buying a new or used electric guitar?

I've been looking for an intermediate level guitar. Something decent for around $400-450 CDN. I don't know anyone that can really help me figure out what I should be looking for when I go try them out at the store, and the sales people are no help either. But...based on several hours of reading reviews online...I've almost settled on the epiphone LP std.

However, the price at the store just isn't right, ~550. if I lived in the U.S. I could order the same one online for $400 (with free shipping).

I went to the store today to try getting it all sorted out and found the epi LP custom. It was $450 since it's used. I thought that might be a great deal since it would have been around ~750 otherwise. I would prefer the custom over the standard, but it's out of my price range...except for this used one.

I'm not sure if I should go back and get it, it sounded fine to me...but so do all the others...I'm not sure what I should be looking/listening for. The only thing I really did was test for sustain.

I guess I got a little paranoid about the quality of these guitars after reading this:

Dinosaur Rock Guitar (http://www.dinosaurrockguitar.co m/interviews/MrX.shtml)

I'm fairly worried about the discrepancy in the quality. I want to get the best guitar for my $.


As for the 'used' part of this guitar, there are some scratches on the back, and the...bridge saddles (?) look quite worn across the tops, one even has a rounded corner on it...makes me wonder what happened to this guitar


Anyways,

I guess my big questions are: what should I be looking out for when making such a purchase, and are the epi LPs a good purchase? Is purchasing online a bad idea?

Maybe I should buy from another store though, because at this store the plus top and plain top were only ~$40 apart. I would assume that means they're over-pricing the plain-tops.

I've also considered the Godin SD, but I prefer the look of the LPs, the 2 humbuckers, and the set-in neck, I want something that's quite different from the strat copy I have now.

A lot of signs point to the godin, for quality and everything (parts made in Canada, assembled in the US). But the truth is, I've also got to like the look of the guitar as well if I'm paying a few hundred. It seems a little boring to get another bolt on, HSS with the same style knobs/selector switch as the one I have now.

If the price had been what I expected, I would probably have the epi LP right now. I might go back and get that custom...as soon as I figure out whether it's a risky purchase or not.

Purchasing guitars online can be dangerous for the lower end stuff. For higher end instruments, quality control is better so you're less likely to end up with a bad one... At the same time, you're investing more in the instrument. Caveat emptor etc.

Epis can be pretty nice, but once you get better at playing your tastes will likely change and you might end up needing to upgrade the pickups, bridge, and tuners.

Keep in mind the prices you see in the store are quite a bit higher than you'll end up paying with a little haggling. Even Guitar Center will haggle on their already "low" price. e.g. a $400 guitar can often go for $325 or you can convince them to throw in a case or accessories.

i found an american stratocaster on clearance. i hate the color, but for 4 bills you cant beat it.

Pics of the new toys. I got a Line 6 Spider 3 75 for inside the house. Dont need anything bigger.

http://members.cox.net/kingt2/Guit1.JPG
http://members.cox.net/kingt2/guit2.JPG

That's an American Strat for $400? Fuck dude - you win. I say you embrace the color and just love on it. :)

An Epi Les Paul is a great guitar to move up to from a cheapie. They're decent guitars, made in the Far East, and they're actually getting better and better as time goes by. As Felonius said, you might wind up changing out the tuners or pickups for better units, but it's a step up regardless - the stuff that comes on the guitar is pretty good.

Also check out what Rondo Music Home Page (http://www.rondomusic.net) has to offer - they have some great Les Paul copies that get rave reviews on Harmony Central. I have one of their PRS copies and it's pretty good.

That's an American Strat for $400? Fuck dude - you win. I say you embrace the color and just love on it. :)
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$458
Strat Highway One - 3 single pickups (duh) -

Not a bad price. I know that parts of the guitar are made in Mexico, but it's assembled and adjusted in the Fender Corona facility - so it's still good stuff. Not as good as what's made in Fullerton, but still better than the MIM Strats you can get for $300.

Nice strat.. color isn't too terrible. :)

I bought my main guitar off of Ebay. Its an Epiphone LP Standard Plus and it came with upgrades pickups, locking tuners, and a new selector for $455 (and no shipping!). I e-mailed the guy to make sure I wasn't getting burned, and he assured me that it was a really nice guitar. I can't say enough good things about it. My friend owns a Gibson LP Classic and he swears that mine sounds just as good as a Gibson.

Don't be afraid to buy on the internet, just try to be careful and make sure you know you're getting a good deal. I also bought my amp on EBay and that deal wasn't as good because the amp came with a new, upgraded speaker, but the previous owner mounted it wrong and I had to go get it fixed. Still, I got a nice tube amp (peavey classic 30) for $450. :shrug:

An epiphone with new pickups and a selector is a gibson in everything but name right? Well the frets are still different but still
thats awesome