How good of a first guitar should I get?

Matichel: How good of a first guitar should I get?
I’m thinking about learning to play the guitar, but I’m a college student on a tight budget. Looking on www.craigslist.org I can find some acoustic guitars for <$ 100, but the quality is probably not that great. How good of a guitar do I need if I'll probably buy a better one if I decide to continue playing? Does it really matter whether it's a Yamaha or Fender (or some other lesser brand), etc.? What are the *essential* things I should be looking for in a first guitar? If anyone knows, I would also appreciate descriptions of the major guitar teaching methods. 🙂
hehe, it's nice to see all these helpful responses. ^_^ Just as a note, I've played the piano since 3rd grade, and a Chinese stringed instrument (similar to the violin) since 7th. I want to start on an acoustic because it seems more versatile if I know I want to learn classical guitar. I've been trying to decide whether to pick up the guitar or violin, but I figure it would be easier on my budget if I try the guitar first (esp since it seems like I'd be more likely to be able to teach myself guitar than the violin). If I like it, I definitely plan to look for a professional teacher. Thanks again for the responses! 🙂

Answers and Views:

Answer by staplez
Yeah get a moderately decent Guitar.
I suggest an epiphone. Just go into any guitar store. They’re a great starter guitar and actually a subbrand of Gibson guitars which are used by some of the greatest players in the world. Plus, you can get Tab music from olga.net. See my link.
Good luck!

Answer by and3_iverson
Buy a classic guitar. Don’t buy the electric one first.

Answer by squeakified343
Get a guitar that doesn’t sound awful, yet not so expensive that you don’t dare to breathe on it… When it comes to brands, it doesn’t matter really. It’s more a matter of preference. Unless the standard varies humoungously between prices…then please run away from that brand. For starters, you might want to get hold of 3 picks/platrums. Hard, medium, and thin. Get a nice set of chords. The kind that fits almost every single song like….Em-C-G-D. Then get a rhythm and tap with your foot or something…Move your hand (strumming movement)to the rhythm. Don’t try to copy other strumming patterns for now. Then slowly start to just feel the rhythm and find your own strumming pattern. Find songs you know well and play the chords. if you’ve got the CD try playing along. Not neccesarily the same strumming pattern but the same rhythm. that helps…Keep trying. =)Practice when you can. Remember to stay relaxed, and keep to the rhythm. All the best.

Answer by pianowalrus9
Definitely start off on an acoustic. I’d recommmend you go and try various guitars. You can actually find relatively cheap Yamahas. Try guitars and find whatever suits you, just make sure it will stay in tune. As for learning, make sure you know how to tune your guitar and learn the names of the strings. Start with easier chords (E minor, E major, D major, A major, A minor, etc) and learn progressions like C major, D major, G major. Take it easy. Buy a chord chart book and learn simple ones. Most songs consist of about three chords anyway. Learn how to read both tabs and standard notation (like treble clef and such). Find tabs online and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Best of luck! Guitar is difficult at first but if you stick in there, it’s a very rewarding pasttime. =)

Answer by desrtoyers
i suggest you should buy a yamaha guitar, they are the best…and….you should buy a classic one. You can get an electronic one when u mastered it. it wouldnt cost much too when u throw it away after u buy a new one =D

Answer by paulcrosby114
The main thing that you want to do is go to a music store and play on a couple of guitars, even though you cant play. When you are playing around, this is what you want to look for, look for a guitar that is easy to press the strings. If you buy a guitar that the the strings are too high off of the frets it will really hurt your fingers and it will discourage you from playing. Also get something that is comfortable to hold while playing.

Answer by kaka90250
why do you want to learn how to play a guitar in the first place…learn some thing more profitable like poker

Answer by weavej44
First of all, buy a guitar that is between 100-200 dollars. Anything less than that is a pretty shitty guitar. Fender, ephihone and ibanez all sell guitars within this price range. Second of all, you’ll need to take lessons if you’re serious about getting good. Focus on chord theory and playing techniques instead of just learning how to play your favorite songs. And take into account that online tabs are usually incorrect but you can still use them I guess. But other than that, your first guitar should basically just be one that is a comfortable feel for you, whether that be accoustic or electric. (I personally think that accoustics are harder to start with than electics). Just look for one that has decent tone quality and pickups, and your next guitar(if you get one) can be an improvement. (A nice guitar will probably cost you at least 400 dollars).

Answer by colliemagician2
Well,im getting a guitar soon to and I think I know a little bit to help ya 😉 First of all make sure the strings are sturdy and ake sure its atleast 200$ that way it good 😉

Answer by anchorNY
good enough so not only you can hear the tunes but you can feel them too

Answer by just me
My suggestion would be to go to Guitar center or any guitar store. Ask any salesman/woman what they suggest. Try out the guitars. Pay attention to Yamaha, Ovation and Fender guitars.

THEN go to Craigslist. By then, you should know what you’re looking for. A used guitar, if taken care of, should sound just as sweet as a brand new, but half the cost.

Also pick up a guitar “chord” book. With chords, you can play almost any song. Also have somebody how to read “Tabs” . You can learn alot just by reading those.

Good luck! (my daughter picked up the guitar in 8th grade, and taught herself to play, she’s in a band now and she’s amazing! she’s 17 now)

have fun!

Answer by everydayrenaissance
You will be frustrated on an ultra-cheap model. I would go with the most affordable name brand you can find. Taylor, Gibson, Yamaha, Ovation, and others all make decent beginner models. I’d stay away from Squire- far away.

Answer by Sir Gringo
You want to buy an inexpensive guitar – acoustical (standard) guitar since you are a beginner. Thousands of kids get all excited and want to go all out on a guitar, be famous and all that. The vast majority after a few lessons quit and lose interest (as did my daughter).

So if you’re out big $ $ $ on a guitar and it just sits gathering dust – you lost a lot of money.

If after you find you like it once you get past the sore fingers – sell it and buy a better guitar. Sore fingers is one big reason kids (or newbie adults) quit. But I promise the sore fingers quit being sore, as you build callouses (normal for guitarists) on your finger tips.

You have all my best positive wishes! Good luck.

Answer by black_panther_brat
rockin hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer by js8incher
ok, im not giving u a 10min answer cuz its simple.
get a guitar that is inexpensive w/ good strings
when u get better, buy a better guitar. thats it.

Answer by JediKnight
It dosen’t have to be high quality, just so it dosen’t have a bad sound. I got a Johnson guitar for my first one, and it lasted for 1-2 years, for about $ 70. Now, I have a different one by the company Applause, that cost about $ 100. Just get an easy one to play, not too big, or too small, and easy to tune and take care of.

Answer by me
I got my daughter’s first acoustic guitar on E-bay for $ 35 and that included S&H…take a look, there are good deals =)

Answer by sdrelampagoblanco
Ibanez seems to put out a very nice quality for a low price. I also have friends who have purchased collectible / potentially very expensive guitars at bargain prices on ebay. Good luck!

Answer by MoniRaq
My first guitar was a Yamaha acoustic. It cost me $ 150.00 and it’s still one of my favorite guitars. Don’t buy anything cheaper than $ 100-$ 150 if you’re buying new. If you’re buying used, make sure you are able to check it out first. IMPORTANT!! If you’re buying used, check the neck and make sure it’s not warped. Make sure you try before you buy. If you’re a woman with small hands (like me) pay attention to how well your fingers fit around the neck, make sure you can reach several frets with your fingers for the more complicated chords. REALLY LISTEN to how the guitar sounds when you strum it. It should be pleasant to your ear. The sound should be full and not tinny or too high. You HAVE to really like the sound cuz you’ll be playing it a while. If you’re taking lessons, great. If not, there are some good self-teaching books with cd’s out there. Guitar for Dummies isn’t too bad. Also, it helps if you buy a good all-purpose chord book and then (this is how I taught myself) find a chord book of music from your favorite artist, learn some basic chords and try to play some of your favorite songs. This will help keep you motivated while you learn the harder stuff. Hope this helps!

Answer by elobug94
I have been playing for some time now on an acoustic. I recommend First Act for a beginner. This guitar brand is good quality, reasonably priced, and this brand has books or DVDs to teach. If you can afford it, a teacher is best, however. A good quality guitar is essential for beginning to play, I think. I don’t think the brand really matters, as long as you get what you think fits you. A stable, not too fancy guitar is best. I’m glad to help!

Answer by Nicole
You should talk to peole you know first(ex parent, aunt) and see if they have any put anyway some where first then see if good enough or not, i no some one who did that and a year after is sold it for like 4,000 b/c it was rare and then bought himself a new one, that was a few years ago though

Answer by FredSOne
Your 1st guitar is probably the most important one you will buy. Name is not as important as Quality. Inexpensive guitars tend to have warped necks, poor sound, and are very difficult to play because you cannot press the strings properly down to the neck. Remember you will spend lots of money on teachers and lessons learning to play, and an inexpensive guitar can easily make you waste this money. It will also be discouraging and you will probably give up a dream that for a few dollars more could be a reality. I recommend finding a good instructor 1st and let him guide you with the purchase of your 1st guitar. Have fun and remember -PRACTICE – PRACTICE – PRACTICE

Answer by kobege
first u should buy a classic guitar !
than you can change your style 😀
max 100 dolars for classic guitar is enough ı think

Answer by Windy
Id say for a first guitar, the most important thing to do is when you go shopping, play the guitar for a long time…I mean get it out of tune, tune it again and again…see how well it stays in tune, If it goes out Really quick after tuning and retuning, put it back on the wall and leave it. A lot of people dont realize that guitars are like snowflakes, there are no two exactly alike, even the same brand and model…Its TRUE. ESPECIALLY with a cheaper starter guitar. I would also suggest buying a used one, actually…they dont depreciate that much, but you can get a better guitar used at a cheap new price sometimes, and the ones that look MORE worn means they have been more played, which is actually a good thing…some musician out there loved that guitar once…I actually would suggest a Yamaha basic acoustic…I have a Takamine, an Epiphone, An Alverez worth more than my entire collection put together, and a Rogue, and then I have my dads 40 year old Yamaha, and to tell you the truth, for just messin aroud and learning, I prefer The Yamy, as my family calls her…and so does my brother.Ive played a few in music stores and all have impressed me.
Another idea is to get a decent guitar and have better Keys and strings put on it…and BTW, if you buy a new guitar, replace the strings almost immediatly…factory strings are generally pretty crappy.

Answer by cammylovessoftball
a spectacular one

Answer by VAP
Take your $ 100, go to a music store like Sam Ash or Guitar Center and tell the sales guy what you have to spend. He will then show you a few instruments, try them, (even if you dont know how to play) then see which feels best to you and buy it. The brand name shouldnt be a factor at this point. Buy something you feel good about. take a friend who plays with you for assistance if possible.

A great way to learn on your own is by using one of the Mel Bay or Alfred’s guitar methods. Even here, find a book that you like. Something that is pleasing to you. Then play your heart out and it will come.

Answer by Jack
Play a variety in the store to see if anything absolutely necessary to you stands out. Leave within 10 minuits. Don’t waist your passion for guitar on doing something unimportant.

Answer by 0976
I picked out a guitar for you, not too expensive

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/ibanez-grx20-electric-guitar

and I picked out an amp for you too.

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/marshall-mg10cd-combo-amp

They have some acoustic guitars cheap too, if you really want one of those.

Answer by HeartlessClown
pawn shop, research guitars tuning capacity. You don’t want to have to tune it everyday.

Answer by akm121693
it should be really really NICE!

Answer by ghostprobenet
Electric or acoustic? That’s important. Both make sound when you play them but the acoustic will sound better unamped. It’s also easier to play an electric or a small-bodied acoustic, so be aware… having a foot and a half between your body and the fretboard takes getting used to (which is what you’ll get with a full bodied acoustic guitar).

The best thing to do is get a friend (or find one) who know guitars to go with you to check out what you want to buy. A guitar is a thing that can be priced cheaply or expensively, but that in no way necessarily reflects the quality of the instrument.

Definitely get one that will stay in tune. Make sure that both the nut and the bridge are stable. Make sure the tuning keys all work. Check out how your hand fits on the fretboard and how easily you can press the notes– in that area, you might want to go for something that’s kind of midway. All of that is important because if your first guitar it might sound terrible and you won’t know it’s because the axe is out of tune.

Brand name? Well, name a brand and you’ll find people who love it or hate it. Your mileage may vary.

Most of all, get one that sounds good and everything seems to work properly. Good luck, and most of all have fun!

Answer by sk8ergurl_tera
first start out with a durable but simple style. as you get better, save up ur money for a better guitar.

Answer by Inquisitive1
Get one that you’re not afraid to use. Put the “learning scratches” on that one, then, if you like it & you think it’s worth the investment, upgrade to a better one, and donate the old one to a younger kid who may be facing the same decision.
Good luck!

Answer by tia
very good

Answer by aricuda94
You want to get an in-between guitar. You don’t want to get a bad guitar or else you won’t know your full skills.
You don’t want to get to good of a guitar because you might not stay hooked on playing and you would waste a lot of money.

Answer by Ask and i will tell
i agree with iverson

Answer by foxxey_7
I have been playin g for 6 years. The first guitar I got didn’t even have a name on it. Just make sure that it has good tone and can stay in tune, go inot the music store and dont buy onw online you never know what you are getting…

I also suggest that you buy an accoustic first to get you familar with thte techniques behind holding, playing, tuning and just being comfortable with your instrument. Make sure you buy one that feels good to you… My first a ccoustic was a yamaha and it was about 120.00 from Walmart or something like that, I still have it and I still play it

I hope that helps you good luck in playing!!!

Answer by matssundin1234
well i personally perfer electric but if ur looking for acoustic i have a yamaha and i dont see big of a difference just look u should also look into acoustic electric

Answer by kaleli06
heloo
for first guitar must be not so expensive.

Answer by valkyriemissile
the better the guitar is the better youll be an epiphone les paul in a excellent beginner and pros guitar

Answer by kidd411ca
My suggestion would be go and talk to a guitar teacher, maybe take some lessons. Its possible to rent a decent guitar to get started and go from there Good Luck

Answer by basketballstar01
you need to start out with a really simple guitar but not to pretty. so start out with a acoustic guitar and then if you like it then buy an electric if you want or buy a better one!

Answer by hondapride67
I got a real peice of junk. Once I learned the basics I got myself I real nice electric guitar. And then other things from there.

The guitar I got pretty much was a basic acoustic, 6 strings, 3 of the tuners didn’t work without hardware pliers. But really, it was cheap and did everything it needed to do.

Answer by jesterb
Washburn has some nice acoustics for under $ 200. I have one and it is a favorite of mine. the sound quiality is not the best probally because it is a thin bodied, but it plays awesome. It is my bang around the house guitar. My other acoustic is a Taylor but that cost me $ 4200. Dont like to bang around the house with that.

good luck Keep the Faith

Answer by Rick James
Well…..Firs act used to be really really crapy but i would sugest a First Act or go to your local music store and buy one from a box if you know what i mean..then once you get good buy and Ibanez.

Answer by smarty pants
Quality control on a $ 100 guitar is pretty hit or miss. If you buy online always take your new guitar to a music store or instrument repair center and ask them to adjust (“set-up”) the guitar and inspect it for manufacturing defects that could make your guitar difficult to play or tune. As you learn more about guitars this is something you may be able to do yourself.

Too many people wind up buying a guitar with problems, don’t realize it has problems, and wonder why they can’t tune it or play it and give up on trying to play.

Sometimes it can cost more to fix a problem than the guitar will ever be worth. Make sure you can easily get a refund if this is the case.

Both my friend and I bought the same model of guitar from musicians friend for $ 100. (I wanted an acoustic-electric I could use as a knock-around beater guitar) His guitar came in the mail perfectly set-up. Mine had all kinds of problems. I wound up not sending it back thinking I could do some work on it myself and I did do some work myself but the thing still has major problems. I’ll probably pull the electroncs out and put them in another guitar, eventually.

Just make sure the place you buy it from has a painless return policy and the guitar comes with a factory warranty.

I have also seen these problems in much more expensive instruments. So, if you don’t know what you’re looking at ALWAYS get a luthier (someone who makes and repairs stringed instruments) or a music store that is Qualified for repairs to examine the instrument after you get it.

I still play it once in a while but thank god it’s not my only guitar.

Any major manufacturer (epiphone, yamaha, washburn, fender, etc.) should be fine but I suggest you spend at least twice that much on an acoustic guitar. You really do get what you pay for…….to a point.

Answer by drumr2u
if i were you i would get an inexpensive electric guitar and a small amplifier. much easier to learn how to play an electric then it is an acoustic. Electric guitar bodies are slimmer and easier to learn how to play then fat acoustic. i learned on an electric and have been playing for six years you can find an inexpensive guitar to learn on

Answer by maggio040
Good question. I would suggest staying in the mid hundreds for your first guitar. Name brand doesn’t always matter. Here is a link I found that will give you some helpfull hints. https://www.merde.org/guitar/choose.html#play

Answer by Boi
Do you want an acoustics guitar? Fender will do. Yamaha will do too. If live close to a guitar center in your areas, I suggest you check it out. Do not get it off Craig list. I darn sure, you can a brand new one for the same price.

Answer by ers1225
I’ve always heard its best to learn on a regular acoustic, then once you get the hang of it purchase a more expensive guitar. Plus, who knows if you’re gonna like playing the guitar, or how much time you will spend playing it before you maybe get tired of it. I would rather figure that out with a less expensive guitar. If you figure out how to play, you will probably then appreciate the more expensive guitar.
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