Beginner Needs Help Buying Accoustic Guitar

[emtilt]

i am going to learn to play the acoustic guitar, i have always wanted to and now i am finally getting around to doing it. i have been reading about it on the net, but i am still completely lost as to what to buy.

how do i select a guitar? in many articles i have read, it says that you should play the guitars and pick one that sounds good. the only problem with that, is i dont know how to play yet. i have seen people recommending many different brands, and then other people saying those same brands are crap. my budget is around $300, but it is very flexible.

also, what else do i need? picks? strings? some kind of case?

i plan on taking a few lessons, but also teaching myself as much as possible. any help is really appreciated.


-emtilt

[Krieselman13]

I dont realy know muchabout acoustics myself as playing electric for about 4 weeks, but, go to a guitar store and play anythything on it. FOOL around on it (thats what I did when I went to buy my electric). I would trecomend an acoustic electric, such as an Ibanez Talman series guitart though.

[eische]

hmmmm, maybe you let the people from the store play something for you, if you trust them as much as not to make you buy just anything (and most expensive).....if you do that, you may get a better impression of the full range of the sound (like bass and higher strings should be balcaned out and that).....
the other thing is: do you have a friend, who could play (at least a bit)? you could take him or her with you and do the playing thing......

oh, and I heard that really new guitars may change their sound if opened up by playing on it, so maybe you want to check used ones too (they're not that expensive and already »opened«). But in that case you should definitely have some guidance of a guitar-playing-friend at your side........

good luck

[emtilt]

unfortunately, i dont really know anyone who plays the guitar, so i am kind of on my own aside from the sales people...

[eische]

hmmmmmm, do you have any possibilies to get a printed grip-board (of course you may search the web for it) so that you at least have some theoretical understand beforehand?????? - I guess that could be a further help......

.....and then keep an eye on the attitude of the sales-person and take your time. Don't mind asking »stupid« questions, stay calm and try different shops (if you have the possibility)

From my own experience: Just take a really cheap one for the beginning (maybe even if it is not that good) and start learning the basics on that. I still have my flea-market one (30 German Marks), bought on the trust of the person, who sold it, which was a guitarist himself and told me something about the abilities. I was quite lucky with it, even though I now (after about a year of playing) I hear better, what is wrong with her(guitar).
So afterwards (like me now) you could care better, if you want to buy a new one, on the little details.

Oh and: (but this is on german prices, sorry) a friend of mine told me about the prices for new ones, price is a difference up to a limit of about 250 to 300 Marks. Inbetween that and 2000 Marks the differences are marginal and related more to the looks than to the sound. The sound changes only from upgoing that price-limit.

[55'gibby]

just a few things to look for: a solid wood top, good joinery, rosewood or mahogony sides neck back, good hardware, low action, NO buzzes, bone nut and saddle, a neck that feels good in your hand, balanced tone (highs and lows), smooth bass, bright highs, projects well, good balance, straight flat neck, great intonation, a great warranty, rosewood or mahogany bridge. Can you do that in your budget.... NO, but you can get alot of these if you shop right. I would have no I dea what you should buy, but, these are just some of the qualities you should look at. Don't forget to look at used guitars, you can get more for your money sometimes.

[slaughteredsoul]

Just a little note,
one german mark is around 0.45 dollars, so 200-300 marks is 91 to 136 dollars...and 2000 marks 911 dollars(all estimated)
My acoustic is a Yamaha F310...it's cheap and i got it to practice on..it's not bad at all...but like you said,someone will think this acoustic sucks..so i really think you should go for a cheap one first till you can play guitar better, and after that you can use your own experience rather than others to pick one that is suitable for you.
A hard case is a good idea and so are picks..and if you can get someone to teach you how to restring your guitar yourself,then you can keep some spare strings lying around.I have to go to the store so they can restring it for me each time.i'll watch closely next time so i can do it myself:)
Dont rush into this...take your time picking a guitar so you dont end up getting ripped off.

[eische]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by slaughteredsoul
[B]Just a little note,
one german mark is around 0.45 dollars, so 200-300 marks is 91 to 136 dollars...and 2000 marks 911 dollars(all estimated)

hey, nice one to the exchange thing, but does that go with the prices for guitar in the ðNew World<????? - so, are there guitars for 100 dollars????, Just to make the limitations fit, you know, which would read like: up to a 150 Dollars it makes a difference and over 1000, but inbetween it's all cosmetical????

[slaughteredsoul]

i sorta lost you there, im not sure what youre asking but my Yamaha cost me $120...and it wasn't second-hand..got it straight from the Yamaha distributor in my city.It's perfect too..i haven't had any problems with it till now.
So i'm pretty sure you can find cheap guitars that are of good quality if you look around.

[eische]

:) I was asking wether it makes sense to translate the currency..........

like: It could have been possible, that guitars cost the same »in numbers« over the atlantic (e.g. the same guitar, I will buy for 200 Marks in germany, will cost you 200 Dollars).

But it seems not to be like that, as you wrote and answered my not-understandable-question: If you have a guitar for 130 Dollars, that will over here cost round about 300 Marks, then prices are the same and »numbers« change, so your former hint on the currency was a pretty good one.

cleared now????????

[slaughteredsoul]

lol...yes,sir..:)

[barbietta]

I just bought an acoustic myself. I got a Gretsch Historic Series Dreadnought (model G3523 to be exact). I love it! It has a solid spruce top, mahogany sides and back, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, chrome hardware, etc. It seems very well constructed, has a fairly rich sound, and feels comfortable when playing it (for me, anyway). I paid about $325-ish U.S. greenbacks.

I also bought a soft case ($35), picks ($3), strings ($6), a string winder ($2), an electric tuner ($20), a dampit ($20), and scads of books ($150).

Other things you may want to get which I haven't yet are a strap, a capo, some kind of kit to clean and care for the wood, a metronome, etc.

Good luck! :)