Your best bet is to try as many guitars as you can. I don't care what the brand is or how much it cost. If it feels good in your hands it is the one you should probably buy.

I have played many $1000.00 + guitars and many sub $300.00 guitars, and honestly I can set either up to feel good for me. It's not about how well the guitar is, a good player will be a good player on any guitar you give him/her.

As a beginner I would not spend more than $500.00 on a guitar. When you do get the 1st guitar play the shit out of it and figure out what you think should be better about it. THEN look into higher end guitars to see if they offer you what you think your current guitar is missing.

I owned a $100.00 Ibanez that played like a dream. Now I own 4 guitars, 3 being neck thru with Floyd's, I like floyd's and I know how to set up a guitar with them, but I would have never know about them if I hadn't tried as many guitars as I could. That is key IMO.

I've never owned an acoustic but the same things should apply....if it feels good in your hands you will want to play it more. If it feels like crap, you probably won't want to play it. And it's all about playing and enjoying what you can do with an instrument, because if you don't enjoy it....what's the point?

I'm going to back up Hemi-Cuda on this one, regarding the neck thru body comment. NTB is the BEST way to build a guitar, all other factors being equal.   Let me restate that last phrase:  All other factors being equal.  





I've built neck-thru-body guitars, hidden neck-thru guitars (a huge neck tenon that extends past the bridge and tailpiece, essentially it IS neck thru except that the tenon


is hidden by a thin layer of wood all around), and set necks.  I don't bother with bolt-on necks and frankly think they suck.   While each build method is good,  neck


thru is the best for several very valid reasons.  And it's actually arguably the easiest one to make, as there IS no neck joint. Just join the body wings to the neck piece


and you're done with that.  





It's certainly at least AS good as a very well done long tenon set neck.



But he had the neck radius comments all wrong.  Neck radius only relates to how flat the fingerboard is. The larger the number, the flatter the board.  A 12" radius

fingerboard has the same curvature as a section of a drum 24 inches in diameter.    A 10" radius has the same curvature as a section of drum 20 inches in diameter.

Radiuses vary from as little as 7.5 inches for some Fenders up to 24 inches for some basses,  and then there's totally flat fingerboards like are found on many classical

nylon string guitars.
CJ
 

I wouldn't say bolt ons suck, some just don't like them. Shit Vai, Gilbert, and I believe Satch all play bolt ons. I keep one bolt on, non trem equiped guitar around just so I can easily switch tunnings, if one of my other guitars isn't already in that tunning.

That being said, I love my neck thru guitars. My first was a Jackson RR24 and after buying that I will never buy another guitar that wasn't neck thru. You can feel the resonance when you play one....and for me I have better luck adjusting NT guitars w/ a floyd, compared to BO necks w/ a floyd.

Neck radius is something a new player will know nothing about. He will just know I like this guitar or that guitar. I love flat necks....I can just blaze on them. But I also love the compund radius baord on my Jackson. Another thing I notice on some guitars is they tend to taper more at the nut(Jackson), where my Ibanez guitars seem about the same all the way down. I'm sure it has a taper, it just doesn't seem to be as much. I guess it's different between models.

I've never, ever been able to enjoy a bolt-on neck guitar no matter what it was.   The only exception to that was that my first guitar (a cheap SG knockoff) of course had

a bolt-on neck and I did a lot to that guitar to improve it before I moved on to other, better guitars.  I did have fun with that one.  I eventually ended up replacing the

body with a solid mahogany body I made for it.   I still have that body.  With some effort I could rebuild it as a set neck.  I should think about doing it,  after I get through

the NINE other current guitar projects I'm working on!



But once I got past bolt-on necks, I've never, ever wanted to go back.  To me, it's a way to make affordable guitars, but not a way to make GREAT guitars.





CJ


 

I've never even seen a cheap "knock-off" SG with a bolt on neck?  Learn something new every day!  Who made it?

True story. My favorite is my D15, not a high end Martin, but THIS ONE is enchanted.  One of the best I've ever strummed, and all others agree as well. Folks with MUCH fancier guitars don't wanna give it back.  I tried many before I picked this one, two notes and I knew. Try many.

 

Can anyone help a noob out?.

37 years old. Played piano for several years growing up. Tried guitar way back when but it didnt stick. I want to try again.

This is  the package I am looking at. Anyone care to comment? I haven't had too much luck finding a left handed starter package. Would I be better off picking up a better guitar in the $500 range and adding a small amp or would this cheaper package be the best way to get into things.


http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/fender-left-handed-electric-guitar-and-amp-pack?src=3WWRWXGP

It must have dated to the late 70s.  Probably you haven't seen one lately.  I think that one had "Cameo" silkscreened

on the headstock.  I blacked it out with a Sharpie as I'd rather have a no-name than a suck-name brand.



I did EVERYTHING to that guitar.  I learned so much on it.  Refret, setup, hardware replacement, BODY replacement,

and then started over with a fresh build and transferred the electronics into the new one.  Which I later upgraded.



 

Nothing wrong with a Squier, but I can just about guarantee that the amp is going sound just about as lifeless as a cheap 6x9 in a cardboard box.

ETA: Here's that same guitar by it's self: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/squier-stratocaster-left-handed-electric-guitar
But if you look around on craigslist, ebay or in your local pawn shops, you can find one for $100 or less.

Then just look on craigslist, ebay or your local pawn shops, for a used Peavey Vypyr, Line6 Spyder, or Roland Cube. And if you find one with a built in tuner, you can kill 2 birds with one stone.

I fully agree with this.



Honestly I think that the guitar companies do themselves a disservice by packaging a dead sounding, sterile, lifeless POS of an amp with a low end

guitar as a starter package.     Such a dead sounding amp can only put people off.  Why play an instrument if the sound is so dull and lifeless?



Plug a 5000 dollar guitar into a 100 dollar amp,  and then plug a 100 dollar guitar into a 5000 dollar amp,  and believe me, the cheap guitar will sound

fantastic through the superior amplifier.     The expensive guitar can't make its point through such an abominable little POS of an amp.



That's an extreme test, but even at the 300 dollar price point you can start getting into some low end digital modelling amps that are chock full of tones,

many of which are quite tasty and interesting.





Used is good.  Check out pawn shops and music stores for used bargains.  Test them well before you buy them, though.
CJ





 

To your point CJ, I just went from a $100 Vypyr to a $350 VOX VT40+ tube modeler, night and day.  The VOX just screams and cryes, a real champ.

Appreciate the advice fellas.

I'm not real keen on buying used to be honest with you. Complete ignorance in what I'm looking at scares me off with used. I'm afraid that I may overlook some problem or not notice things that a veteran player may see. So with that in mind, for now, I want to go new.

Heres what I have after ya'lls input.

The guitar Gone Shootin mentioned: https://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/squier-stratocaster-left-handed-electric-guitar

The amp: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Peavey-Vypyr-15-15W-1x8-Guitar-Combo-Amp-104922851-i1413605.gc?source=4WWRWXGP&cagpspn=pla

other then a tuner, picks, a cable and a book, what else do I really need to have to get started?

Was also looking at these:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/squier-standard-stratocaster-left-handed-electric-guitar/510469#review

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/ibanez-grg120bdxl-left-handed-electric-guitar dont know what it is but the Ibanez makes my pants tight

http://www.rondomusic.com/al2000blackleft.html very much liking this one also

FWIW, I mainly like hard rock(Alice in Chains, Metallica, Disturbed , Cult , Dropkick Murphys....etc) as well as  classic rock like Floyd, Zeppelin and Hendrix.

Those Agile guitars are actually nice guitars for the money. They're made in China, but most of the cheap guitars are anymore.

Also, in the past few weeks I've shyed away from the Vypyr. It just doesnt sound right to my ears anymore, and anything I would recommend would be more expensive.

Looks like a startup set!  Are ya having FUN yet?

Bought the Peavey and an Epiphone Les Paul last month.

Went out an bought a Washburn WD35S acoustic yesterday. Having fun

My advice is to just get a Telecaster and never look back. I have several but my favorite is a '52 Reissue, with 7.25 radius and vintage frets. I FAR prefer vintage frets and radius, but 9.5" with medium frets are good as well, and may be better for beginners. Squier Classic Vibe series Teles and Strats are awesome guitars for the price, as are all the Mexican Fenders. Just go look at them, feel the neck (some are fat, some are skinny) and grab one. I prefer tube amps, but you can grab a solid state Fender Frontman 25R for $99 or less brand new, and they're great amps! I have one, and some folks even gig with them. Great for home play, have headphone jack, spring reverb and an OD channel. Very portable, but look and sound like a "real" amp, and you can upgrade the speaker later on.

This is my main living room setup, a '52 Reissue Tele and Fender Pro Junior 15 watt tube amp w/ 10" speaker. BTW these amps are available on Ebay for only $200 all day long, used (which is where I got this one).

+1 on the Frontman 25R amp.  Great tone for a SS combo amp.  Only problem for me is that it doesn't get quiet enough and still have decent tone.  I typically have a 2 and 4 year old running around while I'm playing and I'd rather not damage their hearing.

giving this thread cpr
don't worry i brushed

Acoustic-electric guitars?

Whats the word for a good one at the 400-ish$ price point?

I play electric primarily but have always dug glen hansard's style

I liked the takamine's with fishman, but was curious if anyone had anything else to look at?

With respect, I disagree on the "neck-through" designs - when something goes wrong, the whole guitar is junk - seen it on a J.B. Player.  With a bolt-on, or even a set-neck, there's things you can do, like shimming.

Amp-wise, one critical thing is get at least a 10" speaker - 12" is better.  Budget guitar amps with cheap 8" or 6" speakers sound like bad transistor radios.

No,  find a guitar YOU like for starters.   Never listen to anyone who says "You gotta have a les paul!"  "A strat is the only way to go, dude."  "Get an SG, because

Angus Young is never wrong about guitars!"  "Get a Tele and never look back."



We all have different preferences and tastes, even when starting out.   Start with what interests you first,  and then later,  if you feel the itch,  try something else

even if you think you won't like it much.



In my case, I can't stand Teles.  Absolutely there is no popular type of guitar that I have less use for.   They're fine for other people but for me, NO.  I am firmly

in the Gibson/PRS camp.   You can hand me most anything made by either Gibson or PRS and I'll like it.   But Fenders in general don't do it for me, and certainly not

Teles,  although I would never say that a Tele isn't a good guitar.  It's just not a guitar that appeals to me.





CJ



 

Here's my two cents on finding and choosing an electric guitar:

Think about what bands you like or what guitarist you admire. If you like the sex pistols, go for a dual humbucker. If you like the Eagles, think about a Stratocaster.  

You have to play guitars clean without any distortion when trying it out. If you don't like the sound of it clean, it is not going to get any better with pedals or effects.

When you play, bend the strings and see if it stays in tune.  If it can't stay in tune, generally it is junk.  Sometimes, inexpensive fixes like new tuners can help, but it is better not to have to deal with this particularly as a beginner.

Try many many guitars of all sorts of models and styles. You may be surprised what you ultimately end up with.

I would avoid package deals where they offer a practice amp with an inexpensive guitar. Those package deals usually feature the lowest quality guitar that can be offered plus a crappy amp. I don't think that's the best way to start out. Your experience may vary. Good luck.

My suggestion would be to try out as many as you can, then shop around. Once you have shopped around and are set on what you want, check the price on Musician's Friend and Amazon. Saved $$$ in the past going this route.

As for which brand, remember that it's going to be like a "what's the best hangun" argument - no one is going to agree on anything. You will have fan boys galore tell you that you need to buy this or that model. Buy what YOU like and what works for YOUR playing style.

I like American-made BC Rich electrics and Takamine acoustics myself, but you won't find many with my preferences out there...

I'm shopping for my first electric; read many things, watched many YouTube videos and had an introductory lesson on acoustic.  I have a rudimentary understanding of how electrics make sounds and what things are called, however none of it is "practical", yet.





I'm thinking about an Epiphone Les Paul Special I with P90s or a Special II with humbuckers.  My fondest wish is to make stupid 80's guitar noise (think Round 'n Round by Ratt).  For a cheap first guitar, which would I like better?  I know that I should get in to the store and play some, unfortunately I have a chicken and the egg problem since I am buying to learn





Did more research into Ratt's Warren DeMartini since I figured that might be the sound I was after. Lots of cool interviews with Warren in many different magazines.  It looks like he played Charvels with Seymour Duncan pickups of various sorts. I then researched Seymour Duncan and was immediately overwhelmed!



Found a great graphic mapping out Warren's 2010 gear setup, to my eye he hasn't changed guitars or other gear much from those described in a 1987 interview.



I guess I'll stop concentrating on that sound and work on learning quicker




 

Any Super Strat with an Alder body, a bolt on Maple neck, and a Duncan JB in the bridge will get you there. A good a second choice would be a Duncan Screamin' Demon (one of George Lynch's signature pickups) or the new Duncan Perpetual Burn (Jason Becker's signature pickup). But since Jackson and several others install JBs at the factory, that's probably your easiest route, and damn near everybody in the '80s was using them.

Also since it's your first guitar, I'd look for a hard tail (no tremolo) since they're a little easier to setup, but if you absolutely must have the ability to do dive bombs, spend the extra money on something that has an Original Floyd Rose, a Floyd Rose Special, Floyd Rose 1000, or even a Floyd Rose 02000. I would avoid anything with a Jackson or Charvel Branded Licensed Floyd Rose, because they can be hit or miss. I have a couple Jackson Dinkys with these trems and one works great and the other is junk, and swapping in a real Floyd is a chore because the dimensions are slightly different.

Other than that, I wouldn't spring for a maple top, because most of the old school Super Strats back in the day didn't have them. As far as fretboards go, I've come to prefer either Ebony or Maple because they give a guitar a little more snap on the top end, but that's just a preference thing.

Just post back here or shoot me an IM if you have more questions.

Good luck!

You know they do make beginner models right?

Yeah, Gibson makes beginner models, and I like Gibson, but at the end of the day they're just another guitar maker. Gibson/Epiphone, Fender/Squier, Jackson/Charvel, ESP/LTD, Schecter, Paul Reed Smith, Ibanez, ect, ect, ect, all make good guitars in varying price points and levels of quality.

Gibson is not the end all/beat all.

So after reading this thread and countless other first guitar buying guides I made a couple of decisions.
1. I was interested in the Epiphone Les Paul Special ( I or II )
The reviews online were mostly favorable for either model, with the major weakness being the tuners and quality control for the fret dressing.
2. I wanted to buy new.
As a novice I had almost no way of evaluating whether or not I'd found a used diamond in the rough or somebody's problem child.
3. I should at least consider the similar offerings from Fender, Gibson and Yahama.  So I'll need to find a shop that stocks a lot of product.
Concentrating on just one model with my lack of experience has got to be a mistake.
4. I am going to give Rocksmith 2014 a whirl.
I'm a working dude with a wife, two kids and a dog and I don't have time to get to a regular private lesson.  The cost of Rocksmith was roughly the cost of one month of lessons ( excluding the guitar and computer ) and the reviews for the latest revision were persuasive.
So this is what I did with all my pent up Interweb knowledge:
I ordered Rocksmith 2014 with cable ( 1/4" male plug to USB ) and packed up the kids to go to the local Guitar Center to shop for a guitar.  Being I live outside of Austin, there are a crap-ton of local guitar shops which I plan on visiting when I have some more experience under my belt.  I picked GC for my first guitar due to the good experience I had buying practice drum equipment there for my son and they were the only store that had new Epiphone LP Specials in stock.
The people at GC were super friendly and very receptive to my needs.  I had read that the Orange CR12L practice amp was a pretty sweet amp, so I asked the sales dude to help me out by playing some riffs on the Special I and Special II thru that amp.  He happily agreed and we set up shop in a corner while my children terrorized the drum section.
There is lots of information on the web about the differences between the I and II, they are both Les Paul style bodies with bolt on necks and varying configurations of pickups and bridges.  In my mind, the main difference is the pickups: P90s in the SP I and humbuckers in the SP II.  The sales guy riffed on both of them and I began to hear the difference between the P90s and the humbuckers and I was digging the humbuckers. It turns out that there are several different models of Special and what I thought was a Special II was actually a Special I with humbuckers.  The sales dude got down a Special II and let me hear that one too.
Sales guy handed me the guitars for a while and let me be. I ran my fingers along either side of the fretboard looking for sharp edges on the frets and rang the strings at each fret looking for buzz.  One of the Specials buzzed pretty good, even to my untrained ear.  Luckily it was the P90 equipped sample that I was pretty sure I didn't want.  Sales guy came back and asked if I had any questions or wanted to hear any other guitars.  I gave him my price range and he came back with a Fender, a Gibson and a Yamaha  The Fender's frets were sharp, the Gibson just didn't feel good and the Yamaha Pacifica was pretty nice.  I could hear minor differences in the sounds of each of the guitars but they were all HH setups with minor differences in construction and over-all body style.  I didn't hear a discernible difference over the SP I that would have justified the small price bump, so I decided on the Epiphone.
I bought the last TV yellow Special I with humbuckers in the store, a floor stand and sprung for the 1 year replacement warranty add on.  I know those store warranty add ons are pure profit for the store, but it gave me permission in my head to play the dang thing without worrying about if I was going to break it.  I rescued the drum department from my spawn and bolted for home.
At home I sat down with a free phone app chromatic tuner and tried to tune her up.  I played trombone in high school and college and watched string players tune up constantly.  Apparently it's harder than it looks  So I plugged the guitar into my Mac, installed Rocksmith 2014 and began my journey.   The first thing RS2014 does is help you tune up and it couldn't have been simpler! Next I watched the intro videos that explained elementary things: adjusting the strap (which I forgot to get!), holding the guitar standing and sitting, how to hold the pick and some first picking technique.  The lessons are fun, well paced, give excellent feedback and let you repeat them as many times as you like. I felt like it really gives you permission to focus on getting things right in your head instead of forging ahead thru a teacher's lesson plan. I ended the night on a lesson that began explaining frets, their numbering and moving your hand on the neck between frets.  I had a blast!
I could not be happier with my first guitar and Rocksmith 2014 exceeds every expectation I had (amazing super double-plus bonus, Ratt's Round and Round is on the play list!).
Thanks for the thread, I hope my experience helps somebody else.
 
 


 

Right on, glad you're happy with your new guitar and started off on the right foot. I remember when I first started, all I knew was that guitars had strings, and not much else. But over the years, I've learned quite a bit, and you will too.

Eventually, you'll develop an ear for every last little bit that goes into making the sound go from the strings to the speakers, and the preferences to go with. For instance, I used to think that Fender and all single coils sucked because I was all about Metal. But over time my tastes broadened and also got back into some of the music I liked when I was a little kid (old school Country). So now I have guitars in my collection that have HH, HSS, an HSH, and a couple with nothing but single coils, and one of 'em is a Fender. They all scratch a different itch.

But for now, you're on the right track and seem to be in a good place to grow from. And you're lucky. They didn't have anything even remotely like Rocksmith back in December of 1991 when I decided to dig my Mom's old acoustic out of the junk closet and start messing with it.

i have rocksmith.
Couldn't really get into it though.
The kid sure does love it.

Add my name to the pile of beginners.
I have owned a guitar in the past but never really did anything but fool around with it.

This time I've set aside an hour a day to practice, and I also picked up Rocksmith '14 for my Xbox.
I picked up the Epiphone Les Paul Special II Slash AFD Edition to learn on.  I got the pack without the practice amp because I have a brother who strums around and he still has a decent amp that I can borrow when I'm ready for it.

I've played "an instrument" before, but it was way back in middle school and it was a baritone, so I have a passing familiarity with reading music but that's about it so far.  Looking forward to learning, thanks for all the good advice in this thread and forum!

for me it is how the guitar feels....

when I look at a guitar I play it ...if I can feel the guitar resonate against my body.....score.  Lots of guitars are "dead" feeling which usually results in poor tone.  A guitar that has properly cured wood will resonate and come alive under your touch.  Guitars that are "live" are more responsive to your touch such as pick attack, playing softer or louder, etc.  

feel of the neck is important.  I like necks that have a thinner width across the fret board.  I play Flying V's mainly.  The old V's had a 1 5/8" with across the nut.  When Jackson / Charvel / Ibanez widened this to 1 3/4" it is too wide.

Volume, tone, pickup selector placement are important to me as well.  I actually use these controls in my playing.  Many don't...

how does the guitar hang with a strap on it?  Is it neck heavy?  

How much does it weigh?  I have bought Les Pauls from people that HATE how much they weigh.  Hint - invest in a good strap.  Many guitars that are not cured properly will weigh more....I stay away from heavy ass guitars.  

I am picky on my guitars.  They have to sound and feel right.  there are huge numbers of guitars out there...but few that feel right and "sing".

Although I have dabbled in guitars since the early 1960s I don't consider myself a good player.  Yes, I did perform in several bands in the late 60s and early 70s.  My last time on stage was in the mid 90s with a very well know country artist who bought my 1952 L5 electric from me after  it just  after it came back from a full restore from Gibson. Since his death I have often wondered what happened to that guitar.  I started playing with a Sears Silvertone with a warped neck.   Have owned many guitars over the years.  My favorite set up is still a Gibson 60 neck and P90 pickups.  I have owned several ES335 and Epiphone DOT guitars with humbuckers but  still prefer the sound of a P90.  About a month ago I decided to look for a Gibson Les Paul Studio with P90s.   Tried out several new ones at Sweetwater Sound in Fort Wayne.  Just yesterday got a very nice used one.  Looks like new.  The former owner got it because he wanted to try a guitar with P90s but never liked them.  He prefers humbuckers and owns several LPs with them.  After playing it several hours yesterday afternoon and evening I know I like it. I have owned Strats and Teles but I never became a big fan of them.  Now the only guitar I can think I need to add is a L5 CES.  

For a true beginner,  the best value will be new instrument (warranty, and resale ability should it not "work out") by the most reputable brands out there:

Mexico made Fender standard/ squier classic vibe / epiphone lp

Preowned can reduce the cost via reverb.com, or craigslist, but consult an experienced friend before doing the deal.

I'm trying to figure out if I need a left handed or right handed guitar. I was told to play air guitar and see which way is more comfortable.


I strum better with my right hand and my fingers are faster on my left fret hand. Am I a left handed player?


I dabbled in bass before and with it It's the complete opposite.

That's considered right handed playing, but I would argue that it's a moot point, since playing guitar requires ambidexterity. But for reference, yes, that's right handed.

NVM, this isn't the thread I thought it would be/ was.

No.

"Neck Radius" is the radius of the imaginary circle that would be made if the curvature of the fingerboard was continued all the way around to complete a circle.  The bigger the number the "flatter" (less curve) the fingerboard/"fretboard" has.

Theoretically, this has nothing to do with how "thick" a neck is.  You could have a 17" radius fingerboard on a neck as thick as an oak fence post.  However, for reasons that will become apparent below, necks with a bigger (higher number) fretboard radius also tend to have thinner necks to support "shredding" - playing fast. [Exceptions would be lap steels, 12 strings, classical guitars.] Flatter, higher radius number necks are better for very fast, rapid fretting, note-bending, and playing slide.

Everything else equal, a bigger radius supports a lower action before the strings buzz, and is easier to bend notes.  

More round necks (lower radius numbers) are usually more comfortable to chord - play more than one or two notes at once.  Especially complex chords.


To further complicate matters, there are compound radius necks, where the radius gets bigger as you get further from the nut and closer to the body.  There are also partially or completely scalloped necks, where fretboard material is carved away between the frets.  This minimizes finger contact with the fretboard, and is sought by some to increase playing speed.

Until it needs to be shimmed or tweaked.  Then you are out for a neck reset, instead of loosening and tightening 4 screws.

In general - set the relief first.  If you don't have a straight-edge, fret the high E string at the first and last frets.  Somewhere around fret 7 to 12 should be the largest gap.  If there isn't one, you will need more relief.  Once that is set, then adjust the action by adjusting the bridge, or shimming it on the acoustics, or shaving, as needed.  

Depending upon how "lively" the neck is, this may change the tension the strings put on the neck enough that the relief must be reset.  You may have to repeat this dance many times, especially if changing weight, or even brand, of string.

New instruments usually come with a free initial setup, unless you want something really strange.   If you have to pay for a set-up on a used on, it's usually around $50, unless the frets need to be milled or replaced.  If buying used, see if you can get that thrown in.

Except possibly a Thinline tele or a Gibson 335.  Maybe a Gibson Byrdland.  Uncle Ted does OK on one.

If only someone had told Steve Via, Joe Satriani, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Yngvie Malmsteen, Ritchie Blackmore, Eddie Van Halen, Hank Marvin, Duane Eddy, Nokie Eduards, Bob Bogle, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Ritchie Sambora, and Micheal Angelo Batio about how shitty those bolt-on necks are.  just imagine how far they could have gone had they used set-neck or neck through guitars.

I've seen Epiphone ones.  They are owned by Gibson.

A piece of advice - for a first/practice guitar, get at least a 10 inch speaker, unless you have played through it with YOUR guitar, and are satisfied with the sound on various settings of tone and distortion.

Smaller practice amps OFTEN, (not always), sound like playing through a transistor radio.

One exception to this was a Park G10 I had in the 90's.  I think basically the same amp is labeled Marshal now - don't know.

Headphones?

For anyone who wants to start playing an instrument, forget all the nonsense. The hardest part of learning from scratch is the amount of practice and work it takes to learn. Playing is a joy, but it is not all fun and games all the time. Get a guitar that makes you want to pick it up just from looking at it. Get a guitar that to you is the coolest thing you've ever seen. That will give you a ton of motivation and inspiration to work at it and practice a lot. Obviously it has to be structurally sound, and I'm assuming it is here. New players don't know anything about the instrument, process, or what even is the best guitar for them. They don't need to at first. They need to get a guitar and play the living shit out of it and learn all these things. And, a guitar that is just begging them to pick up does that job better than anything else out there.

As far as the bolt on vs. neck through thing, I will never buy another neck through anything. A good bolt on has advantages that a neck through never will. Neck through builds offer easier upper fret access, but that has never held back the great players and is a non issue. Even more of a non issue to new players. Tone, sustain, attack etc are not factors of how the neck is joined. I own upper end neck through and bolt on basses and guitars, Guess which ones have the most sustain? Yup, the bolt ons. It's the guitar in its entirety that determine these things. Some work, some don't, and the type of neck joint has very little to do with it.

Some of the inexpensive Tele and Strats out there have some really bright pickups which I think are great for a first guitar, while you get atuned to all the different tones you can make.  I certainly wouldn't pass up a nicer guitar you could afford with a set neck (or neck thru) but I wouldn't run from a bolt-on either if the construction and fit were solid.  I found a no name tele in a pawn shop for $90 once that only needed new tuning machines that was a great little twangy guitar, big tele heel and all.  Some of the used ones I see locally tonight:

Oscar Schmidt Delta King $145
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Ibanez S470 $185
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Hamer Slammer $150
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Epi LP Spcl $100
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I don't have any connection to any of these ads but just showing what a really nice guitar can be had for a starter for under $200 if you keep an eye out.