What is good sized guitar for a beginner?

best acoustic guitar for beginners children image

Beth

I have been wanting to play guitar for a while and my parents are going to get me one for my birthday, i was wondering what would be a good sized acoustic guitar to start on? or a specific brand? i am left handed if that makes a difference. my boyfriend has a full sized guitar and i cant even get my arm over it, so thats too big, any suggestions?

Answer
Tons of info on how to pick your first one: http://www.firstguitar.com/Articles/HowtoChoosetheRightGuitar.html

If you are small, like the size of most pre-teens, you may need to use an older child's size guitar. Chances are you can use an adult sized one, you just have to find the right body style.

As for brands, Yamaha has some of the best from the low to the very high end, and their "low-moderate" priced ones are amazingly good compared to their price-equals. I suggest going to a guitar store and having the pros there walk through the differences with you so you can really pick out the best one for you. Each brand and style has its own sound (some sound more metallic, some sound more harp-like). You really want to avoid the super cheap ones, especially those that come in boxed sets with lots of "stuff". They sound exactly like what you paid for. :)

One tip from doing this process recently: painted guitars are a LOT cheaper than the ones with beautiful wood and clear varnish. This is because they can use uglier looking wood to make great sound. The nice shiny opaque layer of lacquer hides cosmetic wood flaws. Beautiful wood that is also perfectly carved and flawlessly grown is expensive.

What is a good acoustic guitar for a beginner on a budget?

<3

I need to keep the price under or around $175.
I don't want a Wal-Mart piece of crap. I just want a good guitar for myself, who was never played a guitar. I'm 5'2", around 110lbs and 13, if that makes a difference.

Thanks

Answer
Ibanez has a fantastic model called Sage that sells for $180, but which would serve you well for decades. It has a solid wood top (that's the most important factor in determining sound quality), whereas most guitars in its price range are made from laminated wood. It's built like a rock, as well. When I tried it at Guitar Center, I thought it was priced wrong because it played like a $500 guitar. It's the sort of guitar you can play for decades and pass down to your own children, it's so nicely crafted.

Beginners, and especially beginners with small hands, tend to have a much easier time learning on guitars that have really thin necks and low action (strings close to the fretboard). Ibanez guitars are famous for having incredibly user-friendly necks. I'm female and have fingers the size of Vienna sausages. After lots of desperate searching, I found that Ibanez guitars were perfect for me. I bought a second-hand Ibanez more than 25 years ago figuring I'd use it to learn and then upgrade to a better guitar. I did eventually get more guitars, but the cheap old Ibanez is still my primary guitar for both recording and playing live because the sound is pristine and it feels like it was custom made for me. And my guitar snob brother, who owns a recording studio and swears only Gibson and Martin guitars are worth owning, often borrows my Ibanez for recording projects because the sound is perfect.

I'll post a link to the Sage, in case you're interested. If you read the reviews, you'll find I'm not exaggerating about how nice it is.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-SGT120NT-SAGE-SERIES-Acoustic-Guitar-?sku=512326

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Buying an acoustic guitar for the first time?

best acoustic guitar for beginners children image

Tina Pell

Hey! I'm 19 years old and I'm looking into buying an acoustic guitar. I don't want to go wild and spend a lot of money so it's okay if it's not a top brand, since I'm only a beginner. I want to make sure I'm not buying a childrens one either, lol. Do you guys have any tips for buying an acoustic guitar for the first time?

Answer
You should only buy from a store that specializes in musical instruments, since the guitars sold at places like Target and Best Buy are mroe toys than musical instruments. For the same amount of money or less at a music store, you can get a guitar from a reputable manufacturer that was designed and built to be played.

I'd recommend looking into Jasmine by Takamine guitars. Takamine is a very respected guitar manufacturer and many professional guitarists play Taks. Jasmine is Takamine's entry-level guitar line. Basically, the guitars are built to the same specs as their pricier cousins, so they're incredibly user-friendly, but they're made from less expensive materials so the prices can be kept low. And Jasmine by Takamine guitars are ideal for most beginners, since they have fairly thin necks and low action (strings close to the fretboard). The thinner the neck and the lower the action, the easier it is to form chords and move smoothly between them.

There are tons of guitars available for less than $150, but some brands are not as playable as others. Epiphone guitars, for example, are well made and sound nice. But they've got incredibly chunky necks that make them very challenging for beginners and most females to play. Ibanez guitars, in contrast, have very thin necks and are regarded very highly by beginners, speed players and people with small hands.

I'll post some links to guitars worth considering, all of which have thin necks, low action and overwhelmingly favorable reviews. Ideally, you should go to a guitar store and test drive a bunch of different brands, since each brand tends to have its own feel. But if you'd prefer to buy online, the reviews will give you a good idea which guitar will serve you best. Any of the ones I link, though, will provide you with years of reliable service.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/jasmine-by-takamine-s35-acoustic-guitar
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/jasmine-by-takamine-s34c-nex-cutaway-acoustic-guitar/516458000000000
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/ibanez-sgt120-sage-series-acoustic-guitar (This one is a little more expensive than the Jasmines, but it's the sort of guitar you could eventually pass down to your own children, it's so nice. It has a solid-wood top, which you don't usually find on a guitar priced below $300. Frankly, this guitar would be a bargain at twice the price.)

What do they mean by a guitar being high in action?

Bryce C

What does a guitar of High action mean, and whats the difference between steel strings and nylon strings, and what usually comes on an acoustic guitar? And how do i determine which size guitar i get? And if there is a specific guitar you suggest for a beginner would you please let me know.

Answer
high action was already covered, well, hmm, my acoustic has ridiculously high action...it's hell.... make sure you look for a guitar with low action....seriously...

steel strings/nylon strings: steel things are made out of steel (metal), nylon strings are made out of nylon. pretty self explanatory. =) nylon strings are usually on classical guitars, and steels are on electrics and acoustic. the difference between classical and acoustic is that classic is somewhat bigger.

get the size guitar that feels comfortable to you. just playing playing them at the store and holding them, you'll know when one's too big for you. some have bigger bodies (the main part of the guitar) either in size or thickness...if you're short you want a smaller guitar... you also have some that are shaped so you can play those high high frets, if you need that, get that, they're the guitar with the "caving" near those high high frets. however as a general rule of thumb, unless you're a really quick 8 year old on yahoo answers, don't get a children's guitar ;)

for a beginner....hmmm I dunno. Get a quality acoustic guitar I would say, one that you can play comfortably. Once you can play an acoustic comfortably electric is a breeze. What kind you get all depends on your budget really... get the one that sounds best to you for your budget.

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Buying an acoustic guitar for the first time?

best acoustic guitar for beginners children image

Tina Pell

Hey! I'm 19 years old and I'm looking into buying an acoustic guitar. I don't want to go wild and spend a lot of money so it's okay if it's not a top brand, since I'm only a beginner. I want to make sure I'm not buying a childrens one either, lol. Do you guys have any tips for buying an acoustic guitar for the first time?

Answer
You should only buy from a store that specializes in musical instruments, since the guitars sold at places like Target and Best Buy are mroe toys than musical instruments. For the same amount of money or less at a music store, you can get a guitar from a reputable manufacturer that was designed and built to be played.

I'd recommend looking into Jasmine by Takamine guitars. Takamine is a very respected guitar manufacturer and many professional guitarists play Taks. Jasmine is Takamine's entry-level guitar line. Basically, the guitars are built to the same specs as their pricier cousins, so they're incredibly user-friendly, but they're made from less expensive materials so the prices can be kept low. And Jasmine by Takamine guitars are ideal for most beginners, since they have fairly thin necks and low action (strings close to the fretboard). The thinner the neck and the lower the action, the easier it is to form chords and move smoothly between them.

There are tons of guitars available for less than $150, but some brands are not as playable as others. Epiphone guitars, for example, are well made and sound nice. But they've got incredibly chunky necks that make them very challenging for beginners and most females to play. Ibanez guitars, in contrast, have very thin necks and are regarded very highly by beginners, speed players and people with small hands.

I'll post some links to guitars worth considering, all of which have thin necks, low action and overwhelmingly favorable reviews. Ideally, you should go to a guitar store and test drive a bunch of different brands, since each brand tends to have its own feel. But if you'd prefer to buy online, the reviews will give you a good idea which guitar will serve you best. Any of the ones I link, though, will provide you with years of reliable service.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/jasmine-by-takamine-s35-acoustic-guitar
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/jasmine-by-takamine-s34c-nex-cutaway-acoustic-guitar/516458000000000
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/ibanez-sgt120-sage-series-acoustic-guitar (This one is a little more expensive than the Jasmines, but it's the sort of guitar you could eventually pass down to your own children, it's so nice. It has a solid-wood top, which you don't usually find on a guitar priced below $300. Frankly, this guitar would be a bargain at twice the price.)

What do they mean by a guitar being high in action?

Bryce C

What does a guitar of High action mean, and whats the difference between steel strings and nylon strings, and what usually comes on an acoustic guitar? And how do i determine which size guitar i get? And if there is a specific guitar you suggest for a beginner would you please let me know.

Answer
high action was already covered, well, hmm, my acoustic has ridiculously high action...it's hell.... make sure you look for a guitar with low action....seriously...

steel strings/nylon strings: steel things are made out of steel (metal), nylon strings are made out of nylon. pretty self explanatory. =) nylon strings are usually on classical guitars, and steels are on electrics and acoustic. the difference between classical and acoustic is that classic is somewhat bigger.

get the size guitar that feels comfortable to you. just playing playing them at the store and holding them, you'll know when one's too big for you. some have bigger bodies (the main part of the guitar) either in size or thickness...if you're short you want a smaller guitar... you also have some that are shaped so you can play those high high frets, if you need that, get that, they're the guitar with the "caving" near those high high frets. however as a general rule of thumb, unless you're a really quick 8 year old on yahoo answers, don't get a children's guitar ;)

for a beginner....hmmm I dunno. Get a quality acoustic guitar I would say, one that you can play comfortably. Once you can play an acoustic comfortably electric is a breeze. What kind you get all depends on your budget really... get the one that sounds best to you for your budget.

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