Need some help choosing guitar

[IanR]

(Whether it was set up correctly or not), so beware being bogged down in too much technicalities. Good luck with yer search.  

In my own defence, I raised the issue of set up because if I had known that the action of my Squier was too high, it would have explained why playing lead down at the 12th fret was really hard. When I tried to bend notes, my fingers would get trapped under the strings above.

If I had known about intonation, I would have understood why my guitar sounded out of tune down at the 12th fret, even though the open strings were tuned perfectly.

I could have fixed these easily by getting the guitar set up.

Jimi would have picked up an American Standard Strat that comes from the factory pretty well set up, and so I'm sure he would have been satisfied after tuning it and playing it through a good amp.

[SteveB]

...In my own defence, I raised the issue of set up...

IanR - Whoa...I wasn't refering to your post (which I hadn't noticed), and I'd be right behind you in that if a guitar isn't playing right for some reason (and continues to be so) to have it looked at/set-up by someone in the know. I'm refering to other sites on the Internet where there are endless threads about this topic, and I mean endless. The way people bang on about this, you would think that there are literally 'inches' involved in string height etc instead of what, micrometers? And to someone who may be new to the situation, choosing a guitar can be daunting enough without the added pressure of hair-splitting arcana getting in the way. If you disagree then fair enough, I'm just putting forward my point of view.

[xicpanad]

Guys that was just a minor mistake.
About those details, I´ve seen it. It almos makes a guy quit searching for a guitar. But I also realized that I shouldn´t worry too much about it.
Thanks for all your help.

[IanR]

Sorry Steve,

I may have overreacted. I was just trying to provide the advice that I would have appreciated when I bought my first electric guitar.  Sorry if I misread your intentions.

xicpanad, I wasn't trying to big-note myself with my expertise.  Far from it - I was trying to help you make a good choice.

best of luck with whatever guitar you choose and I hope we hear some of your music on the song posts one day.

Ian

[SteveB]

Sorry Steve...

Ian, Don't be a t*t, you're the mate I need with me next time I'm purchasing a geetar. And indeed, If I'd have had the good sense to cuiltivate your Antipodean self previously, I wouldn't have been ripped-off as much as I have been in the world of guitar purchasing. (The travelling may have been a bit prohibitive!). Please keep your advice flowing, it's why we're here. 

[xicpanad]

I´ve decided to go and buy the Fender strat. Every where I looked people said they where versatile so I convinced myself and bought it. It was cheap anyway. I already tried it and I´m actually happy. Not a wonderfull guitar, but sure fits my needs and ambitions.
I´ve been on some remakes of my own musics, so you can here an example:

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=7181.0

Sorry if my english´s wrong.
Cheers

[flyon90]

if you want a good cheap les paul style guitar check out the Agile Al-2000 at Rondomusic.com  I had one for a couple of years and it sounded and played great and the only downside is that they are pretty heavy, somewhere around the 12-14 pound range.  They are alot better than similar epiphone models.  For 200 usd you really can't do much better.

[Speed Demon]

My basic criterion for choosing an electric guitar is: A true neck and frets. A good quality bridge that can be
accurately intonated. Everything else can be easily dealt with. If the instrument cannot be made to play at concert pitch, and stay there, you will not be happy with it. A tall fret or two on a new instrument is easy to fix. A little time with the fret files will do the job. Companies that mass produce guitars do not spend much time fine tuning them.
Take it to a custom shop if you do not have the skills or tools to do the work yourself.
 

[flyon90]

Speed Demon makes a good point, many of the guitars that you buy from bigger stores like guitar center have not been set up properly.  The smaller shops will generally have their instruments set up right or will be willing to set yours up for you for a small price.

[SdC]

...... Chas Chandler, the sometime Manager of Jimi Hendrix, wrote one time that Jimi would go into a local music shop (in the UK), take a Strat from the wall, tune it, and then go and play a barnstorming gig with it. (Whether it was set up correctly or not), .....

Uhmmm wouldn't he at least need to re-string it upside down first?