me awhile to admit that I’ve been guilty of this exact same conduct: By then I have accumulated 8 guitars, 6 amps and more than a dozen effects units. About three times the inventory I used on a regular basis.
So why am I telling you all this? Because I know that there is a clear and present danger that any of us, at some stage of our careers, may fall victim to this addiction. If it happens, we will at least recognize the symptoms. Just remember: time spent obsessing over gear, is time NOT spent on playing.
Pontification aside, here are a few pointers, which I hope will help with your next electric, or any other, guitar purchase:*
1)Any new guitar valued at less than US$400 (full retail price) is unlikely to be up to scratch. The argument: “I’ll buy something cheap and see how I go before I commit to something decent” is nonsense. Cheap usually means nasty and it will be sitting in the corner, gathering dust within a week. The old adage “buy the best you can afford” applies to guitars as it does to most other products. Whatever the sticker price, haggle like your life depended on it.
2)Avoid buying via mail order, Ebay or any other channel where you cannot try it out first. I know this goes against the concept of Epinions’ holding company, but remember, the guitar is a very intimate, tactile instrument. It has to feel right to you. It’s no good trying an instrument of the same specs before mail-ordering it either. You have to try the guitar you will end up with, since there can be considerable variance between instruments. Find out the lowest price going, and ask the shop to match it, or at least come as close as they can without going bankrupt.
3)Establish a good rapport with the staff at your local music shop, ask lots of questions and ensure that the purchase price includes set-up. Few guitars play well straight out of the box.
4)Stay away from instruments with loud paintwork or extroverted designs. Like all fashion accessories, they date quickly. If you buy one of those, in years to come you will cringe every time you pick it up.
5)Name brand instruments usually have better resale/trade-in values. Fender, upper end Squier, Gibson, Epiphone, Ibanez (not the fancy ones with locking tremolos), Yamaha, are all worthwhile propositions. Obviously, there are many others to choose from.
6)Don’t let the sales staff talk you into a “Chesterfield brand, made in Mongolia, guaranteed to sound better than a Gibson, $199 special”. These obscure brands are often commissioned by music distributors or larger stores. They are high margin price leaders and are designed to hook the unsuspecting beginner. Quality is usually non-existent.
7)If you have your heart set on a particular instrument, try it before you read the reviews. The potential problem is that some reviewers, subconsciously or otherwise, overate guitars they own, and underrate those they have tried but didn’t buy. Check it out for yourself and read the reviews afterwards to make sure you haven’t missed anything.
8)If you don’t feel you are skilled enough to test the guitar yourself, get one of the sales staff to play a few for you so you can compare the sounds. You can then pick them up and play what you can on them. Make sure that the weight of the one you pick feels right and that the neck is the correct width for your hand.
9)Don’t let your friends influence your decision unless you consider them to be guitar experts. Accept that even the best-intentioned people, even your best friends, can sometimes have an agenda.
10) If you are a new player, commit to owning one and only one guitar for the first year or so. If after a few months you feel that you made a poor choice and your guitar sux, trade it in (If it sux, why would you want to hang on to it anyway?).
11) Once you’ve made your purchase, clear your mind. Forget about reading guitar reviews; forget about trying something new every time you go to the store to buy strings; forget about comparing your guitar to everyone else’s. Instead, enjoy your instrument, and make up your mind to become the best player you can possibly be.
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Epinions.com ID:
joeklein
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Member: Joe Klein
Location: Sydney, Australia
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 9 members
About Me:
After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music. ~ Aldous Huxley
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