NickNice Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Hi everybody, this is my very first post. I'm looking for my first electric guitar. I own an 1992 Epiphone SQ-180, but now the neck became to thin for my hands, and I want to start a band with friends of mine. So, it will be a G-400, but I dislike the little, horny pickguard, and I flashed an 1966 G-400 Silverburst. I LOVE the Silverburst and the pickguard, but I was wondering if the 50 supp' bucks I have to pay for the 66' worth it. I want to buy it with a Value Pack, The links are below. Waiting for pro advices! 1966 G-400 with All Access Pack G-400 with All Access Pack (P.S.: Is the Maestro able to be set on a G-400 (or a 66') at home, and, if yes, is it easy to do?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDKowalski Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 If you like the 66 silverburst then it is the one for you. My opinion is skip the all access pack, buy either a Roland cube 15 ($99.00) or Vox pathfinder 15 ($119.00), gig bag or hard case ($15-$50) and cord separately. Truly the amp and the bag are not great quality. Make your own kit you will be happier with the outcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hungrycat Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 The only real difference is the pickguard. Get what makes you happy. The G-400 is a very good guitar. If I were you I would skip the value pack for the guitar by itself and put the extra $100 towards a GOOD amp. The little one it comes with is crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeks Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 VOX Pathfinder 15R amp is rather inexpensive but well built and works darn good. I have one. My only amp. 15 watts + Reverb too. Sweet for the money. I bought the PATHFINDER 15R used for about $70/USD and it is still in mint shape. Nice + inexpensive. Here are photos of the AC30 VOX headphone amp and the VOX PATHFINDER 15R with Reverb: My 1st electric guitar was/is the Epiphone Les Paul SPECIAL-II sunburst. I learned for one full year on this guitar and it is of good quality. No problems whatsoever with it. It worked as advertised and I am still happy with it. It is now my backup electric guitar: - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickNice Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 I want to keep the Pack, because there is almost everything in that (tuner, cable, gigbag...) ang it may be crap but my budget is really tight and im pretty sure thats the only quality i can get for all that stuff for under 600$, right now I bank account tell me that i must prefer low price than high quality... But is it cheap because its fragile? All I need is a beginner stuff. I will take care of my stuff. ;) But what about the vibrato? it may be in long time (i'll buy probably next summer, whit a solid case) but i just want to be sure it fits. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GladToBeBack Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 I'm gonna have to go with avaoiding the pack too, I had a similar package and was very disappointed with the items I recieved. I wound up replacing many of them over time and spending more money in the long run. G-400 $300 Roland Micro Cube $130 Korg Chromatic Tuner $18 Strap $4 10' Cable $6 Not the highest quality stuff but I personally would feel more comfortable with these options than the stuff that comes in that pack. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hungrycat Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Trust me, you really don't want that little amp, it's just all-around BAD. You can pick up an Epi Valve Junior (5 watt tube amp) and the Silverburst 66 G400 for about $500. Fits perfectly in you budget and it's GOOD gear. In my opinion it's important to have a good quality guitar AND amp when starting out. The better your gear is, the more inclined you'll be to play and learn more. And that's the good thing about Epi. Decent quality without breaking the bank. and you can get the other stuff, like the bag and cable and tuner inexpensively elsewhere. http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Valve-Junior-Combo-Amp?sku=480260 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midiman56 Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Nick ... I sell this stuff for a living ... and I chase customers away from these Epi Starter Packs all day long! The guitar is fine ... a very nice instrument, but that amp is an absolute CHEESE BALL! It is almost a garanteed return and a smug, "I told you so!" every time a customer insists on taking one of these packs home. If you are looking for a lot of effects, you can pick up a 15 watt Line 6 Spider IV for a hundred bucks. That brings you total to $400 - $450 for the guitar and amp. Trust me, you can pick up a good tuner, strap and bag with the remaining $50 in your budget. Make the guitar store toss you some picks and you're all set! By the way, I like the '66 ... full pickguard all the way! Good luck! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcollver Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Dude i wouldnt even get a g400. i have one. i dont like it that much. has a lot of problems. like electrical , staying in tune, output jack, pickup selector switch. you would have to change stuff to play it live. or it could be just mine[crying] . but you should get the epi les paul studio. i know people who have got it and loved it. i think they have a value pack for it? but i would get a bigger amp than the one that comes with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SketchyEtchy Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 My G400 Is amazing never had any problems with it, stays in tune (when my friends arnt messing around with it), no electrical problems so far. Love it. Id go with which ever one youd prefer but im to keen on the 66 silverburst, id personally go for the 66 worn cherry, but thats just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad1 Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 or it could be just mine[crying]. Bingo! G400s are GREAT guitars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReneBoedker Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 G400s are GREAT guitars! +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barcham Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Did you ever consider buying used? I picked up a Les Paul Standard Ebony for under 300 with a hard case and bought a Peavey Vypyr 30 Watt for around 200. (I tried the Line 6 Spider IV and preferred the Vypyr but that's my taste, you might like the Spider.) The amp has a built in tuner that works fine but if you prefer a separate tuner you can get a good one for about 20 bucks and cables and straps are also cheap. There are a lot of good deals on used G-400s also, so if you look around a bit you can get a lot more for your $600 than buying a package with low end extras. Even a new G-400 and a Vypyr or Spider 30W will run you under $600. Or you can go for a Vypyr 15 or a Line 6 15W to save a hundred or so. Any way you look at it, it works out to under your $600 budget and you get much better quality gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickNice Posted August 18, 2010 Author Share Posted August 18, 2010 Guys, Thats OK for the amp, a friend of mine is gonna give his. I dont remind the name (think its a Marshall), but its the kind of huge amp i will need to build a new garage for :P. I will not take the pack, but I will buy a case and a strap with the guitar, all on the same cart at Musician Friend but separately. It will be cheaper. About buying used... Its clearly an G-400 I'm gonna have, no other! (And overall not some Les Paul, which I dislike because of the design and because the are **cking heavy. I really tink i will only have some SG in the rest of my life!) And I cannot find any used G-400, i did searched. In the end, is there some diference between standard G-400 and 66' G-400 apart pickguard? And I was wondering for the Maestro Vibrola if I can put it on easily at home without scrapping out my axe? If yes, I kl Thanks in advance ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanH Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Well I would take heed of the advice given above and avoid that pack. The amp is no good, you can tune up from the web and the strap and cable are really cheap to get on their own. As you now have a free amp coming, if it's any good you could sink more in to the guitar and get something like an SG prophecy or a used Gibson SG faded. In answer to your question, the '66 is not worth the extra money just to get a larger pick guard. However, I do believe that looks are really important with guitar choice as you want to get something that you're going to want to pick up. Neverhtless, another important consideration is what and how you intend to play. Depending on this, the SG may or may noy not be the guitar to meet your needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPO1959 Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 I traded my MIM Standard Fender Strat last week for a G-400 Vintage series. These are the ones that have the faded finish and go for $300.00. It's a outstanding guitar and sounds way much better than a Strat IMO. As part of the trade, I was givien a Vox Valvetronix VT-15 amp which has a 12AX7 tube preamp built right in. If I was you, I would take a look at the G-400 Vintage series. Mine is in Cherry red and I'm going to get the other one that's in Brown. As far as the amp goes, it's a awesome sounding amp but I have it up for sale because I really don't need 2 amps at this moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickNice Posted August 19, 2010 Author Share Posted August 19, 2010 Thanks everybody, I did my choice,the 66' SG, probably used and ebony, or new and silverburst, depend of the money I will have. I'm still wodering about the Maestro Trem, and my friend is gonna get an EB-0, I wanted your advices on that bass too and wath amp he should get. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPO1959 Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 Here's a photo of the Vintage Cherry G-400 that I picked up last weekend. I swapped my beloved 2006 MIM Standard Sunburst Strat, for this and a Vox ADVT-15 amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KX36 Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 I know the original poster's decided to avoid the nasty beginners bundle, but I just feel like adding my experience in the hope of steering anyone else reading this away from the bundles. I bought a starter pack from a different manufacturer and I deeply regret it. There's not a single thing from the pack that I still use. The gig bag was unpadded PVC that offered no protection, the strap had very thin cheap plastic ends that tore through the holes after a few weeks, the cord had a dodgy connection after not much wear, and I had to spend £100 on second hand Digitech GNX-1 pedal to stop the amp from sounding like a musical fart until I could afford to replace it (being a teenager with no money that was 2 years). I eventually got a decent Vox modelling amp that actually sounds good and the 15 watt version would have only cost as much as the GNX-1 I was forced to buy. I had to replace the strap and cord anyway, and the guitar was so bad I had to replace that with the Epiphone and wouldn't play it under any circumstances now. In the end, other than the price of the guitar, I would have been much better off avoiding the pack completely. I'd also like to say that people should get a hard case where possible with SGs and LPs as the angled headstock is very fragile and people tend to lean them against the wall, which the gig bag won't protect you against, and if you have a hard case you don't really need a stand, so the difference in price isn't that great. All you need for basic playing is as follows: Decent Guitar Decent amp half-decent electronic tuner half-decent cord any picks (you'll have to try some to find what you like) decent strap if you intend to play standing up, this has to be quite a good one for an SG that will grip your body as SGs are neck-heavy and will want to slide around and smash their face on the floor. all these things don't add up to much money, but it's worth getting them right in the first place because having to replace them before they're worn out will certainly cost more than just getting them right at the beginning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickNice Posted August 22, 2010 Author Share Posted August 22, 2010 G-400Ltd Ed 1966-Ebony (Used) HardshellSG Case D’AndreaBlack Nylon Locking Strap PlanetWave SOS Strobe Pick Tuner Here's my final cart at Musician Friend. What is the comunity's advices? And the tuner look very nice, but I got serious doubt about it effiency and accuracy. And I noticed that somebody on the forum did put a Maestro on his G-400. I was wondering who did this, but it look very nice and I wanted to know if its easy to do at home, and if yes, how to do it Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReneBoedker Posted August 22, 2010 Share Posted August 22, 2010 I wouldn't buy that tuner. It will only tune in standard tuning, so I think the Korg GA-1 or CA-40 would be better choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickNice Posted August 22, 2010 Author Share Posted August 22, 2010 I know, but it doesnt ship to canada :(, and i dont really mind of other tunig than stadard. And I dont want to spend much more than 15$ on a tuner so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjlandry Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 I know, but it doesnt ship to canada :(, and i dont really mind of other tunig than stadard. And I dont want to spend much more than 15$ on a tuner so... I absolutely LOVE my G400. I got a "Pirates" model, new, from Musician's Friend for $249, and ended up putting Phat Cat pickups in it. I got lucky, I caught it on a one day sale. Stays in tune perfectly, and has the "Custom Shop" label on back. Regarding the Maestro, MF has one with a Maestro for $399, and you could probably sell the one you have, rather than worry about installing it. G400 w/Maestro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickNice Posted August 24, 2010 Author Share Posted August 24, 2010 <font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><br></font></div></font> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickNice Posted August 26, 2010 Author Share Posted August 26, 2010 About the Maestro, it was just for information. I'll take a G-400. I got a huge deal at my local dealer. It will sell me an Ebony G-400 with SG standard pickups (498T and 500R) (used, but in wonderfull condition) for 450$ CAN! It is the price of a new G-400 at the same store with the taxes ! for the strap, the wire, the tuner and the amp, I will go to an other store.There, they make big deal if you buy many product together. And for the amp, they are selling Line 6, and I was tinking about the Line 6 Micro Spider 6W 1x6.5 Guitar Combo Amp, so what do you think about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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