Beginners Guitar

[fly258]

I want to learn to play the guitar and my other half is going to buy me one for Xmas. Can anyone suggest a suitable make / style of guitar to learn with?

[dukas68]

Hi there , Depends how much u want to spend and how committed you are going to be, if you think its going to be a lasting hobby then I suggest you buy a a martin or a takamine , there are some good online guitar shops ,where you can pick these two brands up at about 400-500 pounds much cheaper than in the shops , but with most guitar beginners the thing to do is buy a cheap one till you know you are going to stick at it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,good luck !

scott

[Clanad]

Although it's good advice to buy a less expensive model to see if you really want to play, there are acouple of things to look for.  One, assuming you are talking about an acoustic guitar, be sure the distance between the strings and the frets (the little bars going across the neck of the guitar) is equal all the way up the neck as well as reasonably close to the frets. In a cheap box there is an angle, being larger at the bottom than the top. Otherwise, the fretting (changing chords) becomes more difficult.  Additionally, you'll find that when you first start, your chording fingertips (usually the left hand) will be very sore until you begin to develop calluses, so start out slowly with practice... Luck! (As dukas68 says, you can't go wrong with a Martin, but they are more money).

[hambro]

It's also worth bearing in mind that classical guitars have a relatively wide neck and a slightly concave fretboard, making them difficult on the hands, and that you can get some excellent electric guitars for less than �200.

[fly258]

A friend told me its best to start with a nylon stringed acoustic as its easier on the fingers and the neck tends to be wider making it easier to finger the strings (I have fingers like pigs tits). But I have also read that if you eventually want to play electric then its best to start with electric, hence the confusion.