Guitar for beginner..Where/What to buy?

gaeilgebeo

As the title suggests, I'm buying a guitar for my sister's 21rst birthday. She has wanted to learn how to play the guitar for years... I have no clue where to start...

Where would I buy a guitar?

What is a good guitar for a beginner?

How much does a guitar cost?

Any help would be appreciated

Rigsby

I can advise on the "where" part. You could try www.adverts.ie or www.buyandsell.ie

The prices can vary anything from 100 euro to possibly 300.

I'm sure someone else will advise on the "what" part.

Zombienosh

http://www.waltons.ie/Product/Search.aspx?cid=231

some ideas.

Neil3030

What is your budget and what kind of stuff do you think she'd want to play?

gaeilgebeo

Thanks for all the replies .

gaeilgebeo

Neil3030 wrote: »

What is your budget and what kind of stuff do you think she'd want to play?

My budget would be €300 max. She would mostly like to play sing song material if that makes sense

BSOM

Get a nice G Series for that.

Or an Epihphone, Nice Cort or Vintage.

daz801

Depends where your located, if your near maynooth i'd suggest going to K'n'B.
Good selection of guitars and the lads are sound enough and will point you in the right direction of what to buy.

Neil3030

gaeilgebeo wrote: »

My budget would be €300 max. She would mostly like to play sing song material if that makes sense

Yeah that makes perfect sense, don't worry!

€300 should get you a very nice guitar. If she'll be using it primarily at singsongs/sessions/parties she should be prepared for it to get the odd bump and scratch though, so build quality is important. I would also go with a dreadnought, as semi-acoustics at that price range would be touch and go and more susceptible to the rough and tumble.

Lag do a nice range (I think, anyway) if you can get into Waltons. Cort also make some nice models, which you can get pretty much anywhere - though the cheapest place would probably be XMusic out by the Red Cow. Other than that, you can't go wrong with the reliables like Yamaha or Epiphone.

But keep in mind that a guitar is a very personal thing, both in terms of its look, its feel and its sound. So you might want to bring her with you to a store and let her pick her own?

gaeilgebeo

Neil3030 wrote: »

Yeah that makes perfect sense, don't worry!

€300 should get you a very nice guitar. If she'll be using it primarily at singsongs/sessions/parties she should be prepared for it to get the odd bump and scratch though, so build quality is important. I would also go with a dreadnought, as semi-acoustics at that price range would be touch and go and more susceptible to the rough and tumble.

Lag do a nice range (I think, anyway) if you can get into Waltons. Cort also make some nice models, which you can get pretty much anywhere - though the cheapest place would probably be XMusic out by the Red Cow. Other than that, you can't go wrong with the reliables like Yamaha or Epiphone.

But keep in mind that a guitar is a very personal thing, both in terms of its look, its feel and its sound. So you might want to bring her with you to a store and let her pick her own?

Thanks so much... Will definitely bring her with me.

Paddy McGinty

As Daz said above.. she really needs to get into a good shop and have a chat. Would you buy someone who's just passed their driving test a brand new car?... just my opinion but 300€ is far too much to spend on a first guitar (unless you've got plenty to throw away ).

Don't talk numbers when you go into a shop..if you say 300€ then that's what you'll be sold!

Your sister needs to walk before she can run.. and a 10 minute chat in a shop will put you in a better position than you're in now. Good luck..

68 lost souls

Paddy McGinty wrote: »

As Daz said above.. she really needs to get into a good shop and have a chat. Would you buy someone who's just passed their driving test a brand new car?... just my opinion but 300€ is far too much to spend on a first guitar (unless you've got plenty to throw away ).

Don't talk numbers when you go into a shop..if you say 300€ then that's what you'll be sold!

Your sister needs to walk before she can run.. and a 10 minute chat in a shop will put you in a better position than you're in now. Good luck..

I would disagree on you saying it is too much to spend on a first guitar. If it is something she knows she will stick with I would spend 300 now instead of 100-150 now and another 300 in a years time. If it is also a better guitar and nicer to play she will get better faster because she will want to play more often then if it is a guitar that is not as nice to play.

Saying that you do not need to pay 300 for the right guitar. If you are going the electric route I would suggest spending about that much on guitar and amp. For that kind of money you would get a decent cort and a micro cube or similar. For acoustic I would probably spend between 150 and 300 depending on what models you prefer when you pick them up. And dont forget its not all about looks. Some guitars feel nicer in your hands then others. Different neck sizes and contours can make a big difference to comfort while playing. I would also look for a solid top acoustic if you can, makes a big difference.

Paddy McGinty

68 lost souls wrote: »

I would disagree on you saying it is too much to spend on a first guitar. If it...

Fair enough.. but the OP asked "what is a good guitar for a beginner?" and conceded she knew nothing about guitars. I've bought a guitar and a piano for two "beginners" in my house which are gathering dust as we 'speak'.

It's fine saying "if this.." and "if that.." like the old saying goes "if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle"

St.Jimmy

A great web site for learning is http://howtoplayguitargood.webs.com/