Acoustic guitar for beginner

[LeperousDust]

I'm looking for an acoustic guitar for a friend whos just starting out, they're definitely into their music and i just want them to get something worth having probably over some supermarket kit. Unless of course it doesn't matter. They don't want to spend loads naturally just yet, but i'm thinking around £50? Is ebay a good place to look out? If so what am scouting for? I don't mind waiting for a decent guitar to pop up if it just takes a bit of waiting round ebay :)

Cheers everyone :)

[Belmit]

You're unlikely to get a new acoustic guitar for £50 or less. Unless you mean a classical guitar? Classical generally have a combination of nylon and metal strings and are the kind you can buy in Argos etc. for £30 (though obviously more expensive/professional ones are available), whereas an acoustic is all metal strings. I think Yamaha do a budget acoustic but it'd be closer to £70 than £50.

Edit: Actually, I'm using interchangeable terms here. A classical guitar is just a type of acoustic, but if I asked for an acoustic guitar and was given a classical I'd feel hard done by, as it's not what you'd expect.

[Pheebs]

What Mister B said...

Ebay would be your best bet but make sure the guitar hasn't been thrashed and got dents and all.

I would try and find a decent 2nd hand Yamaha kicking around as suggested above. When I was looking for my starter and one for my Bro I managed to find a good guitar review site with like a million models in it. Worth just having a quick search on model numbers and seeing what people say :)

[LeperousDust]

Yeah sorry thats exactly what i'm on about Belmit should have said, and yeah i did think £50 is stretching it myself, i won't lie :p.

Ok so good name good condition on ebay is a alright then? Thats essentially what i was going to do, i just wondered if there are any definitive models out there that stand out as cheap beginner stuff. I've tried search reviews but theres so much poop on the internet i'm not getting anywhere quickly as of yet...

Chhhheeerrrs :)

[Pheebs]

Bit busy at the moment but on initial glances on ebay I found:

Yamaha FG700 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Yamaha-FG700MS-Solid-Top-Acoustic-Guitar_W0QQitemZ200279385238QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2002793852 38&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A2|39%3A1|240%3A1318) Pretty Darn decent one.

Yamaha APX5a (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Yamaha-APX5A-Electro-Acoustic-Guitar-Carry-Case_W0QQitemZ270305483334QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Mu sical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item270305483334&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A2|39%3A1|240%3A1318) - This ones a leccy acoustic too... seems like quite a bargain tbh!

Yamaha FG 412 BL (http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Yamaha/FG-412+BL/10/1) Another bargain - decent guitar this (in fact I near bought one for my bro a while ago)

[Pheebs]

Oh and Guitar Reviews on Harmony (http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar) is the best review site I have found to date. Look up the make and you'll have all the model numbers there with decent feed back :)

Enjoy hunting!

[LeperousDust]

Don't need you wasting your time just pointing me in the right direction, i'll research this to death when i'm on the right lead!

They're perfect, lub you pheebs cheers :)

[SidewinderINC]

As pheebs has already linked, the Yammy APX5A is a fantasmic guitar :)

[LeperousDust]

That would be fantastically excellent, but i know if 5 days thats gonna go for a fair amount more than it already it :p She needs to start small really :)

Settled for this (http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/musical_instruments/guitars_basses/ac_guitars/f310p_package_model_of_f310/) for £30 + Del. I hope to god that's alright! :)

This (http://www.megamusicshop.com/product_info.php?language=gb&refID=baseuk&info=p1364_Yamaha-F-310--Paket-Acoustic-Guitar.html) would suggest its worth a bit more but i can only hope :p

[SidewinderINC]

Can only hope :)

If you're struggling, before packing it in completely I suggest going somewhere and trying a more expensive guitar first.

My analogy for guitars (especialy acoustic) is like buying a razor to shave with; if you pick up one for 20p you're going to slice your face open a good few times, not enjoy the experience and be tempted to give up completely and never do it again. Whereas a slightly better one will make the job seem effortless and comfortable.

[Garp]

A guarantee with starting playing guitar: It will hurt. A lot. Pressing steel strings down to the fretboard take a surprising amount of effort, and it will cause the fingers and wrist of the fretting hand to ache, and the tips of the fingers to hurt for a while. It is something that needs perseverance, Within a month it won't ache much, though prolonged playing will still be slightly painful, it'll take a good year or so before the pain goes. Encourage her to stick with it though, it's well worth it.

[Pheebs]

A guarantee with starting playing guitar: It will hurt. A lot. Pressing steel strings down to the fretboard take a surprising amount of effort, and it will cause the fingers and wrist of the fretting hand to ache, and the tips of the fingers to hurt for a while. It is something that needs perseverance, Within a month it won't ache much, though prolonged playing will still be slightly painful, it'll take a good year or so before the pain goes. Encourage her to stick with it though, it's well worth it.

I haven't played in a while... well I have but not like a proper jamming session for a couple of hours... and so dedicated some time to loving my geetar on Sunday.

My fingers were on FIYAR when I got in the bath later ;D

I need my resistance back!

VIVA LA RESISTANCE!

[Desmo]

Aye, finger tips take a right hammering to start with but it soon settles down :)

[LeperousDust]

I had a crack at the gee-tar in my younger years at school but i was always so much better at the piano it never really stuck. Because i'd be put on keyboard or something likewise :p I do remember the callouses though, fun times :D Guitar is hard work on the hands. But also after reading round on the internet it seems different guitars are actually easier to play than others, and i assume our school guitars were designed to be bulletproof rather than "play" ;D.

Guitar is something in a perfect world i'd love to play properly and have the time, but i don't feel i do, my heart isn't in it right myself.

[Garp]

How hard a guitar is to play is dependent on the action (height of the strings above the frets), the weight of the strings and the type of the strings.

Nylon strings are generally about the easiest, closely followed by electric guitars, then acoustic steel string.

To get a low action without getting fret buzz takes a fair amount of precision work by the manufacturer / luthier, too close to the frets and the strings will catch frets when they vibrate causing a nasty buzz. Too far away and you need vice like fingers to press the strings down, plus the tuning will be out the further up the fret board you get :)

As ever, there are guitars and there are guitars, and price doesn't always enter into it, though the general rule of thumb is the more you pay the better the setup. I've played some £250 acoustics with better setup and than some £500 guitars.