I need to buy a guitar but need help?

Question:I have always wanted to learn to play and I just love hearing people play, I love acoustic so I decided I need to get a guitar and learn, I'll practice day and night cuz I really wanna get good at this.. the thing is I don't know anything about what a good guitar is and what I should stay away from.. eventhough I'm basically a beginner, I don't want to get a "beginner" guitar cuz I know I'm not gonna be able to buy another one b4 sometime (financially talking).. so plz u experts out there.. I need advice on where I should start and also do u think a used guitar would be a good way to go (I may get a good one at a low price).. your help is greatly appreciated..

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have always wanted to learn to play and I just love hearing people play, I love acoustic so I decided I need to get a guitar and learn, I'll practice day and night cuz I really wanna get good at this.. the thing is I don't know anything about what a good guitar is and what I should stay away from.. eventhough I'm basically a beginner, I don't want to get a "beginner" guitar cuz I know I'm not gonna be able to buy another one b4 sometime (financially talking).. so plz u experts out there.. I need advice on where I should start and also do u think a used guitar would be a good way to go (I may get a good one at a low price).. your help is greatly appreciated..

Whoo boy, where to start?

There are any number of good midrange guitars out there. And, if you take care of it, even some of the cheaper models aren't too bad (I've got a laminate body Yamaha that's my 'beach' guitar that sounds pretty good after 20+ years of aging and my sometime playing buddy has a laminate Guild that sounds gorgeous). A lot depends on the size of your wallet and what you consider affordable.

Let's take a look at what you're buying...
1. The body: your 1st choice is between a solid top and a laminate top. Laminates are less expensive but don't weather humidity as well. Solid tops are often spruce, but many models now offer more exotic woods both for a different sound quality and for looks.
The 2nd choice is in the woods used. Mahogany back and sides provide a richer sound, rosewood and other woods may be brighter. The more expensive models match the grains, which probably isn't important to you or to the sound you achieve.
The 3rd choice involves back construction. The least expensive models have a single piece back. Others (like my Yamaha) split the back into 2 pieces, and my Martin has a 3-pc back. The reason for this is the same as for putting expansion joints in a concrete road: the grain of the wood is indicative of density and each section absorbs moisture at a different rate. Multiple piece construction allows the wood to expand and contract without splitting.
The 4th thing is something you can only see with difficulty, and that's the internal bracing. Generally speaking, the more expensive the guitar, the better the bracing. Good bracing provides structural strength over both the short and long term AND allows the top to resonate properly.
It's not the color or the artwork that's important, its the wood itself. Laminate and fine grained Sitka spruce can both be quilted or painted.

2. The neck. 3 things about this.
a. The join point: the more the neck protrudes from the body, the better access you have to the higher frets. On the other hand, this puts more tension on the neck and the strings. The strings don't last as long and it can cause structural problems. Even tho it's more difficult to reach the higher frets, I personally prefer a neck that joins the body at the 12th fret.
Speaking of frets, the less expensive guitars use cheaper fretwire. It wears out faster, which can cause buzzing and intonation problems and necessitate refretting.
b. The shape and width of the neck. This is a tough one if you don't already play, as your preferrence will depend on the size of your hand. Some necks are very flat, while others (like my Martin) are more rounded. Some necks are very thin (like a Takamine I had once) while others are more broad, like a classical. What's comfortable for you will depend on the overall size of your hand and the length and width of your fingers. You really need to play for a while so that you can find out what suits you.
c. The 3rd thing to consider is the action. This is something you can only determine by looking at and preferrably playing the instrument. Any guitar should have a small fraction of an inch clearance between the string and the 1st fret. What counts is the gap at the 12th fret. My very first guitar was a $35 Silvertone archtop from Sears. The action was so bad that the instrument wasn't really in tune past the 4th fret and, I like to joke, the strings were so high at the 12th that you had to brush the snow off before you could play there. The gap will be a LITTLE higher at the 12th, but it shouldn't be much greater. Unless you're playing exclusively with a slide.
You also want to look at the neck from each end. The neck should be nearly flat, not bowed either in or out or twisted to either side.
Some guitars have an adjustable bridge to compensate for intonation problems caused by poor neck design (although this practice has largely been abandoned) Stay away from adjustables on acoustic guitars.

3. Tuning machines. Grover and Schaller machines are the best (tho probably overrated), but very few mid-price guitars use them. It's hard to tell what you're actually getting with a no-name /OEM machine. Will it tune smoothly? Will the gears wear out quickly? Again, generally speaking, you'll get better machines with the more expensive model.

4. Finally, there's the matter of electronics. Most guitars are now available in electric/acoustic models and the quality of the pickups and preamps has improved dramatically. If you think you might ever perform as opposed to playing for your own enjoyment, being able to run your instrument into an amp or (better) directly into the PA is a valuable feature and well worth the few extra bucks. (I retrofitted a Fishman onto my Martin).

Having said all that, a beginner guitar (under $200) may be the way to go until you learn to play a little and can go back to some music stores to try out better models and know what you've got in your hand.

If you want to buy new and in the middle price range, be prepared to spend $400-800 for an instrument that will, with care, last you your lifetime. A hardshell case will run you another 100 (Gig bags are for keeping the dust off). Get a stand and a humidistat.

Buying used may not be a bad idea either, as long as you're not buying something that's been abused beyond redemption. I bought my Martin used for half the price of new. It was externally beat up but still played just fine (and still plays just fine 35 years later). But I'd been playing for 10 years by then and I had some idea both of what I wanted and the value of the instrument if I decided I didn't really like it a couple years down the road.

The other possibility is rental. Stores that cater to school music programs often offer instruments for rent. This way you can get a decent axe, get a feel for playing and for what you need in an instrument, and then buy a good one in a couple years.

Hope that helps.

The better guitars are usually respective of price. I would get a cheap, beginners guitar but it is still cool if you want a better one. You should ask the people at the store. There's a chance you might get ripped off, though. I know some shops have tried (and have) sold me junk.

The only good tips I can give you about your question would be better answered by a person who can see you face to face and know your play style, your hand size, your height, your price range, your color preferences...etc.

But some tips would be, go medium quality. If it's your first guitar you want medium quality. Low quality is REALLY not showing your full potential (choppy sound, crappy string quality). If you go high quality you may regret it later because there might be things you don't like about the guitar...and you just spend a grand on it.

A used guitar is not a terrible idea, but you need to make sure everything is working and that you research the price of the used guitar as if it were new so you know you aren't getting scammed or getting a lower quality item.

Make sure you test the guitar beforehand to see how it feels in your hands. Get a professional to test it for you as well so you can hear the sound differences.

Washburn D-10 is a great option for a new player. It's the #1 rated acoustic under $500 (you can find a new one online for around $350.

It's a solid top guitar (which, even if you don't go Washburn, you're going to want), quality tuners, great action, and outstanding tone.

I have a Martin OMC Fingerstyle and a Larivee LSV-11E that are outstanding instruments, but I play my Washburn all the time. It's that good. Plus, you don't want or need to spend $3-4k on a guitar. You will later, trust me, as it gets addictive and different guitars make different sounds and tones.

For now, go with the best solid-top guitar you can afford. For the money, it's the Washburn. And make sure you get a humidifier and a hanging stand -- it pays to protect your investment.

Hope this helps. And happy playing.

I paid $300 australian dollars for my secondhand Washburn Dreadnought acoustic and it has a beautiful tone however I did start off on a yamaha which was a lot cheaper ($70) and that yamaha doesn't go to waste, thats the one I tend to take camping and travelling, it doesn't have the same tonal quality but heck it can take some hard knocks and gets passed around a campfire with no hesitation

I always advise my beginning students to get a Yamaha for about $200.00, even less on sale. You yourself are going to have to try this out to see if it's the sound and action that your looking for...Yamaha has come up with a very nice inexpensive guitar for beginners, it sound is a lot better then it use to be...you'll have to try them out to see if this is what your looking for. I would hate to see you spend a lot of money on one and then don't have the talent or patience required to become a good guitarist. There are so many gutiars out there today, but the better sounding guitars like the Gibsons, Martins, Fenders, Taylors, Ovations, Takamine, Rodriguez, Breedloves, and Cordobas, are expensive, so everything depends on the amount of money that your willing to put into buying one. My advice to most people who want to buy a guitar is to go to someplace like the Guitar Center and sit and play the guitars that you can afford....and then go from there...make sure that the action is good (that the strings are not to high off of the fingerboard making it difficult to press down the strings) and that there are no buzzs....even if you can't play...hold your finger on all the notes and go up and down the fretboard and make sure that all the notes sound clear....when you desicde on a gutiar..get one of the clerks to play it for you...to make sure that that's the sound that your looking for. If you get it home and decide that you don't like it take it back....I was in there about a year ago and spent about $1600.00 on a classical and after about three weeks I decided that there was something that I didn't like about the sound of it, so I took it back, they allow you thirty days for returns.... and got one for half the price and like it a lot better so sometimes it's not the cost. If you can't afford a private teacher or one at a music store here are some sites that I think are great for learning guitar on your own.
http://www.guitarchordsmagic.com/
http://www.billbrutal.com/
http://www.8notes.com/ (free electronic tuner on there homepage, and they also have a lot of interesting things for guitarist on this site, scroll up and down to check them out )
http://www.learn-to-play-guitar-online.i...
http://www.worldguitar.com/
http://www.guitartutoronline.com/
http://www.learnplayguitar.net/
http://www.absolutelyunderstandguitar.co...
http://www.allguitarchords.com/
http://www.fretplay.com/
http://www.justinguitar.com/
Hope that all this helps you to get started...good luck....bye !!!!

Ok. Decide how much you can afford. Go to your local music shop with a knowledgeable friend if possible. Get your friend (or an assistant) to play several guitars in your price range and see which one you like the sound of. Try both nylon and steel strings. (nylon are easier on the fingers at first, steel have a brighter sound). Used is definitely a good way to go, as long as its in good condition. When you have found one, hold it yourself in playing position and see how it feels. Play a few notes, even a chord and see how hard it is to push the strings down. Also see what sort of deal the shop will do- Gig bag? Tuner? and what warranty is offered. Hope this helps.

With guitars, as with nearly anything, you get what you pay for. Music stores are in business to make money & just want to see you walk out the door with SOMEthing, not necissarily the RIGHT thing. If you know someone who has a used one and is just wanting to upgrade, that might be the ticket. Nothing wrong with used guitars usually. Try to find someone who plays to look at and play it first so you can be sure it doesn't have a warped neck or top. Most beginners quit because of their inferior instruments. You sound like you have the right attitude to learn well, just be sure to get something that makes you want to come back to it again and again,