So which guitar should a beginner get?

[EyeSeeCold]

I was thinking of acoustic, but I'll just start out on electric. Any recommendations?

 

[EvilScientist Trainee]

For beggining, I was more comfortable with a acoustic guitar. It was considerably cheaper, needed no eletricity and was rather portable.

In order to play an eletric guitar, you'd need to have speakers. Of course, you can use the PC speakers, but then, you'll be tied with playing near the PC only. And far from it, it just sounds weird, as sound doesn't propagate that well.

I'd say, go for acoustic if you are a very beginner. Once you get comfortable with the chords and stuff, then move on to eletric guitar. The acoustic guitar is very versatile.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

For beggining, I was more comfortable with a acoustic guitar. It was considerably cheaper, needed no eletricity and was rather portable.

Those factors aren't really worth any weight in the matter, well maybe portability. But then again, acoustics are still space consuming don'tchathink? It's not like I'm going to be moving from place to place.

In order to play an eletric guitar, you'd need to have speakers. Of course, you can use the PC speakers, but then, you'll be tied with playing near the PC only. And far from it, it just sounds weird, as sound doesn't propagate that well.

I have amps already, but I guess acoustics are good for being able to play anywhere.

I'd say, go for acoustic if you are a very beginner. Once you get comfortable with the chords and stuff, then move on to eletric guitar. The acoustic guitar is very versatile.

The thing is - I'm going for sound and style. I understand the dynamics of acoustics and that you need discipline, but I wouldn't get the sound I want to practice on with an acoustic guitar.

 

[EvilScientist Trainee]

If i recall right, there are eletric acoustic guitars. They were acoustic guitars for the most part, but had a plug for the amps. If you're aiming for distortions, using that kind of acoustic guitar allows you to get both benefits.

But if you want to go all 'rock 'n roll', eletric guitar is the most likely choice. I liked being able to play many kinds of songs with my guitar. But nothing is on the way of doing the same with an eletric guitar.

Perhaps it's just a matter of preference for me, but I kind of enjoyed when I had a sudden moment of inspiration and just grabbed the guitar and played anywhere. It's a good sensation.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Too..many... details...... losing..*argh*...inspiration.

I may end up owning both, but I'm sure I want electric.

 

[dark]

"You can't have rock 'n roll without feed back." - David Gilmore.

For starting off, how serious are you.

Don't go to cheap, get something that will last, check online I used to look at musciansfriend, they have good reviews on the newest stuff. I bought an Ibanez acoustic 3 years ago, it is really nice. Got me a telecaster for electric though. All really is about personal taste. Go to a local guitar shop, and just hold them. Go for what feels the best in your hands. Also have a person there play something for you so you could see how it reacts to sounds and all.

Good luck.

 

[NeverSayMyName]

My first guitar was an electric one. A cheap Les Paul copy, I still play it to this day and it sounds great (considering its price). I haven't treated it the way I should, but yeah...

It's much easier to play electric guitar than acoustic, (if you're a beginner).
But of course, it all depends on the style of music you want to play.

My advice would be: if you wanna get an electric guitar, buy something decent, not a crappy piece of wood with strings attached to it.


If you wanna play folk, acoustic or classical guitar is the obvious choice.
For Jazz, Blues and (soft) Rock, Fender Strats and Telecasters are good choices.
For Metal, anything with decent humbucking pickups will do.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

@dark

Well I won't be really serious until I have it in my hands. When it comes to learning and lessons all that I really don't care for it because I'm not trying to be a musician. I just want to play music.

What do you guys think is the price range of 'decent'?

 

[NeverSayMyName]

Most likely you will have to learn basic theory to be able to play anything (unless you wanna play Punk ).

I bought my guitar for approximately £220, so yeah... $200-$400 sounds reasonable.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

I just want to practice though, not learn a genre.

 

[nexion]

I got a cheap strat clone ($200), played guitar sparingly, learned nothing really, discovered the guitar sucked, and then got a Fender Standard Strat ($450). Don't waste $200 like I did.

 

[snafupants]

I got a cheap strat clone ($200), played guitar sparingly, learned nothing really, discovered the guitar sucked, and then got a Fender Standard Strat ($450). Don't waste $200 like I did.

Exactly, you could conceivably spend two hundred dollars on two/three clunker guitars to replace the ones before. Not the route to go. In the acoustic realm, Taylor makes some quality and affordable guitars, but Martin is the gold standard. Standard Strats are fine too, but then you have to consider the cost of an amp - quality tube amps run upwards of three hundred dollars.

 

[CBadfeather]

I've played for a few years and I'd say Ibanez and Epiphone are good starter brands. Gibson is my favorite brand though in both acoustic and electrics. A standard strat is ok too. I've had one of those and they're pretty cool especially if you eventually switch out the pickups.

 

[Awaken]

Fender Strat. Check Ebay. You should be able to find guitar + box for around 200. At least I did a few years back.

 

[C.J_Finn]

Squier is putting out some great guitars these days. The classic vibe series are amazing (at least the telecasters are. Haven't tried the strats). You should also check out Fender's Blacktop series. I have the Blacktop jaguar, and it's my main guitar.

 

[the_s_rabbit]

Fender Squier Strat is probably fine. You should be able to find them anywhere. The key when starting out is just to get something that will stay reasonably in tune and is comfortable to play. I believe the squier would satisfy those requirements.

Avoid anything with a floating bridge/two-way locking trem (i.e. Floyd Rose). I'm not knocking those types of guitars, because the good ones are awesome and a lot of fun. But they are a pain in the ass to setup and tune. When you break a string on them, you're screwed.

So get a guitar fixed bridge or a one-way trem (like a strat).

My beater guitar that lies next to the couch is an old Charvel. It has a strat style body with a single-locking floyd rose trem. It's light and comfortable, but it is a pain in the ass to change strings. I'd love to have a decent strat laying around the house.

 

[Meer]

You don't need a tube amp.

 

[PartyPoison]

My first was a Fender starcaster. I would not recommend going with a fender because all the ones i have played have terrible sound with distortion. Also I think the sustain sucks with fenders. Do not get a cheap guitar if you are serious. I like Les Paul guitars but that's just my preference. Epiphone is a good brand. My friend has an Epiphone SG and it is great. Just look at the instruments the people Playing your preferred type are using. Odds are there will be information on the gear they use somewhere.

Good luck!

 

[snafupants]

Taylor, Guild, Martin, and Takamine are four pretty superlative companies with many acoustic guitar offerings for under a grand. I have a Guild. A Martin D-15 is basically the gold standard for acoustic guitars under one thousand dollars. Takamine has some rather techie acoustic-electric setups. A Guild or Taylor is probably the ticket if you only want to spend around six hundred.

Spoiler

This is a somewhat old thread...

 

[Cogwulf]

My first was a Fender starcaster. I would not recommend going with a fender because all the ones i have played have terrible sound with distortion. Also I think the sustain sucks with fenders. Do not get a cheap guitar if you are serious. I like Les Paul guitars but that's just my preference. Epiphone is a good brand. My friend has an Epiphone SG and it is great. Just look at the instruments the people Playing your preferred type are using. Odds are there will be information on the gear they use somewhere.

Good luck!

Beginners should get cheap guitars because you wont know what sort of guitar you want until you've been playing for a year or two.

Squier strats are the tried and tested beginners guitar.

 

[pjoa09]

Get a Yamaha or something.

 

[Cogwulf]

Get a Yamaha or something.

I've never liked yamahas, but my opinion of them may be biased as when I was taking lessons I was forced to use one with strings so old that you could actually pick bits of dirt and rust off them.

 

[snafupants]

I've never liked yamahas, but my opinion of them may be biased as when I was taking lessons I was forced to use one with strings so old that you could actually pick bits of dirt and rust off them.

Yamaha acoustics have some issues. The woods are typically decent enough, but the action is often too high and the highs grossly outstrip the mids; lows are decent. Another thing is the fretboards shape and size. Although it's just wide enough, the fretboard is crudely abridged in length. To get a decent Yamaha, expect to spend at least four hundred dollars. Even the much ballyhooed Yamaha FG730s has many of the aforementioned problems. An Epiphone acoustic might be a step up from a Yamaha at most price levels.

 

[Cogwulf]

Yamaha acoustics have some issues. The woods are typically decent enough, but the action is often too high and the highs grossly outstrip the mids; lows are decent. Another thing is the fretboards shape and size. Although it's just wide enough, the fretboard is crudely abridged in length. To get a decent Yamaha, expect to spend at least four hundred dollars. Even the much ballyhooed Yamaha FG730s has many of the aforementioned problems. An Epiphone acoustic might be a step up from a Yamaha at most price levels.

I've not tried their acoustics, or many other acoustics for that matter, but the action of the yamaha pacifica was fairly high, but I didn't have the option of tinkering with it to try and improve matters.

 

[DeadonDreaming]

Here are two discontinued guitars that are both cheap and excellent quality:

Peavey T-60

It might be ugly, and it might say Peavey, but this guitar is all-American made. The first guitar to be made by CNC machines, it was initially rejected due to its construction technique. Looking on Ebay, I see that it is selling for about $300, and is an excellent guitar.

Fender Toronado

This guitar again fell to the "ugly" bullet. Fender fans at the time rejected this attempt of Fender to compete directly with Gibson's SG, and its off-set body style didn't help either. It received Guitar of the Year for the year it was introduced, and was of considerably higher quality than other guitars in it's price range. It sells for about $400 on ebay and craigslist.

 

[Hawkeye]

You generally can't go wrong with an Ibanez.

 

[DeadonDreaming]

You generally can't go wrong with an Ibanez.

Word. I kind of want an Ibanez. They have really nice tremelos. I have an RGT42 right now that I never play.

 

[pjoa09]

I've never liked yamahas, but my opinion of them may be biased as when I was taking lessons I was forced to use one with strings so old that you could actually pick bits of dirt and rust off them.

Huh..

When that happened I thought I had turned into a guitar god. Maybe I was wrong.

I didn't take any lessons, just a couple pages of a written tutorial on the internet and rock music videos, so yeah.. I just did what I liked doing as long as I could.

 

[Vladimir]

acoustic

 

[travelnjones]

I would say acoustic or something with a maple fret board. Those are a little easier on the fingers. If you get an acoustic don't take it with you places those guys are douche bags. Well take it to classes that's fine just don't be that kind of long haired guy.

You should ask about strings there are some with coatings that may be easier for you. The nylon strings of a classical style guitar are really easy on virgin fingers.