Guitar questions

I'll be buying an electric guitar soon and I'd like to know if there is anything specific I should look for when buying a guitar.

This is my first time learning to play and I know nothing about them.

Here is one I found for a decent price, but im not sure if it's good quality or what to look for. Please post some that are good quality or what I should look for when buying my first electric guitar.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321041285913?_trksid=p5197.c0.m619

Someone told me learning to play acoustic would be better for a beginner but fuck that yolo lele.

 

That person is right. Starting with autistic is much better. You won't be jamming on your electric for a while.

 

Really start with acoustic, you'll have a much better experience.

 

Actually to be honest it all depends on what you're going to play. I only play acoustic and I love my acoustic, but learning to play electric is easier. The strings bend easier, the neck is smaller, etc. Playing an electric is more expensive though because most of the time you're going to be investing in pedals, amps, heads and all that.

Also that guitar you posted sucks balls, and will really suck I can promise you that. It is also a kid's guitar meaning that it is only going to be like half sized or so. Look on musician's friends and get a better guitar than that.

 

How is this one?
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/squier-bullet-hh-stratocaster-electric-guitar-with-tremolo

 

Starting on acoustic is better, and it'll be harder for you to adapt from an electric to an acoustic (assuming you ever play acoustic) than it would be vice versa. If you want to be able to plug into amps and such, you can always get an electric-acoustic.

Nonetheless, if you're going to be buying an electric; then I'd suggest like a squire strat which is pretty good for the price.

Note: If you're under the impression you can just buy an electric guitar, and then find tab, then proceed to play the guitar like what it sounds in rock and such; you're mistaken. Two reasons, one you need to learn first, but also in most music now there's distortion and such being used. You'll need to get distortion petals and all if you're trying to get an accurate sound.

 

I think starting with autism would be a bit of a silly thing to try.

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I don't really like the guitar you've chosen. A single pickup gives you only a single tone to work with, so it's terrible when you finally get better and what to start making your stuff sound good. The strings also look a bit far apart from the photo though that could just be me, or it could be the body proportions being too small. Also read the description;

"The guitar is 30 inches in length with 21 frets, a shorter scale oriented toward children three to six years old. "

So no, this guitar is not very good for you.

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As a learner, as long as you get something which is the right size for you, that you can actually play, it won't really matter. I'd recommend getting something cheap first (electric kits start at AU$300 or so I think, though acoustics are cheaper) and learning from there, and once you find you really want to continue playing then start moving up.

I have 4 guitars - an acoustic I started with that cost like $50, an electric which minus the kit would cost maybe $150, an electric I bought in Japan for about $300, and an electric I bought for about $1,000.

I bought the Japanese one only last year, but you can kind of see the progression. Start cheap because there's no point kitting yourself out with something ridiculously expensive when you don't need it. Once you start getting more knowledgeable about music and instruments you can start thinking of the wood it's made of, the quality of the pickups, different amp models, effects and so on but that's all unnecessary as a learner.

I'd recommend starting with a nylon-stringed classical acoustic guitar. The nylon is softer on your fingers so it shouldn't hurt as much, and you can learn all of the basic theory and technique. Then move up from there as you want to. I'd recommend getting lessons, because teaching yourself technique and theory takes a lot of perseverance that not everyone has.

 

Thanks for all the input everyone . I'll start with acoustic then buy an electric later on. Hows the transition from acoustic to electric and vise/versa?

Is learning electric guitar really that much harder for beginners than acoustic?

 

Well, on the acoustic you are usually using open chords (depending on the style you're playing) and then when you transfer to electric guitar it is more power chords and single notes than open chords. I taught myself acoustic because all I had in the house was my dad's huge stack and I wasn't game for rolling it in and out of room. I started on a cheap plywood Esteban acoustic/electric that was like $99 at a goodwill (go to a local goodwill and see if you can get one, they come with like 20 DVDs by Esteban himself and they're pretty good for getting you the basics) and then I got a very nice Ovation and it made so much more of a difference. My next guitar purchase is going to be a Gretsch for the great blusey tone they have. It takes practice and dedication, so be willing to devote time to it. I started singing and playing a few months back and I played my first show about a month ago. It was pretty cool. It's really worth it and very fun.

 

I don't think it's a case of being harder, however people have the mentality that electric guitars are "cooler" and they just want to start jamming straight away, which leads to bad habits, poor technique and so on. Buying an acoustic guitar is I would hypothesise a way of forcing yourself to actually learn properly.

Electric guitar technique is in some cases easier I believe, because as someone mentioned earlier the strings are easier to bend, the action (distance between strings and fretboard) is lower/closer, and you can make electrics sound like you want them to if you have the gear. The question you should be asking is not what is easier, but what is better.

In the case of nylon stringed classical acoustic guitars, the strings are nylon for treble and I think some kind of nickel plated for the bass strings. They're softer on your fingers and don't cut in as much, but on the other hand the action (again, distance from fretboard) is much higher so it can be harder to press down. This is actually a good thing because getting used to it makes your fingers stronger, which in turn helps you with accuracy, speed and so on. This is what I learned with and I don't regret it.

Steel-stringed acoustics sound a lot different and the action is a lot lower. They're maybe a little more expensive than cheap nylon-stringed ones. They're alright, but I honestly think a nylon-stringed acoustic is best for learning on for the aforementioned reasons and more.

If you can, try and learn to actually read music notation / sheet music. I regret not doing so. Guitarists have a habit of getting lazy and using what's called Tablature / Tabs, which are basically lines representing each string, and a number to represent which fret to press down. Again, this may be easier at first but it's not the best thing you can do for yourself. It's okay to start learning with but I'd recommend trying to make yourself read the actual music notation / notes as much as possible.

Get a teacher as well. You can get DVDs to learn with, you can get books to learn with, but ultimately the best way to learn is one on one with someone. Lessons shouldn't be more than $20 or so, and you only need to do them once or twice a week. Further, practicing for 20 minutes a day is better than practicing for an hour, all at once, per week. Set yourself a time to sit down with your guitar and just practice, first with a book and then maybe what you will be taught if you get a teacher.

Lastly, LEARN CLEANING HABITS. My first two guitars are in desperate need of refurbishment because I didn't know how to clean, maintain or just look after my guitars in general when I first started learning. The fretboards are ruined and ingrained with dirt/filth, the bridge on my old electric is quite rusted and in poor condition, and the notes are a little off from poor bridge adjustment and possibly even slight warping of the neck.

You can get cleaning supplies like cloths, oils etc. from any music store, however the best way to learn what to do is go in and ask them to explain or even show you. A teacher should be able to do this for you as well.

The actual transition from acoustic to electric takes some getting used to. As previously mentioned, the action on electrics is lower, i.e. the strings are closer to the fretboard, so you need to apply less strength. Second, the strings on an electric guitar are actually closer together, so at first you will probably hit the wrong frets or miss the string. Third, electric guitars are heavier, and it takes some time getting used to their design, not to mention the equipment (the most basic of which will be your amplifier). It doesn't take too long to get used to; I was playing my electric generally at the same level as acoustic within a week when I switched.

One problem is electrics require a different level of maintenance due to the amount of metal parts; the strings, and even the pickups, bridge, etc. can rust if you're not careful and particularly if they're cheap or poorly made. I live near the ocean where there's lots of salt and such in the air which accelerates rusting, so for me it's a real problem.

 

start acoustic br0