5 Things to Check BEFORE Buying a Guitar!
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2019
- What are the most important things to look for when buying a new guitar? Check out this video to find out!
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I’m sorry but colour of your guitar is the number 1 most important thing
Colour of the sound, or actual, literal colour of the guitar?
Leonel Cantú no, color of the serial number on the back of the headstock
In Burton We Trust nah im pretty sure hes talking about the color of the font letters in the website
AHAHAHAHA
PhatIguana Man it’s gotta be pink otherwise it’s simply trash
5 Things to Check BEFORE Buying a Guitar:
1. Wallet
2. Bank Account
3. Last credit card bill
4. Home Loan EMIs
5. A place to hide the guitar from wife
@Bruce Almighty AWWWLLLLRIGHTY Then...
@@DMSProduktions That wasn't Bruce almighty. That was Pet Detective.
@@guitarsrcool4922 Alrighty then!
So true 😂
@Anton Antonson Too many brainwashed betas here these days!
How I'm gonna choose my first electric guitar
1: cheaper than $300
2: black, blue, or red
3: the more it looks like a battle-axe the better
Edit: I now own THREE guitars that fits all 3!!
Well, the SG fits the second two things, I guess, but I don't know about the price
@@mickmay630 epiphone sg
Blue
you’re giving me marceline vibes 🎸
Me and you have the same mindset my friend
I think aesthetics are very important especially for beginners. You are much more likely to randomly pick up and practice on a guitar that is aesthetically pleasing to you than you are with one you find ugly.
So true man. I had a cheap starter guitar that I felt like I had to force myself to want to pick up and practice on sometimes. I got into it for the love of guitars, and lost it somewhere along the way. I learned my chords, basic strumming, and a few other things, but then I just kind of stopped progressing. However, every time I went to my local guitar center they had the American ultra stats and I would pick one up and play it. I never wanted to leave the store when I was playing that thing lol. I finally pulled the trigger when I saw it in Texas tea for the first time though. It is just such a beautiful color. I've seen them online, but cameras never do them justice. They come out black on camera. In person, they are really something special. I fell in love immediately.
$2,150 later I now own an American ultra strat in Texas tea and I pick it up every single time I walk by the case. Instead of forcing myself to practice once a day, I find myself having to stop myself from playing five or six times a day lol. Buy the guitar that you want, not the one that you are told or think that you need(unless you are a professional and are looking for a very specific sound). If you're a beginner, get something you WANT. It makes a world of difference in how much you practice. And when I say get what you want, that means if you want an expensive guitar and can afford it, get it. If you settle for anything less, you will always regret it and your playing/learning may show for it.
@@shakeyoulikehaiti This is a great way to look at it. Thank you for this!
Not just beginners, when I bought my last 2 guitars I thought they were so beautiful I couldn't put them down. I always tell beginners to keep the guitars out on stands or wall mounted for ease of access and visibility.
That is most awful thing to look when buying a guitar. You can buy a realy crappy guitar just because it looks nice. Don't ask me how I know.
Things to check BEFORE buying a guitar when you're left handed:
1. See if they have left handed guitars
2. Buy the only left handed guitar available
@@nataliesimmons8831 Not a good idea, the neck is built to support the highest tension on the lowest tuning peg and lowest on highest. Long story short your neck is gonna warp
leocs Lefty here and I play a righty guitar. Picking and strumming isn’t a problem for my right hand and using the left for the frets is super useful
@@PatricKratos lol, come to think of it, all my instruments are black! My strat has a black shield though, so it's completely black. Very metal \m/
@@jakub8302 honestly, I wish I could. I truly tried and failed. My left hand has simply no coordination for frets or the right had for strumming. Trying to play right handed was the major setback I had when it comes to learning how to play
LOL 😂
OH MY LORD FINALLY A GUITAR RUclipsR WITH A MILLION GUITARS ADMITTED THE TONE COMES FROM THE AMP
To be precise the tone comes from the pre-amp. It is the preamp section that colours the signal from the pickups.
The rest of the amplifier section simply boosts what emerges from the pre-amp.
There are new amplification systems available that have a rack full of pre-amps that emulate the various classic amplifiers (Fender, Mesa, Vox, Marshall, etc). Cant remember the company that supplies them
Petra Kann exactly
The tone only comes from the amp if you process the sound enough,,, if you "raw" up the sound more, the guitar will matter more, and also there will be more "responsiveness" available to the player. If you process it so much that every guitar you plug in will sound the same, then the only thing making it through the amp is the fundamental pitch,,, most of the color is lost, and therefore most of the expression a player could normally apply is lost also.
Hands, pickups and amps. The 3 main things that control tone.
Hands. Tone comes from the hands... there’s a story, of Stevie Ray Vaughan, he’s at a buddies house, they’re all jamming out with a strat. Chilling. And his buddy is playing high gain. and Stevie goes “Hey. Mind if I try it out?” And his buddy goes “sure. You might wanna mess with the amp a bit” but yet Stevie goes up there, and plays, and it sounds like Stevie, they’re all amazed because, he changed nothing on the amp, and it STILL SOUNDED LIKE STEVIE! And that it why tone comes from the fingers. You are blessed with your own individual tone. We could have the same settings on an amp and sound totally different, because we have different fingers. No one knows why. But it’s the truth.
To beginners, play as many guitars as you can. Beg, borrow, but dont steal. Any time you go to a music store and try at least five or six ones that are as different as possible. The best thing you can do is find a guitar that inspires you, one you don't want to put down. Dont be aftaid of used gear either, you can find some real treasures. There are so many great guys making videos about everything guitar, many have fantastic advice. If your parents are buying you one have them watch some of them. One of the worst things to do is give a beginner a cheap piece of junk, they are hard to play, and discourage/frustrate/turn-off new players. Definitely do not start out with an steel string acoustic, they are much harder to play than electrics. Personally, I'd advise starting with a shorter scale length guitar, the strings are easier to press down. The scale length is how long the strings are (from the bridge to the nut). Also, begin with very light gauge strings look for ones where the thinnest (the high E/sixth) is no more than a 9, if you can find "8's" try them too. Play with other people any chance you get! It's one of the best ways to grow as musician and it's wonderful. Don't be afraid to ask people who are better than you to play, unless there's something wrong with them they'll be happy to jam. Play all kinds of music, even songs you may not really like, you will discover new genres, find inspiration and have musical ideas that will surprise and delight you. These are a few of the things I wish someone had told me when I was 12 y.o. The Guitar and Bass, literally saved my life and made it richer too.
damn i've been playing on a steel string acoustic this whole time lmfao, i started about 2 months ago but stopped bcs my fingers were in pain, then started again 3 days ago and have to take another break
@@four1629 Hi and welcome to the guitar family! There's a really easy workaround for your problem... put electric strings on your acoustic. It's that easy, they won't sound as shimmery and pretty, but they definitely don't sound bad either. If you aren't bending much yet, you can try 9s and 10s (the thickness of the high e (1st) string.
Also: almost ALL budget to intermediate priced guitars aren't set up well, so taking any guitar to a luthier for a simple setup is a good idea, it will also result in the guitar playing and sounding it's best. In addition, you will know what a good setup feels like. (proper string height aka action, intonation [not so much on acoustics as the intonation is permanently set at the bridge], and neck relief [the curve/flatness/back bow of the fretboard. There are so many excellent channels here on RUclips! Man I wish that it had been a thing in the 90's! We had OLGA OnLine Guitar Archives which was amazing enough back then. Have fun with your guitar and enjoy playing
@@warpdriveby Thank you!! I've been playing instruments for around 6 years and guitar is one of my first string instruments, it's so fun.
I started on a steel string acoustic, and I 100% agree that beginners should go for a nylon string or an electric guitar. The only bad part about it is that if you start off with an electric guitar or a nylon string, then steel string is extremely difficult to play. My friend only has electric guitars and basses (he's been playing for a while, not as long as me), and when he tried out my steel string, he was struggling.
I'd say get comfortable with a nylon string or electric guitar before you go steel string. That's just my advice though.
@@walkuro7384 That is always gonna be an issue. Steel strings are definately the most challenging. I always advise newer players to go as light on string gauge as they can find. I think Rick Beato has a video about it too. A ton of people play too heavy a set. There's a list miles long of famous players who play 9s, Jimmy Page is at the top of it.
0:45 - Neck Dive
2:16 - Body Contour
4:42 - Neck Profile
7:03 - Pickups
10:02 - Tone & Aesthetics
Thank u
Doing gods work
Not all hero’s wear capes
I'm sorry but english is not my native language, what is the "Neck Dive" ?
@@brewen_lmrch Neck dive is when the neck of the guitar is heavier than the body so it will be heavier on the neck and a lot harder to play
this dude is like the bob ross of guitars. so calm chill and his voice is soothing
Yep so true
I'd argue Paul Davids is also the Bob Ross of guitars but hey, whatever floats your boat
Paul David’s is definitely the Bob Ross of guitar but yes, this guy has a very soothing voice
@@raddydydy no
“Let’s check out some happy little guitars.....”
Things to check:
1. the neck
2. the neck
3. the neck
4. see 1, 2 and 3
@Andre Sun cheap or expensive, still check the neck!
@Andre Sun true...
What are you looking for on the kneck other than no obvious wonkeyness and or ease of freting?
@@nickgarnero9843 does it feel easy and 'musical' to play? There's a lot of personal preference about neck profiles and fret types - maybe try lots of guitars and get a feel for different necks.
@@khtnsuwdih Thank you for that. I didn't know if you meant a hardware discrepency or defect that was noticible. I definetly understand this sentement.
Him: explaining that the neck dive makes it difficult to learn guitar
Me, who has had an ancient ass acoustic guitar that always did the neck dive but I just thought that was normal and have struggled learning for years:
👁️👄👁️
ikr, i have 4 stringed instruments and they all have neck dive, is that normal? lol
At least now I have a reason why I suck at playing my guitar - it's an SG too, just not a Gibson.
Same! I literally just ran to grab my classical and it actually has neck dive lmao.. never been a problem for me since I always play sitting down and u know how u kinda lean onto it? 😳 wow what an eye opener
For illustrating... You can grab a strat by the horn with one hand and it will balance (like those balance scales)while for a les paul you have to grab it way closer to the body ♾️ curve ... That's how you can now if it will neck dive
@@Robbo19 this the sg style comfortable? I was thinking of getting one
Always check at the top of the headstock for the brand name, and make sure that brand doesn't suck, even though the guitar looks 'pretty'. I did that once with a beautiful looking sunburst 'Les Paul' made by a cheap guitar company ( Jay Turser ) and regretted it for a long time after.
The les paul one is working for me.
I have Les Paul from Jay Turser and its pretty good (but need some update). Also i saw that company have pretty good comments on yt, So maybe your model was broke or smthn
I almost bought a jay turser but luckily my cousin saved me and sold me an epiphone sg
which brands are good that make cheap guitars between 70 and 150 € ? love ✨
@@nyzer1620
Look at the Ibanez range, some decent affordable guitars
You: It's famous for one thing
Me: ACDC
same xd
Psshhhttt. Duane Allman had one long before ACDC did.
Black Sabbath
Gotta love that Angus young bite feel when playing an SG
Black sabbath for god's sake.
I walked into the Guitar Center around the corner from my house here in Chicago in 2008 with the intention of buying a new acoustic guitar.
I was trying to explain to my wife the differences between the more expensive guitars and the more budget minded ones and pulled an Olympic white Fender Stratocaster off the wall without looking at the price.
I thought is was a USA Strat buy the look, feel and tone and I was shocked to find that it was a MIM model for a 3rd of the price.
The more I played it the more it felt like it had been my guitar for years and I could not walk out of there without this guitar.
11 years later I still love it.
Price means close to nothing these days. If someone's willing to do the setup, fretwork, and upgrades (if they want), a killer guitar can be gotten for peanuts!
@@rainvedu G1
Great story! 👍 We all dream of that exact scenario. Good for you, you actually got to live it.
Same with my Tele. I actually always wanted a Les Paul and didn't really like the way Telecasters look but then I decides to pick one up just to try how it plays...
I immediately fell in love and couldn't walk out the store without buying a 22 fret sunburst Mexico Tele
@@Axess-sv8nq so true! I picked up a cheap Strat copy at a yardsale this summer. Levelled and crowned the frets. Rolled the edges of the fret board. Installed a new nut and a cheap twin rail in the bridge. Total cost less than $35! It's incredible to play and sounds pretty good! All it took was a little work, which was more like fun than work!👍😎🎸🎶
me who is too awkward, silent, nervous, and anxious to test out an instrument I've never played in my life by going to a music store:
Rigjttttt but I also feel like I’d be too shy to play at home cuz my family
@@qnniikq Me who always turns volume at max and start playing the heaviest riffs
@@crazycat2969 I will be u
when I was buying my first electric i had been playing on an acoustic with a very wide neck for a few months and then went on to buy a lp special 2 and the neck was so thin I couldn't even play the most basic chords and three store workers were just there looking at me and smirking
@@uwu-jv2jn
Probably is the same if you play electric guitar and want try an acoustic ?
What do you think?
Another point about tone: beginners usually don't have a developed enough ear to discern good or bad tones anyway, that takes time and exposure to develop. A guitar's looks and playability are much more important in order to keep the beginner motivated to play. For this reason I think its better for absolute beginners to skimp on the amp rather than the guitar, even though a good amp will make a bad guitar sound good.
No
Learner heel.
Please teach.
Learning scales and technique most important for a learner tcday
His room looks like a guitar shop
makes me wanna play stairway to heaven
Oh it's not?
Dammit this is my new goal in life now
5 importants things when you buy a guitar :
1: pricerange
2: you like it
3: ergonomy
4: quality
5: the amp
6. plectrum
@Tolol a pick
@@abella11 for a first guitar, if you're not amazingly rich, you can go ahead for a 500/600$ guitar, it will be a great mid-range instrument. for professionnal, usually guitars from 800 to 1500-2000$ ( i've seen many people playing on "usual strats" and ltd guitars which are mid range guitars). go over 2000$ is overkill to me, first not much brands offers you real instrument range over 2000, and if you pour more than 2000 you have to be already a good player and go to make the guitar with a luthier and make your perfect instrument. So pretty useless if you start and don't really know what is the best for your playing. if you have any questions do not hesitate i'm here annabella ^^
@@essolatem5764 How much would a good amp to accompany a $500-$600 guitar cost?
@@lemmefeelyerjibblets8856 there are some all in one Marshall around 300/400$ which could fit, or some fender for clean sound. There is no perfect AMP overall so chose by yourself, listening it, even trying it. It's really personnal (almost as much as a guitare) all you have to know is if it will last (product quality) and how it feels to you. I think (my personnal point of view) that an AMP around 300$ Can be a wise choice to keep it a few Years without problems and enjoy it !
Also, think about where you will play ( transistors if you have neighbours, or under 5 watts for not transistor apps, Big, small, combo (all in one ) or AMP + speakers) i can't give you an answer but i Can tell you that. Hope i helped you ! ❤️
I’ve been a drummer for 25+ years and just started with guitar a week ago, this was actually very helpful.
Me as a kid: I want the Les Paul because Ace Frehley plays one. Me as a teenager: I want the Les Paul because Jimmy Page plays one. Me as an adult: I want the Les Paul because now I can afford one. Me in my 50s: I got the Les Paul because Jimmy Page plays one, and damn do I love it!
It was relatable, until I read to the word "afford"
Cant beat a Gibson les Paul
Had one hanging round my Neck for the last 25 years
And now at the age of pushing 60 now suffer with a bad neck
Most of the time now when practicing have to sit down and play
Me in my 60's " man does my back hurt"
I was expecting a..... i got a les paul and now i find its too heavy :)
Guitars are like wands on Harry Potter: you don't choose the guitar, the guitar chooses you 😄
It's so interesting how often this is true. Not always, but most of the time it is.
yes - it goes that way too...
Perfectly said. I own 17 guitars and have been playing for only 16 years and 2 years ago, a guitar picked me lol. Out of all of the high end guitars I own, my LTD MH1001 Deluxe is the guitar I play best on. Extremely comfortable on the body, profile is perfect, action is perfect, never goes out of tune, neck is perfect, and the tone is great. Most importantly, my pinky never touches the volume knob when I'm downstroking like James.
So true. The amount of guitars I've dreamt about until I finally got my hands on it, and then was totally let down. Too many. Conversely, I own guitars I never thought I'd like in a million years 🤷♂️
@@HearthVader
I hear you!
1. That it’s not actually a bass.
It's a percussion instrument in the form of a guitar
Wrong, it's a piano
@@rainvedu Wrong. A bass is a fish.
That guy that hangs around with the band aka the bassist
@@JUNO-69 bassists are good people they make our job easier
my beginner ass choosing my guitar be like:
1) price
2) brand (i went for a fender strat)
3) check if it’s fake after you’ve bought it
4) nothing else matters at this point just enjoy playing
I had to reread this because I though #4 was just playing Nothing Else Matters, and nothing else
@@Kaz999998 😂😂
my VERY beginner ass: *shape and color*
Brother said price first then bought a fender as a beginner 🤯
I spent 600 on a Epiphone Les Paul. Had a made in china sticker on it . Got it at guitar center... Whats the difference in the Gibson or Epiphone. Both have his name and elements. Is the Epiphone just a cheaper reproduction. . And the Gibson's. Original made in America. With crazier price
I never have an electric guitar before and I'm planning to buy one as a gift for my self. Man this guide is really helpful specially for a beginner like me. Salute!
Hey, did you get the guitar and wondering how it’s going. I’m planning on buying one but not to sure.
Same lol
Same, I hope I get to play it well after much practice hehe
Ready to sell those guitars yet you guys?
As a beginner, this was how I chose my first guitar:
1. Woodgrain
2. Neck inlays
3. Dings and scratches
4. Color
5. Cost
Fashion-victim
I'm also a beginner and I just chose one that was the right size. That was it
@@orphanrafferty1955 My guitars are Epiphone under 400.00 and Maxwin by Pearl and probably 100.00. Definitely no fashion statement there, otherwise I would have chosen Gibson, Fender or Martin.
Check the strings too if there are like blocks or smh like that
As a beginner, this was how I chose my first guitar:
1. Google "Electric Guitar"
2. Buy the first one that popped up
I currently have 11 guitars at home, 8 electric, 3 acoustics and 5 amps including a Vox AC 30 TB. Most of the gear was bought used at bargain prices. About 95% of the time I play my MIM Strat through a Roland Cube with a Boss ME50. The point is no matter how many guitars and gear you have, it wont necessarily make you a better player. IMHO buy the best guitar you can afford and get it SET UP. Even a cheap guitar that's set properly will give you a pretty good sound these days. Better to spend the dough on a decent amp and some ear plugs for the wife.Bottom line just make sure you commit to practise. Remember your time, not your money is the most precious commodity you have, use it wisely. Rock on you all !!!
Well said my friend ! Cheers...
Couldn’t have said it better myself! But I’m from the south and it really messed with my head when I read “you all” instead of “y’all” 😂
@@bennettblankenship6932 yeah, but what threw me off was how he typed---- practise------- lol!
aww gotta note this, thank you 🥺
I love how he says lucky enough to play many different instruments…shows he’s appreciative of what he’s experienced and has
nearly 3 years later... Still a super informative and well put together video. Thank you for playing a part in helping me choose my first guitar!
Please do part 2: 5 Things to Check BEFORE Buying a USED Guitar!
I have experience in that department, got burned once or twice. 3 practical tips:
1) bring a flashlight. I've tried out guitars at sellers' homes under low light conditions, obviously not ideal. Bright light is good for looking down the neck.
Once I had to walk up to a lamp shade to check the back of a JEM, found a few huge dents. The owner then said his kids were running around and tripped over the cable, so the guitar fell of its stand. He should have mentioned that in the ad (didn't buy it btw, neck problems).
2) bring hex keys (maybe also screw drivers). This way you can check that the truss rod screw isn't stripped / truss rod isn't broken etc. Maybe also to adjust the action. It may be too high, which can hide neck problems.
3) bring a set of straightedges. The frets may be uneven, which you can demonstrate by rocking a straightedge of appropriate length on a fret that's too high. You can still buy the guitar, but you'll have to pay for a fret job. Proving the guitar has problems gives you a better negotiating position.
A credit card may work too.
1] price
2] online price
+Comment Freely That goes without saying. But many 2nd hand guitars aren't made anymore, so there's no online price. Unless you mean what they go for on ebay.
Rule of thumb is they go for slightly over 50% of original store price. Usually there's room for negotiation, but it depends on seller, how rare / desirable guitar is etc. But most important thing is that the insturment is in good order, see my comment above.
@@MrTubularBalls Very helpful - thank you !
Make sure you can't fit a pick under any edge of the bridge. If you can, do NOT buy it.
You: It's famous for one thing and that thing is...
Me (actually out loud): headstock breakage!
You: that's right, neck dive
Me: well this is awkward
😂😂😂👍
I did the same thing
I just ended up saying nothing... :(
i said it too. thats funny.
Well i've only had Jacksons and Gibson explorers, so i stayed silent 😂
This really helped--so straightforward. I thought tone was the most important, LOL, but I grew up playing an upright piano. And I can't believe what you do with that $100 Strat! Technique and skill will always conquer sub-par tools and instruments. Thank you, good sir!
A $100 strat is JUNCK
This video is the absolute BEST! Thank you. Feeling confident about buying my own electric guitar today! Been using my boyfriend’s old and very worn guitar and I’m finally good enough at playing to justify spending money on my own. Can’t wait!! 🤗🎸
Him: contours. Contours. Contours.
Me: *looks down at my telecaster*
Underrated comment 😂😂😂😂
😭😭😭😭😭
*looks down at my acoustic*
Also, I see an mcr fan! Nice :)
ONE OF IF NOT THE BEST GUITAR TO BUY!!!!!!!!
@@stevengiordano9179
My superstrat is laughing with a whammy bar dive
The type of bridge can change the comfort of your strumming hand.
Good point!
Today I learned that the ashtray style tele bridge is uncomfortable for most players and for some is considered a design flaw that Fender addresses on their higher end Teles, it’s funny because that made it a selling point for me, when palm mutating my hand sits perfectly and makes it super comfy to play, even finger stile
I like the hipshot bridges especially the hipshot ibby bridge. Another good bridge is a Floyd with rounded saddles. To me the most uncomfortable are the tune Omatic. I do however like the musicman bridge on the cutlass with their ash tray cover.
Great point! I’ve found the six point trem on strats very sharp and difficult to rest on. I think it’s easy to fix with a little file, but it’s such a weird change from something like an SG
@@josed5584 I'm with ya on this, Jose; I've never had a problem with the Tele style ashtray bridge, and for those who are uncomfortable with it, there's a chrome cover.
Spot on as usual Darrell. You really are the 'go-to RUclips guitar expert' when thinking about ANYTHING guitar. Love all your vids and learn something new every time.
Telecasters do seem like they wouldn't be too comfy to play (what with the slab design with not bevels or grooves), but I was actually pleasantly surprised with the way they felt once I picked one up and tried it out at a music store. They are pretty thin which helps a lot. This is why you should always go and pick up and play the instrument before you buy it!
I'm looking for a different guitar. Prefer new but would love to find one used for a good price. One thing's for sure, I'm taking my time and plan on playing a lot of guitars in the process. At my age it's my last guitar purchase and I want one I won't be bitchin about a few days or weeks later.
Same. Actually even though the strat is more ergonomic on paper I find the tele easier to play because the strat is so rounded that it tends to slide around on my leg when I play while sitting. I don't actually own a tele though only tried them at the store for a little bit. Thinking about picking one up soon.
For new players it's very simple: action. I remember my first guitar which was this huge dreadnought acoustic with 13 gauge strings 3/4" off the finger board. It was almost impossible to play, and when I did manage to get a few chords, my fingers were sore and my hand/wrist/forearm were fatigued. Which made the thing sit in a corner of my bedroom as a nice post to throw my cloths over. Number One: thin strings with low action. Whatever you buy, budget to get it set up. A Squire that plays easy is much more valuable than a Les Paul Custom Shop that plays terrible. I wish someone would have told me that 35 years ago...
Dude, I think we have the same guitar(no not really), mine sucked equally. But all that extra effort to play on a bad guitar made me a good player on good guitars and made me respect instruments that were considered 'meh'.
Which strings do you like?
@@randyroofwalker1 Use as thin as you can get for acoustic. I use the Martin .010 - .046.
Aruvi RK sounds like my Yamaha F310
00UncommonSense00 I think you are 100% correct. That’s how I thought he’d start his video but not really mentioned. A beginner player can easily get ‘bummed’ if his action is crap and most actions can be easily cured with a turn of the truss nut but which beginner is gonna think or mess with that? Everything else is not relevant until that beginner starts discovering himself. I have an SG and I didn’t realize they nose dived until today... still really don’t care cause my guitar fits me perfectly.
Honestly one think I always do with electrics is play them unplugged for a bit. It can really tell a lot about innate qualities like sustain and resonance which will carry over when it’s plugged in.
This is one of the best comments and suggestions on this thread. Decades ago when we were doing the garage band thing we’d almost always watch movies afterwards. My one bandmate would continue on playing unplugged. I started doing the same and noticed the difference as I had an SG and a Strat. I’ve always recommend playing electric guitars unplugged while couch surfing and do it to this day.Glad to see there are others that do the same
This is such a wonderful tip! My SG sounds absolutely beautiful unplugged, but my ESP only sounds "ok" in that situation. It is totally ok for some not to do this IF they have thicker bodies, made of a heavier wood like mahogany and have zero weight relief. The lead guitar in my band recently bought a Les Paul that was not as clear or bright as my SG unplugged, but because it has the same pickups they are impossible to distinguish when run into the same amp and pedals if the settings are the same. We A vs B'd them while messing around before practice and none of the others could tell that the tracks were recorded with a different guitar. Interestingly, they did sound different played very quietly and totally clean, probably from minor differences in pickup height, the very old wiring in my SG, and possibly the capacitors between the potentiometers or the pots them selves as they were made 20 years apart! However, I know I couldn't tell which because I forgot to rename the files something memorable and now can't tell them apart! 😂
Your "tone" is something like 65% amp, 34% pickups, and 1% other factors. I will find and post a link of several experiments that all came to this exact conclusion. I do prefer nitro finishes, to me they feel similar to how marble feels warm to the touch, but I now know it has no appreciable effect on sound.
Yes! How it vibrates
Facts
Thank you so much for making this video!! I am at the moment in the process of choosing an electric guitar… and it’s been so difficult to choose one because I just didn’t know what you just described!!
I took note of everything you said. Now, I’m going to the music shop again… thank you so much for your help!!!!
Darrell Braun guitar I just wanted to take the time to say thank You for making great content with a friendly energy. I struggle with depression and your videos and your energy you put into making them really brightens my days
Back in the 80’s I wanted to build a super Strat. Since it was my first time customizing a guitar, I wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of possibly messing up my American Strat. I went on a search for an inexpensive guitar to experiment on. I saw a $100 Strat copy that was ugly as dirt. I was laughing when I picked it up because it looked like such a piece of junk.
I stopped laughing the minute I started playing it though.
That guitar came home with me.
The only thing I ever did was use a router on it to make space for the HSS set of Seymour Duncan pickups I put in it. The tremolo bridge was already perfectly set up. It ended up being my main guitar for over 30 years and I recorded several albums with it.
I always intended to move the pickups to a better guitar.
I never found a better guitar.
Joystick1000 what model guitar was it?
Wow man
@@trexeddie8227 Considering he's mentioning an HSS setup, he's probably talking about a Stratocaster style guitar.
Is your name Billy Joe Armstrong?
Cool story bro
I always hated Telecasters. Wouldn’t pick one up. Hated everything about them.
Then, I went to a concert where the guitar player used a Tele to play blues, clean, and the heaviest nastiest riffs I’d ever heard.
I finally picked one up to see for myself.
Now, my Tele is my go to guitar for almost everything.
I love my Tele
Same story here, except that my "spiritual awakening" was the movie Crossroads.
John 5 ?
That nasty hard rock sound on Led Zep 1 & 2 is a tele. Nothing growls like a tele.
Yeah, I hate teles "in principle", but it just doesn't work out that way in practice.
I had the same feelings until I heard Ted Greene play his. Since then I bought about six of them. I still can’t play like Ted Greene but I can get some amazing sounds out of them. Wish I found out much earlier!
Great video, Darrell! Lots of great, in-depth discussion and instruction, minimal horsing around... right to the point! Well done, Sir!!!
Finally.....someone who explains slowly and clearly with understandable precision!!!! Thank you!!!!!
You should make a video "Things to Check before buying a second-hand guitar"
I think the answer to that is in his videos in general. If you didn't yet you should watch his cheap guitar unboxing videos and see what points he checks out.
I feel like something that’s super important to check is how well it stays in tune, if it goes out in the amount of time you’re testing it let it go
I think this is just where I'm at. It has to be one of the most informative, well presented, to-the-point videos I've watched on RUclips. Thank you.
Thank you very much for these tipps! I've narrowed my choice down to 3-4 models and I will definitely follow these steps when I try them out in the store!
He turned into Dora for a second there
That's what I was thinking XD
Lmao
@Dan Evertt at 0:53
ikr lmao
@@doratheexplorer8274 lmao he became you
Boomers lose their goddamn minds if you so much as imply that a Les Paul that costs a few thousand dollars is an overpriced scam. So I loved that you outright said the amp is more important.
So... wait... hold up.... so you are sayin an lp with average at best fretwork , a questionable fit n finish, all wrapped up in a soft gigbag isnt worth 2800? You better check yourself right f*ckin now!
Stop saying boomers. It's not a boomer thing, it's a guitar snob thing. Elitists exist in every generation.
Juan Valdez
Lmao! So true haha. These guitar snobs always focus on “oh the greats all use em, they must be worth a lot” but they don’t understand how questionably made it is.
The amp has nothing to do with buying a guitar.
The plectrum and straps are more important than the amp
OH really now. Boomer here...that's exactly how I feel about a Les Paul. Not to mention how heavy and poorly balanced they are. Never quite got it and I'd even bet that Gibson couldn't explain it without resorting to some kind of subjective generalized crap. So knock off with the boomer-hate and sweeping generalizations. You sound like an "age-racist" and are showing your ass.
I've found locking tuners to be a must have on my list. Better tuning stability and easy string changes are what you gain.
Wow. Not many people take the time to make an instructive video like this. All of the information is instructive versus some of the videos out there of people who just want to hear themselves. Thank you. Awesome video.
I lost an SG to neck dive. My bandmates still occasionally remind me of this.
I lost my life to stage dive. Satan will never live that down. 😢
Band mates are the best for keeping us humble.
Almost happened to my vintage Ibanez 540S during a rehearsal. I put straplocks on all my instruments since.
Nailed it! It amounts to "do I enjoy picking up and playing this guitar". If the answer is "no" it does not matter so much about other features. If I enjoy it, I play it more. More play = betterer guitar.
i started playing a les paul when i was 18------almost 50 yrs ago. i still have it but now i play a rickebacker 620. it is so comfortable to play and i love it. so i appreciate your video. it's spot on. thanks.
Im melting for that blue Les Paul, what an amazing color 🤩
Is it an ESP ?
I'm dying to know exactly what kind of LP that is. I fell in love instantly.
Cormac Murphy - nah, it doesn’t have those annoying birds inlays on the fretboard. It’s a Gibson Standard in Ocean Blue.
Wish I'd had this when I started!
@WORST CHANNEL EVER i got an epic phone
@WORST CHANNEL EVER
My brain: dont say it. Dont say it.
My mouth: YoU'Re wRoNG
The most helpful video I have seen on youtube regarding electric guitars! Especially when you mentioned that truth about amplfiers. I am a beginner so this is so important to me. Now I am gonna research more about amplifiers. Thank you!
Im surprised tuning stability didn’t make the list
That can be solved at any time for very cheap.
Yes tuning stability is an easy fix!
What is this tuning you speak of?
@ yeah but a lot of this video is centered around new players. it wouldnt make sense for them to start out with a guitar with crap tuning stability when there are better options available. I know its an easy fix for seasoned players like us but for beginners its just another thing in the way of them learning.
Beginners struggle even to tune a guitar.
6. Can I hide the purchase from my wife?
Ben Hackett it was just a joke
Hide the wife or go MGTOW bruh lol
@Ben Hackett Wow, a little tense are we?
Every single guitar video you will find some boomer making some variance of this lame ass “joke”
What are you talking about? You’ve had that guitar for years...
Great video Darrell.I've just revisited this after a while as I watched it when I began about a year ago and now have watched it again as a reminder. I have bought and got rid of one or two guitars already and my experience is that fret width is a big deal to me personally.I use an everyday Squier Fender acoustic and like the fact that it has a wide fingerboard/nut radius of about 43mm? but bought an Epiphone acoustic which seems to have a narrower width and wondered why it didn't seem as comfortable before realising it was the width of the fretboard. Its become very difficult to try out guitars in this COVID age so guesswork,and experience really is a big deal.
I had a SG style as my first electric guitar and when I bought a Strat style 2 years later, it just felt so free and so easy to play
What shocks me about electric guitars in particular is, even the cheapest ones are pretty good or can be easily made to be pretty good. So when I started out researching this before actually buying one, at first I was looking at a minimum price tag of $625 new. But after seeing so many videos where they did as you did here with a cheap guitar, I realized I could start with a cheap, not famous brand, even used, and be pretty happy with it so long as it wasn’t garbage by design.
I ended up, at the moment I couldn’t stand to wait any longer and headed out on a buy or die mission, with a thrift shop guitar, a ‘Selder’ stratocaster, for $30. That is not a typo, there isn’t a zero missing, it was $30. Filthy, scratched, definitely a fixer upper. There was a Fender Stratocaster in another shop for $80, but I just didn’t feel right about it somehow.
So I cleaned up my guitar, did the setup with RUclips guidance as best I could, and a month later, on my way to get a professional setup I stopped by to see the Fender again in case I rather spend my money on that instead. I didn’t know how much the setup was going to be; could be $100 for all I knew, so I thought it might be better to get the used Fender for $80 and sell the guitar I had. I even brought guitar polish and such.
After a month of playing, and this whole process I went through, it only took a glance at the Fender to see it was garbage. There was the Fender name on the headstock, and it had one Fender pickup, but everything else about that guitar said it was a collection of spare parts nobody wanted. So glad I didn’t buy that one!
The next floor up was the guitar shop. I was prepared for a $100 setup that would take days before I could get it back. When I pulled it from the gig bag (which was $5 at another thrift shop), the staff immediately said, “Wow. Beautiful!” The neck relief was perfect they said-did that myself. Finishing the total setup, including restringing the guitar as I apparently did it wrong, only $30, and it was ready in an hour.
When he handed it back to me, the tech said, “It’s perfect.”
But here’s my question for you. Sometime in the future, probably within the next year, I figured on buying a ‘better’ guitar. Now I’m wondering what differences I would notice, if any, that I couldn’t get by simply upgrading the pickups, bridge, and tuning keys on my current thrift shop guitar. Could you or anyone else on this thread go over their experience upgrading to a ‘better’ instrument?
John Ohkuma-Thiel jaguar.
Now 7 months later, 9 months a guitarist. A little over two months ago, same thrift shop, I got a Squier Bullet Strat for $90. I thought that first guitar was about the same level as a bottom of the line Squier, but wow was I wrong. I really thought that first guitar was very good, and now I know better.
But knowing better, I also understand this Squier has issues which would cost as much or more as buying a new and better one to fix up, particularly replacing the tuning keys and bridge at the minimum. Still, it’s a much better guitar than that first one.
guitars in general are cheaper than other classic instruments. You can't possibly find a guitar that's worth 1 million dollars just because of how it sounds,,, it's always some story about who made it, who owned it, and tv hits. ,,, violins and pianos can cost in the millions because they used a piece of wood that is rare and takes 1000 years to grow correctly, and nothing else in the world will make that sound except that piece of wood. ,,, guitars already are not terribly refined , and electric guitars are inherently audio-processed , ,, basically, the guitar is superior and one of the reasons why is that it's cheap to make such a good one.
@@tsmspace I’m originally a sax player, been a musician all my life. My sax is a Selmer Paris. It appreciates in value because it’s a particularly prized instrument. Bought it for $600 in 1986, and now it’s worth about $4,000. If I modify it, the price drops. Honestly, I don’t touch it anymore. But nothing sounds or plays like certain makes and models of horns-or pianos, or violins and so forth
But top Classical instruments are way overhyped and overpriced. Pros and even students are playing instruments that aren’t better, but they’re practically museum pieces-that’s what those huge prices are all about. It’s like if you could get a guitar that was actually built by Leo Fender, any sane person would consider it too valuable to be walking around with in a gig bag and using professionally for performances, but a classical musician would do that-and frankly I think that’s just stupid.
We can easily make as good or better instruments today as, for example, Stradivarius did.
Actually, my wife asked me if I was going to sell my sax to buy a pro level guitar. My first reaction was, “I’m not that good yet like I am on sax.” I’ve been playing guitar exactly a year today as a matter of fact. But I am a musician of almost as many years as I’ve been alive. If she asked me today though, my answer would be that I don’t have enough experience yet to know what guitar I would buy that would be ‘the one’-my ‘Lucille,’ my ‘SRV, my Frankenstrat. That last one is a particularly good example because it was made out of several thrift shop guitars, starting with a cheap body, and Clapton made his guitars similarly out of several that he bought in thrift shops. You can’t do that with a sax, piano, or violin. You can change strings, a mouthpiece, what reed you use, but there aren’t a lot of parts that aren’t practically disposable and entirely customizable the way there are on a Stratocaster.
Him: single coils for clean tones low gain, up to classic rock.
Me: plays mostly heavy metal on my Stratocaster.
Same lmao.
Djent on a strat? Yes please
Thank you Darrell for explaining the radius and the neck carve I really needed this even though I already own about 10 guitars but never have understood those points
I selected Fender Strat, Jazz and Precision because of the Vintage Tweed Case. The main reason came from the impression of oldies 60s guitarists when each one walked on stage with a black vilnyl case and shiny slant "Fender" logo at the corner. They slowly opened the case and grabbed the guitar. Truely magical and inspiring moment!
The first thing I feel is the neck. If I don't immediately bond with it, it's a no-go. No point in looking further.
It's weird realising your favourite guitar RUclipsr watches (and comments on) other people's videos. How's your custom strat going, man?? lololol.
@@joe99173122 Hi Joe, thanks! I'm loving the custom Strat. Nothing like a new guitar to get your creative juices flowing. :)
Definitely.
For me the neck has got to be slim, with a satin finish or nothing.
I absolutely right
5:00 "you spent 100% of the time playing your guitar on the guitar neck"
Me:
Practices the first bar of Nothing Else Matters for an hour.
It's a really cool song. I learned it on an accoustic one lmao
Haha. Who needs frets anyway?
@@timgermanyjr fretless guitar for the win
Cracked me up lmao 😂
Excellent well structured video!
The demonstration how a guitar can sound with different amps was stunning!
Thanks
Amazing video! Thanks for this simple but thorough breakdown! I’m a ukulele and acoustic guitar man and you’ve made this process a lot easier! Thanks again
When I was youthful, radius was a issue. Being an old man now, I don't much care. Gimme a guitar and I'll bang out some jams. I've less hair, less teeth & more experience now... I recently bought 2 Benton's from Thomann with cases & this a little finesse, they will be top shelf axes for me. Just inputting the money doesn't always awesome playing....
That was the best of any video I've ever seen on what you want in a guitar. I would encourage you to follow up on more varieties of pick ups. Really good job sir.
Thank you Darrell, clear, precise, interesting, well presented too, have a great day .
Darrell, thanks for all of your videos. I have really learned a lot and appreciate your knowledge, experience and advice.
Thanks you for this reality check. It's the amp that makes the sounds. Pick a comfy Guitar first. Thanks!
Ahhh there are many factors into buying a guitar indeed, and these are definitely true and on point! Awesome and informative as always!
Where do you get your positivity from, son. Your comments are way too supportive
@@Josh-iw2kw Ahh I've always wanted to brighten someone's day and just give the well deserved support for their efforts on gear, theory, technique, etc.
@@RC32Smiths01 fair enough man
@@Josh-iw2kw ahh thank ye very much my man
Thx so much for this vid! Nice riffs there at the end, very cool. Oh and that blue, what powder fade, sparlky, baby blue thing with that maple neck is gorgeous!
Brilliant! What I needed to hear mate! Thank you!
I used a lot of these tips when I got my first bass. Trying dozens over a few hours, finally picked up a Fender Jazz 5 string. It was perfect. Fit me perfect, loved the feel, sound. Gorgeous bass that I play hours every day.
When you started on ergonomics I was holding my Tele. I just laughed
Greg Walton
Love my telecasters. Body contours front and back.
@@ricklewis5804 Mine hasn't, but I love it anyway
Body feel... meh.
Neck feel... different story
When he started talking about ergonomics I was reading this comment and I laughed
FANTASTIC GUITAR!! In a class by itself!! GREAT CHOICE!!!!!
Love your show Darrell!!
Yo thank you so much im totally getting this for Christmas!!
I'm actually so glad I watched this before buying my first guitar. I was looking to get a stratocaster this black friday, I'm more into rock/metal but I can't get over the feel and look of Stratocasters so I was going to get a strat. Luckily I watched this video so now I know to make sure it's an hss! Thx, man!
Then go for a superstrat to have the feel and aesthetic of a strat but a tone for rock/metal.
Yeah, because you can't play rock/metal on a strat. Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Holly, Jimmy Paige, what do they all know about rock/metal?I'm trying not to be too salty, but you can play just about any genre on just about any axe.
@@zenrockoutkast yngwie too
I've been a gear head for many years now and stumbled on this and watched it just out of curiosity -- Agree with every point Darrell made, especially about tone being the least important thing to consider, because it mostly comes from your amp and effects. This is a great video that contains very useful advice to new players!
Excellent advice! Thanks buddy
Man, you really enlightened me on so many things I never considered about guitar purchase! Thank you so much for sharing your expertise on a really important subject. Cheers.
Great video. There are so many choices at big music stores that it can be intimidating and beginners often end up with a less-than-optimal first guitar because we’re essentially flailing around in the dark without a plan, set criteria or any real idea of what to look for. The better fit and quality of a first guitar, the better chance of success.
Holy smokes, that clean tube amp at the end there really lit something in me, that's the sort of style I only kind of knew I want, but now I need!
Thankyou for your suggestion 😊
Great video! Looking to buy my first electric. This was super helpful!
When talking necks, I'm surprised you didn't mention gloss vs satin
A very well presented guide for us dummies. I live in the UK and I am so glad to have come across your site. Although I own a collection of valuable Gibsons, Ibenez, and Strats. One can never learn enough. Thank you for your advice and thank you for your un-patronising presentation. Colin
When i was a kid i bought a les paul imitation and i eventually quit guitar all together due to back and hand pain. After like 6 years a friend of mine gifted me an Ibanez 360RG series. I didn't like the looks of it at first, but oh boy was that a smooth play. I not only started playing again, i became insanely better cause i could play for longer hours. The first thing to look in a guitar must always be that you feel comfortable with it!
Thank you! This was really excellent. I knew nothing about electric guitars, I feel like I got a really good start. Thanks!
I got recommended a Fender Strat by my guitar teacher, as he felt it fit my style and playing best. I decided to try out about 60 guitars at guitar center, including Fenders, and ended up settling on a HSS Fender Strat, and it definitely felt perfect for what I was looking for. Jazz, blues, and rock styles sound great on it!
I wish I had seen a video like this years ago when I started playing, it would have saved me thousands of dollars.😁
Thanks for advice keep up the good work.
This is a great resource for new guitarists. Good job.
Mannnnn on that clean tube ampppp that first bit sounded so good
I don't know why i watched this but i'd sign under each word here. Beautiful, reasonable and wise advices plus top class production. Clean and clear. Bravo!