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

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.

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.

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...

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 ?

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.

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

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.

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

mom?

Hi guys

Yesterday we were searching for my oldest son a specific PSP game and went from mall to mall and was refered to Parow centres Musica. A few shops from Musica is Pieter Smuts music shop Dihann's eyes lit up as there were A LOT of guitars.

Went in the guys were super helpfull. He first gave him an 1/2 size and then a 3/4 size Ella make (really really hope it's not bad!!!!) They let him play a bit on both he liked the 3/4 size beter and he also recommended the 3/4.

I bought him the 3/4 Ella guitar for R595 he set it up(tune) it for him and for me when the guy played it sounded good. He sad as it's new and the strings will stretch and will need to be tuned again till it's played in.

They also gave him an pick and a Rockbag (Warwick)

Please tell me this is all good?

Nylon strings? The three thinnest ones?

Hopefully it'll be ok. The guitar teacher will say whether it needs a proper set-up. This means making sure that the strings are close enough to the finger board - and that they stay the same height all the way along it - to be played easily. That's the real key at this point. If it's too hard to press the strings down it makes it tough to learn guitar. But hopefully it'll be fine.

mom wrote: I bought him the 3/4 Ella guitar for R595 he set it up(tune) it for him and for me when the guy played it sounded good. He sad as it's new and the strings will stretch and will need to be tuned again till it's played in.

Tuning the guitar is not a set up - and I hope the salesman didn't try to convince you it was.

The strings will stretch if they're new, but tuning problems are not necessarily attributable to new strings.

But the guitar is bought, the die is cast... let's hope it goes well for your son. Ask the teacher to give the guitar the once over.

A few pics


just after I bought it


This is what he be doing since he got the guitar.

X-rated Bob wrote:

mom wrote: I bought him the 3/4 Ella guitar for R595 he set it up(tune) it for him and for me when the guy played it sounded good. He sad as it's new and the strings will stretch and will need to be tuned again till it's played in.

Tuning the guitar is not a set up - and I hope the salesman didn't try to convince you it was.

The strings will stretch if they're new, but tuning problems are not necessarily attributable to new strings.

But the guitar is bought, the die is cast... let's hope it goes well for your son. Ask the teacher to give the guitar the once over.

I really hope all I wasn't taken for a ride flip xfingers. His first lesson is the 19th July. They guy didn't say anything about setup he tuned it (ingestem) and just said said it mayb go aff as the strings are new.

singemonkey wrote: Nylon strings? The three thinnest ones?

Hopefully it'll be ok. The guitar teacher will say whether it needs a proper set-up. This means making sure that the strings are close enough to the finger board - and that they stay the same height all the way along it - to be played easily. That's the real key at this point. If it's too hard to press the strings down it makes it tough to learn guitar. But hopefully it'll be fine.

yup nylon although the top 3 are apparently covered in steel?

I so wished I knew more or my grand father was still alive as he used to play guitar and various other instruments

mom wrote: I really hope all I wasn't taken for a ride flip xfingers. His first lesson is the 19th July. They guy didn't say anything about setup he tuned it (ingestem) and just said said it mayb go aff as the strings are new.

OK... and to be fair, at that price no shop is going to chuck in any kind of set up for free.

Hope the lessons go well ?

Haha. Pictures are great ? The little guy looks set to be the next Paco de Lucia.

Keep in touch and let us know how he gets on.