Help - where to begin? what guitar?

mom

Hi my 7year old son start next term with lessons.

Where to I start? All hs teacher said don't buy cheap as you cant "set" it, is that the word?

I don't want to spend R1000's on his first guitar but also don't want to buy crap. She also said don't go to small/beginner as they then outgrow it in a year?

Any advice will be HUGELY appreatiated!

Thanks
despirate mom

Averatu

mom wrote: Hi my 7year old son start next term with lessons.

Where to I start? All hs teacher said don't buy cheap as you cant "set" it, is that the word?

I don't want to spend R1000's on his first guitar but also don't want to buy crap. She also said don't go to small/beginner as they then outgrow it in a year?

Any advice will be HUGELY appreatiated!

Thanks
despirate mom

I assume he's doing classical at school? Yamaha make decent quality guitars that wont bankrupt you. Dealers depending where you are.

mom

yip classical

and hour per week ( she takes them 2 per lesson) does that sound ok?

You have an idea more or less price?

MikeM

Yup. I'm not sure what the deal is on smaller vs full size guitars anymore, although I played a 3/4 for a year or so (around 9/10), I see young kids on youtube playing full size guitars quite regularly.

Irrespective of what you do decide, try and budget in a set up from a well reputed guitar tech, even if it's a couple months after purchasing the guitar. I remember dealing with a poorly set up (well not set up at all) guitar for years, and would have had a much easier time playing a properly set up guitar.

A cheap 3/4 might last 4 or 5 years until fingers will be getting cramped up and necessitate a full size.

Averatu

Depends on lesson style. You could get a decent guitar for about R1000, you'll probably have to buy 3/4 size. Dont know dealers in CT.

mom

am i allowed to post an link form gumtree here as i saw something that looks okish for me but actually don't know anything so I go on looks ???
?

Averatu

No prob, we do it all the time.
I'm not an acoustic player, check back in the morning when the grandpa's guitar experts are logged in.

MikeM

Almost all links are allowed on here, as long as you aren't advertising your own products ?

mom

cool!! what you guys think about this?

http://capetown-westerncape.gumtree.co.za/c-Sports-Leisure-musical-instruments-SX-Beginners-Guitar-W0QQAdIdZ392771201

MikeM

I think it's always best to chat to the teacher about these things, but acoustic guitars come in 2 main varieties, steel and nylon stringed.

Typically nyloned string (classical) guitars are a bit easier on the fingers. Here's one on GT, I bought a similar model when I was around 11 and still own it ?

http://capetown-westerncape.gumtree.co.za/c-Sports-Leisure-musical-instruments-Yamaha-C40M-Classical-Guitar-with-RockBag-W0QQAdIdZ392632243

Tokai-SA

I suggest you buy the guitar from a music store...and if possible take the teacher into the store with you.

Go to Bothners in Plumbstead, they're the Cort distributors, I'm sure they'll have the perfect guitar for you at a great price...why take a chance on Gumtree.

mom

Thanks MikeM I send and mail to the person on GM.

We stay 60km from Cape Town so not possible taking his teacher with. She did say please no steel strings.

ZarK

If he's going to do classical guitar (nylon strings), I'd definitely recommend a 3/4 Yamaha at his age. Even he needs a folk guitar, the Yamaha's are usually very good instruments at every price point. May be an advantage when its time to resell and upgrade to a full size...

DaFiz

That SX beginner's guitar is a steel string. The Yamaha in MikeM's link is the best of what's on display on gumtree at the moment.
There are a few similar guitars that are a bit cheaper, but there is really no need to spend more than R1000 on a nylon string guitar for a beginner.
http://capetown-westerncape.gumtree.co.za/f-classical-guitar-Sports-Leisure-musical-instruments-W0QQCatIdZ9206QQKeywordZclassicalQ20guitarQQisSearchFormZtrue ?

Bob-Dubery

mom wrote: Hi my 7year old son start next term with lessons.

Where to I start? All hs teacher said don't buy cheap as you cant "set" it, is that the word?

I don't want to spend R1000's on his first guitar but also don't want to buy crap. She also said don't go to small/beginner as they then outgrow it in a year?

Any advice will be HUGELY appreatiated!

Thanks
despirate mom

The "set" is "set up". This is the general playability of the guitar - how well it stays in tune as you move around the neck, how much physical effort is required to fret a string and so on. The teacher is giving you good advice here - novice players (and novice parents ?) don't know good from bad regarding guitars, and a poorly set up instrument can convince a novice player that they have no chance when the real problem is the instrument itself.

Stay away from the house brands in places like Cash Convertors. That's the sort of thing that the teacher is warning against. A couple of years ago a few of us combined efforts to provide tuition to a guy who was a long-term hospital patient. He had taken some of his savings and sent a friend to buy one of these house brand guitars - it was truly diabolical, though he had no way of knowing.

I would ask the teacher for recommendations. Also the teacher may have a relationship with some store or other and you may get a slightly better price if the teacher buys for you or introduces you to the store.

There's been several suggestions for Yamaha, and that's a good brand for the sort of thing you're looking for - reasonably priced nylon string guitar for beginners. You might look at Ibanez as well. But ask the teacher.

Your teacher has specified no steel strings. So if you go to a shop then stress that you want a NYLON string guitar.

Squonk

Ibanez do a great 3\4 nylon guitar package that includes a bag, tuner as well. Not the best, but can stay in tune. Try local guitar shop. I got it for R800 on special. On holiday so can't post the link

chris77

X-rated Bob wrote:
mom wrote: Hi my 7year old son start next term with lessons.

Where to I start? All hs teacher said don't buy cheap as you cant "set" it, is that the word?

I don't want to spend R1000's on his first guitar but also don't want to buy crap. She also said don't go to small/beginner as they then outgrow it in a year?

Any advice will be HUGELY appreatiated!

Thanks
The "set" is "set up". This is the general playability of the guitar - how well it stays idespirate mom
I would ask the teacher for recommendations. Also the teacher may have a relationship with some store or other and you may get a slightly better price if the teacher buys for you or introduces you to the store.

Cool, congrats on investing in your son's interest at such a young age. 8) I ussually would tell you to buy second hand, but in this case it might be better to buy new, purely for the fact that you can have the store set-up the guitar for you upon purchase. (Learning to play on a badly set-up guitar is like learning to ride a bike on a bicycle with square wooden wheels.) As Bob alluded to, the stores' sticker prices are more of a guideline to what they are willing to accept for the instrument than a price set in stone, so there is room for a bit of wheeling and dealing if you're prepared to haggle. I would suggest finding a guitar in your price range and spec and instead of haggling for a discount, ask them to please set it up for you as part of the deal. They are more than willing to do it if you buy an expensive guitar, but if you ask nice and don't nag for a better price they should be willing to do a basic setup for a cheaper guitar as well. Good luck hey.

Lfan

Cool Yamaha Nylon string R650

Looks good to me

http://johannesburg.gumtree.co.za/c-Sports-Leisure-musical-instruments-Yamaha-cg100-acoustic-guitar-for-sale-nylon-strings-W0QQAdIdZ393046766

chilliepot

You can get a good Yamaha C40M for R800 maybe a little more. You cant go wrong on that!

singemonkey

mom?