spend more than 1500 on the first instrument

[iTzPrime]

True....however, setups are everything.....since i have learned to do my own setups and most repairs i can make most decent quality guitars work for me....including imports i have bought for dirt cheap used!

UNTIL you start playing guitar, you may not understand what type of setup, strings work best for you.

Oh yeah the "amp rabbit hole"......dont get me started, but i have a lot of old tube amps.

When i was in band in the 5th grade learning trumpet, one of the 1st things we were taught was an ear for tone and tuning.....i cannot STAND crappy cheap SS guitar amps but there are some decent SS ones as well.

One other thing, DON'T start in using a bunch heavy gain with an electric guitar.....most of the time if you use an actual song for a reference, you will understand the guitar tone is cleaner than you thought.

The issue with a lot of cheap SS amps is it has an okay clean and an okay heavy gain but the low to mid gain sounds aren't good compared to great tube amps.....just my 2 cents, good luck!

If you had never played an instrument before, it would be a big NO. Given that you already play bass, there is less of a learning curve. But I echo what the others have said about 1. Playing other things to see if you cna find something that works for less, and 2. Budgeting for the amp. Guitars mostly sound bad through bass amps, so you're going to want the real deal at some point before long

Currently I am playing on a yamaha pacifica that I borrowed from the music school of my mom, but I have to return it next week when school is starting. I have a kemper and several amp sims on my mac, so the amp is no problem.

I see.....what guitar are you after specifically?

Yeah.....Squier and MIM Fenders can be a steal.....my Squier are all Japan but some of the newer stuff is outstanding in its price range....embarassing really!

I am after an Fender American Elite Stratocaster HSS in an orange sparklish kind of color with a maple neck.

... no

... plans change, needs change, and I have learned that I don't need a $1500 instrument to meet any need that may arise for me ... unfortunately, it took me 45+ years of playing and probably 50+ instruments over that time to realize it ...
JMHO .. as always

With bass, I am super satisfied with my 800$ bass, however i never had this feeling when playing an instrument.

God no! That's more than triple the highest cost of my many basses. Why buy a 1500 guitar, when you could have 2-3-4 very different and very good ones for the same coin?

As a person who sold all his basses except the one I actually play. I don't really understand this concept. If you want several instruments, that is ok for you, but I am the person who actually only plays one.

I had been playing for 2 years and in 1969 I bought my first "pro" bass (a Fender Precision) for around the equivalent of $1500 in today's money.

As long as the OP is serious about bass the best advice I've seen is, buy your second bass first, ie miss out the beginners basses and get into the good stuff.

Go for it.

So that would pretty much in the ballpark of what I am spending.
Damn, I am really torn, buying stuff is harder than I thought.


Thanks for all the answers up to now.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

If you think the Strat sound is what you mainly need go for it.

However, the Strat types are by far one of the easiest to find,especially used......neck profile can be everything on guitar vs bass guitar....depends on the size of your hands, some can adapt to different neck sizes, others cannot.

Personally i cant live with just the Strat sound even though i own at least 9 Strat types....some with heavy strings and high action for slide, some tremolo blocked, some Floyd Rose trems, a few with no trem.....open tunings etc.....but i am old and i spoil myself these days LOL!

You will LIKELY get the bug for a Gibson type guitar so be warned.....or a Tele.....or a Gretsch LOL!!

 

[Gully Foyle]

There are at least two very different families of guitars right? I couldn't get by with just a single coils guitar or a humbuckers guitar, need both!

 

[interp]

The most important thing is to get a good quality instrument that is set up well, is comfortable for YOU and sounds good to you. You don't necessarily have to spend 1500 to get that.

Too many people go cheap on their first instrument, mistakenly thinking that if they decide to quit playing they won't have lost much. What happens, though, is that a poor quality instrument makes it more likely you won't stick with it and then you'll have big trouble recouping your investment.

Go with something that is of solid quality and has decent resale value.

And keep in mind that that might not be a new guitar.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

I think he's asking, "Would you consider spending 1500 bucks on your first bass/guitar if you know you will stick to it?"

Ok.....but to me its one thing to already be into bass.....guitar is a whole nuther deal and it sounds like he already flipped several basses to arrive at his current bass.

Would i spend $1500 for a desirable used guitar that could be resold for about the same $1500?

Yes, i would.

My issue with a new Strat is Strats and Strat types are everywhere in my area.....lots of USA Strats for $600 to $800.

BUT, the OP is in a far different area in terms of availability.......just make sure the neck fits your hand.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

The most important thing is to get a good quality instrument that is set up well, is comfortable for YOU and sounds good to you. You don't necessarily have to spend 1500 to get that.

Too many people go cheap on their first instrument, mistakenly thinking that if they decide to quit playing they won't have lost much. What happens, though, is that a poor quality instrument makes it more likely you won't stick with it and then you'll have big trouble recouping your investment.

Go with something that is of solid quality and has decent resale value.

And keep in mind that that might not be a new guitar.

Thats the issue with Strats in general.....they are abundant and always take a hit when purchased new....but hey your money.

Fwiw, ive flipped dozens of used guitars under $500 and never lost money and usually made money BUT i know how to setup really well and i was super picky about what used guitar i bought in the 1st place.

I have seen some rather doggy older USA Strats but the newer stuff seems very good these days across the board....USA and MIM Fenders are very good these days overall imo and i've played 100's in the past few years.

 

[kalanb]

If it's worth it to you it's worth it. My hesitation would be whether you have enough understanding and have played enough guitars to know what you really want. As you progress your ideal instrument may change as well.

 

[gln1955]

I would buy used, but the finish is an orange sparkly finish, which I can't find in Austria or Germany.

Orange and sparkly? You should have said that in the first place.

Just buy it

 

[ThePresident777]

Hey talkbass
I am currently in the situation, where I started playing guitar 3 weeks ago, and I love it as much as I did playing bass in the beginning. I have now played the bass for over 8 years (of my 22 year old life) and plan to do that with guitar as well.
I was at several music stores and fell in love with a guitar for 1750 bucks, but I am unsure if it is worth it for me being a bad guitarist.

Would you consider spending 1500 bucks on your first bass/guitar if you know you will stick to it?

You can always get something good for less so why spend so much even if it's your 20th guitar?

 

[Smelly]

buy it!

 

[iTzPrime]

If you think the Strat sound is what you mainly need go for it.

However, the Strat types are by far one of the easiest to find,especially used......neck profile can be everything on guitar vs bass guitar....depends on the size of your hands, some can adapt to different neck sizes, others cannot.

Personally i cant live with just the Strat sound even though i own at least 9 Strat types....some with heavy strings and high action for slide, some tremolo blocked, some Floyd Rose trems, a few with no trem.....open tunings etc.....but i am old and i spoil myself these days LOL!

You will LIKELY get the bug for a Gibson type guitar so be warned.....or a Tele.....or a Gretsch LOL!!

Actually i wouldn't be really bothered if it was a tele.
The neck profile is just so sexy.

Thats the issue with Strats in general.....they are abundant and always take a hit when purchased new....but hey your money.

Fwiw, ive flipped dozens of used guitars under $500 and never lost money and usually made money BUT i know how to setup really well and i was super picky about what used guitar i bought in the 1st place.

I have seen some rather doggy older USA Strats but the newer stuff seems very good these days across the board....USA and MIM Fenders are very good these days overall imo and i've played 100's in the past few years.

used market sadly sucks here in Austria.

If it's worth it to you it's worth it. My hesitation would be whether you have enough understanding and have played enough guitars to know what you really want. As you progress your ideal instrument may change as well.

That is what i fear as well. I can play some leads and most of the common chords, but I fear, my ideals might change.

Orange and sparkly? You should have said that in the first place.

Just buy it

buy it!

Hahaha thanks for that. I am even more unsure about what to get.

 

[petch]

Bottom line: You wrote "I never had this feeling when playing an instrument". There's your answer. Buy it!

 

[bassbenj]

So do you light cigars with $100 bills? What does $1500 mean to you? Nothing? Fine. Go for it. But I'd never spend $1500 for an instrument that I was a beginner on (unless that was the price of the absolute bottom of the line student piece of crap like say a classical upright bass) The point is simple. You (I) are a newbie. You have NO idea what you really want to end up playing long term. It may even change as musical interests change. As a newb you do not have the ear and the knowledge to pick out an exceptional instrument even if you were SURE of what kind of thing you think you want to play forever. All of that takes time, learning, living with various instruments, some of which may be "you" and some you just can't seem to ever become "one" with. When you are done with all that then, sure you are ready to plunk 'em down. But just in the door? I never would! Unless of course, $1500 was pocket change to me and it was a used instrument which meant I could get a decent resale out of once I discovered it wasn't "me". Then I might be tempted just because it's great to learn on a high end instrument and it's fun play expensive stuff even if you don't know what you are doing.

Hey I"m a late to guitar bass player too. My first guitar was a Chinese biscuit resonator of all things. Now I have may 20 different guitars and they are all different and all do different things. But now I know what each of them does, can do, or even do for me if I work at it enough. Nice place to be. And yeah NOW I have a really nice Gibson Les Paul that cost over $1500 and it's a VERY nice guitar, but before that I had a nice Les Paul kit guitar I put together myself, and I'm still amazed at how good that kit turned out for very little cash (was on sale at a guitar show). So there are lots of guitars and lots of things to learn but my view is you want to learn, but not waste your resources (money) on things you are just learning about.

 

[TheGreatSealof]

The bottom line is getting an instrument that you want to come back to over and over. If you're not a professional, the quality of the sound coming out of it is not really being judged - so it doesn't matter if it's great or not. What matters is you wanting to continue to use it. A great player can make a POS work for them just fine - the level of your playing is not the issue.

As somebody who's bought a lot of expensive basses over the years, I can tell you that we can rationalize almost anything to justify what we really want to buy. I would, however, give yourself a cooling off period.

Very sound advice. You have a bit of experience. Take some time to explore. You will know when the time is right. A little light seems to turn on when you least expect. You will be amazed. It happened to me.

 

[Shishka Bob]

I once bought a Martin D-28S for $2000.00. You are getting ripped off if you buy a guitar for $1500.00.

 

[irjason]

You are young, you can afford it, and it sounds like you intend to keep playing. Over the course of many years $1750 is nothing to own an instrument that sounds like it would give you great pleasure.

Life is too short to pass up opportunities like this IMO. When I was about your age, I spent aroud the same amount on my Warwick. No regrets!

 

[Mark_70]

If you have all the necessities paid for and you can swing it - sure, go for it!
Regards
Mark

 

[Diamond_Dave]

always spend as much as you can afford to on an instrument. In my experience, there is usually a vast difference between a $500 instrument and a $1500 instrument.

I couldn't disagree more. I can afford a lot of instrument. A lot. But it's foolish. Buy an instrument that's good enough that its quality won't limit your growth. A beginning guitarist shouldn't subject themselves to action so high it makes their fingers bleed, but they don't need a Martin or Gibson from the get-go either. I think it's best to start with a modest, quality instrument, learn on it, and then spend money when you know what your ear likes and what your playing style requires. It would be a real shame to buy a big jumbo when it turns out you're really a couch fingerstyle parlor guitar player.

 

[blue4]

Hey talkbass
I am currently in the situation, where I started playing guitar 3 weeks ago, and I love it as much as I did playing bass in the beginning. I have now played the bass for over 8 years (of my 22 year old life) and plan to do that with guitar as well.
I was at several music stores and fell in love with a guitar for 1750 bucks, but I am unsure if it is worth it for me being a bad guitarist.

Would you consider spending 1500 bucks on your first bass/guitar if you know you will stick to it?

No I wouldn't. Way too many great instruments for half that out there.

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

I think he's asking, "Would you consider spending 1500 bucks on your first bass/guitar if you know you will stick to it?"

There is no way to know if you will stick to it.