Looking for some advice on buying an electric guitar.

peccary

peccary

Well-known member
Hey folks,

While I have played and purchased a pretty good number of basses over the years, I have never bought an electric guitar. I don't really know much of anything about guitars, honestly, other than what can be inferred from experience with electric bass.

I am looking to spend about $500 on a guitar. I know - not much of a budget, but really I am looking for something that I can play around with and learn on. I have narrowed things down to what I think I want, but I would like the advice and opinions of you real guitar players.

My number one choice right now is the Squier J. Mascis guitar. My reasons are that it looks awesome, I love J. Mascis, and I also love the looks of a Jazzmaster. If I could justify spending the money I'd go for a walnut one, though, as a nod to Elvis Costello.

My runner up is the Epiphone Casino Coupe, again, mainly because I think it looks pretty hot and I also love Paul Weller.

I realize that these aren't the best reasons to buy a guitar, so that's why I wanted to ask around here. In reality I would like something that plays well and that would work for someone with large hands. I will also likely play with my thumb and pointer finger as opposed to a pick, but that's only because I expect to be more comfortable with that as a finger style bassist.

I'm open to any other options you all think are worth looking in to, but $500-ish would be the top end of what I would like to spend.
 
Squier J. Mascis is a really good pick, I'd say. 25.5 inch scale. Good quality. Good resale value if you move on. Downside is the trem, which isn't a great design and complicates it unneccessarily if you're not going to use it.

Telecasters are simple and dependable and also have a 25.5 inch scale. Stay in tune. Good resale. Lots of pickup options.
If you want humbuckers, I'd recommend checking out the new PRS Mira SE. Those are very high quality guitars. Simple. Good resale. I think you can find a used one for about $500.
 
jubal81 said:
Squier J. Mascis is a really good pick, I'd say. 25.5 inch scale. Good quality. Good resale value if you move on. Downside is the trem, which isn't a great design and complicates it unneccessarily if you're not going to use it.

Telecasters are simple and dependable and also have a 25.5 inch scale. Stay in tune. Good resale. Lots of pickup options.
If you want humbuckers, I'd recommend checking out the new PRS Mira SE. Those are very high quality guitars. Simple. Good resale. I think you can find a used one for about $500.
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I think that there are some pretty good looking CV Teles and they've caught my eye, I'm just not sure how comfortable those slab bodies are.

I have read that the bridges on Jazzmasters can be a headache. I will likely not use the tremolo very often, but who knows, I guess. I had a bass with a tremolo on it and it ended up being one of the most useless things ever. I know that they are more useful/realistic on guitar, but I don't see it featuring too heavily for me early on. I assumed that if I wasn't using it then it wouldn't be a bother.
 
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Harry Klippton said:
The j mascis will be a lot more comfy to sit around and play vs the casino. I also agree with Jubal that it's hard to beat a tele for simplicity. I got into teles for exactly that reason. I'd highly suggest playing a guitar in person before buying too
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There's a GC not far from me and I am planning to pop in in the next couple of weeks to try some different guitars out.
 
peccary said:
I think that there are some pretty good looking CV Teles and they've caught my eye, I'm just not sure how comfortable those slab bodies are.

I have read that the bridges on Jazzmasters can be a headache. I will likely not use the tremolo very often, but who knows, I guess. I had a bass with a tremolo on it and it ended up being one of the most useless things ever. I know that they are more useful/realistic on guitar, but I don't see it featuring too heavily for me early on. I assumed that if I wasn't using it then it wouldn't be a bother.
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Of course it's personal preference, but I find the slab body the most comfortable. I much prefer it to a strat with an arm and belly carve. I can really wedge it against myself whereas the strat slips
 
peccary said:
There's a GC not far from me and I am planning to pop in in the next couple of weeks to try some different guitars out.
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That's the best way imo. I always try a few with different necks as well, even if the rest of the guitar is not even in the ballpark, just to cop a feel. If I like it enough, I lobby hard for a discounted changeout and setup.

If...(haha whom doth one strain to jest?) I buy another guitar, it will be a PRS or a Tele....but this is your thread and rig.
 
Jazzmasters / offsets are great - they just feel a whole lot better to me in terms of hand position.
Some have issues with the bridge - I've swapped both mine for the staytrem (cant get them anymore in the US) and Fender stayterm copy.

While the J. Mascis does have a tremolo, the bridge isn't like the standard jazzmaster so not as much an issue.
 
I would recommend the regular CV Jazzmaster over the J Mascis. The Mascis has a tune-o-magic bridge, vs. the Mustang. Bridge of the regular, which works great with the trem. Also, the J Mascis has JM-shaped p-90’s, vs. the genuine article in the standard.
 
lcipher3 said:
Jazzmasters / offsets are great - they just feel a whole lot better to me in terms of hand position.
Some have issues with the bridge - I've swapped both mine for the staytrem (cant get them anymore in the US) and Fender stayterm copy.

While the J. Mascis does have a tremolo, the bridge isn't like the standard jazzmaster so not as much an issue.
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It's got a satin neck, too, which is another big plus for me.I think I might be convinced on the J. Mascis, but I'm now checking out all these Teles and Joe Strummer keeps flashing in to my brain.
 
 
 
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+1 for checking the used market. If you know what you are looking for there are great deals to be found. I have found in the past few years that "cheap" guitars are better quality than when I started playing.
I don't have much hands on experience with either guitar you mentioned, but I have only heard good things about the J. Mascis jazzmaster. I have always liked Casino's, but if you play seated they can be uncomfortable.

Play a few in your price range to get a feel for what you like and what you hate. My only guitar is a tele partscaster and I have swapped almost all of the parts on it now at least once. When I started with it I didn't know what I liked, also my tastes changed, so over the past nine years I have changed pickups, neck, bridge plate, saddles, and tuners. oh yeah and rewired it in about a half dozen different configurations. all of this to say, if I had played more guitars first I would have known what I liked in a guitar.
 
The mascis is a great guitar. I have a casino, and while I absolutely love it and would recommend everyone get a casino, I wouldn’t recommend it as an ‘only’ guitar—they sound absolutely amazing and are a dream to play, but the upper fret acess is nonexistent (even getting to the 16th fret is a chore) and the body is a bit large to try to sit down with.
 
+1 What Jjjimi84 said. Big Time.

Peccary, follow your heart.

You might pick up a Mascis JM, but it might not be the right one. Pick up another Mascis JM and it may literally resonate with you...

As an aside: I don't think the Casino is too big to sit down with for you and I. 😉 The JM will be more comfy, though.

Don't be put off by P-90s — got them in my SG, I love 'em! If you decide down the road you don't like P-90s, then drop hints around the house before your birthday... "Gee these Wideranger Humbuckers sure would go great with my Mascis JazzMaster..." or whatever pickups you think might flip your JM-switch. Same thing with the bridge, the colour of the pickguard... Sorry, I'm preachin' to the choir — you know the drill.
 
Feral Feline said:
+1 What Jjjimi84 said. Big Time.

Peccary, follow your heart.

You might pick up a Mascis JM, but it might not be the right one. Pick up another Mascis JM and it may literally resonate with you...

As an aside: I don't think the Casino is too big to sit down with for you and I. 😉 The JM will be more comfy, though.

Don't be put off by P-90s — got them in my SG, I love 'em! If you decide down the road you don't like P-90s, then drop hints around the house before your birthday... "Gee these Wideranger Humbuckers sure would go great with my Mascis JazzMaster..." or whatever pickups you think might flip your JM-switch. Same thing with the bridge, the colour of the pickguard... Sorry, I'm preachin' to the choir — you know the drill.
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Not like P90's. that's heresy!
 
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