Acoustic Guitar for a Beginner

[GreigR]

After years of saying 'I wish I could do that', I've decided to do something about it and learn.

Can anyone recommend a good quality acoustic guitar suitable for a beginner.

Thanks

[davidd]

What is your budget?

£25 will get you a decent nylon acoustic from a Sue Ryder charity shop. I bought my son one for a starter guitar a couple of years ago.

[singlecoil]

As David points out, budget is key to this discussion

One good bet is to find a local teacher and ask his advice, he may well know of something. If you weren't thinking of having a teacher, then anything by Yamaha is usually a good bet.

[GreigR]

Hi,

Budget of up to £200 but if something much cheaper will do the job then great.

What would the main differences be between a £25 second hand one and something around £150-£200?

Thanks

[Mr Kitten]

I've heard very good things about the "own brand" electro acoustics from Gear4Music - they appear to be seriously good value for money.

[davidd]

GreigR said:

Hi,

Budget of up to £200 but if something much cheaper will do the job then great.

What would the main differences be between a £25 second hand one and something around £150-£200?

Thanks

Second hand?? that's brand new I'll have you know.

The more you pay then in theory the easier it should be to play and the better it should sound. Also that £25 job is nylon strung as well which makes a difference. I'd still recommend it as a starter guitar though.

My boy has now been playing for 3 years and has several very good guitars, he still plays the £25 acoustic every morning when he is supposed to be getting ready for school!

[otolith]

I've got one of those cheap nylon string acoustics which I rescued from someone who was about to chuck it out. It's OK for certain styles of music, but I think a nice steel string would be a more versatile instrument.

[oddball1973]

you can't go wrong with a Yamaha - very good quality, decent tone etc

http://www.thomann.de/gb/yamaha_fx310ant.htm

There are ones even cheaper

http://www.thomann.de/gb/yamaha_f310p_na_westerngi...

[Steffan]

singlecoil said:

As David points out, budget is key to this discussion

One good bet is to find a local teacher and ask his advice, he may well know of something. If you weren't thinking of having a teacher, then anything by Yamaha is usually a good bet.

Good advice. Having owned a number of Yamaha acoustics I have yet to see one that was not very well made. Equally true of their pianos someone in Yamaha has set quality as a requirement. Certainly secondhand a decent Yamaha acoustic should be around in the shops for really not a lot probably less than £100, possibly a lot less. Equally might be worth asking a few teachers what the recommend someone who local may know just the job for not a lot. Huge number of players give up and sell their guitars and there are bargains about.

Good luck to the OP. If you practise, practise, practice it will come and you will be able to enjoy the guitar as you progress on and improve. Great instrument and you can carry a guitar about which is why I gave up the piano and concentrated on the guitar. Playing in bands was great fun but you need to be a masochist to enjoy carrying around a Piano. And a Grand Piano? Don't even think about it!

[W124]

Get a Fenix acoustic off Ebay. Cheap and good. Also, a Snarko tuner that fits on the headstock and a book of alternate tunings. That's what I always get any students I have to do.

[Justin Cyder]

Irrespective of what you choose & assuming you don't choose a dog of a guitar, the key thing is to stick at it. I bang on repeatedly about this, but it is true - once you buy your guitar, set aside lots of time for playing it, lots of time for being rubbish at it & lots of time for getting slowly better at it.

Learning guitar is a slow, fraught process. You'll be awful for ages. Then slightly less awful, then a bit better than that & so on. No matter what, don't give up. Really, don't. Everyone is rubbish for a while, it's how it is. Some very good players are rubbish for a long while, but if you stick it, it will start to click into place, honestly - it will.

Oh & by the way, the best guitar for your money is the one that feels nicest in your hands. Try a few in the shops & buy the one you like the most.

[kev b]

I bought a second hand budget priced Yamaha 15 years ago for £20, it lives near a radiator, often gets full sun and has never needed adjusting.

It plays easily, has a low action and sounds really good, I have never seen a bad review of a Yamaha acoustic, I have never felt the need to buy a "better" guitar.

[Gaspode]

oddball1973 said:

you can't go wrong with a Yamaha - very good quality, decent tone etc

http://www.thomann.de/gb/yamaha_fx310ant.htm

There are ones even cheaper

http://www.thomann.de/gb/yamaha_f310p_na_westerngi...

I was staying in a hotel last week and there was a Yamaha APX500 in the resident's lounge. For a £300 guitar I thought it sounded and played extremely well.

[audidoody]

You don't say whether you want to learn on a steel-string or nylon string guitar. Or with a plectrum or finger style. There is a world of difference.

I'd recommend a nice electro-acoustic strung with light gauge steel strings as the best compromise. You could plug it into a mini-practice amp and get some terrific sounds.

Something like this for £125 is really cheap as chips and a known and reputable brand

http://www.gak.co.uk/en/epiphone-aj-100ce/18218

Either way I really don't recommend buying an ultra-cheap model. The neck is likely to warp, the glued struts and joins will be susceptible to cracking and it will be hard to keep in tune and practice barre chords on

[Mr Kitten]

I'm blaming this thread... but I've just bought one of these: http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Roundbac...

I've yet to plug it in, but as an acoustic it's pretty amazing for the money and plays as well as some of the £150-ish guitars in my local shop.

Some of the fret edges are a little untidy, but nothing a little file won't sort out. The neck is nice with a thin-ish lacquer and doesn't feel to chunky. Strings are ste though... I'll have to change those.

[otolith]

I can't decide whether this is inspiring or makes me want to give up and chuck my guitars in a skip;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p021bjh0/glas...

[Turn7]

Justin Cyder said:

Irrespective of what you choose & assuming you don't choose a dog of a guitar, the key thing is to stick at it. I bang on repeatedly about this, but it is true - once you buy your guitar, set aside lots of time for playing it, lots of time for being rubbish at it & lots of time for getting slowly better at it.

Learning guitar is a slow, fraught process. You'll be awful for ages. Then slightly less awful, then a bit better than that & so on. No matter what, don't give up. Really, don't. Everyone is rubbish for a while, it's how it is. Some very good players are rubbish for a long while, but if you stick it, it will start to click into place, honestly - it will.

Oh & by the way, the best guitar for your money is the one that feels nicest in your hands. Try a few in the shops & buy the one you like the most.

This should stickied and shown to every person who posts asking about what beginners guitar.

Its soo not the quality of the instrument at the start, the middle, and probably even the end.

Its down to you to put the miles in - and they dont always come easy.

[Evangelion]

Only 3 words of advice needed on this thread:

BUY - A - YAMAHA

[Simpo Two]

As I'm passing through I'll just leave this here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YRGFrGci_Y

[bga]

Evangelion said:

Only 3 words of advice needed on this thread:

BUY - A - YAMAHA