Understanding Guitar

One Beginners’ Efforts

The Fender Custom Shop has announced plans to release a David Gilmour Strat. For those who might be under a rock ( ) David Gilmour is a Guitarist for Pink Floyd. I love listening to Pink Floyd play and furthermore, I love the guitar in their songs…

Shine On You Crazy Diamond is the song that is coming to mind right now; wonderful guitar licks in that song. Wonderful song overall, also.

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/Daily/News/Fender_Custom_Shop_Announces_David_Gilmour_Strat.aspx

As a quick summary, it appears there will be two editions of the Fender Custom Shop Guitar. One will be priced at $3999.99 and the other “relic” one priced at $4799.99 (MSRPs, I assume).

As much as I’d like to have one, I won’t be buying one of these due to price (and how clumbsy I am). I chipped my electric guitar the first day I had it.

I work around Downers Grove, IL and there is a very good deli [map for deli^] right in a shopping center off of Butterfield road. I sometimes go there for lunch. Next to the deli is the Downers Grove Best Buy, so I decided to stop in and walk around (the Deli Serves huge sandwiches, I love that place!)

Anyway, so I was wondering around the Best Buy and noticed that they had something blocked off… As I walked, slowly what came in to view was a bit surprising. I saw Guitars in the room hanging on the wall like a Guitar Center.

These were real guitars. You know, like you are learning to play. Not Guitar Hero guitars.

I asked the bunch of employees that were standing around talking (common at best buy) when that section opens, and they said tomorrow — well that was yesterday! So it opened today.

I guess they are only doing this in a select few stores. I intend to stop by on Monday when I’m back in the area.

But the question stands, Why is Best Buy selling guitars? I have a theory and I’m going to share it… Why? Because I pay each month to have this blog and I have an opinion so I’m going to share it.

With the craze of the Guitar Hero came the “Guitar Hero Effect” (I just made that up, I hope it sticks). Anyway, what I call the Guitar Hero Effect is where people (mostly kids? [yeah, right]) play the game for a while and then decide that they enjoy the game and then decide that playing a real guitar must be just like the game. They can become a rock guitar hero just like JoCo! And hence, they want to learn guitar. (So they go buy a guitar… etc, etc).

Well, this is Best Buy’s attempt to get in on those sales. I can’t blame them. If I was in their executive team I’d probably would start selling them too. (Wait, I am — I own stock; it sort of like being on the executive team, right? Ok, fine, no.)

Leave a note on what you think. Oh, and would you buy a guitar from Best Buy? I’m on the fence. I don’t think it’d be any different from Guitar Center or Sam Ash… The same mis-information (whether accident or not) would and will proabably be used.

A while back, I posted that I wanted a “Epiphone Les Paul Ultra-II Electric Guitar.” You can find that post here: http://www.understandingguitar.org/2008/05/01/i-want-one/

I wanted to share that I’ve stumbled upon some more information about the guitar. It appears that Harmony Central (I tend to follow their news) also has a section of their site dedicated to product reviews…

They have a ton of reviews of everything from guitar, to amps, to who knows what. Obviously, the first thing I wanted to check reviews for was the Les Paul Ultra-II. I found it rather easily within their pages.

The reviews are all positive, but there are only two reviews. I was hoping for a lot more. Still, the two reviews are both positive. Both reviews are not “Perfect 10s” indicating that the authors put some though in to the reviews, but both reviews average about 8.5 (out of 10).

You can find the reviews here: http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Epiphone/Les+Paul+Ultra-II/10/1

Let it be known that I want one: Epiphone Les Paul Ultra-II

Though, seariously since I’m posting this does anyone have any thoughts on this guitar? I want a better electric but something a bit more then basic. This has some features such as the ability to sound like acoustic that I desire. And its price isn’t too bad, though it is a bit more then I wanted to spend…

I primarily play an acoustic. I have a starter Electric Guitar but am looking to get a better, higher quality Electric Guitar.

Does anyone have any suggestions as an alternative to this guitar? Perhaps similar features but a little less money?

Update: I’ve posted another blog entry about the same type of electric guitar. You can find that at: http://www.understandingguitar.org/2008/05/16/epiphone-les-paul-ultra-ii-electric-guitar/