GaryBillington

Get a new amp.

The Peavey Vypyr suggestion seems to suit you - it's a modelling amp so will have more different sounds than you know what to do with, and is generally rated the best in it's range for metal. Make sure you get the at least the 30 watt version though, the 15 isn't compatible with the optional sanpera footpedal.

Give it a few more months so you can really start to find your way as a guitarist, then start thinking about a new guitar. By then you'll have a better idea what you're looking for and will be able to try out all the different options in shops for yourself without having to have someone in the store demonstrate them.

IMO it's not worth changing pickups in a guitar like yours. It's an OK learner guitar and should serve you well for that, but changing pickups is the absolute final step in tweaking your tone once you have a good amp & a guitar worth keeping in the longer term.

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dannyalcatraz

It's not commonly done, but what worked for me was buying a guitar I liked and not bothering with an amp for a while. Instead, I got some decent over the ear headphones and something like one of these:

Boss Micro-BR 4 track
http://www.guitarcenter.com/-i1169092.gc

Pocket POD
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Line-6-...875-i1173933.gc

Tascam GT-R1
http://www.guitarcenter.com/TASCAM-...306-i1401677.gc
http://www.guitarcenter.com/TASCAM-...473-i1402140.gc

Korg Pandora Mini
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Korg-Pa...754-i1746466.gc

Korg Px4
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Korg-Pa...554-i1124641.gc

Korg Px5
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Korg-Pa...715-i1387080.gc


I personally bought the PX-4 first, and didn't buy an amp for 3 years. By that time, I had figured out what sound I wanted most, and I had killed my first PX-4...so I bought a Fender HRD 1x12 40w combo...and another PX-4.

I have since gotten the Tascam and the PX-5.

Those little devices- and the apps that have similar features for mobile devices- are great practice tools, jammed with features and sooooo portable.

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Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: “Ninety percent of everything is crap.”

Why, yes, I am a lawyer- thanks for asking!

dannyalcatraz

2 guitars you might want to check out:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guit...electric-guitar

http://m.guitarcenter.com/In-Store-...830-i2778008.gc

(GC has more than one used Velocity in stock.)

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Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: “Ninety percent of everything is crap.”

Why, yes, I am a lawyer- thanks for asking!

kemingt

if you're a beginner, i really recommend getting a better amp/pedal. they really make a bigger difference in your tone

if all else fails, refer to my sig

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THE BEST UPGRADE FOR YOUR GUITAR IS PRACTICE

Stormymonday

Don't spend the money on PUs for the Squire..face it..it is what it is..a basic starter guitar. Pick up a quality amp and you'll get better tone/vibe..save up for a couple of months..test out/play
everything that you can get your hands on..and then buy the axe that fits your style of play,something that looks good to you,and something that feels right in Your hands..!
YOU need to be happy with what YOU deside..and what YOU can afford!

Dave_Mc

yeah, that may well be worth considering- I agree with the "don't ignore the amp" brigade in general, but if you ask me, the "spend more on the amp than the guitar" thing breaks down when you're talking about beginner gear. guitars under a certain price are pretty horrible, and you want something you can play. Conversely, some of those cheaper modellers make fine practice amps for home use.

Plus the "what you need is a new amp" was kind of an antidote to people playing a (USA) PRS through a marshall MG and wondering why they didn't sound too great. If you're not careful you lurch to the other extreme, which is almost as silly, if you ask me- if you're playing a squier bullet through an SLO you're still doing it wrong, IMO. (It's a bit like the mids thing... sure, scooping mids to 0 is a rookie mistake, but setting them to 10 regardless of how they sound and regardless of the amp (some amps are middier than others) isn't exactly the height of tonal sophistication either... )

Sure, if you have a $1500 budget, spending $500 on the guitar and $1000 on the amp might be the way to go. But if you have a $500 budget and are only starting out I'd probably spend $400 on the guitar and $100 on a little vox mini3 or roland cube or something like that.

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brenthinds

So for right now I should just grab a nice peavey vypyr 30 and then wait some time before researching and investing in a good, decently priced guitar. And just out of curiosity, how good are dean mls?

GaryBillington

Yes.

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