When I vaguely thought, "I'm going to buy an electric guitar! I had a lot of fantasies when I vaguely thought "I'm going to buy an electric guitar!
I know I am revealing my age by writing this, but I bought my first electric guitar around the time I entered junior high school...back then, there was still the old fashioned notion that electric bikes and electric guitars were for delinquents.
I remember I was crazy about KISS back then... Ace played a Les Paul, a custom red cherry sunburst with 3 PUs! The front PU was on fire...I miss those days...Of course, there was no MTV back then...MUSIC LIFE and magazines were all I had to go on. Photoshoots and artists on the cover were the only images I had. It wasn't like now, when the outsiders don't come to Japan all the year round.
The first photo in the magazine that knocked me out was of Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page! Anyway, I wanted to get an electric guitar. But, as a junior high school student at the time, Gibson was just above my head. I remember drooling over the mini-ham gold tops and 3-piece sunbursts in the show windows of music stores, haha... And then Greco! Yeah, we all grew up with Greco.
Nowadays, there are so many different makes and models of electric guitars, but back in the late 70's, before Greco's Super Real and Tokai came out, there were all kinds of Les Paul and Strat knockoffs that were not perfect!
Greco, Fernandez, Aria... there were several manufacturers, but there was a TV show called "Rock Omoshiroku" hosted by Haruo Chikada at the time. The show was sponsored by Greco, and in one of the commercials, Akira Wada of Prism played very fast and looked really cool.
I had a strong impression of Greco! And I was thinking about what to buy... I could only think of the Les Paul that Jimmy Page uses.
I remember now, there were two factions around me at that time, Zeppelin and Purple. Of course, I was a Zeppelin man...so when it came to electric guitars, it was Les Paul or Strat. One day, I saw a Greco EG-600J (dark green!?) Jeff Beck model Les Paul at a music shop in Shinjuku. I got a catalog that day and went home, but I had a good time staring at the catalog for a while.
And in the end, I bought it! Greco MR-600! What? Why...why...well...give me a break. I got my first Les Paul (of a type!) when I was in my junior year of high school. I got my first Les Paul when I was a junior in high school. I was working part-time at the time. Then I bought it! Marshall Unit17 (JCM800/100W 2-stage).
After all, Les Paul and Marshall are the world's strongest tag team. I broke the neck of my Tokai Les Paul about 20 years ago and fixed it once, but it broke again and I lost it.
I've muddied the waters with my own old stories, but in short, I think it's okay to start with the artists you admire, the sounds you like, and the feelings you have for them.
Once you have fantasized enough, you can start thinking about how to get the electric guitar of your dreams. First of all, budget... By the way, how much do electric guitars start from? There are so many electric guitars available, from less than 10,000 yen for a brand-new one to the top of the list.
What's the difference between a cheap one and an expensive one? But, not only electrics, but also other expensive products require a certain amount of time and money for production and material costs. But don't worry, just like clothing, there are almost no products with quality problems nowadays, even if they are not made in the U.S. or Japan. You can start out with the cheap stuff." "I want good quality, even if it costs more." or "I'll go with the brand." But I want people to choose with confidence based on their own sense of value.
I said "new" earlier, but yes, there are used ones, too! Whether you decide to buy new or used will also change what you can buy within your limited budget. Then there are other things you should buy in addition to the electric body, so make sure you have room in your budget! More on that later.
Young people nowadays wear old clothes in a cool way, but used electric guitars are also quite good, too! Shiny new ones are great, but used ones are the best value for money! You may be thinking, "But, used electrics are so dirty" or "Won't they break and be useless? But we are a used store! Don't worry about it, because every corner of the instrument has been polished and fine-tuned so that you can play it without any stress.
What, you think that's not enough to make used instruments attractive? Well, let me tell you a little bit about it. For starters, there is a wide range of used instruments, from those made 20 or 30 years ago to those that are almost brand new.
The atmosphere unique to electric guitars made over a long period of time cannot be experienced with electric guitars made in recent years, and there is a sense of satisfaction in having something different. It is not unusual to find a used current model for half the price of a new one, and I'll tell you a secret, popular models that were sold a while ago or artist models are the best bet. For example, a model with a list price of 80,000 yen at the time may be less than 20,000 yen!
Standard type:
Les Paul, Stratocaster, Telecaster, SG, and other electric standards that have enjoyed stable popularity for over half a century! Les Pauls with their graceful curves and beauty. Stratos that match every musical style. Telecasses, once popular in country music, are popular mainly among vocalists for their simple style. Lightweight and easy to play, the SG is a great performer for wild stage performances.
Variant type:
Explorer, Flying V, Warlock, Mockingbird, and other aggressive types from the looks of it! Perfect for those who want to be different and stand out from the crowd.
The deformed type is popular among hard rock and metal types.
Semi-acoustic:
Semi-acoustic guitars with a cavity in the body, such as ES-335.
The ES-335 combines the core strength of a solid guitar with the fuller sound of an acoustic guitar, making it suitable for a wide range of styles from rock to blues to jazz.
Full acoustic:
Guitars with a completely hollow body, such as ES-175, L-5, etc.
A full acoustic type with an appealing boxy sound throughout the body. The large, thick body allows the player's touch and nuances to be expressed more vividly.
Set neck:
The body and neck are completely glued together.
Bolt-on:
Drill holes in the neck and body and secure with screws.
Arched Top:
Has a raised body top and is jointed at an angle to the neck preparation, resulting in a wider distance between the body and the strings.
Flat Top:
Flat tops have a flat body top, and the body and neck are jointed straight, so the distance between the body and the strings is narrower.
Humbucker:
Fat, powerful, and easy to distort. Low noise.
Single coil:
Bright and light sound. Easy to touch and responsive.
Body Material
The harder and heavier the wood, the brighter and snappier the sound.
Mahogany:
Thick and sweet sound.
Alder:
A well-balanced wood overall, with a clear and tight midrange.
Ash:
A wide range of sound, with a crisp sound with a good rise of sound.
Maple:
Sound with good rise and sharpness, and strong high frequency range. It is also known for its beautiful grain.
Basswood:
Low-priced wood, but has a flat, unrefined sound quality. Soft wood, so it tends to have a weak sound.
Choose according to your taste, feeling, and usage.
| Neck shape (grip comfort): | |
| Thick, thin, thick, thin, etc., the neck should be comfortable for fingering without stress at first. From people with small to large hands, try it on and see if it feels comfortable. | |
| Weight: | |
| The weight balance between the head and body is an important point for those who want to run around the stage. The lighter the weight, the more comfortable it seems, but remember that it also affects the sound output. | |
Locking type such as Floyd Rose:
Tuning does not go out of tune. It takes some getting used to, but it is not easy to set the strings and tune the instrument.
Synchronized tremolo:
Easy arming. Slightly out of tune.
Fixed type:
No arming, but stable tuning. Easy to set strings.
Head:
The part of the head where the brand logo is often placed and the pegs are attached.
Peg:
The strings are wound and tuned.
Nut:
The fulcrum on the head side of the string, the reference point for the frets.
Neck:
The position at which the note is held down and determines the height of the note.
Fret:
The fret: The string is pressed against the fret to change the length of the string and the pitch of the note.
Strings:
Six metal strings, which vibrate to produce sound.
Body:
A body made primarily of wood.
Pickup:
A microphone made of coils and magnets that picks up vibrations and converts them into electrical signals.
Bridge:
A fulcrum on the body side from which vibrations are transmitted to the body.
Tailpiece:
The part that holds the ends of the strings in place.
Pickup selector:
Switches between multiple pickups.
Control Knob:
Knob to control volume and tone.
Jack:
Insert a shielded cable here to connect to an amplifier.
Strap Pin:
Pin for attaching a strap (shoulder strap).
Now, this is it! Have you found the guitar you are looking for? Now all that's left isGo to store!It's a good idea.
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