I Finally Did It! Suggestions Needed.

[Bogner]

A Bit Of A Back Story To Set The Tone (Pun Intended).

I Have A Friend Who Has Always Loved Guitar And Music But Never Felt Confident Enough To Think He Could Actually Learn To Play Guitar. Over Time I Have Encouraged Him To Simply Start And See What Comes Of It. His Want To Is Now There, He Simply Struggles With The Confidence That He Can Actually Pull It Off. I Have Handed Him A Guitar And Let Him Muck Around A Bit And Shown Him A Few Simple Things Over Time. He Is Now Fascinated That He Can Create Something That Never Existed Before. I Have Taught Him A Couple Of Incredibly Basic Things And He Learned That When He Put Those Things Together Over Time He Was Able To Play Bits And Pieces Of Riffs/Songs He Likes. I Haven't Pushed Him, I Want Him To Feel It And Experience Everything For Himself And If The Bug Truly Bites Him Then It Is Something He Was Never Forced Or Talked Into. He Is Going Through Some Things And The Guitar Could Be A Good Friend To Him In This Season. All That Being Said, The Day Finally Arrived Where He Said To Me..."I Am Ready To Make The Investment And Spend The Time To Learn To Play Guitar." Of Course I Was Elated For Him.

Now This Is Where You Folks Come Into Play.

He Wants To Be All In At A Grand Or So On An Amp And Guitar. I Of Course Immediately Thought Of A PRS SE Model Of Some Sort. Depending On What He Gravitates To Body Shape Wise I Was Thinking A Tremonti Or DGT. For An Amp I Was Thinking The Spark Due To What It Offers In Learning Capabilities. He Doesn't Need Loud But Is Ok With Loud. He Does Need A Headphone Option If At All Possible. My Other Amp Thought Was A Boss Katana Or A Roland Cube Of Some Sort Or Similar.

What Would You Suggest For Him For An Amp And A Guitar In The $1K Or So Range For Both?

Thanks!

 

[Moondog Wily]

First of all, good on you for handling this the way that you did! Sounds like what a true friend should/would do ;~))

As for the guitar and amp, you know and own 10 times what I do, so I would not be of much help other than to say, I would look at what styles of music he wants to play. Does he want to shred and play metal, or is this going to be a journey into the blues and classic rock?

Best wishes to your comrade and his musical journey!

 

[Birdsofprey]

SE Singlecut MIK can’t go wrong exceptional quality and fairly priced (still)! Good on you for helping in his journey. The term “mentor “ has come and go in popularity and I wouldn’t be where I am today without having that in my life.

 

[Birdsofprey]

Oh and amp, used Peavey Classic 30.

 

[DISTORT6]

I always guide beginners to non-trem guitars. The ease of string changes and better tuning stability cuts down on the aggravation and gives the player less things to stress over and helps “keep them in the game”.

 

[Birdsofprey]

^ Strengthen’s my MIK Singlecut push!

 

[Bogner]

First of all, good on you for handling this the way that you did! Sounds like what a true friend should/would do ;~))

As for the guitar and amp, you know and own 10 times what I do, so I would not be of much help other than to say, I would look at what styles of music he wants to play. Does he want to shred and play metal, or is this going to be a journey into the blues and classic rock?

Best wishes to your comrade and his musical journey!

Thank You For That. Very Kind Of You To Say...

Since I Couldn't Get Him To Spring For A Couple Of High End Tube Amps And At Least Two 4x12 Cabinets And A Plethora Of Pedals I Felt I Was Out Of My Element In This Instance...LOL.

He Wants To Play Metallica. I Don't Think He Cares To Shred Or Play Mustang Sally Or Anything Like That. He Seems To Gravitate Towards Riffs And Wanting To Learn Those. At This Point, I Think Solos Are The Furthest Thing From His Mind.

I Was Thinking The PRS SE Would Be A Great Gateway For Him For Down The Road. You Gotta Start Them Off Right!

Regarding The Amp, Something He Can Dial In Easily And Maybe Use As A Learning Tool As Well To Help Get Him Started. That Is Why The Spark Seemed Like A Cool Idea And Also Why I Thought The Katana Or Cube/Similar Could Work As They Have "Sounds" Somewhat Built In That He Could Learn With If He Was So Inclined. He Is Intrigued By The Kemper And How That "Thing" Does That, But He Is Quick To Admit That Is Way Over His Head And Initial Budget.

 

[Bogner]

I always guide beginners to non-trem guitars. The ease of string changes and better tuning stability cuts down on the aggravation and gives the player less things to stress over and helps “keep them in the game”.

I Agree And I Am Politely Pushing Him In That Direction. He Is Fascinated With Crazy Sounds The Bar Can Do Without Having Any Understanding Of Trem Complexities...LOL.

 

[Bogner]

SE Singlecut MIK can’t go wrong exceptional quality and fairly priced (still)! Good on you for helping in his journey. The term “mentor “ has come and go in popularity and I wouldn’t be where I am today without having that in my life.

Solid Suggestion

 

[Moondog Wily]

Thank You For That. Very Kind Of You To Say...

Since I Couldn't Get Him To Spring For A Couple Of High End Tube Amps And At Least Two 4x12 Cabinets And A Plethora Of Pedals I Felt I Was Out Of My Element In This Instance...LOL.

He Wants To Play Metallica. I Don't Think He Cares To Shred Or Play Mustang Sally Or Anything Like That. He Seems To Gravitate Towards Riffs And Wanting To Learn Those. At This Point, I Think Solos Are The Furthest Thing From His Mind.

I Was Thinking The PRS SE Would Be A Great Gateway For Him For Down The Road. You Gotta Start Them Off Right!

Regarding The Amp, Something He Can Dial In Easily And Maybe Use As A Learning Tool As Well To Help Get Him Started. That Is Why The Spark Seemed Like A Cool Idea And Also Why I Thought The Katana Or Cube/Similar Could Work As They Have "Sounds" Somewhat Built In That He Could Learn With If He Was So Inclined. He Is Intrigued By The Kemper And How That "Thing" Does That, But He Is Quick To Admit That Is Way Over His Head And Initial Budget.

I have a Fender Mustang digital that has built in amps and presets. It also has headphone output (though it is 1/8") and a line in (for jam along track, etc.). I never use it as my Axe FXIII blows it well out of the water, but for a reasonable price (< $250) he could have a selection of sounds at his fingertips. As for the guitars, of course the SE line from PRS, but I have several musician friends who make their living with ESP LTD guitars and many of those are in this price point!

 

[Bogner]

I have a Fender Mustang digital that has built in amps and presets. It also has headphone output (though it is 1/8") and a line in (for jam along track, etc.). I never use it as my Axe FXIII blows it well out of the water, but for a reasonable price (< $250) he could have a selection of sounds at his fingertips. As for the guitars, of course the SE line from PRS, but I have several musician friends who make their living with ESP LTD guitars and many of those are in this price point!

I Have Much Love For ESP And The LTD Stuff. I Think He Is Drawn To PRS Primarily Because Of What I Have And That Is What He Has Held And Tried Playing On So A Budget Model For Him Is A Win In His Mind. What I Don't Want Him To Be Is Overwhelmed And Confused With Choices. He Likes My Metal Shaped Guitars As Well But A Beginner Trying To Play A V Would Be A Problem Most Likely. My Goal Is To Get Him To A Store And Pick A Few Models Out For Him And See What He Likes. My Initial Pitch Was A Taylor GS Mini Mahogany Acoustic To Learn On But He Wanted To Play Metallica And In His Mind He Wanted An Electric For That.

Great Suggestion On The Amp! Thank You for That!!

 

[Moondog Wily]

I Have Much Love For ESP And The LTD Stuff. I Think He Is Drawn To PRS Primarily Because Of What I Have And That Is What He Has Held And Tried Playing On So A Budget Model For Him Is A Win In His Mind. What I Don't Want Him To Be Is Overwhelmed And Confused With Choices. He Likes My Metal Shaped Guitars As Well But A Beginner Trying To Play A V Would Be A Problem Most Likely. My Goal Is To Get Him To A Store And Pick A Few Models Out For Him And See What He Likes. My Initial Pitch Was A Taylor GS Mini Mahogany Acoustic To Learn On But He Wanted To Play Metallica And In His Mind He Wanted An Electric For That.

Great Suggestion On The Amp! Thank You for That!!

Yeah, the only reason I threw the ESP in there was because of the connection to Metallica! Of course, the ones in his price range aren't going to have EMG pups (AFIK) but he could upgrade the pups down the road!! He is in good hands with you as his friend!!! Totally right though about getting him to a store the check them out, make sure it feels good in his hands ;~))

 

[Mike J.]

I'm very happy with my Spark Mini. Love the app and all the available options. Great learning tool.

As far as a guitar, I'd say it all depends on what feels best in his hands. I'd tell your friend to try as many as he can and don't rush into anything.
Play and compare a few times. You want to avoid thinking "this is it" only to find one a few weeks later that you wished you bought instead.

 

[SinSir]

Used MIKse and Spark is my vote. I had a spark at a GFs for awhile. Definitely a cool lil amp. I preferred my THR, but for other reasons than strictly talking tone.

I'm not one to say avoid a trem for beginners but I'm a trem guy and always have been. Either way a se is a good start.

 

[GGJJGG]

I also think the Spark would be a fun first amp. You get a lot of features to play with. Is it a tube amp? No. But for a first timer it offers a lot of friendly features.

 

[Maxime Bousquet]

First of all, I think it's great to have passed on this passion to your friend!

For all that is suggestions I think you know your friend better and best placed to guide him in this is choice! The range Se is excellent, if he likes Metallica he must also look towards ibanez without tremolo..
easy guitars to play... of course not PRS but just an idea! For the amp he would surely like the positive grid Spark 40, very easy to use, sounds good, the application offers a lot of effect, amp, and a ton of tips for learning, with a phone it's very interesting!
A smooth entry on the world of MULTI-EFFET and on the different ways to use the effects in short, I wish your friend to continue!!!

 

[Slo-mo]

I picked up an SE CE 24 and I bought my son a Boss Katana MkII 50 EX last Christmas. I'm extremely impressed with the guitar. Although I replaced them, the stock pickups were better than I expected. As for the amp, my son loves it since he can switch between Beatles, Blur, Arctic Monkeys, Metallica, to even something I think is supposed to be SlipKnot. So range of tone is pretty impressive.

If he has a chance to play around with either or both, I'd definitely recommend it.

 

[nussbajh]

I think SinSir nailed it. A Singlecut SE would be a fantastic first guitar (maybe you can even set it up for him to ensure it rocks) and the Spark is a great practice amp. Even includes pedals and the ability to play along with songs. I have a Spark and pay it as much as my HXDA and Archon because I have to be aware of how loud I am. If you could get one, or both used, all the better.

 

[alantig]

This is why you rock, sir!

First thought on a guitar was the SE Satin CR-24 for $500. Ton of guitar for the money. And leaves you a lot of flexibility for the amp. I like your idea of the Spark or something similar. It’s a great way to play a variety of amps and find the style that speaks to him.

 

[deathworlder]

PRS SE CE Standard Satin $500(Easily, one my favorite SEs. To me, a tremolo is no big deal; I was setting up Floyds when I was 12, without the benefit of the internet, a mentor or intonation tool)

BOSS Katana MKII 100 $380(effects loop)

AIRSTEP KAT footswitch $70(allows editing via Bluetooth with the Librarian App)

Katana Librarian deep edit App $10(more intuitive than BOSS Tone Studio)

Mission Engineering EP-1 Expression pedal $140(can assign it any parameter via Librarian app)

Peterson Strobostomp HD tuner $150(buffer)

Misc cables and strap $100

I think a beginner can be content with this setup for a very long time. I marvel at what's available these days compared to when I started 38 years ago.