Car Electronics And Audio

2 Way Speaker Kit Dual 8" Woofers for Clean Tight Bass 8 ohm Center or Bookshelf US $50.00

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I'd recommend replacing your guitar's pickups before choosing an amp, since you'll be able to take your guitar with you when you go amp shopping and hear exactly how it will sound. There's a great website called Guitar Fetish that sells amazing pickups at a fraction of what you'd pay for big-name ones. I use GFS pickups in all the guitars I build, as do many other builders, since the quality is incredible and the company has outstanding customer service. I'll post a link to the pickups. If you want to hear how a certain pickup sounds, you can email the company and they'll send you an audio file.

http://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-Guitar-Pickups_c_7.html

You'll need an amp that's at least 50 watts to hear yourself over drums and bass, but I'd definitely recommend getting a combo amp. Stacks are not only expensive, but they're impractical for most musicians who won't be playing arenas. They take up too much space on stage, too much space in the equipment van, and are cumbersome to carry up and down stairs. If you're looking for a deal, it's worth checking out some pawn shops, since lots of musicians have been selling off their equipment in the bad economy. I bought a 100-watt vintage Sunn guitar amp more than 20 years ago for $150 at a pawn shop and it's a masterpiece. If you're not in a hurry, it's easy to find a great deal on an amp that will serve you well for years.

I'd recommend doing some research on multi-effects pedals and choosing one that has the ideal combination of sounds you'll need. The user reviews at Musician's Friend are great, since they'll let you know which pedals are durable and sound great, versus those that are fairly useless. Effects pedals can be purchased used at a fraction of what you'd pay for new ones. I've gotten effects pedal bargains on eBay, but also at a site called Daddy's Junky Music that sells used equipment that's been tested to make sure it works as it should. I'll post a link to the multi-effects at Musician's Friend so you can read some reviews and see the ratings, as well as one to Daddy's.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/effects/multi-effects

http://www.daddys.com/

You don't have to have much other than a guitar and an amp to start your band, since you can pick up other equipment as needed. Other than needing a bigger amp, it sounds like you're ready to go. Once you've found your bandmates and your band's sound, you can better determine what effects you'll need.

I'll post another link, in case you haven't found your bandmates yet. There's a site called bandmix.com where you can search for compatible musicians by zip code, which eliminates geographically undesirable people. It's free to use and you can either browse the listings or post your own. Many of the users have uploaded samples of their music so you can hear their handiwork, as well. I've used bandmix to find three bandmates, which is a much better success rate than I had posting flyers in music stores.

http://www.bandmix.com/