Found out my best friend has cancer. Need recommendations on a bad ass guitar.
 

One of my best friends was just diagnosed with cancer. Not sure of all the details but I know he has to go through kemo and all that really not so fun stuff.

He's only 22 and has had a really rough life thus far. A few years back his father and step-father died within six months of each other. After that he struggled with a heroin and other drugs. And now this.

Well, my friend is also a bad ass guitar player. In the midst of all this bad luck he has recently signed with a local record label. I know he doesn't have alot of cash so I'd like to surprise him and hopefully keep his spirits up through this whole cancer thing with a bad ass new (electric) guitar. Basically what I need is some people here who know more about guitars than I do to make some recommendations. Thanks in advance.

:GFYBand

Depending on what he likes:

Get him a Les Paul Classic if he likes Gibsons
Get him an American Stratocaster/Telocaster if he likes Fender

A good Richenbacher is great.

Depends as mentioned.

A classic Gibson SG is great for the rock lover...

A Fat Strat for the blues or classic rocker.

or like me, 12 string Rickenbacher like George Harrison

http://www.robwesley.com/guitars/Ric...012-string.jpg
not mine ( but just like it)

12 string 330

I know he's big into classic rock.

I don't get to see him all that much so I'm not really sure what he likes best, or even what kinda guitar he's using now.

check out this site:

http://www.chrisguitars.com

I've bought a bunch of guitars from him, great deals and if you don't like something he'll take it back. He's got a lot of nice stuff listed right now.

Usually when people ask this question I respond with something like guitars are very personal, and it's up to the individual to find an instrument that's right for him etc.

But under the circumstances, since you're going a good deed for another and probably want to surprise him, I can only list brands with a good reputation. I'm sure he will greatly appreciate and love any instrument that you get him.

Good brands include Gibson / Les Paul, Washburn, Fender, Ibanez, ESP. There's tons of others but those are among the more popular and solid brands.

You'll want to stick to a 6 string guitar, since that's most likely what he plays. Try to get something that's manufactured in the U.S .. if it's made in Korea, Mexico or Japan it was most likely assembled with cheap labor and parts to cut on costs.

Stick to mom and pop shops rather than shopping at really large chains. You're far more likely to have a real musician sell you the guitar rather than some sales person that doesn't know the first thing about the instrument.

get him a nice classic fender fat body strat.

no one could turn down a nice guitar with great tone.

http://www.sandroliva.com/CCStrat.html

Les fucking Paul!!! if he really likes to rock out.

http://www.gibson.com/products/gibso...utbgh_wall.jpg

Im sorry to hear about your friends cancer. I wouldnt buy Gibson at this point I heard their quality has gone down since changing owners. Let us know what type of cancer maybe we can give advice there. My dad had cancer and survived the 12 month kemo/retuxin treatments. Survival is better these days. Just depends on the cancer I guess.

Nothing beats this: http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/

It depends on the style of music he plays. Personally, I'm a pretty big fan of the Gibson SG (pre-1974, not the crap they put out nowadays).

Les Paul. Period.

I am a Kramer lover. The Baretta was an awesome axe. You can still get the Kramer-style guitars before Kramer ripped off J. Frog, the designer of those guitars at http://www.edromanguitars.com

J. Frog is also the guy that sculpted those kick-ass skeleton guitars for George Lynch back in the day...

http://www.edromanguitars.com/guitar/home_jfr.htm

i agree with the earlier - either fender strat am std (which i own) or les paul

BTW....sorry about your friend pornJester. I had a friend way back in high school that beat it...your friend will too.

Gibson Les Paul.... :thumbsup

A Jackson Strat or a Les Paul for sure

if you want to spend some real money get him a Les Paul from the period of his favourite music.

http://instruments.listings.ebay.com...istingItemList

american made Strat is the ticket:glugglug

Of course it does. There are thousands of cancers, and numerous stages per kind, and every one has its own preferred treatment and prognosis. It's nice to hear you want to help, but I think your advise will be of little help, unless you're an internist-oncologist yourself.

If he is a rocker may I suggest a Les Paul Custom, or Charvel/Jackson

If money is no object- A Paul Reed Smith, or ESP


I am partial to Fender's myself and I play a Strat as my first guitar because it's the most versatile.

I also llike Schecter's a lot....:glugglug

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/d...di/202594.html

depending on what kind of cancer he has, they may use "vincristine" as a treatment... most people will lose feeling in their fingers for quite while with that drug, makes guitar playing nearly impossible and certainly frustrating..

Either a Gibson Les Paul or Fender Strat.

I like them both alot.

http://stoneybaby.com/guitars.jpg

Why don't you just get him a gift certificate, or even cooler ask him to take you to a guitar shop and tell him you want to buy a guitar for yourself and while you're there, pick his brain about what he would buy, then go ahead and buy the instrument and hand it to him. That should make his day..

Get him a gift certificate at Sam Ash or someplace similar near where he lives.

A guitar is a very personal thing... let him pick his own axe.