Playing Guitar

Date: November 7th, 2008  Category: People, Things  Tags: guitar, music  

I’ve had a few friends and family members ask me why I started playing guitar and how I got started. I’m hoping this post will quickly answer those questions and maybe help a few guitar noobs just starting out waste less time on the really basic stuff and spend more time on actually playing.

I’ve always loved music. More so than the average person I must say. But, for some reason I didn’t pick up the guitar, my favorite instrument, until my late 20s. So, about a year and a half ago I decided to finally give it a try. I had no knowledge of the guitar itself or how to play it so I went online and researched the shit out of everything. Guitars, strings, picks, amps, instructional books, you name it. I spent all that time researching because I simply wanted a decent “start-up guitar” that wouldn’t cost me a ton but wouldn’t suck either.

I also didn’t know if I should start with an acoustic or an electric. Some people say electric guitars are a bit easier to start with since it takes less pressure to fret notes on the neck and for a couple of other various reasons. But, acoustic guitars are less hassle and easier to pick up and practice with whenever which is good. I personally chose to start with an acoustic guitar. I love the natural sound of it and figured it was the least expensive way to start playing. No added crap to buy like wires, amps, etc…

Once I knew I was buying an acoustic I started learning about what makes a good sounding guitar, well, sound good. There’s the type of wood used in the construction of your guitar, if it has a solid top or not, the shape of the guitar, and a 100 other points that factor in to making a great sounding instrument. But, I found that the basic items that differentiate good/decent from crap are as follows:

• Type of wood used in the neck, body (back, sides, and top), and fret board
• If the guitar has a solid top or not
• Quality hardware (bridge pins, tuners, etc.)
• The manufacturer

 

If you can afford a solid top guitar of a decent brand you’ll be all set starting out. If you can’t there are options in the less than $200 range. I used these guides on about.com and justinguitar.com to figure out what I should get while staying within my budget.

I originally bought an Ibanez JamPack IJV50 Quickstart Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Pack for $100. I quickly tore off the strings and replaced them with decent ones and never touched the rest of the garbage that came in the box with the guitar. Later I also bought a cheap black and white Yamaha Pacifica electric and a small practice amp to mess around with.

Both were inexpensive and made noise. But, that was about it – they sound/feel horrible – don’t buy them. The moral of the story is that if you can spend a bit more cash on something mid-range out of the gate you’ll not only sound better but you’ll be able to learn how to play quicker as well. A crap sounding/poorly constructed instrument stunts learning by:

• Making it harder to fret notes (fingers hurt more than they should) so you physically can’t practice as long
• Making you sound a lot worse than you should because the instrument itself produces “bad sound”
• Making it hard to keep it in tune due to poor quality tuners

 

Again, if you can, spend a little extra money when starting out and you’ll be better off. Also, always deal with a reputable store or dealer. Guitar Center is decent or any local mom and pop music store should do. Don’t waste your money at pawn shops.

I’ve of course gotten rid of the equipment mentioned above (about 6 months into playing) and now have a Seagull Original S6 acoustic and an Epiphone Les Paul Plain-Top electric in heritage cherry sunburst (pictured below).

Both of these are decent mid-range instruments. Quality craftsmanship at a decent price and they of course sound great. Something like the above guitars would be more than enough for a person starting out.

Again, just check out the guides mentioned above for more detailed professional help. They’ll help you buy something decent and point you in the right direction in regards to getting help learning how to play. Other than that, just practice a ton! You’ll eventually get it like I did.

---