JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
Thanks for all the advice thus far guys.

I have a good offer from a friend, whatcha think?:

"I have a nice used Ibanez Iceman IC300 with a Ibanez hard shell case and a loud nice sounding Randall 75 watt combo amp w 12" speaker . You can have it all for $250 cash . I have a new set of strings for the guitar and the ones that are on it are a few months old . I even have a good quality cord and some pics to toss in . I also put in a $100 . DP100fbk pick up in the bridge slot . It's their super distortion pick up and it's great for hard rock Heavymetal . I even have a guitar stand too"

The Ibeenhads are actually pretty good playing guitars a buddy of mine back in the metal years played one . He loved it , ah the old DiMarzio pickups they were good i preferred the EMGs personally . That sounds like a pretty good deal . you can always have a fret dress done and it will maximize the action on it unless its satisfactory as is. I don't know what it cost to have those done now a days and its been so long ago i would not remember anyway
 
Thanks for all the advice thus far guys.

I have a good offer from a friend, whatcha think?:

"I have a nice used Ibanez Iceman IC300 with a Ibanez hard shell case and a loud nice sounding Randall 75 watt combo amp w 12" speaker . You can have it all for $250 cash . I have a new set of strings for the guitar and the ones that are on it are a few months old . I even have a good quality cord and some pics to toss in . I also put in a $100 DiMarzio DP100fbk pick up in the bridge slot . It's their super distortion pick up and it's great for hard rock Heavymetal . I even have a guitar stand too"

As long as everything is in decent condition its a pretty good deal. All the swag/wires, picks, amp etc... are decent cause you can spend quite a few bucks gathering that stuff if you were just to buy the axe by itself.
I like Ibanez, Hey, if it is good enough for Satriani its good enough for mere mortals right? LOL Not fond of this model so much as I think you get a lot better tone from the Strat in this price range but as a starter set up it should be fine.
 
All I can add is this, my 1st was a gift almost a half a century ago, and it was probably the best gift anyone could have given me and has stuck with me for a lifetime. That guitar was a 56 Fender jazzmaster and it and my 1st rifle are still big parts of my life. A word of warning here, just like my lust for rifles, my collection of guitars has grown exponentially.
You could do worse by him trlsmn.
 
Trism, I know this doesn't contribute to your answer, but +1 for getting kids off video games and into an instrument. They should join band in school and form a group of friends to form a band. Kids aren't learning to use the creative part of their minds today. College is not too late, but better at age 5.

+1 that the ability is something you own for life. It's also part of a complete education. There's never a time when music isn't a part of our lives even if we don't play, and so much more if we do play.

The kids in band tend to have the best parents. Their parents care enough to buy an instrument and to take the kid to lessons and to rehearsals at school. Their parents are taking an interest in them, and you want your kid hanging around such kids and parents.
 
I will toss in my opinion.
I highly recommend a good acoustic with nylon strings for a beginner. It is a lot easier to learn then on steel strings. and when he learns to play it adds a lot of romance to a very inexpensive date. Oh man my eyes are lighting up right now.

Find a good Martin, they are great. And if you can find them the old Mel Bay lesson books. They are worth thier weight in gold. Still have mine.
 
Are there any music stores nearby? The best way to get a guitar, if you don't have someone who can go with you to a craigslist sale, is to go to a reputable music store and see what they have. Ask lots of questions.... that's what the staff is there for. A lot of times they have good beginner packages, and they might even throw in some extras. It certainly pays to patronize your local brick and mortar music shop, because they will be there if you have more questions or need help putting new strings on, etc. The internet has certainly been the death of a lot of great independent music shops.

Avoid the pawn shops! They don't usually know what they are doing, and if you don't know what to look for, you can easily end up with an overpriced piece of junk.

Sometimes, when you buy a starter guitar on craigslist, the seller doesn't really know much about the instrument (which is why they are getting rid of it). It's important to have fresh strings, a straight neck, sound frets, electrics that work, and the action (height of strings from frets) adjusted correctly. Otherwise it can be more frustrating than it's worth.

I started on a classical guitar, btw. I still prefer classical over electric. But when I bought my first electric guitar, I got a used/consigned instrument that had been checked out and restrung at the music shop. I still have that guitar (charvel '87 strat body style) 20 years later and like it as much as I did when I first took it home.

It would be worth the money to invest in a few lessons with a good teacher too. Hope this helps. :)
 
Guitars are like guns... it's largely a preference thing. I think a good $300 set up would be a MIM (Made in Mexico) Fender Stratocaster, (they're on craigslist for between $200 and $300. And if you can get one post 2005 then they're almost as good as the American Made ones which retail for $1,000+.

And to pair with it... a Fender Mustang I Amp. The amp has a headphone jack for him to play quietly while his room mates study. Or for when he brings it home on vaca. It also has an input jack for him to plug in his iPod and play along with his favorite songs. It the ability to change the sound his setup makes without having to spend tons of money on pedals and effects. This is the second phase of the addiction of playing guitar.

It's true that one should start out on an accoustic first. Helps build finger and hand strength and technique. Transitioning from accoustic to electric is nothing. Going from electric to accoustic is almost like learning all over again.

But it's way more fun to start out on electric.

If you know how his favorite artist is then it might help decide what guitar to get. Jimi Hendrix = Stratocaster , Jimmy Page = Les Paul / Epiphone.

Hope it helps.
 

Upcoming Events

Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top