aheadbanger4life
New member
First time poster, long time metalhead. After being an avid metal fan for over a decade, I decided to pick up the guitar and start playing for myself 2 weeks ago. I went to guitar center to look around and the clerk highly recommended this forum as THE best source for all guitar knowledge.
From my basic understanding, the easiest way to get a general idea of what equipment to buy is from what type of music you eventually hope to play. Hands down my favorite band of all time is Children of Bodom. Obviously I won't be shredding like Alexi any time soon (if ever, haha), but after playing on my brother's Epiphone SG (meh) for starting out, it's pretty warped and I'm definitely going to need a guitar of my own. He plays his Dean Razorback Dimeback now which sounds much cleaner and is more the style I'm looking for. What I'm looking for isn't just a practice/beginner guitar, but something that will challenge me and last long enough to test my skills. My tentative budget is in the $300 - $500 price range, however, I'd much rather dish out a little extra cash for a guitar that will last and ultimately provide the sound I want when trying to learn the styles of Bodom, Insomnium, Disarmonia Mundi, Pantera, Slipknot, and obviously Metallica. I would also like to have something with some versatility for playing blues, jazz, etc. if my taste changes later on down the road and isn't confined to strictly metal. I can already tell that I'm likely going to eventually get either the SD Blackout or Dimebucker pickups too.
From my limited research, the first 4 guitars to catch my metal eye are the ESP LTD Alexi-200 Alexi Laiho Signature Series, Dean Dave Mustaine VMNTX Electric Guitar, and the Ibanez RG3EXFM1 AND RG350DX Electric Guitar. From what I've been reading about the Laiho Series, it seems to be pretty limited to metal and lacking the versatility I want in a beginner's guitar, and is likely too advanced for me at this point. The Dean seems to have positive reviews across the board, with the thin neck for sweeping and staying in tune for a long time, which is a constant problem with my SG. Last but not least are both the Ibanez guitars. The RG3EXFM1 seems to have the most versatility, and probably the best fit for a beginning crossover guitar. However, the RG350DX has all the same positives with the most power, but is the most expensive at $450. All four are within my price range and seem to offer what I'm looking for. I'm leaning mostly towards either of the Ibanez guitars and am going to try them out this week. I'm obviously very new to the world of picking the best musical equipment, so any feedback on any of these guitars or better suggestions for a beginning metal enthusiast will be met with open ears. I'm also going to post in the amp section about picking the best beginner's metal amp (currently leaning towards the Line 6 Spider Valve IV 30 30W), but I didn't want to clutter this thread as there hopefully will be plenty feedback.
Any discussions, opinions, and/or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again everyone for your time!! :thanks:
From my basic understanding, the easiest way to get a general idea of what equipment to buy is from what type of music you eventually hope to play. Hands down my favorite band of all time is Children of Bodom. Obviously I won't be shredding like Alexi any time soon (if ever, haha), but after playing on my brother's Epiphone SG (meh) for starting out, it's pretty warped and I'm definitely going to need a guitar of my own. He plays his Dean Razorback Dimeback now which sounds much cleaner and is more the style I'm looking for. What I'm looking for isn't just a practice/beginner guitar, but something that will challenge me and last long enough to test my skills. My tentative budget is in the $300 - $500 price range, however, I'd much rather dish out a little extra cash for a guitar that will last and ultimately provide the sound I want when trying to learn the styles of Bodom, Insomnium, Disarmonia Mundi, Pantera, Slipknot, and obviously Metallica. I would also like to have something with some versatility for playing blues, jazz, etc. if my taste changes later on down the road and isn't confined to strictly metal. I can already tell that I'm likely going to eventually get either the SD Blackout or Dimebucker pickups too.
From my limited research, the first 4 guitars to catch my metal eye are the ESP LTD Alexi-200 Alexi Laiho Signature Series, Dean Dave Mustaine VMNTX Electric Guitar, and the Ibanez RG3EXFM1 AND RG350DX Electric Guitar. From what I've been reading about the Laiho Series, it seems to be pretty limited to metal and lacking the versatility I want in a beginner's guitar, and is likely too advanced for me at this point. The Dean seems to have positive reviews across the board, with the thin neck for sweeping and staying in tune for a long time, which is a constant problem with my SG. Last but not least are both the Ibanez guitars. The RG3EXFM1 seems to have the most versatility, and probably the best fit for a beginning crossover guitar. However, the RG350DX has all the same positives with the most power, but is the most expensive at $450. All four are within my price range and seem to offer what I'm looking for. I'm leaning mostly towards either of the Ibanez guitars and am going to try them out this week. I'm obviously very new to the world of picking the best musical equipment, so any feedback on any of these guitars or better suggestions for a beginning metal enthusiast will be met with open ears. I'm also going to post in the amp section about picking the best beginner's metal amp (currently leaning towards the Line 6 Spider Valve IV 30 30W), but I didn't want to clutter this thread as there hopefully will be plenty feedback.
Any discussions, opinions, and/or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again everyone for your time!! :thanks:
