So, what'd everyone get for Christmas?

[MR|337]

Wife got me that - I really like it but cant get used to the new neck profile

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-2008-Les-Paul-Standard-Plus-Electric-Guitar-?sku=519337



My dog got a cheer leader outfit...

[V.I.P.]

I got some clothes, mostly winter stuff to go skiing with.  We had a slight vacation to our cabin on Lake James and went skiing the day after Christmas.  Mostly I got money, clothes, and some DVDs...Step Brothers was included.

[Giant Flying Head]

Oooo! Gibson Les Paul! Jap/American? and what year? Not big into guitars myself, but my boss buy/sell/trades them constantly, so I've learned a thing or two.

[Mustard]

I'm just learning to play guitar now. All I've got is an old old acoustic of my dad's, but I've made a pact with myself that I can spend so much on an electric when I get good enough to justify it. I'm looking at the epiphone les paul's. That is a beautiful guitar though MR.

[GeoDragon30]

1tb and a 500gb external drives. money. not much else, at the age now it's only for my kids.

[V.I.P.]

I bet you built a new entertainment system and got a tv that pops out of the top via a motor.  Then, it retreats down into the furniture when you want to hide it from intruders!

[Earl]

Nice Guitar LEET!!!!....you spoiled brat....lol...and I'll tell ya Geo your kids didn't get much..(so much fer all about the kids....lmao)....I got alot of kick arse stuff...Ranging from a nice Umbrella Corp. hat...to a ps3...with some new blue rays...(my brother works for a 3rd party contracted firm responsible for warranty work on electronics, so that's how the ps3 came to be.)...not to much from the wife, 'cause she's counting the MIG welder I picked up a couple of months ago as part of my Christmas!!!....sa'll good...Half of my siblings all threw in on a 50" plasma for my Dad...he needed it....he was watching on a 21" crt hooked to a cable box that was 9 or more years old....lol..That was the best part...all in all a fantastic day full of family and BEER!!!!laced with some JD green label....

[GeoDragon30]

Nah V.I.P. wish I did build one though. Don't worry Earl the christmas check is in the mail. give my kids a hug from me.

[V.I.P.]

Earl, I got some JD green label for tomorrow night!  You sure know the good stuff haha

[MR|337]

Mustard -

Electric is sooo much easier to play. Action and playability are the biggies and just the difference in size make it worth the extra coin. You can get into an Epiphone Les Paul for the price of a mid entry level acoustic. And stay away from guitars with bolt on necks unless you have to play Fender stuff...

[Mustard]

Well that's what I'm finding out. The acoustic I have is a very old style with the f shaped sound holes. The action on it is very high and my fingers are already not terribly strong. I'm finding it's very hard for me to play anything beyond the 6th fret, I just can't get my fingers to move right on it. I'm thinking I'm going to try to get an electric as soon as I get my tax return.

Also, what do you think of PRS guitars? I was looking at the Tremonti SE

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/PRS-Guitars-Tremonti-SE-Electric-Guitar?sku=514470

I'm gonna go to the music store this week and try out some different things to get a feel for what I like.

[MR|337]

Why that one? If it is a purchase based on your liking Creed or Mark, I can tell you that guitar other than form is nowhere close to the one he actually plays. The electronics, hardware and wood are completely different and would cost a couple grand more for the "real" thing. My bro-in-law has the same axe as the SE and it does play well, lightweight and comfortable. It would be a good beginner instrument but that's where it stops. Plan on spending more to upgrade pickups, volume/tone pots, switches and tuners once you plug it in and wonder why it doesn't sound like Creed. The money you will eventually spend on the upgrades would equal buying an instrument that has all that to start with - and PRS guitars are fucking expensive - I can pretty much have any one I want and still pass on PRS because they are so overpriced.

The best advice I can give for a first electric (provided you want to stick with playing) would be a used (or new) Gibson Les Paul Studio. They are IMO the best value and one can nearly get all of your investment back once its time to sell or trade. New Studios are around $1300 but can be found used in the sub $800 range. Look around and don't get a case of eyewash with the first one you find just because it says Gibson on the headstock. Have it checked by a tech before you buy it for defects and look closely at the headstock and where the neck joins the body for defects/repairs/cracks. Pass on it if any are found. Look for one like this and avoid the "faded" series because they do not hold their value. Only buy faded if you plan on keeping it forever.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-Les-Paul-Studio-Electric-Guitar?sku=517030

Here's my studio - a 2008 which I paid $800... actually that is the average I paid for any of those in the second pic. Good deals are out there just don't get in a hurry and good luck!

[Noobinhood]

LEET, if i had your money i'd have a collection like that too....   LMAO!!!!!!!    

[Mustard]

Well, it wasn't about liking Creed, that's for sure.

Here's the thing, I like the deeper bluesy sound the Les Paul's produce. But I'm also thinking about having some amount of versatility. I had read (and I'm total noob, so don't take this with anymore force than that) that the PRS guitars struck a balance in overall tone between a lighter sound (like a Fender) and a deeper sound (like a Les Paul). For a first purchase, I don't want to spend more than $600 on the instrument itself. Don't forget, I'm new to this and I don't own anything else to go with it. I have to buy an amp, cables, I'd like to get one or two peddles (or a combo peddle) along with it. The absolute max I can spend on the overall purchase of everything, is about $900 dollars.

I understand what you mean about a guitar holding its value, but that's more of a concern I'll deal with when I'm ready for a second or third guitar. Right now, I'm looking for the best sound I can get within a certain price point. But I don't know shit, and I know I don't know shit, so I was just looking for advice from people who do know shit.

[MR|337]

Spend all your money on the guitar and get the other stuff later. Buy all used gear. PRS did indeed do what they claim but not in the SE series. If I were to compare it in car talk a real PRS is a ferarri - an SE is a guitar that looks like their expensive models but thats where it stops at looks. Plus in order to get a fender tone, you must have single coil pickups or the ability to tap the humbuckers which that one will not do out of the box.

Trust me bro go with the studio. Go play a studio then pick up a standard and you will see that the studio is lighter. Then go pick up the tremonti SE. Thats all I will say - let your ears and fingers be the judge. Just dont make the common mistake of buying a bunch of entry level stuff and be stuck upgrading. It's better to spend your money once and not to have to throw more at a lesser purchase later. I've got almost 30 years of experience with guitars and associated gear - If and when you are ready to buy let me know and I'll pm you my phone # if you want some advice.

- Steve

Cannot access offset of type string on string