My first guitar

[yoda313]

Hello,

A couple weeks ago I watched part of the Eric Clapton Guitar festival on PBS (during one of its many "PLEDGE DRIVES"). Anyway I got watching it a lot and I really started thinking "boy I'd love to be able to play guitar". I've always had a passing notion of playing one someday. I mean who doesn't do a little "air guitar" when no one is looking???

So the other week I went to a local buy/sell/trade music store and looked around. The cheapest they had in stock was $150 and I wasn't going to pay that for an acoustic guitar when all I wanted was to try it out. I also didn't really want to wait around looking through the classifieds in the paper day after day.

SO I finally ended up on ebay. Looked around awhile and bumped into one of those wholesaler guys. They had them going for $3.50 buy it now plus $30 shipping and insurance. So I kept looking and looking and figured what's the worst I could do??? Waste $40 and find out it doesn't work. Better than plucking down $150 and spending weeks or months trying to sell it. So I ended up buying the acoustic guitar on ebay for $40.

I FINALLY got it yesterday Last weekend I had gone to the library and checked out three or four "HOW TO" videos and a book or two. Yesterday I went to a used book store and bought an old copy of a "LEARN GUITAR" book so I'd have one.

HERE IT IS:



It's not the fanciest and the quality probably is mediocre. BUT it plucks and resonates a clear solid note on each string. That's all I want. I don't need a midrange guitar for learning on. It seems to play just fine.

I've already started lessons on my own. I don't want to take official lessons. I just want to go at my own pace. I read up online about the "GUITAR TABS" where they show exactly which string to pluck to play a song. But I figure its best for me to start from the beginning and learn to read the real sheet music.

I had taken an instrument for a semester in middleschool so I have a LITTLE musical experience. Not much but I'm not totally coming at it from the blue.

I figure after a couple of weeks/months of basic string playing I should be able to graduate to playing some simple songs. This should be a lot of fun. I already know more about the guitar then I ever did before.

If any of you out there play I'm always open to suggestions and tips for beginners.

Kevin

[Silvas]

My first advice would be, if you are truly serious about learning, to throw away the cheap guitar and buy a decent one. I'm sure the strings on the cheap one are off the fret board quite aways making it hard to finger them. The closer to the fret board, the better, especially on an acoustic. Your fingers are going to hurt quite abit before you start to build up some callouses, so don't make it even hard than it has to be.

You might also try to find someone you know that plays to help you. Learning by seeing is much easier than figuring it out for yourself.

Learn good habits from the start. Keep your left elbow under the fret board so your forearm is pointing straight up as you hold the guitar. It will make it much easier to finger the chords.

[yoda313]

Hello,

Thanks. I heard that you can even use ELECTRIC strings to make it easier to play them on an ACOUSTIC.

I also saw that you can shave the part of the neck where the strings rest to lower them so the action isn't as high.

BUT I'm not really interested in buying a more expensive guitar. I just want to build my rythym right now.

Actually I'm getting some help from my mother. She played the VIOLIN in school so she knows some basics about string instruments. I'm also checking out as many guides as I can find.

Thanks for the tips SILVAS

Kevin

[JohnnyCNote]

You can get decent electric guitars for a little over $100 these days. While I haven't touched an acoustic in years, I'd imagine there are similar deals with those. I have 2 Strats, which are worth about $1000 each, but I was very serious for a long time. In any event, it's important to get something that's at least playable. Otherwise, it will be a wasted effort and probably discourage anyone who wants to learn.

I took lessons for about 18 months when I first started to get a good foundation, then worked at it on my own 'til I got to where I could do what I wanted. The guitar is not an easy instrument to play, as I found out, but if you get good it's very rewarding (maybe not financially, but in other ways)......

[yoda313]

Hello,

but if you get good it's very rewarding (maybe not financially, but in other ways)......

Trust me I didn't buy it with the idea of starting my own rock band!

Kevin

[hoyboy]

I know what you mean when you say you don't want to spend a lot of money on an instrument you might not like- BUT it is a lot easier to learn on a good instrument then a poor quality instrument. I played tuba in a band and i learnt on a good quality machine and it sounded good. Went to another band and they only had a shit quality machine- couldn't get it sounding good- soon gave that up.

[ZAPPER]

I can't even tune the radio and I couldn't carry a tune in a wheelbarrow. But I did hear on a couple of occasions from accomplished players that you don't need a high dollar instrument to learn the basics so don't worry about not having the nicest guitar out there. It was reccomended to me before, that an electric neck on an acoustic may be easier to learn with than a folk neck. (the width difference is supposed to make an electric easier) I used to use Ernie Ball Super Slinky strings I don't know if they even make them any more but they where supposed to be the best and easiest but I seem to recall that they would strech pretty easy and you would spend alot of time tuning. I never got past the one finger method and still think that a cord is a measure of firewood. Maybe one in a million will be able to pick up a guitar and just be able to play with no real effort. Maybe one in a thousand will go on to take lessons and be able to pass as a guitar player, the rest of us will just have to live with the dream. The three most hated words that you don't want to hear...PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! Good luck and "May the force be with you"

[tgpo]

It's fun to play a guitar. I've played bass for about 7 years now. I gotta tell you. There is no greater feeling than playing in front of a large group of people and having them chear for you when you finish playing.

[yoda313]

Hello,

The three most hated words that you don't want to hear...PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! Good luck and "May the force be with you"

Yeah I know it's going to take work but I figure it'll be worth it. I already have a lot of insturctional material with me so it doesn't seem as daunting now.

TGPO - thanks for the encouragement I had a friend in highschool who could play regular guitar AND bass. He seemed to really enjoy it and I believe he was in a band. Don't know if they did anything but he liked it so.....

Kevin

[vhelp]

I'm not expert guitar player. I have two acoustics and one eletctric.
On my best guitar ($150 bucks at the time I deal) it has a FAT fret.
That's bad for most people. But, I started on it, the hard way. And,
beleive me.. a season player will know if you've ben praticing and
are really into it.., when they see Calisis on your fingers. No
calisis, and we all know you're not into it. Period.
.
Those that *ARE* into it, and *really* want to learn (for whatever the
reasons) will show calisis. Doesn't matter how good your guitar is.
If you've been practicing alot, you'll have them. And, that is a good
sign, and also shows your interests. Anyways.

Also, there is nothing better, than having a small group (band) that
you can 'band' around with. That is where you get most of your
insperatations from, and als your 'dare move', etc.
.
When you have a few instrumental people (drums; violin; guitar; etc)
there also nothing like the feeling of motivation. You just want to
get in there and JAM. You learn on your own, how to tune in, in key;
sync with the other JAM'ers. Sometimes, you'll lead, other times,
someone else will.., and you'll lead in your own way, with a piece (or
JAM) and possibly make something happen. Even if only for that JAMing
session Anyways.
.
When you play by yourself, there is nothing more worse (in discuragement)
when you're doing it alone (until you become good at it) in most cases,
you have to have a few good players around near by, for encorouragements
drive and motivation. This builds your desire to want more. Sooner or later,
things begin to 'click' and you begin second-naturing your buddies, in the
things of ( rythm/beat/thump.. thump thump thump.. )
.
But, if you an't got anyone to JAM with, you'll soon loose your desire, and
closet your guitar. I know.

When I first got started, I was buying everything I could, for my acoustic
and electric. Amps, jam-boxes, sound FX's and things. Though.., those
days are gone now.

Oh. And you don't have to sound good, to be good. Just as long as someone
is keeping the beat, and the rythm.

* Yeah. A stool is good. One you can turn around in. I have several guitar
holder's that I lay in each corner of my living room. The guitar stands
in each of them, and looks preety cool. Sort of makes you look like a
musicisian
* I have an $15 amp to screw around with my electric. Actually, its for
when I want jam quietly. Then, I ahve another amp, $70 one, and then
another one even bigger. Those, I closeted. But I keep my $15 amp near
by, for when I'm bored, or just want to play around with.
* I also have 5 pipi guitar tuner. You blow it in each pop (5" round)
and tune your guitar with. Course, you can use a software tuner. I have
used tones of those, but the one I use, I keep cliped to my guitar stand
for when I'm in need, it's right there.
* and, about hundred picks.

When I JAMed with my friends, I sucked big-time, but they never minded,
because they were there too. And, you don't really hear the suck'ness
of your playing

And, one thing I really like, is the sound my accoustic makes when I
connect mic to it and my pc, and record it. I've used a few cheap mics,
with very good results.

Therea are all kinds of software JAMers/accompany-type programs that
can be setup to drive you some more. Can be insperational, but they
too, take a while to setup.

I think that the hardest part, is setting everything up, and getting
it all to work right, at the push of a button. That goes for everything.
Its a bummer, when things don't work right the first time, and then
you loose your desire.

But, its still fun. I just wish I had some people to JAM with :P

-vhelp 3246

[Kunta Kinte]

What's the little hand crank on the side for?

[mrtristan]

Might as well throw in my 2 cents.

Like others have said, practice, practice, practice. It really stinks in the beginning, because things go sooo sloowwww. But once you nail a chord progression and can strum it well, you'll feel great.

I would suggest working on one thing at a time. It's good to practice strumming chords first, because they get both hands comfortable on the guitar and help to develope your rythym.

Also, as vhelp has already mentioned, you will learn in leaps and bounds, when surrounded by other players. It doesn't really matter if you're the best or worst. Playing with other people is definitely one of the best ways to learn new tricks.

Not sure if I mentioned it already, but practice, practice, and practice helps.

I build instruments for a living and have had the opportunity to get close to many world class musicians. I always ask them what the secret is. Unfortunately they all tell me the same thing. PRACTICE. Either they're telling me the truth, or I haven't broken into the secret circle deep enough.

Good luck.

Oh yeah. Once you get the basics down, I would try a little bit of everything. Learn and play what you can from any genre that you listen to and really try to hear what the guitar is doing. The angle of your finger or pick alone can tremendously influence the tone of the string.

Electric guitar gets a little more complicated, because of the amps and settings.

[ZAPPER]

Well, Have you mastered it yet?

[glockjs]

i'd look more towards the $400-500 range for a good guitar(upwards into the thousands for the nice stuff). but the main thing is just starting out and seeing how u like it. if i were u i would find a good local shop and start out with some basic lessons to get ya goin.

[yoda313]

Hello,

Thanks for the notes of encouragement guys

I'll keep at it. Once I set a regular time for practicing I think it'll help get me motivated to get to the "next level".

Kevin

[yoda313]

Hello,

I have a question for those who play regularly:

Do you loosen the strings after each session???? Or do you leave them in the tightened tuned postion???

I don't want to snap the strings or distort the bridge by leaving them tightened so I am starting to loosen them before I store the guitar for the night.

Is this correct or should I leave them tight???

Thanks.

Kevin

[ZAPPER]

I don't know for a fact, but I had heard that you should keep tension on the neck all of the time. Like when you change strings you should only remove and replace one at a time. It could be an old wise tale but I think it is the accepted practice.

[yoda313]

I don't know for a fact, but I had heard that you should keep tension on the neck all of the time. Like when you change strings you should only remove and replace one at a time. It could be an old wise tale but I think it is the accepted practice.

Hello,

Thanks!

If that's what people are doing then the next time I tune up the guitar I'll leave it that way

Kevin

[JohnnyCNote]

I'm pretty sure if you leave the strings off for an extended period you can adjust the neck on most guitars if it bends. After all, they sell blank necks that sit around for long periods without warping.

This neck (since I took this picture) has jumbe frets, among other modifications to the guitar in general:



I don't play this one because it's a collector's item and I've already worn the frets down due to the way I play. I'll have it refretted some day before I use it again because I don't want to ruin the fretboard:

[JohnnyCNote]

Hello,

Thanks. I heard that you can even use ELECTRIC strings to make it easier to play them on an ACOUSTIC.

I don't think you can put steel strings on that guitar, since it looks like a nylon string model (no fret markings and the tuning gears). If that's the case, you'd do irreparable harm because the steel strings would put too much tension on the neck and tuning gears.....

[smearbrick1]

You don't need to spend a ton of money to pick up a decent guitar. I have a LTD (made by ESP) H300. I only paid $450.00 for the guitar and compared to other guitars in its price range, or above its price range, I haven't found much better. I originally was going after an Epiphone Les Paul Custom, but after owning an Epiphone Les Paul Standard, I decided I'd give my shoulders a rest and buy something a bit lighter. This guitar is built out of solid mahogany (just like the standard) and has neck thru contruction (for beginners like Yoda: this means that the neck is actually part of the guitar body and that the body sides are glued to the neck itself. This allows for great sustain, stability, and tone.) It has some not so great Duncan Designed humbuckers in the bridge and neck position, but they are usable. Other than the strat-like layout of the body, the guitar is setup like a Les Paul (Stop bar tailpiece, and tune-o-matic bridge, dual humbuckers, and 3 position toggle switch). It has 24 jumbo frets and some really nice tuning machines. The binding work on the guitar is fantastic! My only real complaint is that the pickups are wired to only two Potentiometers (one volume, one tone). I really liked having the ability to have totally tonal control over the bridge and neck pickups (on the Les Paul, each pickup has it's own volume and tone knobs). This is a small trade off.

Since I bought this guitar, I've had/played several others that just haven't compared. I had a 1999 Gibson Les Paul Studio (sold - neck too fat), Gibson Les Paul Firebrand (sold - neck was too flat), a Paul Reed Smith (set neck, flametop... not mine... a friend's. He paid $1,500.00 for it and even though the tuning machines worked fine, he couldn't keep it in tune. Also, the intonation sucked...even after adjustment. I think this guitar may have had a twisted neck.)

If you are in the market for a decent guitar, check out the high end LTD stuff (ESP wants way too much for a guitar with the ESP name on it) or check out the Dillion brand of guitars. If you want something a little more traditional, and a little more vintage but don't want to pay the vintage price... check out some the 70's ibanez stuff. Not necessarily their Les Paul copies, but some of their solid maple strat copies are sweet.

@JohnnyCNote - Is that an early 70's strat? '73 maybe? I really dig those fat headstocks on that era.

[housepig]

I'll say this - stay with that guitar. I started playing by borrowing a friend's spare acoustic, and played it for a year before buying my own guitar.

if you can learn to play on a crap guitar, you'll want something better. once you're at that point, pick up a good guitar and be amazed at how much smoother and easier it is to play. but until you get to that point, stick with what you have.

and yes - practice practice practice. there is no other way.

[JohnnyCNote]

I've seen some nice ESP's. I've been thinking about getting a 7-string next....

[mrtristan]

Don't mean to threadjack, but has anyone seen a Paul Reed Smith custom before? Man, the inlay is absolutely amazing. My brother and I headed up to the NAMM (North American Music Makers) convention this year and I was the most inspired by the PRS booth. They had a double neck electric, with a full color dragon inlay, done entirely in shell and wood. The guitar is valued at $40,000, but it's priceless to me. The craftsmanship was flawless.

[reboot]

I bought a used pawnshop guitar for $20 in 1976.
The owner threw in a John Denver songbook, that had a chart in the back with every chord fingering known to man. I practiced each and every chord, until I could switch from any one, to any other one instantly.
I still have that old guitar, well travelled, and much scratched, but still the best sounding, nylon strung, classical style accoustic I've ever owned, and I've owned a LOT of guitars.
The only other guitar I still treasure is an ancient Gibson F-hole 12 string, given to my by my dad, which he got on a bet with a buddy in WWII.

[smearbrick1]

I've seen some nice ESP's. I've been thinking about getting a 7-string next....

I'm sort of partial to the "M" series LTD guitars (the "H" series has floyd rose tremolo systems... what a pain in the ass.). I wouldn't buy anything less than a 200 though. I played an M207 (seven string, fixed bridge, bolt on neck) it was very nice. The original owner replaced the stock pickups with Duncan Invaders and they sounded sweet! The music store I was shopping in only wanted 250.00 for the guitar. Looking back, I should have picked it up. An older M307 (Neck thru, fixed bridge) would be really nice.

[JohnnyCNote]

I nearly won a nice ESP 7 sting on eBay a while back. It had the Floyd Rose and the seller had painted it up like a Ouija Board. It really looked nice, but I missed it by seconds. More likely I'll have one built out of parts from Warmoth. There's a really nice Cherry-burst quilted maple body that would round out my collection really well:



I think it's the 2nd from the right.....

[smearbrick1]

I nearly won a nice ESP 7 sting on eBay a while back. It had the Floyd Rose and the seller had painted it up like a Ouija Board. It really looked nice, but I missed it by seconds. More likely I'll have one built out of parts from Warmoth. There's a really nice Cherry-burst quilted maple body that would round out my collection really well:



I think it's the 2nd from the right.....

Actually that Ouija graphic on the guitar probably came from the factory. The Ouija graphic was originally used on a limited run Kirk Hammett signature series (both LTD and ESP). Nice graphic for a guitar though.

Warmoth makes some nice stuff, prices are reasonable too.

[JohnnyCNote]

The guy selling the Quija guitar offered to paint one for me, so maybe he was able to make a copy. In any event, I passed. Many years ago I had a chance to get a Fender Precision with the paisley paint job for a couple of hundred bucks or so. I really wish I'd have gotten it as they're worth big bucks now.....

[tompika]

Yoda, make sure you try this out:

http://rhythm.harmony-central.com/~ftp/software/windows/guitar-bass/powertab.zip

http://www.powertabs.net/pta.php?page=artist,89