Electric guitar for a 13 year old to play in her high school jazz band?

1313 Views 41 Replies 21 Participants Last post by paraedolia, 5 mo ago

isoneedacoffee

Discussion Starter · 5 mo ago

My daughter got some good news. She was invited to play jazz guitar for her high school's junior jazz band.

She's 13 and has to walk about 30 minutes to get to school. She was thinking of lugging her Epi Les Paul Standard Pro (9lbs?) each way, but I said it might be best to just get her a new guitar that she could keep at school. They have storage and it's secure. So, obviously the guitar shopping is fun for me too!

Any recommendations? I would like to keep it below $500 (used).

I also have a very important question: at this level, do you think the type of pickups and/or body (eg. solid vs semi hollow) matters very much?

A few considerations:
a) she is small, so a 335 type guitar would be enormous, even a 339 might be big
b) she loves rock/metal and if it was her just going by aesthetics alone, she'd likely get something "pointy".

Thanks!

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Milkman

· #2 · 5 mo ago

Pointy?

This looks like a nice Jazz guitar.

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Actually, I'd recommend a Tele of some sort.

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Chito

· #3 · 5 mo ago

First as far as semi hollow is concerned, you will be hard pressed to find anything below $500 these days. So solid bodies would be like teles, strats and all that.
Another thing is you said she likes rock/metal but you are buying her something for a jazz gig? And you are suggesting pointy guitars.
I guess my point is, we need you to tell us exactly what you intend this guitar to be used for.

Verne

· #4 · 5 mo ago

Jazz, and pointy. That's some weird math right there. What about a thinline Tele with humbuckers or P90s?

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Noodles

· #5 · 5 mo ago

Pointy, maybe a Pacifica.

Light, small, fun, an Epiphone LP Special I, with the P-90s.

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Rollin Hand

· #6 · 5 mo ago

www.long-mcquade.com

Ibanez - GRG121SP Gio Electric Guitar - Blue Metal Chameleon

Ibanez - GRG121SP Gio Electric Guitar - Blue Metal Chameleon

www.long-mcquade.com

This will do everything she needs.

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BlueRocker

· #7 · 5 mo ago

THIS is the perfect guitar. I played one a few months ago, they were blowing them out for under $500.

VOX Giulietta VGA-3D

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BlueRocker

· #8 · 5 mo ago

A Gibson SG Godess might do it (rare and expensive) or an Epiphone SG Muse

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Hammerhands

· #9 · 5 mo ago

Steinberger?

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Doug Gifford

· #10 · 5 mo ago

tele

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greco

· #11 · 5 mo ago

Interesting and fun thread.

isoneedacoffee said:
b) she loves rock/metal and if it was her just going by aesthetics alone, she'd likely get something "pointy".

Given what you write (quoted above), I think @Rollin Hand offers a reasonable possible solution.

Reactions: 1

bw66

· #12 · 5 mo ago

isoneedacoffee said:
They have storage and it's secure.

It might be secure in the sense that it won't get stolen, but you may want to verify whether the guitar might get pulled out of the case for an impromptu concert by a young guitar wannabe, or the case knocked for a loop. I have had students with experience with both scenarios (one incident resulted in a broken SG headstock).

isoneedacoffee said:
it was her just going by aesthetics alone, she'd likely get something "pointy".

This. Too many jazz players are hung up on "the rules" - time to break free!

Verne said:
What about a thinline Tele with humbuckers or P90s?

(Or this.)

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knight_yyz

· #13 · 5 mo ago

a squier tele/thinline with a humbucker bridge

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greco

· #14 · 5 mo ago

bw66 said:
This. Too many jazz players are hung up on "the rules" - time to break free!

THANK YOU!!! @bw66

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Rollin Hand

· #15 · 5 mo ago

Noodles said:
Pointy, maybe a Pacifica.

Light, small, fun, an Epiphone LP Special I, with the P-90s.

A decent Pacifica (112 and up) would work very nicely too.

Not TOO long a drive from Montreal.

https://www.spacemanmusic.com/product/yamaha-pacifica-112vm/

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Budda

· #16 · 5 mo ago

Spaceman will ship.

classic vibe anything for $400 and go so long as she finds it comfortable.

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John123

· #17 · 5 mo ago

Epi LP Ultra ll. This guitar incorporates an active acoustic pup, along with the humbuckers, which adds an acoustic jazz tone. You can go from metal, blues to jazz with this and it's really light too!

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BlueRocker

· #18 · 5 mo ago

This is way too expensive, but would be sublime

Price drop: 1995 Gibson Nighthawk Standard ST-3 $1775...

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Mooh

· #19 · 5 mo ago

Everyone is always harping on about how Godin resale prices are shite, so...Godin. It would be my recommendation anyway. Maybe an LG, or an SD (though you might want to block the trem).

Reactions: 5

BGood

· #20 · 5 mo ago

Noodles said:
Light, small, fun, an Epiphone LP Special I, with the P-90s.

That one, a no brainer. The most money to fun to tone ratio out there and in the SG weight class (±6 lbs). I have 2 and they're not going anywhere.

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John123 said:
Epi LP Ultra ll. This guitar incorporates an active acoustic pup, along with the humbuckers, which adds an acoustic jazz tone. You can go from metal, blues to jazz with this and it's really light too!

That would also be a good candidate. Again a very light guitar, heavily chambered and with a belly cut. ±7 lbs

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