Strumbarmy

They make a good basis for upgrading. I bought a better (push in) tremelo bridge, locking tuners and roller guides for the strings. I stripped all the plastics and hardware off, then rebuilt from scratch. The action was far too high when I got it as it had never been set up properly. Everything (and I mean everything) had to be cleaned (inside was still full of factory dust) adjusted and set up. I now have a very playable guitar, which has been seen and played by experienced band players, giving great feedback (verbal, not electronic! ) If you do decide to do upgrades, use a good quality metal ruler to take measurements accurately. There are varying neck and bridge measurements/string spacings to think about. I had to make the holes for the tuners larger to take the better quality ones. I also resoldered all the electrical connections (replaced some too) as some were almost dropping off.

I have a Burns Shadows Special which is quite stratty and started off on 9-42's as recommended by many. It seems that if you want to get more "Shadowy" you need to have the heavier strings (with a wound third) that Hank had on some of his guitars and experiment with effects to get the (sometimes) triple echo etc. It seems that extra effects were added in the studio, so they rarely happened on live gigs! I used to love flatwounds in the 60's as they helped with my sore fingers! I picked up a couple of "project" strat copies last week and after a fair bit of setting up, they are settling down and are producing something close to the Burns! They had been in storage after the guy had "tried to learn", broke one, bought the other and still had no luck. It was hardly surprising as the settings were well off (double decker bus under the action gap"!). A good set up, everything stripped, cleaned, levelled, wiring resoldered, restrung and put back together within spec and they play! A bit more "cosmetic" work and they will be as good (if not better) than some of the strats I played in the 60's!

Nux Mighty plug in headphone amps - brilliant and cheap as chips. (Mighty Pro is an improvement with more features for not a lot more) Built in presets, amps and effects which are customisable from a smart phone ( is that a word?)

Bought myself a Burns. Thanks to all for help.

Sounds like you should have sang this, all those years ago!

In the end, I found this locally:- Played through headphones, it should keep her indoors happy..................... and me too! Budget? What budget was that then!

This 112J in red, reminds me of the "electric" guitar that I had in the 1970's! It was the first time that I had used a "tremelo" arm and I was gobsmacked by the sound! "Did I just do that?" (eyes wide open and so was my mouth, drooling!).

Anyone used the Yamaha Pacifica range?

With a budget of £200-300 for an electric (strat or similar style) would it be best to buy new (Thomman Harley Benton or similar) or go for a brand named used model? I have spoken to some folks who say that the newer stuff is of much higher quality than it used to be??

Experiment and they don't have to be in a straight line! When starting, we often press too hard too. Try relaxing the pressure a little. Small steps seem to be working for me, just going from one chord to another and back again until it sounds crisp and not dull. Don't overdo it and have plenty of breaks. I am a newbie too in reality, so I am with you in spirit. Got any calluses yet?

The classical Spanish guitar (hand made) that I am using has a 52mm (2") neck, which is good for chunky fingers. The more you practise, the leaner and stronger your fingers become and you are less likely to "foul" other strings (as I discovered!). I had a Hofner classical, followed by a Squier Strat later, then "slept" for 40+ years!!!

I share your "pain"! Literally! I haven't played for many years and starting over is not like riding a bike! My whole body aches, not just my fingers! I am making progress but it is in fits and starts. My fingers don't bend and twist like they used to! That's probably why there are lots of "almost as new" guitars for sale!!! Keep up with the good work and take lots of breaks before it breaks you!

Again, good advice and thank you for taking the time to respond. My "louder" strumming takes place when Mrs Strumbarmy is out, or I may end up wearing my guitar, rather than playing it. We have been here before, so I know roughly how far to push it!

I know that aesthetics shouldn't bother me at my current stage (zero to 1 out of 10!) but the look of it doesn't "float my boat"! I played with a Strat copy when I was younger (a lot younger) and maybe I should have kept it until they invented bluetooth! I wouldn't suggest that I make "stupid" offers as I can be really stupid! (which can really upset people!) I am still persevering with the acoustic, with the emphasis on "severe"! Thanks for the responses, Mike

I don't think that my budget will stretch that far without "her indoors" becoming aware! Fancy a swap for a lovely classic acoustic anyone!!!!