Looking for some advice on buying an electric guitar.

I'm often surprised when people say that a Casino or 335 is uncomfortable to play when sitting. I guess it might come down to your size, because I find the 335 one of the most comfy "sofa guitars".

Choosing a guitar by what your favourite guitarists play is a time-honoured ploy. Nothing wrong with that at all. The only time it really didn't work for me was the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar. I'm a huge Johnny Marr fan but the Jag is simply not for me. I like a big deep twang from a guitar, and the Jaguar, while it twangs, doesn't sound deep at all. Similarly with the Jazzmaster (in stock form) it is very top-heavy in that it has jangle galore but little in the way of grunt. At least not without some serious help from pedals.

My question would be: What sounds do you want to get? What's a song which has a guitar sound you love? If you were to say Sultans of Swing then a Strat is your guitar. If you are a big Beatles nut then a Casino or Gretsch Duo Jet might be a better fit. Getting a super fuzzed-out Dinosaur Junior sound is possibly more down to the pedal than the guitar, so pretty much anything other than a Rickenbacker would work! And obviously your amp is a key part of the deal.
 
HamishR said:
I'm often surprised when people say that a Casino or 335 is uncomfortable to play when sitting. I guess it might come down to your size, because I find the 335 one of the most comfy "sofa guitars".

Choosing a guitar by what your favourite guitarists play is a time-honoured ploy. Nothing wrong with that at all. The only time it really didn't work for me was the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar. I'm a huge Johnny Marr fan but the Jag is simply not for me. I like a big deep twang from a guitar, and the Jaguar, while it twangs, doesn't sound deep at all. Similarly with the Jazzmaster (in stock form) it is very top-heavy in that it has jangle galore but little in the way of grunt. At least not without some serious help from pedals.

My question would be: What sounds do you want to get? What's a song which has a guitar sound you love? If you were to say Sultans of Swing then a Strat is your guitar. If you are a big Beatles nut then a Casino or Gretsch Duo Jet might be a better fit. Getting a super fuzzed-out Dinosaur Junior sound is possibly more down to the pedal than the guitar, so pretty much anything other than a Rickenbacker would work! And obviously your amp is a key part of the deal.
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I have a Jazzmaster, and I can get great Knopfler/Beatles/Mascis tones out of it no problem. I think the thing with guitars is that the same guitar could sound completely different in to different hands. It’s a crap shoot.
 
Well yeah I think I have worked out now that I'm no Fender player. It's weird because I used to have a Strat and a Tele as my number one guitars... And then I discovered Gretsch. They may not be for everyone but I love my 6120 SSLVO and my two Vintage Select Duo Jets. Some of the cheaper Gretsches get rave reviews too. A good Gretsch sits in a band mix better than any others I have tried. They can cut through like a Fender while still sounding big like a Gibson. I love my Gibsons too but it seems that whenever I play with a band it's a Gretsch which works best.
 
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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I feel like with bass I just know what I want. Of course there are things that are fun, like MM's, or something with a mudbucker on the neck, or a T-40, or just about any any Matsumoku bass. But at the end of the day, for my bass, to gety sound, it's a P bass that fits me, and it's about finding that. That's the endless pursuit ;)

With guitar I've never thought about it like that. I've only ever really played acoustic, and I'm kinda lost. 🤷‍♂️ So I'm looking for suggestions that I can hopefully try out here soon, and just get a general idea of what y'all think.
 
When I play bass it usually has to be a P-Bass too. If you're a strummer then Fenders will suit you well. A Gibson with P90s might too - a Les Paul Jnr is a similar playing experience to a Tele in a lot of ways but it can get nastier and chunkier than a Tele. For players going from acoustic to electric my advice is often a Tele. It has more of an acoustic attack than most other electrics. You can use a Tele on almost every style of music too. They're more comfortable than they look and have more guts than a Strat. In fact of all the Fenders I think a Tele is the gutsiest.
 
+1 for getting the one you like the look f the most.

It sounds like you need to go to a shop and try out loads of guitars joe! :)

I always strum the strings whilst it’s on the peg and feel how resonant the body is.
 
JamieJ said:
+1 for getting the one you like the look f the most.

It sounds like you need to go to a shop and try out loads of guitars joe! :)

I always strum the strings whilst it’s on the peg and feel how resonant the body is.
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A instant reject for me, if it Rattles when strummed unplugged!!!
 
Ibanez has some pretty good ones. It really comes down to how it feels while playing. I've got a les paul and a strat. Both play excellent, but feel different.
 
FWIW, I've seen a number of guitarists in professional, world-quality, touring rock bands happily playing stock squier Mascis jazzmasters over the past few years. They're definitely punching above their weight.

Another +1 for gretsch, all of their import guitars are affordable, well made and (most importantly) look cool. If you're interested in a semi-hollow, those streamliners are heckin' rad.
 
mdc said:
FWIW, I've seen a number of guitarists in professional, world-quality, touring rock bands happily playing stock squier Mascis jazzmasters over the past few years. They're definitely punching above their weight.

Another +1 for gretsch, all of their import guitars are affordable, well made and (most importantly) look cool. If you're interested in a semi-hollow, those streamliners are heckin' rad.
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I think that there is a growing concensus that the newer, higher-end(?) (lol) Squier stuff is better than MIM Fender ever was, and is even giving US Fender a run for its money. There is definitely a difference, but when you consider tone, playability, and price-range, you cannot beat a modern Squier...
 
I had a USA 52RI tele years ago and sold it, and it's probably #2 on the list of gear I wish I'd held onto.
 
HamishR said:
I'm often surprised when people say that a Casino or 335 is uncomfortable to play when sitting. I guess it might come down to your size, because I find the 335 one of the most comfy "sofa guitars".

Choosing a guitar by what your favourite guitarists play is a time-honoured ploy. Nothing wrong with that at all. The only time it really didn't work for me was the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar. I'm a huge Johnny Marr fan but the Jag is simply not for me. I like a big deep twang from a guitar, and the Jaguar, while it twangs, doesn't sound deep at all. Similarly with the Jazzmaster (in stock form) it is very top-heavy in that it has jangle galore but little in the way of grunt. At least not without some serious help from pedals.

My question would be: What sounds do you want to get? What's a song which has a guitar sound you love? If you were to say Sultans of Swing then a Strat is your guitar. If you are a big Beatles nut then a Casino or Gretsch Duo Jet might be a better fit. Getting a super fuzzed-out Dinosaur Junior sound is possibly more down to the pedal than the guitar, so pretty much anything other than a Rickenbacker would work! And obviously your amp is a key part of the deal.
Click to expand...

Sounds are a little tough, I think, since I'm not up to snuff in really knowing what different guitars sound like. I really just know that I don't want a Strat. I'm sorry, folks, but I just don't like the way they look. The angled output is so offensive to me and I just don't understand why :ROFLMAO:

I think that as far as sounds I would like it to hit: I would like something with girth, something that can sound mean and growly. I assumed that I would get that from pedals mostly, but if there are guitars I ought to be looking at that have that kind of built in I'm in to it.

Edit to add: I'm a pretty large person at 6'3'' and about 280 lbs. I kind of feel like me playing a guitar is almost silly looking, like a bear on a tricycle. :ROFLMAO:
 
mdc said:
FWIW, I've seen a number of guitarists in professional, world-quality, touring rock bands happily playing stock squier Mascis jazzmasters over the past few years. They're definitely punching above their weight.

Another +1 for gretsch, all of their import guitars are affordable, well made and (most importantly) look cool. If you're interested in a semi-hollow, those streamliners are heckin' rad.
Click to expand...
I had my eye on the Streamliners a couple of months ago when I first started thinking about it. I plan on playing one assuming they've got them at GC.
 
music6000 said:
Here is some significant differences between Squier Classic Vibe & Squier J. Mascis, the J.Mascis is the winner for me!
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Thank you for this video. I also watched the previous one where he does a sound comparison and I have got to say that I instantly preferred the pickups in the J Mascis model. It sounded much more warm and full.

Also, just to add - I know you didn't ask about amps but someone else did and I just wanted to mention here that for the time being I plan to play through my practice bass amp (Acoustic 10'' combo) until I can build myself a little practice amp (probably going to go with Beavis' Noisy Cricket). I don't have plans for a big guitar rig or anything, I just want something I can jam with and learn on.
 
I just pulled the trigger on a J. Mascis Jazzmaster.

Got it from Sweetwater, so it ought to be here by the end of next week. I'm pretty pumped about my first 6 string purchase, so I just wanted to share with all of you lovely people who have helped reignite my love for playing with sound. I'll post a photo thread when it gets here.
 
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