Hammond Music

Posts Tagged ‘Fender Guitars’

Picking the best guitar for beginners can be hard but the primary things to look at are cost, reliability and versatility. By these standards, the Squier Stratocaster is easily the best guitar for beginners.

Produced by Fender, the Squier Stratocaster is great value for the money and it can be easily found at any music store or online for under $230. A new guitar learner doesn’t require an expensive guitar to start with and you can always purchase a better guitar once you have developed your guitar playing skills.

One of the things I like most about the Squier is how durable it is. The Fender brand means that as long as you take care of the instrument it should last for awhile with relatively few problems. For instance, I have heard that the strap buttons can come loose after a few months but this is easily fixed and the fact that this is the biggest problem the Squier faces with wear is a testament to its dependability.

Of course, price and reliability mean little if the guitar isn’t versatile enough. New guitar players should have a capable guitar on which to try all different genres of music. The Squier Strat gives the beginner all of these capabilities and although it is unable to match the thrills of more advanced guitars, it gives beginners a solid foundation for learning to play the guitar.

When shopping for this guitar, don’t confuse the Squier Stratocaster with the Fender Stratocaster or the Squier Affinity Strat. The Affinity is a more budget guitar and it shows while the Fender Stratocaster is the more expensive model ($350). The Squier Stratocaster is in the middle of these two models and is the best value for the a new guitarist.

On balance, the Squier Stratocaster is the best guitar for beginners. Its cost, durability and flexibility make it the perfect choice for anyone just starting to learn the guitar.  Go to your local music store and see if you can pick one up.  Pair it up with a good guitar course and you will definitely love it.

Picking the right guitar for a beginner can be hard but the most important things to look at are price, dependability and flexibility. By these standards, the Squier Stratocaster meets these criteria and is easily the best guitar for beginners.

Manufactured by Fender, the Squier Stratocaster is great value for the money and it can usually be found in a local music store or online for under $230. No beginner needs a more expensive instrument and you can always look for a better guitar once your skills warrant it.

One of the things I like most about the Squier is how durable it is. The Fender name means that as long as you take care of the instrument it should last for awhile with only minor problems. For instance, some people have reported that the strap buttons can become loose after a few months but this is easily solved and the fact that this is the biggest issue the Squier faces with wear is a testament to its dependability.

Of course, price and reliability mean little if the guitar isn’t versatile enough. New guitar players should have a solid guitar on which to practice everything from the rock to blues to heavy metal. The Squier Strat gives you all of these options and although it can’t match the thrills of more advanced guitars, it is built to give the beginner a solid platform for learning to play the guitar.

When shopping for this guitar, don’t mix up the Squier Stratocaster with the Fender Stratocaster or the Squier Affinity Strat. The Affinity is a more budget guitar and it shows while the Fender Stratocaster is costs a bit more. The Squier Stratocaster sits right in the middle and is the best value for the beginning guitarist.

Overall, the Squier Stratocaster is the best guitar for beginners. Its value, dependability and versatility make it a great choice for anyone just starting to learn the guitar.  Go to your local music store and see if you can pick one up.  Pair it up with a good guitar course and you will definitely love it.

Finding the best guitar for a beginner can be hard but the most important things to look at are price, reliability and versatility. Based on my experience, the Squier Stratocaster meets these criteria and is easily the best guitar for beginners.

Developed by Fender, the Squier Stratocaster is one of the best value beginner guitars and it can usually be found in a local music store or online for between $180 and $230. No beginner needs a more expensive instrument and you can always look for a another guitar once you have developed your guitar playing skills.

Even if you want to buy a better guitar a year or two after you start playing, you can always keep your Squier as a backup because it is famous for its reliability. The Fender name means that as long as you take care of the instrument it should last for awhile with relatively few problems. For instance, some people have reported that the strap buttons can become loose after a couple of months but this is easily fixed and the fact that this is the biggest problem the Squier faces with wear is a testament to its reliability.

Of course, price and dependability mean little if the guitar isn’t versatile enough. It is important that beginners have a capable guitar on which to try all different types of music. The Squier Strat gives you all of these capabilities and although it lacks the thrills of more advanced guitars, it gives beginners a solid foundation for learning to play the guitar.

When shopping for this guitar, don’t mix up the Squier Stratocaster with the Squier Affinity Strat or the Fender Stratocaster. The Affinity is a much less expensive guitar and it shows whereas the Fender Stratocaster is the more expensive model ($350). The Squier Stratocaster is in the middle of these two models and is the best buy for the a new guitarist.

Overall, the Squier Stratocaster is the best guitar for beginners. Its value, durability and versatility make it the ideal choice for beginning guitar learners.  Go to your local music store and try to pick one up.  Pair it up with a good guitar course and you will definitely love it.

The replica or tribute phenomena in music can be taken either way.Some tribute bands are manned by decent musicians, in a few cases probably better than the originals they mimic.  That’s almost certainly true with the dozens of Status Quo tribute acts out there!  Replica guitars are also a burgeoning business.  Some tribute acts take things to the extreme of insisting on using their hero’s original instruments if they’re still available, or getting replicas if they’re not.

Guitars are more than just a musical instrument.They are also cultural symbols, fashion statements and emblems of personality and attitude.Replica guitars have a varied reputation and many people can’t see further than the logo stamped on the headstock.Cheap Chinese copies have flooded the market and their quality is certainly questionable.  However, very high quality replicas of vintage guitars do exist. Fender is a favourite target for these lovingly created copies, based on the 1951 Telecaster (nee Broadcaster) and the 1954 Fender Stratocaster.
In its heyday, the Stratocaster had a contour body of swamp ash, one piece maple neck and three pickups.In 1960 Fender bodies changed to alder as standard and the slab board necks were manufactured up until 1962 when a curved board was offered. In 1964 the curved board was replaced with a veneer when the CBS Corporation purchased the company leading to wjhat most agree was a decline in quality. So replica Fender guitars made today may actually be better quality than post 1964 originals!

The Tanglewood RVB-2  60s Beatles style violin bass is another good example of just how good replicas can be. Based on Hofner’s 500/1 ‘Beatle Bass’, The RVB-2 recreates a vintage semi-hollow tone ideal for ’60s style pop/ rock, blues and jazz, without breaking the bank! It has the same vintage features as the Hofner: rosewood fingerboard with pearloid dot inlays, maple neck, floating wooden bridge and pearloid pick guard. Of course, the pickups aren’t the Hofner stamped ‘Staple’ humbucking pickups, but the two toaster appearance mini-humbucker pickups work just as well in achieving that Beatles un-EQ’d classic pop sound.  So don’t dismiss electric guitars just because they are replicas.  Just like the tribute bands, sometimes they can be as good as, if not better than, the original.

There is a confusing variety of acoustic guitars as well as an array of electric guitars to choose from.A novice is hard pressed to know where to start.The only advice they get may come from a shop assistant who’s desperate to shift the guitar that’s been sitting in the corner for months.So, as a beginner, where do you start when choosing a guitar?

You may ultimately dream of becoming a guitar hero and rock god, but electric guitars are probably not the best choice to start out with.   There are some neat   electric guitar packages available, like the Fender Starcaster Strat and Amp set, which contains everything you need to start playing in one box.  The Fender Starcaster electric guitar and the Fender SP-10 practice amplifier are excellent value and well made, but for the out and out novice it’s probably best at first to look at an acoustic, steel strung guitar.

Why suggest acoustic?  Steel-strung acoustic guitars are excellent to learn on, are Ideal for solo or group work, and appropriate for a wide range of styles.They are very portable and of course don’t require amplification, so should be less expensive than an electric guitar package.  But less expensive doesn’t mean cheap.

Cheap acoustics tend to sound terrible, and that will discourage practising.  With budget acoustic guitars, the ‘action’ (how high the strings are above the fretboard) may well be too high, making it difficult to hold down strings, or it may be too low, causing notes to consistently buzz.They often have cheap ‘machine heads’ (the bit you attach the strings to and tune the guitar with) that wear out quite quickly.There are some really good value starter packages available.

The Fender CD60 for example has features you’d expect in much more expensive acoustic instruments, including a spruce top, mahogany back and sides and die-cast tuners.The pack includes a tuition DVD, Electronic Tuner, Acoustic Guitar Strings and a selection of Guitar Picks. The Ibanez V50NJP Jampack acoustic guitar package is another well priced and made starter set that includes a gig bag, electronic tuner, guitar strap and picks.  How well you know the brand will give some reassurance of quality – Fender guitars, Ibanez, Epiphone and Ashton are all respected makes.Try to avoid really cheap packages with brand names you don’t know.  Ideally, if you are buying new, make sure the guitar is checked out by someone knowledgeable and if you’re buying second hand take a seasoned player with you.

So we all think all certain guitars when we hear the word – a guitar that just to us, symbolises what our favourite players uses to achieve that sound and look damn cool while doing it. These be the guitars that made guitarist become more than just musicians and become rock gods.

The Fender Strat. Created in 1954 by Leo Fender, the Stratocaster may just be the most iconic guitar around. There are thousands of coopies coming in all colours, but you know a real Strat just by its tone. Considered a blues and rock guitar -having been in the hands of many of these players, who find it hard to go back to other guitars afterwards. When thinking of Strat guitarists the names that come to mind are Clapton, Hendrix and Buddy Holly to name a few. The legendary reputation of the Stratocaster proceeds it, ensuring it remains an icon for years to come.

The Fender Telecaster. Considered more of a country guitar than anything else, it may surprise people to know that the telecaster also has its share of rock players. Jim Root of the metal band Slipknot, and John 5, Marilyn Manson’s former guitarist being two of them. Created again by Leo Fender, but before the Strat, the Tele was originally known as the Broadcaster. A law suit saw the name change to Telecaster, and the rest, as they say is history. Notable players include Joe strummer, Keith Richards and Andy Summers -showing just how versitile the guitar can be.

Gibson les paul. Created by Gibson with Les Paul, the guitar was created in 1952. Suprisingly, the original Les Pauls had single coil pickups in them, as opposed to the humbuckers we know they have -this change happened in 1957. Most guitar giants have placed thier hands on a Les Paul at some stage. Notable Les Paul players are Slash of Guns and Roses and Zakk Wylde, Ozzy Osbournes main guitarist.

Gibson SG. in 1961 this was going to be a new Les Paul guitar -the only problem being that the man himself didnt like the design. Renamed SG (for ’solid body’), it is a much lighter model with a thinner neck than the Les Paul. players who made the SG famous are Tony Iommi and Angus Young, both of whom have signature models.

In the mood for buying Fender Guitars? Go here.