my kids have an interest in taking up these instruments.
anyone have something cluttering up their basement they are willing to sell?

Buggy - We may have something here. There are nine electric guitars in this house and, as I post this, a Schecter on a UPS truck bound for this address. Let me see if they can part with one for a fair price - I hope they don't have sentimental attachments to all of them! We only have one bass. I'll get back to you here, if no other offers show up.

Let me guess, Buggy...kid is 12 years-old?

close, 13 1/2 for the bass
15 for the guitar

I am told by my friends in-the-know that this is an excellent beginner guitar.

He also recommended this amp. But...if you want to spend just a few bucks extra (who doesn't?it's for the kids.)...he suggested this Fender tube amp.

Be sure to shop it at Amazon.com. You may end up with no sales tax or shipping charges. From experience, Guitar Center online ordering stinks. You might see if the Guitar Center on Roosevelt has any used that they've taken in trade-in. Plan for add-ons - $20 guitar strap, $50 hard case - less for soft, music stand and guitar stand $10-20 each. For lessons expect $15-$20+ per half hour.

Also, Buggy, the children have deep emotional attachments to all of the household guitars. Even used, most would cost as much as the new Epiphone Clam references.

Is the older child bullying the younger into the bass?? It happens, again voicing from experience . . . .

Good luck!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GEmom2,

I strongly recommend that you let the kids buy axes they like the look of. If you try to save a couple of bucks and get something your kids don't think look cool, they will be less willing to practice them.

Also, buying stands and letting the kids keep their instruments on them is another good way to convince them to practice, instead of their having to go through ALL THAT EFFORT of getting the guitar out of the case...

Buy a whole mess of picks, maybe keep them in a jar in the room(s) where they are most likely to practice. Don't think that 1, 2, or 5 picks will be enough.

When I was in college, in a band, and less interested in housekeeping, we used to buy 10-20 picks at a time, and literally fling them around our living and dining rooms, the thinking being that that way, wherever we happened to be there would always be a pick somewhere within reach - on the floor, in the cushions, wherever. We did the same with matchbooks. No, we didn't own a vacuum. Why do you ask?

Dinsdale - the cases are used to haul them to friends' houses for band practice or to guitar lessons. The stands are awesome for displaying their very cool looking guitars in their rooms. Having them pay for a portion or all of the guitar also makes it more likely they will stick with it.

It is also apparently fun to make your own guitar picks from old i-Tunes cards or similar cards.