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Hi. I was wandering if the sanchez electric guitars from cash crusaders are any good or any other recommendations. I'm a begginner and haven't played an instrument before. I'm from Durban and there doesn't seem to be much choice.
    Go secondhand. Check out Gumtree, or the classifieds right on this forum often - many bargains to be found if you're patient.
      klairehiro wrote: Hi. I was wandering if the sanchez electric guitars from cash crusaders are any good or any other recommendations. I'm a begginner and haven't played an instrument before. I'm from Durban and there doesn't seem to be much choice.
      The Cash Crusaders brands are not good, and Cash Crusaders don't have any expertise with guitars. It may be that the Sanchez guitars can be rendered tolerable players with some work - but CC won't have the workshops to do it.

      2nd hand generally offers more bang per buck anyway. Look on the GFSA classifieds, look on gumtree. Look around your local musical instrument shops. Have a chat, explain your situation and your needs - they get to know you and may have something that will suit. Find out if they've got a workshop or can recommend one.

      Are you taking lessons? If so then involve your teacher. Teachers have seen a lot of new guitars in inexperienced hands and may steer you towards a certain brand or shop where they have had good results in the past.

      If you have a friend who is an experienced player then ask them to vet guitars you are thinking of buying. They will be better equipped to identify the good and bad points of an instrument

      I mentioned workshops. Consider getting whatever is that you buy set up properly. This means they make adjustments so that the guitar is easy to play and stays in tune. Many a beginner has quit in frustration when the problem is a poorly set up instrument. Factor the cost of this into your calculations - though if you buy from a shop they may include a set up in the price or give you a discount as you're buying the equipment from them.

      Steer clear of Cash Crusaders for the time being. They can sometimes be a source for good 2nd hand instruments, but until you know a bit about guitars and playing them CC is not much use to you. Go to proper musical instrument shops, and if you have a friend who plays then ask them to go along to double check the instruments for you.
        X-rated Bob wrote:
        klairehiro wrote: Hi. I was wandering if the sanchez electric guitars from cash crusaders are any good or any other recommendations. I'm a begginner and haven't played an instrument before. I'm from Durban and there doesn't seem to be much choice.
        The Cash Crusaders brands are not good, and Cash Crusaders don't have any expertise with guitars. It may be that the Sanchez guitars can be rendered tolerable players with some work - but CC won't have the workshops to do it.

        2nd hand generally offers more bang per buck anyway. Look on the GFSA classifieds, look on gumtree. Look around your local musical instrument shops. Have a chat, explain your situation and your needs - they get to know you and may have something that will suit. Find out if they've got a workshop or can recommend one.

        Are you taking lessons? If so then involve your teacher. Teachers have seen a lot of new guitars in inexperienced hands and may steer you towards a certain brand or shop where they have had good results in the past.

        If you have a friend who is an experienced player then ask them to vet guitars you are thinking of buying. They will be better equipped to identify the good and bad points of an instrument

        I mentioned workshops. Consider getting whatever is that you buy set up properly. This means they make adjustments so that the guitar is easy to play and stays in tune. Many a beginner has quit in frustration when the problem is a poorly set up instrument. Factor the cost of this into your calculations - though if you buy from a shop they may include a set up in the price or give you a discount as you're buying the equipment from them.

        Steer clear of Cash Crusaders for the time being. They can sometimes be a source for good 2nd hand instruments, but until you know a bit about guitars and playing them CC is not much use to you. Go to proper musical instrument shops, and if you have a friend who plays then ask them to go along to double check the instruments for you.
        ++1 ?
          AFAIK Musician's Friend don't ship new items to SA, this is so as to not clash with the local franchisees.

          These kinds of packs are available locally. Go visit some shops. A good thing with buying through a local outlet is that you get a guarantee that is worth something.
            Rather not consider "Beginner packs" for the same reasons Bob gave in his first post for avoiding guitars at CC. Bob I reckon covered it all in that first post. Getting someone who knows something about guitars to help you choose a second hand one is first prize.
              Also, plenty okes in Durbs that might be able to help you find a good second hand deal, if their schedule and location permits. Donovan, Pete, Skylark, Kalcium etc.
                Sean wrote: Also, plenty okes in Durbs that might be able to help you find a good second hand deal, if their schedule and location permits. Donovan, Pete, Skylark, Kalcium etc.
                +1
                  The other chaps have posted some really solid advice here already but just my 2c, I wish I'd known what I know now back when I bought my first couple of guitars; it would have saved me a lot of money and a lot of frustration. Although it is best to get yourself a budget guitar at the beginning stages (in case you decide that you're not that keen on learning to play after all), you also don't want something that is horribly uncomfortable to play and that sounds really terrible as that could quite likely put you off learning to play, to a certain extent. Lucky for you, cheaper guitars are not nearly as nasty as they were, say, 30 or even 15 years ago; in fact some of them are pretty damn awesome! I picked up a second-hand, hardly-played Cort EVL K-4 for my girlfriend about 4 months back, including hardshell case for under 2k and to be honest I'm kinda jealous; it's a stunning, well-built axe which plays like butter.

                  Just to add to what Bob said regarding CC cheapies, you will also not have a good resale value on your investment AT ALL whereas if you are patient and you manage to pick up a decent second-hand Yamaha Pacifica, Epiphone, Squier or Cort and look after it, you will most likely not lose much on the resale when you decide to upgrade later on (and believe me, you WILL want to upgrade later on!).

                  Good luck, klairehiro, I hope you find the perfect guitar to learn on! ?
                    If you buy one of these combo sets you'll probably find that later on, when you want to get something better, the kit is pretty much worthless.

                    Rather visit some stores or look for decent 2nd hand stuff on GFSA or Gumtree. Not too long ago I got a 2nd hand Cort stratocaster copy and a 2nd hand Roland MicroCube amp for not a lot more than you're looking to spend. That amp is heaps better than what you'll be getting in any of those starter packs, probably the guitar too, and that guitar can be quite easily upgraded.


                      X-rated Bob wrote: If you buy one of these combo sets you'll probably find that later on, when you want to get something better, the kit is pretty much worthless.

                      Rather visit some stores or look for decent 2nd hand stuff on GFSA or Gumtree. Not too long ago I got a 2nd hand Cort stratocaster copy and a 2nd hand Roland MicroCube amp for not a lot more than you're looking to spend. That amp is heaps better than what you'll be getting in any of those starter packs, probably the guitar too, and that guitar can be quite easily upgraded.


                      Also, you do not necessarily need an amp right away. Rather get yourself a decent fiddle, plug it into the hi-fi system at home in the meantime if need be and then save up some more cash for a really nice practice amp. Just an idea ?
                        Clint Green wrote: Also, you do not necessarily need an amp right away. Rather get yourself a decent fiddle, plug it into the hi-fi system at home in the meantime if need be and then save up some more cash for a really nice practice amp. Just an idea ?
                        +1 Spend your money on as good a guitar as you can get, and worry about making it louder further down the road.
                          Yup. Buy the best 2nd hand guitar you can for R2000, and more if you can afford it.
                          Then download Amplitube 3 basic for free and jam through your pc and headphones. The models available on the free edition is limited, but the quality is great and waaaay better than any budget amp. Plus you get a tuner, and the luxury of jamming in private until you start nailing it and reach the point where you won't mind an audience.
                            What sort of music are you keen on? That would be a good starting point.
                            I'd be glad to help out depending on location, I'm not trekking to pmb... ?
                              I would like to add my 5c worth.

                              First stay clear of Cash crusaders. I bought one for my wife to start on and returned it within a day or two. Quality is horrible.

                              I have an entry level Aria GST series. It is not the best and it did take time to get it’s setup as well as I possibly could get it, but it is not that bad an instrument. I have reached the stage where I need a better one.

                              The guitar came with a practice amp, cable, gig bag and a electronic tuner. I thought it was not bad for R1999,00.

                              Robbie
                                singemonkey wrote: http://durban.gumtree.co.za/c-Sports-Leisure-musical-instruments-Roland-Amp-Cort-Guitar-W0QQAdIdZ379071879

                                This is a decent deal, it seems to me.

                                Forget about Squiers. While they make the odd good one, the main reason people know about them is because they're made under license to Fender by a host of different factories. However, they are not Fenders, and most are rubbish.
                                this looks like a killer deal. And even if you upgrade the little cube will always come in handy as a practice amp. Do it now!