The neck needs to be a 7.25 fretboard radius on half of a baseball bat on a 25.5 scale. My Epiphone LesPaul Special kills me, my hand goes numb and cramped up.
My biggest mistake, as a new guitarist, was buying my first guitar based on looks & desire. It didn’t really fit me too well & had really bad neck dive. It became uncomfortable to play while sitting long. When learning, it’s of the utmost importance to find a guitar that fits you & is super comfortable, so you can focus on learning music & dexterity, rather than fighting with it!
@@nocturnal101ravenous6 SG standard was my first guitar and. I do not regret it. It's looks made me play it so much to the point I loved practicing (even though it wasn't set up properly) and my skill improved to the point where I was smarter about my future purchases and I could setup the SG on my own.
My first was an old beat up bc-rich super strat with a no brand Floyd. It sounded out of tune because I couldn't play and because of the bridge. Held me back
Why was it uncomfortable to play while sitting? Neck dive and weight are usually non-issues for me as I spend 99% of my playing time sitting. Now for gigging, I can certainly see it being a huge issue. I do agree though; having a guitar that plays well and fits your style and comfort is a huge component to success.
the issue is as a beginner you dont know what fits you. I bought a mustang with a thin neck and I really enjoy the weight but damn that neck is uncomfortable after 1 hour practicing rythm guitar. I didnt know that because up until then I just played at home by myself
I have a brothe in law who thought buying a super expensive custom made instrument would be THE inspiration that would “make” him learn how to play. That instrument has graced the inside of a closet for 15 years now. Looks gorgeous in there.
@@tomasvanecek8626 Absoloutely! I have a nephew who played for awhile. Before he left for college he asked me about buying a Strat. He said he wanted something not valuable so it wouldn’t get stolen. I suggested looking at pawn shops. He wasn’t keen on that idea. Then Igot an email telling me he bought a new Strat. A few months into college, he stopped play8ng altogether. Oh well!
Great post. One of my students had her first guitar bought for her by her parents who knew nothing. I was dreading seeing it as they bought the cheapest plywood Epiphone acoustic in a sale for 30 UKP. It did need a set up, which I always do to students guitars. It is the best "boxy Martin" sound that I have heard on anything except a real Martin. So good that I have borrowed it several times to do some recording and have first call if she ever wants to sell it. One in a million!
Excellent video! I've been playing for 50 years, and I agree with all of these points! Matter of fact, don't stop taking lessons... there's always someone who knows stuff you don't...
I have an '86 Samick LC 650 Artist Series (Les Paul style). I paid $150.00 CAD for it, used. It is phenomenal, gold hardware, elaborate mother of pearl headstock inlay, and a set neck, amongst other features. I liked it so much, I got rid of my 1992 Gibson Les Paul Studio because I liked the Samick a lot more. I like guitars based on more than the brand name. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying one is better than the other. I have 10 guitars ranging from an American PRS to Epiphone to Samick, etc. I have toured professionally, in Canada, back in early 2000's and still get royalty payments through SOCAN; I used a 1984 Japanese neck-through-body Targa brand guitar for all touring for the most part. My point is, find the guitar that inspires you and helps you become motivated to play more. Great video, Darrell! I especially agree about taking lessons... I am self-taught and had to learn theory long after I started playing (many years) and wish I had learned theory a lot sooner.
Totally agree with you Darrell! Does anyone remember Teisco? Long time ago but the only one electric I could afford back in the early 70's. Recognized quite quickly I won't go far with that plywood thing. So I "stepped back" to an acoustic, bought me a Framus dreadnought and really started to learn playing such as reading notes, learned chords & progressions, pentatonics and all that jazz until I felt ready to get me an electric again. Went to our local music store, not interested in famous names or brands that much but tried basically all guitars they offered and ended up on a 79 Matsumoku built Boogie G-1 which I still play unmodified but well maintained to this very day.
Learning to play electric guitar was on a 40 year long bucket list, family, career amongst being interested in everything postponing things. looked on TH-cam and narrowed the choice down to a new PRS P22, did not even know what a Fret was. I rang a music store who was a PRS agent and asked them to contact the local importer to arrange to see what was available. I narrowed the choice down and was able to see 3 examples. I asked the guy in the music store to play the guitar for me and his jaw dropped as he played the guitar. The Guitar was not set up and you could have driven a truck between the Strings and the Frets although the intonation was perfect. I did a cash deal, knocked off a $1000 and as it turned out unbeknown to all concerned the guitar is a 1 in 100 limited Edition 2022 NAMM P22 hard tail at almost wholesale price. I taught myself how to set the Guittar up and a friend of mine who plays in a band and whose mother is a guitar teacher said all the lessons and books are on TH-cam. My experience with Guitar teachers has been any that are worthwhile are too far away to see and the local ones are in the category of "Dah, my Paw teached me to play Geeetar, I've been playing for 5 years". Learning Guitar is an exponential learning experience where you never can reach the end and as a consequence you never listen to music the same ever again, deconstructing every song you love. Lots of frustration and fun.
I haven't had great experiences with music teachers. I think the problem is that although I'm self-taught I'm relatively advanced and it's difficult for them to know where to slot me into their lesson plans.
Same here. I bought a MIM Tele when I turned sixty after my son asked on my birthday if I had any regrets. All it took was for me to verbally admit this regret to plant the seed. A year and a half later I'm kicking myself for not doing it years ago. The thing is when you have a wife, kids, a big old house, and busy life - there's always something more important to spend your money on. I stopped making excuses and just did it.
@@badcomma - I’ve never understood these lifelong excuses to never, ever spend 600 or 1200+ dollars on a guitar, or a plane ticket somewhere. People prioritize things, they do choose between newer cars and dinners out VS traveling every few years, or occasional gear to enrich our hobby. This isn’t really a prison colony here. We can have a life, have hobbies and loves all those years - sooner the better. I think it can be financial laziness or really unimaginative to not have a life, not allow a little dream like music or travel while still going to burn up cash at Olive Garden every week or such. Financial fallacies. So I appreciate stories such as yours to kick us in the pants. Live now, yes!
Setup is the biggest thing to consider, especially for cheap guitars. My 1st guitar was a cheat S Type with much to high action at the nut. For me it was not an issue to find information about setup and to do a reasonably good setup myself. It totally changed my playing experience!
Theres the rub for budget 'beginner' guitars. A beginner instrument is the one that most needs to be correct, off the rack. But, those are the ones that most need a setup.
@@springbloom5940 catch 22 ... somewhat ... a - judging what a good instrument makes a good instrument need experience and - b willingness to pay a lot of money requires for the most people to be sure that you will stay with this hobby - for what you usually need some time and experience with the new thig - will it stay interesting? - My approach for initial setup was "worst case i can accept this as a complete write off - best case, i upgrade in some time"
@@springbloom5940 it’s still never been easier - given the generally high quality of budget guitars + the free information + cheap tools now found in guided tutorials & online stores. It’s actually really good to hone ‘luthier’ skills 💯 with a $300 starter instrument, it will serve well in future with a more expensive guitar & you will also quickly make friends who will donate beer for improving their axe. Phillip says you can play several examples of a super cheap model and one will likely play better than the other 6 or 8 you pick up, purely a QC numbers game, and maybe 1 in 10 will be a total dog so never settle for an instrument that seems inferior and hope to fix it.
Dude! My first guitar was a classical Sammick I bought at the Salvation Army for 50$ back in the day. Walked down to local guitar store and they hooked me up with a bridge when I bought strings. It was everything 14 year old me could have hoped for when I couldn’t afford a bass amp.. great tips!
My biggest mistake was not checking the wood quality on the fretboard. After buying the guitar, I realized that the fretboard was very rough and it looked like some parts of it were about to scrap off. I used rosewoood guitar conditioner to smoothen out a little, but still it's not perfect.. And talking about looks not only the Flying V is bad for living with it, but the Firebird series as well. The rough fretboard guitar which I bought was the Firebird Studio one, and the bad thing about it is that if you are trying to save some buck, it doesn't stand still with the regular guitar stand unless you buy Hercules guitar stand which is more expensive. Additionally, because of the shape, you need to buy special gig bag for the guitar, and you always have to be wary whether it's going to fall down or not when you are travelling with it.
5:10 I've played a few Samick acoustics. Nice construction, great tone, affordable. Crafter is another brand that's comparable to Samick. Fair winds and following seas to all.
I definitely agree with your last point, Darrell. Taking guitar lessons is one thing I wish I had done when I started playing guitar. I did take piano lessons, and thought that would have been enough for the guitar. I was so wrong about that. I recommend that taking guitar lessons will be a big help for new players.
I’ve gone through quite a few guitars and amps from made in China to made in America, $150 to $2000, and I want to say to all the newer players that all you need is a guitar that has good action which means the strings aren’t very high, and a nice practice amp. Don’t go buying a fender twin reverb because everyone says it’s the greatest amp ever, I’ve done that. Right now I’m playing through a positive grid spark and it sounds fantastic, not just great for the price but honestly great overall. My guitar right now is a Yamaha Pacifica 612, it’s not the best guitar I’ve ever played but it is the best I’ve played in its price range. It’s more about value than overall quality, I owned a $2000 PRS S2 McCarty and ended up trading it in after a couple months because even though it was great I just couldn’t be happy for how much I paid. Don’t go for the best guitar you can possibly find, just get one that sounds and feels good enough and for a decent price. I paid $750 for my Yamaha and the guitar is worth every penny. Also if you’re looking for a more beginner acoustic, I recommend either Yamaha or certain Ibanez acoustics, they are very easy to play. It’ll be difficult in the beginning no matter what guitar you’re playing on but once you get good you will be able to appreciate how easy to play they are compared to brands like Martin.
I 100% agree. I bought an Epiphone Les Paul Standard a while back without even looking at it in the shop, or picking it up. I went purely off looks and specs. When I got it, it just didn't fit right for me and I sold it. The next time round I tried a few guitars in the shop, in particular a Sterling Cutlass CT50 and Cort G300 Pro. I went with the Cort as it felt so much nicer to play and I'm so glad I didn't just pick off looks or reviews!
Man years ago I had a Cort MGM-1. The Matt Murphy signature model. He was the lead guitarist in the blues brothers band. That guitar just made music flow out of me. It was like we were literally made for each other. Unfortunately my now ex wife flipped out and splintered it against a tree. I've never been able to find anything close. I bought 3 more mgm-1s and they weren't the same. I tried pretty much everything from high end brands that I really couldn't afford to garage built frakentars and I've never been able to find what we had together. That break up still hurts!!! The guitar, not the woman lol
I think assuming every guitar model from a certain brand are going to be exactly alike is something I come across all the time. I’ve bought a few fenders that were not alike at all despite the same model. I think that was when I ordered online instead of picking it up at a store first
Good points Darrell. One thing is I probably won't be ordering another guitar by Fender. My first one was a Nashville Telecaster, the nut was cut too low some of the strings were laying on the first fret, and the bridge plate didn't cover the cavity, after arguing with Fender I ended up fixing it myself. Second Fender ordered was a gift from my wife just a week ago. A Squier Paranormal Cabronita Telecaster. The tone knob fell off when I got it out of the box, the switch was lose because someone cross threaded the nut no big deal. The pickups advertised as vintage style Jazzmasters were P-90s with a Jazzmaster cover. Still arguing with Fender over that. But the guitar plays and sounds great but just not that Jazzmaster tone. I know that Fender will wessel out so I will end up purchasing a set from Tone Hatch, hand wound and made in Nebraska. Haven't heard their jazzmaster but their Strat and Tele pickups are phenomenal. Have a good one Darrell.
#5 should’ve been close physical examination. One time I fell in love with a classical and it has a crack on the soundboard. The guitar center rep told me just to take that one and he’d call me when they got more in, that never happened until I was passed the return/exchange date. Also my brother ordered a guitar online and I didn’t see it until months later when he asked me to set it up. It had cracks in it, and it was brand new. When I took it apart it was just poorly assembled, no quality control. Extra/misaligned pilot holes. Also something was completely off with the electronics I’m gonna have a tech look at it. Poor soldering/wiring. I don’t expect anyone to take apart a guitar before buying it but you can at least catch physical damage with the naked eye. about it. #6 bonus tip music lessons and subscribed to your channel 😊
Never got along with Strats but they look cool. Just ordered an Eart Tele style guitar due to it's compound radius neck, stainless steel frets and wine finish. (Orange looks great as well). I plan to change out the wiring and pickups to American parts as soon as possible.
Addendum to #4. If you are not happy with the store's setup, check with other players for a good luthier. Usually, the people who repair and/or build them are better than the ones who sell them.
About the last point, it really depends of the teacher that you're choosing to learn the instrument that you wanna play. It doesn't have to be like a PROPER TEACHER, but a friend that plays better than you. The rest is practice and a lot of learning on your own (I mean, we have Internet now, everything is so much easier now). I think that's the most important part of learning how to do anything.
Speaking to the daily playability of a 'V' changes when its your only guitar. You find there are some ergonomic challenges but they can be overcome by laying the top wing on your leg.
Really enjoy your TH-cam-channel. Although I'm an old man now I can understand abot 95 % of your english without any problems. Thank you for all your information.
My suggestion might be ,for beginners, to start on a classical, nylon string guitar.Many people get discouraged when they play and realize steel strings do a # on your finger tips until the callouses build up a bit.
Look for "woof" notes. I play each string, each fret while damping all the other strings to listen to the sustain and volume. I do this un-amplified with an electric and I do this with acoustic guitars as well. A woof note will either die quickly, be too soft or too loud and it infringes on the musical line when you are trying to be musical.
Yes yes yes,I am 54 I've just started because I idle the late great Rick Parfitt passed away from Status Quo. I have a telecaster so half way there But your right it's not as easy as you might think to get that tone he had. So great video,,,,,
Must have a role - sitting and standing role. So this is it, two player roles in a game having about ten player classes. First upgrade option is to get anything you never had. You need an upgrade in playable neck length and an ability to play Heart burst into fire. If there is back to the future autotune anywhere - awesome dude, had to do it manually.
There a lot of "I wish I knew then what I know now" in buying a guitar. I happened to be at L&Q a couple of weeks ago. Just killing some time, I tired out a few guitars. In their acoustic room they had a through mix of guitars of from 200 bucks to 8k, all mixed up on the wall. A clever marketing plan indeed. The other fellow in there was fascinated with my system of just playing a few strings on the guitar while it still hung on the wall. If I really hate it I don't have to waste time. I tired a 300 buck model. It looked OK but the sound was fair to poor. Then I tried a 2.4K Martin. It was of course stunning. Now to find a great sounding one for modest dough. A tough, near impossible job. That's life in the acoustic room. Now for electrics. They take much longer to try out. They can vary a lot, depending on the amp available for the try out. If it has good wood and the setup is within reason/fixable. That part should be OK. The only other thing is the pickups. There are so many that can reasonably fit a guitar. They are expensive and not easy to test in any particular guitar you choose. What to do?
Darrell, you are so right in all of these points. I really love guitars and I have some different guitars at home. I'm always looking for something that can inspire me and often I found a guitar that was really cool, but it was not made for me, may be it was also a step to fast, because it is a guitar that I'm not able to play, or I'm not used to (8 string, 7 string... pickup type, string thickness, baritone....) I like to discover new things and to develop my playing and my musical horizon. Therefore you need help, it could be friends, musicians, music teachers and guitar stores... But for me it is always difficult to find the guitar for a comparison, because it is not available or it must be ordered... So I have to drive for hours to get to a special guitar store to find a special guitar I'm locking for. Sometimes it has a horrible setup and than it is always a bad feeling to play it. After years I found some good stores in Germany and in the Netherlands and I always give them a phone call that I want to play a special guitar with a special rig. That gives me good possibilities to try out guitars with no guarantee that this guitar is the right one for me, but after that, I know what I like and what I do not like and it also shows me my personal borders and what I probably have to work on... All around the world there are so many wonderful guitars but I never will have the possibility to play these all, but it don't disappoint me... A good thing for me is then to give my guitars the best setup for my use and to develop my guitars and my guitar playing... But guitars it is a never ending story and that absolutely OK. I like it. 🤘🙃
i got a fender aerodyne strat that on fenders website was $2400 AUD. i found it in a shop for $1600 AUD (AUD is about the same as canadian dollars) brand new because they just weren't selling. it was the guitar that i wanted for the past 3 years and i got it a few weeks ago. very happy with it
For me, a huge mistake was absolutely loving a Gretsch Streamliner, and thinking “Hmmm… if I love the cheap version, the more expensive version must be amazing.” It was the only guitar I’ve owned that I felt like I had a true connection with. I ordered an Electromatic (trading in the Streamliner to do so) and while the Electromatic WAS a very good guitar, I didn’t connect with it. Many guitars have come and gone through my house since I began this journey a few years ago, and that’s the only one I regret getting rid of.
Yep I did the 1st thing on the list when I was a teen. Discovered metal and started learning on a cheap, yet good, strat. 9 months later I earned enough cash and bought a black Jackson King V because I wanted to sound like Dave Mustaine when he was signed with Jackson(I was a huge fan at the time and still am). Needless to say, I didn’t sound like Dave at all, however, I still made the right choice buying it because now it’s my favorite guitar shape😂
So true with the brand thing. I have owned both a Fender Strat and a Gibson (admittedly it was a night hawk as Les Paul's always felt too heavy for me but it was a great looking guitar) didn't like the neck profile or fret board on either, traded in both for other guitars. I tend to like Ebony fret boards now, so have a few Ibanez's with wizard necks and an ovation acoustic. As I found comfort is king when wanting to play for more than 10 - 20 min. But even though I have some higher end guitars, one of the most fun ones to muck around on is an old Samick Tele copy that was really cheap, I've had it now for almost 20 years. Great Video as always.
Ha! I purchased a Samick guitar in the late 1980's loved it!! Just donated it to my local Church's youth group, fun fact, Samick started out making amazing pianos!
that last point. I started playing guitar mid 80s, took lessons, practiced lots and eventually got quite good. then life happened and somehow I didn't play guitar for almost three decades before I bought me a guitar again. but i was so disappointed with myself because i was so bad, I felt like I never had played worse. And what's not, I even couldn't improve no matter how much I practiced. Since 3 months i take lessons again now and since then I've finally improved so much. turns out I was routine-blinded completely. I made stupid mistakes but couldn't see them myself because I didn't focus on them. I didn't need a teacher to tell me how to play, but I needed him to bring my attention to my bad playing habits.
Yep! I wanted to Love a Fender Strat .... and a Gibson Les Paul. Tried quite a few of each one....I finally found alternatives that fit me and the way that I play MUCH better. Now I have guitars that will give me the sounds that my Heroes established... with guitars that I can play and feel comfortable with. I've learned how to do most set-up work myself. Makes a world of difference in playing almost any guitar.
You said everything a beginner needs to know. I bought Cort G250 guitar and got frustrated because of intonation. Its getting out of tune it was my first electric guitar, I bought it online and it was not good purchase if I spent the money on Ibanez RG350MZ which I played at store I were not regretting.
About those V-shaped guitars 😄 I've been playing with RR shaped guitars almost since I began playing and never have had any issues with them. But I kinda understand the Flying V point, since that longer bottom horn wouldn't fit as well in your lap as RR shape does 🤔 Also it helps that I always play with the strap on, and no matter the guitar I always play in classical position 😅 I don't remember if the V-guitar affected that or if I did it with my first cheap strat too. The "modern" playing position just doesn't feel good for me, it puts my picking hand under more stress and the access to solo frets is much more difficult 😄
I have been at it for a little more than 2-mo. I bought a lightly used Epi LP Standard Pro because of the sweet humbucker tones, other features and looks. Four weeks later, I told myself that I needed an American Strat Pro 2 HSS. I got the Strat and haven't put it down since. The Epi is now my wall hanger. I love the tones and the playability of the Strat. Thanks for your vids Darrell.
As long as I can remember, whenever I plug in my ear goes directly involuntarily to a tone I love and I'm happy with. I never consider someone else's tone. I only have ear memory for myself.
I've taken one guitar lesson from a friend of mine when I started out. I taught him more than he taught me. I've learned to play mainly through tab books, mags, and listening closely to songs.
I agree 100% on getting guitar lessons, I started playing in 1970 and have never been taught by a good teacher most of my playing has been by fellowship or by ear and I can attest that anyone who has a good tutor in the beginning will most definitely be a better player or will have a superior understanding of guitar chord structure and theory.
The feel is the most important thing for me. So it was great to see that mentioned One mistake ( potentially) is not considering buying used. You normally get a better price, the bugs have probably been worked out & other intangibles Of course you might not get as good a warranty ( if buying from a store) or none at all (private sale), but that may not matter And with a used guitar, don’t ignore the setup ( good thing to include on the list) It may have been set up before you bought it, but is that set up the best for you.?
Playing a guitar before you buy is key. I've purchased bunches of guitars I thought I would like only to sell them later. I've finally realized that I really don't like thin, shredding necks, even though I love the guitars they come on. Also, recognize your tastes may change over time. I remember playing a PRS about a decade ago and just not caring for it. Neck wasn't to my my liking, didn't like the sound, etc. However, I've been playing and enjoying strats more so now I have a PRS and absolutely love it. Still love the chunky 12" radius neck on my main guitar but the PRS is now so comfortable to me. And that's cool.
#1- I don’t really go for “signature guitars”, so I haven’t bought a guitar to sound like someone, but I did buy a Duncan Pearly Gates neck pickup for my ‘90s SG. It sounds good. 🤷♂️ #2- I think looks will get me to go read the specs, if the neck profile sounds like what I usually like, I’ll go check it out. #3- The most I paid was for a ‘15 Gibson Firebird, which was awesome while I owned it, but then I saw pricing kept going up (middle of the pandemic), so I sold it for more than I paid. #4- I got a Squier Cyclone, came with the trem decked down and a buzzing string. I fixed both when I put heavier strings on it (and had to adjust the spring tension so the trem wasn’t pulled out of whack). Thankfully I’ve built and fixed my fair share of guitars over the years and know how to put things where I like it. #5- got lessons for 4 years when I started in ‘94, only stopped because my college schedule couldn’t accommodate it. I still like to think I’m learning new things all these years later (music theory is fascinating stuff.)
Pro tip: When looking for a new guitar sometimes it pays to buy the demo model often for quite a few dollars less. I saved $500 on my last guitar simply by purchasing the demo model instead of the "brand new" one. And the only thing wrong with it was a slight, almost unnoticeable ding on the neck!!! And demo models are usually set up already by the seller.
Yes on all fronts. I've made some of those mistakes and seen others make them. I have three rules now for guitar buying. 1, always try it before you buy it. 2, learn to do your own set up, that way you will recognize a bad guitar as opposed to one that simply needs setting up. 3, mid tier prices are as far as I will go. Top tier pricing usually has less to do with quality and more to do with branding, and many low priced guitars are ridiculously good for the price.
First i am sorry about my english. You are an amazing communicator with immense knowledge. I love your videos, because I love guitars. My first record was "The Dark Side of the Moon". Also because it teaches, without any problems, which guitars are good, regardless of the brand. Big hug. Paulo.
Today, After years with a £55 no name strat copt, I bought the £400 Squire Starcaster in Sunburst, after only discovered what it was yesterday and immediately bought it impulsively, it is the honestly the BEST guitar I have ever played in my whole life. It came pre set up, IN TUNE somehow, the frets were all polished, actually has a true non-synthetic bone nut, it plays acoustically BETTER than my Epiphone Pro 1 acoustic and though my LT25 it has such a great classic early Beatle-ish tone. I wanted the tone of a Gibson ES335 but the fretboard feel and headstock of a fender and the starcaster just appeared out of nowhere. Best guitar ever imo, over the moon and 0 regrets, I can’t believe it’s so niche, it’s the perfect middleground of both worlds. Needs more recognition man
Great advise video Darrell. It definitely can be very overwhelming when purchasing a new guitar. Luckily each one of my guitars, I've gotten through some sort of individual event that happened in my life, so they have a huge nostalgia to me. They all play fantastic as well! 🎸
Great vid, Darryl. I’m curious about your first Samick. I bought a cheap, used Samick that was a Greg Bennett UM4, made in Korea, back when I was on holidays and wanted something to noodle around on during the wet days. I’ve got a bunch of other guitars but the Samick is still my #1. It’s just beautiful and plays beautifully as well.
Your videos are gold Darrell!. My last mistake was to buy online a guitar without trying in person. I got a Duo Sonic HS 2021, really beautty, great unique tones, easy short scale, but I CANNOT play the 9.5 radious, I have two guitars with 14" radius that feels and plays amazing (the way I feel them)...so using 9.5" has been so uncofortable.... maybe I need more practice.....but currently I feel like I will sell the Duo Sonic...(very sad about it hahahaha)
I definitely bought a guitar based on artists I love, but it wasn't to sound like them. I first bought a Tele because of Ray Davies, Keith Richards, and Joe Strummer. I have an SG with humbuckers for Link Wray and Angus Young and a semi-hollow Gretsch for Brian Setzer - rockabilly and blues. My goal was three very different guitars for specific genres and styles. Of course, I sound like none of those players - but I play every day and I'm having a blast. I did my homework before each purchase and love the unique feel and tone of each guitar.
I think he said it when he said get a GOOD teacher. Had a horrible teacher growing up and I went off on my own. Still learned how to play but still to this day never lived up to my talent level.
You sold me the Cort G300 pro. Never disappoints. Rings like a bell unplugged. Tuning stability play’s real good . Specked off the chart. Thanks Daryl for pointing me that direction . ❤
I have a bit different things I look out for when buying a guitar that is more important 1. Buying a guitar without checking to see if the neck is cracked 2. Not checking out to see if there is a crack near the neck joint on the body. 3. Fret life left on the neck for warped or dead spots, provided they're not stainless steel. 4. Intonation 5. Neck profile that fits your hands right. Now if the neck is too round I have myself reshaped a neck to make it fit my feel I wanted. If you want to put the work into it, and It's not really that hard to do. Also check to see if the nut on the truss rod is not broken! All the rest (Pickups, wiring, tuning keys etc.. ) all can be upgraded. This is mostly for used guitars, but I have also seen some of these on brand-new guitars as well.
I've been playing less than a year and one of my biggest regrets was buying another cheap Chinese guitar based on internet reviews. It turned out to have some fairly serious problems with the fretwork and just overall poor quality with key components. As it turned out, by the stage I purchased it I'd learnt enough about luthier work (well that and a background in engineering) that I could fix many of the problems, but I still don't especially like playing it. I make this comment as I think it would be a terminal decision for somebody buying it as a first guitar and especially if they didn't have a mechanical background to help diagnose the issues. It almost certainly wouldn't have been worthwhile having it professionally repaired. In contrast, my best decision was to buy my first guitar from a store with knowledgeable and helpful employees who have given me great advice with following purchases. I couldn't be happier than when I'm playing and hope others get equal enjoyment in their journey.
The funny thing about 'flying v' style guitars is they are ergonomically the worst when sitting down, but hands down my favorite when standing up. I almost exclusively play V-shaped guitars when playing with my band, but when sitting at home it is usually a nice headless.
You know how to hold a V sitting down… right Darrell? Hold it like a classical guitar, or a shredder’s guitar, with the right horn between your two legs.
I respectfully disagree about the Flying V being impossible to play sitting down. It’s a VERY comfortable guitar to play sitting down, if you play it in a classical as opposed to cowboy position. What’s more, the V shape even helps you keep the guitar at a good playing angle if you hold the V between your legs!
Nope. Don’t buy it. Sorry. I started playing as a classical player. I naturally gravitate toward this position. I have tried a flying V in a classical position and it was still a pain in the ass to play. The only way to go is standing up with a strap and the guitar balanced just so.
@@Hun_Uinaq The key is: Don’t rest the V on TOP of your legs like a normal classical guitar. Grip the V part BETWEEN your legs, like this: |/|. Not only will it not slide off this way, but it will be kept at a nice playing angle, better than ANY classically shaped guitar!
I have 8 guitars. My favorite is one I spent some money on, my second favorite is the beat up squier strat that I repainted and invested a few hundred bucks into for a warmoth custom neck and better pu’s.
I just wanted to say thank you. After watching your review on Sire guitars I got a hold of sweetwater and ordered one. They were great people, and after waiting almost ten months it's on its way to my home. So thanks again and keep up the great work.
Some very well thought out advice darrell. Too many times I've seen guys wanting to emulate some other Rock God only to be let down they buy the same guitar they put the same strings on it they think they've got the same equipment behind them and for some reason they just don't sound the same. And it's all in how an artist attacks the strings man everybody has their own unique Style no two people are going to be 100% the same besides being an artist isn't about copying someone else it's about finding your own niche. There's a lot of awesome guitar players out there man but personally I wouldn't want to sound like any of them I just want to sound like me.
If you want to use a FlyingV type guitar just buy a "Performaxe". It's a leg rest made from a friend of mine and it's freaking useful if you have problems with "posture" and ergonomics!
As a lefty guitarist, sometimes I found myself having very little options when it came to choosing guitars. Most stores I've been to have like 3 lefty guitars total. Sure there are many options online, but can't exactly test them before purchase. 😮💨
Great video..a couple of additional points...try a guitar before buying it...so yeah don't go just on looks...go on feal ...in fact if you are at a store and they have more then one of the model you want...try a few ...you will note they are not all the same....you are not buy g a tv here....and to your point..you know which is the best guitar you have? It is the one you play most...the guitar you play most may actually be the cheapest you have ...but I bet anything it's the one you find most comfortable to play...it stays in tune better than the others...and sounds great...it is so weird how so many have expensive guitars that are too valuable to play and just stay in there cases....what a waste....maybe that is why some of the brand names don't get you the best bang for the buck ...they know maybe it will most likely just be a souvenir....an instrument needs to be played...it is a key element in making a good instrument great.
I’ve been thinking about learning to play the guitar for years now and I’m finally gonna start. Your video helped out a lot. Thank you! That last mistake hit hard! 😂 I knew deep down it was coming.
Any tips or opinions on Sawtooth guitars? I bought a Sawtooth Vudu and love it, but I don't know much about guitars. Out of the box it is awesome, looks amazing, and sounds great. The price was about 480 and felt it is worth it, but I'm not very knowledgeable on guitars.
When I was 19, I bought the Schecter Synyster Gates guitar for $1100... I also bought a coffin case. It was a cool guitar, but I wasn't that good of a guitarist at the time and it made me feel like a fanboy, so I didn't really play it in my music classes. I ended up selling it for around $500-600 a couple years later.
I lost track of how many guitars I've bought based on all these reasons. It took me 3 Strat styles to finally figure out that Strats are just not for me because of the toggle switch closest to the bridge. It should have been one time LOL. V's are the same way. Great to play on stage - only. Later on in life, I learned to be more careful and got some great guitars that I still own without wasting a lot of money selling or trading ones I THOUGHT were the one.
Great review Darrell ,! Speaking of the Right, affordable Guitar....... I think I see the Blue flame maple Xavier LP behind you in the vid! I really want that guitar ! Trying to get there...... That was a great review on that brand when you did it!
Spot on. I can relate to living with a V. I can only play it sitting down with a strap on it and having it around my neck like a ukulele. Looks badass in my guitar stand, tho. Each of my guitars has their quirks, but I love them all.
#1 0:23 (Buying a guitar to sound like someone else) #2 2:17 (Buying on looks and not on feel) #3 4:05 (Overpaying for a guitar) #4 5:57 (Not getting your guitar setup) #5 7:20 (Not getting music lessons)
Music lessons are key. With an acoustic you can at least learn chords and campfire songs on your own but my first electric I had no clue what I was doing and mostly it sat until I pawned it. That will always be the guitar that got away and I scour the internet hoping to find one just to round out my collection.
Same thing happened to me! Played cowboy chords on acoustic for years just 20 minutes a day and one day I purchased a beautiful gold top with a cherry neck for over $1000... I forget the brand but it sat forever and I sold it for cheap.. couple years later I'm practicing 2-6hrs a day on a cheaper hagstrom electric and I miss that guitar.... the skinny neck and nice action... ahh well now I get to save for my main guitar and this hagstrom is pretty clean
Regarding setups, the first thing I do is to put my preferred strings (9s in 24,75" or 25" necks and 8s in 25,5" necks). The rest of the setup depends on the strings tension.
I have 6 flying V guitars and have no problem sitting for 2-3 hours at a time with one. I play classical style with my guitars on my left leg and I don't have problems with flying Vs, or SG neck dive, or being cramped up when I play the higher end of the fret board. Just because some people can't figure out how to sit with a Flying V doesn't mean it's not possible, or even easy. Still Love your videos, Darrell and appreciate all you do. Thanks!
I sit classical style with my V as well. Come to think of it that is the most natural way to hold a guitar for me. I love you show Darrell, keep up the great work.
one thing i love about my brand new guitar (MKH Origins LP) is that Matt himself uses the exact same guitar, which was what made me buy it. Specially with more "budget" guitars, the one thing lacking on signatures is that the artist doesn't use it.
I'm having thoughts of stuffing a pair of Creamery wide-range humbuckers into a Les Paul. I still remember the sound of a 70s Tele Deluxe I played into a Fender Super reverb. But I don't like Telecasters shape or neck. An LP neck feels perfect. What to do?
Are there things you guys do differently now vs when you first started playing when buying a new guitar?
Let me know!
One big thing for me is the neck - will my hand cramp up while playing…. A 7 or 8 string is definitely out for me.
I notice now that I know what I need, or want, in a set up. Whereas before I was more concerned about the “cool” things than setting up. Maturity? Lol
It’s almost all on the neck now for me. Almost.
The neck needs to be a 7.25 fretboard radius on half of a baseball bat on a 25.5 scale. My Epiphone LesPaul Special kills me, my hand goes numb and cramped up.
@@ernieb3626 I agree a lot!
Turns out I don’t sound like John Petrucci, but at least I’m in debt now 😂
Lol! I think we need another guitar!
Should have went for a Mega Boogie Mark 5
1st world problems bro....
lol 😂
🤣 speaking of privilege
My biggest mistake, as a new guitarist, was buying my first guitar based on looks & desire. It didn’t really fit me too well & had really bad neck dive. It became uncomfortable to play while sitting long. When learning, it’s of the utmost importance to find a guitar that fits you & is super comfortable, so you can focus on learning music & dexterity, rather than fighting with it!
Thats why it should always be a modern strat to start with. I swear people always do things hardmode what did you buy an SG Standard?
@@nocturnal101ravenous6 SG standard was my first guitar and. I do not regret it. It's looks made me play it so much to the point I loved practicing (even though it wasn't set up properly) and my skill improved to the point where I was smarter about my future purchases and I could setup the SG on my own.
My first was an old beat up bc-rich super strat with a no brand Floyd. It sounded out of tune because I couldn't play and because of the bridge. Held me back
Why was it uncomfortable to play while sitting? Neck dive and weight are usually non-issues for me as I spend 99% of my playing time sitting. Now for gigging, I can certainly see it being a huge issue.
I do agree though; having a guitar that plays well and fits your style and comfort is a huge component to success.
the issue is as a beginner you dont know what fits you. I bought a mustang with a thin neck and I really enjoy the weight but damn that neck is uncomfortable after 1 hour practicing rythm guitar. I didnt know that because up until then I just played at home by myself
I have a brothe in law who thought buying a super expensive custom made instrument would be THE inspiration that would “make” him learn how to play. That instrument has graced the inside of a closet for 15 years now. Looks gorgeous in there.
Right - thats the way it goes sometimes.. many of my favorite guitars were just plain Janes´ in the shop...
@@tomasvanecek8626 Absoloutely! I have a nephew who played for awhile. Before he left for college he asked me about buying a Strat. He said he wanted something not valuable so it wouldn’t get stolen. I suggested looking at pawn shops. He wasn’t keen on that idea. Then Igot an email telling me he bought a new Strat. A few months into college, he stopped play8ng altogether. Oh well!
can I buy it? lol
Great post. One of my students had her first guitar bought for her by her parents who knew nothing. I was dreading seeing it as they bought the cheapest plywood Epiphone acoustic in a sale for 30 UKP. It did need a set up, which I always do to students guitars. It is the best "boxy Martin" sound that I have heard on anything except a real Martin. So good that I have borrowed it several times to do some recording and have first call if she ever wants to sell it. One in a million!
Excellent video! I've been playing for 50 years, and I agree with all of these points! Matter of fact, don't stop taking lessons... there's always someone who knows stuff you don't...
I don't neccessarily disagree with any of the points Darrell made, but I think there are other bigger, more obvious mistakes.
Ditto . 67 years old now
I have an '86 Samick LC 650 Artist Series (Les Paul style). I paid $150.00 CAD for it, used. It is phenomenal, gold hardware, elaborate mother of pearl headstock inlay, and a set neck, amongst other features. I liked it so much, I got rid of my 1992 Gibson Les Paul Studio because I liked the Samick a lot more.
I like guitars based on more than the brand name. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying one is better than the other. I have 10 guitars ranging from an American PRS to Epiphone to Samick, etc. I have toured professionally, in Canada, back in early 2000's and still get royalty payments through SOCAN; I used a 1984 Japanese neck-through-body Targa brand guitar for all touring for the most part. My point is, find the guitar that inspires you and helps you become motivated to play more.
Great video, Darrell! I especially agree about taking lessons... I am self-taught and had to learn theory long after I started playing (many years) and wish I had learned theory a lot sooner.
Totally agree with you Darrell! Does anyone remember Teisco? Long time ago but the only one electric I could afford back in the early 70's. Recognized quite quickly I won't go far with that plywood thing. So I "stepped back" to an acoustic, bought me a Framus dreadnought and really started to learn playing such as reading notes, learned chords & progressions, pentatonics and all that jazz until I felt ready to get me an electric again. Went to our local music store, not interested in famous names or brands that much but tried basically all guitars they offered and ended up on a 79 Matsumoku built Boogie G-1 which I still play unmodified but well maintained to this very day.
Learning to play electric guitar was on a 40 year long bucket list, family, career amongst being interested in everything postponing things. looked on TH-cam and narrowed the choice down to a new PRS P22, did not even know what a Fret was. I rang a music store who was a PRS agent and asked them to contact the local importer to arrange to see what was available. I narrowed the choice down and was able to see 3 examples. I asked the guy in the music store to play the guitar for me and his jaw dropped as he played the guitar. The Guitar was not set up and you could have driven a truck between the Strings and the Frets although the intonation was perfect. I did a cash deal, knocked off a $1000 and as it turned out unbeknown to all concerned the guitar is a 1 in 100 limited Edition 2022 NAMM P22 hard tail at almost wholesale price. I taught myself how to set the Guittar up and a friend of mine who plays in a band and whose mother is a guitar teacher said all the lessons and books are on TH-cam. My experience with Guitar teachers has been any that are worthwhile are too far away to see and the local ones are in the category of "Dah, my Paw teached me to play Geeetar, I've been playing for 5 years". Learning Guitar is an exponential learning experience where you never can reach the end and as a consequence you never listen to music the same ever again, deconstructing every song you love. Lots of frustration and fun.
Music is a lifelong pursuit, there is no mastery, just legends that never found the end of the rabbithole.
I haven't had great experiences with music teachers. I think the problem is that although I'm self-taught I'm relatively advanced and it's difficult for them to know where to slot me into their lesson plans.
Same here. I bought a MIM Tele when I turned sixty after my son asked on my birthday if I had any regrets. All it took was for me to verbally admit this regret to plant the seed. A year and a half later I'm kicking myself for not doing it years ago. The thing is when you have a wife, kids, a big old house, and busy life - there's always something more important to spend your money on. I stopped making excuses and just did it.
@@badcomma - I’ve never understood these lifelong excuses to never, ever spend 600 or 1200+ dollars on a guitar, or a plane ticket somewhere. People prioritize things, they do choose between newer cars and dinners out VS traveling every few years, or occasional gear to enrich our hobby.
This isn’t really a prison colony here. We can have a life, have hobbies and loves all those years - sooner the better. I think it can be financial laziness or really unimaginative to not have a life, not allow a little dream like music or travel while still going to burn up cash at Olive Garden every week or such. Financial fallacies. So I appreciate stories such as yours to kick us in the pants. Live now, yes!
Setup is the biggest thing to consider, especially for cheap guitars. My 1st guitar was a cheat S Type with much to high action at the nut. For me it was not an issue to find information about setup and to do a reasonably good setup myself. It totally changed my playing experience!
Theres the rub for budget 'beginner' guitars. A beginner instrument is the one that most needs to be correct, off the rack. But, those are the ones that most need a setup.
@@springbloom5940 catch 22 ... somewhat ... a - judging what a good instrument makes a good instrument need experience and - b willingness to pay a lot of money requires for the most people to be sure that you will stay with this hobby - for what you usually need some time and experience with the new thig - will it stay interesting? - My approach for initial setup was "worst case i can accept this as a complete write off - best case, i upgrade in some time"
@@springbloom5940 it’s still never been easier - given the generally high quality of budget guitars + the free information + cheap tools now found in guided tutorials & online stores.
It’s actually really good to hone ‘luthier’ skills 💯 with a $300 starter instrument, it will serve well in future with a more expensive guitar & you will also quickly make friends who will donate beer for improving their axe.
Phillip says you can play several examples of a super cheap model and one will likely play better than the other 6 or 8 you pick up, purely a QC numbers game, and maybe 1 in 10 will be a total dog so never settle for an instrument that seems inferior and hope to fix it.
Dude! My first guitar was a classical Sammick I bought at the Salvation Army for 50$ back in the day. Walked down to local guitar store and they hooked me up with a bridge when I bought strings.
It was everything 14 year old me could have hoped for when I couldn’t afford a bass amp.. great tips!
My biggest mistake was not checking the wood quality on the fretboard. After buying the guitar, I realized that the fretboard was very rough and it looked like some parts of it were about to scrap off. I used rosewoood guitar conditioner to smoothen out a little, but still it's not perfect.. And talking about looks not only the Flying V is bad for living with it, but the Firebird series as well. The rough fretboard guitar which I bought was the Firebird Studio one, and the bad thing about it is that if you are trying to save some buck, it doesn't stand still with the regular guitar stand unless you buy Hercules guitar stand which is more expensive. Additionally, because of the shape, you need to buy special gig bag for the guitar, and you always have to be wary whether it's going to fall down or not when you are travelling with it.
5:10 I've played a few Samick acoustics. Nice construction, great tone, affordable. Crafter is another brand that's comparable to Samick.
Fair winds and following seas to all.
I definitely agree with your last point, Darrell. Taking guitar lessons is one thing I wish I had done when I started playing guitar. I did take piano lessons, and thought that would have been enough for the guitar. I was so wrong about that. I recommend that taking guitar lessons will be a big help for new players.
I think the strings size are important, depending of the guitar (and the tuning you use) I'm using 9.5-44 mm on my American Strat!
.0095-.044”
These are a good set.
I’ve gone through quite a few guitars and amps from made in China to made in America, $150 to $2000, and I want to say to all the newer players that all you need is a guitar that has good action which means the strings aren’t very high, and a nice practice amp. Don’t go buying a fender twin reverb because everyone says it’s the greatest amp ever, I’ve done that. Right now I’m playing through a positive grid spark and it sounds fantastic, not just great for the price but honestly great overall. My guitar right now is a Yamaha Pacifica 612, it’s not the best guitar I’ve ever played but it is the best I’ve played in its price range. It’s more about value than overall quality, I owned a $2000 PRS S2 McCarty and ended up trading it in after a couple months because even though it was great I just couldn’t be happy for how much I paid. Don’t go for the best guitar you can possibly find, just get one that sounds and feels good enough and for a decent price. I paid $750 for my Yamaha and the guitar is worth every penny. Also if you’re looking for a more beginner acoustic, I recommend either Yamaha or certain Ibanez acoustics, they are very easy to play. It’ll be difficult in the beginning no matter what guitar you’re playing on but once you get good you will be able to appreciate how easy to play they are compared to brands like Martin.
I'm also over here on Team Yamaha (Revstar Standard) and it's an amazing guitar for $800.
I 100% agree. I bought an Epiphone Les Paul Standard a while back without even looking at it in the shop, or picking it up. I went purely off looks and specs. When I got it, it just didn't fit right for me and I sold it. The next time round I tried a few guitars in the shop, in particular a Sterling Cutlass CT50 and Cort G300 Pro. I went with the Cort as it felt so much nicer to play and I'm so glad I didn't just pick off looks or reviews!
Yes I got the cort g300 pro as well and I love it so much, it is so great in tone, quality and feel. I’m happy for you.
@@Anikanstern nice! Yeah it’s an awesome guitar eh!
Fits like a hand in a glove important 👍🏻...
Man years ago I had a Cort MGM-1. The Matt Murphy signature model. He was the lead guitarist in the blues brothers band. That guitar just made music flow out of me. It was like we were literally made for each other. Unfortunately my now ex wife flipped out and splintered it against a tree. I've never been able to find anything close. I bought 3 more mgm-1s and they weren't the same. I tried pretty much everything from high end brands that I really couldn't afford to garage built frakentars and I've never been able to find what we had together. That break up still hurts!!! The guitar, not the woman lol
@@xrexc3179 keep looking man, the guitar will find you eventually 😉
I think assuming every guitar model from a certain brand are going to be exactly alike is something I come across all the time. I’ve bought a few fenders that were not alike at all despite the same model. I think that was when I ordered online instead of picking it up at a store first
Good points Darrell. One thing is I probably won't be ordering another guitar by Fender. My first one was a Nashville Telecaster, the nut was cut too low some of the strings were laying on the first fret, and the bridge plate didn't cover the cavity, after arguing with Fender I ended up fixing it myself. Second Fender ordered was a gift from my wife just a week ago. A Squier Paranormal Cabronita Telecaster. The tone knob fell off when I got it out of the box, the switch was lose because someone cross threaded the nut no big deal. The pickups advertised as vintage style Jazzmasters were P-90s with a Jazzmaster cover. Still arguing with Fender over that. But the guitar plays and sounds great but just not that Jazzmaster tone. I know that Fender will wessel out so I will end up purchasing a set from Tone Hatch, hand wound and made in Nebraska. Haven't heard their jazzmaster but their Strat and Tele pickups are phenomenal. Have a good one Darrell.
#5 should’ve been close physical examination. One time I fell in love with a classical and it has a crack on the soundboard. The guitar center rep told me just to take that one and he’d call me when they got more in, that never happened until I was passed the return/exchange date. Also my brother ordered a guitar online and I didn’t see it until months later when he asked me to set it up. It had cracks in it, and it was brand new. When I took it apart it was just poorly assembled, no quality control. Extra/misaligned pilot holes. Also something was completely off with the electronics I’m gonna have a tech look at it. Poor soldering/wiring. I don’t expect anyone to take apart a guitar before buying it but you can at least catch physical damage with the naked eye. about it.
#6 bonus tip music lessons and subscribed to your channel 😊
Never got along with Strats but they look cool. Just ordered an Eart Tele style guitar due to it's compound radius neck, stainless steel frets and wine finish. (Orange looks great as well). I plan to change out the wiring and pickups to American parts as soon as possible.
Absolutely right, a good guitar doesn’t have to be expensive. I love my Burny and Tokai guitars. They’re gorgeous.
Addendum to #4. If you are not happy with the store's setup, check with other players for a good luthier. Usually, the people who repair and/or build them are better than the ones who sell them.
About the last point, it really depends of the teacher that you're choosing to learn the instrument that you wanna play. It doesn't have to be like a PROPER TEACHER, but a friend that plays better than you. The rest is practice and a lot of learning on your own (I mean, we have Internet now, everything is so much easier now). I think that's the most important part of learning how to do anything.
Exploring the neck on your own is also vital.Discovery.Spending time on the neck.
a teacher is quite useful. if i didnt take lessons i would still be that loser playing master of puppets all day.
Speaking to the daily playability of a 'V' changes when its your only guitar. You find there are some ergonomic challenges but they can be overcome by laying the top wing on your leg.
Really enjoy your TH-cam-channel. Although I'm an old man now I can understand abot 95 % of your english without any problems. Thank you for all your information.
My suggestion might be ,for beginners, to start on a classical, nylon string guitar.Many people get discouraged when they play and realize steel strings do a # on your finger tips until the callouses build up a bit.
I too had a Samick early on, I too loved my Samick! Was my first 'real' electric...I still wish I had kept it!
Great video Brother 👍.
Greetings from the Dominican Republic 🇩🇴
Spoken like a true professional. Always grateful for the high quality content!
Look for "woof" notes. I play each string, each fret while damping all the other strings to listen to the sustain and volume. I do this un-amplified with an electric and I do this with acoustic guitars as well. A woof note will either die quickly, be too soft or too loud and it infringes on the musical line when you are trying to be musical.
Yes yes yes,I am 54 I've just started because I idle the late great Rick Parfitt passed away from Status Quo.
I have a telecaster so half way there
But your right it's not as easy as you might think to get that tone he had.
So great video,,,,,
Worried about getting a Les Paul style guitar, but it turns out it fits me great 👍.
Must have a role - sitting and standing role. So this is it, two player roles in a game having about ten player classes. First upgrade option is to get anything you never had. You need an upgrade in playable neck length and an ability to play Heart burst into fire. If there is back to the future autotune anywhere - awesome dude, had to do it manually.
There a lot of "I wish I knew then what I know now" in buying a guitar. I happened to be at L&Q a couple of weeks ago. Just killing some time, I tired out a few guitars. In their acoustic room they had a through mix of guitars of from 200 bucks to 8k, all mixed up on the wall. A clever marketing plan indeed. The other fellow in there was fascinated with my system of just playing a few strings on the guitar while it still hung on the wall. If I really hate it I don't have to waste time. I tired a 300 buck model. It looked OK but the sound was fair to poor. Then I tried a 2.4K Martin. It was of course stunning. Now to find a great sounding one for modest dough. A tough, near impossible job. That's life in the acoustic room. Now for electrics. They take much longer to try out. They can vary a lot, depending on the amp available for the try out. If it has good wood and the setup is within reason/fixable. That part should be OK. The only other thing is the pickups. There are so many that can reasonably fit a guitar. They are expensive and not easy to test in any particular guitar you choose. What to do?
Darrell, you are so right in all of these points. I really love guitars and I have some different guitars at home. I'm always looking for something that can inspire me and often I found a guitar that was really cool, but it was not made for me, may be it was also a step to fast, because it is a guitar that I'm not able to play, or I'm not used to (8 string, 7 string... pickup type, string thickness, baritone....) I like to discover new things and to develop my playing and my musical horizon. Therefore you need help, it could be friends, musicians, music teachers and guitar stores... But for me it is always difficult to find the guitar for a comparison, because it is not available or it must be ordered... So I have to drive for hours to get to a special guitar store to find a special guitar I'm locking for. Sometimes it has a horrible setup and than it is always a bad feeling to play it. After years I found some good stores in Germany and in the Netherlands and I always give them a phone call that I want to play a special guitar with a special rig. That gives me good possibilities to try out guitars with no guarantee that this guitar is the right one for me, but after that, I know what I like and what I do not like and it also shows me my personal borders and what I probably have to work on... All around the world there are so many wonderful guitars but I never will have the possibility to play these all, but it don't disappoint me... A good thing for me is then to give my guitars the best setup for my use and to develop my guitars and my guitar playing... But guitars it is a never ending story and that absolutely OK. I like it. 🤘🙃
love the videos and great tips! gotta say that prs in the back right is looking fly.
i got a fender aerodyne strat that on fenders website was $2400 AUD. i found it in a shop for $1600 AUD (AUD is about the same as canadian dollars) brand new because they just weren't selling. it was the guitar that i wanted for the past 3 years and i got it a few weeks ago. very happy with it
For me, a huge mistake was absolutely loving a Gretsch Streamliner, and thinking “Hmmm… if I love the cheap version, the more expensive version must be amazing.” It was the only guitar I’ve owned that I felt like I had a true connection with. I ordered an Electromatic (trading in the Streamliner to do so) and while the Electromatic WAS a very good guitar, I didn’t connect with it. Many guitars have come and gone through my house since I began this journey a few years ago, and that’s the only one I regret getting rid of.
Yep I did the 1st thing on the list when I was a teen. Discovered metal and started learning on a cheap, yet good, strat. 9 months later I earned enough cash and bought a black Jackson King V because I wanted to sound like Dave Mustaine when he was signed with Jackson(I was a huge fan at the time and still am). Needless to say, I didn’t sound like Dave at all, however, I still made the right choice buying it because now it’s my favorite guitar shape😂
Lol i want a black jackson king V too, i want the pro King V Gloss black
So true with the brand thing. I have owned both a Fender Strat and a Gibson (admittedly it was a night hawk as Les Paul's always felt too heavy for me but it was a great looking guitar) didn't like the neck profile or fret board on either, traded in both for other guitars. I tend to like Ebony fret boards now, so have a few Ibanez's with wizard necks and an ovation acoustic. As I found comfort is king when wanting to play for more than 10 - 20 min. But even though I have some higher end guitars, one of the most fun ones to muck around on is an old Samick Tele copy that was really cheap, I've had it now for almost 20 years. Great Video as always.
Ha! I purchased a Samick guitar in the late 1980's loved it!! Just donated it to my local Church's youth group, fun fact, Samick started out making amazing pianos!
4:13 loving the gibson slander, it just keep on going too lol
that last point. I started playing guitar mid 80s, took lessons, practiced lots and eventually got quite good. then life happened and somehow I didn't play guitar for almost three decades before I bought me a guitar again. but i was so disappointed with myself because i was so bad, I felt like I never had played worse. And what's not, I even couldn't improve no matter how much I practiced. Since 3 months i take lessons again now and since then I've finally improved so much. turns out I was routine-blinded completely. I made stupid mistakes but couldn't see them myself because I didn't focus on them. I didn't need a teacher to tell me how to play, but I needed him to bring my attention to my bad playing habits.
Yep! I wanted to Love a Fender Strat .... and a Gibson Les Paul. Tried quite a few of each one....I finally found alternatives that fit me and the way that I play MUCH better. Now I have guitars that will give me the sounds that my Heroes established... with guitars that I can play and feel comfortable with. I've learned how to do most set-up work myself. Makes a world of difference in playing almost any guitar.
+1 to first guitar being a Samick. Actually wound up liking it more than the MIM strat I got after to replace it.
My first guitar was also a Samick acoustic. Paid $150 for it back in the day. Wished I still had it.
You said everything a beginner needs to know. I bought Cort G250 guitar and got frustrated because of intonation. Its getting out of tune it was my first electric guitar, I bought it online and it was not good purchase if I spent the money on Ibanez RG350MZ which I played at store I were not regretting.
About those V-shaped guitars 😄 I've been playing with RR shaped guitars almost since I began playing and never have had any issues with them. But I kinda understand the Flying V point, since that longer bottom horn wouldn't fit as well in your lap as RR shape does 🤔
Also it helps that I always play with the strap on, and no matter the guitar I always play in classical position 😅 I don't remember if the V-guitar affected that or if I did it with my first cheap strat too. The "modern" playing position just doesn't feel good for me, it puts my picking hand under more stress and the access to solo frets is much more difficult 😄
I have been at it for a little more than 2-mo. I bought a lightly used Epi LP Standard Pro because of the sweet humbucker tones, other features and looks. Four weeks later, I told myself that I needed an American Strat Pro 2 HSS. I got the Strat and haven't put it down since. The Epi is now my wall hanger. I love the tones and the playability of the Strat. Thanks for your vids Darrell.
As long as I can remember, whenever I plug in my ear goes directly involuntarily to a tone I love and I'm happy with. I never consider someone else's tone. I only have ear memory for myself.
I've taken one guitar lesson from a friend of mine when I started out. I taught him more than he taught me. I've learned to play mainly through tab books, mags, and listening closely to songs.
I agree 100% on getting guitar lessons, I started playing in 1970 and have never been taught by a good teacher most of my playing has been by fellowship or by ear and I can attest that anyone who has a good tutor in the beginning will most definitely be a better player or will have a superior understanding of guitar chord structure and theory.
The feel is the most important thing for me.
So it was great to see that mentioned
One mistake ( potentially) is not considering buying used.
You normally get a better price, the bugs have probably been worked out & other intangibles
Of course you might not get as good a warranty ( if buying from a store) or none at all (private sale), but that may not matter
And with a used guitar, don’t ignore the setup ( good thing to include on the list)
It may have been set up before you bought it, but is that set up the best for you.?
Playing a guitar before you buy is key. I've purchased bunches of guitars I thought I would like only to sell them later. I've finally realized that I really don't like thin, shredding necks, even though I love the guitars they come on. Also, recognize your tastes may change over time. I remember playing a PRS about a decade ago and just not caring for it. Neck wasn't to my my liking, didn't like the sound, etc. However, I've been playing and enjoying strats more so now I have a PRS and absolutely love it. Still love the chunky 12" radius neck on my main guitar but the PRS is now so comfortable to me. And that's cool.
#1- I don’t really go for “signature guitars”, so I haven’t bought a guitar to sound like someone, but I did buy a Duncan Pearly Gates neck pickup for my ‘90s SG. It sounds good. 🤷♂️
#2- I think looks will get me to go read the specs, if the neck profile sounds like what I usually like, I’ll go check it out.
#3- The most I paid was for a ‘15 Gibson Firebird, which was awesome while I owned it, but then I saw pricing kept going up (middle of the pandemic), so I sold it for more than I paid.
#4- I got a Squier Cyclone, came with the trem decked down and a buzzing string. I fixed both when I put heavier strings on it (and had to adjust the spring tension so the trem wasn’t pulled out of whack). Thankfully I’ve built and fixed my fair share of guitars over the years and know how to put things where I like it.
#5- got lessons for 4 years when I started in ‘94, only stopped because my college schedule couldn’t accommodate it. I still like to think I’m learning new things all these years later (music theory is fascinating stuff.)
Pro tip: When looking for a new guitar sometimes it pays to buy the demo model often for quite a few dollars less. I saved $500 on my last guitar simply by purchasing the demo model instead of the "brand new" one. And the only thing wrong with it was a slight, almost unnoticeable ding on the neck!!! And demo models are usually set up already by the seller.
Yes on all fronts. I've made some of those mistakes and seen others make them. I have three rules now for guitar buying. 1, always try it before you buy it. 2, learn to do your own set up, that way you will recognize a bad guitar as opposed to one that simply needs setting up. 3, mid tier prices are as far as I will go. Top tier pricing usually has less to do with quality and more to do with branding, and many low priced guitars are ridiculously good for the price.
First i am sorry about my english. You are an amazing communicator with immense knowledge. I love your videos, because I love guitars. My first record was "The Dark Side of the Moon". Also because it teaches, without any problems, which guitars are good, regardless of the brand. Big hug. Paulo.
Today, After years with a £55 no name strat copt, I bought the £400 Squire Starcaster in Sunburst, after only discovered what it was yesterday and immediately bought it impulsively, it is the honestly the BEST guitar I have ever played in my whole life. It came pre set up, IN TUNE somehow, the frets were all polished, actually has a true non-synthetic bone nut, it plays acoustically BETTER than my Epiphone Pro 1 acoustic and though my LT25 it has such a great classic early Beatle-ish tone.
I wanted the tone of a Gibson ES335 but the fretboard feel and headstock of a fender and the starcaster just appeared out of nowhere.
Best guitar ever imo, over the moon and 0 regrets, I can’t believe it’s so niche, it’s the perfect middleground of both worlds. Needs more recognition man
Great advise video Darrell. It definitely can be very overwhelming when purchasing a new guitar. Luckily each one of my guitars, I've gotten through some sort of individual event that happened in my life, so they have a huge nostalgia to me. They all play fantastic as well! 🎸
Advice!
Congratulations you have been shortlisted among my lucky winner. 🎊🎉🍾
Great vid, Darryl. I’m curious about your first Samick. I bought a cheap, used Samick that was a Greg Bennett UM4, made in Korea, back when I was on holidays and wanted something to noodle around on during the wet days. I’ve got a bunch of other guitars but the Samick is still my #1. It’s just beautiful and plays beautifully as well.
That's a wicked model especially with upgraded pickups without the heavy PRS price 👍
Your videos are gold Darrell!. My last mistake was to buy online a guitar without trying in person. I got a Duo Sonic HS 2021, really beautty, great unique tones, easy short scale, but I CANNOT play the 9.5 radious, I have two guitars with 14" radius that feels and plays amazing (the way I feel them)...so using 9.5" has been so uncofortable.... maybe I need more practice.....but currently I feel like I will sell the Duo Sonic...(very sad about it hahahaha)
I definitely bought a guitar based on artists I love, but it wasn't to sound like them. I first bought a Tele because of Ray Davies, Keith Richards, and Joe Strummer. I have an SG with humbuckers for Link Wray and Angus Young and a semi-hollow Gretsch for Brian Setzer - rockabilly and blues. My goal was three very different guitars for specific genres and styles. Of course, I sound like none of those players - but I play every day and I'm having a blast. I did my homework before each purchase and love the unique feel and tone of each guitar.
Congratulations you won my (flying guitar🎸) prize 🎊🎊🎊 hit me up 🎊🎊🎁🎁🎁.
I think he said it when he said get a GOOD teacher. Had a horrible teacher growing up and I went off on my own. Still learned how to play but still to this day never lived up to my talent level.
You sold me the Cort G300 pro. Never disappoints. Rings like a bell unplugged. Tuning stability play’s real good . Specked off the chart.
Thanks Daryl for pointing me that direction . ❤
@Joshua Immanuel not of much detectable value.. fairly straight.. I’ve changed the pots but the volume values from the windings seem bang on.
all good info Darrell. Especially that number 5!
Always look forward to your videos.
I have a beautiful blue Samic acoustic guitar. It's 20 years old at this point and is still a wonderful instrument.
I have a bit different things I look out for when buying a guitar that is more important
1. Buying a guitar without checking to see if the neck is cracked
2. Not checking out to see if there is a crack near the neck joint on the body.
3. Fret life left on the neck for warped or dead spots, provided they're not stainless steel.
4. Intonation
5. Neck profile that fits your hands right. Now if the neck is too round I have myself reshaped a neck to make it fit my feel I wanted. If you want to put the work into it, and It's not really that hard to do. Also check to see if the nut on the truss rod is not broken!
All the rest (Pickups, wiring, tuning keys etc.. ) all can be upgraded. This is mostly for used guitars, but I have also seen some of these on brand-new guitars as well.
I've been playing less than a year and one of my biggest regrets was buying another cheap Chinese guitar based on internet reviews. It turned out to have some fairly serious problems with the fretwork and just overall poor quality with key components. As it turned out, by the stage I purchased it I'd learnt enough about luthier work (well that and a background in engineering) that I could fix many of the problems, but I still don't especially like playing it. I make this comment as I think it would be a terminal decision for somebody buying it as a first guitar and especially if they didn't have a mechanical background to help diagnose the issues. It almost certainly wouldn't have been worthwhile having it professionally repaired. In contrast, my best decision was to buy my first guitar from a store with knowledgeable and helpful employees who have given me great advice with following purchases. I couldn't be happier than when I'm playing and hope others get equal enjoyment in their journey.
The funny thing about 'flying v' style guitars is they are ergonomically the worst when sitting down, but hands down my favorite when standing up. I almost exclusively play V-shaped guitars when playing with my band, but when sitting at home it is usually a nice headless.
You know how to hold a V sitting down… right Darrell?
Hold it like a classical guitar, or a shredder’s guitar, with the right horn between your two legs.
Exactly. And the fretboard will be next to your left ear. (Assuming player is right-handed. )
I respectfully disagree about the Flying V being impossible to play sitting down. It’s a VERY comfortable guitar to play sitting down, if you play it in a classical as opposed to cowboy position. What’s more, the V shape even helps you keep the guitar at a good playing angle if you hold the V between your legs!
Nope. Don’t buy it. Sorry. I started playing as a classical player. I naturally gravitate toward this position. I have tried a flying V in a classical position and it was still a pain in the ass to play. The only way to go is standing up with a strap and the guitar balanced just so.
@@Hun_Uinaq The key is: Don’t rest the V on TOP of your legs like a normal classical guitar. Grip the V part BETWEEN your legs, like this: |/|. Not only will it not slide off this way, but it will be kept at a nice playing angle, better than ANY classically shaped guitar!
I have 8 guitars. My favorite is one I spent some money on, my second favorite is the beat up squier strat that I repainted and invested a few hundred bucks into for a warmoth custom neck and better pu’s.
I just wanted to say thank you. After watching your review on Sire guitars I got a hold of sweetwater and ordered one. They were great people, and after waiting almost ten months it's on its way to my home. So thanks again and keep up the great work.
Some very well thought out advice darrell. Too many times I've seen guys wanting to emulate some other Rock God only to be let down they buy the same guitar they put the same strings on it they think they've got the same equipment behind them and for some reason they just don't sound the same. And it's all in how an artist attacks the strings man everybody has their own unique Style no two people are going to be 100% the same besides being an artist isn't about copying someone else it's about finding your own niche. There's a lot of awesome guitar players out there man but personally I wouldn't want to sound like any of them I just want to sound like me.
If you want to use a FlyingV type guitar just buy a "Performaxe". It's a leg rest made from a friend of mine and it's freaking useful if you have problems with "posture" and ergonomics!
As a lefty guitarist, sometimes I found myself having very little options when it came to choosing guitars. Most stores I've been to have like 3 lefty guitars total. Sure there are many options online, but can't exactly test them before purchase. 😮💨
Great video..a couple of additional points...try a guitar before buying it...so yeah don't go just on looks...go on feal ...in fact if you are at a store and they have more then one of the model you want...try a few ...you will note they are not all the same....you are not buy g a tv here....and to your point..you know which is the best guitar you have? It is the one you play most...the guitar you play most may actually be the cheapest you have ...but I bet anything it's the one you find most comfortable to play...it stays in tune better than the others...and sounds great...it is so weird how so many have expensive guitars that are too valuable to play and just stay in there cases....what a waste....maybe that is why some of the brand names don't get you the best bang for the buck ...they know maybe it will most likely just be a souvenir....an instrument needs to be played...it is a key element in making a good instrument great.
Darrell: I'm a huge advocate for music teachers! 🙋🏼♂️
Also Darrell: is a music teacher.
I’ve been thinking about learning to play the guitar for years now and I’m finally gonna start. Your video helped out a lot. Thank you! That last mistake hit hard! 😂 I knew deep down it was coming.
Any tips or opinions on Sawtooth guitars? I bought a Sawtooth Vudu and love it, but I don't know much about guitars. Out of the box it is awesome, looks amazing, and sounds great. The price was about 480 and felt it is worth it, but I'm not very knowledgeable on guitars.
Thanks for your comment ☝️☝️ you've won a (Flying Guitar) Inbox right away to claim.
Good price for Floyd and ok guitar.
That was good tip regarding Samick guitars. Their fit and finish is off the scale, I have never seen a bad one.
When I was 19, I bought the Schecter Synyster Gates guitar for $1100... I also bought a coffin case. It was a cool guitar, but I wasn't that good of a guitarist at the time and it made me feel like a fanboy, so I didn't really play it in my music classes. I ended up selling it for around $500-600 a couple years later.
I lost track of how many guitars I've bought based on all these reasons. It took me 3 Strat styles to finally figure out that Strats are just not for me because of the toggle switch closest to the bridge. It should have been one time LOL. V's are the same way. Great to play on stage - only. Later on in life, I learned to be more careful and got some great guitars that I still own without wasting a lot of money selling or trading ones I THOUGHT were the one.
I'm glad Darrel has that video about scammers....I smelled this one a mile away thanks to him!!
Great review Darrell ,! Speaking of the Right, affordable Guitar....... I think I see the Blue flame maple Xavier LP behind you in the vid! I really want that guitar ! Trying to get there...... That was a great review on that brand when you did it!
Spot on. I can relate to living with a V. I can only play it sitting down with a strap on it and having it around my neck like a ukulele. Looks badass in my guitar stand, tho. Each of my guitars has their quirks, but I love them all.
Another great video!
Great advice for all. Thanks. 👍
#1 0:23 (Buying a guitar to sound like someone else)
#2 2:17 (Buying on looks and not on feel)
#3 4:05 (Overpaying for a guitar)
#4 5:57 (Not getting your guitar setup)
#5 7:20 (Not getting music lessons)
Music lessons are key. With an acoustic you can at least learn chords and campfire songs on your own but my first electric I had no clue what I was doing and mostly it sat until I pawned it. That will always be the guitar that got away and I scour the internet hoping to find one just to round out my collection.
What was that one that got away for you? Mine was a 1982 Fender Stratocaster that I sold for a very stupid reason and I consistently hunt for it 😅
Same thing happened to me! Played cowboy chords on acoustic for years just 20 minutes a day and one day I purchased a beautiful gold top with a cherry neck for over $1000... I forget the brand but it sat forever and I sold it for cheap.. couple years later I'm practicing 2-6hrs a day on a cheaper hagstrom electric and I miss that guitar.... the skinny neck and nice action... ahh well now I get to save for my main guitar and this hagstrom is pretty clean
@@DawningHorizonMusic a fernandes native a1.
Regarding setups, the first thing I do is to put my preferred strings (9s in 24,75" or 25" necks and 8s in 25,5" necks). The rest of the setup depends on the strings tension.
Thank you for this content. I plan on having my wife watch this later so she will clearly understand why I need MORE guitars!!
I have 6 flying V guitars and have no problem sitting for 2-3 hours at a time with one. I play classical style with my guitars on my left leg and I don't have problems with flying Vs, or SG neck dive, or being cramped up when I play the higher end of the fret board. Just because some people can't figure out how to sit with a Flying V doesn't mean it's not possible, or even easy. Still Love your videos, Darrell and appreciate all you do. Thanks!
I sit classical style with my V as well. Come to think of it that is the most natural way to hold a guitar for me.
I love you show Darrell, keep up the great work.
if you buy a cheap guitar always get the frets leveled make a huge difference in playability
I’m used to a 14 pound banjo haha a 9 pound les Paul doesn’t sound too bad!
I love signature rigs that are basically a knob and some wood and magnets. We have full blast or 8
one thing i love about my brand new guitar (MKH Origins LP) is that Matt himself uses the exact same guitar, which was what made me buy it. Specially with more "budget" guitars, the one thing lacking on signatures is that the artist doesn't use it.
Love the channel. Fellow Canadian here, where can I get my hands on a Firefly? I want the Explorer style.
Very well said, great advice
I'm having thoughts of stuffing a pair of Creamery wide-range humbuckers into a Les Paul.
I still remember the sound of a 70s Tele Deluxe I played into a Fender Super reverb. But I don't like Telecasters shape or neck. An LP neck feels perfect. What to do?