Well, I'm a total noob to musical gear. I'm looking for something affordable but something that sounds great. This is what I've taken a look at:

-Guitar : ESP EX-50 guitar link

-Amp: Line 6 Spider II (can't decide wether to get the 30 watt model with 4 different effects for $200 or the 75 watt model with 12 effects for an additional $100). I chose this amp since it kills the need to get a pedal and an amp seperately, making it much more affordable(and less of a hassle picking other amps and pedals).

75 amp model

30 amp model


What do you think? Is this good for a noob to electric guitars? The metal distortion effect the amp has is nice and thrashy, but I was hoping it would also have something a bit deeper and more death metal-like(but for the price, I could care less for a deeper distortion :P). The "Insane" effect is nice too.

It would be a total of $420(or $100 more if I chose the 75 watt model amp), throwing in an extra $20 or $30 for an electric tuner and strap. I'd like to hear some insight from people with experience with this type of hardware. Thanks in advance.

hello, welcome... thanks for not being a douche.

all that stuff you're looking at is crap... but of course a big part of it has to do with your price range... i'm going to give you some advice i wish i would have had when i was at your stage..

BUY USED.

are you in a band or going to be in a band situation anytime soon? that has alot to do with what gear you need... a 30w s.s. 1x12 combo wont cut it in a band situation. but if you think you're just going to do your own thing for a while a small but effective guitar+combo setup should be perfect...

what do you require tonally? do you need fx? what types of distortions are you shooting for(list well known bands and light descriptions of the tones to give me an idea)? do you need good cleans? ect...

because not all amps have the same quality or type of distortion or cleans. and not all amps have quality onboard fx...

i prefer johnson amps over line 6 for digital stuff with onboard fx.. but they're harder to find.
i actually like alot of crate stuff... but most onboard fx that some offer arent nearly as nice as line6/johnson-ish stuff. everything else is better though imo.

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I don't plan to play in a band any time soon, but should I meet up with a drummer or another guitar/bass player, I would like to jam with the person sometime. I don't think I'll need a Marshall 120 watt beast or something, as a friend I know jams with a drummer using a 20w. amp.

Stuff I want to play: Metallica, Megadeth, etc.(so thrashy distortion, like the effect on this amp I mentioned). Clean/acoustic stuff(can't think of any bands atm, just metal ballads come to mind), deep death metal distortion(think Deicide, Decapitated, Morbid Angel, Behemoth, etc.), some plain old power or heavy metal(Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, Hammerfall, Manowar...).

The main thing I'm interested in playing are In Flames songs...

I really don't want to spend more than $250 for a pedal+amp/amp with effects. Should I ever join a band in the future, I would consider buying some big-ass amp, but for now I plan to do my own thing possibly joining up with firends for fun. I mean, I'm still a newbie to guitars. I just don't want to have to buy a new amp within a few months or so. I hope this price range is helpful.

What are your thoughts on the guitar? The reviews seem quite convincing, and I hear the pick-ups are quite decent(I don't plan to change them soon either). Many well known metallers use the ESP EX... and the price was quite fine too, don't you think?

You suggested buying used gear. Did you also mean a used guitar? I don't think amps get worn out and such... but I'm worried about buying a used guitar. Then again, I'm completely ignorant to this kind of hardware.
Thanks a lot for your help.

i definately suggest a used guitar... just make sure it's in good condishion... i bought my rg570 used and pimped it out a bit for half of what one would've costed new.
just look at a new guitar that is slightly out of the range you're thinking of, like say, $100 more than you want to spend... then try and find one used but in good condish and you'll see it falls pretty much right into your price range because it has common small time wear like belt rash and fingerprint smudges, all of which are going to happen to it eventually if you were to by a new one anyways....


i'd suggest trying to hunt down a used line 6 or johnson combo... if you want maximum options all built into the amp for a low cost.

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Alright, I'll try my best to find one used(both guitar and amp). What I want to know is what you think of the Ex-50. Regardless of price, it's what I'm aiming for(I've always had a liking for this fancy guitar, and the pick-ups seem to be of quality).

i personally think it's crap... low end ltd's are garbage imo... some of the higher priced stuff they make actually feels good, plays well, and sounds good...
i've never played that exact guitar, but looking at the specs, i get the "crappy" feeling all over.

but i'm slanted and bias'd against stupid pointy guitars and stuff. so i'm trying not even to take that ino consideration. though companies do seem to charge more for pointy/weird looking guitars.

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Looking at the specs, that guitar is pretty mediocre.
Then again, if you havew an mediocre line6 amp, you won't realy need a good guitar, since you'd hardly notice the difference in sound.

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