Is it better to start out on a high-end guitar?
344508
My advice:  I wouldn't go PRS, but I wouldn't go Squier, either...  \nIf you are truly just starting, get a good middle-of -the-road piece. I don't know what your budget is, but I'd stay somewhere around the $500 range.  Get a guitar that will last you into your first gig, if that's your aspiration.  I've seen a lot of guys try to save money early on by buying low-end equipment (whether it be guitars, amps, cabinets...) and, 9 times out of 10, they will become disappointed with their choices, and sell it or trade it.  Either way, they would've been better off waiting and saving their money for something that would've lasted longer than 6 months to a year.\n\nGood luck...\n\np.s.  giantdwarfbat:  You make a good point, but did it occur to you that the 'helpful' sales rep may just want you to buy a piece of **** just so you would come back when it was time to upgrade?  Believe me, I've seen it a hundred times.  Musician sales reps only 'really' help two kinds of people.  Repeat customers,... and other musicians.
966487
There is no right or wrong answer for this...If you like a deeper sound with more bass behind it...def invest in a Les. If you like something a little more bright and twangy then invest in a Fender. If you are into punk I think either is a good choice. But all other musical variants are better suited for one or the other.
966747
Been playing all my life and I like the Strat better. Just my personal preferance. They are more versitile and you will be able to play more types of music with a strat. Also depends on the sound you are going for. Teles have a more "tinny" sound to me and are geared more toward country or blues. Both are quality instruments. My brother swears by his tele so again to each his own. I would say play one of each in a music store somewhere and see which one "feels"  the best to you. Also 50 watts is a great range to shoot for but you can learn just fine on a 10 watt amp. If you are really serious about playing for a long time, I would go with the bigger wattage amp because the small amp will only leave you wanting more.
598249
I'm not so much into guitars, but my hubby says:\n\n"It depends on what style of music you are playing.  For metal, I'd go with an Ibanez RG Series with a Wizard II neck with pickup selection consisting of DiMarzio pickups or (if you want to go all out) go with EMG 81 on the bridge and EMG 85 on the neck.\n\nIf you want to play hardcore, screamo, that kind of thing, go with a Gibson Les Paul with stock pickups.  But if you like good distortion, either use a Seymore Duncan JB 59s or EMGs.\n\nAnd if you just want to go extreme metal, good shred stuff, something that's lightweight, go with ESP (or if you can't afford that, LTD), they come stock with EMGs.\n\nOverall, it really depends on what type of music I'm playing, these are just what I prefer."\n\nHe's a crazy music nut.
144658
It is a personal preference.  Each brand and model has a slightly different shape to the neck, height to the strings, action, tone, etc.  I can give you some advice on picking one, though.  When you go to try them out, put a strap on it and play it like you're playing live.  If it falls off the strap, feels weird, hurts your hand, sounds bad, etc. then do not get it.  I would only purchase an instrument that felt perfect to me, whether it was expensive or cheap.  I've got one bass that only cost a few hundred dollars, but when I practiced with it at the store, among other things, I noticed that it has a super strong neck which doesn't bend the notes when jumping around on stage.  I have played many that were thousands that didn't feel nearly as good because they just didn't fit me + my playing style right.
880568
The best advice you can possibly get right now is: Get lessons.  You'll save yourself a lot of frustrations.  The best kind to start with is an acoustic with the strings high off the fret board.  This teaches you strength & when you finally switch, you'll be lightning fast.  You should learn everything new on the acoustic.
873749
For a beginners guitar, dont really matter what brand you buy really because that player will so awful no matter what =D. It's just that fender seems to be the most popular because its prevalently used. What you need to buy is a beginners package like this \nhttp://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-SE100-Electric-Pack?sku=511681\n\nBecause if you just buy an electric guitar itself, then you would have to buy a combo amp(you will need an amp to amplify your guitar) which is going to be like 80-150 + a instrument cable which is like 20 bucks + picks + a guitar tuner. If you buy one of these beginning packages you get the whole deal for a good price. You dont worry about pedals until later on. Only until the player is good enough then he should upgrade. It's much more effiecient that way. If you really want to save money they buy it online. They offer free shipping + no tax on the website that I listed above. You also save time because you won't have to look around much + drive your heavy guitar package back from the store. I learned all this from the hard way and just wished someone would of told me but hey im telling you so spread the help!
657620
You should be able to pick it up just fine as long as you have the ability to comprehend a basic understanding of reading music.  I played all in treble cleft for 12 years and I managed to figure out bass cleft and pick up bass guitar in about a month.  Be prepared to spend anywhere from $200-400 for a decent starter set.  You get what you pay for here, so buyer beware.  \n\nGood luck to you - I'm sure you'll do just fine!
1123660
I've played one, and I agree, for as cheap as the artcore series is, they are some very good guitars, anyone looking for a good guitar definately needs to look at these. I currently have a carvin dc400 with active electronics and a air norton in the neck and a duncan sh10 full shred  in the bridge. it's an awesome combination. I'm currently looking into a new acoustic, but if I didn't have the carvin, I'd definately look into it more
230262
Some decent new ones are the Fender DG22S, the Epiphone Hummingbird (a Sheryl Crow look-alike), Takamine G320, or the Washburn D10S. These range in price from $150 or so for the Fender to $300 or so for the Epiphone. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for. I am still playing the first guitar I ever bought (in 1980, its a used 1968 Martin D35 I paid $250 for). Don't be afraid to buy used for a first guitar. Older guitars tend to have more character if they've been taken care of...
914978
I have been VERY happy with my Ibanez Artwood.  You'll spend around 300 bucks and get a quality reliable guitar that would be awesome for a beginner.  And good on ya for trying to do this for him.  Any chick that gets her fella a guitar is a keeper.  Good Luck!
70752
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.
723683
Actually both require practise. Depends on your preference actually. More towards westerned string instrument then cello. More towards chinese instrument then erhu. It's about the musical feeling essentially.
988844
I have been playing guitar for the past 30 years. I too play a variety of music and have owned many guitars. I would say from my experience that it really depends on you and what you are attemping to play. I had both a Fender Strat and a Gibson Les Paul (plus others). As an example the Gibson was more versatile where as the Fender has a thin neck to really rip out a riff or two quickly. I would suggest going to a music store and play both or many to see which "feels" and sounds right for you. Another is to find articles or info on the net of artists that are playing the music you want to play. I am a huge Paul McCartney fan and I know through research  what equipment he is playing on and for what songs.  This not only helped me learn the tunes accurately but better appreciate the guitars that the pros's use to create what sounds they are getting from them. Good luck in your research!!
912584
If it's your first electric guitar, don't plan on spending a bunch of money on it.  Any new no-name electric guitar at a music store should play well, provided it's set-up properly.  And most new guitars today are set-up just fine.  Pick up a cheap amplifier, also (make sure it has a built-in "distortion" or "overdrive" circuit - most do).\n\n10 years ago or so, buying bottom-of-the-line gear usually resulted in a crummy sound, but nowadays, the cheap stuff is so good, that it shouldn't be a problem.\n\nOther than that, it's about the same as playing an acoustic guitar.  In fact, you may notice that it's a bit easier, because electric guitar strings are a smaller gauge and are easier on the fingers.
641360
I've seen this guitar in many forms.  You gotta ask yourself what did all the guitar players do to learn their craft before things like this came along.  I would say this guitar will become a crutch as you will always be looking for the hints on the neck.  Buy a entry level Fender or similar guitar and buy a guitar tableture book with you favorite songs if you don't want to take proper lessons.  Learn the chords and play them for at least 20 minutes every day....and I do mean every day.  The blisters you are going to get are gonna hurt at first but it's part of the trade.
1179239
As a beginner, I dont think spending the extra cash on a harshell is necessary.  It all depends on how much you will be moving your guitar around and what type of environment it will be in.  If it only leaves your room for the occasional lesson, then soft case is just fine.  But if you are getting a band together with your buddies and chances are somone who doesn't care about your guitar as much as you will be moving it, then you might consider the hardshell... especially if you paid a significant amount for it.