a guitar for a beginner...
 

I want to start learning guitar but i dont know how to start...

First, should I go acoustic or electrical???

Suggest me some guitars...



Thanks a lot!

Just get an acoustic First Act...
http://shop.firstact.com/WebServices...mage-thumb.gif
They run about $40-60 and are great for a beginner.

Depends if you wanna play acoustic songs or electric songs. First act/squire/cheaper epiphones are all great. I still have my Epiphone SG.

Sljslj- Otep is amazing!

good god NO!

don't waste a handful of twenties on a mass produced piece of plywood with a couple of wires stretched across it unless you're seriously strapped for cash, in which case why aren't you buying groceries instead? music is not a cheap hobby, you don't need to be obscenely wealthy but you do need to know how to save up at least a bit.

like anything else there are benefits and disadvantages to both electric and acoustic guitars.

for acoustics
pros - light weight and effective, no need for amplification.
cons - easily drowned out by drums, limited tonal range, hard on the fingers to start.

for electrics
pros - full tonal range, easier on the fingers to start, very quiet when unplugged
cons - need an amp if you want to get the most out of it.



so with those simple pros and cons you need to ask yourself a few simple questions. what do you want from the instrument? do you just want to play for your own benefit and entertainment? do you want to be in a band that plays shows at the local pub? or do you just want to be 'that' guy who pulls out an acoustic around the campfire and leads a singalong? this should help you determine if you really want an acoustic or electric.

ultimately when you're starting out there are ONLY 2 things you really need to consider once you've decided between acoustic or electric. 1 - does it look cool and make me feel cool when i play it? 2 - does it stay in tune? don't exchange money until both answers are yes, especially for the 2nd question.

as far as price in concerned a beginner / learner instrument should run you between $100-$300. you could score a bottom grade acoustic on its own for a little cheaper than an electric but if you drop below the $100 mark you're really just getting scraps from the manufacturer's leftovers. the starter packs most music stores offer are usually worth their money as well.

after all, the purpose of your first instrument isn't to eliminate future investments, it's to provide you with the tools and knowledge to determine what sort of instrument you really want to invest into someday and to have the ability to exploit it to its full potential. going back to those 2 simple questions, if it doesn't stay in tune you won't want to keep practicing and playing it, and even if it does stay in tune, if it makes you feel like a dork to pick it up you won't progress either.

if you drop below the $100 mark you're really just getting scraps from the manufacturer's leftovers.


^^^^^^ THIS. SO MUCH THIS.

basically what Mr. Dave said. going to music stores and asking the staff for help is also recommended, as they can really give you pointers.

Get a mim Fender guitar. If you can find one used for under 300 you wont get a better deal anywhere ever.

Wait. Are you sure? :p:

As for the original question, my choice was to get both an inexpensive acoustic guitar and an inexpensive electric guitar: a Takamine Jasmine acoustic (AwwSugar has one, too!) and Fender Squier.

The acoustic guitar is a little harder to play than some more expensive ones I've tried...the strings don't seem to push down easily...so I've been meaning to get the action lowered, but for $100 or so I was very satisfied with its sound. I almost never play it, though, because I feel the electric guitar beats the pants off an acoustic in almost all situations.

lemme check....


yup still a definite NO! on the First Act gear. then again it's the store brand for The Source / Circuit City. if you were in the market for an mp3 player would you check the grocery store first?

also i definitely agree that electrics beat the pants of acoustics for most situations as well, but it all goes back to what you want to do with the instrument. NOTHING beats an acoustic for playing around a campfire.

Used epiphones can be pretty ritzy too, like the casino and the dot, but for the love of god don't get an epi paul... we have enough 15 year old little ****s playing them.

^ at least they've learned to stop calling them Gibson's

True, but how often do people sit around campfires these days? If I were to sit by a campfire at dusk here in Iowa, after around the second verse of "Kumbaya" the mosquitoes would have sucked me dry into a shrunken cadaver! No thank you.

What ever this guy has, your gonna want it.

still pretty popular up here hehe. though i'm pretty sure up here you'd have to suffer through endless Alan Jackson covers instead. YEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAWWWWWWwwwwwwwwww Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee!!!! :bringit:

I dont know exactly why I want the guitar. I have plenty of free time right now and I want to spend that time in a creative way...
I know the electric guitar sounds more exciting(in my opinion).
The problem is i wont play the guitar in my home, so i wont be able to connect it with the ampl.

About the tune thing. I know there is tuner for guitars. Is only for the electric ones??

No the basic ones are for both electric and acoustics. They should even work with a standard tuned bass.

http://www.clickbnb.com/images/hd515.png :thumb:

also there's nothing stopping you from playing an electric without plugging it into the amp. it just sounds a LOT thinner, but still fine for practicing and learning songs. you can still play along to your computer or cd player with an unplugged electric. obviously, if you want to play with other people an amp becomes necessary. pretty sure Roland and other companies offer small plug in preamp/adapters that basically allow you to plug your headphones into your guitar for practicing.


as for tuning what i meant was the actual mechanical ability of the instrument to stay in tune. as in, a straight neck, a solid bridge, and tight tuning pegs. RezZ is correct that a regular guitar tuner will work for acoustics, electrics and basses (though it can be a hassle to tune lower bass strings).

I didn't know this. That would be very useful. I'm always tethered to my amp for practicing, and it would be nice to have the freedom to practice anywhere without lugging the amp around yet still hear the electric sound.

Aaiiieee! The torture!

I'd recommend a Yamaha acoustic or classical... since they're affordable and well made. Take a look around, there are many to pick from and they're all really good.