I have been playing the acoustic guitar for about 3 years now and I am currently looking to buy my first electric guitar.  The two that have caught my interests so far are the Epi g400 and the fender standart strat HH. i like alt. and punk rock, but then shredding seem so cool too. Is it true that a guitar  can only be good for one of those? can anyone help me out on what I should buy with a budget around $400?  thanks.
136977
get the fender strat, u get the great name brand and it fits your budget at only $350, and most of the greatest rockers have used it such as kurt cobain.
454166
You didn't say what you meant by "affordable".  Most Les Paul copies aren't very good.  Epiphone's tend to be the best...because well...the same factories make Gibson Les Pauls and Epiphone Les Pauls.  You can probably find what I would call affordable Epiphones all over the place.  If you're just looking for the basic shape, ESP makes pretty good affordable guitars, and they have a few with the Les Paul shape.  Ibanez makes a few Les Paul shaped guitars that sound pretty good.  I've never heard of Encore guitars...and if you haven't ever heard one or played one, I wouldn't recommend getting one.  The same goes for any brand that you've never heard of.  Just as a few of the other responses have said...go to a local music store and try a few out to see what you like.  You might find that there's another guitar for you...Les Paul may have invented the electric guitar...but even he played guitars with shapes other than the one named after him.
53820
I would choose the Washburn, but I have to admit, it's only cause that's the type I have and I love it.  I have owned a couple of Epiphones, and have always had problems with them.  I have never played a Yamaha, but I have heard about them from other players...some good, but mostly bad.  I do agree that the coloring is the best on the Yamaha, though.
483574
I just love my Martin D28 acoustic guitar, especially since I have had the frets dressed to 12 thou and a new bone saddle fitted, it really rocks! From wailing blues to low down and gritty rock, I usually like to get it down with my buddies and really kick out the jams! And the sustain is really good , plus good tonal qualilty.
343181
I say get a Fender Standard Strat because they are cheaper and to me they sound just as good.  But for like a hundred or so dollars more you could get the Buddy Guy Strat.  I love Buddy Guy by the way so that might have been biased.  haha...but definately consider the standard.
27813
Always play before you buy (if you can't play ask the shop assistant to demonstrate), if it sounds good check the sturdiness of the neck and  test for comfort of play (some lesser branded guitars have unusually large shaped bodies and too wide/narrow necks), but most importantly - only buy the guitar that feels like your guitar the moment you pick it up.
536482
definately go for a 12 string my brother has one and it sounds really good i think you should definately go for the 12 string acustic guitar
348673
Fender is a brand of electric guitar. They also make acoustic guitars, amps, and guitar-related accessories. Their electric guitars are distinguishable by these features: \n- a neck that is bolted on to the body, as opposed to glued in. You will see a silver plate with bolts on the back of the neck\n- single-coil pickups at the neck and in the middle, with possibly a humbucker at the bridge. Single-coil pickups look like a single row of silver dots and have a bright, thin sound. Humbuckers look like two rows of silver dots side by side and have a thicker, creamier sound.\n- A thin or twangy sound, of course, because of the pickups and construction\nThe two predominant Fender electric guitars are the Stratocaster, played by e.g. Eric Clapton, and the Telecaster, played by e.g. Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. You can recognize them immediately by their shape, and eventually by their sound if you listen to enough guitar.\n\nThe other 500 pound gorilla of electric guitars is Gibson, distinguished by a glued-in neck, humbucker pickups, and a thicker sound with longer sustain (time that the note will continue to ring after you pluck the string). Their most famous models are the Les Paul, played by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, and the SG-1, played by Angus Young of AC/DC.\n\nElectric guitarists usually have a strong preference between Fender and Gibson guitars, but some people like both brands for different contexts. Other manufacturers are also becoming more popular, most notably Paul Reed Smith.\n\nIf you have a Fender guitar, especially if it comes from someone who was seriously or professionally into guitar, it might be worth money (or worth learning to play!). On the other hand, Fender makes electric guitars ranging in value from a couple hundred to a few thousand dollars, so it's impossible to say without knowing more.
315648
Depends what sound you want. If you want a traditional strat sound like Jimi Hendrix had, get singlecoils, if you're looking for more of a sound like Jimmy Page or someone else that uses a Les Paul has, get a humbucker.
637026
who cares on the price. Its all about the guitar. A great guitar can cost 30 bucks or 500 bucks.
59879
i know a gibson is a real sweet guitar.  i've never played a fender.  i'd try them both out at the store and then think about it  and then go back and play them both again and then think and then go back and play and then decide.
107334
I too was a classical guitarist. If you gat a classical, it will not be as good for strumming with a pick, and the baby guitars don't have such a good acoustic sound, although they could sound good with good electronics if you plug into an amplifier. If your steel string guitar is a fairly good one, you might be able to keep it and still make it easier to play by switching to lighter gauge strings, and having it professionally set up by a luthier or instrument repair shop. If the action (distance between strings and fret-board) or the truss rod (iron rod inside the neck) are not properly adjusted, the instrument could be harder to play.
447246
Check out the Daisy Rock line of guitars. They're generally built on a little bit smaller scale (for smaller hands), though they're not small enough to be considered a child's guitar. They come in a ton of models and colors, and some of the money from some of the models go to breast cancer research.\n\nAnd even though they're a "girl's" guitar, they're awesome. They feel good, play easy and sound great.\n\n\n\nEDIT: The only reason I point out Daisy Rock is because you felt the need to mention "guitars for girls". The people below who've mentioned checking out all guitars are completely correct - any guitar that you like is the "right" guitar for you. Some tend to have thinner necks, some have fatter necks, some weigh more, some are more expensive, etc... Just see what you like. \n\nAnd just for the record, Daisy Rock doesn't make "crap"...
415112
i was 10.  now 23.  my mom started to teach me, and now i think i'm pretty good. but from what i hear, everybody plays guitar nowadays. it didn't take me very long because i really liked music and i liked it so much i just played constantly. i started with an acoustic and i think it would be pretty good to start with. it's basic and you can find cheap ones to see if you like it. plus you won't have to get an amp for it. good luck.
651080
That is a Korean made Epiphone Les Paul and really isn't worth a whole lot of money. If you are buying it used I wouldn't pay any more than $250.00 with a case. They really are a pretty decent guitar if you can pick it up cheap.
596505
Try something from Musician's Friend.  The more power, the less distortion.  I just checked, and MF has a Behringer 120-watt combo amp for $199.  It might not be an SWR, Fender, or the worlds best amp, but you'll get by.
103379
schecter makes a good 5 or 6 string, but if you are just starting out 4 string would be much more practical. In that instance, I recommend getting a Fender J bass.