Going electric/gear advice

[Lord Mandrake]

Over the pandy I restrung a classical/Spanish guitar I found abandoned on the road and began learning an instrument that had always intimidated me - I have been a  percussionist for over 20 years, sometimes professionally.

Almost two years later and I have added an acoustic and electroacoustic and become quite obsessed and thanks to a former bandmate, fairly proficient for a novice in both picking and fingerstyle. I literally haven't missed a day practicing, trying to get my 10,000 hours.

Always been a funk fanatic and those licks just don't work on an acoustic so I'm ready to switch on the power. My question is; At what price range am I likely just going to get frustrated by cack? I've been eyeing up things like Epiphone SG's that are under 200 notes and done a fair bit of research of my own but would love to hear from more experienced players, especially those that went from acoustic to electric.

Many thanks in advance.

[Sherman Krank]

Don't know if you've seen this thread yet but it may be of use.

You don't really get bad budget guitars now as they all come from the same handful of far east super factories and they've been doing for 20 years now so they've gotten pretty good at it.
The main issues you're likely to get now are fairly minor quality control things like a high fret or a bad solder joint because the place you bought it from didn't bother to check the guitar before they shipped it out (but you're just as likely to get that with a £5k Gibson).
Obviously more expensive guitars have better quality stuff but today's budget guitars should play and sound pretty well as long as they're properly set up (which wasn't always the case previously).

I don't play much funk myself but I do know that traditionally it lives at position 2 or 4 on a Stratocaster (the quack positions).
 

[Ferris]

Re: quack positions - I got all precious about my Mustang and the out of phase positions ("ooh it is so unique!") but honestly my cheap telecaster in the bridge position with the volume all the way up and tone all the way off sounds basically exactly the same. Once you put a guitar into a pedalboard and an amp I defy anyone to tell the difference.

Exactly exactly the same? No, but for the price difference it is negligible.

Also will reiterate what SK [nb]who I'll point out is very knowledgeable about this stuff in a way I'm too scatterbrained to be[/nb] said about that other thread which is very helpful.

[Sherman Krank]

Sure any guitar can be used for any style of music <obligatory Jimmy Page recorded Stairway on a Telecaster insert> but it's easier to get to funk town on a strat and you'll look cooler doing it.
(Disclaimer - This is impartial advice and I definitely don't currently own five strats)

It's worth having a multi band EQ pedal if you're short of guitars. Want your strat or tele to sound more like a Les Paul? Just boost the low frequencies a bit. Want your Les Paul to be more strat or tele like? Then just boost the highs.
Want your guitar to sound like a Gretsch? Then simply turn down your amp volume to around half of where it previously was.

[mrpupkin]

My two cents...I play an Epiphone Casino at the moment, which is not exactly synonymous with funk but if you're coming from an acoustic you may appreciate the acoustic-ish vibe of the hollow body. I really love it for fingerstyle, both the feel and the sound. Comfortable to play and very 'moreish' if that makes sense. Worth having a go on one if you're in a guitar shop anyway. For second-hand £200 might be a stretch but you see Chinese-made ones go for under £300.

EDIT....I stand corrected. It IS synonymous with funk after all! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsE8uoXHayU

[Lord Mandrake]

Thanks for the great advice, I will go through that thread. Cissy Strut was one of the first licks I learned but obviously sounds a bit weird on acoustic even if I mute it to fuck so appreciate that demo too!

Fuckin can't wait to get funkin.

[DrGreggles]

Judas!

[Lord Mandrake]

I don't beleive you!

[Noodle Lizard]

I really like Boss Katana amps, if you're in the market for one of those. Fairly-priced, and you can basically download any kind of sound template to them, as well as designing your own using their software. They're really good and flexible, and they sound nowhere near as tinny as some of the other amps you find in that price range.

[Lord Mandrake]

Yeah those prices are good for what it promises and some sweet deals right now. I have a fender acoustic 15w  which, in the tiny bedroom I converted into basically a guitar room - is punchy enough. I'm such an aesthetic bitch that I've been ogling Orange amps but I should probably consider versatility first.