Newb guitarist needs some help.

[root]

making your own guitar is a long learning process.

it's something that I'm doing at the moment,

if you really want to know then you should go to the library and look at a few book, (there is one by Melvin Hiscock which is good -I think it's called How to build an electric guitar).

once you have the rough idea you should head over to www.mimf.com (musical instruments makers forum) to ask specific questions. -specific questions meaning if you just ask how do I make a guitar you'll be told to go read a book...

I would skip the fender. The cavities aren't shielded, so they pick up a lot of noise

true that...

I was bought a strat copy once, horribly noisy, that is until I spent a good long while shielding the inside with copper foil, now it's a nice quiet guitar.


OK, here is what I think, all the guitars you posted to have their troubles, firstly the jackson, these are very nice guitars, but they are also quite metal, they are normally well made and nice to play though, but if you're just after classic rock then I'd stay away from it.

I get the same feeling from the dean micheal guitar as well, (and I think it's looks poo too).

if you're learning on a fender then it might be better to stay with the flat bridge setup, gibons have a different radius fingerboard, and bridge setup. personally I find it difficult to swap between a strat and a les paul, les pauls just don't feel right to me...

if you want to be different from your friends, don't get a strat.
if you like the sound of the single coil pickups like you get in a strat, and also want to keep that original classic rock kind of sound then try a tele or something.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/pr...elecaster_electric_guitar?full_sku=516035.037

if you want something a little more hard rock, yet still classic rock then why not try an SG,
http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/product/buy_epiphone_sgspecial_electric_guitar?full_sku=101392124

but for well built warm sounding guitars, I don't really think that you can beat an ibanez
http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/product/buy_ibanez_re2ex1_electric_guitar?full_sku=103382123
http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/pr...-Maple-Top-Electric-Guitar?full_sku=103662763

 

[UK31337]

Yeah, I've been playing guitar for a few months and I figure it's time to upgrade. I mostly need to since mine is untterly incapable of hammering on and pulling off, and sounds not-so-great.

Sorry, I need to say something here. I thought exactly the same of my guitar which is a Strat copy and thought it was a piece of crap etc (which it is, to be fair). But once I actually learned how to hammer on and pull off properly it sounded and did it all just fine, so are you perhaps having the same problem?

And if you're wanting classic rock, I find Fenders to be pretty versatile TBH.

 

[root]

Sorry, I need to say something here. I thought exactly the same of my guitar which is a Strat copy and thought it was a piece of crap etc (which it is, to be fair). But once I actually learned how to hammer on and pull off properly it sounded and did it all just fine, so are you perhaps having the same problem?

And if you're wanting classic rock, I find Fenders to be pretty versatile TBH.

I kind thought the same thing, you need to get the technique, if you don't have the technique then you need to learn it... poor workman blames his tools and all.

some guitars are just crap though, and some are much easier to play than others,

if you want to become good I'd suggest you master a guitar that is difficult to play, you say your guitar can't let you hammer on-pull off, well make it, if you can learn how to do it on an unresponsive piece-o-crap then the technique will appear a lot easier on a good guitar that plays like a dream.

(having said that I did just go out last weekend and bought a £200 (~$400) Spanish guitar, that's really quite but sounds lovely, it'll never leave my house and it's just for my own pleasure!)

the point there being that my £50/$100 Spanish guitar sounds crap and is awkward to play in comparison, but I had to master that piece of crap before I could really justify spending good money on a guitar. and it's good that I did that, because all the technique i feel I had to put extra time into learning really pays off on a guitar that feels so nice to actually play.