(Part 2) Best products from r/guitars

Depends what your budget is. I'm a big fan of these cheap $10 clip on tuners. On my main electric guitar rig I have a nice tuner pedal but I love the clip on tuner for my home practice electric (so I don't have to spend money on another pedal tuner) and for my acoustics. They're better than the traditional tuners with mics because they don't require a quiet environment to tune - you just clip it to the headstock and it picks up the notes via conduction/vibrations of the guitar rather than sound through the air. It also responds pretty quickly, it's a great value for $10, IMO.

If he moves around a lot while plugged in and/or plays live and your budget is a few hundred dollars, you could look into a wireless guitar system. I like the Line 6 G50 but the Line 6 G30 is also good and a bit cheaper.

An Ebow is $100 and can make some really interesting sounds on guitars.

If he plays live solo/acoustic, a percussion stompbox adds a lot to the sound, IMO. There are different types with costs ranging from the one I posted to a couple hundred dollars. I've never played with one but the artists I've seen playing solo with one sounded really cool.

I know you said you want to avoid a Guitar Center gift card, but I always appreciate those. Musicians (and enthusiasts of anything really) can be particular about what they want to add to their setup, so sometimes the best thing is to give them a gift card so they can buy whatever they want, whether it's some strings, picks, an interesting strap, pedals, etc. My siblings and I would always give my dad GC gift cards and he saved them for a couple years until he had enough to put towards a really nice Taylor acoustic guitar.

Hi there - congrats on the guitar. First, take your guitar to a luthier (NOT Guitar Center) to have it be professionally set up. Setting it up includes adjusting the action (the height of the strings above the frets), adjusting the height of the pickups, ensuring the neck is perfectly straight, etc. This isn't something you want to do yourself, but a correctly set up guitar can mean the difference between a new player being able to learn or not. Simply put, a properly set up guitar plays worlds easier than one that isn't.

Also get yourself a few sets of strings (I like to get .010s for electric, especially when first learning), some picks (I like Dunlop Max-Grip 0.88s for learning electric), and a stand to keep your guitar on -- something like this, which I like because it rests the weight on the body of the guitar, and has the strap up top to ensure the guitar doesn't fall out of the stand if bumped.

You'll need a good strap -- something adjustable and comfortable to wear. Consider getting strap locks, too, as it's common for some other types of strap to simply fall off while playing.

You may also want to get some fretboard conditioner, a peg winder (these are like $3), and a polishing cloth. Both Fender and Gibson make perfectly great guitar maintenance kits with fretboard conditioner, polishing cloths, etc. Just don't buy that crap that supposedly extends the life of your strings. It's snake oil. Change the strings when you start to see visible corrosion on them (from your fingers). If you're practicing with your new guitar like you should be, you're likely to need to change them once a month or so. Don't be shy about this...strings aren't that expensive. :-)

What's your budget? Are you going to be playing through one Amp with your friend?


A stereo looper pedal should fill your needs. But if you're just wanting the ability to bring together your friends and your own signal and put it through a single output (with the ability to loop), there may be better options.


Having went through this exact search a couple months ago with my own first looper pedal, here are some choices:


TC Electronic Flashback: Fairly affordable, decent quality looper. There's onboard delay, and the looper is a mode of the pedal. Honestly don't know too much about this one, other than it seemed like a poor man's EHX Canyon. Not entirely clear on whether the looper can act independently of the delay. Don't really think this is gonna fit your needs very well, but it is an option.


TC Electronic Ditto: I linked the X2 version, but honestly any of the Ditto line with stereo input should work (like this one, for example) Lots of info about the Ditto out there, a few pros use it, widely-loved pedal. The series is basically the Baskin-Robbins of looper pedals. Stereo models can get pricey, it seems.


EHX 720 Stereo Looper: Not much to say about it. I considered the 360 myself, but went with a cheaper option (explained below). EHX pedals are usually solid and it would be worth a look, IMO.


Boss RC-1 or RC-3: Either of these should work for you, and they are both expandable with additional Boss footswitches that let you more reliably control looping (and much easier as well). I would definitely recommend either of these. When it comes time to upgrade my looper, it's gonna be one of these (unless I can afford the EHX Grand Canyon, which is another option btw, but ungodly expensive imo).


[Rowin Looper](https://www.amazon.com/Rowin-Electric-Minutes-Unlimited-Overdubs/dp/B01J2TKNIS/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=looper+pedal&qid=1557412999&s=gateway&sr=8-5]: This is the one I ended up grabbing to test the waters with a looper. I had a coupon that reduce the price to almost half of what it is normally, so I figured why not. It's a solid little pedal, once you get a grip on the vague instructions provided. As far as I can tell, overdubbing is unlimited (but I'm pretty sure it will start to lag/lose some loop if you push it, which I haven't taken the opportunity to try yet). It's not stereo, but at the price your friend and yourself could each buy one and then get an A+B pedal, depending on your Amp/Output set-up.


If I may be so bold, I would suggest (depending on your budget and set-up) getting two separate looper pedals for your friend and yourself, and then running them into an A+B pedal and then to your Amp. EHX makes a fairly cheap pedal in the Switch Blade that should serve this need pretty well. This would allow you both to play separately and together.


/r/guitarpedals will likely help you out more, if only for a search of looper pedals to fall down the rabbit hole with.


Hope it helps a bit!

Funny, I've all but completely started playing and I've been trying to learn theory because I'm very much afraid of being stuck in a rut for years on end. So a few months ago I purchased Desi Serna's Guitar Theory For Dummies and have read through about half of it. I bought the book, but maybe, perhaps, a PDF of the book is floating around somewhere. With a small amount of generic music theory knowledge already at hand, the book does well to explain some useful and interesting scales and chords in music, as well as how to apply them specifically to guitar. What I have read thus far has certainly enhanced my understanding of music, and it may help you as well, if you are willing to go this route. Also, I have acquired some great theory knowledge from one of my favorite YouTube instructor channels, Swiftlessons, if you want to check his stuff out. Rob, the channel owner, has recently covered the basics of jazz style, BTW. I really enjoy his videos. For some more obscure/advanced stuff, I watch videos from Eric Haugen, a professionally trained guitarist who likes to share interesting theory tips and apply them to the music he likes. Good luck!

A nice looking guitar! Because these are entry-level guitars for beginners, there are a few things that can be upgraded for cheap that are totally worth it. For example, one of the first things I would do on that guitar for a beginner is to get some straplocks. These replace the strap buttons with ones that "lock" the strap onto the instrument, preventing it from falling off when you're playing. The next thing I'd upgrade would be the nut. That one is cheap plastic. A nut like this would make a world of difference. Last but not least, the tuning machine heads are low quality. Your guitar will need to be tuned way too often with the stock ones. Upgrading to something more stable would be a good idea in the long run. You can even upgrade the pickups for cheap. High end pickups cost hundersd of dollars, but cheap ones sound great too! Go to eBay or Amazon and check out some of the very cheap "single coil" guitar pickups. Basically all of them will fit in your guitar, and how-to videos are all over YouTube. Pickups change the way guitars sound. You can get them for as low as $10 and as high as $200. Experimentation is key!



However, when you do the math, once you start doing substantial upgrades, it becomes pointless. You can just buy a better intermediate guitar for nearly the same price as buying new high-end pickups (for example), which might be wiser than funnelling money into this one. But, upgrading this cheap guitar bit by bit will make you really appreciate the craft a lot more. It will open a door of possibilities for you.


I've been saving up to buy one of these. I've wanted one ever since they came out, but only recently decided to start saving. I want the black SL, but I plan on swapping the white pickguard for a black one. I've managed to save $50 thus far, which has taken an embarrassingly long time (money is tight for the foreseeable future). There are no guitar shops in my hometown, so I have to order one online which makes them a touch more expensive than I'd like. I'm certain I won't be owning one before the decade ends unless a handful of people buy my synth project's discography whilst it's still on sale (85% off).

I highly recommend watching this YouTube playlist about your guitar. It's about your exact guitar, and one man's journey with modding it - and destroying it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7FKqzVMbe4&list=PLR9ppQtzpJEvQVwK91ww572MWrMTAP7vX

Welcome to the electric family.

link 1 - the notches are overkill, it's the straight edge you want because you're aligning the frets not the fretboard. Amazon has an 18" steel ruler that should work fine https://www.amazon.com/Westcott-Stainless-Steel-Office-Inches/dp/B000093IJ1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483315326&sr=8-1&keywords=18%27+ruler

link 2 That's overkill as well, you'll end up using just one or two of the files. I don't like the fret guards because it's more efficient to tape all the frets at one time than it is to tape up the guard 22 times. If you want to round the fret ends this file is similar to one I've used and will work fine. Just make sure the edge of the file doesn't saw the fretboard https://www.amazon.com/Nicholson-Triangular-Ergonomic-American-Pattern/dp/B001R1UZII/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1483315923&sr=8-12&keywords=triangular+file

link 3 - That's fine, there's another one $1 cheaper. They're basically all stamped out in China, and do the same as the $25 Stew Mac one. https://www.amazon.com/Pixnor-String-Action-Ruler-Guitar/dp/B01HM8SNHY/ref=sr_1_3?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1483316161&sr=1-3&keywords=String+Action+Gauge

Your choices are fine, but I'm a cheap dude. And while you're in the ordering mood, you might get a set of automotive feeler gauges. This is what you can use with the ruler to set the amount of relief the neck should have. https://www.amazon.com/OEMTOOLS-25025-Blade-Master-Feeler/dp/B000BYGIR4/ref=pd_sim_267_16?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BA62DPTD81NDZKM36V6C

More on neck relief from Fender's web site: http://www2.fender.com/experience/tech-talk/how-to-measure-neck-relief/

If you wanna learn how to work on your own guitars, Frets.com is a great resource, here's their link on neck relief and buzz diagnosis http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/Technique/Setup/BuzzDiagnosis/Relief/relief.html

Good luck!

Really, you need to visit a couple local guitar shops and play a few guitars - even the ones outside your budget. The reason being is each guitar will fit you differently - the neck shape, width, thickness, the body depth and bout width, and of course, the sound you like to hear.

If you find a more expensive guitar that you like, then that company might have a similar, more economical brand and model that will fit your budget: Gibson owns Epiphone, Godin owns Seagull, Takamine owns Jasmine, etc.

Speaking personally, if I'm spending more than $100 I want to play it first. With that said, there is a Jasmine S35 on Amazon for $80 with an excellent review: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review/B0002F58TG/R3A0XMRVPGCB95/ref=cm_cr_dp_mb_rvw_2?ie=UTF8&cursor=2

I was shopping for a travel guitar, something I could take on the plane w/o worrying too much if it got crushed. I didn't buy one, yet.

I did buy an excellent Parlor, 0-size guitar last year for $350 - The Loar LO-216-NA. It's a small body with full length neck that joins at the 12th fret. It sounds awesome and I like the smaller body - I don't feel like I have stretch to fit around it.

I recently played a 00 sized Washburn that had an awesome sound, a slim C-shaped neck that joined the body at the 14th fret for about $300. I wish I had written down the model. That'll probably be my next guitar purchase.

I love the color for that guitar, but it will limit your budget for the rest.
My guitar is the Epiphone Les Paul 100, and I am upgrading it here and there.

I love my combo amp, Orange Crush 35w. I've seen a 5 piece band play with two of them before, at a garage show, and they sounded great even without a PA system! The new one they have is pretty cool too,
Orange Crush 35w - https://www.amazon.com/Orange-35-Watt-Reverb-Footswitch-Cables/dp/B00UQPUXZ6/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1482384168&sr=8-11&keywords=orange+crush+amp

That bundle should be a good example of things to look for. Versatile and simple. If you go smaller and/or cheaper, you will find less features built in, but maybe you want different and/or less features. For example, you could get a clip on tuner or a tuner pedal and effects/FX pedals with more controllable parameters(Overdrive/Distortion: Cleaner/Dirtier, Volume, Tone Shaping, etc. Reverb: More/Less Space, Tone Shaping, Wet/Dry Mix, etc.).

Straps, Strings, and Picks:
-Go with what is standard/cheaper unless you start downtuning and flailing around on-stage, which usually require strap locks, thicker strings, and durable picks.

Cables and Other Accessories:
-If you get pedals: Patch Cables and Power. Either get lots of batteries, or a power supply.
-At least a couple of instrument cables of preferred length (5 feet to 10 feet is comfortable) in case you lose one. Again if you're not going beast mode with your gear, go for something cheaper. I would also recommend a hard case if you're playing out. and never forget the guitar stand!

Some of these suggestions might not be necessary or preferred, it's really all up to what will work for you.

Is there a strong musty smell? Looks like mold to me. Is there a bad smell in the sound hole?

I am not the best expert, you should take it to a shop. But here are things I would try:

Coarse shop rag with citrus based furniture polish. Not sure why but citrus cleans mold well.

New case. I would not try and get the mold out of that old case, just junk it and get a fresh one, keep silica packets in there as someone else suggested. Silica Gel Packets Desiccant Dehumidifiers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DYKTS9C

If you can find a way to keep it in a small space very near a sizable pile of plain charcoal, that does an oddly amazing job of pulling smells out of stuff. Baking soda could work too.

Good luck, hope you save it!

Do you have a friend you could borrow an old guitar from for a few weeks? If you are sure you are going to keep it up, it would definitely be worth spending a decent chunk on a decent guitar.


If not, then this or this would be a much better starter kit. I bought a cheap starter kit and within two months bought one of these guitar. It was such an improvement. This exact kit wasn't an option for me, but I'd definitely have gone for it if I had the choice. The epiphone one would be more suited for harder rock and metal, where as the Squier would be better for softer rock and country. That said, you can get a massive variety of sounds out of each for any style, so no need to worry.


If you do want to spend more on a nicer guitar, there are so many more options out there, but they wont come with all the little bits like guitar pics, an amplifier, cable, stand etc. It could get pretty pricey, so if you're not sure, stick to the starter kits for a while until you think you want to upgrade to something nicer. Here is an example of some stuff I picked out for someone a while back that wanted to go for a lower-mid range guitar starting out. Price could vary a little bit though. depending on the guitar.

The Fender Mustang I and the Peavy Vyper VIP 1 are both great choices for a home amp to practice on. I have the Vyper VIP 2, and really enjoy it a lot. That would also leave you almost 3/4 of your money to put towards a guitar. For good universal guitars that can be used for every kind of music, look towards either a Squire Stratocaster or a Epiphone Les Paul. They can easily be found in or under that price range.

I'd recommend this guitar ( https://www.amazon.com/C-1-Schecter-Beginner-Electric-Guitar/dp/B005WPU8ZA?keywords=schecter&qid=1537242727&sr=8-3&ref=mp_s_a_1_3 ) it's a great brand and a good budget guitar. As for leaning how to play I'd recomand picking up rocksmith 2014 edition, its available on steam,xbox one, and ps4. You can get it for $20-$30 and the cable for around $30. I'd recomand the pc version since it's much easier to download custom songs and so on. It's great for beginners, teaching you the basics and has a few dozen songs with the game and literally hundreds of songs you can get and learn to play.

If you want something for around $100 then look at Squier (by Fender). Basically they're poor man's Fender. I've had a couple of them, and still have one and they're very good for cheap low-end guitars.

I wouldn't get the one in your question... I've never heard of that brand, and judging by the condition of their website, I don't hold much faith for their guitars.

Definitely go for a Squier.

http://www.amazon.com/Squier-Fender-BulletStrat-Trem-Daphne/dp/B001L8IICM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1342989728&sr=8-4&keywords=squier

In a similar vein, if you can spare a few more $$$ then have a look at the Epiphone range. Epiphone are the Squier's of the Gibson world. The'yre usually a bit more expensive than Squier, but you get a bit more quality. I have an Epiphone dot guitar which is as good (if not better) than my Fender Strat, and cost less than half as much. Here's an example of a nice entry level Epiphone: http://www.amazon.com/Epiphone-Special-Electric-Vintage-Sunburst/dp/B0002CZUV0/ref=sr_1_121?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1342990146&sr=1-121&keywords=epiphone

Remember Amazon's probably not the best place to go for guitars. You will probably get some better deals elsewhere. Have a look around. I would definitely go for a well known make when it comes to budget guitars. If the name is not well known, and its cheap then its definitely not worth it. High quality less-well-known guitar makes are very expensive, so when you're looking at the low end of guitars go for something well known.