zevo Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Hey All....Im thinking about picking up acoustic guitar as a hobby especially with winter coming.....anyone have any recommendations on a good starter guitar? How hard is it to learn to play.....am i kidding myself? I really don't have any musical background except that I love music..... Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOBILLS78 Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I've always played fairly cheap Ibanez acoustics that are nice, but my brother-in-law recently got a $200 Fender that plays absolutely beautifully. If you have any rhythm whatsoever, and are willing to put forth the effort (even five minutes a day), it's fairly easy to learn basic chords to strum along to your favorite tunes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrobot Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I'd start with nylon stringed guitar, as they're easier to press down and get a satisfying sound. Go to guitar center and get an Ibanez or Yamaha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountDorkula Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Hey All....Im thinking about picking up acoustic guitar as a hobby especially with winter coming.....anyone have any recommendations on a good starter guitar? How hard is it to learn to play.....am i kidding myself? I really don't have any musical background except that I love music..... Thanks It is going to be very frusturating at first. Don't give up(I did twice lol). Just keep pushing to learn. Try to learn simple songs and work your way up. I taught myslef adn it took me about 6 months to actually start getting the hang of certain ways. Youtube is a great way to learn different techniques. Ultimate-Guitar.com is a great place for Tabs for music. If you are really serious you could look into purchasing Guitar Pro, which is a program that actaully plays the songs as you watch the chords. Ibaanez and Washburn have really nice guitars. I will say the guitar and the type of strings does make a world of difference. I would not buy any cheap ol thing. Any other questions, let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zevo Posted September 11, 2011 Author Share Posted September 11, 2011 It is going to be very frusturating at first. Don't give up(I did twice lol). Just keep pushing to learn. Try to learn simple songs and work your way up. I taught myslef adn it took me about 6 months to actually start getting the hang of certain ways. Youtube is a great way to learn different techniques. Ultimate-Guitar.com is a great place for Tabs for music. If you are really serious you could look into purchasing Guitar Pro, which is a program that actaully plays the songs as you watch the chords. Ibaanez and Washburn have really nice guitars. I will say the guitar and the type of strings does make a world of difference. I would not buy any cheap ol thing. Any other questions, let me know. What do you think about the Fender CD-60? also I just got a new macbook i noticed they have guitar lesson on the garage band....looks very helpful.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 It is going to be very frusturating at first. Don't give up(I did twice lol). Just keep pushing to learn. Try to learn simple songs and work your way up. I taught myslef adn it took me about 6 months to actually start getting the hang of certain ways. Youtube is a great way to learn different techniques. Ultimate-Guitar.com is a great place for Tabs for music. If you are really serious you could look into purchasing Guitar Pro, which is a program that actaully plays the songs as you watch the chords. Ibaanez and Washburn have really nice guitars. I will say the guitar and the type of strings does make a world of difference. I would not buy any cheap ol thing. Any other questions, let me know. The age old question.... I'd reccomend seeing if any friends or family have one you could borrow or play with some. Before you spend the money you can see if you have the follow through on this. For a decent chunk of time you won't be doing anything that sounds like songs you know and that is a huge turnoff for a lot of people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountDorkula Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 (edited) What do you think about the Fender CD-60? also I just got a new macbook i noticed they have guitar lesson on the garage band....looks very helpful.... Fenders has very nice guitars. the CD 60 is a great starting-intermediate guitar. Honestly Green Day (even though you may not like them) are very good to start learning with. Good Riddance (Time of your Life)First song i ever learned. Wake me up when September ends Both songs are on the easy side to learn. The age old question.... I'd reccomend seeing if any friends or family have one you could borrow or play with some. Before you spend the money you can see if you have the follow through on this. For a decent chunk of time you won't be doing anything that sounds like songs you know and that is a huge turnoff for a lot of people. This is very true. If you can do this zevo, It is a good reccomendation! Edited September 11, 2011 by CountDorkula Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Set a price limit for $200 or so. That'll be good enough for a decent starter guitar. When you're starting out, its more about learning the chord progressions, scales, strumming and fingering techniques rather than the "sound". Starting out it is very frustrating to realize that you DO NOT sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan and you CAN NOT keep up with a Chuck Berry song. You're gonna suck, and you're gonna suck hard at first, but you'll soon realize that you were able to do a simple E-A7-B7-E riff without looking down, and then you'll have your first breakthrough. After your first breakthrough, you'll hit a plateau and may even begin to suck again, but you'll pick it up quickly. Moral of the story, learning the guitar is not like riding a bike. It takes many many months-years of practice before you're really good. Set a $200 price limit and don't blow up your credit card till you're good. Also, I recommend a steel string acoustic guitar. It's HARDER to play, but if you can learn on some stiff strings, you'll have the calluses on your fingers and the muscle memory to shred when you finally graduate to a good electric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Where do you live? I bought one from off Craigslist a couple years ago (still had the tags on it) because I was thinking of playing, but I can't get the hang of fingering. So it's been sitting in a corner since. I have a soft case for it also. I'd let it go for $50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Where do you live? I bought one from off Craigslist a couple years ago (still had the tags on it) because I was thinking of playing, but I can't get the hang of fingering. So it's been sitting in a corner since. I have a soft case for it also. I'd let it go for $50. Exhibit A on why it's worth finding a friend to try it out. Also, having a support system, someone for advice is immensely helpful. The guy in the YouTube video can be quite annoying when you get stuck at one of those plateaus and can't seem to figure out what's going on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peace Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I'd start with nylon stringed guitar, as they're easier to press down and get a satisfying sound. Go to guitar center and get an Ibanez or Yamaha. Easier but not at all right for anyone but a kid or a Spanish guitar player. Get a steel string guitar and I agree 100% with what everyone is saying. Get a used guitar. If you're freaked out about buying a used one, talk to someone who can check them out for you. For $100 on Cragslist, you'll get an awesome starter guitar with a case and some extra strings. Buying new in that price range is a waste of money. Then if you like it, you move up to the $500-700 range which should keep anyone happy except the most picky player who will go with a Martin (what I have, and am not worthy of) or something similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I think that may suit your purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 I'd start with nylon stringed guitar, as they're easier to press down and get a satisfying sound. Go to guitar center and get an Ibanez or Yamaha. My first guitar was a Yamaha nylon string that I bought used for $20 almost 25 years ago. I still have it. I’ve used it to give some starter lessons to a couple people. It works very well as a starter and sounds very nice. So much easier on the fingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Miner Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 The age old question.... I'd reccomend seeing if any friends or family have one you could borrow or play with some. Before you spend the money you can see if you have the follow through on this. For a decent chunk of time you won't be doing anything that sounds like songs you know and that is a huge turnoff for a lot of people. Exhibit A on why it's worth finding a friend to try it out. Also, having a support system, someone for advice is immensely helpful. The guy in the YouTube video can be quite annoying when you get stuck at one of those plateaus and can't seem to figure out what's going on NoSaint is all over it. Learn some simple stuff (not even songs, just riffs or some chord progressions or fills or something) on someone else's first. That will be enough to either hook you or lose you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdog1960 Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 i recommend zager guitars. he lowers the action with low frets and a lowered bridge and nut, uses extra light strings and spaces the strings more widely on a relatively low end asian guitar. the result is really easy to play and easy on the fingers without going to nylon strings. i asked a local luthier to set up my martin like it and he wasn't sure he could without causing buzzing. new, they're only available online. used they command close to new price so you're probably better off buying new. they have a money back guarantee for 1 month, i believe. no questions asked. an alternative idea, if you aren't sure about diving in fully is to buy a uke. for $30 you can get a playable uke with easy to fret nylon strings and much simpler chords due to it's 4 strings. we had 2 teenagers stay with us over the summer for 6 weeks. at the end, they could both strum about 6 songs with the help of a dvd/instruction book. very little drama/frustration. if you have trouble with the uke (and i doubt you will), i'd avoid the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Do not underestimate the power of the ESTEBAN!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Blizzard Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 Hey All....Im thinking about picking up acoustic guitar as a hobby especially with winter coming.....anyone have any recommendations on a good starter guitar? How hard is it to learn to play.....am i kidding myself? I really don't have any musical background except that I love music..... Thanks I haven't read all the other posts, but my advice - you can't go wrong with a Yamaha. Just play several and listen for the one that sounds best to you. I've had an FG-410 for almost 20 yrs, and have had no issues with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bufluv Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 The Martin "Backpacker" or the "Baby" Taylor are pretty good sounding and easy on the fingers. Plus they can travel anywhere with you...and they can be pretty cheap, used. I bought a couple of stinkers early on....the thing I look for now is nice low action, without the buzz. Repeating some of what birddog said... Some guitars have the nice action, but the vibration of the strings will drive ya nuts. The sound of the fat E string is also important. It seems the cheaper you go, the more muted it sounds. Like the other posters mentioned, ultimate-guitar.com is a great site. I also love youtube. There's a guy named Marty Schwartz on there that does a real nice job of teaching hit songs to beginners. Stick with it because I am living proof that any bonehead can eventually figure it out. I struggled with strumming and shifting chords smoothly for a long time, but it literally came to me one day (playing along w/ Jerry, Thats what love will make you do) and it's been nothing but fun since. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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