Getting into guitar...

[Dreakon139]

I don't have many hobbies outside of video games, hockey, roller blading (those two kind of go together) and to a lesser extent coding/programming (it's a little tough to call what I do for a living a hobby). I don't intend to make music or anything, I just want to learn how to play guitar and have a little fun with it. Call it an itch that wants to be scratched... so I don't want anything fancy.

I'm just wondering if there's a good starting point for that sort of thing. I'm thinking a nice acoustic guitar since I would imagine it's cheaper and requires less maintenance than a electric guitar (what with them probably being a bit more expensive to begin with, plus the amps and anything else, acoustic doesn't need electricity/an outlet and it's probably not quite as loud). Though with an electric guitar I could technically get that Rocksmith game and that would help me learn.

Anyways, anyone here into guitars and the sort and want to give a "n00b" some guidance on where to start? Good quality "beginner" brands to look out for, that kinda stuff.

[Christopher]

I don't have many hobbies outside of video games, hockey, roller blading (those two kind of go together) and to a lesser extent coding/programming (it's a little tough to call what I do for a living a hobby). I don't intend to make music or anything, I just want to learn how to play guitar. Call it an itch that wants to be scratched... so I don't want anything fancy.

I'm just wondering if there's a good starting point for that sort of thing. I'm thinking a nice acoustic guitar since I would imagine it's cheaper and requires less maintenance than a electric guitar (what with them probably being a bit more expensive to begin with, plus the amps and anything else, acoustic doesn't need electricity/an outlet and it's probably not quite as loud). Though with an electric guitar I could technically get that Rocksmith game and that would help me learn.

Anyways, anyone here into guitars and the sort and want to give a "n00b" some guidance on where to start? Good quality "beginner" brands to look out for, that kinda stuff.

Do you wear skinny jeans?

Play the bass.

In all honesty, no idea about musical instruments, but best of luck to learn it!

[Parker]

The Guitar is a fantastic instrument to learn and is very fun to play. Since you have no experience at all there isn't a need to get into the higher end brands like Gibson or American Fenders, but Epiphone and Squire should do you well.

The best beginner acoustic to me is this...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-hummingbird-acoustic-guitar

The Hummingbird is one of my absolute favorite acoustic guitars (I have the Gibson version) and it sounds absolutely beautiful. Epiphone is basically a cheaper version of Gibson, but their guitars are still quite good and they aren't too hard on the wallet.

You could also go for something like this...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-dr-100-acoustic-guitar

I've no personal experience with that particular guitar, but for $100 you really can't go wrong.

If you want to get into an electric guitar my choice for a beginner would be...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-les-paul-standard-plain-top-electric-guitar

or

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-les-paul-standard-plus-top-electric-guitar/518341

or even

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-g-400-sg-electric-guitar

or

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-sg-special-electric-guitar

I'm a Les Paul man myself. I have multiple Gibson Les Pauls (and an Epiphone as well) and they are by far the best guitar I have ever played. The neck is nice and fat, the sustain goes on forever, they have a nice weight and they look stunning. SG's are nice guitars as well and since they are double cutaway the lower frets are easier to get to.

Honestly though, the best advice I can give you is go into a local music store and play all kinds of gutiars there. Find one that you think is comfortable and in your price range. I've let many people play my Les Pauls and some just don't like them because they don't like the weight or fat neck or whatever, so while they are my personal favorite guitar, you might not like it.

Also, the site I linked you to is great as well. I've ordered numerous items off the site and have never had a problem. They ship quite fast and have a fantastic return policy (I needed to return a tuner, not because it was broken but because I just didn't need it) and I was refunded, no questions asked before I even shipped the tuner back.

If you decide on an electric I can also recommend a few amps for you as well.

Parker

Parker

[Muff]

I haven't been playing long, and don't play a lot, but i can give you one piece of pretty good advice:

Though with an electric guitar I could technically get that Rocksmith game and that would help me learn.

I have rocksmith, and love it....basically, you can buy the guitar, amp if you really want it, and picks....and this game. the game has tuning for E Standard and Drop D, it teaches you all the chords, it helps you learn scales, it turns your TV into an amp, and it has a bunch of sound pedals, and the ability to mix ones you earned to make custom effects....to me, the game may be price at $70-80, but if you put time into it....itll give you back $100+.

[Dreakon139]

Thanks for the advice guys, was beginning to think I wasn't going to get much out of this thread.

I'm definitely feeling the acoustic though, for those suggesting electric guitars.

Honestly though, the best advice I can give you is go into a local music store and play all kinds of gutiars there. Find one that you think is comfortable and in your price range. I've let many people play my Les Pauls and some just don't like them because they don't like the weight or fat neck or whatever, so while they are my personal favorite guitar, you might not like it.

This is where I'm pretty much where I'm at with this at the moment. That $100 guitar is tempting though, price alone. I just need to find a good store in the Buffalo, NY area (there are plenty of stores, but I'm asking around for places in the area that people can vouch for).

I will be literally clueless going into any store though. Outside of the price tag, I will 100% believe what anyone tells me lol. Any advice that may help me once I get a chance to do this? Questions to ask, things to look for, etc? Anything that will help me look like less of an idiot.

Also, folks on other forums have suggested Yahama. Any thoughts?

[HeyItsSpanky]

Yamaha isn't a bad brand, but I have to agree with other posters that a Squire would be the way to go. I play bass and my first was a Squire (they offer beginner packs for less than $200 with amp and all). With how low your price point is, there really isn't any instrument that is much better than the other so don't worry about having no knowledge of guitars. Once you get to a higher price point (hopefully you do and enjoy playing), you can compare what different brands offer other than style.

[Dreakon139]

Hey guys, between my recent break up, a hefty income tax return and a little more interest in "going nuts"... I'm kind of considering going electric instead of acoustic.

Rocksmith (and trophies) might be a fun, motivating way of learning... better than YouTube videos anyways. Plus I think if I did happen to learn it decently, being able to play cooler sounding stuff will probably feel more rewarding. The little bit of time I spent on a friends electric guitar felt pretty cool, even though we both sucked ass. And who doesn't love a badass guitar solo?

So any advice in the way of that would be appreciated! Thanks for going into a bit of detail about that as well James.

[Wade_VC]

Having played guitar for many, many years, on one hand I can understand not wanting to go "all out" on a first purchase, but on the other, from experience, with instruments, you really get what you pay for.

Cheap guitars will reflect the price and quality by never staying in tune, neck warpage, bridges that are horrendous, tremolo bars that also suck (if you want/like tremolo bars), pick-ups that are poor performing to say the least, poor resonance, sustain, etc.

Maybe it would be best to ask what type of music do you like and would you like to play? From there we can offer a better opinion on what type(s)/brands of guitars would suit your needs. Not the super-cheapo's, but not the overly expensive neither.

As for myself, I too am a Les Paul fan myself when it comes to electrics, and I love my Alvarez Yari Masterworks DYM95 acoustic.

[Dreakon139]

Well, I took the plunge a week or two ago after wandering around the local music shop a bit one Saturday (if you can't tell from Rocksmith now being on my trophy profile ).

Figure I might as well post a picture...

Even if it's shite, just humor me and tell me it's not garbage so I don't feel like I wasted my money.

It was a starter bundle of sorts, came with a little 10W amp (you can sort of see it behind the guitar, in front of the brownie box), the guitar of course, some picks, a "gigbag" (lol), guitar strap, the little stand thing and some other stuff I haven't really looked at much. Seemed right up my alley though and I dig the look of it.

I'm having fun with it and even though I take breaks for a day or two, here or there, I'm definitely better than I was before I got it... and that's... something.

[Wade_VC]

Even if it's shite, just humor me and tell me it's not garbage so I don't feel like I wasted my money.

It's shit, you wasted your money.

Nah, that's not too bad to start with. You may notice some issues with the tremolo bar (which I never use one anyway), but overall not a bad guitar for a first. It will definitely keep you amused and will work until you decide if you want to progress further with your playing and want to invest in a more expensive rig.

Remember, unless you are looking to make it a profession or a serious hobby, music is like art or any other form of self-expression: As long as you are having fun and are pleased with the results, that is all that matters.

[Dreakon139]

Remember, unless you are looking to make it a profession or a serious hobby, music is like art or any other form of self-expression: As long as you are having fun and are pleased with the results, that is all that matters.

Nah, I already have a profession and gaming/hockey are my serious hobbies. This is all about the fun.

[SitusKiss]

Not sure how I missed this thread, haha. I'm a casual acoustic guitar player of about 15 years. I don't have any recommendations on equipment brands but, I can tell you that "action" is everything. I have played my share of expensive and cheap alike. The "action" is how much distance there exists between the strings and the fret board as well as how consistant that distance is all the way down the neck. The closer the better and easier the guitar will play.