Fender or ibanez or gibson, import or buy local?

[Cynder]

Hi there thinking of purchasing a new guitar but i got no idea which brand is better and stuff and i am not really an it savvy person so its really very messy for me to find a thread, so i am sorry if this thread is repeated. anywya i play rock and punk, so any recommandation? another question i have is whether i shud import guitar from online purchase straight from america insterad of buying it at say, swee lee or davis guitar. This is becuase i've calculated the import tax and exchange rate, it will be much cheaper to just import it. wad do u guys think?

 

[TidesOfBlood]

i am glad you know that this is a rinse-and-repeated question.

in any case, one good thing about buying locally is the benefit of being able to try. if you get it imported, you are taking a risk by NOT having the privilege of having tried the guitar first, and end up wasting your money on a purchase.

just some simple stuff to keep in mind. at least for me, golden rule when buying gear: always try first.

 

[funktastic]

well i imported my Gibson from USA and i have no regrets. nothing wrong with it at all. and i love every inch with it. it doesn't have any flaws like some people noticed with the Gibsons in swee lee.

 

[Hydrofly]

I import, because it is cheaper.

 

[Dav_C]

Do you import from something like Guitar Center through FedEx/Vpost?

 

[jskadiang]

there's always a risk that the one you import is the flawed one in a batch of a thousand or something, and it's much harder to do anything about it if it's imported, rather than if it's bought locally

 

[Cynder]

But

to but from swee lee its way more expensive, a fender that cost 2280 SGD cost only 1088 in USD. currently US dollar is cheap and after calculating the exchange rate and import tax, its still 1.6k odd SGD, so it seems really worth it too. guitar centre has been well known for its quality of goods delivered right?

 

[lester_music]

the big 3s....hehe...so should I say...the common 3s...

Honestly, only you will know which one irregardless of genre....cause it is about feel..personal chemistry between u and the instrument......


You have to try to know...

 

[ungauged]

I strongly suggest u try it first before buying as not all production line stuff are the same and yes it's the chemistry between the instrument and you that matters most.

Definitely buying from US is cheaper and there are a few highly rated online stores but not only bearing in mind that the guitar might be defective upon delivery, shipping might also be a risk as sometimes sh*t happens while it's making it's way here.... No offence to Sweelee but people only buy from them when they have the "Great Sweelee Sale".

Looking for a fender? Try Bgwguitars... Brendon brings in Fenders at a great price. http://www.bgwguitars.com/forum/index.php

Last resort that most of us do.... wait for a good deal on soft!

 

[funktastic]

Do you import from something like Guitar Center through FedEx/Vpost?

if i recall correctly, i think its Vpost.


and i believe Gibsons in the US are normally better than those in SG. from what i've heard, Gibson use to send in their more flawed guitars to Asia or some other region further from the US. hence it wouldn't be actually that big of a risk. but you never know, you might unlucky enough to get a flawed piece. its all risk. no risk no gain.

 

[Godspeed64]

Are you sure you're willing to make that big step to spending 1.5k to 3k for your next guitar?

First, ask yourself what you want from your guitar? Single coils? Humbuckers? A singlecut? A strat? Floyd Rose? Kahler?
Then you should try to find out more about each of these brands, and zoom in to a particular model first..
Then compare and contrast each of these models (if not available locally, try other guitars by the same brand with similar specs).. Compare it face-to-face btw, like trying it out yourself.. Ibanez has the most different neck of all, and there are many who cannot appreciate it.. The jumbo fretboard is also tough to get used to.. Fenders are more commonly known for their strats/teles, hence if you like Single Coils, no doubt you should go for them.. Gibsons are more known for their LPs, where roaring humbuckers would be your choice..

Find the one you're comfortable with.. As to buying online or locally, I can assure you that there is safety in buying locally.. You get to try the guitars, and especially for Gibsons with their low QC nowadays, importing them may impose a rather large risk.. Buying online is definitely cheap.. But seriously, getting through Brendon or David (Blackwood) are also great options through getting these guitars "locally" at a cheaper price than usual..

And since you're in that budget range, there are other awesome guitars that you can consider as well, namely PRS, ESP/Edwards, and Swing guitars (value for money).. Can be found at Davis, Davis/G77 and Standard Value respectively.. :mrgreen::mrgreen:

Hope this helps..

 

[Cynder]

is swee lee the best place to buy a guitar from singapore?

 

[AzNjT]

Cynder!!

Get a PRS McCarty!!
Dave BrownSound Baksh's sounds on the old album are solid!
His tones were Heavy and they sounded like a heavier punk band

Davis perhaps~
But i'd order online~

 

[TidesOfBlood]

is swee lee the best place to buy a guitar from singapore?

sigh.. we really don't know what's best for you. it's better that you take a look around yourself. we don't know what you want better than you yourself. even if you tell us "GIBSON!", Swee Lee's not necessarily the only place.

if you want a large display of guitars, go to both branches of Swee Lee, and scour the whole basement of Peninsula Plaza. the recommendations of the people here can only do so much as to give you a road sign, but ultimately you're the one buying the guitar.

 

[Dav_C]

I agree with Godspeed64. And your perference changes with age.

10 years ago, I got myself a Gibson Les Paul Standard + Marshall
This year I got myself a Strat + Fender Twin Amp.
I think the next guitar would be either a Martin or ES-335 + Marshall?

You need to budget for a practice amplifier too.

If you have little knowledge about guitar, better to buy locally and get it properly set up. It's really annoying playing a badly set up guitar especially as beginner.

 

[Cynder]

thanks people. wow ur replies are really helpful, now i know wad shud the chain of thoughts and such be and things to consider when buying a guitar! haha

 

[funktastic]

do check out blackwood at bras besar. their guitar collection is wayyyyy awesome. the guitars there are mostly beauties imo.

 

[Pedal-itis]

contact hub4thailand!!!!.,

 

[ebenex]

Sourcing

Funtastic, thanks for the compliments. Yes, Blackwood Guitars would be happy to assist you in your sourcing.

We ship in bulk from the US every 2 weeks. Can ask Pedal-itis. We helped him to ship in a few of his guitars, including the PRS and Anderson he has.

Just got in another Firebird for him.

You can contact us at 6336 0601 or email your enquiry to sales@blackwood.com.sg .

Thanks!

 

[firebreather]

As much as I hate having to make trips to the local instrument stores, it's always better to be able to hear and feel the guitar and see if it's to your liking, I believe you're going to be using it long term so...