Which Guitar Should I buy?

[Bee]

Hi All,

First post.

Do you have any experience with the guitar at all?

No experience playing one.

What kind of music do you like, or want to try and play?

I'm pretty eclectic. Rock, blues, traditional, jazz.

What are the artists that you would like to sound like some day?

Clapton, SRV, Wes Montgomery, Leo Kottke.

What is your budget?

Low for now.

Have you already decided on buying an electric or acoustic?

Acoustic.

I'm a complete beginner. I'm not a young man but I decided I want to learn guitar. My goal is to buy a relatively low priced acoustic and learn to play. If the guitar lasts for a couple years that will be fine. I'll either be ready to buy a new better guitar at that point or will have given up.

I'm looking at these two guitars:

Epiphone PR-150
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone...c?mode=1&qso=2

Epiphone DR-100
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone...53-i1150079.gc

Both of these guitars are US$99 and get good ratings from reviewers.

I also found an old Ovation Ultra 1517 available for about the same price on my local craigslist.

I assume that buying either of the Epiphones would be 'safe.' That is they won't be the greatest guitars in the world but they come with a 30 day money-back guarantee from GC and I should be able to learn to play on either of them. These seem like reasonable guitars for a low price and a lot of people seem to like them.

This Ovation was definitely a better guitar than the Epiphones when it was new. Now, I don't really know. If I pursue it I'll of course go to see it and can get a fair idea of whether it's in good shape or not. The owner said he doesn't know whether the pickup works as he hasn't used it in some time, but he claims that it's cosmetically in good shape. There's a good chance that this Ovation would sound better than the Epiphones and I like the idea of being able to get a practice amp for this guitar. When I was younger a friend had an Ovation and I always liked how it looked and sounded.

Which of these guitars would you recommend for a beginner?

TIA.

[MobBarley]

Basically, buy something cheap since you're a beginner... You won't figure out what kind of guitar REALLY suits you until you have some experience under your belt.

I think the guitars you've mentioned will be fine for a beginner.. the thing NOT to do is to pay a lot of money for a guitar until you know what you'd really like to use... So hitting the $100 range is a good way to go.

[hobosox]

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Mitchell...16-i1368515.gc

[MickyM]

I bought one of those epiphones (not sure which but it was only $150 at my local store) as my first guitar 10 years ago, and it's STILL my only acoustic. Fabulous guitars, highly recommended.

[RatedZ]

Originally Posted by Bee

Hi All,

First post.

Do you have any experience with the guitar at all?

No experience playing one.

What kind of music do you like, or want to try and play?

I'm pretty eclectic. Rock, blues, traditional, jazz.

What are the artists that you would like to sound like some day?

Clapton, SRV, Wes Montgomery, Leo Kottke.

What is your budget?

Low for now.

Have you already decided on buying an electric or acoustic?

Acoustic.

I'm a complete beginner. I'm not a young man but I decided I want to learn guitar. My goal is to buy a relatively low priced acoustic and learn to play. If the guitar lasts for a couple years that will be fine. I'll either be ready to buy a new better guitar at that point or will have given up.

I'm looking at these two guitars:

Epiphone PR-150
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone...c?mode=1&qso=2

Epiphone DR-100
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone...53-i1150079.gc

Both of these guitars are US$99 and get good ratings from reviewers.

I also found an old Ovation Ultra 1517 available for about the same price on my local craigslist.

I assume that buying either of the Epiphones would be 'safe.' That is they won't be the greatest guitars in the world but they come with a 30 day money-back guarantee from GC and I should be able to learn to play on either of them. These seem like reasonable guitars for a low price and a lot of people seem to like them.

This Ovation was definitely a better guitar than the Epiphones when it was new. Now, I don't really know. If I pursue it I'll of course go to see it and can get a fair idea of whether it's in good shape or not. The owner said he doesn't know whether the pickup works as he hasn't used it in some time, but he claims that it's cosmetically in good shape. There's a good chance that this Ovation would sound better than the Epiphones and I like the idea of being able to get a practice amp for this guitar. When I was younger a friend had an Ovation and I always liked how it looked and sounded.

Which of these guitars would you recommend for a beginner?

TIA.

First, welcome to JS. You will get A LOT of great info here. There are some great players (and great people as well...) that will certainly offer you a lot of tips and lend some great hands.

Prior to an instrument purchase, you need to ask yourself a few questions.

1. How dedicated am I to playing? Is this something I'm going to stick with?

2. What kind of sound am I looking for (Jazz, Metal, Blues?)? You've already nailed it down, so that's good.

3. What is my budget, or what am I willing to spend on gear (guitar, amp, etc.)?

If you're just looking to "mess around" or "try it out to see if you like it," don't bother purchasing a real decent instrument. Just buy yourself one of those "Perform-A-Packs" and be done with it. If you're looking for a little bit more, then start shopping a bit more thoroughly.

Which guitar is right for you?

1. Does the guitar fit the contour of your body?

2. Are your fingers comfortable on their tips when you wrap them around the neck and press down on the strings?

3. Is the guitar uncomfortably heavy?

4. Is it balanced (Do you have to hold the neck up when playing?)?

5. Is the quality decent (fit/finish, wobbly parts, buzzing strings when pressing them, poor sound quality, does it stay in tune...)?

6. Are the strings easy to press down (Are the strings close to the fretboard?)?

7. Hook up to an amplifier you like and play the guitar on both, "clean" and "distortion" settings. How do you like the sound?

Buy an instrument you can grow with, meaning something decent. I'd recommend looking in the $500-$700 range if this is something you're going to take seriously, and in the future, if you find you're really "into it," then by all means, go buy a more expensive instrument.

My recommendations for an instrument you can be happy with for a while for the music you are interested in would be either a Fender Telecaster or Fender Stratocaster. They both offer excellent sounds for nearly all types of music. You can find Japanese-made Teles or Strats for around $400-$600, but you can also find some American-made ones for under $1000. Personally, I would spend the extra few $100s on the American-made ones. These are good, quality instruments, and will last you years and years of enjoyment.

While I'm certainly no expert, I hope this helps a bit.

[Roger L.]

I agree with MobBarley, you won't know what you prefer before you actually own and play a guitar for a while. I would definitely start cheap, I think one of the Epiphone's is a good choice. I owned one as my first guitar and I'd still use it if it hadn't been stolen years ago, great little guitars

[shredd]

I'll also vote for spending as little as possible (yet getting a decent instrument) at first. You'll be p/o'd if you spend 500+ on a git'r, plus other stuff, and find you're just not that into it.
That said, if you buy a garbage git'r, it won't be much fun to play or sound very good, which will discourage you to keep at it.
So...I recommend going in the middle somewhere. A decent acoustic can be had for well under 3 bills, even under two (HERE's a sample of git'rs in the $100-200 range). Consider used; but have an experienced player with you to check it out.

[chongo]

You might also take a look at a Yamaha F325. It'll be more expensive (should be able to find one for around $150), but significantly better quality.

[Bee]

Thanks all for your comments. The Yamaha F325 does seem to be a highly rated low-cost guitar. They're available on Amazon for $129. It's hard to tell if it's really different from the Epiphones or the suggested Mitchell but I probably won't go wrong with any of these.

I let the used Ovation go.

[Jayrod]

I highly recommend Justin Sandercoe's beginner's course. Its free and I've never seen or heard of an instructor in ANY walk of life on ANY subject that is better at explaining things in a way that makes the most sense to EVERYONE. I am so impressed by his lessons and have gone through his beginners series multiple times.

All of his videos can be found on youtube or at his site justinguitar.com. I recommend the site.

One thing he DOES mention in one of the very beginnery equipment type discussions is that buying a cheap electric will be better for learning than a cheap acoustic.

This is from his site

The big beginners debate

The basic types are Acoustic (steel strings), Electric and Classical (nylon strings). You can have semi-acoustic guitars too and also electro-acoustic guitars (acoustic guitars with a fitted pick-up system)

So lets look at the pro's and cons or each.

Decisions based on playability
Electric guitar is easier to play. The strings are usually closer to the neck, thinner and therefore easier to press down. Barre chords on acoustic guitar can be very demanding and requires a lot of finger strength. Cheaper acoustic guitars can be very hard to play up the neck.

The distance from the strings to the neck is called the "action". when it is very low it is easy to press the strings down, when it it too low the strings will buzz. If it's too high it's too hard to play, though many pro players (like myself) prefer a higher action so you can dig into the strings. Getting your guitar action set up by a good luther er can make a huge difference to your guitar's playability.

I have a number of private students that found an AMAZING difference when they had set their guitar up correctly. If you are struggling to play barre chords on an acoustic guitar, it could certainly be a part of the problem.

Decisions based on sound and style
It is what you want to do... If you want to play rock, get an electric. If you want to play folk or fingerstyle I think a steel string acoustic is a good choice. If you want to play classical then you need a nylon string classic guitar. It all depends on what style you want to play. If you like death metal you probably don't want to buy a pink Telecaster... so think about what you like and what you are going to play on it.

If you want to play all styles, then electric might be the way to go and get an acoustic later. My opinion.

Decisions based on cost
Very cheap acoustics are usually not such a great idea, often sound quality is poor and they are hard to play, I often see students selling them after a six month struggle - so you'll find a lot on e-bay! So if your budget is very tight, I wouldn't get an acoustic. You save a little because you don't need to buy and amplifier BUT you don't have to use an amplifier to practice anyway!

Electric guitars need an amplifier to be heard although they make enough sound just for practice without one. There are also a number of units (like Line 6 Pod) that can be plugged into your hi-fi, not much use if you wanna play in a band though! I did the majority of my practice on an electric guitar without and amplifier - and I think it helps you work on your tone, because you have to draw the volume out of the instrument. Sure, having a cool amp can help make you sound like your favourite players, and that is cool and fun, but not so important when you are just starting out!



Verdict

Well I think for the general beginner an electric guitar is probably a better starter instrument, mainly because they are a little easier to play and so you will see results faster and it will inspire you to play more! But it really doesn't matter, you can learn on any old guitar if you really want to learn!

Here is a way of thinking about it... some rules if you like.

1. If you want to play rock - buy electric.
2. If you want to play classical - buy a nylon string acoustic.
3. If you want to play folk - buy a steel string acoustic.
4. If you only have a very small budget, don't buy an acoustic.
5. Don't buy an electric with a "floating tremolo".

[Semi-Hollowbody]

There are good and bad points to buying a "cheap" guitar when beginning...
Yes its a good thing to not be heavily invested in case you loose interest...
However, a cheap instrument is hard to play and it could make learning/playing much harder than it would be with a decent instrument...

you could potentially buy a cheap guitar in case you loose interest, and then after a few months get discouraged and LOOSE INTEREST because the guitar is so hard to play...

I think you get more bang for your buck with electrics...an accoustic that is playable will cost you more than an electric that is playable...imo

I would consider buying used...if you know someone who plays, have them assist you in picking out an affordable but quality instrument...you dont have to spend $1000 to get a good playable guitar.

[mynameismud]

cheap electrics are loads easier to play than cheap acoustics

[Scali]

I'd go with the Yamaha, I think. They build excellent guitars at good value.

(I have an Ovation Celebrity Deluxe myself... to be honest, I wouldn't recommend it. It's quite expensive for what it is).

[m3k]

Seriously can't go wrong with ANY yamaha guitar

[Bee]

Thanks for the comments.

I've pretty much settled on a Yamaha FG700S, which is 199 everywhere. It's obviously more than the Epiphones and Yamaha F325 mentioned up-thread. I guess I talked myself into spending more. It has a solid spruce top and uniformly good reviews on the net.

I was in GC and a fellow turned up in the acoustic room. I chatted with him and he agreed to play a few of the under-200 guitars. He definitely liked this one better than the others in that group.

I haven't ordered it yet but I'm close