Thoughts on a beginning guitar?

[Auggie]

Acoustic. Classical. Used or new. Wide neck. Nylon strings. What do the players out there think?

[redstateblues]

1. Something that is easy to play. Nylon strings are easy on the fingers

On an acoustic guitar spend an extra $25 to have the actions set as low as possible

[guillaumeb]

2. What type of music do you play?

My advice would be to buy the best you can afford after trying various models. I play steel string acoustic and electric and I fingerpick so what works for me, low action, might not work for a flat picker.

[ZZenith]

3. Seagull S6

Thank me later.

If that’s too much money (it’s TOTALLY worth what they cost) try a Yamaha in the FG series.

Edit to add a link:

https://www.guitarlessons.org/acoustic-guitars/seagull-s6/

[Hoyt]

4. As guillaumeb says, depends a lot on what kind of music you would like to play.

Steel string is what most “popular” musicians play, but nylon is useable too. Used will get you more guitar, unless it’s been abused.

You’ll have to decide on a budget too, but there are some very playable guitars at a reasonable cost nowadays. Don’t think trump’s tariffs have hit them yet. And there are some very expensive ones too.

[Foolacious]

5. A "crossover" (nylon-string with narrow neck)

These are a new (at least to me) style of guitar that uses nylon strings but with narrower neck like a steel-string acoustic rather than a classical. https://www.dreamguitars.com/what-is-a-crossover-guitar/

Get a lower-end model from a known mid-range brand, such as Yamaha, Takamine, Seagull, Fender, or Epiphone. Here's an inexpensive model from Fender:

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/acoustic-guitars/concert/cn-60s/0970160506.html

The dimensions are like those of a standard acoustic or even an electric, rather than a classical, but the strings are softer and it's easier for a beginner to get a nice sound. It's really important that a beginner's first experience not be one of pure frustration and physical pain. And the player will be able to transition more readily to steel strings over time than if she starts with a classical, whose feel is very different.

Don't buy a piece of junk. It will never sound good and will be too frustrating. Also, a name brand holds some resale value.

[guillaumeb]

7. I started with a cheap Silvertone with a very high action.

It was a learning experience for this finger picker. I later used it with a slide.

[LunaSea]

6. Epiphone

Really hard to go wrong with Epiphone, great sound, great playability at a great price.
Also check out Guitarcenter.com for their used gear, all their stores used inventory is displayed
and they'll ship to your local store.

[abqtommy]

8. Don't wimp out with nylon strings. You've got to build up calluses

on those fingertips. My first guitar was a Stella that cost 15 bucks in 1962 and now I own a '67
Gibson 335, a 76 Fender Jazz bass and a 300 dollar acoustic. I still wish I had my original Stella, though!

[Iggo]

9. I know the classical-first method works. That's what worked for me.**

Beautiful instrument and hard as hell to hit a bad sounding note. (You can still hit a wrong note, but it'll sound super pretty...lol.)



**What also worked for me was that I lived in a house with six other guitar players, and seemingly everyone else who ever came over was also a guitar player. I was a 23-yr-old metal-head in Southeast LA County in the 80s and that's just the way it was.

(EDIT: Go new, but cheap. Hohner has a decent line of low-end classicals.)

[yonder]

10. Cheap or not cheap, pay attention to the action and

if it plays true up the neck. You'll keep an interest if you're not always fighting it. Bring a playing friend along.

Someone mentioned Yamaha's FG series. Probably can't go wrong and there are plenty out there. I still have one I bought in 1974 which I keep in an oddball tuning.

[Beakybird]

11. Yamaha FG800 or FS800 depending on your size.

You'll be set for years.
Other good starter brands are Seagull and Alvarez.

[imavoter]

12. just get something cheap to get started

steel strings are going to hurt no matter what you do, so just be prepared for that.
When it starts to hurt, stop...and pick it up a few hours later, or the next day or something.
It can take several weeks to break your fingers in. Just be persistent and stay with it.
Your finger tips will peel, but that's normal. Again, don't over do it so that you blister.

Learn how to tune it. Get the sales person or whomever you buy it from or someone...show you how to tune...
and how to replace a string.
Always play in tune.

There's no need to do a lot of guitar lessons up front, but at least get one or two.
And then you are just going to need to play and practice for a while till you make some sense of it all.

If you stick with it, you can get something else later. You know how many almost untouched used guitars are out there
because someone spent a lot of money on one and it sat in a closet? Buying an expensive guitar, won't make you want to practice
any more than a cheap guitar.

my 2 cents.

[Midnightwalk]

13. Do you play at all?

You might want to find a good teacher and get into playing first. You’ll need something and there are plenty of suggestions already.

If you stick with it and like it you can upgrade in six months or a year.

I found it easier to have weekly lessons. It forced me to practice and kept me motivated by learning songs and actually making them sound good. That’s a lot easier to do with someone showing you how to use your fingers and ears.

[Auggie]

14. Thanks to everyone ...

your suggestions, opinions and support are very, very, very appreciated.