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This page may be
of help those in the market for guitar equipment (prices are
approx RRP $AUS:
Nylon String (Classical): Great for beginners as the strings
won't dig into your fingers as much as steel strings. The sound is
mellow and suitable for classical, folk and blues. Available in smaller
sizes (1/4, 1/2, 3/4) which makes them an obvious choice for kids.
Beginner: Valencia and Ashton ($100+). Intermediate: Yamaha ($250+).
Advanced: Custom ($1,000+)
Steel String: These are
good all-round guitars. They produce a louder and brighter sound than
nylon string models. Suitable for Blues, contemporary, folk and general
purpose "unplugged" playing.
Beginner: Ashton, Ibanez, Yamaha ($150+). Intermediate: Fender, Epiphone,
Maton ($500+), Advanced: Maton, Martin ($1000+).
Acoustic Electric: These are similar to steel-string
guitars but have an electric pick-up and preamplifier installed. You can
plug them into your Hi-Fi system or a dedicated guitar amplifier. They
also usually have a cut-away for easier access to the upper frets.
Acoustic electrics cost about $100-$200 more than their non-electric
counterparts.
Stratocaster (Strat) style:
If you intend to own only one electric guitar, you cannot go past this
type. It's versatility will let you emulate the guitar sounds of 90% of
the songs you hear on the radio. Famous players include(d) Jimi Hendrix,
Eric Clapton (on his later albums) and John Frusciante.
Beginner: Squier ($250+). Intermediate: Fender - made in Mexico
($1000+). Advanced: Fender USA ($1,500+).
Gibson Style: These produce
a fabulous "fat" blues/rock sound. Not as versatile as the
Strat, but if you want to sound like Jimmy Page, Angus Young or Slash
then this is the guitar for you. The solid Les Paul models are very
heavy and can lead to shoulder pain. SG models are lighter and look
great, but the necks can be fragile with a few reportedly snapping off.
Beginner: Various Chinese and Taiwanese brands ($300+). Intermediate:
Epiphone ($600+). Advanced: Gibson USA ($2,500+)
Heavy Metal Style: Unless you are sure you will play
nothing but metal for the next 30 years (believe me, you'll get sick of
it a lot sooner), I would stay away from these. They have a hard-edged
sound, over the top styling and usually an expensive Tremolo system
which you will rarely use. On the plus side, most examples have
excellent action. ESP, Ibanez, Jackson and B.C. Rich are some of the
manufacturers. Expect to pay $600+.
Amplifiers: If you are buying an electric guitar or want
to plug in your acoustic/electric, you will need an amplifier. Practice
units range from $150 to $300. Make sure that the output is at least 15W
and that it has a lead switch. Amps suitable for live performance should
be rated at 60W+. Brands to consider are Fender, Marshall, Peavey,
Behringer and cost $500+. Valve amps sound better than transistor amps
but are far more expensive and require a lot more maintenance.
Music gear in Sydney and around the world:
User Reviews
This is part of Harmony Central. User reviews are useful if you are in
the market for a guitar, amp or any other music gear.
Allan's Music Wide range of
instruments. On the expensive side, but they have a huge selection of
singing and guitar resources.
Music City Sydney Good
selection of guitars, basses, amps and electronics. You'll have to haggle
hard to get best prices.
Venue Music Good range of
musical instruments and Pro Audio. They are located in Sydney CBD.
Ebay It's worth looking at some of the US merchants of new gear. You
can save up to 50%, even allowing for shipping costs. Thursday, 06 July 2006 11:56:19 PM
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