Easier Guitar to Play

A Mexican Strat would be better than a knockoff but you can easily get a USA model for under $600 if you're willing to look on craigslist. A Japanese Strat, which is also nice, can be had in the 4's.

 

Mexican Strat can be had for a couple hundred bucks and set up to play nicely by a good Luther. Squire is firewood.

 

+1

 

Fender Stratocaster mim, Black and white

 

If you want "easier" then get a Les Paul rather than a Strat. LP's tend to be a little easier to play due to the shorter scale length leading to less tension in the strings. Starts tend to make you work a little harder and also leave you a bit more 'exposed'. And once you get down to the 'knock offs' you're playing a game of Russian Roulette with your playing enjoyment - it can get pretty miserable down in the cheap seats. And I say all this as a Strat player.

 

If you're looking for an ultra-cheap Strat copy, check out Monoprice.com and their "California classic". I bought one for grins (I'm a keyboard guy, not a guitar player) and have had a blast playing it. I think the guitar itself is like $90 (!). I bought a pack that included the guitar, a practice amp, strap, picks, stand, etc, and then bought a Zoom G3x effects pedal. I'm into the whole rig for less than $300 and I giggle every time I play it.

Good reviews for the guitar on the web, too.

JP

 

Been playing Strats for over 20 years. Always favored them to anything else. I find Les Paul to feel like I am carrying around lumber, digs into you. Fretboard is wide and flat feeling. Strat is light and smooth.. just me I guess.

Currently have:

2 Japanese strats..

CAR/Walnut 62 RI with Clapton boost mod and 57-62' custom shop pups
OLY/Maple 68 RI with Custom Shop 69's Initialed by AY.

97' Hendrix tribute strat, original owner.

68' Reissue made by a knockoff company in China. This one I play the most lately. It is a wreck. Company claimed to be able to make any guitar to exacting specs. THey sucked me in because they have a pretty convincing Gibson EDS 1275 that I was considering picking up (actually- still am considering lol).. so I tried them out. I want "the black one" that Hendrix played at Isle of Wight. What they sent= was an abortion. I ended up stripping the neck down, re-radius, re-fret, re-paint... all the way through. I added in the CS69's like the white one..

Result.. well... it's playable. Someone with experience could probably do a much better re-fret than I did for my first attempt. It does okay. Some higher position bends seem to fall off.. but it chords okay and for the most part is fine for beating on while drinking a few beers.


I'd strongly recommend a Japanese strat over any MIM and even a lot of the American stuff. I did have a Custom Shop Black 69.... it was a dud compared to the white MIJ 68 RI... at four times the price.

 

I love Strats, but my fingers are too short to play it comfortably, so I've always played Gibsons. SG back in the '70s and bought a Les Paul when I resumed playing a couple years ago for fun. So try out playing before buying anything. Super slinkies all the way!

 

Go to the guitar shop and test out a music man axis. The neck on that puppy is amazing. It's a guitar built for speed. I have the peavey Wolfgang version of it, and it's a beautiful axe to play. So many others just feel "fat".

 

I have a few guitars, even though I don't play much. I'm on the threshold of collector/hoarder.

-1994 Mexican Strat
-2006 Gibson Les Paul Standard
-2003 Gibson "Faded" Series Flying V
-2103 LTD "Seasons in the Abyss" Guitar

Easiest to play is the LTD. It has a nice wide fret board, low action with no buzzing, and a thin neck. I don't play it much mostly because I bought it as a collectors piece and I'm afraid to scratch it lol (even though it really isn't worth a lot)

If I were a beginner, and looking for a "Bang for the buck" guitar - I would look Mexican strats and Japanese Fenders/Squires (not the Korean squire!). Mexican Strats are built just as well as the Made in America strats. They may have different pickups, or hardware, but they are built just as well.
The hidden jems used to be the Made in Japan Strats (Both fender and Squire). They are very well made, and the market seems to replect that. You used to be able to buy one for very little money... think Korean Squires. People are starting to see the value in them, and the market has raised a little. They are probably in the same price range as the Mexican Strats.

I bought my mexican strat used in the late 90s for about $350. I bet if I went to sell it today, I could sell it for the same amount. I think a used strat would be your best bet.

 

Get a Peavey Wolfgang. The Specials can be found pretty cheap, under a grand. Put some light gauge strings and it'll play for you. I played them for years before switching (back) to Gibson.

 

Strat has always been my go to guitar. You mentioned your fingers have a tough time with it so I would recommend a Gibson SG or ES 335.

 

You are not going to get a satisfactory answer here.

"Easy to play" means different things to different players. Action, tone, weight, balance, intonation, string tension, neck shape and size, fret size, control placement, fit to your body and hands.......The list goes on, but you get my drift.

Go to a well stocked guitar store and play about 30 different guitars, one will stand out as being "yours."

I have played a lot of $5000+ guitars that played and sounded terrible.

Also played quite a few $300-$500 guitars that were awesome in playabilty and tone.

Go, play, you will know when you have "the right one" in your hands. Then buy it and take it home and enjoy.
Alden

 

Good advice. I tend to be a Strat guy, but sometimes find myself liking the last guitar that I played the best. I find different things are easier on different guitars. For me, string gauge has the most to do with ease of playing. Next factor, for me, is probably neck radius. On Strats and Teles I run 10-46 while I run 11 - 49 on Gibsons. The easiest guitar, over all, for me is my PRS CE-24 with a 25" scale and running 9-42 but a light touch is required and the sound is a little thin / airy for some styles. While looking for that elusive guitar, remember the chase is part of the fun. Good luck and have fun! Jon