Starting Guitar

[Frozyn]

I know a lot people here play guitar, and I was wondering what you guys would reccomend as a good starting acoustic guitar. I have little to no experience - I've had a few people on my dorm floor try to teach me. I love music and the small amount of time I've spent with a guitar I've thoroughly enjoyed, so I want to start playing it, taking a class next semester.

So, my main question - what's a good, cheap, starting acoustic guitar?

[MONOLITH]

http://forums.theplatoon.com/picking-up-guitar-t1692.html

[MONOLITH]

As long as we're chatting about this; A couple months ago I bought myself one of these...

http://www.rainsong.com/models/aws1000.asp


$1500.00, but man is it sweet.

Solid graphite; will never warp or crack. Totally immune to weather and humidity. And the sound/tone is awesome. Has a built in electronic tuner, greatest invention for an acoustic guitar ever.

First expensive instrument I'd ever bought myself in 20 years. Before this about $400 was the most I'd ever spent. Next I'm buying the graphite 12 string version.

[Rainier]

Try this one, $159.99 @ Musiciansfriend.com, which means that its probably the same price at any Guitar Center.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alvarez-Regent-Series-RD10-Dreadnought-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=518721

[Frozyn]

Thanks for the link, Mono. I guess I just skipped over it when I searched earlier.

Anybody heard anything about the Epiphone DR-100? The reviews all slate it as a great starting guitar, but I was hoping someone here might have heard something about it/played it before.

[Rainier]

I've played one before. Its an alright guitar to start out on. The tone of the one I played that I remember was a little dull. It might have been the strings but I doubt it, they looked new.

My advice: go to your local musical instrument shop, or if that fails, Guitar Center, and if that fails, a pawn shop, and go look at the acoustic guitar section, and take a look at the price tag of every guitar there, and play the ones that are within your price range.

One thing you want to look for is how high the strings are off of the neck. The closer, the better. One thing you want to listen for is tone. You want a bright tone, not a muffled one.

Learn your G chord (if you don't know it already, I suggest printing out a diagram of the G chord, I'll work one up for you if you want) and strum a G chord on the guitars a couple of times. Look for the brightest tone.

A guideline that you probably know: the higher the price, usually the better the guitar is, but don't go by price tag alone, give the guitars a short test drive. Another thing to remember is: function over form, and not vise-versa. Do NOT buy a guitar based on how it looks, but how it sounds. If you were blind, or you were playing for a blind audience, you/they would not care how your guitar looks, but how it sounds.

Hope this has been of some help.

[Fixxxer]

Do NOT buy a guitar based on how it looks, but how it sounds. If you were blind, or you were playing for a blind audience, you/they would not care how your guitar looks, but how it sounds.

I only play for deaf people. Which is why I bought the beautiful looking guitar I did.

:tongue:

But seriously, he's right.

I did buy my guitar based on looks (after I narrowed the list down based on looks) because it was an electric, and although the sounds of electric guitars do vary, it's mostly due to the hardware, not the construction.

I was looking at some really nice low priced Fender acoustic guitars. I think you should do what Rainer said and head to your local music store and test some of the guitars out. You may find that you like the sound of a guitar that you just happened to pick up and test out that you would have otherwise never considered buying.

[Frozyn]

Yeah the big thing is that I don't want to spend much money, seeing as I could just as easily drop it as I've picked it up, so in case I don't jump head first into it, I don't want to have dropped 400 bucks on a guitar I'll never use, ya know?

I'll definitely follow both of y'alls advice and go to a store and play on a bunch of them to figure out what I want.

[Fixxxer]

I don't want to have dropped 400 bucks on a guitar I'll never use, ya know?

Definitely.

However, I'm sure if you stick with it through the frustrating period, that period where you think you'll never get the hang of it, you'll only want to play more and more.

Take lessons too. I've been playing for a few months now and I'm going to go take lessons in the months ahead. I'm doing okay at being self taught, but I'm sure a licensed instructor can probably teach me some things I'd never be able to learn on my own.

[Frozyn]

I'm planning on taking a beginner's guitar course here next semester, and if that goes well, it can evolve into individual lessons in upper division classes.

Hopefully by taking a class for guitar will keep me in it past the frustration period.

[Rainier]

I've been playing for a few months now and I'm going to go take lessons in the months ahead.

Just make sure your tutor wasn't in a glam 80's band like mine was. Sure I learned to tap and sweep pick, but it took me months to get rid of that 80's sound (always in key, always pentatonic, and way too much treble)

[Fixxxer]

Nah the guy I'm going to plays anything. He's in a band that plays metal but if you want to learn classical, blues or jazz he can teach you that as well.

[Rainier]

Nah the guy I'm going to plays anything. He's in a band that plays metal but if you want to learn classical, blues or jazz he can teach you that as well.

Thats good. I started on metal, then somewhere along the line I obtained a greater taste in music, and appreciation of, and started learning to play other styles (classical, blues, folk, and mixing them as well)

[Fixxxer]

Same here.

Though I'm still a metal head at heart, I do tend to listen to a much wider variety of music these days from just about any genre. But when I actually play guitar, I prefer to play moderate to fast paced metal.

Every now and then I get the itch to bring out the acoustic and play something like Tuesday's Gone by Skynyrd or Nothing Else Matters by Metallica, but usually I like playing more heavy music.

[Rainier]

Same here.

Though I'm still a metal head at heart, I do tend to listen to a much wider variety of music these days from just about any genre. But when I actually play guitar, I prefer to play moderate to fast paced metal.

Every now and then I get the itch to bring out the acoustic and play something like Tuesday's Gone by Skynyrd or Nothing Else Matters by Metallica, but usually I like playing more heavy music.

I like mixing the two. When I go to jam with some friends, and they say they're going to record what we do, I bring my acoustic too. First I lay down my track with my electric, then I put the headphones on, listen to what we recorded (sometimes its over an hour long) and then I go back to the beginning and start putting some acoustic harmonies in there.

[Rainier]

I just bought a "new" acoustic (new to me) It's a Fender of sorts, circa 1973. It sounds so sweet... and it needs a string change (cant imagine how good it will sound with new strings)

I was playing it on the way home, rolled down the window, stuck the headstock out the window, played while steering with my knees

[BOBK]

If you are just starting, I suggest a cheap, can find anywhere, classical style nylon guitar.

You'll find learning where to put your fingers and how to not squeeze the neck as much as push your hand to the strings from the elbow, will be much more important to your future on the instrument, right now.

Then, you'll start figuring out, on your own, what you like and dislike about everyone elses guitars.

Well, good luck and have fun!!:D .

[Rainier]

Also, when you start playing, email me your questions (from how to tune to sweep-picking different arpeggios) and I'll get right back to you on it.

Check your inbox