“You just need to express yourself… You only need three chords and a big heart! »
Dave GROHL
…and a music instrument of course.
Your friends already have a band, some rap, some play guitar and some create beats. You’ve always listened to music and now you want to get started?
When you want to start music, you always have an idea of what you prefer: rhythm, melody, singing …. Anyway, we often have no idea which material to choose.
- You want to play guitar: a classic? an acoustic? an electro-acoustic? an electric?
- You’d like to learn the drums: you don’t necessarily have the space and your neighbors probably won’t have the patience.
- For singing, how much longer do you plan to sing into the microphone of your smartphone?
And these questions keep on going for the piano, the synthesizer, the bass guitar, the music software, …
Moreover, when you begin to play music, you always pay attention to your budget. You want the best price/quality ratio, before you really invest in your dream instrument. I know what I’m talking about: I started music recently, with guitar and drum lessons from scratch a few months ago, at the Zicplace showroom in Montreuil!
We offer you a selection of instruments and equipment to start the music with the best prices.
Melody and accompaniment
Guitars
For beginners, it’s best to go for acoustic folk guitars that allow you to play a wider variety of music styles, without being plugged in. If you know how to play and make a folk guitar sounds good, you will be able to play all types of guitars.
I recommend several Folk models that are also electro-acoustic (can also be connected to an amp):
- This Folk guitar from Oqan is an entry level guitar that sounds really great for its price (and is recommended by the guitar teacher in our showroom). Click on the picture to learn more!
- This Takamine is also electro-acoustic, the sound is particularly pleasant, especially in the lows and offers a lot of sustain (notes resonate longer). I personally bought this one, which in addition to sounding good, has beautiful finishes.
If you’re a more advanced beginner and you want to get down to the serious stuff, and I mean an electric guitar, Zicplace has what you need.
- This copy of a Fender Stratocaster is perfect for a first entry-level guitar.
- This PRS Tremonti Black electric guitar, the brand that defies Fender and Gibson, offers versatility for all styles of music and very reliable American quality.
Piano
The piano is really the best instrument for a first approach to music. It can be found in all genres from Hip-hop to classical, Jazz or Rock … Whether it’s for rhythm or melody, you will always enjoy it. I recommend numeric pianos to start. Contrary to acoustic pianos, they are affordable and not bulky and reproduce very well the sound of the latter.
- This Alesis Recital is all you need to learn the piano at the best price: 88 keys, can be listened to with headphones and 3 months of free online lessons and more …
- With this Korg, you can upgrade to a digital piano that also has 88 keys, but offers better sound quality, extra piano sounds (German Piano, Japanese Piano, Italian Piano), and other features described in the link above.
Synths
The synth is surely the best instrument when you want to go straight to practice and avoid theory. The prices for synthesizers are rising rapidly and you will get lost in it quite quickly. We propose you 2 Yamaha synthesizers, accessible and in a small format to play everywhere. All issued from the Reface series, they are based on classic vintage sounds and electro sounds.
- This Reface DX is a compact version of the mythical DX7 synth from the 80s. They offer 8 effects: Distortion, reverb, delay …
- The Reface CP reproduces the sound of 70s keyboards and also has 8 vintage effects: reverb, saturation, delay …
Rhythmics
Bass guitar
You want to start bass guitar, but you may not be able to invest in a Fender or a Yamaha one. I can recommend this affordable Fender Jazz type Bass from Oqan on Zicplace:
Of course, to be able to make sound with it, you’ll need a bass amplifier. I recommend this 20 watts amplifier which will allow you to adjust some controls to customize your sound:
Drums
I started playing drums 3 months ago and I would advise everyone to try it. You can progress pretty fast and you will have fun from the very first hour. The problem with an acoustic drum kit is that it takes up space, and your neighbors (or people you live with) won’t be very patient. The best alternative is the electronic drum set, which is less bulky and less noisy: you can adjust the volume or listen to it through headphones.
- This electronic drum set, offers an electronic coach to progress, accompaniment songs to train with and other features, click on the image to learn more!
Drum Machine
If you are more into Electro, Hip-Hop or even Funk, and you also want to add effects on your percussions, you need a drum machine. No need to learn the drums, you can directly compose rhythms.
- For a bit more than 300 euros, you will surely get the best drum machine of 2020. It reproduces the sound of the mythical TR-808, which you’ve already heard in thousands of sounds from the 80s to today. It is very easy to use and its groove is perfect.
If you want something more original with a more atypical sound, I suggest The KorgVolca Beats.
- It looks like a toy, but it’s a real drum machine. Its small size will allow you to create rhythms wherever you go. It’s very easy to use with a step-by-step sequencer.
Singing
Sometimes there is no need to buy an instrument when your voice is the instrument. However, even if you can sing or rap, you will need equipment to record your voice.
Microphones
If you’re looking for an affordable, reliable, world-class microphone, it’s simple – you need the Shure SM58. Every singer knows it and uses it.
- If you have a budget below 100 euros there is also the PGA48-XLR, an entry level version of the SM58.
Microphones stand
With the microphone, you’ll probably need a microphone stand to sing with your hands completely free. This very affordable and easily foldable microphone stand will be effective :
Anti-pop filter
For a better quality during your recordings and performances, you will also need a pop filter to be fixed on the microphone stand :
Softwares and Home Studio
Today, a computer is as much a musical instrument as a guitar or a piano. If you’re more into music software or interested in Home Studio, you’ll need hardware to perfect your songs.
External sound card
A sound card is required to record your instruments on your mixing or assistive music software. I recommend one from Roland, very reliable for an affordable price.
Keyboard controller
If you’re on Ableton, FL Studio, Logic Pro X or even Garageband, you’ll have access to hundreds of software instruments (VST). Only you only have your computer keyboard to play them. With a master keyboard you will be able to play these software instruments as if you had a synth, simply by plugging it into your computer.
- The Akai MPK Mini Play is very popular among beatmakers and also has pads for percussion. It has 25 keys in all.
- The Micro-Lab from Arturia, a French brand, also offers 25 keys which are wider than the Akai one.
Monitors speaker
When you create or mix a sound, you need a sound that is as neutral and pure as possible without “colorization”. Without monitoring your mix and mastering can be skewed. Your song will not sound as you intended.
- For about 100€ you get two 20-watt speakers from M-Audio, perfect for your home studio.
- If you’re looking for a little more power, for about 300 euros you’ll get 2 Yamaha monitors of 70 watts each (sold individually). Monitors need to be bought in pairs. Click on the image to see the speaker.
Studio headphones
When you don’t have the space or budget for speakers, headphones are a very good option. I would recommend two of Audio-Technica for more comfort and quality.
I hope that with all this, you’ll have enough to become real musicians. If you want to see our entire catalogue, or register to our web site, go to zicplace.com. We also have an Instagram and Facebook with instrument tests, product selections and our news.
Arnaud Lapierre
Mai 2020
