A musical question.

[IDLEchild]

What is a good begginer Guitar to get? Acoustic or Classical?

Nylon strings are said to be popular among beginners but Steel strings produce richer notes....is that true? Which one is better off for a beginner but is still a good investment for long term play.....Nylon or Steel string?

Any help appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Gonz]

Go with a steel string, simple acoustic model. Once interest sets in, all else is too personal.

 

[Luis G]

First of all, get a nice but not so nice guitar (so you can screw it while learning), you can swich the type of strings any time you like.

For learning, go with the nylon ones, as they are cheaper.

 

[Gotnolegs]

Are you serious about learning?

If so spend no less than $200 on a guitar, it doesn't matter what sort, that depends on what sort of music you want to play. If you get a cheap guitar you wil make a noise that is so off key and out of tune every time you try and play a different chord that you may as well not have bothered.

Pick up a second hand Tanglewood electro-acoustic and put a new set of steel strings on it. That way you can plug in if you want to, but don't have to. You have a quality guitar at the cheaper end of the scale and it will hold agood amount of it's value if you decide it isn't for you and you want to sell it.

If you do decide you like playing the guitar then you can learn all the basics and a lot more besides on it before you specialise.

My second guitar was one and I still love it to this day...

G

 

[chcr]

What gotnolegs said. If you buy too cheap of a guitar, it will be basically unplayable. Acoustic-electric isn't a bad idea for a starter either. I'm not familiar with Tanglewood though (gotnolegs seems to know whereof he speaks though). Epiphone or Takamine or Yamaha make some good ones. Check out some pawn shops, sometimes you can get a pretty good deal on a second hand guitar. I've been playing since I was 14 (a very long time indeed). I'd go with steel strings, acoustic-electric and a cutaway. You're not one of those accursed lefties, are you? That can make a guitar a little harder to find.

 

[chcr]

First of all, get a nice but not so nice guitar (so you can screw it while learning), you can swich the type of strings any time you like.

For learning, go with the nylon ones, as they are cheaper.

Umm, you can put nylon strings on a steel string guitar (it'll screw up the action and won't sound terrific, but you can play it that way). Please don't try to put steel strings on a guitar (like a classical) made for nylon or gut, the neck is not reinforced for the extra tension.

 

[IDLEchild]

So a Takamine Steel String Acoustic Guitar it is for 89.99......

 

[chcr]

So a Takamine Steel String Acoustic Guitar it is for 89.99......

Is it an online ad? I'd like to take a look, but Takamine is generally a good choice.

 

[IDLEchild]

http://catamuse.com/jasdreadac.html

Is that any good Chcr?

 

[chcr]

Yes, an S35 is not a bad guitar at all. That's a pretty good price. A couple of things I would do:
1. Get extra strings. As a beginner you will break some, especially the higher notes (B and E).
2. Get a good gig bag. Sturdy and lined. Keep the guitar in it when your not using it.
3. Have the guitar profesionally set up. A lot of people don't, but you can't believe the difference it will make (I can explain this more if you have doubts, and it's not entirely necessary but will enhance your experience).
4. Get an electronic tuner. You can play a guitar that's tuned only to itself. To my mind this is a waste of time. You can tune it to a piano or a pitch pipe but an electronic tuner is much easier and they're around twenty bucks.

That was rather more than a couple, wasn't it? Finally, be prepared for yuor fingertips to hurt all the time until you build some calluses. Learn a few Bob Dylan tunes for me, huh?

 

[IDLEchild]

Yes, an S35 is not a bad guitar at all. That's a pretty good price. A couple of things I would do:

3. Have the guitar profesionally set up. A lot of people don't, but you can't believe the difference it will make (I can explain this more if you have doubts, and it's not entirely necessary but will enhance your experience).

Do eleborate

4. Get an electronic tuner. You can play a guitar that's tuned only to itself. To my mind this is a waste of time. You can tune it to a piano or a pitch pipe but an electronic tuner is much easier and they're around twenty bucks.

Huh?

Finally, be prepared for yuor fingertips to hurt all the time until you build some calluses.

An unfortunate cause, especially for me.....wait..i thought i would use a guitar pick?

Learn a few Bob Dylan tunes for me, huh?

I'll try. Something simple to begin with...any suggestions?

 

[Gonz]

I'll try. Something simple to begin with...any suggestions?

Rainy Day Women #12 & #35

 

[chcr]

Okay. A professional luthier (he may or may not call himself that) will set the action (distance between strings and fingerboard) to the optimum hieght, file down and align frets (the metal bars on the fingerboard) and generally make the guitar easier to tune and play.

Huh?

I'm not sure this is answering the next question, but here goes. You can tune the strings on the guitar simply to one another and it will sound okay (to the uninitiated, lots of people do this). I think it's a waste of time because eventually your going to play where someone will want to sing along or play along. If you haven't learned to play on key in the first place, you have no common frame of reference.

i thought i would use a guitar pick?

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't
I was referring to the other hand though, the one you finger the notes and chords with.

I'll try. Something simple to begin with...any suggestions?

For my money, "The Times They Are A'Changing" is pretty simple. Three chords the way most people play it.

 

[IDLEchild]

Darn, i will need someone professional now to overlook this puppy because iam a dunce at the guitar.

Rainy Day Women #12 & #35

Thanks, is that just a guitar solo or a song?


Ok a question tha tseems pointless to ask because it depends from person to person but i ask anyway....

Is it hard to learn how to play the guitar? Was it hard for you?

 

[freako104]

An unfortunate cause, especially for me.....wait..i thought i would use a guitar pick?

some people do use a pick to play the strings yes, but in order to play the cords your other fingers will get sore. trust me on this. there are things you can use for it but it wont help much as it takes away the sound.

 

[IDLEchild]

Physical pain isn't an issue. There is pain in involved in everything that is great. I look forward to the rewards...the pain is merely a side track on the way to something great.

 

[Gonz]

Well, they'll stone ya when you're trying to be so good,
They'll stone ya just a-like they said they would.
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to go home.
Then they'll stone ya when you're there all alone.
But I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.

Well, they'll stone ya when you're walkin' 'long the street.
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to keep your seat.
They'll stone ya when you're walkin' on the floor.
They'll stone ya when you're walkin' to the door.
But I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.

They'll stone ya when you're at the breakfast table.
They'll stone ya when you are young and able.
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to make a buck.
They'll stone ya and then they'll say, "good luck."
Tell ya what, I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.

Well, they'll stone you and say that it's the end.
Then they'll stone you and then they'll come back again.
They'll stone you when you're riding in your car.
They'll stone you when you're playing your guitar.
Yes, but I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.

Well, they'll stone you when you walk all alone.
They'll stone you when you are walking home.
They'll stone you and then say you are brave.
They'll stone you when you are set down in your grave.
But I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.

 

[tonksy]

that's what i've been saying forever, gonz.....the first song i learned how to play on the guitar was crocodile rock....course i really have no musical skills whatsoever...cruel trick of fate really...

 

[Nixy]

Personally, I hate nylon strongs always have...

ooooh the pain of playing with virgin fingers...my fingers are revirginized against guitar now...I am gonna play some when I go home for christmas...I will screech in pain I am sure.

I agree with chcr about the tuner...tuning by ear is a pain in the rear end...especially if you don't already have a trained ear musically. And when the strings are new and they're stretching constantly and it's constantly going out of tune you will lose your mind VERY quickly if you have to tune by ear...

 

[Gotnolegs]

Takamine make nice guitars, if you can get one for that price go for it.

Is it easy to learn? Difficult to say, it's certainly easier if you already play other instruments, but it really depends on what sort of music you want to make.

If you're happy strumming a few chords then yes it's pretty easy, if you want to be knocking out hardcore blues riffs then no it's not easy at all.

I taught myself from a chord chart in the back of a song book and by trying to play along to tapes of songs I liked (this was pre CD), it took me long time to get to the stage where I would consider myself any good at all, I still don't really rate myself as a guitarist but it is my third instrument (fourth if you voice as an instrument) so I don't feel bad about it .

Your fingers will hurt like hell sometimes, they will callous up which helps but my fingers still hurt if I play a lot. You will ask yourself why the hell you do it time and time again, but stick with it. The guitar is a brilliant instrument, an amazing amount of people can play it and getting together with someone else to play is a lot of fun.

I bought a cheap and nasty guitar a little while back to drag round parties, it's a great ice breaker.