Beginner Guitars?

tempo_n_groove

https://www.samash.com/electric-guitar-packages/

A few companies make "starter kits" and come with everything you need including an amp.

I'd try one of these packages and if you progress fast you'll quickly outgrow that guitar which is a good thing.

Some great advice on here.

Jason P

I can't stop:  One more bit of advice.  In regards to guitar construction, your basic starter guitars under $500 are made with a laminate wood construction.  Laminate wood mutes sound.  For a starter, it is almost impossible to not have laminate construction on the sides and back, but if you can find one with a spruce top it will sound remarkably better than a laminate top.  

That's another reason I recommended the Taylor GS mini.  They have solid sitka spruce tops and put out a remarkably good sound for a smaller guitar.  As always try one out to see if it fits your tastes.

darwinstheory

F Me In The Brain said:

Acoustic....chords first is great advice.

Be sure that the action is easy as you move up the neck.

No, this is not about how you feel when you look at pictures of Mitch Trubisky....this is how much effort is required to easily hold the strings down close to the body of the guitar.  An acoustic with shitty action will scare away many first time guitar playing folks.

Also try to see if there is a buzz when you move up.

Tip for once you get the guitar -- do not store in a super dry area or in direct sunlight. 

This was going to be my biggest piece of advice. I got a Fender accoustic w/ case for about $275 several years back. Learned the 5 chords everyone else is talking about and a little more. But I never really got too far past that. Obviously, I have not been dedicated enough (though I have not given up). The more chords I have tried learning, I struggle with. And if I have to barr (barre?) all the chords, then I'm screwed. There is just too much "action" for my liking/ability. I tried, but could not get past it. I have briefly picked up some other accoustic guitars and found the action to be MUCH more forgiving. Maybe this is something that is not necessary, but it better is available, the why the hell not. 

Think of it like beer. Coors and Miller are the cheap starter guitar packs. A solid Lagunitas is a $350-$450 guitar investment and the best local IPA/BBA Stout is the equivalent to a Martin or Taylor guitar. 

bbiggs

This is awesome info guys! Super helpful and I’m compiling a list of notes with all of this. I plan to get out to a local shop and start looking later this week or weekend. 

F Me In The Brain

darwinstheory said:

F Me In The Brain said:

Acoustic....chords first is great advice.

Be sure that the action is easy as you move up the neck.

No, this is not about how you feel when you look at pictures of Mitch Trubisky....this is how much effort is required to easily hold the strings down close to the body of the guitar.  An acoustic with shitty action will scare away many first time guitar playing folks.

Also try to see if there is a buzz when you move up.

Tip for once you get the guitar -- do not store in a super dry area or in direct sunlight. 

This was going to be my biggest piece of advice. I got a Fender accoustic w/ case for about $275 several years back. Learned the 5 chords everyone else is talking about and a little more. But I never really got too far past that. Obviously, I have not been dedicated enough (though I have not given up). The more chords I have tried learning, I struggle with. And if I have to barr (barre?) all the chords, then I'm screwed. There is just too much "action" for my liking/ability. I tried, but could not get past it. I have briefly picked up some other accoustic guitars and found the action to be MUCH more forgiving. Maybe this is something that is not necessary, but it better is available, the why the hell not. 

Think of it like beer. Coors and Miller are the cheap starter guitar packs. A solid Lagunitas is a $350-$450 guitar investment and the best local IPA/BBA Stout is the equivalent to a Martin or Taylor guitar. 

Dude, denigrating Coors is uncalled for! 

Honestly, I drink far more Coors Lights than any other beer.  Far more.  When you drink them like water it is better to actually drink water-flavored beer.  As a fellow 10C member likes to point out -- the good stuff will give you tits.

rgambs

Yeah, I don't see Martins or Taylors as starter guitars, honestly.
More than 400$ is a good bit of money for someone who may not stick with it (no offense, we all tried and dropped it at least once before it stuck) and doesn't have finger strength.  I've never played a Martin or a Taylor that fretted easily, but I haven't played the minis suggested here.  Great guitars, I'm sure, but I think playability should take precedence over sound for a beginner.
I learned to play on a 75$ used Cort, and I still play it when I'm writing, because it plays smooth. 

rgambs

Let us know what you get OP, when the time comes! 

darwinstheory

F Me In The Brain said:

darwinstheory said:

F Me In The Brain said:

Acoustic....chords first is great advice.

Be sure that the action is easy as you move up the neck.

No, this is not about how you feel when you look at pictures of Mitch Trubisky....this is how much effort is required to easily hold the strings down close to the body of the guitar.  An acoustic with shitty action will scare away many first time guitar playing folks.

Also try to see if there is a buzz when you move up.

Tip for once you get the guitar -- do not store in a super dry area or in direct sunlight. 

This was going to be my biggest piece of advice. I got a Fender accoustic w/ case for about $275 several years back. Learned the 5 chords everyone else is talking about and a little more. But I never really got too far past that. Obviously, I have not been dedicated enough (though I have not given up). The more chords I have tried learning, I struggle with. And if I have to barr (barre?) all the chords, then I'm screwed. There is just too much "action" for my liking/ability. I tried, but could not get past it. I have briefly picked up some other accoustic guitars and found the action to be MUCH more forgiving. Maybe this is something that is not necessary, but it better is available, the why the hell not. 

Think of it like beer. Coors and Miller are the cheap starter guitar packs. A solid Lagunitas is a $350-$450 guitar investment and the best local IPA/BBA Stout is the equivalent to a Martin or Taylor guitar. 

Dude, denigrating Coors is uncalled for! 

Honestly, I drink far more Coors Lights than any other beer.  Far more.  When you drink them like water it is better to actually drink water-flavored beer.  As a fellow 10C member likes to point out -- the good stuff will give you tits.

I'm not going to say you're wrong. I drank Coors for the first 10 years I drank beer. Now I have tits and drink exclusively craft. 

F Me In The Brain

darwinstheory said:

F Me In The Brain said:

darwinstheory said:

F Me In The Brain said:

Acoustic....chords first is great advice.

Be sure that the action is easy as you move up the neck.

No, this is not about how you feel when you look at pictures of Mitch Trubisky....this is how much effort is required to easily hold the strings down close to the body of the guitar.  An acoustic with shitty action will scare away many first time guitar playing folks.

Also try to see if there is a buzz when you move up.

Tip for once you get the guitar -- do not store in a super dry area or in direct sunlight. 

This was going to be my biggest piece of advice. I got a Fender accoustic w/ case for about $275 several years back. Learned the 5 chords everyone else is talking about and a little more. But I never really got too far past that. Obviously, I have not been dedicated enough (though I have not given up). The more chords I have tried learning, I struggle with. And if I have to barr (barre?) all the chords, then I'm screwed. There is just too much "action" for my liking/ability. I tried, but could not get past it. I have briefly picked up some other accoustic guitars and found the action to be MUCH more forgiving. Maybe this is something that is not necessary, but it better is available, the why the hell not. 

Think of it like beer. Coors and Miller are the cheap starter guitar packs. A solid Lagunitas is a $350-$450 guitar investment and the best local IPA/BBA Stout is the equivalent to a Martin or Taylor guitar. 

Dude, denigrating Coors is uncalled for! 

Honestly, I drink far more Coors Lights than any other beer.  Far more.  When you drink them like water it is better to actually drink water-flavored beer.  As a fellow 10C member likes to point out -- the good stuff will give you tits.

I'm not going to say you're wrong. I drank Coors for the first 10 years I drank beer. Now I have tits and drink exclusively craft. 

If I ever grew my own tits I am not sure that I would leave the house.

Just sayin'.

Thread integrity...

If you can find what type of guitar you like then you can start scouring around for a good deal.

satansbedbugs

I bought a Takemine GS330S like 15 years ago and still play it to this day.  You gotta go acoustic/electric for your first guitar.  That way when you get an amp, you can plug in also.  Good Luck, its tough but keep with it.

MayDay10

Watch this


https://youtu.be/IhAliLa2CZ0

MayDay10

Also, learn through justin guitar.  100% best out there

dudeman

One more thing to consider: electric guitars have volume controls. That can be important for practicing in near silence with headphones late at night or out of respect for others in the house. (It's not much fun to listen to someone learning a new instrument.)

Also, think about your goals. Do you want to strum chords and play around a campfire with friends or do you want to wail like Mike?

If you want to play solos and be the lead guitarist in a rock and roll band, learn scales early on as that will help you understand how chord progressions work in relation to areas of the neck to noodle on.

If you don't plan on playing lead guitar, by all means start with an acoustic. 

lastexitlondon

mcgruff10 said:

lastexitlondon said:

I have a mini Martin. It cost £350 a few years back and holds value well. 

Which one did you get?  

It's an LX1. I like it. I have a takamine also like Glen Hansard old one

cp3iverson

Years ago i found out that Paul Westerberg was sponsored by First Act (basically a toys r us guitar brand).  I bought his signature model for $150 just as a cheap collectible.  For a lot of songs and styles it seriously plays and sounds better than $1000 guitars i played in bands with.  It’s hilarious.  

lastexitlondon

True it's how you play not what

bbiggs

My guitar playing journey is about to begin. My wife surprised me with an acoustic Fender (FA 135) this morning for a 10 year anniversary gift. I couldn’t be more pumped. She had no idea what kind I wanted (and neither did I) so she said her feelings would not be hurt at all if I exchange it. So, my dilemma is to keep it or exchange it. I’m going to give it a whirl and see how it feels to me, but I’m a complete beginner. I’m going to pick up a few others in the store, but one that appeals to me based on recommendations above and what I’m seeing in my research is the Taylor GS Mini. Seems like a good option, but it’s around double the cost. To you experts out there, is it worth it? 

For any of you that golf, I liken this scenario to a golfer who steps in the tee box with a set of shiny new blades but can’t hit a fairway to save his life. Those blades should be swapped for oversized, forgiving irons. I don’t want to be the beginner guitar player that buys the guitar equivalent of blades when I should be playing something more forgiving. 

Based on that, keep the Fender and save the dough or test run the Taylor (and others)? Thanks. 

jeffbr

Congrats on the guitar! My advice is to keep it and play it. If, after a year you want to upgrade based on feel or tone of a different guitar, go for it. But there is nothing wrong with learning on a guitar like that. I don't think you'd want to play Benaroya with it, but sitting at home learning chords, strumming, picking, etc...? That guitar will more than do the job. Enjoy it! 

HesCalledDyer

It's from your wife and for your 10th ann'y.  Keep it!  Learn on it, practice with it, become a guitar player with it.  Like Jeff said, you can always upgrade down the road.

bbiggs

^ Awesome...thanks guys!