SoCalCyclist

I'm 38 years old and want to learn to play guitar. I know nothing about guitar and the only musical instrument I've ever played in my life was a flutophone in 3rd grade.

I don't want to put out much money to start just in case it doesn't work out. I think I want to start with electric and not acoustic.

So, I called my local music shop and the dude said they carry 4 different Fender starter packages priced at:
$199, $249, $299, & $349

He said they didn't have any in stock, just sold the last one the other day, and had no idea when they'd get more in. He was helpful till that last part.

I'm guessing they're probably these:

**** DANG IT! Can't post URL's or pics till 15 posts so I'll just give descriptions I guess. They can all be found at: "squierguitars {dot} com/products/" ****


1)
Model Name Stop Dreaming, Start Playing™ Set: Affinity Strat® HSS with Bullet® 150 DSP Amp
Model Number 030-1610-(Color#) USA
Series Affinity Series
Colors (006) Black,
(025) Metallic Red,
(095) Metallic Blue,
(Polyurethane Finish)
Body Agathis
Neck Maple, C-Shape,
(Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard Rosewood, 9.5” Radius (241 mm)
No. of Frets 22 Medium Jumbo
Pickups 2 Single-Coil Pickups (Neck/Mid),
1 Humbucking Pickup (Bridge)
Controls Master Volume,
Tone 1. (Neck Pickup),
Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)
Pickup Switching 5-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup
Position 3. Middle Pickup
Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup
Position 5. Neck Pickup
Bridge Synchronous Tremolo
Machine Heads Standard Die-Cast Tuners
Hardware Chrome
Pickguard 1-Ply White
Scale Length 25.5” (648 mm)
Width at Nut 1.61” (41 mm)
Unique Features White Dot Position Inlays

Bullet® 150 DSP Features:
"Fender "clean" channel and versatile distortion channel.
"15 digital effects, including reverb, delay/echo, chorus, flanging and tremolo.
"Auxiliary input for playing along with CD or drum machine.
"Headphone output for silent practice.
"15 watts.
"8" speaker.
"Tough textured vinyl exterior.
Strings Fender Super 250L, (.009 to .042) Nickel Plated Steel p/n 073-0250-003
Accessories The Set Includes:
Squier Fat Strat p/n 031-0700,
Fender Bullet® 150 DSP Guitar Amplifier,
Strap,
Electronic Tuner,
Gig Bag,
Cable,
Pick Sampler
Introduced 1/2007



2)
Model Name Stop Dreaming, Start Playing™ Set: Affinity Strat® HSS with G-DEC® Junior Amp
Model Number 030-1620-(Color#) USA
Series Affinity Series
Colors (006) Black,
(025) Metallic Red,
(095) Metallic Blue,
(Polyurethane Finish)
Body Agathis
Neck Maple, C-Shape,
(Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard Rosewood, 9.5” Radius (241 mm)
No. of Frets 22 Medium Jumbo
Pickups 2 Single-Coil Pickups (Neck/Mid),
1 Humbucking Pickup (Bridge)
Controls Master Volume,
Tone 1. (Neck Pickup),
Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)
Pickup Switching 5-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup
Position 3. Middle Pickup
Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup
Position 5. Neck Pickup
Bridge Synchronous Tremolo
Machine Heads Standard Die-Cast Tuners
Hardware Chrome
Pickguard 1-Ply White
Scale Length 25.5” (648 mm)
Width at Nut 1.61” (41 mm)
Unique Features White Dot Position Inlays

G-DEC® Junior Features:
• Built-in E-tuner with LED Indicator.
• 15 watts, 8" Special Design speaker.
• 16 amp types recreate the tones needed to play any style of music.
• 15 special effects presets.
• 15 drum/bass/accompaniment loops, including metronome.
• Key selector knob allows 14 different keys; "Bass Off" may be selected to allow only the drum sounds to be activated.
• Tempo knob allows settings from 30 to 240 bpm.
• Separate controls for guitar volume and backing loop volume
• MIDI connector allows streaming files from a computer and future software upgrades.
• 1/8" AUX in allows jam-along capability with external CD or mp3 player.
• Headphone jack doubles as line output to recording gear or further amplification.
Strings Fender Super 250L, (.009 to .042) Nickel Plated Steel p/n 073-0250-003
Accessories The Set Includes:
Squier Fat Strat p/n 031-0700,
G-DEC® Junior Guitar Amplifier,
Strap,
Gig Bag,
Cable,
Pick Sampler
Introduced 1/2007




3)
Model Name Stop Dreaming, Start Playing™ Set: Affinity Strat® Special with Fender Frontman Amp® 15G
Model Number 030-1605-(Color#)
Series Affinity Series
Colors (006) Black,
(025) Metallic Red,
(095) Metallic Blue,
(Polyurethane Finish)
Body Agathis
Neck Maple, C-Shape,
(Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard Rosewood, 9.5” Radius (241 mm)
No. of Frets 22 Medium Jumbo
Pickups 3 Single-Coil Pickups
Controls Master Volume,
Tone 1. (Neck Pickup),
Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)
Pickup Switching 5-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup
Position 3. Middle Pickup
Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup
Position 5. Neck Pickup
Bridge Synchronous Tremolo
Machine Heads Standard Die-Cast Tuners
Hardware Chrome
Pickguard 1-Ply White
Scale Length 25.5” (648 mm)
Width at Nut 1.61” (41 mm)
Unique Features White Dot Position Inlays
Strings Fender Super 250L, (.009 to .042) Nickel Plated Steel p/n 073-0250-003
Accessories The Set Includes:
Squier Affinity Strat Special p/n ?,
Fender Frontman Amp 15G Guitar Amplifier,
Stereo Headphones,
Instructional DVD,
Chromatic Tuner,
Gig Bag,
Cable,
Guitar Strap,
Pick Sampler
Introduced 4/2007



Are these all junk? Are they good enough to learn on? Recommendations?

mr dave

those are all perfectly fine packages to learn on. the advice i ALWAYS give when recommending a starter instrument is simple.

***DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE BRAND NAME***

it really doesn't matter for your first instrument. if you're going to keep with it you WILL eventually want to drop the better part of a grand on a serious instrument. if you're not going to stick with it, or just goof around by playing along to mp3s at home then it won't really matter. your fingers and ears won't really be able to tell the difference between a $100 and a $1000 when you're first starting out. once you've put in a few months on a starter guitar you'll have a better understanding of what YOU want in terms of an instrument.

having said that the most substantial thing in those starter packs is the amp. you'll eventually get a better guitar but a little 10-15W practice amp is always nice to have around and fender amps are usually pretty decent. in fact the only difference between the first 2 packs you present are the amps.

the only difference between the guitars in these packs is that the one in the 3rd has the classic pickup setup (3 single coils). the first 2 packs come with the more modern humbucker in the bridge position. the advantage to having a HB in the bridge position is that it allows for a stronger and cleaner treble output (great if you want to play metal solos). the downside to single coil pickups is that they create a noticeable hum in your sound when they're selected individually (selecting two at once eliminates the hum).

the first pack comes with a rather basic amp, the only special feature it has is built in effects.

the 2nd pack has a much snazzier amp, built in tuner, effects, amp emulation, built in beat box and practice loops. i've never actually seen an amp with that many extras before.

the 3rd pack has a classic no nonsense amp. you plug it in and it makes it louder. period. kind of surprising that it's the only pack that includes the headphones and instructional dvd.

depending on how serious you want to get with playing guitar i'd go with either option 2 or 3. if you're just going to play around and have fun the 2nd amp will provide you with way more possibilities. if you think you'll be seriously getting into playing guitar and learning on your own i'd go with the 3rd option. it'll likely be the cheapest also - which will make getting a nicer guitar a little easier on the pocketbook.

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SoCalCyclist

Thanks Mr Dave! Appreciate you taking the time. Guess I'll just have to buy one and go for it. I only wish the local music shop had them in stock but I guess it doesn't really matter if I buy online.

mr dave

no worries SCC. i'm always happy to offer advice to beginners.

you're right, it won't really matter if you buy a pack online or in the store, it's going to be the same product. the main benefit to getting a pack is that you have everything you need to start at once.

you're other option would be getting a starter guitar and practice amp separately through either pawn shops or music stores. it's a little more work but you'll be able to try out various guitars first (even if it's just to see how they feel in your hands), you also won't be limited to black, red, or blue finishes.

just remember the most important thing when playing an instrument, especially when you're starting out, is to have fun.

__________________
i am the universe

spook

As said, an absolutely fine place to start!

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