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petermoffat

Hi Guys and Girls, I've just joined the forum, and I'm looking for advice on starting out..

I've been toying with the idea on and off for a while and have finally decided to just go for it, so I'm looking at buying my first guitar (acoustic), though I'm really not sure what to look for.

I don't want to spend a fortune, ideally around R1500, and definitely under R2k. I've seen a Yamaha F370 and Ibanez V72ECE, both look amazing, and people I've spoken too have had good things to say about the brands, though I haven't heard anything about these models.

I've played around with acoustic guitars before, and have found it a bit awkward to hold them.. (He says giving away his completely lack of knowledge..), the body seems to feel uncomfortably deep generally, and I find it extremely difficult to contort my fingers around the fret board, which seems quite wide. I'm a big boy, but have small-ish hands, and clearly, shortish arms?? I guess the question is, is this something everyone experiences when starting, or are there differenet shapes out there to help?

As far as guitars go, while I've mentioned the 2 above, I'm not really set on a a brand or model, and have no idea about whether I'd want acoustic or electric acoustic, or why I'd pick nylon or steel strings?

Advice would be much appreciated!

Bob-Dubery

ok...

Consider 2nd hand instruments. Especially within your budget range this can be a way to get more guitaring bang per buck

Do you have a friend who is an experienced player? If so take them along when you go shopping for a guitar and get their input.

As regards nylon V steel. There are aesthetic considerations and physical considerations.

Physical: Nylon string guitars will have wider necks. They will also have less tension in the strings. So pros and cons there. Relative to steel string guitars the bodies will be on the small side.

Aesthetic: What sort of sound do you want to get? Think of this in terms of acoustic guitar playing that has a sound that you like. Then find out wether the artists are using steel or nylon strings. Try to listen for differences between the two - they do not sound the same.

Bodies too big? Well there is no standard acoustic guitar body, so you can shop around for different body sizes as well. Also neck dimensions are not standard. There are variances in width at the nut, length of scale and the shape of the neck. Again do some homework, try different guitars out. It's your money and you're entitled to shop around first and understand what's available.

Finally, with steel strings the string gauges will make a difference as well. Lighter gauge strings will be less physically demanding. Gauge makes a difference to sound as well, so there may be some compromising involved.

If you're not sure about gauges, each string in a set will have a diameter or size expressed as a fraction of an inch. The set that I use has the thickest string at 0.056 inches and the thinnest at 0.013. These are commonly referred to as "thirteens" (we use the thinnest, or first string to identify the set). Twelves would be lighter, elevens lighter still. There is a tangible difference between 12s and 13s.

DonovanB

Welcome to the forum!!

all the awkwardness goes away when you realise you'll be way cooler than any drummer
8)

singemonkey

Hey welcome. I think Bob covered most of what I would have said.

Just to note that your discomfort with the guitar body and neck will almost certainly quickly disappear as you become more used to the instrument. From beginner to experienced is like going from holding an octopus to holding a kitten. So I wouldn't be too fussed right now.

Second hand definitely offers much more bang for buck in this world. Guitars are not like cars or toasters. They don't really depreciate significantly after the initial drop after you take it out of the store. A good guitar from 1972 is better than a cheapy guitar from 2010, if you follow me. But you will need some assistance from someone with experience in making a good second hand purchase.

petermoffat

Thanks for the advice!

I have a made that's pretty handy with the bass, not sure how useful he is wrt acoustic guitars, but he will be joining me at a shop tomorrow to have a look and feel, which by the sounds of things is important..

As far as sound goes, that's a little over my head at the moment ☹
I don't really know, I'll have to listen and learn I suppose?

Bob-Dubery

petermoffat wrote: Thanks for the advice!

I have a made that's pretty handy with the bass, not sure how useful he is wrt acoustic guitars, but he will be joining me at a shop tomorrow to have a look and feel, which by the sounds of things is important..

Well an experienced player would be better placed to judge a guitar. A total novice has no point of reference.

As far as sound goes, that's a little over my head at the moment ☹
I don't really know, I'll have to listen and learn I suppose?

Well what sort of sound do you want?

If you want an Earl Klugh sound then you want nylon string. If you want a Steve Still sound then you want steel strings. You must have some idea about guitar music and must have listened to some, so you can think about players you enjoy or want to sound like and then find out more about what they play.

BUT

at this stage of the game don't get too hung up on tone. Decide steel or nylon and then err on the side of an instrument that plays well and stays in tune. If you get a guitar that sounds good but won't stay in tune then you'll just get frustrated. Again this is a reason to take a more experienced player along with you, they will be better equipped to make these kinds of judgement.

ARe you signing up for lessons? If so then ask your teacher for advice.

Conrad

Welcome and so on and so fifth.

aubs1

Welcome Peter, you will definitely learn a lot right here............we all, (every single person on this forum), started somewhere, and then find our feet.....

killafo

Welcome!!!

I would go with the "buy a second hand guitar" approach. Gumtree is your friend, ?. when i got my first guitar, i wasn't worried about necks and general feel. All i wanted was to play More than words-Extreme, so i went with a steel string guitar and the same general shape from the video. After a while your ear will get a better feel to what you want to get out of a guitar, and then you can start getting into, diff gauge strings and neck profiles, wood used on the guitar and such.

Just my 2 cents.

Go on forth the journey of rocking out!!!! ?

inflames

Welcome to the forum!

petermoffat

Thanks all for the love ?

I'll spend some time this week starting tomorrow at music shops getting some advice, though that Dean Flying V Acoustic in the classifieds wins hands down for punk factor! 8)

Bob-Dubery

petermoffat wrote: I'll spend some time this week starting tomorrow at music shops getting some advice, though that Dean Flying V Acoustic in the classifieds wins hands down for punk factor! 8)

You'll have fun trying to balance that across a knee

chris77

Hey man, welcome.B-)

PeteM

Welcome Peter. Good advice from everyone here.
One thing I would like to mention is that I have a Cort nylon string acoustic guitar that has a thin neck - very similar to my Gibson semi-acoustic electric guitar. Not ideal for classical music but great for jazz, folk, pop and blues.
Enjoy your adventure.

infernox

Ola dude

just bought my first as well, but I went the electric route as I felt it would motivate me more.

Tip from me, Shop around and barter on price. Also as others stated, look for a used guitar, but make sure you take someone with who knows their stuff as there are a lot of theiving bastards out there ?

Otherwise, welcome to the forum and Im sure youll get great advice here, just like I have gotten.

Riaan-Combrink

Welcome to GFSA, Peter. ?