Do you play guitar at all? (acoustic?)

There are a number of solutions.

My solution was an Epiphone Casino, because it is an acoustic guitar as well an electric guitar, so I can practice without an amp if I want.

Pure electric choices range from Fender Squier, various Epiphones, some Ibanez models, to the low-end guitars with decent reputations like Agile at Rondo Music http://www.rondomusic.com/ and Xavieres at Guitar Fetish http://store.guitarfetish.com/xaviereguitars.html

I had a low-end Kramer/Focus/Faux-Strat guitar that was decent. The build was good but the pickups were a little weak - but it was very inexpensive and pup upgrades are reasonable.

But nothing beats going to a music store and putting your hands on the guitar, plugging it in to an amp, turning off all FX except for a little reverb, and listening.

Here is a picture of my Epiphone Casino (about $400 used) and my Gibson ES-330 (about $5,000 used). They are very similar looking and sounding. If $400 isn't too steep for your budget, I'd recommend that you go to a music store and try one out.


Notes


Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks