Where do I start ??? Help

[adam3291]

First off, this looks like a great site!!!
I'm 38 and have always wanted to play guitar, now that I have time I have decided to learn. I have no previous music experience.Looking for cd's, books,videos anything that will help.
Has anyone found a great instructional tool to start with. There are millions of books and cd's available. Not sure I want to run right out and take lessons, I'd rather try it on my own to begin with. I know practicing is a must!! I don't want to be Eddie VanHalen, I like the way Eric Johnson plays. I'm leaning towards an American Standard Strat and small fender amp as my choice of weapons. My fingers are short, fat and stubby (size 13 ring), is a strat my best choice? Looking for help in guitar selection and getting started.
Thanks alot!!!

[ESP_Viper]

It's hard to tell how a neck is going to be before you play it. I can look at a neck and tell I will like it, but it won't neccissarily be that size that is just right. With short fingers you may want to go with a thin neck. Play a les paul, then play a strat... there will be a huge difference in size. I'm sure you've got some cheese, but I'd say don't buy an expensive guitar right away. Get like an Ibanez or mexican fender first. Then once you decide you like it you can get a nicer one. Or if you decide you don't like it, you wouldn't have wasted over a grand!

[adam3291]

With my short fat fingers, would it be easier for me to play a Les Paul? Do the necks run narrower on a Les Paul then a strat?

[cyberfret]

I agree with ESP_Viper. An American Strat is not something I would suggest starting with, unless you really have the money to burn. You may decide after you have been playing a little while that a Strat is the guitar for you....and then you can get an American Strat and be happy.

I would take a look at some more entry level guitars. If you want a Strat style, then check out a Fender Squire Standard series....not the Affinity series which are real cheap. The standard you can get for about $200. And it is an OK guitar to start on. The small Fender amp that you were looking at will do the trick. Or there are other brands that you can check out as well. But I would look at getting a 15 watt amp with reverb. Reverb will cost about $40 more than one without, but it is worth it.

In the Fender line you can also get a Mexican made Strat for $350-$400. Where American made you are looking at $800 or more.

A Gibson Les Paul will have a thicker neck, that may or may not be something that you want. You will not know until after you have played for a little while. My personal opinion is that Gibson and Epiphone, which is Gibson's lower line stuff, are way over priced and much lower in quality than just about any other brand out there. A think neck might be better for your "fat fingers" but not so good for the "short fingers"

You might take a look at Ibanez at well.

Of course I am going to suggest hanging out here at Cyberfret.com for materials to learn the guitar :) The First Fret section of the site is the place to start. With lessons on basic chords, strums, read Tablature etc. That will get you going.

First Fret Section
http://www.cyberfret.com/first-fret/

Good Luck
--Shawn

[bobcat]

Wow! If you would like to play like Eric Johnson, I would strongly suggest starting out your musical career with a few guitar lessons! Even if you only take for a month or two, you will be sure that you are using correct hand positions, good form and get a solid musical base on which to grow.

For a long term goal, Hal Leonard Publishing has an Eric Johnson instructional book entitled, "Eric Johnson Guitar School".

Unfortunately, there are not any really good instructional method books that I can recommend for adults. Most of these are really geared toward children/youth ages.

As for videos, go to the front page of CyberFret and click on SheetMusicPlus.com. (on the left hand side) On their front page (half way down) is a link to "Featured Video Publisher in July". This will take you to over 600 Warner Brother's Publishing instructional videos. Not all will be guitar, but you can narrow the search once you get there. The Warner Brother's videos that I have seen have been pretty good! Hope this helps to get you going! :p