Any guitarists in here?

This probably isn't the best place on the internet to post this, but I'm sure that there are some people on this bbs who could help me...

I've wanted to learn to play guitar for a long time, but for some reason I've never got around to it, until last week I borrowed my friend's acoustic guitar, and now I'm totally addicted to it!

I got to return the guitar soon, but I've decided to buy one for myself now. However, I have no idea what would be a good "beginner's guitar", so any recommendations and advice is more than welcome!

First of all, I don't know whether I should get myself an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar... I remember reading somewhere that electric guitar is a bit easier to learn, but is there any truth in that? Or would it be better to learn the basics with an acoustic guitar before? I suppose that an electric guitar would also be quite a bit more expensive...? I don't want to choose the cheapest option, but I hope that 300 euros will be enough for a decent starter guitar.

Hmm... What else should I know when I go buy that guitar?

 

Be playing around a year now so i am no Hendrix but having gone through the same thing i'd say that the electric/acoustic choice is just personal choice either way you'll be fine, price may also affect which one! As for begginers guitars acoustic wise you won't go too far wrong with a yamaha or a low end takamine! Depends how much your willing to spend to be honest.

If you haven't already check out www.justinguitar.com i can't recommend it enough he's brilliant and its all for FREE! He's recently revamped his whole begginers course so that should be some use to you!

 

Thanks for the link, I've saved it in my bookmarks now! (Y)

 

was going to say takamine, quality, reasonable prices

http://www.google.co.uk/search?sour...lz=1T4GGLL_en-GBGB312GB312&q=takamine+guitars

 

I'm 100% self taught

Bought myself a cheap starter electric about 6 years ago, and have just been learning guitar tabs/chord shapes etc, with a few tips from mates. One thing I would say is get lessons if possible, I've been told I do some things wrong - I've taught myself bad habits playing wise, hard to get out of now! </p>

In terms of buying something/which is 'better', most people I know who play guitar (most of my friends if I'm honest) have said that acoustic is perhaps harder. In so much as it's easier to go play electric after playing acoustic but perhaps not so much so the other way around. I'd recommend going to a shop and just having a chat with someone there and ask if you can try some acoustics/electrics with amps, see what you like the feel of. They'll no doubt help </p>

What sort of things would you want to play? I play 99.9% electric type songs, so that was the obvious choice for me - of course everyone is different I recently bought a next level guitar - Yahama Pacifica second half for &pound;70 - it's got a real nice feel to it, and isn't too expensive price wise. I'd say &pound;100 - &pound;150 would get you a guitar that's easily good enough to begin with. My first was &pound;90 with a cheap amp, but my yahama is a lot better.
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Thanks morty

I'll have a look at those

I see that some guitars have 3 nylon strings (like the guitar that I've been playing so far), and some have metal strings only... is there some significant difference between their sound? I guess that nylon strings are much nicer for your fingers, but is there any other difference?

 

great website. Tempted to pick up my guitar again. Tried learning based on written books and e-book lessons, but struggled. But the video lessons seem great. Only watched first 3, but will find time to check out more.

 

RE: Thanks morty

They are classical guitars, they sound great when finger picked but arn't so good for strumming. Again just depends on what sort of songs you want to play.

 

RE: Thanks morty

The ones with metal strings only are classical guitars? lol
Alright, in that case I'll buy one of those nylon string guitars

 

RE: Thanks morty

Nooo, The nylon strunged ones are classical guitars!

 

I've been playing for over a decade now and I have a bit of advice I can pass on with regards to buying guitars. I would suggest getting an acoustic as if you buy an electric you will need to buy an amp etc...and it all adds up. With regards to decent guitars in your budget I would suggest Tanglewood or Yamaha, Takamine are also decent. As you mentioned a budget of 300 euros I would suggest your best value for money will be tanglewood. Ask for something with a low action because it'll make it easier to play as a beginner (low action = strings closer to the neck). Push your budget as far as you can because brand new guitars under £200 are inevitably going to be crap...take my word for it!

The reason people say electric guitar is easier to learn is because the strings are thinner meaning you don't have to push down as hard and it hurts your fingers less to start with.

http://www.dv247.com/guitars/tanglewood-tw173-acoustic-guitar--53167 - something like this is excellent.

As Thrappo mentioned guitar lessons will help in a huge way. You don't pick up bad habits and learning guitar is 50% technique, 50% understanding. The theory that a guitar tutor will inadvertantly pass on is PRICELESS! (or £15 an hour!)

If you need anymore help just let me know.

 

RE: I'm 100% self taught

Ah yeah, I've been thinking about getting some guitar lessons indeed (although I don't really like the idea), as I'm afraid that I'll teach myself some bad habits too. Perhaps my friend can help me to get started, although he's not much of a teacher... But yeah, I'll definitely think about getting those lessons.

I mostly listen to rock music (classical rock/britpop, that sort of stuff... check out my last.fm profile if you wanna know! ) so an electric guitar would be the logical choice, I suppose... But as I won't be playing with a band or anything, perhaps I'll get myself an acoustic guitar, it's probably more suited for solo playing. I can buy an electric guitar later if I really get hooked to this and want to try something different!

 

Cool, thanks a lot!

What's the drawback of a low action guitar then? Wouldn't that be the best choice for even the more advanced guitarists?
My fingertips are indeed numb after one week of playing guitar but I'm getting used to the pain now.

Would you recommend buying one of those electronic guitar tuners?

 

RE: Thanks morty

Ah right... well, that's good to know! haha

I guess I won't be fingerpicking any time soon as I'm still learning to play the basic chords and strumming techniques, but I wonder why most of the guitars that I've seen for sale have been classical guitars... I think I'll buy one of those non-classical (how do you call them?!) guitars then.

 

Been playing 5/6 years

to add to what other people have said, if I was you I'd buy the best solid top acoustic guitar I could. You can get the action lowered, probably at the same shop you buy it from.</p>

Enjoy.</p>

 

It's not just the strings that determine if it's a classical guitar nt

 

take it to simon davey

hes after a job and he'l lower the action in no time.

 

I would say to get an electric

As long as its a reasonable one, and setup well, it will be easier to play (lighter strings and closer to the frets). And you can get a much greater range of sounds etc.

Almost any guitar made by Tanglewood would be an excellent guitar for £200 and you'll be able to get a decent 10 or 15 watt amplifier for £100. Have a look at these on eBay

Guitar 180410740851 (this one is in Rotherham)
Amp 120473433764 (In Runcorn)

Personally, I've got a Fender Strat (Mexican) which was £300 (new) about 4 years ago and a Tanglewood Electro-Acoustic (acoustic guitar with a built in pickup so you can play it through an amplifier) which I picked up second hand off eBay for £60 (they were £240 new). I've been playing since the early 1970s (still crap though, never had lessons) I started with a £10 acoustic which cut my fingers to bits, but then got a £60 Fender acoustic (a lot of cash in 1973), my first electric was a copy of a Gibson Melody Maker which cost me £80 in 1976.

Where are you based?

 

IMO Jon B has given you the best advice yet, I'd add that an electric guitar is not easier to play at all, it is just more forgiving, much easier to hide your mistakes by turning up the volume and introducing effects.</p>

Stretch your budget to the limit, if you have a choice between an electro-acoustic and a true acoustic for he same price remember that the electro-acoustic's price will include the cost of the pickups and wiring therefore the acoustic for the same price will be the better basic guitar.</p>

Epiphone (the budget arm of Gibson), make some good acoustics with good action, agree with suggestions for Yamaha but would be careful about the Takeminas, they make excellent top-end guitars but like Martin or Taylor it's the top end stuff they really concentrate on, the cheaper stuff is really just an investment in the brand on most peoples part.
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If you want to learn 'properly'...

Spend a few weeks soild practice with a cheap acoustic. It'll be like playing razor wires and the action is likely to be way too high, but when you switch to a good guitar you'll have the proper picking and fingering technique. With an acoustic you also lack the ability to 'disguise' your sound. Effects pedals and amplifiers can make terrible guitarists sound okay, and average ones sound amazing. (See U2 for example...)

There might be a few callouses on the way, but think it works much better learning that way round than the way I did. I'm self taught, predominantly on good electric guitars, but my technique is lazy and flawed because I never needed to apply the right pressure to get the notes etc. Sound pretty decent on my guitar (currently a mid-range Jackson DK2M), but crap on most anyone else's.