Newbie to guitar

SpiderPig_za

Hi there boys and girls.
My name is Marius Diedericks aged 22 (turning 23 on 17 October) I'm from a small town called Vryheid.
I always wanted to start playing guitar but never had the opportunity to start so I decided now is the time to start.
I read through the forum before I registered and saw a few interesting threads posted by members.

I want to purchase a guitar but am on a tight budget.
I'm looking at getting the Fender Squier Strat

Can anybody tell me if it a good idea to buy this bundle or should I rather look around for something else?

singemonkey

Hey. Welcome to the forum and guitar playing.

I recently wrote a piece here about this and it'd be interesting to hear your take on it, even if it doesn't work for you:

http://www.guitarforum.co.za/guitar-gear/buying-your-first-gear-the-smart-way-the-singemonkey-approach/

The short version is, I don't think Squiers are very good for the money in general, and I think you should spend your entire initial budget buying the best guitar you can get - used will get you a better one for the same money.

Nitebob

SpiderPig_za wrote: Hi there boys and girls.
My name is Marius Diedericks aged 22 (turning 23 on 17 October) I'm from a small town called Vryheid.
I always wanted to start playing guitar but never had the opportunity to start so I decided now is the time to start.
I read through the forum before I registered and saw a few interesting threads posted by members.

I want to purchase a guitar but am on a tight budget.
I'm looking at getting the Fender Squier Strat

Can anybody tell me if it a good idea to buy this bundle or should I rather look around for something else?

What you have there is not a Fender strat, but a Squier made by (actually just under licence of) Fender.

There are some good ones, but there are some things to look out for as well, search the forum, you'll get the info... and WELCOME!!!

SpiderPig_za

Thanks will read through it. Does anybody maybe know of a good online shop where I can buy guitars from?

Psean

Welcome ?

I can't help with an online store, but I can definitely recommend the singemonkey approach: I went with a second hand Mexican Fender Strat (which I got for roughly the price of a new Squire) and spent my entire initial budget on the guitar and saved up for an amp a while down the line. I now own a guitar and amp whose quality far exceed my ability, and that I will probably keep for many years to come, both for reasonable prices.

The Mex Strat is so much better than a Squire, I compared both when buying and have played some squires since.

Oh, and as a point of reference, what is that Squire bundle going for at the moment?

Squonk

What about a good second hand Nylon - There are some reasonable bargains on the net (www.gumtree.co.za)

Can always save up for a decent electric and amp later , but at least you can start learning the basics now

singemonkey

I would not recommend the nylon string route. A nylon string guitar is quite a different beast from a steel-string guitar. Learn nylon if you intend to play nylon. It is no longer necessary to learn it and then convert to steel-playing.

Electric guitars are also easier to play than many steel string acoustic guitars. If the OP intends to play electric guitar, I'd strongly recommend that in this day and age you start with an electric guitar.

ezietsman

singemonkey wrote: I would not recommend the nylon string route. A nylon string guitar is quite a different beast from a steel-string guitar. Learn nylon if you intend to play nylon. It is no longer necessary to learn it and then convert to steel-playing.

Electric guitars are also easier to play than many steel string acoustic guitars. If the OP intends to play electric guitar, I'd strongly recommend that in this day and age you start with an electric guitar.

+1 skip the nylon, get the electric from the get-go, I would not even recommend a steel-string acoustic. Singemonkey's approach is a good one, read that thread many times and you'll thank him later.

Oh, Welcome to the forum and have fun!

Squonk

singemonkey wrote: I would not recommend the nylon string route. A nylon string guitar is quite a different beast from a steel-string guitar. Learn nylon if you intend to play nylon. It is no longer necessary to learn it and then convert to steel-playing.

Don't really agree with you on this point!

It should be compulsary to have a Nylon guitar in your collection ?

I wasn't suggesting learning nylon and then converting to steel playing at all, I was suggesting this as a tool to start playing guitar straight away. You can be up and running in under R1000.00. Those old Yamaha's are under a R1000.00 if you can find one.

BluJu

Hey man,

Welcome to the forum and the world of guitar.

For a first guitar I would just spend about 1K on a decent steel string acoustic.
That will be good enough to get you to the point to see if this is something that you enjoy.

If you really get into it then go to singermonkeys thread and start building up some electric gear
and you will still have a decent campfire guitar.

Brand wise go for Ibanez or Cort.
Ibanez V70 s about 1k. Decent guitar.

prince

As another newbie trying to learn to play, here is my 5c.

As others have said, spend as much as you can on the guitar. If you really want to go electric don't worry about an amp yet - it may be a while before you will want to hear yourself play anything.

Also look around for a second hand guitar. Obviously be careful of places like Gumtree or Cash Crusaders. You may get lucky and pick up a bargain but you may also get ripped off. Rather try buy something through one of the members here.

Good luck.

Psean

Squonk wrote:
singemonkey wrote: I would not recommend the nylon string route. A nylon string guitar is quite a different beast from a steel-string guitar. Learn nylon if you intend to play nylon. It is no longer necessary to learn it and then convert to steel-playing.

Don't really agree with you on this point!

It should be compulsary to have a Nylon guitar in your collection ?

I wasn't suggesting learning nylon and then converting to steel playing at all, I was suggesting this as a tool to start playing guitar straight away. You can be up and running in under R1000.00. Those old Yamaha's are under a R1000.00 if you can find one.

I agree that a nylon is a cool guitar to have as part of any collection but, if electric is what gets you then that is what you'll want to play most; you'll enjoy it more, want to pick it up more, and play it more. I think for a first guitar, it's best to get the kind of guitar you are most attracted to and expand your collection later. The second hand guitars that singemonkey has mentioned can be had for decent prices too (although not under a grand unfortunately).

Psean

prince wrote: As another newbie trying to learn to play, here is my 5c.

As others have said, spend as much as you can on the guitar. If you really want to go electric don't worry about an amp yet - it may be a while before you will want to hear yourself play anything.

Also look around for a second hand guitar. Obviously be careful of places like Gumtree or Cash Crusaders. You may get lucky and pick up a bargain but you may also get ripped off. Rather try buy something through one of the members here.

Good luck.

And you will be able to hear enough unplugged to practice.

ezietsman

Yes, get the best electric your budget allows and skip the amp. I play with my electrics unplugged most evenings even though I have 4 amplifiers O_o The overdrive this way is not so great but it forces one to play correctly. When I got my first guitar in 2000 I didn't have an amp initially, that didn't stop me from playing in any way. So yeah, if you want to play electric, get an electric now and get an amp as and when you can afford one, if you want to play acoustic, get one of those. Don't get an acoustic to learn to play if you really want an electric, this will lead to more frustration than is needed. My 0.02 ZAR.

chris77

Hay man, welcome. My advice is normally to look for a 2nd hand guitar and get more bang for your buck that way. New gear means buying from a store and their pricing system is a joke imo, one where actual price = sticker price - discount, and the discount amount is determined by a string of factors so diverse and variable that no one can really say what anything costs until the deal is done. ???
Online retailers are better in that regard because the price you see is normally the price you pay, but it is still way more expensive than buying used. Mind you it doesn't hurt to ask them for a discount either... ?

If you're set on buying online and new for some more peace of mind, here are some options. Stores where I've had great service from are:

http://www.musicmadness.co.za/
muz.co.za
http://orangemusic.co.za/

Also worth checking out is:

http://www.skysun.co.za/musical_instruments/catalog_products_with_images.php?listing=price
http://maxmusic.co.za/

SpiderPig_za

Thanks for all the great replies. I feel rite at home already. ?

Bob-Dubery

chris77 wrote: Hay man, welcome. My advice is normally to look for a 2nd hand guitar and get more bang for your buck that way.

+1. Especially if you have a small budget. In the current financial climate 2nd gear is very reasonably priced.

Another of Singemonkey's Laws of Guitaring is that guitars only devalue once - when they walk out of the showroom. After that they don't take much of a price knock if they're kept in good condition, so in the fullness of time when you decide to move up in the guitaring world the knock then on the 2nd had instrument you buy now will not be great.

Are there guitar stores in Vryheid? Are there repair guys? If so then make yourself known and start building relationships. Especially with a repair guy. Too many newbies decide that they don't have any talent when the problem is a poorly set up guitar that would play a lot better with a little work.

ZarK

+1 For a decent 2nd hand guitar & amp.

If the budget is tight at this stage, I'd probably recommend a Cort G254 + small Roland Cube amp. Basic, decent quality amp and guitar, easy to set up and surprisingly versatile. The Cort has a coil tap so that you can use both the humbucker (double pickup) or tapped as a single coil (similar to a Fender Strat...) The G254 also feels very much like a slightly more modern Strat. The amp will offer you good cleans (Roland Jazz Chorus and Fender) good crunch (Vox) good rock tones (Vox, Marshall) and decent Metal (Mesa Boogie Rectifier.) Bonus is that these amps are built very tough and are very easy to navigate through the amp models and built-in extra sound effects. It should help you find the style(s) you prefer and offer you enough sound options to keep your interest in exploration sparked without over-complicating the matter... Plus if you get both at a decent price, you probably won't loose a cent if/when you decide to sell/upgrade down the line...
Just my R2,50... ? Best of luck! Playing guitar is so rewarding - it's great that you're getting on board for the ride! :goodtimes:

Daler

ZarK wrote: +1 For a decent 2nd hand guitar & amp.

If the budget is tight at this stage, I'd probably recommend a Cort G254 + small Roland Cube amp. Basic, decent quality amp and guitar, easy to set up and surprisingly versatile. The Cort has a coil tap so that you can use both the humbucker (double pickup) or tapped as a single coil (similar to a Fender Strat...) The G254 also feels very much like a slightly more modern Strat. The amp will offer you good cleans (Roland Jazz Chorus and Fender) good crunch (Vox) good rock tones (Vox, Marshall) and decent Metal (Mesa Boogie Rectifier.) Bonus is that these amps are built very tough and are very easy to navigate through the amp models and built-in extra sound effects. It should help you find the style(s) you prefer and offer you enough sound options to keep your interest in exploration sparked without over-complicating the matter... Plus if you get both at a decent price, you probably won't loose a cent if/when you decide to sell/upgrade down the line...
Just my R2,50... ? Best of luck! Playing guitar is so rewarding - it's great that you're getting on board for the ride! :goodtimes:

+1. I picked up guitar for the forst time in January this year at age 42. Started with a cheap but decent quality Yamaha Steel Acoustic, and got hooked quickly. I recently bought a Mexican Strat and the Roland Mini Cube mentioned by Zark, and I have not regretted it. Be warned, if the guitar bug bites, it bites hard! I also suggest that you try to take lessons from a guitar coach, at least initially. It is a much easier, and rewarding (IMHO) learning curve if you have someone to steer you in the right direction. There is also an incredible amount of learning material available on You Tube (www.Justinguitar.com for instance) to help you on your way as well. My only regret is that I did not pick up guitar a lot sooner in life ? Go for it and welcome to the forum!

SpiderPig_za

We have one place here in town but are very expensive and don't keep a lot of guitars in stock. Most of them you have to order and put down a depossite so can't get a feel of the guitar beforehand. Has anybody bought from www.orangemusic.co.za I can get a Yamaha Pacifica 112 from them for R2495. Is that shop reliable and is it a good price?