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Any guitar players on here??


djrwood
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Morning All,

Ive always wanted to learn to play an instrument and figured I’m not getting any younger so why not get on with it rather than keep dreaming. I’m into rock/metal music but more so country music like Chris Stapleton, Cody Jinks, Jason Aldean and so on.

Just after tips for getting started beyond those of having lessons which I will do after lockdown. I’ve been looking for second hand guitars but have no idea what one to get. I’m thinking I would prefer acoustic over electric to start with. I don’t mind spending around 250 to get going, so not sure if this is realistic or not?

Any help would be appreciated.

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Both of the guitars you linked are respectable makes I would say whichever one is the most comfortable to hold for you, Fender is probably the most known make, I had one of their electro acoustics up till recently , take someone with you with guitar knowledge to a music shop with those in stock and handle and get a feel for both.

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Its always better to buy a good quality  secondhand than  new . If it been looked after . The main reason all the woods used on a guitar need time to settle  in .

Look at willy Nelson's beat up thing its plays beautifully.  Its just knowing what your looking for and how to check an old guitar to see how well it plays .

  Its better to get someone else to play it  while you listen  sound is  projected forward . So it always sounds better for the listening  than playing . A guitar has to feel right when your playing it the neck must have the right feel as you put you hand around it . The string easy to press and hold down . In other words the guitar is set up for your style of playing .

Then its practice  practice  practice  . And get those sore finger tips on your fretting hand tuff cos it's gona hurt for a while . Put play a little at a time and build that up . No one can hold a string down if your finger tips ache .  If there are music shop near you get it have a look ask them to play one you like the look of . 

There is some amazing  guitars out there . China is making some amazing stuff .

I payed 1200 quid for my guitar made in China  a Freshman  built in China, but all set up here in Scotland.  Most guitar  are all cut on CNC machines .

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Of the two guitars you listed, absolutely no question i’d go with the Yamaha.

Right across the range Yamaha make really good quality instruments at the price point they are offered at.

If i was spending my money to buy you a guitar to start out with it would be a Yamaha.

John’s right that a good second hand guitar will be better than a cheap new one, but you can be buying someone else's problem and at the price point you’re looking at there isn’t going to be a particularly meaningful difference.

There are a number of factors as John describes that help make a guitar playable, but most important of all is the desire to pick it up and play.  If looking at it makes you want to pick it up then that is a big part of the battle already won.

The physical size of the guitar makes a difference too, it’s how it feels in your hands and is it comfortable.  Talk to the people in the shop, even if you buy online phone then and chat, and they’ll tell you the characteristics and give you some guidance.

For a slightly smaller bodied guitar that will give a bright and well balanced tone look at this:

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/200218356035008--yamaha-fs800-ntii-natural
 

If you want something that is a little bigger and has a great punchy rhythm sound then look at this:

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/200428358892025--yamaha-fg800sdbii-sandburst
 

Neither of those options have a pick up, so purely acoustic, but as soon as you start to play you’ll get guitar acquisition syndrome (same thing happens with guns) and buy another one anyway.

 

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9 hours ago, grrclark said:

Of the two guitars you listed, absolutely no question i’d go with the Yamaha.

Right across the range Yamaha make really good quality instruments at the price point they are offered at.

If i was spending my money to buy you a guitar to start out with it would be a Yamaha.

John’s right that a good second hand guitar will be better than a cheap new one, but you can be buying someone else's problem and at the price point you’re looking at there isn’t going to be a particularly meaningful difference.

There are a number of factors as John describes that help make a guitar playable, but most important of all is the desire to pick it up and play.  If looking at it makes you want to pick it up then that is a big part of the battle already won.

The physical size of the guitar makes a difference too, it’s how it feels in your hands and is it comfortable.  Talk to the people in the shop, even if you buy online phone then and chat, and they’ll tell you the characteristics and give you some guidance.

For a slightly smaller bodied guitar that will give a bright and well balanced tone look at this:

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/200218356035008--yamaha-fs800-ntii-natural
 

If you want something that is a little bigger and has a great punchy rhythm sound then look at this:

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/200428358892025--yamaha-fg800sdbii-sandburst
 

Neither of those options have a pick up, so purely acoustic, but as soon as you start to play you’ll get guitar acquisition syndrome (same thing happens with guns) and buy another one anyway.

 

Sound advice

9 hours ago, grrclark said:

 

 

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Learning to play guitar from scratch has been a 1st lock-down project for me, aged 63, then got distracted and have got started again with the 2nd lockdown underway.  It is something you need to practice literally every day, fingers have to do stuff and form shapes that they have never had to do before - muscle memory skills just like shooting.  It is pleasurable.

A concern for me when looking for guitars (on-line as all the stores were closed) was the size of the guitar neck as, for a chap, I have small hands - do bear that in mind if you have the same challenge.   Smaller necks are easier to find with electric guitars so that's the way I went - no regrets.

There is good tuition available on-line, quite a bit of it is, frankly, really annoying to a grumpy Brit as I don't need some chap bouncing up and down like a crazy bunny claiming to be my new best-mate who will have me banging out a tune in no time.   I concluded that finding a tutor that ensured the basic principles were learned initially and would save having un-learn stuff at a later date....how many of us have done the same when learning to shoot?

Of all the the on-line tuition available - this site has proved to be the most useful for me: https://www.the-art-of-guitar.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Cosmicblue
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Seagrave Jnr started learning the guitar this year, and to try and make practising more bearable for all involved, I’ve started learning along with him. I had my wife’s 3/4 size to begin with until I took it to get it restrung, to discover that it was completely knackered! So I now have a Gumtree spesh £20 3/4 guitar (Jose ferrero?) - the idea being that Seagrave Jnr can graduate up to it in due course.

Others have said about make/model etc, but the key is (as with anything) PRACTICE. A book of tunes with chords is ideal: gets your fingers moving around for both single notes and for the chord patterns.
 

Loads of YouTube tutorials for your favourite riffs and solos. I was amazed at what I could play with just a handful of beginners’ chords!

LS

 

PS: is @Axe still on here?

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