trinilim asked:


So I’ve been playing an acoustic guitar for 6 months now, and I think I’m ready to upgrade to an electric. Thing is, I don’t know much about the different brands, and what the different qualities/pros/cons of them are. I’m mainly interested in couch guitar, where I just sit on the couch and play for my own amusement. For this reason I’m not a big fan of fender stratacasters, just because the body shape makes it difficult to play on my knee (its curve slides down my leg). But I don’t really know if there’s any difference between, say, a gibson SG, a telecaster, ultra, basic, standard, whatever. As far as I know currently, the only differences really are aesthetic, as the sound quality and type comes purely from the amp.

So guitar gurus, what do you folks suggest for a novice like me? I’d prefer to spend no more than $300, just because I’m not financially ready to make a larger investment. What do you think?

Herman

nathandasenbrock asked:


Right now i play the electric bass but I want to learn normal guitar. What guitar will be the easiest to learn on but not cost alot of money.

Alex

Ricky Sharples asked:


Once you get beyond the beginner stage in classical guitar, you are immediately looking at serious musical instrument quality. If you do not have a huge guitar-buying budget, you will need to be quite choosy and able to bear in mind the qualities you feel that your present guitar lacks. Your next classical guitar is, to a large degree, your musical voice, so do not let a tight budget make you buy a second grade instrument.

Let us start with Alvarez guitars, makers of a wide range of guitars. Alvarez guitars have been recognized as one of the leading acoustic guitar brands in the world. Alvarez guitars have been made in America since 1965 and are handmade in limited quantities making use of traditional construction techniques and naturally seasoned wood. Because the Alvarez craftsmen do not use computers to build their guitars, each guitar has its own unique feel and character.

Alvarez Regent Series RC10 Classical Guitar is towards the more affordable end of the Alvarez guitar range. but the Alvarez family craftsmanship still makes itself felt. A hand picked spruce top projects a warm tone topped off by mahogany sides and back. Rosewood fretboard and bridge and a real mosaic rosette make for a sumptuous look set off by gold machine heads. The novice guitar player will be pleased with the low action and optimal string spacing.

 

Alvarez Masterworks Series MC90 Classical Guitar is maybe the finest classical guitar in its price range. Its Indian rosewood back and sides, plus Western cedar top with precision scalloped bracing are features usually found only on much more pricey guitars. This instrument features a really elaborate mosaic rosette, rosewood body binding and headcap. The gold machine heads with tortoise buttons make it a guitar you will be proud to play and be seen playing for many years to come.

And now for the Jose Ramirez 4E Classical Guitar. The Ramirez name has been synonymous with fine guitars since 1882, and the 4E Classical Guitar is the top of the line. It is all made completely by hand and contains much of the look and feel of more expensive instruments. With hand-inlaid purfling, the marquetry and detailing are the most refined of all the Ramirez student guitars. Humidicase is included. The Jose Ramirez 4E Classical Guitar features a Cedar soundboard, solid rosewood back and sides, Spanish cedar neck strengthened by ebony topped off by an ebony fretboard and Fustero machine heads.

Finally, the Manuel Contreras II C-7 Classical Guitar. Manuel Contreras was born in 1928 and died 1994. He started out as a cabinet maker moved onto making guitars in Jose Ramirez’ guitar shop in Madrid in 1959. He started his own luthier business in 1962. Manuel’s son Pablo was born in 1957 and presently makes guitars himself aided by a smallish staff. Although the Contreras II C-7 guitar is at the low end of the Contreras line, you still get the benefits of the Contreras tradition of making top quality classical guitars. This guitar features a light, player-friendly action and a  satisfying clarity and evenness of tone.The Manuel Contreras II C-7 Classical Guitar features a Solid cedar top with Indian rosewood back and sides plus Honduras cedar neck and ebony fingerboard.



Milton

Kevin Sinclair asked:


A guitar, which is a hollow-bodied stringed instrument with a neck, produces sound when the strings’ vibrations resonate through its body.

There are three basic types of guitar: the electric guitar, the acoustic guitar, and the classical guitar.

The electric guitar converts the sound of the vibrating strings into electronic current. These electronic signals are then altered and produce the desired pitch and vibration before they are fed to amplifiers. Because an electric guitar uses these “pickups,” the body does not need to be resonant as it does with the other types of guitar. An electric guitar is used for all different kinds of music, such as country, pop, jazz, rock and roll, and heavy metal.

The acoustic guitar is shaped much like the classical guitar (described below) in terms of its appearance and shape. This type of guitar does not use amplifiers for its sound traditionally, although they can be added. An acoustic guitar uses steel strings for a louder and brighter sound than the nylon strings of the classical guitar. The acoustic guitar also uses heavier woods than does the classical guitar, including maple, mahogany, and spruce. This is because the steel strings on the acoustic guitar produce more tension than the nylon strings of the classical guitar do. This type of guitar is usually used in country, folk and blues music. It can also be used in different types of rock music. Oftentimes, acoustic guitars can also have built-in electronics so that their sound can be amplified louder than they would have been traditionally.

Finally, the classical guitar is also known as the “Spanish guitar.” It’s the most common of the three types of guitar. Its body is hollow, as with the acoustic guitar. The hole in the center acts to resonate the sound produced by the strings when they are plucked and strummed. It uses six strings, which are usually made of nylon. They are less taut than are the steel strings of the acoustic guitar. Usually, this type of guitar is played without amplifiers. The sound can be “amplified” simply, however, by just placing the guitar in front of a microphone. The classical guitar is usually used in Latin, flamenco and classical music.

All three types of guitars (classical, acoustic and electric) can be used by one person alone or by playing with other guitar players. However, electric guitars are much louder than classical or acoustic guitars, and are generally not mixed with acoustic or classical guitars. However, it’s often true that rock bands, for example, play electric guitars with accompaniment such as drums, trumpets or other louder instrumentation that can’t be easily overpowered by the electric guitar’s volume.



Jamie

SeafoamGreenSG asked:


Hi, I play the electric guitar and I have read several different guitar magazines. I have hated them all; they are filled with way too many ads, mostly feature METAL bands (I like rock, but not metal. I like bands like alternative and punk), and talk too much about image and not actually about playing the guitar! Can someone please tell me about a GOOD guitar magazine that ships in the U.S., not U.K. I would appreciate it vry much, thanks

Katie

Kaitlyn asked:


I bought an Esteban guitar, and now I want to sell it to get an actually good acoustic guitar. How much is the guitar worth?
I only paid 25 bucks for it, so do you think I could get more for it?
& I wouldnt try to get more for what is is actually worth, because that is what happened to me!

Fernando

Gaskell Guitars asked:


There is something timeless about Gibson guitars.

They have been around for a million years it seems and they have been responsible for some of the most innovative guitar designs ever to appear.

The humbucking pickup is a Gibson design. Who could imagine life in the 21st Century without humbucking pickups for guitars? You couldn’t! That would be a nightmare reality! There goes “Rock” music. We’d all be playing and listening to … I don’t know!

There is a passion behind Gibson guitars that is very admirable and commendable. That passion has been there for many, many decades! We the user have received and created JOY with a Gibson in our hands and our creativity in full bloom. Many generations of great song writers, and guitar players have been and gone. The Gibson name has stayed througout time. Why? Because they are great guitars!

At GASKELL Guitars we manufacturer exclusively left handed guitars. Our mainstay model is based on the 1958 Gibson Explorer. This is a wonderful guitar, ahead of it’s time when it was designed, and to this day is a popular “extreme shape” guitar with many artists such as James Hetfield (Metallica), The Edge (U2), Gary Moore, and more. In the 1980s and 1990s just about every guitarist seemed to played Explorers or Explorers made by other guitar manufacturers such as The Police, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Kiss, U2, Metallica, Rick Nielsen, ZZ Top, Lynard Skynard, Gary Moore, and more!

The modern day Explorer is not made in left hand by Gibson or their subsidiary, Epiphone.

A left handed version is made by GASKELL GUITARS.

Other guitar manufacturers who have been inspired by this masterpiece of music instrumentation are Hamer (theirs is called the Hamer “Standard” and doesn’t have the pickguard), Dean Guitars (make an impressive range of colours for their version), Jackson Guitars (Jackson’s is called the “Kelly” and is a little different from the Explorer but is still visibly Explorer derived.) Other companies have made clones of the Explorer such as Tokai, Stagg, Aria, and in the past Ibanez, ESP and Peavey to name a few.

None of these companies listed above as far as we know make their variant Explorers in left hand without going the “custom shop” option which usually results in a pay out of around $4000 and possibly more than a year waiting time.

The Explorer guitar is really a master piece.

Left Handed guitarists can play one now, via Gaskell Guitars, and experience first hand the pleasure of such a fabulous instrument.

Gibson is a musical instrument company that has stood the test of time because of innovative and dedicated passion towards the music industry and guitar players and we here at Gaskell Guitars would like to tip our hats in honour of the legend that we have had some fortune to partially benefit from by way of the left handed Explorer style guitar we manufacture to fill that gap in the market.

EXPLORERS are great guitars. Left handed guitarists can now enjoy the greatness of them via Gaskell Guitars!



Rosa

Brian asked:


I have a really cruddy acoustic guitar that cost about $150 and i hate it. It always detunes and it sounds bad. Would it be easier to learn on a guitar that sounds good? Is an epiphone les paul standard good?

Stacy

Mikeyman asked:


Is there a guitar that is a normal acoustic guitar when played without an amp, but when it’s plugged into an amp can play like an electric guitar? If there is such a thing whats the name and highest and lowest estimated price for it? Thanks so much guys.

Stacy

Ralph Serpe asked:


The very first step toward learning to play acoustic guitar is to develop confidence and to destroy that “I can’t do it” mentality. Your biggest obstacle in your acoustic guitar playing is not going to be money, time, or the absence of a good teacher. The biggest obstacle is going to be you. You are your own worst enemy. Once you learn how to tame the negativity inside, you will be that much closer to becoming a good acoustic guitar player.

Frustration is normal during the learning process. Learning anything new is not meant to be easy. Resistance is what helps us grow. So the next time you are working on a scale, or chord progression, and you find yourself fumbling or messing up, don’t throw down the guitar with frustration, instead welcome the challenge and have patience in it.

YOUR FIRST GUITAR

Buying a first guitar is an important step for the beginner guitarist. You should have a good understanding of the acoustic guitar as a whole as well as a good idea of what your goals are as an acoustic guitar player. By educating yourself in these areas, you will be able to make an intelligent purchase that can provide you with years of enjoyable playing.

There are two kinds of acoustic guitars that you can purchase and they are your classic or nylon string guitar and your steel string guitar. One is not necessarily better than the other as it is really a matter of personal taste, but each guitar does have its own unique feel and sound. The classic or nylon guitars produce a round or dull tone, where as the steel string guitars are much different, producing a bright tinny or metallic sound. You will certainly develop your own preference the longer you play, or like many guitarists, you will enjoy using both. Only time will tell.

Another thing you will have to consider is the body style of your acoustic guitar. Acoustic guitars come in a variety of different body sizes from small to jumbo. Each size has its own distinct sound. Smaller body guitars have more treble and midrange sounds and are much easier to hold. Lead guitarists tend to favor smaller body guitars because they tend to have a more balanced sound to them and are easier to make out when playing with other musicians in a band. Your larger body guitars have more bass and are more difficult to hold. The only way to really know what body style is right for you is to try one out for yourself. Your best bet is to find a guitar that you are comfortable holding and playing. Guitar playing is challenging enough in the beginning and you do not need any added difficulties.

Guitar quality will differ depending on the model and brand. Sometimes two instruments of the same make and model can differ as well. It is therefore important to try out as many guitars as possible within your price range. It is also recommended that you bring along an experienced musician when you go guitar shopping. An experienced guitar player will be able to better judge the quality of a guitar.

Buy the best guitar that you can afford. Many of the guitars that sell for under $100 are poorly made for the most part. If you cannot afford to spend more, then save up and wait until you can. A well made guitar will be easier to play, more appealing to the eye and more responsive. If you enjoy playing your instrument more, you will then be more inspired to play. You can find a fine beginner acoustic guitar for under $500. Some brands to look into are Seagull, Martin, Yamaha, Fender and Ibanez to name a few. You may also want to look into the used acoustic guitar market. You may be able to find some real gems out there at great prices, but you have to be very careful with used guitars. Make sure you take an experienced guitar player with you if you decide to buy a used guitar.

LEARNING & PRACTICE

There is probably no substitution for a good guitar teacher, but it can be rather expensive over time, so many guitar players are left with no other choice then to learn on their own. For those of you who may not be able to afford a professional instructor right now, below are some guidelines for helping you get the most out of your practice time.

Practice as many days out of the week as you can for at least twenty to thirty minutes, more if possible. The more often you play the faster you will learn. Be careful not to overdo it though and take breaks of course. Your brain can only absorb so much information before it needs a break and your hands and the rest of your body need time to recuperate as well. When you practice do not rush through any of your exercises. Twenty minutes of quality focused practice is much more effective than an hour of sloppy practice

Study Your Instrument

Take some time to learn more about the parts of your acoustic guitar. Learn about how it is constructed and how all the parts work together to produce those beautiful sounds that you hear.

Learn How to Tune Your Guitar

You can find free step by step guides online for tuning your acoustic guitar. Make certain that you spend time learning how to do this. Purchase a guitar tuner at any local music store and practice tuning your guitar with the guitar tuner. When you begin to develop a better ear, try tuning it without the guitar tuner. Then use the guitar tuner to check and see how accurate your ear was. This will help you develop a good ear.

Learn the Right Posture

If you are accustomed to just grabbing your guitar and sitting down to play in any old position, then you are at risk of injuring yourself and developing bad playing habits. Make sure you understand the correct way to sit and hold your instrument for optimal performance.

Learn Your Chords & Scales

Learn as many different chords and variations of the same chord that you can and practice your scales. This will give you a well rounded familiarity with the frets on the guitar and it will build up strength in your fingers and hands.

I hope this article has helped with your acoustic guitar learning. Keep a positive attitude and practice! Before you know you will be playing acoustic guitar like a pro. I wish you well. God Bless.



Dorothy