A Buyers Guide to Purchasing Their Next Electric Guitar

Rock concerts were all the rage in the 60′s and they drove numerous kids to buy their very 1st guitars. Now, video games like Rockband are having a similar effect.

The core of all good rock music doesn’t just lie with the words; it also lies with the electric guitar and the various sounds that it can produce. There are so many kids across the block who would give anything to play like Mark Knopfler, Kirk hammett, Angus Young etc. These men are not just some of the best guitarists of their times, they are legends.

Now if you are interested in learning how to play the guitar then the first thing you will need to do is buy one. Normally people start with an acoustic and graduate to the electric. It is usually quite tedious for anyone to select the right guitar since there are 1000′s of brands out there on the market. If you’re purchasing an electric guitar then you’ll need to also pick up an amplifier, pick-ups, picks, a tuner, perhaps an effects unit etc.

Electric guitars come in a huge variety of shapes and designs with the aerodynamic designs being one of the hottest. Do not buy the 1st guitar you see. You need to spend a fair amount of time looking around and check out the wide range of prices and models before you go and buy one. In actual fact, one of the neatest ways to pick a guitar is by the brand or by the style. Here is our take on the four important styles:

Stratocaster – This certainly is a show stealer and has a typical style. The most famous is the red and white color combination, which was used extensively by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. The Stratocaster is from Fender and has a neck that is sturdily attached to the guitar’s body. Aside from this, it has double cutaway sides, 22 frets accompanied by a tremolo bar and three single-coil pickups. Fender designed the first Stratocaster in the early 50′s. A few of the popular designs are:

* Deluxe Strat: Approx $550 * Fender American Deluxe Strat HSS: Approx $1250 * Standard Stratocaster Electric: Approx $450 * Fender Standard Strat Electric Guitar: Approx $600 * Fender Strat Eric Johnson Signature model: Approx $1850

Telecaster – The Telecaster is another creative instrument from Fenders. It is more than just another electric guitar; it is more like a complete band. It is a solid body guitar and comprises of two pick-ups. The first Telecaster was constructed by Fender in the 40′s and has a mono cutaway body. It doesn’t have the tremolo bar but has 2 different single-coil pickups. Some of the popular Telecaster models include:

* American Tele HS: $900-$1250 * Fender Standard Telecaster Electric: $400-$600 * Fender 63 Telecaster Relic Solid Body Electric: $2550-$3100 * Fender 72 Telecaster Custom Electric: $750-$800

Les Paul – This phenomenal guitar was designed by Gibson for many of the rock stars of the era. The striking feature of a Les Paul guitar is its set neck, which means there are no joints. The body is a single cutaway. It is equipped with dual pickups as well as a raised scratch-plate. If you want to play perverted sound then this great guitar will provide you with a vast range. Some of the well known shredders who use the Les Pauls include Eric Clapton and Slash (ex-Guns’n'Roses). Some of the famed Les Paul models include:

* Les Paul Custom Guitar: $3050-$3550 * 1959 Les Paul Standard Electric: $5500-$6050 * Les Paul Vintage Mahogany: $700-$850 * Les Paul Classic Electric Guitar: $1800-$1950

The Gibson Brand – Gibson is one of the greatest brands in music and all their models are absolute classics and cannot be compared to any others. Gibson was actually started in 1902 by Orville Gibson and has been singly accountable for affording the world some of the most innovative guitars. A couple of the famous models include the ES-150 and the Flying V etc. Some of the well known guitarists who have played a Gibson include Jimmy Page and Toni Iommi to name just a couple. Some of the most popular Gibson models include:

* Flying V Electric: $500-$600 * Gibson SG 61 Classic Electric Guitar: $1500-$1600 * Gibson Faded SG Special: $550-$600 * Gibson Explorer Pro Guitar: $1100-$1200

These are the best brands of guitars. The other aspects that will help you to pick up a guitar include fretboard, the pick-ups, and the body. Full-bodied electrics are generally preferred as they can generate some of the best noises that you will ever get to hear.

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