Guitarists

[StraightOuttaCanton]

Re: Guitarists

My thinking is he can experiment with different sounds.

I know nothing about guitars.

You should be a good Dad and let him see this chat... I bet he could learn a lot from people who know rather than from you, who with respect doesn’t have much knowledge at all

[Moodybluebird]

Re: Guitarists

Just thinking of when I was fourteen. Had a paper round, delivering morning and late afternoon. I bought a Rosetti Super Solid Seven on the never-ever - my first electric guitar - played through the radio. Read later that McCartney was playing one in the early Hamburg days. First time we gigged in a youth club, I blew up the record player I used as an amp. And Sid the drummer only had a snare.
And this kid's got a Tele and a Strat and may get a Gibson! World's gone mad!

Must be an age thing but my dad bought me my first guitar (a classical) when I was 16 and the action was so high you could drive a bus under the strings. I find it hard to believe a 14 year old already has a Strat and a Telecaster and may soon be the proud owner of a Gibson. A Gibson 335 would be my guitar of choice by the way.

[Cyclops]

Re: Guitarists

r
He can play pop , rock , metal with that
Its like buying your son three cars when he's only just learning to drive one

Great analogy.
He's 14 ffs

[Feedback]

Re: Guitarists

Hold on, he's 14?

No 14-year-old needs a Strat a Tele AND a Gibson. Gibson is not like Fender, they don't make guitars all over the world. All their guitars are made in the US. And a semi-hollow body like a 335 will cost you $3000.

Are his Fenders American made?

He has US made fenders - I might not know much about guitars, but that much I do know.

I'm going for the Gibson with a pedal board.

He's a sensible lad and listens to the likes of porridge, the big pink and the oh sees but he likes the classics like dylan, malmestein and gilmore

[Feedback]

Re: Guitarists

You should be a good Dad and let him see this chat... I bet he could learn a lot from people who know rather than from you, who with respect doesn’t have much knowledge at all

We'll go into town in the new year and he can have a wander around the music shops and he can do as much talking as he wants. We'll also go and buy some vinyl, he's not really experienced that yet so a new world of pleasure awaits him.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: Guitarists

We'll go into town in the new year and he can have a wander around the music shops and he can do as much talking as he wants. We'll also go and buy some vinyl, he's not really experienced that yet so a new world of pleasure awaits him.

You spend as much money as you want , its your money

But he has two superb guitars that with a pedal board can give him a wide range of styles to develop

I think you are being a bit daft really , and if he's hassling you to buy him another guitar at his age , considering he has two very good ones, tell him you will buy him a les Paul for his 18th or something

Thats my view

[NYCBlue]

Re: Guitarists

We'll go into town in the new year and he can have a wander around the music shops and he can do as much talking as he wants. We'll also go and buy some vinyl, he's not really experienced that yet so a new world of pleasure awaits him.

Now you're talking. Get him a nice, vintage system and introduce him to discogs. If you're looking to burn money, vinyl is where it s at.

[Cyclops]

Re: Guitarists

. We'll also go and buy some vinyl, he's not really experienced that yet so a new world of pleasure awaits him.

And a wind-up gramophone with a years supply of needles?

[NYCBlue]

Re: Guitarists

Get him this:

https://tinyurl.com/y2p53v8e

If, when he discovers the sex and the drugs he decides he's not that into the rock and roll, at least you probably can sell it for a profit

[Ribeye]

Re: Guitarists

Les Paul guitars can be a bit heavy what about a PRS S2 Standard Singlecut Satin?

a curveball of course would be to buy him a decent amp.

[Feedback]

Re: Guitarists

Les Paul guitars can be a bit heavy what about a PRS S2 Standard Singlecut Satin?

a curveball of course would be to buy him a decent amp.

I was thinking this yesterday. Any suggestions?

I was also thinking a Gretsch but no one here had suggested this.

[Feedback]

Re: Guitarists

Get him this:

https://tinyurl.com/y2p53v8e

If, when he discovers the sex and the drugs he decides he's not that into the rock and roll, at least you probably can sell it for a profit

question if I may - are the gold guitars something worth having, as we were in PMT yesterday and there was one on the wall, and I thought it looked a bit twee if I'm honest (it sounded great though)

[Vindec]

Re: Guitarists

Guitars are such a personal thing; weight, sound, the neck, set up etc that buying an instrument without your son present is not a good idea. Weight was important to me because after a couple of hours on stage your neck doesn't half hurt. In the end I opted for a hollow bodied guitar as the solids are just too heavy although my preference was always for a Strat which your lad already has.

At the end of the day it's a question of going around the shops so he can try things out and that is what you have said you will do, and by the sound of it already doing. That's great. He's a lucky lad.

You mention amps. Trying amps out in shops in a confined space is not great as it is difficult to judge how the amp performs at a decent volume.

[Cyclops]

Re: Guitarists

There's so many reasons to like a guitar.
For me, they are in this order: 1. Playability 2. Sound/Sustain 3. Looks
I have a relatively small hand (not helped by a shattered knuckle from a cricket injury) and the neck measurements and shape are very important. At the moment, I'm modding a Washburn Parallaxe which looks cool and plays fast because it had a chunky 'D' shaped neck which felt awkward. I reproduced the shape of my fav neck on card cut-outs in three places and used a Japanese Iwasaki file/rasp and sand paper. Had to get down to the wood thru an odd waxy finish for the wood stain to take. I'll finish the Wipe On Poly with some gentle .000 gauge wire-wool rubbing to replicate the matt finish. Just hops the truss rod doesn't pop! It already plays amazingly, though I've got to finish the job by setting it up.
Any guitar with a glossy, poly finish neck (like a Tele) needs careful fine sanding. The difference in playability is remarkable.
Another factor is scale length - a big difference between Fenders and Gibsons. The shorter the scale length, the smaller the frets. This was brought home to me when I try to play chords now that I used to play with ease when I was younger. They are a stretch. I realised it was because I played a Harmony H77 (still got it - its worth around £1,500) and the scale length is shorter than any other guitar I've played.
And don't get me started on the frets! I prefer medium jumbos. You need to know the fret size (height and width) that suits you and periodically give them a polish with Autosol Car Metal polish. They then play like silk.
Makes me smile when guys say, 'that guitar plays well'. Folk should sit down and work out why. It's a science on its own. Then, you don't look at another guitar which doesn't conform to what you know you want.
'Course there's always modding!
I suggest you show these comments to your boy - with a warning - they could seriously eff him up!

[lardy]

Re: Guitarists

I was thinking this yesterday. Any suggestions?

I was also thinking a Gretsch but no one here had suggested this.

If he is really into guitars and you have no idea, he should be choosing and not you (/us).