Beginner's Guitar

[WolfieBot]

Been playing around with the ukulele for a bit but I find it a bit small and awkward so fancy having a go at the guitar.

I grew up playing Clarinet and did theory of music so my musical understanding is pretty decent but I haven't a clue where to start with choosing a guitar.

I think I want an electro acoustic so I can plug in too.

This seems like a good bargain, it's not particularly aesthetically good looking but that isn't really a huge deal.

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Epiphon...

Budget around £200 if any better suggestions.

Thanks

[Skyedriver]

My young son took leassons for a year or so before we moved home and I was taking lessons for a while after that.
Both of us started on acoustic but teacher who was into the Rockschool courses, pushed and pushed to go electric.
We both did and both found electric easier to play/
Might have been the guitars him a 3/4 "learner guitar, me a cheapish classical which was replaced by a Fender acoustic but we both went over to Yamaha electrics. Both bought second hand but as new. It's surprising how many people buy a guitar and get bored quickly.

[rolo0151]

You would be better off looking for a used guitar.

If you could up you budget to around £300 you’d probably pickup a second hand Faith or possibly a Yamaha LL6.

Both lovely guitars that are miles better than the epiphone you’ve linked in your post.

[Sheetmaself]

If you did decide to go electric i would reccomend a Squier Affinity.

I have the Telecaster version and for the price its fantastic. I have plenty other guitars which cost far more but i will still pick up that cheap old Tele at least once a week

[oddman]

I'd forget about electroacoustic

You're paying for something you'll only use if performing and even expensive pickups are a poor substitute for acoustic sound. A good acoustic can be pretty loud.

Yamaha recommended is probably your best bet as an all round acoustic. Loads around second hand

If you fancy electric, I agree that a good example of a Squier Tele takes a lot of beating. Fender clones will always beat Gibson clones at entry level prices because they are simpler and easier to produce..

[Slushbox]

Had an Yamaha electro-acoustic, they're great for gigs or recording but electrics are slightly pointless otherwise. Piezo pick-ups can be added to almost anything later.

Nylon string acoustics tend to have slighty wider string spacing and less string pressure than steel-string guitars. They're generally considered a bit easier on the fingers for newbies.

There are a lot of good £100-£150 steel string acoustics around, the Tanglewood 'folk' series have slightly smaller contours, spruce/mahogany build and are a bit more wieldy if you like that sort of thing. Slightly smaller body has very distinctive 'clear' tone if you're a picker not a strummer. Lovely things.

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Tanglew...

Good tips here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL4w3ixUDdw

Edited by Slushbox on Saturday 17th November 10:59

[suthol]

Sheetmaself said:

If you did decide to go electric i would reccomend a Squier Affinity.

I have the Telecaster version and for the price its fantastic. I have plenty other guitars which cost far more but i will still pick up that cheap old Tele at least once a week

Squires punch well above their weight but I would go looking for something from the Classic Vibe series, I have 3 Teles and a CV Thinline is the one I pick up the most often, should be around the top of you budget new and obviously cheaper 2nd hand.

CV series has much better pickups, mine had the same part numbers and construction as Tonerider Vintage Classics. Since replaced with 52 Tele pups, not sure if they are better or its just in the mind.

I paid A$580 new for mine in a good quality hard case, I should have taken the standard gig bag which they wanted to throw in as well but I was getting on a plane and didn't have room for it.

I've just finished an album that features the CV on most tracks

[Mave]

suthol said:

Squires punch well above their weight but I would go looking for something from the Classic Vibe series, I have 3 Teles and a CV Thinline is the one I pick up the most often, should be around the top of you budget new and obviously cheaper 2nd hand.

CVs are good value, but you're still looking at nearly £400 for a new one - that's a big jump for someone looking to try out guitar with a £200 budget. I picked up a squier Strat from Gumtree for £60 for my son, spent an hour doing a basic set up and put new strings on it and it's fine. Stays in tune, neck is straight, frets are acceptable - more than enough guitar for someone putting their toes in the water for the first time :-)

[Skyedriver]

A few things mentioned above I'd highlight (and be aware I'm a "beginner" not an expert).

What's your fingers like and hands? Some guitars have narrower necks than others, (classical scoustic is much wider) but most are around the 43mm at the nut. I think the Squier is narrower if you've fat fingers.

And set up: my Yamaha Pacifica is pretty good but the Fender acoustic was off and my teacher pointed this out when he saw it. I'm not an expert at set up and he suggested a great guy in Richmond, N Yorks, who set it correctly for very little money and the difference was unbelievable. So much easier to play.

[Slushbox]

The action on 'Spanish' type nylon acoustics seems to set a little higher on a many of the ones I tried. Some of the guitar tutors say it's deliberate to give a slight percussive fret-buzz, like a snare on a drum when the Spanish chaps are playing their 'flamingo' music.

I picked up a cheap 3/4 parlour spruce-top acoustic in a chariddee shoppe yesterday, nylon strings, nice tuners, truss-rod neck. Plays really well. £20.

Andertons in Guildford have a stack of cheap acoustics on their YouTube channel including Epiphone and Fender comparisions.

[WolfieBot]

Thanks for all the feedback chaps.

I'd prefer to get new as firstly it's a Christmas present from my wife and so she doesn't want to, have time to or know what to be looking for in the 2nd hand market. Secondly one of the things I most like to try is looping, my mates got an electro ukulele which we've had a lot of fun looping and jamming with.

Been looking at the the Fender FA-125CE. Which seems to come up well in the £100-£200 reviews. Anyone any experience of it?

[davepoth]

Whenever this question gets asked without electroacousticness involved the answer is the Yamaha F310 - I've never played one but by all accounts they are the best guitar at the price point.

As it happens there is an electro-acoustic version - the FX310A:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yamaha-FX310A-Full-Electr...

[RichTT]

Find your nearest big guitar shop with a selection of acoustics and go pick them up. You need to feel how the body and neck size feels in your hand. I would say that's step number 1.

Secondly. Go grab some of the budget Electric guitars. Yamaha, Squire etc and see how they feel. Whilst an acoustic might seem a nice place to start you can get a simple electric rig with a multi effects amp for around the same budget. You can get a small modelling / practice amp these days that still sound good at low volume and have effects and things built in.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-dept/electric-g...

[WolfieBot]

davepoth said:

Whenever this question gets asked without electroacousticness involved the answer is the Yamaha F310 - I've never played one but by all accounts they are the best guitar at the price point.

As it happens there is an electro-acoustic version - the FX310A:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yamaha-FX310A-Full-Electr...

Thanks, will try and find one in store to try out.

RichTT said:

Find your nearest big guitar shop with a selection of acoustics and go pick them up. You need to feel how the body and neck size feels in your hand. I would say that's step number 1.

Secondly. Go grab some of the budget Electric guitars. Yamaha, Squire etc and see how they feel. Whilst an acoustic might seem a nice place to start you can get a simple electric rig with a multi effects amp for around the same budget. You can get a small modelling / practice amp these days that still sound good at low volume and have effects and things built in.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-dept/electric-g...

Thanks, i will go into a shop to try some out, just trying to get an idea of what to look for first.

Edited by WolfieBot on Monday 19th November 19:30

[J8 SVG]

WolfieBot said:

Thanks for all the feedback chaps.

I'd prefer to get new as firstly it's a Christmas present from my wife and so she doesn't want to, have time to or know what to be looking for in the 2nd hand market. Secondly one of the things I most like to try is looping, my mates got an electro ukulele which we've had a lot of fun looping and jamming with.

Been looking at the the Fender FA-125CE. Which seems to come up well in the £100-£200 reviews. Anyone any experience of it?

I learnt to play with a black version of the fender. Still use it along side my tanglewood (usually in different tunes)

Think it's 12 years old now and I took it everywhere for at least 5 of those with no case and it's looking a little sorry for it'self but still stays in tune and sounds good. Worth buying new strings to put on straight away as the ones it came with were pretty pants

Love these extra light strings for both the sound and how easy they are to play

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/DAddari...


https://www.artistguitars.co.uk/products/artist-st...

Do yourself a favour and get one of these too - makes string changing a doddle and not something you dread doing
Responds really well to these extra light strings and they're easier to play (In my opinion)

[dojo]

Don't get a cheap steely - it be a dog or sound like dog**** and put you off for life.
Cheap electrics (Yamaha/Squires) are different they're totally serviceable instruments

[rolo0151]

The f310 Yamaha is a superb cheap acoustic. Miles better than the fender you mentioned.

Definitely get whatever you buy to a luthier for a setup. Money well spent irrespective of the price you pay for a guitar.

I found elixir coated strings very easy to play when I started out. A bit bright sounding but last longer than than standard strings.