Flying V’s can definitely be a pain if you don’t like playing classical position , but when you get used to how they play, you’ll never want to put it down, but…I believe the Explorer shape is more ergonomic and looks just as cool (if not better)
He said something about squeezing the lower bout between your legs. Do you need to do that, or can it just rest there? (I like playing in a more classical position but I've never tried a V.)
The best way to play a V is to set one side of the V between your legs and have the neck angle upwards. Its pretty comfortable once you get used to it and you actually take up less space that way (no bumping people wit the headstock). I love explorers but they are the most uncomfortable things to play. V's are awkward, but there's no good way to hold an Explorer. I have two of them and I play them strictly because they look cool lol.
@wademcreynolds7428 in my experience it can differ depending on the shape and balance, but a lot of them can just rest there with necessary having to "squeeze" it.
@@wademcreynolds7428 If you are fine with having more weight in your left hand, or you are wearing a strap while sitting, you dont have to squeeze at all. Another option is using your right forearm to push it against your body, at least that works well for me. I don't really see the problem with squeezing the guitar between your legs though, it doesn't require a lot of strenght and it's nor really uncomfortable. If you have your feet waist/hip wide apart on the floor and your knees don't flare out, there's pretty much no force involved. I've played my V for hours on end in that position and I've never had a problem with it.
@@danieljones8706 I play nylon string "Classical Guitar" and I absolutely LOVE the footstool that I made for myself. With my foot on the stool, my guitar just sits, pretty as you please on my thigh. This way, I may concentrate on PLAYING not HOLDING my guitar!
My first guitar had a licensed Floyd and I think it made me a better player off bat and it also taught me a thing or two about guitar maintenance. Definitely not for everyone though.
@@ELITE815 Yeah I was 8 when I started and I don’t know many other 8 year olds that would pick up some hex keys and do the work themselves. I was a weird kid.
My first guitar was a Carvin with a Floyd. Have no idea why people make a big deal about it. All it is, is string tension VS spring tension and nothing more. It does take longer to restring and intonate but it is not hard.
@@shane011471 It's actually really easy one you understand what's going on. I haven't restrung my floating floyds in a while but when I do I can get it done and in tune in about 20 minutes. I have a few that haven't really had much play time in the last 3 years and they are still about 98% in tune. Just a few fine adjustments.
@@shane011471 I’ve actually found a Floyd to be easier to intonate than some of these weird Strat style bridges on import guitars. Usually higher quality parts to work with.
My first electric was a V. I loved how I could just rest the inner horns on my right leg and sit down with no effort. It really benefitted my posture and kept my left hand from squeezing the fret board like a vice grip. Standing and playing with a V was no challenge at all. When giong for a shred solo, squeezing the guitar horn between your legs (like Michael Schenker) really gave me a sense of command to all frets. The bonus I enjoyed was that most of my friends would never borrow this guitar from me because they didnt know now to handle it! LOL! ;)
I have to agree on all your points. That said, I would also add avoid heavy guitars. A great way to keep you from practicing is a heavy guitar. I've found light guitars tend to just stay in my hands even after I stopped practicing.
Idk, my first was a Les Paul version Ibanez. Took lessons, stayed with them, played a lot. Maybe didn't know any better, wasn't crazy about the weight, but kept at it.
In my opinion the single coil thing depends on the style of music you want to play. If it’s metal or hard rock, then yeah I agree with you. But if we are talking Funk, R&B or Soul then you will probably want a strat style guitar. I also think you should consider what your favorite guitarists use. I love Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Hazel so my first guitar had the three single coil set up because that’s what they were mostly known to use. Thanks for always giving us great content.
I think a Flying V guitar is perfect for a new player because the new player will sit with their back straight and be able to play for longer. The flying V guitar is good for this because you do not need a footstool to play in a classical position, which is better for your back. There is also better frett access and not a big transition from sitting to standing when playing. Comfort was the main reason for me switching to a flying V guitar... The classical position is the key to comfort and health.
Yup I love my Schenker V…it forces you to play the correct way the classical way. They’re light but a little big and they look cool. Try playing a Les Paul on your leg the damn thing keeps wanting to slide back it’s much easier to play them the classical way.
Yes and no, I’m 6’5”, and until I bought an ergonomic headless, I simply cannot play sitting down, maybe I could play a V, so I get you, but my old nylon Goya is the only other guitar I can sit and play, and even that is awkward, 99% I use a strap, but with the neck pointing up, semi classical angle, because of my long arms, I prefer stud tail or wrap around bridges, because my hand naturally sits above the bridge PU, and I can mute and anchor my hand on the bridge, shorter folks generally strum closer to the middle or the neck PU is what I’ve noticed, I have some trem guitars….no great anchor and on the one with a Floyd, I tend to detune the low E by hitting the fine tuner knob with the edge of my palm😓. My 2018 Revstar fits me the best, so my others don’t get as much playing time
I agree with everything except the three (or two or one if it's a P90) single coil pickup arrangement concern. While it may be ideal to get a guitar that has at least one humbucker for tone variety, as a first guitar I don't think that is critical. A traditional strat or tele arrangment or even a single or double P90 is fine, or a single humbucker. There is still enough ability to get a variety of tones using the switch positions and the tone and volume controls. I think the most important things are to avoid complicated features, as you mentioned, and to get something that is budget friendly, comfortable, and looks cool which will inspire the person to want to keep learning and keep playing. We are in the golden age of affordable guitars both electric and acoustic. Lots of good affordable stuff to choose from.
I found it interesting that your first choice of what not to buy is a vibrato unit -- but it's good that you are specific about which kind of vibrato, as they are not all the same. My first guitar had a vibrato that I think was loosely based on a Bigsby, and yes it was something of a pain in the butt, but I learned to deal with it. It was nowhere NEAR as touchy and finicky as a Floyd, a 2-point, or even the 6-screw vintage unit. And this was almost 50 years ago, when there was not Internet to help one learn things. I LOVE the 21st Century!
Regarding thin body acoustics, I think they're a perfect first guitar for someone going through cancer. I got a Cordoba Stage when I started chemotherapy and it was basically the only guitar that was comfortable to pick up and play. My dreadnought acoustic was just too bulky and my electric guitars were heavy and required me to be wired up to get good sounds. When you're bedridden, this means a LOT for your comfort. The nylon strings and wider string spacing were more friendly on my hands (nerve damage i.e. peripheral neuropathy from chemo), and the fact that the loudness sat between an electric and a regular acoustic was a lot more convenient as well. Genuinely can't imagine a better guitar for that horrible time of my life.
I love flying V’s can play for hours sitting with no issue but I agree a lot of people have issue with them. The V was my second guitar 1st was a Kelly
I can relate to this. My first guitar was a cheap brand called a Gremlin. It was electric with one humbucker on the bridge with a standard fender style trem system of which I hardly used. Later, I came to realize the action was a bit high after I made a comparison by trying some nicer guitars at a local music store where I took lessons. I tried to lower the action but the frets weren’t even and a fret dressing would have cost more than the guitar was worth so I ended up just leaving it as it was. This still helped as it strengthened my hands to where it made playing much easier by the time I got my first pro guitar a year later.
I totaly agree. Great video. My friend bought a FR as his first guitar. Took it into his father's work shed. Engineered a blocking system and then learnt to play on what was now effectively a hard tail. It was 2 years before he started to experiment with the FR functions. He knew he would eventualy grow into it. Smart guy. Love your work.
Nice video with really good tips. Just started playing again after a long hiatus. Still trying to convince Harley Benton to make your signature guitar for lefties. Right now I'm playing on a DC-580. but I think I will be ready for my first floyd rose trem soon.
My first guitar was a Bentley Series 10 with a knock-off Floyd Rose. Probably set me back years in my playing abilities; I’m surprised I stuck with guitar, honestly. But 30 years later, I still have the thing and actually like it now.
100% spot on, I would also advise against any other wild shape like Explorers, BC Rich Beasts etc., because it's so easy to bump them on things and damage them.
Max, EXCELLENT advice on ALL fronts. 100% agree with what one should NOT get in a first guitar! I started out with a "Silvertone" years ago. Thought that it would get me where I wanted to go? I was SO wrong! I was into hard rock and wanted to get playing no matter what... BOY did I have problems! Didn't even come close to the sound or tone I was looking for. A few years later I found the guitar I was needing to have. Humbucker-Single-Humbucker, my life was SO much better for getting what I wanted!
You just have to have at least one humbucker. Your range is just too limited without it. I definitely agree with GM on this.🤘Even if your not into high gain type music, your option is there.
As you talked about the thin body acoustic, and heavy strings, I was reminded, and you might want to make a video on scale length, my first electric was a 21 & 3/4” Fender Duosonic, ‘62-64, there were some Gibson student models that had a similar scale back then, then for years, those pretty much stopped, I don’t think I’d be playing today, if not for my old Fender, soo easy on un- callused beginner fingers! but the whole time a Fender Jaguar was 24” scale, obviously you know I’m old now🤣 Today Fender duosonic, Mustang and Jaguar….maybe even the Jazzmaster are 24” I believe the old student Gibsons were also 24 Versus 24 & 3/4 normally. Now Gibson is making shorter scale again….22 I think. I love Gibson scale, it’s easy to muscle the strings around….being old, I have to be careful when I go the PRS 25” but especially the Strat at 25 & 1/2, because thru my 50’s I stopped playing, I got serious again at age 60, but muscles ligaments etc and not so flexible and forgiving as we age, my style of play is pretty physical and I have big hands, if I do a couple of Santana style bends, on the longer guitars I can actually injure myself!😳 Your audience is probably mostly 90’s and upward, but young and old can benefit from a short scale when starting out!
I 100% agree with all of these. These are also things to consider for non beginners. But luckily with the affordability and quality of guitars today especially some of the ones you have featured on your Channel, someone can investigate a Floyd Rose or other such features and still have that trusty axe. I love the idea of a whammy but find it more satisfying to do Benz with my fingers. I also love the sound of my p90s but especially with affects my dual humbucker is so much more versatile. But I got to say I do love my Martin backpacker with a fishman preamp and piezo pickup. Definitely not a beginner guitar!
The only thing I somewhat disagree with is avoiding the 3 single coil layout. If the beginner is inspired by Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer, Clapton, SRV or any other number of strat players, they're already on the right track. You can make them sound thicker with cheap pedals and add a 7 way wiring mod very easily to get the neck and bridge combo. S-style guitars specifically have the biggest aftermarket support in terms of swapping pickguards and electronics out so a beginner that is open to doing mods to their instrument has a great platform to experiment on.
Yeah, I was coming down here to say similarly. I think a beginner should look into what kind of guitar their inspiration is playing then get something with similar features in their price range. Heck, if it's Ed Sheeran, then they'd probably want a little acoustic over an electric entirely, and if they were to get a dreadnought they might be confused on the sound.
My first electric was some no-name Strat knock-off in H-S-S config. This was ~'95, so it was probably an '80s Hondo or something. I never once used the single coils on purpose. Solid advice, Max.
Great advice for beginners. I've been playing 78-79 and started out with a hardtail. Plaid Floyd's, khalers and strat style bars. Now I'm back to hard tails. It's all about ease of playing and comfort. Keep up the good work.👍
There is a thing on Reverb called Tiny Tone Blocks - a little kit of wood blocks to block off the tremolo on a Floyd Rose to make it easy to tune and restring. Makes it into a hardtail.
That's funny! I made my own little blocks back in the day so I could go to Drop D and back to standard. They worked, but totally screwed up my muscle memory for string bends... 🤣
That was a good vid Max! As a player of 45 years, it would have been cool to have these vids when I was a kid. These are great points. Single coil? Dunno? Maybe a rail? LOL!!!
I'm currently building a "sharks fin" style V (Jackson Rhoads style). Gonna whack the classic EMG 81 and 85 combo pups into it and a floyd too. Finish will be a grey, black and white version of EVHs 5150 paint job. One point I'd make about floyds is that having one teaches you so much about maintenance and tuning. Personally I found it hugely helpful with my development as a guitarist. Love the channel Max. 🤘😎🤘
Spot on. I'd add one more, which is stay away from an acoustic guitar altogether. An electric guitar typically has a thinner neck and utilizes lighter gauge strings which take less physical effort when learning the basics.
I started on acoustic during lockdown and then made my way to electric about a year and a half later. Playing heavier strings and learning to play more accurate, helped me loads when switching to Electric. Now it's all I play.
To any would-be players: Single coils are actually a great starting option. The only serious drawback is the hum/noise. They have a pure/clean sound and they are quite versatile. But under distortion, they can be way too noisy. Headless guitars are great if you can start out on a cheap one. String changes are way easier on headless guitars and they stay in tune longer because they lock at the nut. You'll also literally never run into the double-ball strings because pretty much only the old Steinbergers use them. Just make sure that your headless has a bridge you like. You might want to avoid anything that's multiscale though (slanted frets). Flying V's are super comfortable to play sitting. You just need to put yourself in classical position. This way less-fatiguing than sitting a guitar laterally on your right-leg. Don't be scared off from any of these.
Good advice. I currently have a acoustic and electric guitars. One thing I would add, 'feel' out the neck. it's important, to me, for a new guitar player, that the neck feels comfortable in the hand. Hard necks to hold, width, thickness, ease of movement up and down, fret wires don't cut, and fingers feel comfortable on the frets. Obviously the last one will come with time but, I've found some necks are easier then others. Yamaha makes a good neck in both acoustic and electric as does Samick Fernandez is a very good imitation of fender. Ibanez are pricey now. They have nice necks and great tones Ahh, there's so many to choose from. Play a few, feel the necks of different priced guitars. Start reasonable $'s, in case it's not really 'your thing' You can always spend thousands later Most importantly, have fun
This was some very good, practical advice. I love my Gibson Flying V, but you're correct about sitting and playing it. Standing, it fits my body better than any other shape, but sitting? Forget it. I would add one other piece of advice for a beginner. Try and get a guitar with decent tuners. If you buy a really cheap guitar that goes out of tune every few minutes, that can be incredibly frustrating. However, if you do buy a budget guitar with lousy tuners, you can buy some decent tuners and learn your first lesson in guitar upgrade/maintenance/repair by replacing them yourself. Take it easy.
#6 Bonus got my sub on the first vid! I'm THINKING about getting my first electric. I wondered exactly about this ease of strumming and basically accessing the front of the guitar without dislocating my right scapulae. Man! I'm strumming my ass off and it's really working. Fret side my fingers don't hurt anymore, and my left hand found a brain of it's own! Dude, you got the radio/podcast voice. You building content? Thanks for the great first vid.
Good points. I bought a floating bridge in 1981and i blocked the bridge to make it a hardtail because of tuning. 40 years later, i installed a Vegatrem system and Gotoh H.A.P-M staggered locking tuners - AWESOME, now.
I don't agree that headless guitars are more difficult to tune or to string up. My experience is with strandberg*, and they are pretty easy to string up and SUPER easy to tune. I actually think they are easier to tune than tuning machines on a headstock because the tuners are closer to you on the bridge and there are no string winds that can slip so they tend to be much more stable once they are stretched and broken in.
I have a few NK headless guitars and they are fantastic. They hold tuning way better than guitars with headstocks since there is no slippage anywhere and restringing is way easier. I don't have experience with Strandberg but the tuners on mine have slots to turn with a guitar pick for more accuracy. I'd actually recommend them to beginners. They are lighter, more ergonomic, better tuning stability, faster string changes, plus less chance to bump into things.
I think your suggestion of having an HSS instead of a 3-single coil guitar is a GREAT point -- the one thing I think that makes a strat a great learner's guitar is that you have such a wide variety of tones via the 5-way selector and tone knob -- so if you want a single-coil sound, you can, but if you want to get into higher gain music you can also use positions 2 and 4 to get a hum-cancelling effect (I know, it's usually wired in paralell not in series like a humbucker pickup but it WILL clean up some of that 60-cycle hum so it's something to experiment with at least!) For me though, having a bridge pickup that's a single coil is so ice-pickingly bright that having a humbucker in there just adds so much to a strat that I don't know why it hasn't become the standard -- ESPECIALLY since that uber-bright pickup usually has no tone control to roll off the highs (what the fuck, Leo?!)
Great advice. I was obsessed with getting a Floyd Rose guitar, didn't understand anything about them! Definitely something to keep for a future guitar if you're a new player. Completely agree with the single coil pups too. Was trying to rack out Iron Maiden on a squier with single coils. No matter how much I turned the gain up wasn't making them sound much better! A squier with a humbucker would have been perfect.
Bless you Max. Because of you I found my favorite and now main guitar, Harley Benton SC-Custom FR VB. Been using it for a few years now and it's fantastic in every way.
OK, A couple of opinions here. 1. I wouldn't say to avoid triple-single coils, but rather make sure you buy the setup that your favorite guitarist plays. There are loads of tone examples on RUclips now so there's a sound you want, you can find someone who breaks down how to get that tone. And the manufacturers have options at a lot of price points. 2. Flying V's are tricky to play but a good compromise is a Dean ML. Its a mix between a V and an Explorer and you can play it in both positions. depending on what's more comfortable.
My first "proper" guitar (after playing a horrendous cheap classical I inherited from my Aunt) was a Yamaha Pacifica 112J and to this day I would still recommend it as the perfect beginners guitar. The HSS pickups gave me great flexibility in tone, and the guitar itself was very good quality.
I agree with what you're saying, when just starting out u wanna make things as simple as possible. I know guitarists that'v been playing for a long time that STILL avoid double locking trems for the reasons u mentioned. I have a few guitars with double locking trems and they are great. Like everything tho there are a couple of things that u need to learn to make things easier but if you're just starting out then that's just another thing to learn when u are already struggling with learning to play.
Great info and you've presented it in a way that is easy to understand and doesn't take too long to get through. I agree with your points with one *possible* exception. I thing that for those playing even somewhat heavy music, a humbucker is a must, so the HSS configuration is great. Also, for those seeking a full size first electric, then the HSS or HH options will sound good. But, for those seeking a smaller option, I think the benefits of a mini strat could outweigh the disadvantages/limits of a SSS. By the time they'll want a full size or new guitar, they can then choose the configuration to suit their needs and choose a guitar that feels great to play. I think Squier mini strats are often cheap to upgrade, even when paying for the labor, so new tuners and saddles would be worthwhile. I am not opposed to people getting a decent acoustic that's well set-up for their first. They shouldn't expect the tone to match their favorite artists, and if they can play well on that, then an electric will feel easy (thinner strings, smaller profile and lower action). It's nice to be able to pick up an acoustic and play right away, without an amp.
Great video Max, and very wise advice. A couple of points worth bearing in mind is that some active pickup guitars can also work in passive mode without a battery. That might apply to older active guitars though, a lot of more modern active guitars are active only. Also, as others have pointed out, if you are absolutely certain that you want to play in the style of funk, Hendrix, Clapton and even Gilmour, then an SSS pickup arrangement is perfect for that sound. I do agree that if a beginner is not 100% sure of the style/ sound that they're wanting to play, an HSS arrangement (or other variations) would be a better choice for exploring tones. Better still if the humbucker has a coil split option to give the best of both worlds. I'd also advise to avoid many of those low priced travel guitars or 3/4 size guitars. Like the electro-acoustic you showed, they're often too compromised and can end up sounding like lesser versions of their full sized siblings. For sure there are some great travel guitars available, but you get what you pay for with that type of guitar. Unlike more conventional/ traditional guitars where there are some absolutely brilliant guitars available at bargain prices (as your channel superbly demonstrates time and time again! 👍).
First axe I bought used Kramer Pacer Special in maybe 1994, had to do it as I was an EVH nut, still am. I learned the Floyd rose same way anything else trial and error with some basic mechanical skills.
Getting my first guitar with a floyd rose has been extremely beneficial to me personally. It took me quite a bit of time (and quite a few string sets) to learn how to set it up properly, but it got me interested in all the other technical aspects of how a guitar works - setting up action and intonation, etc. Within a year of getting my first guitar I was a much better guitar tech than a musician (still am) and now I've gone down the path of becoming a luthier and I attribute it all to messing with that floyd rose in my first guitar.
My first gat was a cheap strat copy with three single coil pickups, and I totally get your point. It was real struggle to get decent metal tones out of it. Often I felt it sounded better on the neck pickup, as there was more output. What improved things for me was putting a compressor pedal in front of the distortion, that kicked up the gain massively. The trem sucked though, I didn't realise this at first but when my ear got better I stopped using it. Also agree about the flying V potentially being problematic. Probably best to also have a more stratish shaped axe for the sit down practice. However, to have just one guitar and for it to scream out metal there is a solution - the Warlock shape. Nice and pointy but essentially like a strat to sit down and play.
A lot of good points here, I would add if you are new to guitar you should go with a single pickup guitar and open shaft or locking tuners. Not sure what guitar that is exactly but, those could of things usually make things easier. 1 not too many confusing pickup options and 2 the open shaft tuners are the easiest next to locking tuners to use because of how the string is mounted and wound. Above all don’t think things come fast, it will take time and stick with it!
My first electric guitar was a LTD KH 202 with a Floyd and I agree, its a pain and overall I think it was bad for me because while I liked tinkering with it and got around it, I found it so comfortable I didnt want to play tune o matic guitars for years and ended up blocking the bridge too. But these days I play a LTD V 500 with a tune o matic and love it. The V isnt good for a first guitar either, maybe a smaller one but overall a normal shape is best.
Lol i got my little brother in-law an hss squire strat(he was 15 at the time)...he was super "inspired" by the go johnny go scene from back to the future. I eventually get to sit him down for a lesson and eventually get his fingers in the open E chord position... lol before i could say anything else he started strumming like a mad man and was GENUINELY SHOCKED when EVH sounds weren't coming out of the amp. The look on his face when he found out how hard it is was priceless. He hasn't picked it up since.
Good video. Dig the Manowar T. Looks like your arm is all healed from when you moved a while back. Guitars and guns! Keep the videos coming. Any updates on your upcoming album?
… 1) I have zero experience with a Floyd bridge so I bought one 8/9 yrs ago, my Floyd really woke me up with tuning all different guitars ,it’s a great learning experience as well… 2) Active pickups I love , if you don’t remember the # 1 rule is to unplug your ax when not in use then it’s on you the guitarist for killing your ax‼️ Actives are so awesome ‼️ 3) Single coils are thee easiest guitars to begin on , learn scales, neck notes, chords , etc. I actually used my Strat with a fuzz pedal and learned Blk Sabb/Ironman song and yes the tone was dam spot on .. If you succeed with a Strat then move on too humbuckers guitars or flying Vs to fine tuned your sound or just learn a few Led Zeppelin songs. 4) No head guitars are stupid looking: Period‼️ and you don’t look cool 😂 5) Flying V can be played with blues, classic rock ( JHnx ) , metal, etc. they are a riot to use ..
This is some great advice! When I was in my teens and talking about getting my first guitar, a friend told me to never get a guitar that you can't sit with. Best advice ever. To this day, I still don't have any V's for this exact reason. I would add that an HSS would be the best for a first guitar since you get the Humbucker but also get some tone variety.
Good list... and yes, for a first time guitar ever, it would be great to even hold it in a lap before buying, for example, I don't really like to hold LP while I'm sitting, because it is so bottom heavy, and you have to adjust it too much ...
Totally agree that ergonomics aren’t discussed enough. Weight, especially - but also the size of the body. If you’re 5’3” on a good day, a Gretsch White Falcon is probably gonna go up to your armpit and feel very awkward.
I would have to agree with the V thing. My first guitar was an Aria Pro II V. Definitely was a challenge to get started with it! Went to a Lag Custom Explorer next. Still playing it to these days (37 years later)! Much better for sit down practice.
Well my very first guitar, and my absolute favourite, is my LTD Alexi Hexed sawtooth which comes with a beautiful Floyd Rose bridge and in a Flying-V shape... I have never had problems with it, on the contrary it pushes me to learn more... and replacing the strings was very straightforward, you just need to pay some extra care... in my book, the best guitar for beginners is simply the guitar that inspires you and that is suitable to the type of music you like
Totally agree with ol Max here on the three pick-up thing! Most of the strat style guitars copy Fender's control set up and that puts them in an uncomfortable position for beginners, AND keeping them in tune becomes a pain. Until you switch out the saddles for roller saddles and learn how to tune old school. There's no shame starting out simple, say a "Bullet" style with one pick-up a single volume, or vol, and tone. (In the beginning the tone seldom gets used anyway.) More important in my mind is; leveled frets, a good set up, light strings, (8's, maybe 9's,) a decent gig bag , and an amp that doesn't sound like it's being played inside the clothes dryer.
Re: Slick guitars sliding off the leg. I use a strip of the anti-skid shelf liner from the dollar store. Just place it between the guitar & your thigh and no more slippage! 😃
Nice list, Max! I like your Item 3 - the mix of pickups is a great idea. My first electric was a Strat copy, and I find I'm playing my newer Squier Tele a lot more and my Les Paul even more.
One of the biggest sounds I've gotten out of any guitar is a BCP strat knockoff with three single coils piped through a fuzz pedal into a high distortion amp at near enough full gain. Power cords, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, almost everything sounded huge and epic with that setup. Yeah, I've gotten similar sounds with a humbucker, and yes, I play my HSS strat knockoff slightly more, but it was still cool. Hard disagree on the V. As long as you've got a strap and a good stand or case, a good V is a great place to start, especially since most of them are dual humbucker. Though honestly, if I had to recommend anyone a starting guitar, I'd almost have to say a 7 string superstrat is the best place to start, since you can ignore the low B until you want to use it, and the ones Ibanez makes have some pretty versatile pickups, but that's speaking from my perspective as a perpetual budget player.
Excellent video. Hard agree with the 3 single coil pickups not being a great idea. Most guitarists that favour single coils don't play as much on just the bridge anyways, they play positions 2 and 4 or just neck usually. I love the single coil bridge myself, being a massive Malmsteen fan, but it really isn't for everyone. Also, when it comes to Flying V, in my opinion that's the best advice of the bunch, I had a friend who was better than me at guitar, and we both decided to get Gibsons after our entry instruments, he got a Flying V and I got a Les Paul, I still play, while he pretty much immediately stopped practicing as much as he used to because of how much of a hassle the Flying V was, and eventually quit.
Flying Vs in the classical position is actually a very good thing coz the accuracy you get while sitting and playing can be recreated when you stand and sort of place the horns of the guitar body in between a leg.
On headless guitars, it really depends what kind of headless you get. Since every brand uses a proprietary bridge system, they're all a bit different. My only experience is with .strandberg* guitars, and with cheaper MIJ bridge systems that I put on a couple of guitars I built. The bridges on .strandberg* guitars are definitely better, and very easy to tune, especially with the included key. The guitar overall is very ergonomic so promotes better posture. But since .strandberg* guitars are quite expensive, beginners will usually go towards the more affordable options.
All good points. The part about 3 single coils makes sense too, the 5 switch position, just more a distraction to confuse the beginner. I think what happens is people buy a guitar, they don't learn why the instrument does what it does by design, or how to maintain it. And that learning distracts from learning how to play & vice versa. Doesn't help that there are several types of guitars. I think a Floyd Rose or Tremolo bridge is harder to set up than stringing a fixed bridge as the "Duh" statement of the day, but sooner or later the guitarist is going to have to learn how to setup & maintain a tremolo system to have that kind of guitar later. Most every guitar I have is a Hardtail really. I have a Strat with a Trem, modded a LP for a easily converted back & forth Bigsby, but everything else is a HT, Both LP, 1 Strat & 2 Teles. Old guy Rock & Roll guitars, nothing Super Shredder Metal.
I found out about active pick ups when getting my bass and I had no idea about it as I just bought guitars without that problem but the guy in the shop told me to unplug it all the time so I knew not to keep it plugged in as I do with peddles after that experience. Am older but I just started playing a couple of years ago and had no idea what was what but I know a lot more now as the age thing makes me check out things first, although I was blind when getting my first guitar which was a squire 60s vibe strat. I couldn’t believe how good it was for the price and I still want to keep it after going mental buying different guitars over a 2 year period as I just wanted to try different ones out and see what was best for me. I am just having fun in my older years and try to take in new information about these things all the time and playing and getting better is a great feeling in my older years.
Couldnt agree more with your advice here Im a tech and planted in the middle of the store i work at and get so crushed with customers everyday that i feel like a bartender lol Id add only 1 piece of advice that a newcomer might also want to think about A guitar that has an arm contour and a belly carve is imo a bit of an oversight but is a great added comfort feature to consider for a first guitar Great advice Max!
I agree across the board. It took some bravery to say that it's easier to play metal on humbuckers. I agree, in full. It should be common sense. It's also one of the fastest paths to starting a fight among guitar players.
When I taught guitar the owner of the school brought in cheap electrics with Floyd Rose knockoffs,which some students did well with, but I tried to get a non trem version for newer students, but the trem ones looked cool, so that’s what he had for students to buy. My first electric was a Les Paul copy, and it did well for that
I used to have a baby Taylor (BT2e) that I absolutely loved. I used it to take guitar classes in college. It was super easy to carry and the thin body made it quiet enough to practice in an apartment with and I could plug it in to jam with others. I absolutely recommend one of those for a beginner. I eventually moved up to full Dreadnaught sized Taylor acoustics and I play Strandberg electrics.
my first proper guitar hit probably most of these points, and you are absolutely spot on. I was in this situation pre RUclips too. wish I had this advice back then, however im pretty good at floyd rose maintenance now. 😂
My first guitar (Shecter) has a FR and you're absolutely right about de technical dificulties... I promised that I would never buy another one with FR... and after a few adventures and headaches, today it's a totally different story. I deccided to buy an Ibanez with FR, of course! None of my four guitars have active pickups. I think they are useful for professionals not for the ones who plays for curiosity and fun at home...
Ive been playing for less than a year and i have a flying v. Was a bit awkward but i was so in love with the guitar it didn't bother me. Yea its weird to play sitting but just keep your leg in the v and i recommend wearing your guitar strap for that extra stability
you bring up some good points but a full body acoustic can be hard to play with siting down for some. I agree with you opinion on combo acoustic guitars having owned one myself. it was more for practice then actual play.
Better arguments Floating trems. You are correct on your string change example. If a string breaks, replace the one string. Esasy. Better argurment it is easier to learn bends and unison bends with a fixed bridge because as soon as you bend a string on a floating bridge all the others go out of tune. Don't get active pickups because as the battery drains the sound deteriorates. New guitarist can get frustrated because they aren't getting the sound they want and it's not their playing or the amp it's a weak battery. Don't buy a three pup guitar because the middle pups will get in the way.🤔
the nr.1 thing you should avoid as a guitarist are just crappy commercial based youtube channels that are just doing faulty infomercials, just to say! peace 🙏
I bought my daughter an Ibanez small acoustic. It's a great size for her and the action is more along the lines of electric. I bet if you put a nice aftermarket pickup in it it would sound great.
Also check out as easy to play, "Squier Sonic Mustang HH" (2 humbuckers) a short scale 24" neck, "offers a relaxed tension & reduced fret-to-fret travel distance - perfect for developing guitarists & players with a slightly smaller grip." $199
Yes I agree, I bought a number of Floyd rose type guitars, the only sensible beginner friendly guitar I have is a Jackson SLXT hardtail red soloist type guitar with two humbuckers. It’s definitely difficult to find a a guitar that’s decent and not typical beginner guitar that’s not got a floating trem that ticks all the boxes to play every type of metal you like on, so a guitar to play Rammstein will be different from Iron Maiden, a strat with floating trem, I find guitar buying a minefield and I’m an older beginner.
Flying V’s can definitely be a pain if you don’t like playing classical position , but when you get used to how they play, you’ll never want to put it down, but…I believe the Explorer shape is more ergonomic and looks just as cool (if not better)
He said something about squeezing the lower bout between your legs. Do you need to do that, or can it just rest there? (I like playing in a more classical position but I've never tried a V.)
The best way to play a V is to set one side of the V between your legs and have the neck angle upwards. Its pretty comfortable once you get used to it and you actually take up less space that way (no bumping people wit the headstock).
I love explorers but they are the most uncomfortable things to play. V's are awkward, but there's no good way to hold an Explorer. I have two of them and I play them strictly because they look cool lol.
@wademcreynolds7428 in my experience it can differ depending on the shape and balance, but a lot of them can just rest there with necessary having to "squeeze" it.
@@wademcreynolds7428 If you are fine with having more weight in your left hand, or you are wearing a strap while sitting, you dont have to squeeze at all. Another option is using your right forearm to push it against your body, at least that works well for me. I don't really see the problem with squeezing the guitar between your legs though, it doesn't require a lot of strenght and it's nor really uncomfortable. If you have your feet waist/hip wide apart on the floor and your knees don't flare out, there's pretty much no force involved. I've played my V for hours on end in that position and I've never had a problem with it.
@@danieljones8706 I play nylon string "Classical Guitar" and I absolutely LOVE the footstool that I made for myself. With my foot on the stool, my guitar just sits, pretty as you please on my thigh. This way, I may concentrate on PLAYING not HOLDING my guitar!
My first guitar had a licensed Floyd and I think it made me a better player off bat and it also taught me a thing or two about guitar maintenance. Definitely not for everyone though.
Trial by fire. It basically makes you quit or become a pro
@@ELITE815 Yeah I was 8 when I started and I don’t know many other 8 year olds that would pick up some hex keys and do the work themselves. I was a weird kid.
My first guitar was a Carvin with a Floyd. Have no idea why people make a big deal about it. All it is, is string tension VS spring tension and nothing more. It does take longer to restring and intonate but it is not hard.
@@shane011471 It's actually really easy one you understand what's going on. I haven't restrung my floating floyds in a while but when I do I can get it done and in tune in about 20 minutes. I have a few that haven't really had much play time in the last 3 years and they are still about 98% in tune. Just a few fine adjustments.
@@shane011471 I’ve actually found a Floyd to be easier to intonate than some of these weird Strat style bridges on import guitars. Usually higher quality parts to work with.
My first electric was a V. I loved how I could just rest the inner horns on my right leg and sit down with no effort. It really benefitted my posture and kept my left hand from squeezing the fret board like a vice grip. Standing and playing with a V was no challenge at all. When giong for a shred solo, squeezing the guitar horn between your legs (like Michael Schenker) really gave me a sense of command to all frets. The bonus I enjoyed was that most of my friends would never borrow this guitar from me because they didnt know now to handle it! LOL! ;)
I had a Jackson RR as my first guitar. Agree with you on all of that!
I have to agree on all your points. That said, I would also add avoid heavy guitars. A great way to keep you from practicing is a heavy guitar. I've found light guitars tend to just stay in my hands even after I stopped practicing.
Idk, my first was a Les Paul version Ibanez. Took lessons, stayed with them, played a lot. Maybe didn't know any better, wasn't crazy about the weight, but kept at it.
By that logic, no one should start with a bass, poor bassists, just kidding.
I can absolutely agree! I've made a lot of these rookie mistakes too. But I never stopped playing the guitar. Greetings from Frankfurt Germany.
In my opinion the single coil thing depends on the style of music you want to play. If it’s metal or hard rock, then yeah I agree with you. But if we are talking Funk, R&B or Soul then you will probably want a strat style guitar. I also think you should consider what your favorite guitarists use. I love Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Hazel so my first guitar had the three single coil set up because that’s what they were mostly known to use. Thanks for always giving us great content.
Good call on all points here. Well done Gmax!
I think a Flying V guitar is perfect for a new player because the new player will sit with their back straight and be able to play for longer. The flying V guitar is good for this because you do not need a footstool to play in a classical position, which is better for your back. There is also better frett access and not a big transition from sitting to standing when playing. Comfort was the main reason for me switching to a flying V guitar... The classical position is the key to comfort and health.
V in classic position is great. Rhoads even more.
Yup I love my Schenker V…it forces you to play the correct way the classical way. They’re light but a little big and they look cool.
Try playing a Les Paul on your leg the damn thing keeps wanting to slide back it’s much easier to play them the classical way.
Yes and no, I’m 6’5”, and
until I bought an ergonomic headless, I simply cannot play sitting down, maybe I could play a V, so I get you, but my old nylon Goya is the only other guitar I can sit and play, and even that is awkward, 99% I use a strap, but with the neck pointing up, semi classical angle, because of my long arms, I prefer stud tail or wrap around bridges, because my hand naturally sits above the bridge PU, and I can mute and anchor my hand on the bridge, shorter folks generally strum closer to the middle or the neck PU is what I’ve noticed, I have some trem guitars….no great anchor and on the one with a Floyd, I tend to detune the low E by hitting the fine tuner knob with the edge of my palm😓. My 2018 Revstar fits me the best, so my others don’t get as much playing time
Great video, as usual. Props on the Hail To England shirt! One of their best albums.
Started last year and got an Ibanez Rg421, happy to discover that I made a good choice. 🤔😁
I agree with everything except the three (or two or one if it's a P90) single coil pickup arrangement concern. While it may be ideal to get a guitar that has at least one humbucker for tone variety, as a first guitar I don't think that is critical. A traditional strat or tele arrangment or even a single or double P90 is fine, or a single humbucker. There is still enough ability to get a variety of tones using the switch positions and the tone and volume controls. I think the most important things are to avoid complicated features, as you mentioned, and to get something that is budget friendly, comfortable, and looks cool which will inspire the person to want to keep learning and keep playing. We are in the golden age of affordable guitars both electric and acoustic. Lots of good affordable stuff to choose from.
I found it interesting that your first choice of what not to buy is a vibrato unit -- but it's good that you are specific about which kind of vibrato, as they are not all the same. My first guitar had a vibrato that I think was loosely based on a Bigsby, and yes it was something of a pain in the butt, but I learned to deal with it. It was nowhere NEAR as touchy and finicky as a Floyd, a 2-point, or even the 6-screw vintage unit. And this was almost 50 years ago, when there was not Internet to help one learn things. I LOVE the 21st Century!
Regarding thin body acoustics, I think they're a perfect first guitar for someone going through cancer. I got a Cordoba Stage when I started chemotherapy and it was basically the only guitar that was comfortable to pick up and play. My dreadnought acoustic was just too bulky and my electric guitars were heavy and required me to be wired up to get good sounds. When you're bedridden, this means a LOT for your comfort. The nylon strings and wider string spacing were more friendly on my hands (nerve damage i.e. peripheral neuropathy from chemo), and the fact that the loudness sat between an electric and a regular acoustic was a lot more convenient as well. Genuinely can't imagine a better guitar for that horrible time of my life.
Hugs for you Armando. 💗
I hope you live long and prosper my friend
I love flying V’s can play for hours sitting with no issue but I agree a lot of people have issue with them. The V was my second guitar 1st was a Kelly
I can relate to this. My first guitar was a cheap brand called a Gremlin. It was electric with one humbucker on the bridge with a standard fender style trem system of which I hardly used. Later, I came to realize the action was a bit high after I made a comparison by trying some nicer guitars at a local music store where I took lessons. I tried to lower the action but the frets weren’t even and a fret dressing would have cost more than the guitar was worth so I ended up just leaving it as it was. This still helped as it strengthened my hands to where it made playing much easier by the time I got my first pro guitar a year later.
Great advice. I teach private lessons and all of these tips are great.
I totaly agree. Great video. My friend bought a FR as his first guitar. Took it into his father's work shed. Engineered a blocking system and then learnt to play on what was now effectively a hard tail. It was 2 years before he started to experiment with the FR functions. He knew he would eventualy grow into it. Smart guy. Love your work.
Nice video with really good tips. Just started playing again after a long hiatus. Still trying to convince Harley Benton to make your signature guitar for lefties. Right now I'm playing on a DC-580. but I think I will be ready for my first floyd rose trem soon.
My first guitar was a Bentley Series 10 with a knock-off Floyd Rose. Probably set me back years in my playing abilities; I’m surprised I stuck with guitar, honestly. But 30 years later, I still have the thing and actually like it now.
100% spot on, I would also advise against any other wild shape like Explorers, BC Rich Beasts etc., because it's so easy to bump them on things and damage them.
Yep, experienced this back in the early 80's.
Great advice Max. This video may save someone buying their first guitar some real frustration. Great video!
Max, EXCELLENT advice on ALL fronts. 100% agree with what one should NOT get in a first guitar!
I started out with a "Silvertone" years ago. Thought that it would get me where I wanted to go? I was
SO wrong! I was into hard rock and wanted to get playing no matter what... BOY did I have problems!
Didn't even come close to the sound or tone I was looking for. A few years later I found the guitar I was
needing to have. Humbucker-Single-Humbucker, my life was SO much better for getting what I wanted!
You just have to have at least one humbucker. Your range is just too limited without it. I definitely agree with GM on this.🤘Even if your not into high gain type music, your option is there.
I think your spot on with everything you said.
Absolutely no argument at all. I have been playing since 76. You covered everything exactly and perfectly!
As you talked about the thin body acoustic, and heavy strings, I was reminded,
and you might want to make a video on scale length,
my first electric was a
21 & 3/4” Fender Duosonic, ‘62-64, there were some Gibson student models that had a similar scale back then, then for years, those pretty much stopped, I don’t think I’d be playing today, if not for my old Fender, soo easy on un- callused beginner fingers! but the whole time a Fender Jaguar was 24” scale, obviously you know I’m old now🤣
Today Fender duosonic, Mustang and Jaguar….maybe even the Jazzmaster are 24”
I believe the old student Gibsons were also 24
Versus 24 & 3/4 normally. Now Gibson is making shorter scale again….22 I think.
I love Gibson scale, it’s easy to muscle the strings around….being old, I have to be careful when I go the PRS 25” but especially the Strat at 25 & 1/2, because thru my 50’s I stopped playing, I got serious again at age 60, but muscles ligaments etc and not so flexible and forgiving as we age, my style of play is pretty physical and I have big hands, if I do a couple of Santana style bends, on the longer guitars I can actually injure myself!😳
Your audience is probably mostly 90’s and upward, but young and old can benefit from a short scale when starting out!
At last someone talking sense 👍
I 100% agree with all of these. These are also things to consider for non beginners. But luckily with the affordability and quality of guitars today especially some of the ones you have featured on your Channel, someone can investigate a Floyd Rose or other such features and still have that trusty axe. I love the idea of a whammy but find it more satisfying to do Benz with my fingers. I also love the sound of my p90s but especially with affects my dual humbucker is so much more versatile. But I got to say I do love my Martin backpacker with a fishman preamp and piezo pickup. Definitely not a beginner guitar!
The only thing I somewhat disagree with is avoiding the 3 single coil layout. If the beginner is inspired by Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer, Clapton, SRV or any other number of strat players, they're already on the right track. You can make them sound thicker with cheap pedals and add a 7 way wiring mod very easily to get the neck and bridge combo. S-style guitars specifically have the biggest aftermarket support in terms of swapping pickguards and electronics out so a beginner that is open to doing mods to their instrument has a great platform to experiment on.
Yeah, I was coming down here to say similarly. I think a beginner should look into what kind of guitar their inspiration is playing then get something with similar features in their price range. Heck, if it's Ed Sheeran, then they'd probably want a little acoustic over an electric entirely, and if they were to get a dreadnought they might be confused on the sound.
My first electric was some no-name Strat knock-off in H-S-S config. This was ~'95, so it was probably an '80s Hondo or something. I never once used the single coils on purpose. Solid advice, Max.
Great advice for beginners. I've been playing 78-79 and started out with a hardtail. Plaid Floyd's, khalers and strat style bars. Now I'm back to hard tails. It's all about ease of playing and comfort. Keep up the good work.👍
There is a thing on Reverb called Tiny Tone Blocks - a little kit of wood blocks to block off the tremolo on a Floyd Rose to make it easy to tune and restring. Makes it into a hardtail.
That's funny! I made my own little blocks back in the day so I could go to Drop D and back to standard. They worked, but totally screwed up my muscle memory for string bends... 🤣
That was a good vid Max! As a player of 45 years, it would have been cool to have these vids when I was a kid. These are great points. Single coil? Dunno? Maybe a rail? LOL!!!
I'm currently building a "sharks fin" style V (Jackson Rhoads style). Gonna whack the classic EMG 81 and 85 combo pups into it and a floyd too. Finish will be a grey, black and white version of EVHs 5150 paint job. One point I'd make about floyds is that having one teaches you so much about maintenance and tuning. Personally I found it hugely helpful with my development as a guitarist. Love the channel Max.
🤘😎🤘
Spot on. I'd add one more, which is stay away from an acoustic guitar altogether. An electric guitar typically has a thinner neck and utilizes lighter gauge strings which take less physical effort when learning the basics.
I started on acoustic during lockdown and then made my way to electric about a year and a half later. Playing heavier strings and learning to play more accurate, helped me loads when switching to Electric. Now it's all I play.
Good stuff!!! Parents need this insight too.
To any would-be players:
Single coils are actually a great starting option. The only serious drawback is the hum/noise. They have a pure/clean sound and they are quite versatile. But under distortion, they can be way too noisy.
Headless guitars are great if you can start out on a cheap one. String changes are way easier on headless guitars and they stay in tune longer because they lock at the nut. You'll also literally never run into the double-ball strings because pretty much only the old Steinbergers use them. Just make sure that your headless has a bridge you like. You might want to avoid anything that's multiscale though (slanted frets).
Flying V's are super comfortable to play sitting. You just need to put yourself in classical position. This way less-fatiguing than sitting a guitar laterally on your right-leg.
Don't be scared off from any of these.
Good advice. I currently have a acoustic and electric guitars. One thing I would add, 'feel' out the neck. it's important, to me, for a new guitar player, that the neck feels comfortable in the hand. Hard necks to hold, width, thickness, ease of movement up and down, fret wires don't cut, and fingers feel comfortable on the frets.
Obviously the last one will come with time but, I've found some necks are easier then others.
Yamaha makes a good neck in both acoustic and electric as does Samick
Fernandez is a very good imitation of fender.
Ibanez are pricey now. They have nice necks and great tones
Ahh, there's so many to choose from.
Play a few, feel the necks of different priced guitars.
Start reasonable $'s, in case it's not really 'your thing' You can always spend thousands later
Most importantly, have fun
I agree! And would add if your a beginner lightest strings available are easier to play bar cords and bend
And a short scale is easier cuz less string tension.
This was some very good, practical advice. I love my Gibson Flying V, but you're correct about sitting and playing it. Standing, it fits my body better than any other shape, but sitting? Forget it. I would add one other piece of advice for a beginner. Try and get a guitar with decent tuners. If you buy a really cheap guitar that goes out of tune every few minutes, that can be incredibly frustrating. However, if you do buy a budget guitar with lousy tuners, you can buy some decent tuners and learn your first lesson in guitar upgrade/maintenance/repair by replacing them yourself. Take it easy.
#6 Bonus got my sub on the first vid! I'm THINKING about getting my first electric. I wondered exactly about this ease of strumming and basically accessing the front of the guitar without dislocating my right scapulae. Man! I'm strumming my ass off and it's really working. Fret side my fingers don't hurt anymore, and my left hand found a brain of it's own! Dude, you got the radio/podcast voice. You building content? Thanks for the great first vid.
Good points. I bought a floating bridge in 1981and i blocked the bridge to make it a hardtail because of tuning. 40 years later, i installed a Vegatrem system and Gotoh H.A.P-M staggered locking tuners - AWESOME, now.
I don't agree that headless guitars are more difficult to tune or to string up. My experience is with strandberg*, and they are pretty easy to string up and SUPER easy to tune. I actually think they are easier to tune than tuning machines on a headstock because the tuners are closer to you on the bridge and there are no string winds that can slip so they tend to be much more stable once they are stretched and broken in.
I have a few NK headless guitars and they are fantastic. They hold tuning way better than guitars with headstocks since there is no slippage anywhere and restringing is way easier. I don't have experience with Strandberg but the tuners on mine have slots to turn with a guitar pick for more accuracy. I'd actually recommend them to beginners. They are lighter, more ergonomic, better tuning stability, faster string changes, plus less chance to bump into things.
I think your suggestion of having an HSS instead of a 3-single coil guitar is a GREAT point -- the one thing I think that makes a strat a great learner's guitar is that you have such a wide variety of tones via the 5-way selector and tone knob -- so if you want a single-coil sound, you can, but if you want to get into higher gain music you can also use positions 2 and 4 to get a hum-cancelling effect (I know, it's usually wired in paralell not in series like a humbucker pickup but it WILL clean up some of that 60-cycle hum so it's something to experiment with at least!)
For me though, having a bridge pickup that's a single coil is so ice-pickingly bright that having a humbucker in there just adds so much to a strat that I don't know why it hasn't become the standard -- ESPECIALLY since that uber-bright pickup usually has no tone control to roll off the highs (what the fuck, Leo?!)
Great advice. I was obsessed with getting a Floyd Rose guitar, didn't understand anything about them! Definitely something to keep for a future guitar if you're a new player.
Completely agree with the single coil pups too. Was trying to rack out Iron Maiden on a squier with single coils. No matter how much I turned the gain up wasn't making them sound much better!
A squier with a humbucker would have been perfect.
Bless you Max. Because of you I found my favorite and now main guitar, Harley Benton SC-Custom FR VB. Been using it for a few years now and it's fantastic in every way.
OK, A couple of opinions here.
1. I wouldn't say to avoid triple-single coils, but rather make sure you buy the setup that your favorite guitarist plays. There are loads of tone examples on RUclips now so there's a sound you want, you can find someone who breaks down how to get that tone. And the manufacturers have options at a lot of price points.
2. Flying V's are tricky to play but a good compromise is a Dean ML. Its a mix between a V and an Explorer and you can play it in both positions. depending on what's more comfortable.
Dude Nevermind the guitars the MANOWAR shirt kills!
My first "proper" guitar (after playing a horrendous cheap classical I inherited from my Aunt) was a Yamaha Pacifica 112J and to this day I would still recommend it as the perfect beginners guitar. The HSS pickups gave me great flexibility in tone, and the guitar itself was very good quality.
I agree with what you're saying, when just starting out u wanna make things as simple as possible. I know guitarists that'v been playing for a long time that STILL avoid double locking trems for the reasons u mentioned. I have a few guitars with double locking trems and they are great. Like everything tho there are a couple of things that u need to learn to make things easier but if you're just starting out then that's just another thing to learn when u are already struggling with learning to play.
I appreciate this video. Good things to think about. Esp regarding the pickup selection.
Great info and you've presented it in a way that is easy to understand and doesn't take too long to get through. I agree with your points with one *possible* exception. I thing that for those playing even somewhat heavy music, a humbucker is a must, so the HSS configuration is great. Also, for those seeking a full size first electric, then the HSS or HH options will sound good. But, for those seeking a smaller option, I think the benefits of a mini strat could outweigh the disadvantages/limits of a SSS. By the time they'll want a full size or new guitar, they can then choose the configuration to suit their needs and choose a guitar that feels great to play. I think Squier mini strats are often cheap to upgrade, even when paying for the labor, so new tuners and saddles would be worthwhile.
I am not opposed to people getting a decent acoustic that's well set-up for their first. They shouldn't expect the tone to match their favorite artists, and if they can play well on that, then an electric will feel easy (thinner strings, smaller profile and lower action). It's nice to be able to pick up an acoustic and play right away, without an amp.
Great video Max, and very wise advice.
A couple of points worth bearing in mind is that some active pickup guitars can also work in passive mode without a battery. That might apply to older active guitars though, a lot of more modern active guitars are active only.
Also, as others have pointed out, if you are absolutely certain that you want to play in the style of funk, Hendrix, Clapton and even Gilmour, then an SSS pickup arrangement is perfect for that sound. I do agree that if a beginner is not 100% sure of the style/ sound that they're wanting to play, an HSS arrangement (or other variations) would be a better choice for exploring tones. Better still if the humbucker has a coil split option to give the best of both worlds.
I'd also advise to avoid many of those low priced travel guitars or 3/4 size guitars. Like the electro-acoustic you showed, they're often too compromised and can end up sounding like lesser versions of their full sized siblings. For sure there are some great travel guitars available, but you get what you pay for with that type of guitar. Unlike more conventional/ traditional guitars where there are some absolutely brilliant guitars available at bargain prices (as your channel superbly demonstrates time and time again! 👍).
Could not agree more with you for beginners! Great advice to our younger players!
First axe I bought used Kramer Pacer Special in maybe 1994, had to do it as I was an EVH nut, still am. I learned the Floyd rose same way anything else trial and error with some basic mechanical skills.
Getting my first guitar with a floyd rose has been extremely beneficial to me personally. It took me quite a bit of time (and quite a few string sets) to learn how to set it up properly, but it got me interested in all the other technical aspects of how a guitar works - setting up action and intonation, etc. Within a year of getting my first guitar I was a much better guitar tech than a musician (still am) and now I've gone down the path of becoming a luthier and I attribute it all to messing with that floyd rose in my first guitar.
My first gat was a cheap strat copy with three single coil pickups, and I totally get your point. It was real struggle to get decent metal tones out of it. Often I felt it sounded better on the neck pickup, as there was more output. What improved things for me was putting a compressor pedal in front of the distortion, that kicked up the gain massively. The trem sucked though, I didn't realise this at first but when my ear got better I stopped using it.
Also agree about the flying V potentially being problematic. Probably best to also have a more stratish shaped axe for the sit down practice. However, to have just one guitar and for it to scream out metal there is a solution - the Warlock shape. Nice and pointy but essentially like a strat to sit down and play.
A lot of good points here, I would add if you are new to guitar you should go with a single pickup guitar and open shaft or locking tuners. Not sure what guitar that is exactly but, those could of things usually make things easier. 1 not too many confusing pickup options and 2 the open shaft tuners are the easiest next to locking tuners to use because of how the string is mounted and wound. Above all don’t think things come fast, it will take time and stick with it!
My first electric guitar was a LTD KH 202 with a Floyd and I agree, its a pain and overall I think it was bad for me because while I liked tinkering with it and got around it, I found it so comfortable I didnt want to play tune o matic guitars for years and ended up blocking the bridge too. But these days I play a LTD V 500 with a tune o matic and love it. The V isnt good for a first guitar either, maybe a smaller one but overall a normal shape is best.
Lol i got my little brother in-law an hss squire strat(he was 15 at the time)...he was super "inspired" by the go johnny go scene from back to the future. I eventually get to sit him down for a lesson and eventually get his fingers in the open E chord position... lol before i could say anything else he started strumming like a mad man and was GENUINELY SHOCKED when EVH sounds weren't coming out of the amp. The look on his face when he found out how hard it is was priceless. He hasn't picked it up since.
Great video, to a beginner I would suggest a Kramer Baretta Special or an Ibanez GRG.
Good video. Dig the Manowar T. Looks like your arm is all healed from when you moved a while back. Guitars and guns! Keep the videos coming. Any updates on your upcoming album?
… 1) I have zero experience with a Floyd bridge so I bought one 8/9 yrs ago, my Floyd really woke me up with tuning all different guitars ,it’s a great learning experience as well…
2) Active pickups I love , if you don’t remember the # 1 rule is to unplug your ax when not in use then it’s on you the guitarist for killing your ax‼️
Actives are so awesome ‼️
3) Single coils are thee easiest guitars to begin on , learn scales, neck notes, chords , etc.
I actually used my Strat with a fuzz pedal and learned Blk Sabb/Ironman song and yes the tone was dam spot on ..
If you succeed with a Strat then move on too humbuckers guitars or flying Vs to fine tuned your sound or just learn a few Led Zeppelin songs.
4) No head guitars are stupid looking: Period‼️ and you don’t look cool 😂
5) Flying V can be played with blues, classic rock ( JHnx ) , metal, etc. they are a riot to use ..
Everything you said I either had a problem with or made me dislike instruments I have bought. Excellent points!
This is some great advice! When I was in my teens and talking about getting my first guitar, a friend told me to never get a guitar that you can't sit with. Best advice ever. To this day, I still don't have any V's for this exact reason. I would add that an HSS would be the best for a first guitar since you get the Humbucker but also get some tone variety.
V’s are easy to sit with, agree with you about HSS though, especially if the humbucker can be coil split
Spot on on everything. I would add buy a first amp with mid tone knob.
Good list... and yes, for a first time guitar ever, it would be great to even hold it in a lap before buying, for example, I don't really like to hold LP while I'm sitting, because it is so bottom heavy, and you have to adjust it too much ...
Totally agree that ergonomics aren’t discussed enough. Weight, especially - but also the size of the body. If you’re 5’3” on a good day, a Gretsch White Falcon is probably gonna go up to your armpit and feel very awkward.
I would have to agree with the V thing. My first guitar was an Aria Pro II V. Definitely was a challenge to get started with it! Went to a Lag Custom Explorer next. Still playing it to these days (37 years later)! Much better for sit down practice.
Well my very first guitar, and my absolute favourite, is my LTD Alexi Hexed sawtooth which comes with a beautiful Floyd Rose bridge and in a Flying-V shape... I have never had problems with it, on the contrary it pushes me to learn more... and replacing the strings was very straightforward, you just need to pay some extra care... in my book, the best guitar for beginners is simply the guitar that inspires you and that is suitable to the type of music you like
Great list. Points well made.
Totally agree with ol Max here on the three pick-up thing! Most of the strat style guitars copy Fender's control set up and that puts them in an uncomfortable position for beginners, AND keeping them in tune becomes a pain. Until you switch out the saddles for roller saddles and learn how to tune old school.
There's no shame starting out simple, say a "Bullet" style with one pick-up a single volume, or vol, and tone. (In the beginning the tone seldom gets used anyway.) More important in my mind is; leveled frets, a good set up, light strings, (8's, maybe 9's,) a decent gig bag , and an amp that doesn't sound like it's being played inside the clothes dryer.
I saw my guitar in the cover video and I was like"hold my beer, he's talking about my guitar"
Re: Slick guitars sliding off the leg. I use a strip of the anti-skid shelf liner from the dollar store. Just place it between the guitar & your thigh and no more slippage! 😃
Nice list, Max! I like your Item 3 - the mix of pickups is a great idea. My first electric was a Strat copy, and I find I'm playing my newer Squier Tele a lot more and my Les Paul even more.
Excellent recommendations for beginners.👍
Love the shirt !!! Good taste Max !
One of the biggest sounds I've gotten out of any guitar is a BCP strat knockoff with three single coils piped through a fuzz pedal into a high distortion amp at near enough full gain. Power cords, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, almost everything sounded huge and epic with that setup. Yeah, I've gotten similar sounds with a humbucker, and yes, I play my HSS strat knockoff slightly more, but it was still cool.
Hard disagree on the V. As long as you've got a strap and a good stand or case, a good V is a great place to start, especially since most of them are dual humbucker.
Though honestly, if I had to recommend anyone a starting guitar, I'd almost have to say a 7 string superstrat is the best place to start, since you can ignore the low B until you want to use it, and the ones Ibanez makes have some pretty versatile pickups, but that's speaking from my perspective as a perpetual budget player.
Excellent video. Hard agree with the 3 single coil pickups not being a great idea. Most guitarists that favour single coils don't play as much on just the bridge anyways, they play positions 2 and 4 or just neck usually. I love the single coil bridge myself, being a massive Malmsteen fan, but it really isn't for everyone. Also, when it comes to Flying V, in my opinion that's the best advice of the bunch, I had a friend who was better than me at guitar, and we both decided to get Gibsons after our entry instruments, he got a Flying V and I got a Les Paul, I still play, while he pretty much immediately stopped practicing as much as he used to because of how much of a hassle the Flying V was, and eventually quit.
Make sense. I think its all about the motivation. Wrong choice of guitars can kill the motivation to play. Cheers!
Flying Vs in the classical position is actually a very good thing coz the accuracy you get while sitting and playing can be recreated when you stand and sort of place the horns of the guitar body in between a leg.
On headless guitars, it really depends what kind of headless you get. Since every brand uses a proprietary bridge system, they're all a bit different. My only experience is with .strandberg* guitars, and with cheaper MIJ bridge systems that I put on a couple of guitars I built. The bridges on .strandberg* guitars are definitely better, and very easy to tune, especially with the included key. The guitar overall is very ergonomic so promotes better posture. But since .strandberg* guitars are quite expensive, beginners will usually go towards the more affordable options.
All good points. The part about 3 single coils makes sense too, the 5 switch position, just more a distraction to confuse the beginner. I think what happens is people buy a guitar, they don't learn why the instrument does what it does by design, or how to maintain it. And that learning distracts from learning how to play & vice versa. Doesn't help that there are several types of guitars. I think a Floyd Rose or Tremolo bridge is harder to set up than stringing a fixed bridge as the "Duh" statement of the day, but sooner or later the guitarist is going to have to learn how to setup & maintain a tremolo system to have that kind of guitar later. Most every guitar I have is a Hardtail really. I have a Strat with a Trem, modded a LP for a easily converted back & forth Bigsby, but everything else is a HT, Both LP, 1 Strat & 2 Teles. Old guy Rock & Roll guitars, nothing Super Shredder Metal.
I found out about active pick ups when getting my bass and I had no idea about it as I just bought guitars without that problem but the guy in the shop told me to unplug it all the time so I knew not to keep it plugged in as I do with peddles after that experience. Am older but I just started playing a couple of years ago and had no idea what was what but I know a lot more now as the age thing makes me check out things first, although I was blind when getting my first guitar which was a squire 60s vibe strat. I couldn’t believe how good it was for the price and I still want to keep it after going mental buying different guitars over a 2 year period as I just wanted to try different ones out and see what was best for me. I am just having fun in my older years and try to take in new information about these things all the time and playing and getting better is a great feeling in my older years.
Couldnt agree more with your advice here
Im a tech and planted in the middle of the store i work at and get so crushed with customers everyday that i feel like a bartender lol
Id add only 1 piece of advice that a newcomer might also want to think about
A guitar that has an arm contour and a belly carve is imo a bit of an oversight but is a great added comfort feature to consider for a first guitar
Great advice Max!
I agree across the board.
It took some bravery to say that it's easier to play metal on humbuckers. I agree, in full. It should be common sense. It's also one of the fastest paths to starting a fight among guitar players.
When I taught guitar the owner of the school brought in cheap electrics with Floyd Rose knockoffs,which some students did well with, but I tried to get a non trem version for newer students, but the trem ones looked cool, so that’s what he had for students to buy.
My first electric was a Les Paul copy, and it did well for that
I used to have a baby Taylor (BT2e) that I absolutely loved. I used it to take guitar classes in college. It was super easy to carry and the thin body made it quiet enough to practice in an apartment with and I could plug it in to jam with others. I absolutely recommend one of those for a beginner. I eventually moved up to full Dreadnaught sized Taylor acoustics and I play Strandberg electrics.
my first proper guitar hit probably most of these points, and you are absolutely spot on. I was in this situation pre RUclips too. wish I had this advice back then, however im pretty good at floyd rose maintenance now. 😂
Start small. Want bigger sound? Get a Seymour Duncan hotrail. Still have 5 hotrail from back when they were first put on the market.
My first guitar (Shecter) has a FR and you're absolutely right about de technical dificulties... I promised that I would never buy another one with FR... and after a few adventures and headaches, today it's a totally different story. I deccided to buy an Ibanez with FR, of course! None of my four guitars have active pickups. I think they are useful for professionals not for the ones who plays for curiosity and fun at home...
Good tips Max!
Ive been playing for less than a year and i have a flying v. Was a bit awkward but i was so in love with the guitar it didn't bother me. Yea its weird to play sitting but just keep your leg in the v and i recommend wearing your guitar strap for that extra stability
you bring up some good points but a full body acoustic can be hard to play with siting down for some. I agree with you opinion on combo acoustic guitars having owned one myself. it was more for practice then actual play.
Better arguments Floating trems. You are correct on your string change example. If a string breaks, replace the one string. Esasy. Better argurment it is easier to learn bends and unison bends with a fixed bridge because as soon as you bend a string on a floating bridge all the others go out of tune. Don't get active pickups because as the battery drains the sound deteriorates. New guitarist can get frustrated because they aren't getting the sound they want and it's not their playing or the amp it's a weak battery. Don't buy a three pup guitar because the middle pups will get in the way.🤔
the nr.1 thing you should avoid as a guitarist are just crappy commercial based youtube channels that are just doing faulty infomercials, just to say! peace 🙏
Ross is definitely the Boss!! Dig me sum Manowar!!
I bought my daughter an Ibanez small acoustic. It's a great size for her and the action is more along the lines of electric. I bet if you put a nice aftermarket pickup in it it would sound great.
Also check out as easy to play, "Squier Sonic Mustang HH" (2 humbuckers) a short scale 24" neck, "offers a relaxed tension & reduced fret-to-fret travel distance - perfect for developing guitarists & players with a slightly smaller grip." $199
my very first guitar had a Floyd and its one of the things I prefer on my guitars now
So, you'd recommend a headless, acoustic flying vee with 3 single coil active pickups & some kind of floating bridge? gotcha 👍😆
Yes I agree, I bought a number of Floyd rose type guitars, the only sensible beginner friendly guitar I have is a Jackson SLXT hardtail red soloist type guitar with two humbuckers. It’s definitely difficult to find a a guitar that’s decent and not typical beginner guitar that’s not got a floating trem that ticks all the boxes to play every type of metal you like on, so a guitar to play Rammstein will be different from Iron Maiden, a strat with floating trem, I find guitar buying a minefield and I’m an older beginner.