I've been wanting a guitar for the longest time now. So I have a few questions for those who have guitars and would like to give me some info:  
 
1. What brand do you have and are you happy with it?  
 
2. What brand would you recommend for someone like me who is just starting out?  
 
3. Would you recommend a starter pack? If so, how much do they cost? And what brands have the best deals?  
 
4. Would you recommend an acoustic or an electric for beginners?  
 
I'm sorta clueless right now about the whole thing. My parents want me to wait another year before getting one, but I'd like to start looking now. So I have an idea on what I want to get. Thank you to anyone who helps me out! I've been posting this on other boards. I'm hoping to gather enough info to help me pick what to look for.

Guitars can be very personal, each providing a different feel, tone, look and balance. My all-around favorite is the Fender Stratocaster; however, I probably spend more time whittling away on an old Takamine classical guitar I have owned for 31 years.

Here are several electrics discounted at under $300 that can make for excellent starter guitars. The links are to an online store which is associated with a retail chain called Guitar Center. This chain and other large discounters, such as Sam Ash, have made the music instrument business quite competitive. My suggestion is to visit the stores personally and select a guitar on site.

Epiphone LP-100 is designed to look like Gibson's famous Les Paul guitar. Epiphone is part of the Gibson company.

Ibanez RG321: many of the world's virtuoso electric guitarists, such as Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, play Ibanez guitars. The RG series is an excellent starting place.

Squirer Strat Quilted Top: Squirer is part of the Fender organization and this one has the look of a Stratocaster.

While these guitars do not have the same electronics, woods, etc. as their more expensive big brothers, they are all of a good enough quality for you to enjoy for several years.

I might suggest you purchase the guitar and amplifier separately. You may find an amp you really like that is not available as part of the starter package. Your family might enjoy the amplifier having a headphone connection

Here are several acoustic-electrics in the same price range. It's not altogether necessary to have the electronics in a starting acoustic, and you may save a buck or two by avoiding them. I like that these three have cutaway bodies, giving you more range on the fretboard.

Yamaha FGX413SC Acoustic-Electric

Fender DG-10CE Acoustic/Electric

Ibanez AEL10 Acoustic Electric

Traditional thought has a guitarist starting out on an acoustic. However, my thought is that you should start with something that will give you the most enjoyment, which will encourage you to play more and get better! If you intend to take lessons, there are some teachers who do not work with electric guitar students, so that may factor in.

My own teenage son, now quite proficient on the guitar, started with a $30 guitar from Wal-Mart that wouldn't stay in tune more than two minutes. He played it nonetheless, though moved to something else within several months. The key was not the guitar itself - it was his passion for music.

Best of luck with your guitar playing. It is something you can enjoy for the rest of your life.

Great advice, Coldfuse, as usual!...

Welocome to the world of frustration! lol, Just kidding! <------ But only sorta!

Ok, I've been playing for 26 years my advice to you is to RUN!!!!!! Just kidding again!

Ok, all of the previous advice has been great. However, I feel that I must go ahead and give you a few pointers that should be of assistance in your future.

No matter whch guitar combination you should choose, remember that playing an accoustic guitar may require a little more effort to play, but the rewards of practicing on an accoustic far outway ANY of the comforts that playing on an electric may offer. Once you play the accoustic pretty good, you will be able to play the electric even better. I try to always practice, or play the accoustic as often as possible.

I know your not going to like THIS peice of advice, but it's going to be a necessity in the future. ALWAYS, I repeat, ALWAYS use your pinky in every chord possible. You will thank me in about 5 years or so if you do this.

Don't get discouraged. Practice, and patience with yourself will eventually pay off.

Have fun, and feel free to ask for anything you may need!

quote:

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Originally posted by Sean:

No matter whch guitar combination you should choose, remember that playing an acoustic guitar may require a little more effort to play, but the rewards of practicing on an acoustic far outway ANY of the comforts that playing on an electric may offer. Once you play the acoustic pretty good, you will be able to play the electric even better. I try to always practice, or play the acoustic as often as possible.

I know your not going to like THIS peice of advice, but it's going to be a necessity in the future. ALWAYS, I repeat, ALWAYS use your pinky in every chord possible. You will thank me in about 5 years or so if you do this.

Don't get discouraged. Practice, and patience with yourself will eventually pay off.

Have fun, and feel free to ask for anything you may need!

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Wow. And I felt that after 'Fuse's post that no more advice would be necessary! What can I add? I played synthesisers of every description in the bands I worked with for many years as a professional, and the things which I learned on acoustic piano were and still are the most valuable lessons I ever learned/will learn. The acoustic instrument is the sine qua non. Master this and everything else is possible. You will become frustrated, angry, psychotic, suicidal and dangerous to be near when frustrated by seemingly insurmountable technical problems, but the acoustic instrument will be the closest friend you will ever have if you really will practise hard and get to know its personality. It never works the other way around, in my experience. Go for the acoustic, master it, and when there is a power cut your lover will always be there to sing to you and to transport you to elysian fields of musical delight.

Well said, Shaun!...

Great comments from the both of you. In addition to working your pinky, remember that the guitar is played with two hands. All too often, budding players develop their fret hand (left hand, for a right-handed player) and their picking hand lags woefully behind in skill.

Be patient with your first several weeks of playing. Your fingers will hurt and the easiest of chords will seem next to impossible. Stick with it and - boom - you will suddenly play them with the greatest of ease and your playing will grow from there.

And please...though it may impress your friends...don't think that playing a bunch of thrash metal power chords (not really chords at all, technically) in fast sequence represents any sort of mastery of the instrument. I was recently in a store looking at instruments with a very accomplished player. A group of nearby teenagers were gathered around one of their friends, mesmerized by his ability to do the metal bit. I looked at my associate and, trying not to laugh, asked if he could do that. "No," he responded. "I don't know how to s*ck that bad."

Yes, 'Fuse, I chuckled at that one! John Williams was Professor of Guitar at my college in the 60's, and taught Anthea Gifford there, amongst others, at the time. I used to hang about outside his teaching room occasionally, to try to catch faint whiffs of the gentle musical magic which would emanate from within. Worth a thousand heavy metal clashes, exciting as I have to admit that these can sound...

And you are right about those 'chords'. Power 5ths with no third are hardly chords at all, they just sound aggressive and dangerous, like crazed rottweilers...

PS I am astonished that KK, Hugh, Dipstick, Oily Rag, or whatever he calls himself these days has not been here to put in his two cents...
...I thought he was a passionate guitarist...

Thanks everyone for your inputs on this! You've all been a huge help. I really appreciate all of your help.

Hey DJ!

THIS is sooooo cool!

DJ, you are most welcome!

Before you choose your guitar ,I would suggest that you first give some serious thought as to the type of music you intend to play on it.
This will have a lot to do in making your final choice of a guitar.If you like folk,classical or country ...you may want an acoustic guitar.If you like jazz you would probably want either a hollow body [acoustic electric],a semi hollow body or solid body guitar and you would need an amplifier.If you like rock and roll you'll probably want a solid body guitar.
You should also consider whether you want to play it finger style or with a guitar pick.Consider all of these things before you make your choice,,,and buy the best guitar you can afford at this time.Find a good teacher by contacting the local music stores...you will progress much faster.Don't buy a cheap guitar...it will be a waste of money and your time and will only frustrate you.
Learn the fret board..Guitar is a strange instrument unlike any keyboard instrument.I played professionally on drums,vibraphone,piano and rock organ ... guitar is by far the most difficult instrument to learn to play well.
Good luck with your search but consider these things before you buy anything.
Hippolips

I decided to resurrect this thread, because I just purchased my first acoustic guitar. I got an Alvarez, RD-10 I think. I know its probably not the most recommended or anything but we were in a pretty strict budget and it had the best sound of the "cheap" guitars.

I have had it since Friday, and learned a few chords, got past the initial pain in the fingers.

How much time do you guys recommend practicing when you first start out? What tips do you have for someone learning to read tabulature? (I have played piano for 20 years, so only that type of written music comes naturally for me).

Does anyone have website suggestions for learning?

I have to wonder why no one suggested

.

I already looked there DG, but its just stuff for sale on Ebay. I wonder what happened to the link to the message board?

Here are some websites which I hope you'll find useful.

http://www.endprod.com/tab/

http://www.wholenote.com/tab/tab-notation.asp

http://www.free-guitar-tablature.com/

http://www.zentao.com/guitar/tab/

http://robinmay.co.uk/leadguitar.htm

YAY!

Thank you!

Shelster:
Regarding tablature...it's
a good thing to learn for one reason.The guitar is unique...it's the only instrument that I know of where you can play the same exact note in several different places[not one octave up or down]...the same exact note.
If you don't believe me ...strike the note C on the 5th string,the 3rd fret.Now go to the 6th string,the 8th fret and strike this note C.
It is identical to the first C note you played.
Another reason it is important to learn tablature is because chords[more than one note played at a time] can also be played in different places on the fret board...even though the grip[the placement of each finger] may be totally different.
When you get to the point where you attempt to play chord melody the importance of knowing tablature becomes even more important[Chord melody is where you play the melody with the correct chords voiced beneath the melody line]
Guitar is really a very strange instrument if you really plan to play it well.I've played drums,vibraphone and piano professionally...and guitar is by far the most challenging of the instruments to attempt to master.
If you're only going to learn how to strum a few country or rock& roll chords tablature is not that important...but if you're serious about learning get a good teacher and learn tablature as well' Good luck.
Hippolips

Wow, thank you for the explanation. I think all strings are set up the same, in that my daughter can play the same note on different strings and different frets on her violin as well. Its very hard to convert my keyboard thinking to string thinking buts its going ok.

I can't take lessons because my job schedule changes every single week. So the place that sold me the guitar recommended a book with a dvd to watch, and I have been working on that. Plus reading alot online.

I did learn the first bar of Blackbird!

Yay me

"]...it's the only instrument that I know of where you can play the same exact note in several different places[not one octave up or down]...the same exact note." - Hippolips

A few years ago, I saw Bill Watrous demonstrate, at a clinic, playing the same note, not one octave up or down, in every slide position on a trombone. As I recall, a saxophone has a few notes with fingering choices. (F sharp ?) This in no way takes away from a string's ability to duplicate notes. Was it Paganini who used to play with a frayed string, hoping that it would break so that he could show off his ability to play the same music with three strings?