Advice on buying budget electric?

[Deester]

Hi everyone,

One of our band members is about to purchase a new electric guitar. At the moment he has a Fender Squier Strat. He usually goes to the local store and gets whatever they offer him! Can you give us advice on a model he should be looking for so as we can price it online. He has between £200-£300 to spend (UK). He mainly plays pop/rock.

Any guidelines would be great!

Cheers Dee

 

[mjhigg]

Well, Dee. He's playing a Strat now, but if he usually buys whatever, then I guess he's probably not too attached to it, or is he?

When you're looking for a guitar, budget or otherwise, you have to decide if you're going to go with the strat thing, or the les paul-type thing, or other. There are plenty of budget guitars in all of these categories, but you should decide on what you're looking for before you go out hunting.

 

[robert jaybird]

buy used and get twice the guitar for your money.your friend should bring a knowledgeble accomplice with to gauge its quality.also, he should look for that one that is "the one" that just feels right.

every guitar ive bought has been used-so i own a lp studio not an epipjone

and i own a prs custom for the price of a new les paul studio.

for what your buddy paid for his squier he probably coulda got a real fender used.

if your friend buys a new epiphone or fender beat him up cause he coulda had a used gibson, or a real strat.

 

[Hard2Hear]

One of the best things out there is the 'reissue' fenders made in japan. They have stopped making them because they were so good. These things, if you can find them, are better than the US counterparts of the same years. They are solid bodies with nice finishes and good specs. They are getting harder to come by, but you can often get one for a good price cause they have a "Made in Japan" sticker on the heel of the neck.
Check them out.