How hard is it to learn acoustic guitar?

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James

Im thinking about getting a acoustic guitar, also what is the best brand, how long would it take to learn enough to play decently.
Then also if i took lessons or not.

Answer
It's hard. If it were easy then everybody would do it. But it has been the most rewarding thing I've ever done next to raising my children. And I've raised both of them as musicians. How fast you'll learn depends on you and how good your guitar teacher is. I'm a guitar instructor and most of my students can be playing songs after 4 to 6 lessons and be competent players in a year or so. The best guitar is the one you feel the most comfortable with. The best brands are Gibson, Taylor, Martin, Epiphone Masterbilt, Washburn. These are also some of the most expensive brands. You get what you pay for in the guitar world. But there are many less expensive ones on the market for the beginning player. Good luck and hope you stay with it.

What kind of marker/pen would be best to draw on an acoustic guitar?

erniecc90

I just bought an Ibanez electro-acoustic guitar, and I want to draw a rose on the back of the headstock. What kind of marker would be best for a good finish?

Please only answer if you really know what you're doing and mean what you're saying. I traded in my other guitar for this one, so it's my only one and I REALLY don't want to mess it up. Thanks.

Answer
personal experience, i used a sharpie and it faded from my hand rubbing against it and the pick scratching, so i redid it and put old english on it (the wood finish not the beer, its sad that we live in a world where id need to say that) and its perfect to this day. search chris' guitar on photobucket and u can see it, i think that one is still in a public album

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How do I choose the right electric-acoustic guitar?

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Lucas

I'm going to buy an electric-acoustic guitar in the coming weeks, but I really don't know how to judge them. I feel I've made good choices with my other guitars (acoustic and electric), but I haven't had much experience with the hybrid. Do I hold them to the same standards of feel and sound as an acoustic? Should an electric-acoustic sound just as good unplugged as an acoustic does? Should I go for a straight pickup system, or a mic-and-pickup?

Any answers at all would be very appreciated.

Answer
It depends - are you going to use it mainly plugged in or acoustic? If you already have a good acoustic then it's plugged in sound is the most important, right? Takamine makes some laminate top guitars with their premium pick-up system (Nt4, I think) - they sound weak acoustically but sound perfect plugged in. If you want the best of both worlds, try the Alvarez Artist Series - you get a choice of body styles and woods and a great pick-up system (Sys 600). You can plug a mic into the system. Going up the $$$ scale, Taylor's expression system sounds great, as does the Fishman Aura system that Martin uses on some guitars. I would avoid the standard systems on Epiphones and Ibanez etc - they sound too electric. Make sure you try them out with the type of amplifier or PA you are going to use - it makes a big difference, some pick-up systems have an "exciter" to make guitar amps sound more acoustic.
In a band situation, mic systems always seem to feed back - I would use one only if you play solo - or maybe a duo with low volume monitors. Good Luck

How hard is it to learn acoustic guitar?

James

Im thinking about getting a acoustic guitar, also what is the best brand, how long would it take to learn enough to play decently.
Then also if i took lessons or not.

Answer
It's hard. If it were easy then everybody would do it. But it has been the most rewarding thing I've ever done next to raising my children. And I've raised both of them as musicians. How fast you'll learn depends on you and how good your guitar teacher is. I'm a guitar instructor and most of my students can be playing songs after 4 to 6 lessons and be competent players in a year or so. The best guitar is the one you feel the most comfortable with. The best brands are Gibson, Taylor, Martin, Epiphone Masterbilt, Washburn. These are also some of the most expensive brands. You get what you pay for in the guitar world. But there are many less expensive ones on the market for the beginning player. Good luck and hope you stay with it.

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How do I choose the right electric-acoustic guitar?

best acoustic guitars of the world image

Lucas

I'm going to buy an electric-acoustic guitar in the coming weeks, but I really don't know how to judge them. I feel I've made good choices with my other guitars (acoustic and electric), but I haven't had much experience with the hybrid. Do I hold them to the same standards of feel and sound as an acoustic? Should an electric-acoustic sound just as good unplugged as an acoustic does? Should I go for a straight pickup system, or a mic-and-pickup?

Any answers at all would be very appreciated.

Answer
It depends - are you going to use it mainly plugged in or acoustic? If you already have a good acoustic then it's plugged in sound is the most important, right? Takamine makes some laminate top guitars with their premium pick-up system (Nt4, I think) - they sound weak acoustically but sound perfect plugged in. If you want the best of both worlds, try the Alvarez Artist Series - you get a choice of body styles and woods and a great pick-up system (Sys 600). You can plug a mic into the system. Going up the $$$ scale, Taylor's expression system sounds great, as does the Fishman Aura system that Martin uses on some guitars. I would avoid the standard systems on Epiphones and Ibanez etc - they sound too electric. Make sure you try them out with the type of amplifier or PA you are going to use - it makes a big difference, some pick-up systems have an "exciter" to make guitar amps sound more acoustic.
In a band situation, mic systems always seem to feed back - I would use one only if you play solo - or maybe a duo with low volume monitors. Good Luck

How hard is it to learn acoustic guitar?

James

Im thinking about getting a acoustic guitar, also what is the best brand, how long would it take to learn enough to play decently.
Then also if i took lessons or not.

Answer
It's hard. If it were easy then everybody would do it. But it has been the most rewarding thing I've ever done next to raising my children. And I've raised both of them as musicians. How fast you'll learn depends on you and how good your guitar teacher is. I'm a guitar instructor and most of my students can be playing songs after 4 to 6 lessons and be competent players in a year or so. The best guitar is the one you feel the most comfortable with. The best brands are Gibson, Taylor, Martin, Epiphone Masterbilt, Washburn. These are also some of the most expensive brands. You get what you pay for in the guitar world. But there are many less expensive ones on the market for the beginning player. Good luck and hope you stay with it.

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What is the best way to amplify my acoustic guitar without major modifications?

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Melissa

Hi guys. My name is Melissa and I'm trying to figure out the best option to amplify my acoustic guitar without making any major modifications such as drilling or widening holes. My acoustic guitar is a very old Gibson which was given to me by my grandfather who played jazz guitar in swing bands during World War 2. They really were the greatest generation. He passed away recently and the night before he passed, we spent time together. He told me I should find a way to amplify the guitar so I can play it through an electric amp. I learned to play on this guitar and always practice acoustically. The tone is amazing on this guitar and it would sound great through an amplifier. Right now, I just hear everything through the circular soundhole.

Any advice or information would help. If you can tell me a particular part name or brand. Thanks so much!

Answer
Either a magnetic soundhole pickup like the one Mikey linked to, or a cheap stick-on transducer like this: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_acoustic/Schatten_Soundboard_Transducer.html
You could just let the jack hang if you didn't want to permanently mod the guitar. Maybe put the transducer inside the guitar if you're not certain about whether the adhesive might leave a mark.

Instructions can also be found on the web for making your own transducer - I remember doing it many years ago using the piezo element from a Radio Shack doorbell buzzer. ;) Didn't sound like much but it was cheap!

Who makes the best acoustic guitars?

Devin

I have a guitar right now but its kinda a piece of junk. Picked it up at a thrift store for 30 bucks, I dont even know who makes it.

So what brand makes the best acoustic guitars? I dont mean the best in the whole world, just really really good. Something that sounds really nice and beautiful.

Answer
What you have cannot really be called a guitar. ;) Below $100 new you'll find mainly junk or toys for kids, and a used guitar runs about half the price of a new one.

There are lots of good high-end brands ($1000 and up). Martin and Taylor are well known, and there are also many boutique and custom builders. Companies that are good in one price range are not necessarily good in another, so answering your question won't really help you.

If you want something better than your $30 guitar, but want to stay within an entry level price range (about $150-300), I would suggest the Yamaha FG-700S for $200. It's a great guitar for the money and has a solid spruce top, something ordinarily found on more expensive instruments.

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What kind of marker/pen would be best to draw on an acoustic guitar?

best acoustic guitars of the world image

erniecc90

I just bought an Ibanez electro-acoustic guitar, and I want to draw a rose on the back of the headstock. What kind of marker would be best for a good finish?

Please only answer if you really know what you're doing and mean what you're saying. I traded in my other guitar for this one, so it's my only one and I REALLY don't want to mess it up. Thanks.

Answer
personal experience, i used a sharpie and it faded from my hand rubbing against it and the pick scratching, so i redid it and put old english on it (the wood finish not the beer, its sad that we live in a world where id need to say that) and its perfect to this day. search chris' guitar on photobucket and u can see it, i think that one is still in a public album

What kind of acoustic guitar should i buy for beginners?

Lady Dee

So im new to the guitar world.So what kind of guitar should i get the price range under $200 or 300. And what other stuff should i get with the guitar.

Answer
Yamaha's are really good for beginners and affordable! They have great sound, and look great. Believe me, I own one! Some other stuff that you should get with the guitar is probably a tuner. I have a tuner and a Yamaha, that's basically what you need. But you'd always want extra strings but you might also want to see this.
http://www.zzounds.com/cat--Guitar-Accessories--2545
Yamaha's are sold basically everywhere, and you can find them on this website.
http://www.yamaha.com/guitars/home/
http://shopping.yahoo.com/s:Acoustic%20Guitars:4168-Brand=Yamaha
I try going to the second website, it's easier to navigate.
Hope this helps!

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What kind of marker/pen would be best to draw on an acoustic guitar?

best acoustic guitars of the world image

erniecc90

I just bought an Ibanez electro-acoustic guitar, and I want to draw a rose on the back of the headstock. What kind of marker would be best for a good finish?

Please only answer if you really know what you're doing and mean what you're saying. I traded in my other guitar for this one, so it's my only one and I REALLY don't want to mess it up. Thanks.

Answer
personal experience, i used a sharpie and it faded from my hand rubbing against it and the pick scratching, so i redid it and put old english on it (the wood finish not the beer, its sad that we live in a world where id need to say that) and its perfect to this day. search chris' guitar on photobucket and u can see it, i think that one is still in a public album

What kind of acoustic guitar should i buy for beginners?

Lady Dee

So im new to the guitar world.So what kind of guitar should i get the price range under $200 or 300. And what other stuff should i get with the guitar.

Answer
Yamaha's are really good for beginners and affordable! They have great sound, and look great. Believe me, I own one! Some other stuff that you should get with the guitar is probably a tuner. I have a tuner and a Yamaha, that's basically what you need. But you'd always want extra strings but you might also want to see this.
http://www.zzounds.com/cat--Guitar-Accessories--2545
Yamaha's are sold basically everywhere, and you can find them on this website.
http://www.yamaha.com/guitars/home/
http://shopping.yahoo.com/s:Acoustic%20Guitars:4168-Brand=Yamaha
I try going to the second website, it's easier to navigate.
Hope this helps!

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