Is this electric guitar any good?

no problem dude. and I don't mean to scare you with the tech talk or anything. you'll probably be fine with whatever you get, but I thought you should know that Floyd Rose' bridges are a pain in the butt in my opinion.

guitar center has some kind of sale almost every weekend it seems lol.
and if you order the catalog, they often have 15% off coupons on the back cover. that's a pretty good chunk of change if you're buying a guitar.

definitely keep us posted, and feel free to ask any questions you have!

 

Oh yeah, definitely avoid a Floyd rose until later, if even then. String change on a non Floyd rose: 10 minutes including break in. String change on a floyd rose that hasn't been set up: 1 hour, if you know what you're doing.

 

I know better equipment is easier to play/learn on, but i'd really think about spending 500.00 if you've never played before, seriously. i have some really expensive guitars, but the one i learned on i paid 125.00 at a pawn shop for. you should consider getting something cheap to see if you like it/have an aptitude for it until you get proficient. then go buy something really nice as a reward for learning so much. most cheap guitars are just as easy to learn chords and scales on as the expensive ones (you're learning the patterns and fingering)

go buy something from craigslist or a pawn shop for less than 150, then when you can run all over the fretboard, go get something as nice as you can possibly afford. the nice ones are so sweet to play, but there's just no need for it in the very beginning.

 

+1 on avoiding a Floyd Rose bridge as a beginner. Grrr....just thinking back on all the time I spent trying to keep the guitar in tune pisses me off, lol.

I'd also like to recommend you going to a local guitar shop or Guitar Center, etc. and trying out a few different models. There's a huge difference in weight and shapes, and some just feel a lot more comfortable than others. You can almost always find great deals on craigslist or eBay, so don't feel like you have to rush into anything.

Also, if there's a certain "sound" you're trying to achieve based on your musical preference, you might want to take that into consideration as well. There's a lot of different things that can shape a guitar's sound including the type of guitar, the pickups, an effects pedals or processors, the type of amp, etc.

 

I just happened to spot this article in a local music mag and thought you'd like to give it a read.

http://www.smashmagazine.com/issue36-features-myfirstguitar.html

 

Nice choice, I agree on going something simple. When I first started playing(or when I wanted to play) my friend sold me his old one and man was it a hassle. Had to get it tuned everytime and there wasn't a plug for the amp so I had to play without one for quite a few months.

Edit: but I'm no expert like Almy

 

Starcasters are extremely inconsistent. It will take luck to get one that isn't bad. Re-read my first reply for solid advice. If you just have to have an electric then go to a local store and see what starter kits they're stocking. I'll try to remember to see which kit they're selling at one of the places I teach, it's a good one.

 

You know you really shouldn't start with an electric, right?

 

You'll be fine in the end. Everything is workable, if not ideal. And spending less now is the best decision of all imo.