Any Pro's willing to help a fellow newbie pick his first electric guitar.. advice

[David]

will be deeply appreciated? well..i've recently been saving up for a new electric (my budget is around $500) ive been an acoustic player for around a 2 years and like to make a switch.
Over the past few months ive been heavily influenced by Zak Wylde, Carlos, Eric Johnson, Jimi. And bands:Trivium, Slayer, Metallica, Bullet for my val, etc. And I was wondering if anyone could give me some electric guitar suggestions, good brands, what to look for, other little AMPs , and other neccessary equipment and stuff like that. Maybe even recommend a store
(I live in Australia,Melbourne VIC) if that helps

Your suggestions and advice will be greatly appreciated Thanks..I'm so eager to start playing.

 

[Soulmate]

For that money, buy just a used electric guitar. You can get a good one at that price. If you buy both guitar and amp, neither will be very good.

I would take one mesa over a thousand crates any day. You get what you pay for, and Boogies are fantastic amps. In a side-by-side comparison, you would never pick the crate over the boogie - it just doesn't have the sound that a nice tube Boogie has. BTW, a 60 watt boogie is louder than many 100 watt amps - many low-end manufacturers inflate their claims to fool less-experienced buyers. Mesa has a great reputation that stands on its own, so they don't have to try to fool anyone. Listen and play, comparison shop, and you'll hear the difference. Plus they are built like tanks, and Mesa really stands behind their products.

A good first step is to just go to some music stores and listen to different guitar/amp combinations so you can learn for yourself what they really sound like. Don't worry about whether you can afford it. Being informed doesn't cost anything. But wishing you had saved a little more for a quality amp, while you're trying to sell a doggy one, is a painful experience.

You might look into a small practice amp (like a Fender Princeton or a Blues Jr.) and a stomp box to tide you over while you save up for that Boogie or Marshall...