Guitar Gurus

[LowerCaseRepublican]

Guitar gurus here at Soxtalk,

 

I am currently looking to pick up a decent/moderately priced acoustic that would be easy for a beginner to fool around with since I have no experience in playing guitar but want to learn. When it comes to picking out a guitar, I'm more confused than a hungry baby in a topless bar. Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

[3E8]

This is a fine guitar with a low price that's great for beginners:

 

Washburn D100

 

I'd suggest reading the reviews to see if it sounds right for you.

Edited November 25, 2006 by 3E8

[Leonard Zelig]

Guitar gurus here at Soxtalk,

 

I am currently looking to pick up a decent/moderately priced acoustic that would be easy for a beginner to fool around with since I have no experience in playing guitar but want to learn. When it comes to picking out a guitar, I'm more confused than a hungry baby in a topless bar. Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

What do you consider moderately priced? That is kind of a subjective term.

[Spiff]

Starting with an acoustic might get you frustrated quicker than starting with an electric, due to the height of the strings off of the neck (aka action), the pain of holding the strings down without calluses, and the awkwardness of acoustics just due to how much bigger they are, you have more trouble wrapping your arm around it. I might suggest starting with an electric until you know what you're doing a bit, and then trading it in for an electric. Then again if you start on an acoustic, an electric will seem like cake.

[LowerCaseRepublican]

Starting with an acoustic might get you frustrated quicker than starting with an electric, due to the height of the strings off of the neck (aka action), the pain of holding the strings down without calluses, and the awkwardness of acoustics just due to how much bigger they are, you have more trouble wrapping your arm around it. I might suggest starting with an electric until you know what you're doing a bit, and then trading it in for an electric. Then again if you start on an acoustic, an electric will seem like cake.

Well, let's do it this way -- would electric or acoustic be cheaper? I feel that the pursestrings are going to have a much greater influence on my decision making process than my personal preferences.

 

I'm looking for something not obnoxiously expensive that I can haul around, practice on a lot as a beginner and assuming I get good, upgrade later to a better one. It doesn't need to be fancy or anything. It's just gotta be something that won't screw up/break easily and will hold up well. I'd say some sort of dollar price but being absolutely clueless about guitars, I'd have no idea what is a moderate price.

[sox4lifeinPA]

it depends upon the use of the guitar....

 

if you plan on enjoying to play your favorite songs and satisfaction that you learned a musical instrument, then in my experience you can get a fender acoustic for ~250-350 and be satisfied for a lifetime.

 

HOWEVER....

 

if you plan on manipulating a girls heart by playing guitar for her, which you will because chicks LOVE the guitar, then immediately smack yourself in the balls and never think about this idea again. GUYS WHO USE GUITAR TO GET GIRLS ARE LAME-OS

 

 

make the right decision.

[Leonard Zelig]

If go with an acoustic, try to get something with a solid wood top, not laminate. It will cost a bit more, but it will sound much better. If you get an electric, I would recommend something with out a tremolo(whammy bar) which can make a guitar hard to keep in tune and be frustrating for a beginner.

[Balta1701]

Thanks for the advice from another person who is stealing it.

[LowerCaseRepublican]

it depends upon the use of the guitar....

 

if you plan on enjoying to play your favorite songs and satisfaction that you learned a musical instrument, then in my experience you can get a fender acoustic for ~250-350 and be satisfied for a lifetime.

 

HOWEVER....

 

if you plan on manipulating a girls heart by playing guitar for her, which you will because chicks LOVE the guitar, then immediately smack yourself in the balls and never think about this idea again. GUYS WHO USE GUITAR TO GET GIRLS ARE LAME-OS

make the right decision.

It is much more of a personal goal for the discipline of mastering an instrument and working with that. It's been something that I've wanted to do for a while but due to outright cluelessness about going about getting a good guitar and it being an investment of a few hundred bucks (and therefore wanting to get a decent one and not get grifted by some owner looking for a profit), I've kinda put it by the wayside.

 

And trust me, any girl that would hit on me simply because I picked up a guitar -- I'd throw her ass out of my life so fast, it'd be like a ska band horn player was f***ing some girl. He'd be in and out so fast, like a flash of lightning.

[Balta1701]

And trust me, any girl that would hit on me simply because I picked up a guitar -- I'd throw her ass out of my life so fast, it'd be like a ska band horn player was f***ing some girl. He'd be in and out so fast, like a flash of lightning.

Aww come on dude...you know that's deep down what every guitar player is thinking about.

 

Personally, I'd like to get an acoustic sometime soon and actually learn a few songs as entertainment around a campfire.

[sox4lifeinPA]

Aww come on dude...you know that's deep down what every guitar player is thinking about.

 

Personally, I'd like to get an acoustic sometime soon and actually learn a few songs as entertainment around a campfire.

 

that's a good goal. I recommend weezer. Or at least becoming friends with people who like weezer.

[Balta1701]

that's a good goal. I recommend weezer. Or at least becoming friends with people who like weezer.

First 2 Weezer albums or more recent Weezer albums? I've got the first 2 covered. The last couple though...(shakes head)...

[sox4lifeinPA]

It is much more of a personal goal for the discipline of mastering an instrument and working with that. It's been something that I've wanted to do for a while but due to outright cluelessness about going about getting a good guitar and it being an investment of a few hundred bucks (and therefore wanting to get a decent one and not get grifted by some owner looking for a profit), I've kinda put it by the wayside.

 

well, then good. As a one-time professional hack of 4-5 instruments, it's amazing when you can finally click with something you're learning. good luck. Like i said, a fender acoustic with electronics (pickup and 1/4" input) will work fine. I've played Taylors, Martins, Seagulls... If you don't plan on playing professionally, or even if you do, then I would say go with a fender (or yamaha...I have had a lot of good experiences with them on the learning to play/small gig level.) I never liked ibenez, imo they're the Hyundai's of guitars...over the years you'll be glad you went with a classic.

 

as for this monstrosity:

 

And trust me, any girl that would hit on me simply because I picked up a guitar -- I'd throw her ass out of my life so fast, it'd be like a ska band horn player was f***ing some girl. He'd be in and out so fast, like a flash of lightning.

 

this'll replace the whale in me nightmares...

 

First 2 Weezer albums or more recent Weezer albums? I've got the first 2 covered. The last couple though...(shakes head)...

 

blue, pinkerton and i would even say green.... everything else :puke

[LowerCaseRepublican]

well, then good. As a one-time professional hack of 4-5 instruments, it's amazing when you can finally click with something you're learning. good luck. Like i said, a fender acoustic with electronics (pickup and 1/4" input) will work fine. I've played Taylors, Martins, Seagulls... If you don't plan on playing professionally, or even if you do, then I would say go with a fender (or yamaha...I have had a lot of good experiences with them on the learning to play/small gig level.) I never liked ibenez, imo they're the Hyundai's of guitars...over the years you'll be glad you went with a classic.

What Fender model(s) would you suggest? So, when I go to local stores to look I appear to have some idea of what I am talking about.

 

Would it be easier as Spiff said to go for an electric since it'd be easier and then go acoustic later or what?

[Leonard Zelig]

Are you willing to spend $500 on an acoustic guitar?

[LowerCaseRepublican]

Are you willing to spend $500 on an acoustic guitar?

That'd probably be too hefty. I'm thinking $300 would be the absolute tops I'd be able to go with given my salary, bills, etc.

[Leonard Zelig]

That'd probably be too hefty. I'm thinking $300 would be the absolute tops I'd be able to go with given my salary, bills, etc.

 

For that price you should be able to get a Fender acoustic with a case, but make sure you get a solid top. It is worth the extra $100.

[Rex Kickass]

blue, pinkerton and i would even say green.... everything else :puke

 

I refuse to admit the existence of any Weezer album after Pinkerton. Pinkerton = best Weezer album ever.

 

I got the "generic" fender acoustic when I was 12 and I still play it now and play it badly! But it has taken its knock and is still fun to use.

[sox4lifeinPA]

That'd probably be too hefty. I'm thinking $300 would be the absolute tops I'd be able to go with given my salary, bills, etc.

 

The first thing you need to know about any guitar store is that you should never pay the price they list it for. It's like a car dealer, they mark it up and let the suckers pay full price. Act like THEY need you to buy the guitar, because they do. There are a million places to get a guitar and you want this store to give you a good deal, so they get your business for strings, picks, etc.

 

Here's a nice one that selling for $399...but like I said, you could get them lower, especially if you find a guitar you know has been "sitting on the lot for a while".

 

 

Fender® GDC100 SCE Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar

 

 

Epiphone Acoustics are solid as well. A good guitar for $299 that as Rex said will last you 10+ years and be cheap enough not to break your wallet, but be nice enough that if you get good enough you could gig out and not look like a fool.

 

Epiphone AJ-200SCE Acoustic-Electric Guitar

 

My last example is a Yamaha acoustic. I've played two in my life, mostly for home practice, but they have a deceptively rich and warm low tone for $349 and it's a great looking guitar. The first two I showed you had electronics, which means you can plug into an amp, a mixer, etc to amplify the sound. This one doesn't. My advice is buy as nice as a guitar as you can and include a cutaway and electronics. I say that because one day you're going to be mic-ing your guitar to play somewhere and wishing you could have just plugged in or playing a solo and having to stop at the 10 fret because it's really annoying when there's no cutaway.

 

 

Yamaha FG735S Folk Acoustic Guitar

 

 

Ok, so some people may totally disagree, but those are three viable options for you. Those were quick searches and I haven't played those exact guitars, but I know what that price range more or less can do. Spiff's suggestion is a good one, but I really believe that an acoustic will give you the most diversity in what you can do with the instrument...camp fire sing-a-longs, etc.

 

hope that helps.

 

PA.

[Spiff]

Also you could do what I did and compromise. I started with an electric, but traded it in for a semi-hollow.

 

It's an Ibanez Talman Artcore, I know PA said he doesn't like Ibanez but I like mine a lot. The semi-hollow gives you a decent sound when you're playing unplugged but also a good sound when you're plugged in. I can't remember how much I paid, but I know it was under 300. I can't find any online stores with them but there's a few on ebay.

 

Oh, and mine is silver and not blue.

[SnB]

I've been telling myself for years that I want to learn how to play the guitar, who knows how many more years it'll be until I actually get around to doing it.

[mr_genius]

dude, don't be a pussy. get somethin like this

 

[LowerCaseRepublican]

I've been telling myself for years that I want to learn how to play the guitar, who knows how many more years it'll be until I actually get around to doing it.

Same here, now I am actually going to do it and a few other things I've been wanting to do. I just gotta figure out the next paycheck and how much cash I'll have so I know how much I can drop on a guitar. In the meantime, I'm going to be going to a variety of stores, looking around and doing what PA said -- acting like they need me when looking.

 

I'm going to be doing:

-learn guitar

-write jokes and work on comedy

-more exercise (yoga and weights in the morning and then after school weight/cardio workout followed by evening yoga) Currently I just do weights in the morning and then weight/cardio after school. Figured I should get some more focused stretching exercises in there. w00t.

 

Hooray for picking tasks and seeing them through to completion!

[FlaSoxxJim]

dude, don't be a pussy. get somethin like this

 

 

 

Those First Act custom series guitares are actually really solid. The Rick in that image is a but much, but the Elliot Easton model is really nice. Only having familiarity with the cheaper line you see in Wal-Mart I never appreciated that the pro and custom models are prety nice until I went to theie factory store in Boston and played around with a couple of them.

 

As for the guitar to get, I agree with the Fender or Yamaha, solid top if you can afford it. And go acoustic, it will styrengthen your finger muscles and make an electric that much easier.

[Spiff]

I was waiting for Jim to show up, do whatever he says.

 

Just have fun with those fingers stretching out and strengthening.

 

 

 

Also I forgot my guitar at home over break. I miss it so bad.