Suitable guitar for a (broke!) beginner?

WHIP IT!

Hi, I'm planning on learning to play the guitar this year (planned to learn last year too but I'm DEFO gonna do it this year! ) and was just wondering if anyone could suggest a decent cheap guitar to buy?

Don't want to buy online as I'd like to get it in the next couple of days, so somewhere in Dublin... a mate reckons you can get a suitable one for as little as €80?

slipss

If you are looking for an acoustic, a Fender Squier is a good bet for a beginner all things considered, you can pick one up for E120 new from Argos, or somwhere in the region of E60 second hand in the buy and sell or similar publications.

red_ice

anything will do if you just wanna test the waters with playing guitar. Look in argos or something, it really doesnt matter about the quality of hte build unless your looking at getting something that will last a long time - in that case, you might wanna spend a little more than 80 spuds on a guitar.

PS you have the best name ever whipit :]

Jay P

Go to http://www.thomann.de or http://www.musicstore.de

You can pick up a new guitar for €50 or €60 with €20 shipping, and an amp for another 50 or 60

Fingers Mcginty

better off starting on an acoustic methinks

Dord

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

better off starting on an acoustic methinks

Not necessarily, it depends what he wants to play.

I don't think you're going to get a very playable guitar for less than €80 but its up to you. As others have said above, you might catch something in the Buy & Sell or on adverts.ie in the coming weeks. The best advise I can give is to bring someone with you who knows how to play and knows a bit about guitars. They should (hopefully) be able to spot if there are any major problems.

red_ice

Joe Robot wrote: »

Not necessarily, it depends what he wants to play.

not necessarily! haha, all of my songs/the bands songs/any song i play is electric based, but i always come back to play it on the acoustic.. i play my acoustic more than any of my guitars - acoustics are imo the best way to get into guitar for more reasons than just pricing! Especially when a session starts at a house or what not, amps and gear is too much hassle!

WHIP IT!

red_ice wrote: »

anything will do if you just wanna test the waters with playing guitar. Look in argos or something, it really doesnt matter about the quality of hte build unless your looking at getting something that will last a long time - in that case, you might wanna spend a little more than 80 spuds on a guitar.

PS you have the best name ever whipit :]

Thanks Guy!

And thanks for all the replies people... apart from the guitar itself, any other advice about pickin up the guitar?*

* Alright Smarta*ses, I don;t mean advice about LITERALLY picking up the guitar so no "Well, just wrap ur hand around it and lift it up!" style comments please!

Doctor DooM

You could prob get an encore strat copy second hand for about 80 euro. It'll play but thats about it. It's not something you would keep using for more than a year or so, but would do until you know whats what.

The best advice I would give is to get a teacher for the first few weeks minimum of learning to play. While it is possible to learn on your own, a good teacher will accelerate your understanding of guitar theory and your ability to play greatly.

Also, the more work you put in at the start the better. It pays out dividends. If you can afford an hour a day then do that. The more work you put in now, the less you will need later.

Also watch out for F. Its a bitch of a chord

SxE Punk

When you're just learning to play, anything will do.

You don't wanna over commit and buy something brilliant and crazy expensive, cause you might just give up on the idea after a month or so.

Anything that can be wrangled into a proper tuning standard will do for a beginner. You could even get a lend of something from a mate first(thats what I did) and then buy something decent when you're sure that playing guitar is what you want.


By the way, that second paragraph looks kinda discouraging, sorry. Its not, I wish you luck.

NoQuarter

above poster is right, any guitar will do until your sure youll keep playin the guitar, ive seen many many people buy one and after 2 weeks pack it in! just stick with it and acoustic or electric only matters individually by what you yourself listen to and want to play!

if you listen to oasis or metal you need an electric but if your a ballad man the acoustic is the way to go!!

what do you listen to and what will you be playing on it??

BostonB

Bring a mate along who knows about a guitar. Alternatively buy someone here a pint and they might meet you to help you pick.

WHIP IT!

BostonB wrote: »

Bring a mate along who knows about a guitar. Alternatively buy someone here a pint and they might meet you to help you pick.

Ok... any of you a hot blonde girl by an chance?

mathias

above poster is right, any guitar will do until your sure youll keep playin the guitar, ive seen many many people buy one and after 2 weeks pack it in!

I would say the number one reason for the above is getting a bad guitar as your first instrument , If at all possible bring a player with you to check out the action and to make sure the guitar is actually playable , In my experience a bad high ( cheese grater ) action is so common on cheap guitars and puts more people off than anything else.

That said , a properly set up Fender Squier should cost no more than 150 and a lot of the shops like Waltons and Music maker do a deal with a learner book , and small practice amp and the guitar all in one package.

hyn-zie

Jay P wrote: »

Go to http://www.thomann.de or http://www.musicstore.de

You can pick up a new guitar for €50 or €60 with €20 shipping, and an amp for another 50 or 60

I WOULDN'T GO NEAR THOMANN . . . . . . . . I'D STICK WITH MUSICSTORE.DE!!!!!!!

red_ice

what about a devo fan?

Paligulus

hyn-zie wrote: »

I WOULDN'T GO NEAR THOMANN . . . . . . . . I'D STICK WITH MUSICSTORE.DE!!!!!!!

Nothing wrong with Thomann in my experiance. They seem to have a really good selection of beginner (cheap) guitars. Seem to have a bigger selection all round than Musicstore.de