MFRONE

You liked an Ibanez acoustic and didn't like the sound of a Taylor?

gtr986

Add me to the list of happy Alvarez owners. I picked mine about about 2 years ago at a place called Meridian Music on the northside of Indy. Does that ring a bell JZ?

gtr986

Johnny Zhivago

Well holy Hell! Yes indeed, I do believe that's the spot! Well done.

C_Fletch

I'll second the Martin vote. Ive played quite a few and they all have a very full, rich sound to them. Almost brought tears to my eyes. I had never played on such a rich sounding guitar. Unfortunately I am currently stuck on my Epiphone. And although it has it's weaknesses it sounds much better than Ovation.......at least the Ovations I have played. I would SERIOUSLY play a Martin before I layed down $800 of hard earned cash on any guitar.

Good luck and keep us informed on what you finally decide on.

gmal2003

Im thinking about buying a guitar tommorow but I am completely cluless as to what kind to get. Can anyone help me in regards to some basic need-to-knows when buying a guitar for the first time. I know there has to be a good website out that would be helpful, any reccomendations?

Thanx in advance

sararekuforever

I have a Daisy Rock

"The Retro-H is part of a rare, highly-esteemed fourth category, a category which has no name. This kind of guitar has its own, unique signature sound, but is so versatile and unobtrusive that you can use it as your main axe. I'm no virtuoso, and I was able to coax tones out of that guitar I never would have expected from this kind of instrument - from warm, hollow sustains to crispy, angry chugs, to quirky, palm-muted chirps.

The word is out, my friends. If you strip away the pastel colors, the flower and heart shapes, and the estrogen-driven marketing push, DaisyRock still makes killer, legitimate rock and roll instruments for any gender."

And it is true. I have an "Elite", it is beautiful.

Ergyu

You've never played before I take it? I'd suggest getting an acoustic guitar to begin with. It's a little more simplistic to learn on, and the brass strings are a little less forgiving than electric, which will help the muscles in your fingers grow stronger. I'd suggest seeing if they have an all around starter pack, like with a guitar and some picks and a strap or something. Most places like Guitar world run specials like that. You should be able to find a decent beginners guitar for under 200 dollars.

Ergyu

Also check out harmonycentral.com for information regarding the instrument. It's an extremely informative site.

schizopak

we need more info please. electric, acoustic, or classical? price range? any design preferences?

Ape

If you are new to guitar, then I would agree with Ergyu and get an acoustic to learn on.
It's the cheapest alternative to start with and if you are learning it really doesn't matter if it's a $100 or $3,000 guitar it will still be a while before you will sound decent.
I think you could get a decent acoustic to learn on for under $250 easy. Takamine are always on Sale at Guitar Centers in the $150 to $225 range and are decent starters.
Be prepared to be discouraged for a while at first but stick with it and practice alot.
One of the advantages of starting with a cheaper guitar to learn on is that when you do get ready to take the next step to a better quality one you will be surprised by your progress.

One other thing I found was that in playing with many guitar players over the last 20 years, each one had a different opinion on their guitar choices.
A really good guitar player can pick up a Walmart guitar and make it sound good.
I have four acoustic electric guitars, all are decent but the funny thing was that my favorite one overall was given away at Sam Ash for a $250 purchase.
It is a CarloRobelli and I thought it would be something I would take since it was free, and give it away later.
Turned out it sounded better than all my other guitars...Go Figure.

When you are ready to go electric....a whole nother ballgame.
I think when that time comes I would get a lower to mid range electric and spend the extra money on the amp.

I went through 10 amps until I finally got my Line6 212 and have not thought of looking at another amp since.

Anyway Good Luck,
Hope you stick with it, it's a great hobby and guitarists are generally great people.

Ape
Nick Zender (Akron)

gmal2003

thanx, i guess Ill go acoustic

Ky-Fi

For a beginning guitarist, I would recommend a moderately priced electric (around $300). While acoustics might certainly be better for developing finger strength, in my opinion there is nothing that will discourage a beginning guitarist more than a cheap-sounding, difficult-to-play steel-string acoustic guitar. Heck, even a good intermediate player often has trouble getting a good sound out of one of these. Electrics generally require much less finger pressure to play, and while you don't need to plug it in to pracitice, you will also have the option of learning about amps and effects. Secondly, when you buy a guitar, IMO you MUST also buy a good tuner, and make sure the guitar is perfectly in tune EVERY time you play. Beginnners usually haven't developed their ear to hear when a string is minutely out of tune, and this can greatly effect the sound. An open G chord when every string is perfectly in tune will garner a "yeahhh!" from all listening----when one string is just slightly out of tune, the result will be "ummm...that sounds OK....".

If you don't want an electric, then a nylon-string acoustic guitar might be another option---those are easy to play and have a wonderful, warm sound, but they can be a bit difficult to tune with new strings.

But in my opinion, I would definitely not recommend a cheap, steel-string acoustic guitar for a beginner---as a beginner you will have a lot of trouble getting a good sound out of it, and it might very well turn you off from guitar playing. And, that's what happens to most people who try the guitar---they quit.

(No offense to any of the other posters with different opinions, I'm just talking from my experience.)

Adrenaline

My first guitar was a Gibson Les Paul Speciall II got it for $179 from Musicians Friend 4.5 years ago. It was good enough for me with my Zoom 505 for a year in a half then I got an ESP Ex-350 for $650. Definitely an improvement in sound, recently I got a Line Pod 2.0 along with a Vox Wah pedal my sound is so good now.

I highly recomend starting with basic stuff like I did and as you progress get better gear. I probably upgraded my guitar too soon back then but I'm a pretty proficient guitarist nowadays only playing when I get sick of my computer.

redhenry

I wouild recommend buying one that is relatively cheap (2nd hand) if it's a first guitar in case you decide it's not for you - then you can upgrade later.

Most importantly make sure it is in shape, not too banged around and has a neck that is not warped!

Terry

Lateralus42

I would recommend a cheap priced acoustic from a pawn shop. If you ever get good enough, you can buy yourself a really nice guitar as a reward.

sataniko

I agree...

I originally bought a cheap a steel-string acoustic and that things frustrated me for 2 years until I decided to go with an electric (Les Paul).

Fender (Squier) has a starting kit for about $200, which contains the guitar, amp, gig bag, tuner, and other accesories.

Here's the link:
Guitar Kit 1

Here's another one a little more expensive:
Guitar Kit 2

Here's also a good Ibanez kit, that I saw at Guitar Center for $250 and looked pretty good:
Ibanez Kit

Lastly, here's an Epiphone kit for $200:
Epiphone Kit

If I had to buy, I would choose between the Epiphone and the Ibanez kits.

Hope any of this helps.

demonio

you should get a Fender Squier guitar, perfectly good guitars for the price.

freshticles

Buy your guitar according to what style you like the most. If you buy an acoustic and you really want to play hard rock, you're going to get discouraged a lot easier. Also, if you go electric, avoid the Squier packs, yamaha eg112 packs from discount warehouses, series a, and vantage. My Suggestion would be either a Peavey Raptor or a Yamaha Pacifica 112. The problem with the guitars i mentioned to avoid is, they're all laminate body (plywood) crap. The setups on them are usually awful too and hard to play. You can Get into a peavey raptor for like $200 bucks canadian and a pacifica for Like $300. Both are solid wood and are usually set up really well. As well as both come available with a humbucking pickup in the bridge, which is great for eliminating that anoying hum As far as practice amps I would say definitely a Peavey Rage 158 or a Peavey Blazer. Both have the same specs except the blazer has reverb. They both are 15 watts with an 8" speaker. They have two different kinds of cleans and two different kinds of distortions built into the and are one of the top rated practice amps. The Peavey rages go for about 125 canadian, with blazers at about 179.
hope that helps

Parcher

Well said.

dvduser6

Like all of the above posters, figure out what stlye(s) of music you want to play and use that as a starting point. Budget is next. How much are you willing to spend? The next thing to do is go to as many music stores as you can and play as many different guitars as possible. Try everything, ask questions, and learn. In my experience, no two guitars are exactly alike. Neck thickness, shape, scale length, string guage, etc. ALL have a definite impact on sound and feel. If you have any friends or co-workers that play music, ask them to come along on your search. Best of luck!

slop101

Just know these two things:

1.) With guitars, you pretty much get what you pay for (90% of the time, anyways).

2.) The nicer the guitar the more inclined you'll be to want to play it - and vice-versa.

gmal2003

Thanx again guys, this information is gonna be very useful. Although I did not buy the guitar as planned yet, I am still definitely gonna get one. This info is a great help. Keep more thoughts comin!

wordtoyamotha

I'm looking to buy a new or used Acoustic-Electric Guitar, anyone have suggestions (online or B&M) for where I should start?

Thanks

palebluedot

www.musiciansfriend.com

Or

Go to your local Guitar Center (see if there is one near you http://www.guitarcenter.com/locations/ ). I hate that place but they deal in such volume that you can usually get good prices there.

Mr. Salty

Support your local guitar shop. Well worth it when you need to have your instrument worked on.