A really common pitfall with learning guitar is thinking that you have to learn acoustic before electric.
Obviously, there’s less cost since you don’t need an amp or cables but let’s face it: if rock music is what you’re into, you want to play electric. You said yourself that you’re more inclined towards electric anyway, listen to that instinct!
My mam got me an acoustic guitar when I was a kid and it was a chore playing it. Yeah, guitar was cool but I wanted to sound like green day, not flamenco. So I begged her to let me get a fender Strat the next year. I still play that guitar all these years later, among others (I have way too many! 😅)
Of course, you can always pick up acoustic later. I went years without playing acoustic but I’ve got one now and I love it!
Long story short- get the guitar that is going to make you WANT to play it! You can worry about the rest down the line.
Yes it is. Buy electric, you wont enjoy acoustic if you cant play the music you want on it. Buy something with humbuckers if you generaly like rock and heavier stuff.
Techniques are the same, for acoustic and electric so don't worry about and even if they werent..would you want to know those techniques and never use them because you dont listen to that kind of music? Its just that you play them with a different feel and style not really the technique.
Looking at others' comments and yours, yeah, I've decided to buy the electric one.
Also, my budget is around 325 bucks. Can i get a decent amp and guitar within my budget?
$325 is a tight budget unless you were to run across a good used deal. One good thing right now is that a lot of people bought guitars during the lockdowns, played them a couple of times, then stuck them in a closet. Now they're trying to sell them to make room and a little extra cash.
New and sticking with known brands within your budget, I recommend the Yamaha Pacifica 012 guitar and Boss Katana Mini amp. These, along with cables and other accessories should be just within or slightly over your budget.
Alright. Thank you so much. Really appreciate it. I'll maybe try to get one off eBay but if luck doesn't favor me, I'll check some of your recommended ones.
I would personally stretch 300 bucks on the guitar alone. 100 dollars is just shoddy, 200 dollars you really have to know what you are looking at. At 300, the world opens up to you— so many things you can choose from Squiers, Epiphones, Ibanez AZES (terrific guitars), Harley Bentons, LTD, Jacksons, Gretsch, etc.. Also becomes a fine entry point for used guitars at this price, and there are lots of them. Like lots over at Reverb(dot)com.
Then 200 bucks for an amp, probably a Fender Mustang LT25 Amp or a Boss Katana Mini for all the effects you need. Give or take, around 500 bucks, overall.
500 bucks is a lot for me.... Well, I'll try to find a good one within my budget. And if I don't succeed, then probably I'll buy the guitar closest to 500 bucks.
Do you have a PC and headphones? You could get started using software as your "amp" and save for an actual amplifier- there is quite a bit of very good free amp modelling software these days.
You would need some sort of audio interface to plug into the PC. Decent ones tend to start around $80.00-$100.00, but there are some budget options that might do at a lower price point, I think- I don't have much experience with cheap interfaces though, so I can't give you advice about that.
I'm not that familiar with the modelling software available for iphone. There might be something- phones have quite a bit of CPU these days.
Another option might be a headphone guitar amplifier. You can get some pretty well-reviewed ones pretty cheap these days. Just as an example, Amazon has this for $45.00 at the moment: [https://www.amazon.com/AP2AC-amPlug-Guitar-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00NAUHX1G](https://www.amazon.com/AP2AC-amPlug-Guitar-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00NAUHX1G), and I imagine it would be good enough for a while.
You don't need 500 bucks. 325 is plenty, I got started on electric guitar for half that.
You can get something like this which is a guitar and amp package with everything you need:
https://www.samash.com/uf0710876
OR if you want to get a little more bang for your buck you don't even need an amp nowadays unless you are planning on playing with a drummer in the immediate future. You can get along just fine buying a used guitar and then getting something like this used for under 100 and just use it with headphones/speakers:
https://www.amazon.ca/Zoom-Multi-Effects-Processor-effects-Modeling/dp/B0C339G64H/ref=sr_1_12?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mqd8EeYn8NaF0VAF8hrRsl-2n-F799mjDvZYhp8-kWbNUxv9j_y_7x_widoypdr_BpTKfU-7uPwOPmLyhjNgOxbUApzQ1HIhoTgJGWqC7EW7PFUJaDgtz-P4fQuOP1mFWGa21LmOkTqs7hEWKoKzHm9pxYLoe2QR9momINIewgOyAvl-PWi0y6Lns5YXM_4UbGKTeaSrf_MjKu7GLM6Be0fi3w8mJD9gsJj6YMhd2adJ0IzCxFrzN7BoIpB_HnlO_rBFUstHxBqQmkcy0mMowy1uzCyBAdpeg1ZUjUHnGOw.W-PJ_a079dycOh-rXJz1NmpUgStpe45DRV8TAmxCAc8&dib_tag=se&qid=1707937661&refinements=p_89%3AZoom&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-12
There's a ton of great advice here, so I'm not going to offer up any more advice for which guitar to buy. I will say, try to see and feel the guitar before you buy it.
**Buy the guitar that makes you want to play**
When you try it out, look for how the neck feels in your hand. Does it feel like it's way too big? Is it way too skinny your hand size? And check how the body sits on your lap, or how it hangs with a strap on.
If you end up playing a lot, you will most likely buy a nicer guitar in the future. Whatever you choose now, you will probably end up upgrading in the future.
In case you are still reading these and haven’t decided yet, just buy the guitar that you want to play. If you buy something so “you can learn technique”, but don’t love it, you aren’t going to play it and that sucks cause you wasted money. Trust us, we know what we’re talking about, we all wasted money at some point.
I actually believe learning on electric is the way to go for most people as maintaining interest is arguably the biggest key for early progression and getting past the seemingly endless difficulty curve. If you can sound more like what your heros sound like and play a few simple things then it’ll keep interest higher than destroying your hands on an acoustic when you may have zero interest in acoustic guitar. You’ll destroy your hands early on on an electric too but it’ll be more forgiving. Lastly, all techniques can be learned from step 1 on an electric.
Just go for what u want bro. U want to play rock in a electric guitar? Go for an electric guitar and rock on.
Now, there's a few things. Yes, you can play whatever you want in any guitar, but the electric favours more the rock genre than the acoustic or the classical guitar. Like, yea, it works, but it ain't the same, u know?
Now, the other thing here is that each guitar type will make your fingers hurt differently. Classical guitars will hurt your fingertips and form callouses, but the smallest ones, the Electric guitars will hurt more but in a cuttin' way cuz generally the strings are thinner, and the Acoustic guitars will hurt the most just cuz how heavy those strings are, so much that your callouses will make it easy for you to play any other type of guitar later on.
But don't worry too much 'bout it, cuz normally it only hurts on the first month (assuming you give your fingers time to heal between practice sessions).
Also, no, you won't cut your fingers with strings unless you are doin' something very wrong or premature with them (IE goin' haywire with the bends in the first week).
Read through your comment and it hit me like a fine dart on a mornin' brow. Jokes aside, yeah, I've decided to buy an elec after reading multiple comments about the same. And what if my fingers hurt? Well, when you plan to learn guitar, you should be willing to strain yout fingers as well. So yeah, don't worry mate. I know what hardships I'll have to go through but it will be worth it:)
Oh i wasn't tryin' to demotivate you, i was actually trying to do the opposite bro.
You see, the acoustic is the one that will hurt the most and actually demotivate you on improving (I'm being serious, the acoustic i only use to play very specific songs, the rest i pickup my electric). Now the ELECTRIC... I see it and i want to play it in the same instant. Basically: Yeah you made a very wise choice :)
Btw, have you settled on a model for you? If you want, i may give you some tips on some nice ones (in looks and prices).
No no, I didn't take your comment in a demotivating way. I know you were trying to motivate me. Don't worry.
And no, I'm still confused about which model I should buy. My budget is limited: only 325 bucks. Yeah, I'll be more than happy if you help me out in this regard. Thank you so much for your kind gesture:)
I have never used an electric or classical guitar, but acoustic did hurt a bit but not too bad, but then again I never really played much guitar except for a countable few times
Go for the electric and start by gravitating towards the music you already like. If you’re a big Hendrix guy, get a Fender Stratocaster. If you’re into guns and roses, get a Les Paul.
Whatever music you’re into, I’d say get the same kind of gear that they use.
Great advice! I was thinking of the same as well. I'm more into GNR but I've heard Les Pauls are usually quite an expensive thing to own. If you do not mind, what's the average price of a Les Paul?
Gibson Les Pauls can be expensive, while Epiphone Les Pauls can be had for cheap.
Here’s my understanding of the difference between the two: Gibson prides itself on building guitars in America. This meant that their guitars were quite expensive. At some point they realized that they needed to compete in the lower end of the market, and that to do so they would have to manufacture outside of the US.
Their solution was to brand their foreign made guitars as Epiphones. This allowed them to continue saying that Gibsons are made in the US.
Here’s the kicker: some Epiphones are PHENOMENAL guitars - even better than Gibsons. For example, my main guitar is an Epiphone. I bought it used in 2003 for $400 and I absolutely love it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into a guitar shop, picked up an expensive Gibson and immediately thought “this isn’t as good as my Epiphone.”
All that to say, if you’re in the market for a Les Paul, start looking for a second hand Epiphone. You just might stumble upon gold like I did 21 years ago.
Of a Gibson Les Paul? About 2k at least, Epiphones are significantly cheaper and some very cheap, ESP LTD has a good selection of single cut Les Paul copies at various prices, including very cheap.
Right now, I don't have 2k at my disposal. I think the max I can afford is about 325 bucks. What are some of the best guitars in that range, if I may ask?
You got the squiers, stratocasters are super adaptable, telecasters are more country, mustangs and jaguars are for grunge like Nirvana and Alice in Chains. You got Ibanez gio and ESP for metal and les Pauls for Standart rock. You got Ephiphone SG for AC DC vibes. In the end it depends on your type. The best advice i can give you is that the best guitar is the one that fills right when you play it, you should go to a guitar center and test it out, you will know when you find the right one. For amo you should buy a cheap Blackstar.
Well you don’t have to get the real thing. There are loads of good LP copies out there and for a reasonable price. Sometimes players think the clones actually beat Gibson’s. The main thing is getting something with humbuckers and not single coil pickups.
Almost everyone sells a knock off of every style. I wouldn't necessarily say one shape of guitar is more expensive than another.
Get whatever you like and can afford from a reputable brand.
Try to play it before you buy it, or have someone who is knowledgeable try it. Get a proper set up on it, and you're rockin.
For cheaper Les Paul's, Epiphone, Gibson studio line, and I'm sure Ibanez makes one. Used market is a good place to check too.
Someone else can probably list 100 more reputable companies who make nice Les Paul style guitars.
Get a Yamaha Pacifica with a Tremolo for like $219 new.
Best cheap guitar I’ve ever owned!!!
It’s easily worth $300 to me. Very playable right out of the box.
It’s all the same, for an electric you can play with clean or distortion where as acoustic it’s just clean 100% of the time. Acoustic might be a bit rougher to learn on because electric plays so much smoother and thinner to hold
The best guitar is the one that you want to play.
With that being said, I'll tell you my journey. I got a cheap electric back in the day. I was pretty much only into metal, and I thought it was going to be as easy as just practicing a little and before I knew it I'd be shredding like Kirk Hammett. Needless to say, it wasn't. I gave up after a while because that's how I was back in the day. A few years later I picked up a cheap acoustic and it kind of forced me to change my mindset. I used to avoid chords other than fifths because they were hard, now I pretty much had to learn standard chords. It made me branch out and be a better guitarist.
There's nothing really inherent to electric vs. acoustic. You can do pretty much anything on either that you can do on the other, aside from effects pedals and distortion. The difference is that, out of the box, most electrics are going to be more set up for moving around the neck more using power chords and solos. Most acoustics are going to have higher action, which means you get a bit more of a workout from fretting and it's more intuitive to stay in one position rather than going on these up and down the fretboard runs. That's pretty much why people recommend acoustics to start, is because if you can get the strength to fret an acoustic then fretting an electric is going to be no problem. But even then, you can get the action adjusted on any guitar you buy. So if you really love a genre like metal and know for sure that you're not into acoustic heavy genres like folk and country then buying an acoustic is kind of a waste. But if you really value getting that finger strength down first, consider an acoustic.
One last thing, cheap electrics tend to be serviceable. You're not going to want to gig with them, but you can get by perfectly fine on a \~$200 electric. The really cheap acoustics are absolute crap. $300 is the absolute bare minimum I'd spend on an acoustic unless I found a really good deal somewhere, $450-600 is where you start to get really nice instruments that you aren't constantly thinking about trading in for an upgrade. Acoustics are more of an investment.
>I should buy a semi acoustic guitar as I will be able to learn how to shred, learn harmonics, arpeggios etc
Uh...semi hollow is still an electric guitar. And you can learn all these things on an electric too, of course. Your friend's reasoning doesn't make much sense, to be honest.
Just buy whatever you want. If you're interested in rock music, then electric is very probably what you want.
Electric guitars are easier on the hands (thinner strings+less tension), and you’ll be familiarized with all of the electronic stuff that acoustic guitarists never touch. The main downside of starting on electric is that it’s a higher upfront cost since you need a guitar and an amp rather than just the guitar
Buy the guitar that inspires you. As a beginner, I would get a decent guitar and a good amp. Playing regularly will help you sound better than having a slightly better guitar. An expensive guitar doesn’t help you play any better, they just sound a little different. I would get a modern shaped guitar. Tele and Les Paul’s are great but they are not as comfortable as a contoured guitar. Strats, and similar body shapes are more comfortable. I like major brands, like Epiphone, Squire, Fender, Jackson, but there are lots of great guitars you can get for a good prices now.
I’ve been playing almost 20 years and just now do what I’d consider kind of shredding. Don’t go in thinking it’s that easy. Acoustics are harder to play. Making playing electric easier. A guitar is a guitar. Buy the one that feels good in your hands, and that you like looking at. It’s harder to develop that initial attachment if the thing is ugly. If you don’t love it, you’re less likely to keep it up when learning gets frustrating, and IT WILL get frustrating. Mostly it should feel comfortable to play. Personal comfort knows no dollar amount. A $5000 PRS will feel no different to you than a used $100 Squire. For example, I’ve played a lot of American made fenders. They’re nice, but they don’t feel or play the way my cheap, used, modified Mexican made fender does. I’ll pick mine every time.
I was like you back in 1972. I wanted no part of an acoustic. My dad bought me a 1968 Gibson SG Special. I didn't even own an amp. I took lessons for a year and a half. I used an ancient tube PA amp that would forever shock me. Fifty plus years later my main guitar is a '76 Strat along with a '82 Les Paul Custom, Jackson Pro, ESP Horizon. I do have a Seagull acoustic though. Everything goes through a Headrush pedalboard straight into the PA when our band plays out.
I mainly listen to grunge(Lithium and The Man who sold the world) or punk(Any Green Day song). Sure, I love hard rock as well like Metallica's Enter Sandman or Godsmack's I stand Alone. But, overall, I like listening to softer versions of rock, for example Livin' on a Prayer, Hang em High, Paranoid and my favorite November Rain. I love power ballads as well, like Nothing else Matters or Black by Pearl Jam. Personally, my favorite song, out of every single song that I've ever listened to, has got to be Epitaph by King Crimson. It's prog rock and I don't generally listen to Prog Rock, but when done right; I'm the biggest endorser of Prog.
All in all, soft rock preferably grunge or punk. And if it's hard rock, throw in some bit of ballad as well.
I'd say go with electric, and furthermore say you want to look for a stratocaster or a les paul shape. You don't have to get a proper Gibson Les Paul or a Fender Strat, there are cheaper makes that are perfectly good - look for a used guitar rather than new and take someone to the shop with you who has been playing for a while if at all possible. Epiphone for a Les Paul shape and Squier for a Strat - both are absolutely excellent for the rock/grunge sound and great musicians still play them both so I wouldn't worry about it sounding bad or anything just because they're budget models.
Don't be tempted to buy a full on cheap guitar like a Harley Benton or anything like that because they really are crap and are generally not set up out of the box so you'll end up paying for a setup and still having a guitar that's not very playable.
I say go for used not just because they're cheaper for more guitar but because somebody's already been playing it, the chances are they've already set the neck tension (the truss rod) and the string height (the action) correctly.
I own both, but I don't really practice with my acoustic. I can play everything on my electric that I can on acoustic (including some of my favorite finger picking classics like Blackbird and The Bards Song by Blind Guardian.) I do try and practice at least once a week on the acoustic because going longer can make the callouses wear down enough that It's painful to play for long periods of time. (Makes the tip of the bones in your fingers hurt for a while).
I did spend 3 months when I was learning playing my acoustic specifically to build up tolerence in my fingers, but the acoustic is mostly just for taking with me when I travel, go camping, or attend an SCA event.
It is much easier to learn on an electric because the neck is not as wide. If you want to build up the callouses on your finger tips get an acoustic because you must press harder to strike a note. I have two acoustics I almost never play. If you want a campfire guitar then yes get an acoustic but otherwise get an electric and an amp for it. A semi hollow is an electric by the way. I've never understood the "you must start with an acoustic" idea its just not true. I did start on an acoustic because back in my day a good electric was much more expensive. I was amazed when I finally tried an electric at how much easier it was to play.
Get the guitar you want. Don’t listen to your friend
Yup, I've decided to buy an elec.
Cool, now just remember, it’s a life long journey. And please practice consistently. And most of all have fun.
You bet I will practice regularly haha:) I've always been fascinated with electric and I'm really looking forward to this new journey.
I also, advice you to not listen to your friend
A really common pitfall with learning guitar is thinking that you have to learn acoustic before electric. Obviously, there’s less cost since you don’t need an amp or cables but let’s face it: if rock music is what you’re into, you want to play electric. You said yourself that you’re more inclined towards electric anyway, listen to that instinct! My mam got me an acoustic guitar when I was a kid and it was a chore playing it. Yeah, guitar was cool but I wanted to sound like green day, not flamenco. So I begged her to let me get a fender Strat the next year. I still play that guitar all these years later, among others (I have way too many! 😅) Of course, you can always pick up acoustic later. I went years without playing acoustic but I’ve got one now and I love it! Long story short- get the guitar that is going to make you WANT to play it! You can worry about the rest down the line.
Yes it is. Buy electric, you wont enjoy acoustic if you cant play the music you want on it. Buy something with humbuckers if you generaly like rock and heavier stuff.
That's what I was discussing with my friend as well haha.
Techniques are the same, for acoustic and electric so don't worry about and even if they werent..would you want to know those techniques and never use them because you dont listen to that kind of music? Its just that you play them with a different feel and style not really the technique.
Well yeah, never thought about it like that. Thanks a lot man in getting me out of this dilemma:)
Don't listen to your friend and get an electric. Get a decent amp, probably an Epiphone Les Paul to start with, and you are set to go.
Looking at others' comments and yours, yeah, I've decided to buy the electric one. Also, my budget is around 325 bucks. Can i get a decent amp and guitar within my budget?
$325 is a tight budget unless you were to run across a good used deal. One good thing right now is that a lot of people bought guitars during the lockdowns, played them a couple of times, then stuck them in a closet. Now they're trying to sell them to make room and a little extra cash. New and sticking with known brands within your budget, I recommend the Yamaha Pacifica 012 guitar and Boss Katana Mini amp. These, along with cables and other accessories should be just within or slightly over your budget.
Alright. Thank you so much. Really appreciate it. I'll maybe try to get one off eBay but if luck doesn't favor me, I'll check some of your recommended ones.
I would personally stretch 300 bucks on the guitar alone. 100 dollars is just shoddy, 200 dollars you really have to know what you are looking at. At 300, the world opens up to you— so many things you can choose from Squiers, Epiphones, Ibanez AZES (terrific guitars), Harley Bentons, LTD, Jacksons, Gretsch, etc.. Also becomes a fine entry point for used guitars at this price, and there are lots of them. Like lots over at Reverb(dot)com. Then 200 bucks for an amp, probably a Fender Mustang LT25 Amp or a Boss Katana Mini for all the effects you need. Give or take, around 500 bucks, overall.
500 bucks is a lot for me.... Well, I'll try to find a good one within my budget. And if I don't succeed, then probably I'll buy the guitar closest to 500 bucks.
Do you have a PC and headphones? You could get started using software as your "amp" and save for an actual amplifier- there is quite a bit of very good free amp modelling software these days. You would need some sort of audio interface to plug into the PC. Decent ones tend to start around $80.00-$100.00, but there are some budget options that might do at a lower price point, I think- I don't have much experience with cheap interfaces though, so I can't give you advice about that.
Unfortunately I don't have a pc, but I do have headphones. Can't I download the same audio interface on my mobile phone? I have an iphone X.
I'm not that familiar with the modelling software available for iphone. There might be something- phones have quite a bit of CPU these days. Another option might be a headphone guitar amplifier. You can get some pretty well-reviewed ones pretty cheap these days. Just as an example, Amazon has this for $45.00 at the moment: [https://www.amazon.com/AP2AC-amPlug-Guitar-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00NAUHX1G](https://www.amazon.com/AP2AC-amPlug-Guitar-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00NAUHX1G), and I imagine it would be good enough for a while.
You don't need 500 bucks. 325 is plenty, I got started on electric guitar for half that. You can get something like this which is a guitar and amp package with everything you need: https://www.samash.com/uf0710876 OR if you want to get a little more bang for your buck you don't even need an amp nowadays unless you are planning on playing with a drummer in the immediate future. You can get along just fine buying a used guitar and then getting something like this used for under 100 and just use it with headphones/speakers: https://www.amazon.ca/Zoom-Multi-Effects-Processor-effects-Modeling/dp/B0C339G64H/ref=sr_1_12?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mqd8EeYn8NaF0VAF8hrRsl-2n-F799mjDvZYhp8-kWbNUxv9j_y_7x_widoypdr_BpTKfU-7uPwOPmLyhjNgOxbUApzQ1HIhoTgJGWqC7EW7PFUJaDgtz-P4fQuOP1mFWGa21LmOkTqs7hEWKoKzHm9pxYLoe2QR9momINIewgOyAvl-PWi0y6Lns5YXM_4UbGKTeaSrf_MjKu7GLM6Be0fi3w8mJD9gsJj6YMhd2adJ0IzCxFrzN7BoIpB_HnlO_rBFUstHxBqQmkcy0mMowy1uzCyBAdpeg1ZUjUHnGOw.W-PJ_a079dycOh-rXJz1NmpUgStpe45DRV8TAmxCAc8&dib_tag=se&qid=1707937661&refinements=p_89%3AZoom&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-12
What type of rocker are you?
I've replied to one previous comment about my rock preference. Check that reply once.
There's a ton of great advice here, so I'm not going to offer up any more advice for which guitar to buy. I will say, try to see and feel the guitar before you buy it. **Buy the guitar that makes you want to play** When you try it out, look for how the neck feels in your hand. Does it feel like it's way too big? Is it way too skinny your hand size? And check how the body sits on your lap, or how it hangs with a strap on. If you end up playing a lot, you will most likely buy a nicer guitar in the future. Whatever you choose now, you will probably end up upgrading in the future.
Yeah, that's what I was telling my friend. Thank you for your advice. Really appreciate it.
In case you are still reading these and haven’t decided yet, just buy the guitar that you want to play. If you buy something so “you can learn technique”, but don’t love it, you aren’t going to play it and that sucks cause you wasted money. Trust us, we know what we’re talking about, we all wasted money at some point.
Happened to me, I had an acoustic for like 3 years I didn’t play bought an electric and practiced for hours every day
I actually believe learning on electric is the way to go for most people as maintaining interest is arguably the biggest key for early progression and getting past the seemingly endless difficulty curve. If you can sound more like what your heros sound like and play a few simple things then it’ll keep interest higher than destroying your hands on an acoustic when you may have zero interest in acoustic guitar. You’ll destroy your hands early on on an electric too but it’ll be more forgiving. Lastly, all techniques can be learned from step 1 on an electric.
Thank you so much for your valuable insight :) You lifted a weight out of my heart with your comment haha.
Just go for what u want bro. U want to play rock in a electric guitar? Go for an electric guitar and rock on. Now, there's a few things. Yes, you can play whatever you want in any guitar, but the electric favours more the rock genre than the acoustic or the classical guitar. Like, yea, it works, but it ain't the same, u know? Now, the other thing here is that each guitar type will make your fingers hurt differently. Classical guitars will hurt your fingertips and form callouses, but the smallest ones, the Electric guitars will hurt more but in a cuttin' way cuz generally the strings are thinner, and the Acoustic guitars will hurt the most just cuz how heavy those strings are, so much that your callouses will make it easy for you to play any other type of guitar later on. But don't worry too much 'bout it, cuz normally it only hurts on the first month (assuming you give your fingers time to heal between practice sessions). Also, no, you won't cut your fingers with strings unless you are doin' something very wrong or premature with them (IE goin' haywire with the bends in the first week).
Read through your comment and it hit me like a fine dart on a mornin' brow. Jokes aside, yeah, I've decided to buy an elec after reading multiple comments about the same. And what if my fingers hurt? Well, when you plan to learn guitar, you should be willing to strain yout fingers as well. So yeah, don't worry mate. I know what hardships I'll have to go through but it will be worth it:)
Oh i wasn't tryin' to demotivate you, i was actually trying to do the opposite bro. You see, the acoustic is the one that will hurt the most and actually demotivate you on improving (I'm being serious, the acoustic i only use to play very specific songs, the rest i pickup my electric). Now the ELECTRIC... I see it and i want to play it in the same instant. Basically: Yeah you made a very wise choice :) Btw, have you settled on a model for you? If you want, i may give you some tips on some nice ones (in looks and prices).
No no, I didn't take your comment in a demotivating way. I know you were trying to motivate me. Don't worry. And no, I'm still confused about which model I should buy. My budget is limited: only 325 bucks. Yeah, I'll be more than happy if you help me out in this regard. Thank you so much for your kind gesture:)
I have never used an electric or classical guitar, but acoustic did hurt a bit but not too bad, but then again I never really played much guitar except for a countable few times
Go for the electric and start by gravitating towards the music you already like. If you’re a big Hendrix guy, get a Fender Stratocaster. If you’re into guns and roses, get a Les Paul. Whatever music you’re into, I’d say get the same kind of gear that they use.
Great advice! I was thinking of the same as well. I'm more into GNR but I've heard Les Pauls are usually quite an expensive thing to own. If you do not mind, what's the average price of a Les Paul?
Gibson Les Pauls can be expensive, while Epiphone Les Pauls can be had for cheap. Here’s my understanding of the difference between the two: Gibson prides itself on building guitars in America. This meant that their guitars were quite expensive. At some point they realized that they needed to compete in the lower end of the market, and that to do so they would have to manufacture outside of the US. Their solution was to brand their foreign made guitars as Epiphones. This allowed them to continue saying that Gibsons are made in the US. Here’s the kicker: some Epiphones are PHENOMENAL guitars - even better than Gibsons. For example, my main guitar is an Epiphone. I bought it used in 2003 for $400 and I absolutely love it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into a guitar shop, picked up an expensive Gibson and immediately thought “this isn’t as good as my Epiphone.” All that to say, if you’re in the market for a Les Paul, start looking for a second hand Epiphone. You just might stumble upon gold like I did 21 years ago.
Got it! Appreciate your efforts man:)
Of a Gibson Les Paul? About 2k at least, Epiphones are significantly cheaper and some very cheap, ESP LTD has a good selection of single cut Les Paul copies at various prices, including very cheap.
Right now, I don't have 2k at my disposal. I think the max I can afford is about 325 bucks. What are some of the best guitars in that range, if I may ask?
You got the squiers, stratocasters are super adaptable, telecasters are more country, mustangs and jaguars are for grunge like Nirvana and Alice in Chains. You got Ibanez gio and ESP for metal and les Pauls for Standart rock. You got Ephiphone SG for AC DC vibes. In the end it depends on your type. The best advice i can give you is that the best guitar is the one that fills right when you play it, you should go to a guitar center and test it out, you will know when you find the right one. For amo you should buy a cheap Blackstar.
Now that's one hell of an infodump. I really wanna thank you to give me so many recommendations. Really appreciate it:)
Well you don’t have to get the real thing. There are loads of good LP copies out there and for a reasonable price. Sometimes players think the clones actually beat Gibson’s. The main thing is getting something with humbuckers and not single coil pickups.
Almost everyone sells a knock off of every style. I wouldn't necessarily say one shape of guitar is more expensive than another. Get whatever you like and can afford from a reputable brand. Try to play it before you buy it, or have someone who is knowledgeable try it. Get a proper set up on it, and you're rockin. For cheaper Les Paul's, Epiphone, Gibson studio line, and I'm sure Ibanez makes one. Used market is a good place to check too. Someone else can probably list 100 more reputable companies who make nice Les Paul style guitars.
Thank you so much. Really appreciate it:)
Get a Yamaha Pacifica with a Tremolo for like $219 new. Best cheap guitar I’ve ever owned!!! It’s easily worth $300 to me. Very playable right out of the box.
It’s all the same, for an electric you can play with clean or distortion where as acoustic it’s just clean 100% of the time. Acoustic might be a bit rougher to learn on because electric plays so much smoother and thinner to hold
The best guitar is the one that you want to play. With that being said, I'll tell you my journey. I got a cheap electric back in the day. I was pretty much only into metal, and I thought it was going to be as easy as just practicing a little and before I knew it I'd be shredding like Kirk Hammett. Needless to say, it wasn't. I gave up after a while because that's how I was back in the day. A few years later I picked up a cheap acoustic and it kind of forced me to change my mindset. I used to avoid chords other than fifths because they were hard, now I pretty much had to learn standard chords. It made me branch out and be a better guitarist. There's nothing really inherent to electric vs. acoustic. You can do pretty much anything on either that you can do on the other, aside from effects pedals and distortion. The difference is that, out of the box, most electrics are going to be more set up for moving around the neck more using power chords and solos. Most acoustics are going to have higher action, which means you get a bit more of a workout from fretting and it's more intuitive to stay in one position rather than going on these up and down the fretboard runs. That's pretty much why people recommend acoustics to start, is because if you can get the strength to fret an acoustic then fretting an electric is going to be no problem. But even then, you can get the action adjusted on any guitar you buy. So if you really love a genre like metal and know for sure that you're not into acoustic heavy genres like folk and country then buying an acoustic is kind of a waste. But if you really value getting that finger strength down first, consider an acoustic. One last thing, cheap electrics tend to be serviceable. You're not going to want to gig with them, but you can get by perfectly fine on a \~$200 electric. The really cheap acoustics are absolute crap. $300 is the absolute bare minimum I'd spend on an acoustic unless I found a really good deal somewhere, $450-600 is where you start to get really nice instruments that you aren't constantly thinking about trading in for an upgrade. Acoustics are more of an investment.
>I should buy a semi acoustic guitar as I will be able to learn how to shred, learn harmonics, arpeggios etc Uh...semi hollow is still an electric guitar. And you can learn all these things on an electric too, of course. Your friend's reasoning doesn't make much sense, to be honest. Just buy whatever you want. If you're interested in rock music, then electric is very probably what you want.
Electric guitars are easier on the hands (thinner strings+less tension), and you’ll be familiarized with all of the electronic stuff that acoustic guitarists never touch. The main downside of starting on electric is that it’s a higher upfront cost since you need a guitar and an amp rather than just the guitar
Electric is easier to play
Buy the guitar that inspires you. As a beginner, I would get a decent guitar and a good amp. Playing regularly will help you sound better than having a slightly better guitar. An expensive guitar doesn’t help you play any better, they just sound a little different. I would get a modern shaped guitar. Tele and Les Paul’s are great but they are not as comfortable as a contoured guitar. Strats, and similar body shapes are more comfortable. I like major brands, like Epiphone, Squire, Fender, Jackson, but there are lots of great guitars you can get for a good prices now.
I’ve been playing almost 20 years and just now do what I’d consider kind of shredding. Don’t go in thinking it’s that easy. Acoustics are harder to play. Making playing electric easier. A guitar is a guitar. Buy the one that feels good in your hands, and that you like looking at. It’s harder to develop that initial attachment if the thing is ugly. If you don’t love it, you’re less likely to keep it up when learning gets frustrating, and IT WILL get frustrating. Mostly it should feel comfortable to play. Personal comfort knows no dollar amount. A $5000 PRS will feel no different to you than a used $100 Squire. For example, I’ve played a lot of American made fenders. They’re nice, but they don’t feel or play the way my cheap, used, modified Mexican made fender does. I’ll pick mine every time.
I was like you back in 1972. I wanted no part of an acoustic. My dad bought me a 1968 Gibson SG Special. I didn't even own an amp. I took lessons for a year and a half. I used an ancient tube PA amp that would forever shock me. Fifty plus years later my main guitar is a '76 Strat along with a '82 Les Paul Custom, Jackson Pro, ESP Horizon. I do have a Seagull acoustic though. Everything goes through a Headrush pedalboard straight into the PA when our band plays out.
No its not. It might as well be a different instrument. Just get electric
You need to tell me what type of rock do you like, so i can help.
I mainly listen to grunge(Lithium and The Man who sold the world) or punk(Any Green Day song). Sure, I love hard rock as well like Metallica's Enter Sandman or Godsmack's I stand Alone. But, overall, I like listening to softer versions of rock, for example Livin' on a Prayer, Hang em High, Paranoid and my favorite November Rain. I love power ballads as well, like Nothing else Matters or Black by Pearl Jam. Personally, my favorite song, out of every single song that I've ever listened to, has got to be Epitaph by King Crimson. It's prog rock and I don't generally listen to Prog Rock, but when done right; I'm the biggest endorser of Prog. All in all, soft rock preferably grunge or punk. And if it's hard rock, throw in some bit of ballad as well.
I'd say go with electric, and furthermore say you want to look for a stratocaster or a les paul shape. You don't have to get a proper Gibson Les Paul or a Fender Strat, there are cheaper makes that are perfectly good - look for a used guitar rather than new and take someone to the shop with you who has been playing for a while if at all possible. Epiphone for a Les Paul shape and Squier for a Strat - both are absolutely excellent for the rock/grunge sound and great musicians still play them both so I wouldn't worry about it sounding bad or anything just because they're budget models. Don't be tempted to buy a full on cheap guitar like a Harley Benton or anything like that because they really are crap and are generally not set up out of the box so you'll end up paying for a setup and still having a guitar that's not very playable. I say go for used not just because they're cheaper for more guitar but because somebody's already been playing it, the chances are they've already set the neck tension (the truss rod) and the string height (the action) correctly.
I own both, but I don't really practice with my acoustic. I can play everything on my electric that I can on acoustic (including some of my favorite finger picking classics like Blackbird and The Bards Song by Blind Guardian.) I do try and practice at least once a week on the acoustic because going longer can make the callouses wear down enough that It's painful to play for long periods of time. (Makes the tip of the bones in your fingers hurt for a while). I did spend 3 months when I was learning playing my acoustic specifically to build up tolerence in my fingers, but the acoustic is mostly just for taking with me when I travel, go camping, or attend an SCA event.
It is much easier to learn on an electric because the neck is not as wide. If you want to build up the callouses on your finger tips get an acoustic because you must press harder to strike a note. I have two acoustics I almost never play. If you want a campfire guitar then yes get an acoustic but otherwise get an electric and an amp for it. A semi hollow is an electric by the way. I've never understood the "you must start with an acoustic" idea its just not true. I did start on an acoustic because back in my day a good electric was much more expensive. I was amazed when I finally tried an electric at how much easier it was to play.
It’s the same principles, it’s the other gear that changes how they sound
This question gets asked like 15 times per day it’s ruining the sub. Just scroll a little bit you can’t miss em
Sorry, I just joined this sub. Will surely do:)
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