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Comparing 3 Electric Guitars: Opinions?

Old 05-15-04, 06:49 PM
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Comparing 3 Electric Guitars: Opinions?

I'm comparing 3 electric guitars that are priced about the same, for a beginner. They are:

Washburn LX60 (Pickups: single, single, humbucker)
Ibanez GRX22 (2 humbucking)
Silvertone SS11 (single, single, single)

Would love to hear your opinions on these three...
Old 05-16-04, 04:01 AM
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Personally, I would stay away from Silvertone unless you're going for "high end " model. They've been around for many years and have a history in instument making, but I don't know about their stuff today. I say that based on mostly crappy reviews the Paul Stanley Silvertone models recieved. Again, the bad reviews were of the low end models but the were pretty bad. Paul was with Washburn just before he jumped to Silvertone and before that he was with Ibanez on and off since the 70's.


That said I've got a Washburn Paul Stanley model and I like it. It's got 2 humbuckers and the sound and workmanship is very nice even on this "sub $1000" model. I've also got an Ibanez RG517 with 2 humbuckers and a single coil with 5 way switch. 5 way switches are great because depending on how it's wired you can get tons of different pickup combos and sounds. What kind of sound do you like?

Both Ibanez and Washburn are great guitars.

BTW, I'm having a hard time finding the models you listed onlilne. CAn you post a link or pics?

Last edited by Giantrobo; 05-16-04 at 09:24 AM.
Old 05-16-04, 08:53 AM
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I would avoid Silvertone, they are just not good unless as Giantrobo said you're buying a high-end or vintage one for fun.

My preference of the other two would be the washburn, I think they make a higher quality low-end guitar. In addition, you have single coil and humbucking pickups which will give you the oppurtunity to learn the differences and develop a sound and preference of your own.

Also, keep in mind the wood the fretboard is made out of is very important. A maple board is usually a brighter snappier sound. Whereas a rosewood board is a thicker, fuller, richer sound.

I don't know what kind of boards these have, but depending on the musical taste it does matter.

Good luck.
Old 05-16-04, 06:23 PM
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What exactly are you looking for in a guitar? Is there a specific style (of music) you want to play, or do you just want a good, all-around guitar to learn on? If the latter, could I way you towards a Squier Strat or Tele?
Old 05-16-04, 08:07 PM
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agree with wenders, the fender squier series is great to learn on.

also, an epiphone LP100 is not a bad axe to learn on, and cheap
Old 05-16-04, 08:38 PM
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Epiphones have made a comeback in quality after a slump several years back. An Epiphone would make a GREAT starter.

BTW, I'm a Gibson(owner of Epiphone) whore.
Old 05-16-04, 09:59 PM
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Originally posted by Giantrobo
Epiphones have made a comeback in quality after a slump several years back. An Epiphone would make a GREAT starter.

BTW, I'm a Gibson(owner of Epiphone) whore.
I once had a nice gibson lp classic in honeyburst, and I cry thinking about it. Had to sell it. Replaced it with an Epiphone, it's nice but just not quite the same.

I've had them all though (fender, ibanez, jackson, epi, gibson and washburn) and Les Pauls are my favorite. Though, I think PRS makes a sweet guitar as well but haven't owned one.
Old 05-17-04, 04:25 AM
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Is JuryDuty reading these?
Old 05-17-04, 04:35 AM
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Originally posted by db27
I once had a nice gibson lp classic in honeyburst, and I cry thinking about it. Had to sell it. Replaced it with an Epiphone, it's nice but just not quite the same.

I've had them all though (fender, ibanez, jackson, epi, gibson and washburn) and Les Pauls are my favorite. Though, I think PRS makes a sweet guitar as well but haven't owned one.

I hope to buy a Les Paul before I die.
Old 05-17-04, 09:59 AM
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Originally posted by Giantrobo
Is JuryDuty reading these?

Both Ibanez and Washburn are great guitars.

BTW, I'm having a hard time finding the models you listed online. CAn you post a link or pics?
Absolutely! Sorry, I was away all weekend. This is great info. I had looked at an Epiphone, but the supercheap ones didn't get good reviews, and the ones that DID get good reviews were more than the ones I was looking at. Here are the two I was checking out:

The Washburn LX60 in a pack. $180 on clearance

The Ibanez GRX22 in the popular Jumpstart JS40 pack. $250 on sale

Both guitars have about the same MSRP, and about the same ratings. I was going to go with the Ibanez, but with this clearance sale, the Washburn is $70 cheaper...which is really tempting.

I don't know--maybe it would be better to "build my own pack," though I wasn't sure where to start for that... I just really need to keep this under $200 total.

Originally posted by wendersfan
What exactly are you looking for in a guitar? Is there a specific style (of music) you want to play, or do you just want a good, all-around guitar to learn on? If the latter, could I way you towards a Squier Strat or Tele?
Well, I know about zilch about guitars. I've played keyboard for years, and have just wanted to try something new. I wanted to get one that's good enough quality for a beginner to learn on and use for several years. I know there are different guitars for different sounds, but I don't really know which way I want to go. I can tell you that I want to learn to play the kinds of songs that are more chord-oriented than note-oriented (I'm sure I'm not saying that right), that is more as a part of a band than a soloist. I love classic REZ Band if that helps.

Last edited by JuryDuty; 05-17-04 at 10:08 AM.
Old 05-17-04, 10:25 AM
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Originally posted by JuryDuty
Well, I know about zilch about guitars. I've played keyboard for years, and have just wanted to try something new. I wanted to get one that's good enough quality for a beginner to learn on and use for several years. I know there are different guitars for different sounds, but I don't really know which way I want to go. I can tell you that I want to learn to play the kinds of songs that are more chord-oriented than note-oriented (I'm sure I'm not saying that right), that is more as a part of a band than a soloist. I love classic REZ Band if that helps.
Well, I'd recommend that you get a Squier Telecaster. Teles were the first solid body electric, and they are still one of the best. The advantage of a Telecaster is that it's a very simple guitar - there aren't a lot of parts, and there's not a lot that can go wrong with it. It's got a bolt on neck, a body, two pickups, and a fixed bridge. No fuss, no muss. It also can produce a fairly wide variety of sounds. Teles are comfortable, easy to play, and you can usually get them with either a rosewood or a maple fingerboard. Also, if you decide at some point you need a "hotter" sound, you can drop a stacked humbucker into the bridge pickup slot and add an extra dimension to its sound.
Old 05-17-04, 10:29 AM
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Another thing, don't assume you have to have a cheapo guitar/amp for learning. If you can spend a bit more and you'll be much happier in the long run and you'll already have a good quality guitar and decent amp. You could save up or try www.americanmusicsupply.com. They let you break the payments up if over a certain amount.


Here's a decent SQUIRE Package from their site.

Here's an Epiphone Les Paul Special Package that has good reviews.

Last edited by Giantrobo; 05-17-04 at 10:37 AM.
Old 05-17-04, 11:04 AM
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So I take it that even though these packages you're showing me are $100 more than the Washburn, they're that much better in quality?

It's a bit confusing because they all have a similar MSRP before all the dealer discounts.

If that's the case, I may just wait a month or two and save up another $100 for one of them.

So if YOU had to buy ONE of these guitars today and keep it for the next five years, which would you jump on?

Squier Strat Pack ($280)

Epiphone Les Paul Special II Pack ($240)

Ibanez Jumpstart JS40 Pack ($247)

Washburn WR135 Pack ($180)

Last edited by JuryDuty; 05-17-04 at 11:08 AM.
Old 05-17-04, 11:39 AM
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My opinion

Buy this guitar:

http://www.americanmusical.com/item-...brand-255.html

And this amp:

http://www.americanmusical.com/item-...brand-281.html

I have one of those amps, which I often use for recording in lieu of my vintage 1960s Fender amps. They sound that good.
Old 05-17-04, 05:07 PM
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I'll put another vote in for Fender's Squier series. I started on a strat but wendersfan's tele recommendation is probably even better.
Old 05-17-04, 06:37 PM
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to wendersfan's Tele recommendation.
Old 05-17-04, 06:50 PM
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Originally posted by JuryDuty
So I take it that even though these packages you're showing me are $100 more than the Washburn, they're that much better in quality?

...

So if YOU had to buy ONE of these guitars today and keep it for the next five years, which would you jump on?
Well I'll be the lone dissenter and say to get a Squire Strat. Of course this depends on the type of music you're interested in playing. Country-Jazz-Blues will benefit from a Tele, Strat will be better for Rock-Blues.

I don't know how excited I'd be about those packages though. They're great for starting, but it's hard to get an electric guitar alone for under $400 that you'd be really happy playing everyday. I'm sure lots of people will disagree with me, but the sweet spot for guitars is in the $700 range where you start finding professional quality stuff. Of course you don't know how much you'll actually like playing so that's an issue currently. I know that I did a similar route and in 18 months I couldn't live with my crappy guitar and had to purchase a real one which I still have (although it needs to be replaced now). If you just want something crappy to learn and play around with these are fine, but if you're interested in something more lasting I say spend as much as you can on the guitar now, otherwise you're just going to be disappointed later on.

Mordred
Old 05-17-04, 09:46 PM
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Originally posted by JuryDuty
So I take it that even though these packages you're showing me are $100 more than the Washburn, they're that much better in quality?

It's a bit confusing because they all have a similar MSRP before all the dealer discounts.

If that's the case, I may just wait a month or two and save up another $100 for one of them.

So if YOU had to buy ONE of these guitars today and keep it for the next five years, which would you jump on?

Squier Strat Pack ($280)

Epiphone Les Paul Special II Pack ($240)

Ibanez Jumpstart JS40 Pack ($247)

Washburn WR135 Pack ($180)
Squier Strat Pack ($280)
Old 05-18-04, 04:49 AM
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Originally posted by Mordred

I don't know how excited I'd be about those packages though. They're great for starting, but it's hard to get an electric guitar alone for under $400 that you'd be really happy playing everyday. I'm sure lots of people will disagree with me, but the sweet spot for guitars is in the $700 range where you start finding professional quality stuff. Of course you don't know how much you'll actually like playing so that's an issue currently. I know that I did a similar route and in 18 months I couldn't live with my crappy guitar and had to purchase a real one which I still have (although it needs to be replaced now). If you just want something crappy to learn and play around with these are fine, but if you're interested in something more lasting I say spend as much as you can on the guitar now, otherwise you're just going to be disappointed later on.

Mordred

I agree.
Old 05-18-04, 08:39 AM
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you could also save a bunch of money by getting a nicer axe used.

I recommend daddy's junky music.
Old 05-18-04, 09:32 AM
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There's nothing wrong with getting a Squier guitar. I have three different electrics, two of which I rotate as my main guitar, and one of those is my Squier Stratocaster. It is literally as nice as any standard Strat I've played in the past several years. OK, it's not as good as an American made Strat, true, but those are pretty expensive. As long as the intonation is good, the neck is true, and it stays in tune, a guitar like that is perfectly useful for anyone. Andy Partridge of XTC uses a Squier Telecaster as his main guitar.

Also, for a few more bucks, the Yamaha Pacifica series is an excellent value.
Old 05-18-04, 11:10 AM
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Whatever you buy find a GOOD guitar shop that can PROPERLY set up your guitar. All guitars are different and some can be set up once every year while others will seem like they need set up every week.

A lower end guitar will GREATLY benefit from proper set up.
Old 05-18-04, 11:13 AM
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I'm looking at preowned guitars now. I love the earlier package recommendations, but they're about $100 more than I can spend right now. Still, like you say, I'm discovering that I can get a good guitar that was very gently used. I'll let you know what I find.
Old 05-19-04, 03:13 PM
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Tell you the god's honest truth I'm not crazy about any of those choices.

Fender makes a Telecaster in Mexico that is identical to the American made models for about $300 cheaper. Dan Electro Corvette's are also really cool. Small body and neck, light wieght and easy to play.

If you can get something used. I'm sure there's a bargain newspaper that has musical instrument listings in your area. Also check some pawn shops. You'd be surprised what you can find. I once found a Gibson Marauder for $230 at one.
Old 05-19-04, 04:52 PM
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I know this thread is about electric, but lemme just offer one thing:

I would really recommend starting on acoustic; it develops your strength more quickly and what you're hearing is you playing, there's no amplifier in the way. You'll get a better guitar for the same amount of money, too, because you won't be buying guitar+amp. You're only shelling out money for the wood.

This is the acoustic I have. The guy at Guitar Center must have played 5 or 6 of these before he found one that he liked, then he adjusted the action and honestly it plays great. Many people think it was more expensive than it was.

Just something to think about!

If you're set on electric, though, I say Squier Strat or, if you can get a deal, used... If you do get better you can change the pickups on the strat and have a really nice guitar.

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