I’m thinking of getting a guitar. I have never really played before and know very little about notation, chords, etc., much less what kind of guitar to get. So can anyone tell me what brand and model I should buy? What is a good price for such a guitar? Anything else?
[sub](I wasn’t completely sure whether to put it in IMHO or GQ, but I think that this is a factual question, more or less.)[/sub]
Electric or acoustic?
Not sure. Is one better for newbies than the other?
If you are going electric, I would suggest looking into a Gretsch White Penguin, IMHO.
I recommend an acoustic. It forces you to press harder on the strings, but if you’re aiming to play rock guitar later it’ll be much easier. To learn, either buy a book or try www.cyberfret.com; it’s a good place to learn basics. If you’re going to buy an electric, you’ll also have to purchase an amp and cables.
Also, if you’ve never played before, I suggest you get a cheaper brand (ie under $200, either acoustic or electric) because you don’t know how long you’ll last… I’ve seen too many people pick up a really expensive guitar expecting to become a rock star, and give up and never touch the guitar again after a couple of weeks.
I have absolutely no idea what a White Penguin is. 
On my end, (for electric) I suggest a cheaper-end Ibanez; you can probably pick one up on ebay for $200, more or less.
I personally prefer ESP guitars, but I don’t suggest getting one unless you’re definitely getting somewhere as a guitar player.
When I started, I picked out an electric Ibanezthat cost me less than? around? $100. It isn’t great in quality, but not bad. I was later given a nice Fender acoustic by my g/f, so I progressed to that… but just starting out, I’d suggest going with something affordable.
This is kind of like saying “I plan to eat a meal, what restaurant should I go to?”
Go to The Mudcat Cafe’s discussion forum ( http://www.mudcat.org/threads.cfm ) and use the built-in search function to access many previous threads on the subject. It’s also a good place to just post your question.
I would suggest trying to borrow or rent a basic acoustic guitar for starters. Some advice from a local friend or music shop could be a great asset.
Things to think about:
What kind of music are you interested in?
Do you want to sing, with the guitar used mainly as accompaniment?
Do you want to play leads/melodies?
With more specific understanding of your goals, we might be able to make some intelligent suggestions. There’s a large range of different types and sub-types of guitars available.
While getting something cheap to start with seems to make economic sense, it sometimes means getting something virtually unplayable. Unplayable guitars effectively ensure that one will get frustrated and give up.
It makes sense to have a luthier examine and set up any new guitar, cheap or expensive. Presumably, borrowing or renting means the guitar is already properly adjusted. There’s no good internet substitute for a knowledgeable person standing next to you while you’re selecting an instrument.
Mostly older rock and alternative. I listen to the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Simon and Garfunkel, Rolling Stones, CCR, They Might Be Giants, Led Zeppelin and a little of Arlo Guthrie, among others.
Um, I don’t exactly have the greatest voice in the world and, although I’ve never really tried, it’s doubtful. If you are asking whether I’d be performing, I would only play for friends; I have no desire to be in a band.
If by leads, you mean playing in a band, then, as aforementioned, it is highly unlikely. Melodies…yes?
Here’s my 2 cents worth.
Yamaha make a great entry level acoustic series that are relatively easy on the fingers (important for beginners) and relatvely inexpensive. You’ll not likely ‘outgrow’ them for a few years. I’d recommend acoustic over electric unless you are intent on joining a band in a hurry. Its been my experience that friend generally don’t like listening to their friends play electric guitar for them as much.
Gretsch! Unless you are planning to drop a lot of money (and barring any real steals), you can easily not buy Gretsch, Fender or Gibson and pick up one of their lower end instruments (Squire, Epiphone) without sacrificing much. Ibanez and Yamaha would also be good choices.
For a few dollars more you can pick up an acoustic with a built-in pick up so if you did want to amplify, the option is open.
I just started this summer. I got an acoustic, a Johnson. (It’s black!) It was only around $80- 90, and it has a great sound (as I’ve been told by more experienced musicians.) I highly recommend a cheap Johnson acoustic for us beginners. That way you wont feel bad if you dont stick with it, or if you abuse your black Johnson (as I do.)
www.mxtabs.net is a great site. It gives you the music to almost any rock song you can think of for free, and you don’t even have to be able to read music (its in tab form.) You can also learn all about chords and whatnot there.
Word of advice: your finger tips are gonna hurt the first few days/weeks. Once you get callouses it’ll be smooth sailing.
Rent before you buy.
I’d suggest going to a major music store chain and getting lessons and renting a guitar from the store. The guitar teacher will be able to check out the guitar you are playing to make sure it is actually playable.
If you decide to stick with playing and buy a guitar ask your teacher to help you pick something out. The teachers have a vested interest in making sure you enjoy playing since they make money from your lessons.
From your list of music you like I would suggest buying an electric. Buying an electric is going to be more expensive because you need an amp and cables. I’d suggest that if you decide to buy you should look at about 200 for a guitar, 200 for a decent amp and tack on another 50 to 75 for cables and channel switching box.
A note on buying stuff. First play every guitar in the store. Do not go buy looks, find something that feels good for you. At the same time make sure the store will set up the guitar for you. Second, if you buy an electric, ask a staff member at the store to show you what the amps can do. Third, pick out what you want then check prices on the web. Once you find out what a decent price is for the gear you want go to the store and tell them what you are willing to pay.
Slee
I’d suggest you find a friend who plays guitar and whose opinions you trust. Take him along with you when you go guitar shopping. Let him check out the action, neck and other things that you don’t know about. I’ve done this several times for friends and don’t mind at all. Look for used guitars, stuff on consignment. And I’d recommend you start off with an accoustic. I can’t recommend a brand for you, I’m not familiar with the present market. The last accoustic I bought was in 1982; it was a custom one built for me by the friendly folks at C.F. Martin. And it sounds better now than it did new 
An accoustic is less expensive and you can concentrate on your fingerings and strumming/picking and not get destracted by all the nifty sound fx pedals you can get.
Start off with light gauge strings and medium picks. Ask them to restring the guitar you buy. If they don’t restring it for you, they’ll probably throw in a set of strings for you. And they should toss in a case. I’d recommend a chipboard hard case over a soft (gig bag) but if they offer a hardshell or molded plastic case, take it. Also get a capo, a strap and a tuner. I’ve added a strap button to the heel of the neck on my Martins. They’ll do it for you at the store if you ask. No biggie if you know what you’re doing.
As for learning to play, well I started out with 2 books. One was a Mel Bay chord dictionary that showed the chords (diagrams and photos) and the other was a Beatles song book (with the chord diagrams over the staffs when appropriate). Find a songbook by any artist/group whose stuff you like.
Advice I’ve given to beginners I’ve given lessons to: Practice in front of a mirror. Why? So you can see where you’re putting your fingers when you make chords. If you don’t use a mirror, you’re going to twist the guitar around so you can see where you’ve put your fingers. Well, with that guitar twisted around so the fingerboard is facing up, you’ve got to unnaturally strain your wrist to make the chord. Why practice bad habits? And if you get used to seeing what your hand looks like in a mirror when you make the various chords, it’ll be easier for you to spot what chords someone else is playing if you want to play along or learn that song they’re playing.
There are folks who “play guitar” and folks who “took guitar lessons for a while”. What’s the major difference? The F major chord. It’s a barre chord and the first one you learn where you have to hold down more than one string with one finger. Or, let’s put it this way… it’s the first barre chord that folks who “play guitar” learn, and it’s the last chord folks who “took guitar lessons” tried to learn. If you don’t give up, you’ll eventually get it without muting or buzzing strings.
Well, I started with a really cheap guitar that turned out to be unplayable but seemed like a good deal when it was in a catalog. So I sold it and bought a cheap $75 Hondo electric from a pawn shop - playable, but barely. Now I typically play a Danelectro that I bought used for a little over $200, which has proven to be a decent guitar for the money although it doesn’t have some of the bells and whistles you’d find on a higher end electric. I’ve since added a Suzuki accoustic I found in a flee market for $40, but finds like that are few and far between.
My advice is that you “test drive” any cheap guitar before buying it. Try fingering notes all over the neck - it should be possible to get notes to play from any point between the frets. On a bad guitar, sometimes the notes can only be played when your finger is very close to the fret, while fingering far away from the frets will make it buzz.
I’ve just gotten the Pignose Cutaway Dreadnaught Acoustical Guitar. Is this a good one?
This is really more a matter of opinion, so I’ll shoot it off to IMHO.
Several people have mentioned costs in their posts: As this is not in IMHO, I will add my $0.02 to the mix:
If you are serious about learning, I wouldn’t go for the cheapest guitar you find is serviceable: I would hold out for the best you can reasonably afford. Why? Because there is nothing more off-putting to a beginner that to have to constantly re-tune a guitar that will not stay in tune for any length of time. (Especially if you are unable to do so quickly and easily)
My first guitar was so cheap and couldn’t stay in tune for the duration of a single verse and a chorus, never mind a whole song.
It was so fustrating and nearly led me to re-think the whole guitar-playing idea.
On looking over the thread, I see you have bought a guitar already. Not a make I have heard of, to be honest, but it looks spot on. Gettng a cutaway is a good idea.
Are you happy with the sound?
not in IMHO’ should read ‘now in IMHO’
I’d recommend one of the lower end Fenders or Gibsons (Squier and Epiphone respectively). They’re cheap enough to be affordable, but good enough that a beginner doesn’t grow disillusioned. Besides, they look like the real thing!
They both have a fairly versatile sound, but the Gibson tends to be a bit “crunchier” and fuller. The Fender has more of a trebley sound. Have a play of both and see what suits you best.
And don’t give up on the barre chords. They’re impossible to master at first, but once you’ve got them down, it opens up a whole new world of guitar playing. You can start your own punk band!
I don’t know your level of commitment to learning guitar but if it’s anything other than “very little” then I would definately start with an acoustic. Every hour on an acoustic is equivalent to 3 hours spent on an electric in terms of conditioning your hands. I’d probably spend around $200 for your first guitar. One of the best things about starting with a shitty guitar is that you learn to appreciate the sound of a good one.