I was looking around and read about the Seagull S6. I'm not sure if that would completely making me a n00b buying a $400 guitar when I can learn on something else and be happy with it.

TWW, save me from myself.

5/1/2008 7:32:35 AM

Seagull is a good guitar for that price. Plus, you can sell it later if you're sick of playing it. If you want to go something cheaper, go with a Yamaha.

5/1/2008 8:14:33 AM

The last Yamaha I played was a pretty good playing guitar considering how cheap it was.. def a reasonable option

5/1/2008 8:17:36 AM

I would go with a Stratocaster, a knock-off of course, because they're easy to move on and great for a first guitar

5/1/2008 8:20:44 AM

figured he was looking for an acoustic of acoustic electric..

5/1/2008 8:22:29 AM

I would highly recommend you stay away from acoustic as your first guitar, they're much harder to play.

5/1/2008 8:24:55 AM

Which is exactly why you start with an acoustic....?

5/1/2008 8:34:32 AM

^amen.

5/1/2008 8:35:16 AM

Ah yes start with the hardest guitar out there, brilliant! I'm just saying it's probably better to start with something a little easier so one can get a feel for it.

5/1/2008 8:51:53 AM

Starting out with an acoustic will build hand strength and the all-important calluses. If you ever want to play an acoustic, that's what you need to start on. If you learn on an electric, transferring the skills to acoustic at a later date is going to be rather difficult, since you will also have to get used to the higher action, heavier strings, bulkier neck, etc. whereas going the other direction is a piece of cake. If you don't care about acoustic and all you ever want to play is electric, well then that is where you should start. But in most cases I recommend starting acoustic.

5/1/2008 8:58:17 AM

Quote :

"I would highly recommend you stay away from acoustic as your first guitar, they're much harder to play."

do not listen to this advice.

learning on acoustic IS HARDER, but it teaches a lot of good habits and technique that will otherwise be lost to OMG LOOK AT ME I CAN PLAY A POWERCORD!!1!

I wish I had learned on acoustic and recommend that anyone looking to learn to play does.

5/1/2008 9:03:36 AM

I've got a Taylor Big Baby, it is a 15/16th scale guitar (not kidding).

It is a solid top too, which is a nice feature in an inexpensive guitar and runs around $450 - $500. It plays well and is a downright good looking guitar. You will notice the subsize a bit in tone, but it still sounds and plays great.

5/1/2008 10:00:17 AM

I went to Harry's Guitar Shop with this exact question


The older skinny dude with the glasses recommended an Alvarez acoustic. It was $200.


Basically, I wanted something that would sound decent, but also be priced low enough that if in 3 months I threw the thing in the closet and never played it again, I wouldn't feel like I just wasted my money.

I was very happy with my purchase, it's a good starter guitar, and the sound is great, and I kept up the playing for over a year, so I definitely got my money's worth out of it. I don't play as much anymore since I quit taking lessons.


I was told not to get an electric as my first guitar if I wanted to learn to play. The basic argument was it was a bit harder to learn acoustic, but your learning curve is way higher. If you can master the acoustic guitar, your skills on the electric are amazing.

Plus, he said it can be a bit harder to find an electric guitar that is 'right' for me, since I never even picked up a guitar before that. He said once I learn to play, I'll know what I like better, and it will make for a better decision if I decide in the future to buy another guitar.


I'd say go acoustic, go to Harry's and find something nice. If $200 for a basic guitar is still outta your range, you can always try to find the same guitar used and get it half priced

5/1/2008 10:21:47 AM

I have an alvarez acoustic that I got a killer deal on. Had I not of been offered it at below dealer cost I would have bought a Seagull S6.

Definitely learn on an acoustic.

5/1/2008 10:37:08 AM

Quote :

"Quote : "I would highly recommend you stay away from acoustic as your first guitar, they're much harder to play." do not listen to this advice."

2nd this....learn with the acoustic and if / when you make the transition you'll have a much better foundation to build on, not to mention it will feel like a piece of cake. Build your chord knowledge first; focus on being a rockstar later

Takamine makes nice sounding acoustics; they have several in the entry level price range

[Edited on May 1, 2008 at 2:35 PM. Reason : .]

5/1/2008 2:34:09 PM

I have an alvarez acoustic as well,
my dad picked it out for me and he has been playing for 30+ years
i've had it for over 10 years now and it is still an awesome guitar
plus it was relatively cheap.

5/1/2008 4:38:21 PM

I'd just buy a cheap $60 guitar from a pawn shop somewhere out in small town USA. If you want to keep playing you can get a better one, if not you're not out $400.

5/1/2008 7:05:14 PM

^ no. sub-$100 guitars, pawn shop or not, are so hard to play and sound so bad that they can easily turn you off of playing. you get what you pay for...luckily, these days, ~$200 buys you a decent enough guitar that you can actually progress in your playing.

5/2/2008 4:41:56 PM

acoustic is a bad idea. if your only argument for getting an acoustic is that it limits what you can play and corners you into developing good habits... i'd say that's not a very strong argument.

5/2/2008 4:48:06 PM

how in the hell does it limit what you can play any more than an electric does? they're two entirely different animals, and each can do things that the other can't. hell, lots of electrics can do things that other electrics can't.

5/2/2008 5:02:09 PM

sound-wise they're different, but you can do things physically on an electric that you cannot, or at least cannot do w/ anywhere near the same level of ease, on an acoustic.

5/2/2008 5:18:31 PM

and there are things you can do physically with an acoustic that are impossible on an electric (i'm looking at you, kaki king)

then there's the matter of the only decent-sounding amp that weighs under 35 lbs. being somewhat of a collector's item

plus, a cheap starter acoustic is going to hold its value better than a cheap strat copy with godawful pickups and a crappy fret job...it's much easier for a company to slap together a cheap strat and sell it for close to the same price as a decently-made set neck acoustic, but it won't sound nearly as nice

and strats suck

5/2/2008 5:25:45 PM

i think it's safe to say this guy's not going to be playing any slap guitar anytime soon.

and are you really worried about the quality of investment in a $400 guitar?

5/2/2008 5:29:34 PM

i dunno about you, but $400 is still a good bit of money to me, especially if it's something i'm not sure i'm going to like and just might be selling in the near future

and just like anything else that's in a tweener price range, you can get a lot more for your money by doing a little research and looking around

if you've got the time and energy, there's no reason not to

5/2/2008 5:32:54 PM

if you're really worried about the money involved, then rent a guitar (acoustic or electric... but i still say electric) for a few months and see if you're into it.

i'm not saying that you should just spend $400 or whatever you spend w/o looking into it, but i would think that you're not planning on turning around in a few months and selling it, and thus not too worried about how well it holds its value.

5/2/2008 5:35:12 PM

i think the solution to our problem is a danelectro convertible

\/ or that.

i've got a seagull that i've had for over ten years, and the finish is wearing wonderfully. hell, the thing still sounds beautiful even though it's bellying a little because i accidentally put a second hole in the top when i was a junior in high school.

5/2/2008 5:40:19 PM

get the seagull.

5/2/2008 5:53:11 PM

get whatever feels fun

5/2/2008 6:04:03 PM

oops

5/2/2008 6:52:39 PM

is it funny that i'm advocating starting with an acoustic when i started with an electric and bought three more before i got my seagull?

5/2/2008 6:55:36 PM

ive never owned an acoustic

5/2/2008 7:02:39 PM

^^ lol, more curious.

i guess as long as we're being frank, i've never owned an acoustic, and haven't played guitar in about 6 years. i want to get back into it, but i think i'm going to try to learn to play the piano first.

5/2/2008 7:55:55 PM

I started on acoustic, and I'm glad I did. I still prefer my acoustic over my electric. I just wish I had started 10 years earlier when my dad wanted me to.

edit: I have a ~10 year old Alvarez that still sounds/looks great.

[Edited on May 2, 2008 at 8:31 PM. Reason : .]

5/2/2008 8:29:07 PM

Quote :

"acoustic is a bad idea. if your only argument for getting an acoustic is that it limits what you can play and corners you into developing good habits... i'd say that's not a very strong argument. "

acoustic is not a bad idea.. sure if you wanna look cool in front of your friends playing some shitty easy as fuck rock music that's 3 chords go ahead and get an electric. if you want to really learn to play the guitar then start on an acoustic. as everybody has already say, an electric will be easy to play in comparison and long term you'll be glad you started on acoustic

5/2/2008 8:37:19 PM

^ ok, first of all, electric being easier to play is a positive for a beginner.

and second of all, at this age, all the tools buy acoustics so they can be ready to show off in a moment's notice.

5/2/2008 8:42:06 PM

easier to play really isn't a plus if you're really looking to learn

if you're looking to be an instant gratification toolbag who can play fifteen songs from the radio but looks at you funny if you say "12 bar in g" it might be, but i don't think we're dealing with that here

5/2/2008 9:34:59 PM

b/c that is the only outcome possible if you buy an electric guitar.

and don't act like there aren't toolbags who play nothing but sublime and don't know anything about the instrument, b/c there are PLENTY.

and it's absolutely a plus that it's easier to play. you wouldn't give a new driver an f1 car to learn on, you give them a honda.

5/3/2008 12:31:17 AM

Quote :

"acoustic is not a bad idea.. sure if you wanna look cool in front of your friends playing some shitty easy as fuck rock music that's 3 chords go ahead and get an electric. if you want to really learn to play the guitar then start on an acoustic. as everybody has already say, an electric will be easy to play in comparison and long term you'll be glad you started on acoustic"

generally the people who only play acoustics are the ones who pick up the guitar and play 'easy as fuck' rock music with your standard open chords....not saying there arent tons of power chording kids on electrics either but the acoustic guitar is your classic "i cant really play guitar but i can play these 5 90s radio rock songs on this acoustic guitar at parties" situation in college.

5/3/2008 12:35:24 AM

^ THANK YOU!

5/3/2008 12:36:43 AM

the fact is that we're both generalizing here, and it's been twelve years since i was in this situation, so i'm gonna go with dakota_man:

Quote :

"get whatever feels fun"

5/3/2008 10:10:05 AM

yea i mean im not knocking acoustics at all, I love the way they sound too. I was just trying ScHpEnXeL that his logic didnt really hold up because it goes both ways.

5/3/2008 1:33:57 PM

I have a beginner electric guitar and a bunch of other stuff to go with it that I'll give to you for $75

5/3/2008 7:12:15 PM

Just get the acoustic, they're much easier to get rid of in the music world. If you don't like it, you can find some dumbass that wants to play bluegrass/rock/country/fucked upper than hell bullshit and pawn it off on them.

An electric takes a bit more work to get rid of since you've got the amp and everything else.


Been there, done that, lost the money on the electric.

5/4/2008 12:04:47 AM

i dont really have an opinion either way, but if he is just starting out he really shouldnt have to worry about "the amp and everything else" because at most hes going to have some tiny practice amp (which are the easiest amps to sell) and a cheap instrument cable to go along with the guitar.

and speaking from just guitars, you shouldnt really lose more money on electric vs acoustic. In fact I see more quality electrics gaining value over time than I do acoustics. But once again hes going to be getting a cheap beginners one so he doesnt have much to lose to begin with.

5/4/2008 12:56:28 AM

^ Eh, to each his own opinion. Where I'm at, I couldn't get rid of an electric for 50 cents. Of course I'm in Northwestern NC so the majority of people around here play acoustic because of all the bluegrass, so I won't argue that in a larger area like Raleigh you could get rid of an electric just as easy.

I'm partial to the acoustics because I never have to search for an outlet, and I prefer the overall sound. Once again though, in a cheap starter guitar, that's (the sound) going to be not quite terrific either way.

If you do decide to go acoustic, I've seen some Blueridge guitars go for ~$350-$400 lately around here. That's a damn good deal for a mid-range acoustic guitar. The Blueridge is the hot shit right now for a lot of players, because it's a cheap version of the Martin D-28. They're not bad, but they're no Martin, either. (FWIW, I don't even play the guitar anymore. I played for about 10 years, then I switched to acoustic/double/dawghouse/upright bass)

5/4/2008 3:00:11 AM

Quote :

"acoustic is not a bad idea.. sure if you wanna look cool in front of your friends playing some shitty easy as fuck rock music that's 3 chords go ahead and get an electric. if you want to really learn to play the guitar then start on an acoustic. as everybody has already say, an electric will be easy to play in comparison and long term you'll be glad you started on acoustic"

This is a stupid point to argue for acoustic. I learned on acoustic and i was playing plenty of metal shit on it way back when..

What acoustic did for me that electric NEVER did was focus on accuracy and cleanliness. Its really easy to sound like shit on an acoustic, so it forces you to play perfectly in order to sound halfway decent. Mistakes on electrics are easily covered up by effects

5/4/2008 4:12:07 AM

i can agree with that. If im not actually trying to write parts, I almost always practice unplugged on my electric.

5/4/2008 4:46:49 AM

Quote :

"What acoustic did for me that electric NEVER did was focus on accuracy and cleanliness. Its really easy to sound like shit on an acoustic, so it forces you to play perfectly in order to sound halfway decent. Mistakes on electrics are easily covered up by effects"

totally. and if you're going to be practicing a lot, it's much easier to take an acoustic and go sit outside than drag an amp out there.

i have an ibanez acoustic/electric, i think it was $375 (got it on sale half price) and it plays beautifully. i've had it since 2001 and have never had a problem with it.

5/4/2008 9:27:40 AM

Definitely start on acoustic. I recommend learning to play a classic first (nylon string), then switch to steel string, then electric. That's basically in order of decreasing difficulty, and the skills you learn on a classic (i.e. learning to use all 10 of your fingers) are invaluable.

But most people will begin with a steel string acoustic, and as far as choosing a guitar...just go and play around on some cheaper guitars until you find one that you like. They're kinda like puppies, they choose you.

5/4/2008 1:48:10 PM

Acoustic ==> Electric ===> Then one of these






Seriously though, it's turned into a pissing contest between the electric / acoustic players. If you want to build the hand strength first, get an acoustic. If you want to ease your way and also purchase an amp, go with an electric. It ultimately comes down to what your aspirations are musically.

[Edited on May 5, 2008 at 10:20 AM. Reason : .]

5/5/2008 10:19:59 AM