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Matty, I can't find the guitar thread

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@Matty, my youngest really wants an electric guitar

He’s lefty

I don’t wanna get him something that’s garbage but I don’t wanna spend $1,800 either

Reverb.com for something used?

I’d love to get him a Jazzmaster but ooof

He’s REALLY motivated (on his own )
 
The lefty Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster is decent enough and it's cheap used. Tuning stability is not the best though which might frustrate a newbie. I would start with a Squier Tele (or a Strat with the trem locked down) instead just for that reason.
 
It's kind of all over the place. The market is so much smaller (there are 2 lefties for every 98 righties) that you'll find people asking ridiculous prices, and sometimes you'll find someone super motivated to sell because they're in a bind so they have to drop their price dramatically. I've scored some insane deals over the years, like a 1999 Les Paul Custom (aka Black Beauty) for 1100 bucks and a PRS McCarty for 1200. Both guitars would've normally sold for twice as much at the time but their owners desperately needed cash. If you're right-handed, you typically don't need to fire-sale anything.

But yeah, a thin market means there's no real consensus on price. It can be both good and bad. If you're a patient seller, you can set a high price and you'll inevitably find someone who's been looking for your guitar for a while. It could just take months.
 
Matty
It's kind of all over the place. The market is so much smaller (there are 2 lefties for every 98 righties) that you'll find people asking ridiculous prices, and sometimes you'll find someone super motivated to sell because they're in a bind so they have to drop their price dramatically. I've scored some insane deals over the years, like a 1999 Les Paul Custom (aka Black Beauty) for 1100 bucks and a PRS McCarty for 1200. Both guitars would've normally sold for twice as much at the time but their owners desperately needed cash. If you're right-handed, you typically don't need to fire-sale anything.

But yeah, a thin market means there's no real consensus on price. It can be both good and bad. If you're a patient seller, you can set a high price and you'll inevitably find someone who's been looking for your guitar for a while. It could just take months.
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Thank you for that

So here’s my thinking….

Rather than buy him a Squire Jazzmaster that needs a ton of work (which I don’t have time or motivation for) out of the box. I get him this (link below)

If he’s not playing in a year, I sell it

It’s $500 less than a Jazzmaster (which if not for the price would be my ideal buy for him)

My concern is that it will be a lot harder to sell the JazzStang than it would be to sell the lefty Jazzmaster

www.sweetwater.com

Fender Jag-Stang Left-handed Electric Guitar - Sonic Blue

Solidbody Electric Guitar, Left-handed, with Alder Body, Maple Neck, Rosewood Fingerboard, 1 Single-coil Pickup, 1 Humbucking Pickup, and Vintage-style Tremolo - Sonic Blue
www.sweetwater.com www.sweetwater.com
 
These Player series Strats are generally amazing. They're basically the new American Standards.

How old is the kid? The Jagstang could be a good option if he's younger than 15-16 because of the short scale and narrow nut. I owned one for years and hated it but I got a very poor example of it with a soft, dead-sounding neck. I played nicer ones at the store but I still think of it as a poorly designed and strange-playing instrument. That doesn't really matter though for a younger beginner with small hands. If anything, a full-scale Strat might be too big for him.

And BTW reselling a lefty Jagstang will be a breeze. People buy them as Kurt-Cobain-themed wall ornaments.
 
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Matty
These Player series Strats are generally amazing. They're basically the new American Standards.

How old is the kid? The Jagstang could be a good option if he's younger than 15-16 because of the short scale and narrow nut. I owned one for years and hated it but I got a very poor example of it with a soft, dead-sounding neck. I played nicer ones at the store but I still think of it as a poorly designed and strange-playing instrument. That doesn't really matter though for a younger beginner with small hands. If anything, a full-scale Strat might be too big for him.

And BTW reselling a lefty Jagstang will be a breeze. People buy them as Kurt-Cobain-themed wall ornaments.
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Wow I’m happy to hear that about the Player series.

He will be 15 in November.

I haven’t exactly analyzed his hand size but he’s 5’-10” and growing fast.

So being it’s his first guitar, it’s sounding like the Player Strat or the JagStang is the play here. Not crazy expensive but not a clunker that he’ll want to replace in 18 months?

He loves the look of my Johnny Marr Jag (and for kids the look plays into things, ya know?)

Is it kind of a toss up on whether the one I order could have a dead sounding neck like your experience? I’m leaning toward Sweetwater because all of my experiences with them have been positive (Vox AC-15, my Jag, tons of pedals)

Matty, I really appreciate all of your input.
 
He should be fine with the Strat then. I would go wth that unless he has an aversion to it for whatever reason. At the end of the day, you want him to feel the urge to pick up the instrument, and if the guitar's styling and/or related subculture appeals to him, he'll be more likely to play it.

Fender is killing it these days, I wouldn't be too worried about getting a bad one. The lemons typically end up on eBay (which is where I bought a lot of my first used guitars.)
 
Got him the Fender Player Strat (white). He loves it. Plays for hours every day. He learned the intro to Weezers Sweater Song on the first day.

I had Sweetwater set up a low action with minimal buzz.

I’m going to get him a Orange Crush 35rt amp so he can bring it to friends houses. My amps are too big for him to drag around. The Orange is perfect for him because it has great built in distortion, a headphone out (HUGE) and a decent built in tuner.

I’ll get him a Boss chorus pedal (or give him my Dimension C) and he’ll be in teen guitar heaven.
 
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