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Friday, June 26, 2009

A Guitar Players Guide to Purchasing Their Next Electric Guitar

By Kyle Zoltowski

Live Rock concerts were all the rage in the 60's and they drove countless kids to buy their very 1st guitars. Now, video games like Rockband are having the same effect.

The heart and soul of all heavy rock music doesn't just lie with the lyrics; it also lies with the electric guitar and the various sounds that it can produce. There are so many kids across the block who would give anything to play like David Gilmour,John Petrucci, Carlos Santana, Angus Young etc. These men are not just some of the best guitarists of their times, they are legends.

If you are interested in learning how to play the guitar then the first thing you'll need to do is select one. Most people start with an acoustic guitar and graduate to the electric guitar. It is quite tedious for anyone to choose the appropriate electric guitar since there are literally 100's of brands out there on the market. If you are purchasing an electric guitar then you'll also need to get an amplifier, pick-ups, picks, a tuner etc.

Electric guitars can be bought in a vast array of sizes and designs with the aerodynamic designs being some of the hottest. But hold back! Don't go for the 1st guitar you see. You need to look around and check out the prices and vast array of models before you actually buy one. In fact, one of the neatest ways to choose a guitar is by the brand or by the style. Here is my take on the four basic styles:

Stratocaster (Also known as the 'Strat') - This certainly is a show stealer and has a typical style. The most famous is the red and white color combination, which was shredded extensively by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. The Stratocaster is from Fender and has a neck fastened to the guitar body. Apart from this, it has twin cutaway sides, 22 frets accompanied by a wammy arrangement and three pickups. Fender designed the first Stratocaster in the early 50's. A few of the popular designs include:

* Fender Deluxe Strat: Approx $400 * Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster HSS Electric Guitar: Approx $1200 * Standard Stratocaster Electric in Maple: Approx $350 * Fender Standard Strat Electric: Approx $600 * Fender Stratocaster Eric Johnson Signature model: Approx $1950

Telecaster (Also known as the 'Tele') - The Telecaster is another creative instrument from Fenders. It is more than just another axe; it is more like a complete band. It is a solid body guitar and comprises of two pick-ups. The first Telecaster was manufactured by Fender in the 1940's and has a mono cutaway body. It doesn't have the wah wah bar but has 2 different single-coil pickups. Some of the popular Telecaster models include:

* American Telecaster HS guitar: $950-$1100 * Fender Standard Telecaster: $300-$500 * 63 Tele Relic Solid Body: $2650-$3250 * 72 Telecaster Custom Electric: $700-$850

Gibson Les Paul - This extraordinary guitar was designed by Gibson for many of the stars of the era. The salient feature of a Gibson Les Paul electric is its set neck construction, which means there are no bolts. The body is a single cutaway. It is equipped with 2 humbucker pickups as well as a raised scratch-plate. If you want to play distorted sound then this great guitar will provide you with a huge range. Some of the well known shredders who use the Les Pauls include Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana. Some of the famed Les Paul models include:

* Les Paul Custom Guitar: $3000-$3550 * 1959 Les Paul Standard: $5550-$6000 * Les Paul Vintage Mahogany Electric: $700-$850 * Les Paul Classic Guitar: $1850-$1950

The Gibson Brand - Gibson is one of the powerhouse brands in all of music and all their guitar models are absolute classics that cannot be compared to others. Gibson guitar company was actually started in 1902 by Orville Gibson and has been singly accountable for affording musicians some of the best guitars. A couple of the famous models include the arch-top L5 model and the Gibson Explorer etc. Some of the legends who have shredded on a Gibson or are still using it include Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) and Frank Zappa to name a couple. Some of the popular models include:

* Gibson Flying V Electric: $500-$600 * Gibson SG 61 Classic Electric: $1500-$1600 * Faded SG Special Guitar: $550-$600 * Explorer Pro Electric Guitar: $1100-$1200

These are the best brands of electric guitars. The other aspects that will help you to pick up a guitar include the shape of the fretboard, the type of pick-ups, and the body. Full-bodied guitars are normally favored as they can produce some of the best sounds that you will ever get to hear. - 18758

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