spacey
 
I think I'd keep my mouth shut and let him get what he wanted UNLESS you knew he was getting piece of junk, a bad deal or being ripped off.
 
Why? Because he'll get what he feels is right. If he doesn't recognize the quality of a high-end guitar he doesn't need it anyway.
If he isn't happy with it down the road you won't be part of the reason but then could be part of making it better-maybe a guitar he does like.
 
If he doesn't know the basic differences between electric guitars; short-scale vs. long, HB vs Singles, hard-tail vs trem, solid body vs semi-solid, tilt/angle neck vs straight, fret size (sm vs lrg) -neck contours - maybe wood choices, etc......point them out to him.
 
Of course...I'd ask him about all those specifics along with aesthetics and build it.
 
 
 

+1.
 
 
 
 

robbyk
My son is looking for a nice electric guitar for Christmas now that he has fulltime work. He has been looking around and gravitating towards a strat, HSS.
 
I suggested perhaps the new Fender American Professional Stratocaster HSS e.g. 
He is also looking at Mexican strats at ~ 1/3 the price.
 
If he goes the latter, any drawbacks or naysayers or critical mods? Any suggestions? Anything better (within the same price range) than the Fender from custom luthiers, etc?
 
Thanks!

as is the case with most things musical,
they all sound/feel different.
 
if he KNOWS that he likes the fender style,
then go on a 'quest' first....
 
to every music store you can get to,
and play on every type of strat you can find.
 
 
could be, the one that speaks to him,
is the cheapest one available.
 
could be, all the cheap ones don't feel right,
and what he really wants is a quality instrument, 
that surely will fall into the $1500-2500 range....
 
i like building mine,
and the few i bought 'stock' are not the typical choices....
 
but the 'tone quest' is complicated,
and sometimes people just don't want complicated,
they just want a decent guitar,
in which case most of the previous suggestions all apply.
 

 
i had both of these guitars custom built...
the strat on the left, is a USACG build, $1500 in all, but feels like a much higher quality Suhr or Charvel.....
 
the sunburst on the right, is another story.......! LOL
 
point is, if you have a max dollar limit, that will more or less fine tune what you can do....
but once you get to a point where you know what you really like,
for me,
it's always a custom build.

Robby,
I envy you. I would love nothing more in the world than to spend time with my son talking and even shopping for guitars.
 
I'm glad my opinion may be of some value. It's nice for one to know about such things as neck contours so they can feel/experience/know of the differences...but I couldn't suggest to anyone to purchase a particular guitar. Not even my son, if I could.
 
I do believe that the most valuable advise I could offer my son is...whichever guitar you choose for your first...keep it. Never get rid of it. Out of all the guitars I own and I own too many I have my '63 Harmony. It's seen many changes I major ones recently but that's not what matters. It's the one that really started it all.
 
All the specifics that one may like today in a guitar may change in time, probably will, so feeling right and wanting to spend time with it is more valuable than anything else. I know you know. My best for a great trip with your son.
 
Michael
 
 

Sheesh, guys. The topic is guitars, not religion. (Granted, for some it might be a fine distinction.)
 
This thread needs to get back on topic.
 
Anyhow, everybody knows Gibsons and Fenders suck and all the best players use Schecter.

Definitely second the recommendation to go play some Gibson/Epiphone before deciding. In fact, go on a fact finding mission and play as many types and brands as you can. And make sure he tries some hollow and semi hollow body stuff too. He might pick up a Gretsch or a Rickenbacker and fall in love.

jeteague
Well back to guitars:  Batsbrew, you really have me thinking about a custom build for me.  I like the look of the USAAG people.  Do you (or anyone else here) have recommendations for other custom builders? 

wow jeteague,
i had given up on this thead due to all the childish bickering.
 
i'm a child too,
and bicker elsewhere.
LOL
 
there are literally hundreds of talented builders (spacy),
but out of all the 'aftermarket' guitar builders and parts makers,
i decided i liked USACG the best.
 
their necks are without parallel, IMHO
 
they don't do as many mods to standard shapes,
but the ones they do, are excellent.
 
i bought all my parts, and hired a talented local luthier to 'build' it for me.
 
i had a list of specs and requirements (extra fret dressing wasn't required, but a custom nut was),
and i let him do the initial bridge setup with a nice strobe,
but then i did all the rest of the tweaks.
 
 
my build:
USACG body and neck.
body: Lightweight Alder 2-piece, with a contoured heel, side jack, tummy route, fall-away cut out on the back side of the bottom bout for upper fret access.
neck: hardrock maple neck, with a pau ferro fingerboard. 6150 frets, 1-5/8" nut width. small fender-style headstock.
--Gibson scale length neck, 22 frets, fingerboard radius, of 12". the shape of the neck is a thin "C" shape, with a .78" neck thickness at the 1st fret, up to .85 at the 13th, mother of pearl dot inlays.
vintage truss with access at face of headstock.
headstock: tiltback design, 13 degrees, graphtech nut.
Bridge: Hipshot 6 String US Contour Tremolo Chrome with stainless tone bar.
pickups: humbucker-single-single, Bill Lawrence L-500L and L-280s (n & m)
Q filter for master tone, and a master volume. (500k pots)
Scratchplate: done by Warmoth, it's a slightly custom shape, with the 1st volume knob hole removed, and my luthier cut the hole for the Lawrence pickup (not a standard size) to match.
Paint: originally done by a local luthier. later slightly damaged in a flood.
the lighter version, done by USACG custom guitars, it's all NITRO, and very very thin. I instructed them to make it as thin as possible, wear is not a concern to me.
 
 
cost breakdown:

neck-$246
body-$170
pickups-2x40 + 1x50=$130
Q filter- $20
bridge w/steel sustain block-$120 (luthier's price)
custom warmoth scratchplate-$35
tremsetter- $40
custom finish-$300
Sperzel tuners-$65
sheilding - $20
odd hardware -  $40
__________________
$1186
 
 
 

 
i'd say, that besides the gibson scale length, 
and the 2 post trem,
the single biggest 'design deviation' for this build, was the tilt back headstock.
 
the tiltback bolsters the tuning stability more than almost anything else...
except, maybe this: