Opinions on this guitar/amp bundle?

[Crunchy Dragon]

Hi, some of you may remember me from a while back, I posted asking for guitar recommendations.

 

A lot of you recommended getting a guitar/amp starter bundle so I looked into those and came across this one: https://www.amazon.com/Squier-Fender-Stratocaster-Frontman-Lessons/dp/B075HQKBX9/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1512269543&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=squier%2Bstrat%2Bsss&th=1

 

As a beginning guitarist, do you guys think this would be a good idea for me?

[mr moose]

Personally, While I think those bundles are o.k and It's not like you need the fret accuracy of a $1000 guitar to learn,  I prefer buying something a little better second hand.  Especially the amp bit.  

 

Here's a few videos that might help:

 

 

 

Hopefully these help you decide.

 

EDIT: P.S people will trip over themselves to tell you don't start on a cheap guitar because yada yada yada etc.  It's all wank, most people start on cheap stuff and upgrade as they get better.

[Crunchy Dragon]

11 hours ago, mr moose said:

Personally, While I think those bundles are o.k and It's not like you need the fret accuracy of a $1000 guitar to learn,  I prefer buying something a little better second hand.  Especially the amp bit.  

 

Here's a few videos that might help:

 

-snip-

 

Hopefully these help you decide.

 

EDIT: P.S people will trip over themselves to tell you don't start on a cheap guitar because yada yada yada etc.  It's all wank, most people start on cheap stuff and upgrade as they get better.

I have actually watched most of these videos, I just prefer to buy new if possible(bit of a pet peeve I guess)

[Delicieuxz]

15 hours ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

Hi, some of you may remember me from a while back, I posted asking for guitar recommendations.

 

A lot of you recommended getting a guitar/amp starter bundle so I looked into those and came across this one: https://www.amazon.com/Squier-Fender-Stratocaster-Frontman-Lessons/dp/B075HQKBX9/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1512269543&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=squier%2Bstrat%2Bsss&th=1

 

As a beginning guitarist, do you guys think this would be a good idea for me?

I played one of those Squier Affinity guitars in a store recently, and it was really great sounding and playing. I'm thinking about going back and buying it - and I already have a few expensive electrics.

 

That said, guitars are crap shoots: 5 guitars of the same brand and model can easily feel and acoustically sound different from each other. When looking for a guitar, I play a ton of them until I find one that I think has the best combination of feel of the finish, tonal balance, weight, straightness of the fretboard, etc. I've only played the Squier Affinity that I really liked, so I can't comment on the overall quality of the product line.

 

The amp is not going to sound that good, but it will work for a beginner who's just looking to play plugged in. If you decide to stick with electric guitar, you'll probably eventually want to find a better amp - but that's likely going to cost you hundreds, at minimum. A good guitar can be had for cheap a lot more easily than a good amp can be. The Orange Micro Terror is probably a better amp than the one that's packaged in that combo, and can be found used for around $110 USD, though is still a 'toy' amp (with impressive sound for what it is).

 

For a beginner, I think that Squier deal is a good buy, since the guitar on its own costs the same price, and from my experience plays and sounds pretty good.

[mr moose]

1 hour ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

I have actually watched most of these videos, I just prefer to buy new if possible(bit of a pet peeve I guess)

I understand, I am the same in many ways, but sometimes it's better to own a high quality second hand than low quality first.  Again  I'm talking about the amp more than the guitar. 

[Spork829]

That guitar is totally fine. I've been playing a Squier Strat for years and it works fine for me, good to learn on. That amp really won't be good though. I'd encourage you to try and find the same or a similar guitar without the bundle, and get a nicer amp second hand.

[bowrilla]

It will get the job done but you'll soon be wanting something better. That amp is pretty shitty (on its own its like $60). A 6" speaker is tiny af and 10W … well for quiet practice sessions at home that's probably way too much and not enough to compete with a drummer. It doesn't have any interesting features. Seriously, there are way better amps out there you can get second hand for that money. The guitar itself is probably ok. Still, you'll find way (!) better guitars second hand. Buying new only means burning money. That bundle won't be worth anything after you've bought it. You'll be lucky to get 50 or 60 bucks for the guitar. A nice mid range guitar bought second hand won't get cheaper anymore unless your really wear it down. And a nice mid range guitar will last you for years unlike this one.

[Mutoh]

Personally Im not a fan of bundles and there are budget guitars you can get that are nicer than most of them tbf.

[Crunchy Dragon]

On 12/3/2017 at 8:11 PM, bowrilla said:

It will get the job done but you'll soon be wanting something better. That amp is pretty shitty (on its own its like $60). A 6" speaker is tiny af and 10W … well for quiet practice sessions at home that's probably way too much and not enough to compete with a drummer. It doesn't have any interesting features. Seriously, there are way better amps out there you can get second hand for that money. The guitar itself is probably ok. Still, you'll find way (!) better guitars second hand. Buying new only means burning money. That bundle won't be worth anything after you've bought it. You'll be lucky to get 50 or 60 bucks for the guitar. A nice mid range guitar bought second hand won't get cheaper anymore unless your really wear it down. And a nice mid range guitar will last you for years unlike this one.

I'm mainly planning on something cheap ish I can learn on, I was looking at these off a recommendation from a friend. I also prefer to buy new if possible

[Mutoh]

Getting new guitars are fine but you'll get much better deals on the used market. Especially at a lower budget. 

[JoeCoke]

Yeah I remember. The bundle looks okay for a little practice, but I'll have to stick to what I said last time, go used! If you start to get almost decentish at playing, you'll regret this and have to buy another guitar and amp. Buy once, not twice. I'll bring up what I got used for around 200$ total.

 

The guitar is a Schecter Hellraiser Solo Special 6 with two EMGs. I got if for 105$, if you look it up, it's worth A LOT more than that, and it really shows. It feels nice, looks nice and most importantly, SOUNDS nice!

 

The amp is a Line 6 spider iv 30. I got it for 90$, it's worth 150$, not a crazy deal, but still nice. It has all of of effects, sounds great, and even gets loud enough to keep up with a set of drums.

 

The amp is the worst part of the combo you're looking at, it's a little kids toy.

 

Spoiler

 

GO USED!!! You'll get something so much nicer! Just be sure you're not getting ripped off. Here's a pretty helpful video.

 

 

[Mutoh]

You could probably do better than a Spider for the same price. I'd check out something like a Peavey Vypyr if you wanted modelling features but with a much better sound. A Fender Mustang III would be a good alternative for a modeller as well but they're a bit more expensive.

 

The Boss Katana 50 is also a great sounding budget amp that you can get for relatively cheap new (and cheaper used) 

[JoeCoke]

2 minutes ago, Mutoh said:

You could probably do better than a Spider for the same price.

I'm sure you could, just using my stuff as an example. Not saying OP should go out and try to buy exactly what I have. One things for sure, the spider is a LOT better than the little toy that comes with the bundle.

[JoeCoke]

Oh, get a snark tuner! I can't live without mine. Cheap and effective.

https://www.amazon.com/Snark-SN5X-Guitar-Violin-Current/dp/B01H74YV56/ref=sr_1_3?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1512585117&sr=1-3&keywords=snark+guitar+tuner

[Mutoh]

21 minutes ago, 2Buck said:

I'm sure you could, just using my stuff as an example. Not saying OP should go out and try to buy exactly what I have. One things for sure, the spider is a LOT better than the little toy that comes with the bundle.

Thats fair! Personally Im just not a fan of them and Id rather find something a little better for the cash. 

[TopDollar]

The Affinity Squire lineup is pretty mediocre. Cheap way to get started, learn, and figure out whether or not you like it. Probably not a bad place to start; especially if you go and get it properly set up by a local guitar/music shop. I started on something similar myself. The "Classic Vibe" lineup is probably the best Squire has to offer, but come at a bit higher price. The subtleties in design would probably be lost on a beginner anyways.

[schwarzerrogen]

I don't understand how people buy a guitar without trying it first.

 

You may like the look of the guitar but if it feels wrong to play, you'll hate it. I need to try a guitar before I buy it to make sure it feels right to me. Plus, even 2 guitars built at the same time sometimes sound completely different. You may end up with one that sounds perfectly fine, or the ScratchMaster deluxe that sounds hollow or farty.

[Delicieuxz]

Yeah, the only way to ensure you get a good guitar is to play it in person. There are a lot of bad sounding, or playing, or both guitars on store shelves.

 

To underscore that point, I played a couple other Squier Affinity strats today, and they both felt and sounded terrible. But the one I had played previously which I said felt and sounded really good, still felt and sounded really good, and so I bought it. Also, after spending some days going to most of the guitar stores in and around Vancouver and playing all their Strat Professional guitars, I just bought the two that I think are the best according to my tastes, with them both sounding different from each other: One has more low-end sound, with less mid-highs, but more top-end, while the other is the opposite. And one has a perfect weight balance between neck and body, while the other is less perfectly balanced, but is lighter overall. And the tuners turn more smoothly on one of them.

 

If not knowing what you're looking for in a guitar's feel and sound, then it probably will be challenging to find a really good one. Heck, even with lots of experience, I find it challenging to find a really great-sounding and playing guitar.

 

Maybe play some inexpensive ones, and also some expensive ones, and see if you can feel out what you like about them.

[mr moose]

On 12/10/2017 at 6:47 PM, schwarzerrogen said:

I don't understand how people buy a guitar without trying it first.

 

You may like the look of the guitar but if it feels wrong to play, you'll hate it. I need to try a guitar before I buy it to make sure it feels right to me. Plus, even 2 guitars built at the same time sometimes sound completely different. You may end up with one that sounds perfectly fine, or the ScratchMaster deluxe that sounds hollow or farty.

 

6 hours ago, Delicieuxz said:

Yeah, the only way to ensure you get a good guitar is to play it in person. There are a lot of bad sounding, or playing, or both guitars on store.

 

To underscore that point, I played a couple other Squier Affinity strats today, and they both felt and sounded terrible. But the one I had played previously which I said felt and sounded really good, still felt and sounded really good, and so I bought it. Also, after spending some days going to most of the guitar stores in and around Vancouver and playing all their Strat Professional guitars, I just bought the two that I think are the best according to my tastes, with them both sounding different from each other: One has more low-end sound, with less mid-highs, but more top-end, while the other is the opposite. And one has a perfect weight balance between neck and body, while the other is less perfectly balanced, but is lighter overall. And the tuners turn more smoothly on one of them.

 

If not knowing what you're looking for in a guitar's feel and sound, then it probably will be challenging to find a really good one. Heck, even with lots of experience, I find it challenging to find a really great-sounding and playing guitar.

 

Maybe play some inexpensive ones, and also some expensive ones, and see if you can feel out what you like about them.

 

Which is fine if you have been playing long enough to know what suits you best.    But for a beginner, they could play 50 guitars and still not know which will be the better long term.  When you start out it's all a gamble until you find yourself.   

 

On 12/7/2017 at 5:10 AM, 2Buck said:

 Buy once, not twice. I'll bring up what I got used for around 200$ total.

 

 

Who can stop at one guitar anyway?   I have 10 and I don't even consider myself a decent player. 

[Mutoh]

5 hours ago, mr moose said:

 

 

Which is fine if you have been playing long enough to know what suits you best.    But for a beginner, they could play 50 guitars and still not know which will be the better long term.  When you start out it's all a gamble until you find yourself.   

 

 

Who can stop at one guitar anyway?   I have 10 and I don't even consider myself a decent player. 

The thing is though, you dont need to know what pickups are in it, what scale length it is etc... to know if a guitar feels good to you or not. Thats all personal preference and by trying them you have a better idea of what is comfy for you regardless of your skill level.

 

 

 

[JoeCoke]

7 hours ago, mr moose said:

 

 

Which is fine if you have been playing long enough to know what suits you best.    But for a beginner, they could play 50 guitars and still not know which will be the better long term.  When you start out it's all a gamble until you find yourself.   

 

 

Who can stop at one guitar anyway?   I have 10 and I don't even consider myself a decent player. 

Yeah, but what's the fun of owning a piece of shit? It's just a waste and the amp is an even bigger waste.

[DanielMDA]

On 3/12/2017 at 11:31 AM, Crunchy Dragon said:

I have actually watched most of these videos, I just prefer to buy new if possible(bit of a pet peeve I guess)

Im more of a bass player guy =)

[mr moose]

4 hours ago, Mutoh said:

The thing is though, you dont need to know what pickups are in it, what scale length it is etc... to know if a guitar feels good to you or not. Thats all personal preference and by trying them you have a better idea of what is comfy for you regardless of your skill level.

 

 

 

 

That's just my point, until you get to a certain skill level you don't know what feels shit.  Having watched even accomplished guitarists slowly evolve from a thick neck to a thin and another from a fast action to a slightly raised one indicates that preferences also change.  For beginning it really isn't that much of an issue.

2 hours ago, 2Buck said:

Yeah, but what's the fun of owning a piece of shit? It's just a waste and the amp is an even bigger waste.

I agree on the amp, nothing good will come of that amp, but the guitar is fine.   All beginner stuff is a compromise somewhere along the line.

[Mutoh]

2 hours ago, mr moose said:

 

That's just my point, until you get to a certain skill level you don't know what feels shit.  Having watched even accomplished guitarists slowly evolve from a thick neck to a thin and another from a fast action to a slightly raised one indicates that preferences also change.  For beginning it really isn't that much of an issue.

I agree on the amp, nothing good will come of that amp, but the guitar is fine.   All beginner stuff is a compromise somewhere along the line.

Well that's fine but I still disagree. You don't have to be that experienced to hold something in your hand and feel that it's not comfortable to you because that's all preference along with neck profiles, pickups, shapes, pretty much anything. It's not like all accomplished guitarist use thin necked guitars or anything like that either so I don't really get your point on that. You also don't have to be a pro to feel sharp fret ends or anything similar that would hamper you a bit. At this point there are so many cheap guitars that are actually decent, you don't have to have a cruddy feeling guitar starting out anymore. If I had the opportunity to have half the budget guitars that they offer know when I was starting out I would be in paradise. 

 

[JoeCoke]

7 hours ago, mr moose said:

I agree on the amp, nothing good will come of that amp, but the guitar is fine.   All beginner stuff is a compromise somewhere along the line.

I almost want to agree, but considering you can get a much nicer guitar for less, I just can't. But that's just me. If the OP doesn't want to bother looking for used stuff, get the guitar separately and definitely get a better amp.