It really depends on the kind of music you'd like to play. The Oils used a huge variety of guitars, the most famous being Martin's 'old faithful' Strat. I can't recall any of them using a Tele, though and I wouldn't recommend getting one as a beginner. It's one of the more limited models mostly used in country music. If you favour a transparent and defined sound without too much distortion a Strat is probably a good choice. If you like to use a lot of gain and a compressed sound with less dynamics a Gibson style guitar would be appropriate, although a Les Paul might be too heavy for your taste. You should generally be aware of the differences between single coil and humbucking pickups. Gibson style guitars also usually have a shorter diapason (is that the correct term?) so the string tension is lower than with Fenders which makes you need less force.  If you're looking for a budget guitar the Squier (Fender) and Epiphone (Gibson) copies of the originals should satisfy. I recently purchased an Epiphone SG G-400 for just 200 Euro, had the bridge pickup replaced with an original Gibson and I just love it! The best way to choose will simply be to get to your local guitar store and try some different models to find out what you're feeling comfortable with. Good luck and happy learning!

Cheers,

Stephan

hotlittlejorge schrieb:

I'm thinking about picking up the guitar (again) and was wondering if those of you who play, particularly Midnight Oil tunes, might have advice on the type of guitar I should buy. I'm strictly entry-level and looking for something I can learn on and grow with.

Fender makes some very nice, affordable packages for stratocasters and telecasters - does one lend itself to the Oils catalog more than the other? Is there a particular feature I should look out for that you find helpful?

Thank you in advance - there will be a free Powderworkers section at my first show in Giants Stadium when I become a 40-something rock sensation!

JORGE