|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 NEWS
Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Click here
|
|
|
|
|
How to find a great, inexpensive electric guitar and amplifier
|
Page:
1
2
3
|
Gibson’s Les Paul guitar is famous for its thick, full sound, which has made an indelible impression on the rock guitar landscape. That fat, beefy tone can be attributed to the Les Paul’s humbucking pickup, two pickups joined together to create a hum-free configuration. Played by everyone from U2’s The Edge to Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, the Les Paul is the perfect ax for anyone looking to play meaty rhythm or lead lines with rich sustain. Like the Strat, the Les Paul has inspired numerous copies. While most Gibson guitars are beyond the beginner’s budget, Epiphone, a Gibson subsidiary, and many other manufacturers offer Les Paul–style guitars at more affordable prices.
The bodies of Stratocasters and Telecasters are constructed of a solid piece of wood (usually ash, although other woods are also used), and Les Pauls have a mahogany body with a piece of maple laminated to the top. By contrast, semi-–hollow-body guitars have a solid block of wood in the middle with one hollow chamber above it and one below. Usually equipped with humbucking pickups, these guitars have a round, full tone that makes them popular among jazz and blues players. (B.B. King’s guitar, which he calls Lucille, is a semi–hollow-body guitar.) These guitars can be on the pricey side, but there are some models, such as the Epiphone Dot, that are reasonably priced.
At What Price?
In the past, it was hard to find decent instruments at low prices. Thankfully, manufacturers have begun producing high-quality, low-priced instruments over the past few years. For your first electric guitar, you don’t need to break the bank. I’d recommend spending between $150 and $500 (at the very highest).
Different music stores will have different inventories, but there are a few great, inexpensive brands that are easy to find and highly recommended. Danelectro, for example, makes cool-looking, cool-sounding instruments at insanely low prices, including the Hearsay, which comes with three single-coil pickups, a Fulcrum tremolo, and a built-in distortion effect and lists for $199; the Innuendo, which has similar features as well as built-in tremolo, chorus, and echo effects and lists for $269; and the 56-U2, which features two lipstick pickups (single-coil pickups housed in a chrome tube), easy playability, and a comfortable, lightweight body and lists for $299.
Ibanez also offers guitarists inexpensive instruments with great looks, playability, and sound. The company’s AX Series, which includes the AX-120 ($399.99) and the GAX-70 ($279.99), offers surprisingly good tone. Their classic looks and full-bodied sound are reminiscent of the well-known and much pricier Ibanez Artist model.
Amplifiers
If you buy an electric guitar, you’re going to need to purchase an amplifier so you can plug it in and turn it up loud (with your neighbors’ permission, of course)! You don’t need anything fancy for your first amp; a small practice amp will do. Many companies, such as Fender, Epiphone, and Danelectro, have small practice amps available at very affordable prices, starting as low as $39.95.
There are a couple of amplifier types to consider. Tube amps use vacuum tubes (the same as in old radios) to generate their power, while solid-state amps rely on modern transistors. Tube amps tend to react to the nuances in your playing more (dynamics, etc.) and are favored by many professionals for their warm tone. Tube amps also tend to be more expensive, heavier, and less reliable in some cases. Solid-state amplifiers are more reliable and less expensive. The tone of the solid-state does not match the warmth of tubes, although some models being made today are coming closer to the tube sound. Digital amplifiers are also available but have not reached the point where they are sold at budget prices.
|
|
Previous Page |
1
2
3
| Next page
|
|
Printable Version
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
