Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms If I could only have one.... Guitar

I know there are a few guitar players on here, so could you help me solve a dilemma...

Haven't played for over 30 years - wasn't much good then, so probably won't get beyond simply playing for my own pleasure. And I want something with 'pedigree', nice to look at (in case that's all I'm capable of now) and with a narrow fretboard and shallow neck profile (small hands!). Musical tastes are punk/blues/rockabilly. I have an old practice amp I can use - and figure that if I spend £600-£1,000 I can get something that is so much better than me, I will never have to upgrade and it will truly be the 'only' guitar I ever need to own. Ideas?

I have no idea what 600-1000 pounds gets in the UK so my suggestion is probably way off. Plus I own too many to be able to chose just one.

I play classical guitar 90% of the time at home and have 4 different classical guitars, I also play bass in a band and have 4 of them and then I have 5 electrics of different styles. I just realised I need another guitar because 13 is an unlucky number, surely I can sell that to SWAMBO.

I love my Gretsch White Falcon, it looks great, has an amazing tone and think that if I could only have one electric that is the one I would chose but it is not that easy to play having a large body and was setup by the previous owner with 11-52 strings, if I haven't played it for a while it really takes a lot of effort to bend the strings etc. I would recommend trying one in a music store especially if you like rockabilly just to see what you think. There is a cheap Gretsch line called electromatic that I think sounds reasonable, I can hear a fair bit between them and the more expensive guitars, but for at home the gretsch electromatic could be a good choice and still looks pretty cool.

Personally I find it easier for beginners to get a good sound from a Gibson Les Paul than a Fender, Fenders need a lot more attack with the pick and you need to adjust the tone on the amp to get it sounding right. Gibson's just seem to sound good regardless of how you play them. See if you can try one of each in a shop and see if you agree.

I would have thought an Epiphone would be a good choice - I have one that I gigged with for years that is nice to play and I set it up with nice action with 10-46 strings and it just feels really nice. Maybe try an Epiphone Les Paul and a cheap Gibson les Paul and see what you like.

Then there are Ibanez and lots of other guitars that work well and some seem to have some pedigree these days. Also unlike when we were kids the cheap crap actually plays well these days, I rarely pick up a guitar in a guitar shop that is a dud.

Plenty of Fenders in that price range.

Are you far from a decent guitar shop? GAK in Brighton, maybe? Get yourself down there and see what appeals. The Fender American Performer series are very popular at the moment and well priced, albeit at the top of your budget.

If I could only have one guitar it would be a USA built Stratocaster. I have two, and they are lovely to play.

Unable to get a tune out of any musical thing in the world tried but killed to many cats with fright . My Staffies used to howl , kind of says a lot .

A couple of years ago I might have suggested you contact my son who made custom guitars - he could have done you a Morgan shaped one_ a lot easier than the dragon-shaped one which he made. Not sure if he has the time now as he is a climbing instructor & mountain guide.

Firstly IMHO it's not possible to own one guitar however the one that fits you criteria has to be the Fender Stratocaster.

Small hands......Gibsons tend to have a shorter scale length than Fenders, so may be a better bet.......
There are so many good quality guitars in your price bracket these days that almost anything you like the look of will be good enough really.
Nick

I play, pretty badly but there you go.

Have you thought about a semi acoustic ?

Ive had Strat for yonks and really love it but a while back I bought a semi acoustic Gretsch. I generally always pick this up now as it sounds fab and I dont 'have to' plug it in.

I find the semi is just great for chilling on the sofa and when I want some noise I plug it in to my amp and let rip.

The Gretsch has a narrowish neck I think but other models may vary.

For smarty points, who can tell me who has signed my Strat ?

I have been very tempted to write about my guitars which I collect since 45 years now. But now it's about you, Stuart.

When I see your favorite style, considering the small hands and the body of the guitar, I have a suggestion that might suit you.
Bonesie, you have beat me but I would also suggest a semi-acoustic guitar.

One that unites everything, a slim body though slightly larger in circumference than a Lespaul or Strat is a 335 style guitar. I play some different guitars, but I have two ES 335's. Both are 1960 anniversary models, which means they have a slim neck, and as NickW said, Gibson and guitars like this have a short mensur, which means the neck is shorter than a Fender, which is also a good thing for smaller hands.

Similar to a Lespaul you quickly get a nice tone and you can play it in the evening without an amp at home.
On the other hand they have a sustain block which means they can sound fantastic even very loud on an amp without feedback.

If you find an Epiphone in 1960 style, then that would be my choice. (A 1959 style has a neck like a broomstick, that would be much less playable for a re-starter).

Similar to my son's Epiphone Lespaul, you can later upgrade the guitar with PAF Gibson pickups.

With the ES335 you have a guitar with which you can hear sounds from BBKing (I know, a bit different without f holes) over Ten years after, John Lee Hooker (sometimes) to Larry Carlton and from Eric Clapton (in the Cream era after his Lespaul was stolen) to John Scofield. The latter has been playing an Ibanez 335 style for a long time that would also fall in your asking price. The Epiphone definitely is too. Epiphone is the reasonable priced brand of Gibson and they are good copies of the original guitar.
Just google ES335 BTW I love them in cherry red.