any guitar players here? looking for a beginner guitar

[BoberFett]

Consider used as well. If you're just learning, you don't have any idea what you want in a guitar. Pickups? Bridge? Fretboard material? Fret height? Tuners? People who have been playing a while can tell what they like, but they'll will also make just about any guitar sound good. As a beginner you'll be buzzing frets for a while just trying to hit the right note. As others have mentioned, you want a guitar that will stay in tune. That's the most important part when starting out, IMO.

I've meant to learn for many years, I played violin as a kid and the bass in a shitty garage punk band after high school so I'm not new to stringed instruments, but never sat down and forced myself to learn guitar. I've bought and sold guitars, and right now I have an Epiphone Wildkat that I like messing around on, but for my actual practicing I use an acoustic. I agree with others who say that it forces you to learn good technique, and will punish you if you're sloppy. My son and I are both learning on acoustics, and I told him I'll buy him an electric once he gets through his book (Hal Leonard) with his teacher.

 

[DrDoug]

Wow.. thanks for all the responses guys, I appreciate it

I guess I'll head to Guitar Center and get a feel of the guitars instead of blind buying online.

Smart move. Different guitars have a different feel to them, especially the neck/fretboard width and radius. Some feel round, like a baseball bat, and others feel wide and almost flat, like a plank. The same with fret spacing, some necks are longer with wider spacing and others are shorter with narrow spacing.

Try different models and find something that fits you comfortably.

ETA: One other thing I would advise is to have a good luthier set your guitar up for you. Too many people assume that a 'new' guitar is ready to rock when they are not. Lower end guitars are slapped together at the factory to a basic fit that is good enough for the sales floor (most times) but the playability of a guitar can be vastly improved in the hands of a experienced luthier. A guitar with a crappy setup in the hands of a beginner can actually make it harder to play and end up discouraging them from learning.

 

[alkemyst]

Mexican Fender Strat, you can get one new off of ebay for less than 300 bones and it is great.

My brother is a musician, he owns a lot of nice instruments like a full stand up grand piano in his studio.

The Mexican Strats are a great value, plus they have some nice custom options/colors.

He was a 'real' vintage Strat too. For just fucking around the Mexican Strat has less risk associated with it and if someone steals it, not a big loss.

 

[alkemyst]

Consider used as well. If you're just learning, you don't have any idea what you want in a guitar. Pickups? Bridge? Fretboard material? Fret height? Tuners? People who have been playing a while can tell what they like, but they'll will also make just about any guitar sound good. As a beginner you'll be buzzing frets for a while just trying to hit the right note. As others have mentioned, you want a guitar that will stay in tune. That's the most important part when starting out, IMO.

I've meant to learn for many years, I played violin as a kid and the bass in a shitty garage punk band after high school so I'm not new to stringed instruments, but never sat down and forced myself to learn guitar. I've bought and sold guitars, and right now I have an Epiphone Wildkat that I like messing around on, but for my actual practicing I use an acoustic. I agree with others who say that it forces you to learn good technique, and will punish you if you're sloppy. My son and I are both learning on acoustics, and I told him I'll buy him an electric once he gets through his book (Hal Leonard) with his teacher.

I agree with used, but take it to a luthier/shop prior to handing over the cash. Guitars are one of those instruments that could look great but have been fucked up.

 

[Fritzo]

My brother is a musician, he owns a lot of nice instruments like a full stand up grand piano in his studio.

The Mexican Strats are a great value, plus they have some nice custom options/colors.

He was a 'real' vintage Strat too. For just fucking around the Mexican Strat has less risk associated with it and if someone steals it, not a big loss.

The main point of the Mexi-Strats and Teles is they're assembled in Mexico but all of the electrics are the US versions they put on their high end USA instruments.

I've had a unusual Nashville Power Telecaster for several years now (it has 3 active pickups, with the middle one being off of a Strat, and features stereo output). I love the sounds I can get out of that thing, and I swear I can not tell the difference between it and a USA made version.

 

[Kaido]

http://m.guitarcenter.com/FENDER-Mo...ter-Hss-Electric-Guitar-108295114-i2013846.gc

Is this a good electric guitar to start with? My budget is only around $300-$500 dollars. Looking mainly to play blues and may venture into rock if it turns out well

This is my advice:

1. Guitar: Buy a Monoprice guitar. They have good reviews and cost between $90 to $165, which makes them very budget-friendly for a beginner guitar. Plenty of options available for designs. Here is the link:

http://www.monoprice.com/Category?c_id=115&cp_id=11501

2. Lessons: Purchase a Next Level Guitar premium membership for $140. This gives you a year's access to over 1,200 bite-sized lessons that you can do at home. $140 is very cheap compared to what you'd pay locally (even if you only did one lesson a month at $20, that's $240 a year in-person). This is my favorite way to learn guitar because you can study at your own pace, on your own schedule, and you can learn as fast or as slow as you want. Here is the link:

http://www.nextlevelguitar.com/

3. Stand: Buy a guitar stand. Either a floor stand like this one: ($15)

http://www.amazon.com/Musicians-Gear...dp/B0018TIADQ/

Or a wall-mount like this one: ($10)

http://www.amazon.com/String-Swing-C...dp/B0002GLCRC/

The real point of a guitar stand is to give you easy access. Guitars are like exercise machines: everyone has one, very few actively use them. Don't put the guitar in a closet or in a case - hang it on the wall or put it on the floor on a stand so that you can pick it up & play it with zero barriers. I recently changed my floor stand to wall mounts and really like it because (1) they look cool on the wall, (2) I'm not tripping over the floor stand (especially if you have kids or pets), and (3) it's super easy to access since all you do is plop it on the wall arm.

Learning to play the guitar is not hard; what is hard is human psychology. Sticking with something that you're not forced to do (like school or work) is very, very hard, whether it's exercising or eating healthy or playing the guitar. That's why I recommend the Next Level Guitar lessons (just do one lesson for 10 minutes a day) and having an easy-access guitar stand: you want to remove any barriers from practicing.

Also keep in mind that learning & playing are two entirely different things. You'll want to dedicate time every day to learning; jamming on the guitar is different than learning something new. I do both...learning first then playing (either for fun or for practice). But it's very important to keep on learning, and that's what is super hard about learning the guitar...simply adding it to your schedule & doing it every day. If you need some inspiration, remember that even Jack Black can play a guitar :awe: Here's some inspirational videos for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGTfDf4b5oE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkKIMykyU3Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg3GYsw3nkY

http://www.wimp.com/guitarmouth/

So, now you have no more excuses - get to work :biggrin:

 

[alkemyst]

An instructor is invaluable to most students that would be too lazy to unzip or open their guitar case.

If you are self-sufficient, it works.

 

[Kaido]

An instructor is invaluable to most students that would be too lazy to unzip or open their guitar case.

If you are self-sufficient, it works.

I absolutely agree. Nothing beats having that peer pressure of having to show up, having to report whether or not you practiced, having someone explain the intricacies of each tidbit of learning, getting help through the hard stuff that you're struggling to learn, etc.

But barring that, but a good cheap guitar from Monoprice, throw it on stand, and watch some video tutorials every day :awe:

 

[Fritzo]

http://www.wimp.com/guitarmouth/

WTF- That guy makes noises with his mouth and has a bigger venue than I've had in 25 years of playing???? How is that supposed to be inspirational??!!!

I recorded this a couple of months back to show how applying different techniques to three chords can make you sound like you're playing something very complicated:

http://members.toast.net/dougz/fritzolittlelamb.mp3

If you can learn 3 chords, you can do something similar

 

[Kaido]

WTF- That guy makes noises with his mouth and has a bigger venue than I've had in 25 years of playing???? How is that supposed to be inspirational??!!!

I recorded this a couple of months back to show how applying different techniques to three chords can make you sound like you're playing something very complicated:

http://members.toast.net/dougz/fritzolittlelamb.mp3

If you can learn 3 chords, you can do something similar

Yes, I watch those videos anytime I'm struggling or feeling down about my guitar-playing because if (1) a little kid, (2) a dude with no hands, (3) a dude with his feet, and (4) a dude who doesn't even have a guitar can do it (and, you know, if people like Jack Black or Nickelback can play), then I sure as heck can do it too

And forget 3 chords, 4 chords is all you need!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I

And let us not forget the Pachelbel Rant:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

:awe:

 

[Imp]

I absolutely agree. Nothing beats having that peer pressure of having to show up, having to report whether or not you practiced, having someone explain the intricacies of each tidbit of learning, getting help through the hard stuff that you're struggling to learn, etc.

But barring that, but a good cheap guitar from Monoprice, throw it on stand, and watch some video tutorials every day :awe:

Yep, get a teacher.

A decade ago, I wanted to learn how to play guitar. A decade later, my Mexican Fender Strat sits in its case under my bed with the strings loosened slightly and out of tune. Haven't touched it in years. Sold the amp a few years pack for half-price.

I play piano, clarinet, and bass clarinet. Had teachers for all of them. Guitar was my self-learning exercise.

If I would do it again, I would get a teacher and an acoustic guitar. Having to plug something and turn it on can be annoying for new players and the harder to press strings on an acoustic are good practice. Chances are you won't get into effect pedals as a new guy. You can still screw with slides and clappos!

If you must go with electric, get a craptastic Squier/Epiphone starter pack for <$200. My Mexican Strat was $500 new with no amp and I was way too worried about babying it.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Squier Classic Vibe telecaster. It's a DAMN good guitar, and even better if you consider the price of it. There are 1000's of decent to high-quality youtube lessons out there as well. Check out Justin Sandercoe or Marty Schwartz on Youtube.

A Fender SCXD is one of the best rated entry level tube/combo amps out there. Don't worry about pedals yet. Get your chord transitions down, learn how to play barre chords without flubbing them.

Most of all, have fun. Playing guitar should be fun and enjoyable, but to learn you will have struggles, plateaus and moments of monstrous frustration. Pick a simple song, learn it all the way through, from beginning to end.
Good luck

 

[WelshBloke]

Cheap classical guitar, low tension strings and spend the money you saved on lessons.

 

[chihlidog]

I dont claim to be a great player, but I do know my stuff. I gigged regularly for over 10 years and have had tons of equipment over the years as well as played so much more of it. Here's my honest, brutal advice:

DONT GO TO GUITAR CENTER.

Every pimply faced greaser in your entire region will go there and beat the snot out of the instruments. I've pulled $4,000 Les Pauls down to try out there and they felt like ass. Same goes for PRS whose quality control is much more consistent and plenty of others. There is no tech at most GCs to maintain them so you're not really going to get a feel for the guitar .

Try and find a local shop. Seriously. It'll be worth it. As a complete beginner, you wont know if the intonation is off until you're practicing and practicing and practicing and no matter how hard you try and even though your electric tuner tells you the thing is in tune that E major you KNOW you're playing right sounds like crap....and you cant figure out why...

As far as what to buy, there are a ton out there. I do agree that you need to try them out. Just try and do it at a place that keeps em in good condition. Schecter makes a great guitar for the price. Nothing wrong with modern Epiphones either. My go-to advice for beginners is a Yamaha Pacifica 112. They're just silly good for the price and very versatile. Dont go TOO cheap. A Pacifica 112 (An H/S/S configuration is about as versatile as it gets) can be had for less than 200. Anything else, try and budget at least 275-300 for a guitar that will be pretty decent.

As far as lessons....they can be valuable. Learning the proper fundamentals will serve you well years down the road. Fingering positions and theory basics are good things to know, and it's good to make good habits when first learning.

Good luck. Enjoy it!

 

[TheAdvocate]

Those Classic Vibe Squiers are actually pretty solid. MIM Fenders are great too. I learned on an Epiphone Special II - but one of the tuners was crap and I kept breaking the high E string til I figured out why. Went through so many packages of strings. Kinda funny now that I think about it.

Fritzo is absolutely right about learning on an acoustic. You're doing yourself a disservice if you do not. I did not, and therefore my play on an acoustic is usually sloppy when I first pick one up. (I play my Fender American Strat 90% of the time)

Truth - people don't want to learn on an acoustic because:

1) it has higher "action" (strings are up higher so you have to bare down harder with fingertips which hurts more and requires more precision);

2) it will let you know when you mess up (sounds terrible - flip side is it sounds wonderful when you do it right);

3) huge body - god dont get a dreadnought body if you do get one. Even a standard acoustic guitar has a big body that you have to stretch around which takes some getting used to.

4) My pet peeve - baseball bat necks. Besides the low action on an electric, the other ease of play issue is a thinner neck on an electric, which is called a "fast" neck because the average size hands can grip and move about it easily. Most acoustics have much fatter necks and are harder to handle. If they are thick enough, they will tire you hands out faster too - especially if you are learning to play barre chords (Still remember trying to learn to play a B, standing up - omg the hand cramping).

I have a fairly crappy Ibanez, and if I am actually playing well for a change, it sounds pretty good, but I have to admit, I am lazy and many times, I just hate the neck.

If someone could make a solid, smaller body acoustic with a fast, small neck, that didn't lose all the intonation goodness, I'd jump all over it.

But yes - back to the point - despite what I said, learn on an acoustic. It will be painful, but worth it in the long run. If you can play an acoustic well, an electric feels like a kid's toy (easy mode).