Ouch. Don't do that.
Ouch. Don't do that.
Duke wrote:rob_lewis wrote: Sure, the more expensive ones will sound better, be easier to tune, etc. But for a kid who is just staring out, does that really make a difference?An emphatic YES, it will make a difference. She doesn't need a fantastic expensive guitar, but she needs something smooth, light, and easy to play - or else she DEFINITELY will lose interest quickly.
This. The difference in an $80 guitar and a $150 guitar is astounding. $150 to $300 is about the same as the jump from a Dodge Neon to a Mazdaspeed3.
Please stay away from that First Act garbage. Before my son started lessons, we got him one at Toys R Us. Not a musical instrument. We gave it away.
He's been taking lessons for a couple years now, and enjoys it. He's got a Yamaha acoustic, and a Mexican Strat that my neighbor GAVE him! He's a big kid, so the full-size guitar was okay from the get-go. I'd call myself a fan of Yamaha instruments--generally good quality for the money. Nice having musicians in the house. Enjoy!
Woody wrote:mtn wrote: < Woody, I'd stay away from Fender Acoustics. Personal preference, but I don't find them to be good. At all. As for that Yamaha, this one has a better "package": http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-JR1-Junior-3-4-Scale-Mini-Acoustic-Guitar-COMPLETE-GUITAR-BUNDLE/231559913701?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150604093004%26meid%3D6fda2cec85de4ee49c9435c44435e596%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D291559440185&rt=ncThat's a little beyond my comfort zone.
^Disregard what I said right there. That's the one that I just ordered. Thanks for all the advice guys.
z31maniac wrote:Keith Tanner wrote: Get her one of the Squier electric and amp combos for $199. Just because it's the loudest possible option for the money, and I feel this is important for you as a father. It's what I would get my nephew because I love my sister.If you really cared about her, you'd buy him a set of drums.
I have bought drum sets for my niece and nephew. It got me about a year of peace and quiet.
z31maniac wrote:Keith Tanner wrote: Get her one of the Squier electric and amp combos for $199. Just because it's the loudest possible option for the money, and I feel this is important for you as a father. It's what I would get my nephew because I love my sister.If you really cared about her, you'd buy him a set of drums.
I have been threatening this since he was born.
Take her out and let her pick one, she will choose.
Pretty sure this guitar is not what you're looking for, but it would be cool if she could play it.
Woody wrote:Woody wrote:^Disregard what I said right there. That's the one that I just ordered. Thanks for all the advice guys.mtn wrote: < Woody, I'd stay away from Fender Acoustics. Personal preference, but I don't find them to be good. At all. As for that Yamaha, this one has a better "package": http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-JR1-Junior-3-4-Scale-Mini-Acoustic-Guitar-COMPLETE-GUITAR-BUNDLE/231559913701?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150604093004%26meid%3D6fda2cec85de4ee49c9435c44435e596%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D291559440185&rt=ncThat's a little beyond my comfort zone.
Here's hoping that you bought her a life long hobby!
And since you got me thinking about it, I hadn't bought a guitar in over a year or two. So I went and bought one off craigslist this morning.
mtn wrote:Duke wrote:This. The difference in an $80 guitar and a $150 guitar is astounding. $150 to $300 is about the same as the jump from a Dodge Neon to a Mazdaspeed3.rob_lewis wrote: Sure, the more expensive ones will sound better, be easier to tune, etc. But for a kid who is just staring out, does that really make a difference?An emphatic YES, it will make a difference. She doesn't need a fantastic expensive guitar, but she needs something smooth, light, and easy to play - or else she DEFINITELY will lose interest quickly.
Tuning stability issues and poor ergonomics that can take the pleasure right out of playing, especially for beginners.
Most good (reputable) local shops will have deals on used guitars and, in my experience, love helping kids get into the instrument.
It's not easy to spend alot of money on something you aren't sure they'll like but starter packs like these are great values actually and have everything they'll need to get started. It's beginner friendly but will also take a while for them to out grow the gear here.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratPkHSSCAR
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TelePkBB
Lancer007 wrote: It's not easy to spend alot of money on something you aren't sure they'll like but starter packs like these are great values actually and have everything they'll need to get started. It's beginner friendly but will also take a while for them to out grow the gear here. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratPkHSSCAR http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TelePkBB
Wow, maybe I should start playing the guitar...
Woody wrote:Lancer007 wrote: It's not easy to spend alot of money on something you aren't sure they'll like but starter packs like these are great values actually and have everything they'll need to get started. It's beginner friendly but will also take a while for them to out grow the gear here. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratPkHSSCAR http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TelePkBBWow, maybe *I* should start playing the guitar...
Yes, you should. One of my favorite activities to do with my dad and brother. Great family bonding.
Life long for sure! I'm no slouch as a finger stylist, but I fear I will never deem myself good enough to justify ordering that Benedetto La Venezia (my guitar unicorn) I have spent my guitar years aspiring to. It costs as much as the new Fiesta ST I also want
Woody wrote:mtn wrote: < Woody, I'd stay away from Fender Acoustics. Personal preference, but I don't find them to be good. At all. As for that Yamaha, this one has a better "package": http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-JR1-Junior-3-4-Scale-Mini-Acoustic-Guitar-COMPLETE-GUITAR-BUNDLE/231559913701?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150604093004%26meid%3D6fda2cec85de4ee49c9435c44435e596%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D291559440185&rt=ncThat's a little beyond my comfort zone.
To be honest, for $160 (with free shipping!), that Yamaha on eBay looks really good. It includes a LOT of stuff you'll still need if you buy a $50 guitar. The stand. The bag (so she has a way to safely carry it to lessons). The TUNER. Spare string sets ($10 ea). And so on. It all adds up.
Plus, the general quality of the guitar will affect how easy it is to play and how well the new player will keep playing. Yamaha guitars are generally pretty good. And when she eventually outgrows it and goes to a full-size guitar, you'll still be able to sell the guitar and gig-bag for about $80 or so.
I'm guessing the intent is for this to be a surprise Christmas present?
I'm a firm believer that having a good quality instrument when you start out makes a big difference in whether you stick with it or not. You can only play as well as the instrument will let you. Fighting the instrument makes beginners frustrated and eventually lose interest.
That said, Yamaha makes some good stuff. I actually play a Yamaha drum kit, and I've had it for 20 years now. When I started out, I had a no-name kit that fell apart in some way every time I played it. After about a year, I got my Yamaha, and I've had it ever since. We recently got my nephew his first bass, also a Yamaha. It's a nice quality instrument that plays well and sounds good.
I started my 13yo nephew out with the most decent Yamaha acoustic I could afford at a Guitar Center black friday sale. 8 years later he is out touring every 3 months with various bands, seeing the country in an amazing way. I am very proud of him.
Woody jwrote:Lancer007 wrote: It's not easy to spend alot of money on something you aren't sure they'll like but starter packs like these are great values actually and have everything they'll need to get started. It's beginner friendly but will also take a while for them to out grow the gear here. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratPkHSSCAR http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TelePkBBWow, maybe *I* should start playing the guitar...
Go for it man, you could both take it up.
Lancer007 wrote:Woody jwrote:Go for it man, you could both take it up.Lancer007 wrote: It's not easy to spend alot of money on something you aren't sure they'll like but starter packs like these are great values actually and have everything they'll need to get started. It's beginner friendly but will also take a while for them to out grow the gear here. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratPkHSSCAR http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TelePkBBWow, maybe *I* should start playing the guitar...
Paging Mr. Wallens, David S. Wallens to the courtesy phone... I believe he started playing a few years ago! 
I actually studied music in university - saxophone. And I used a Yamaha student tenor all the way through. Sure, it wasn't up to the level of the high end stuff, but it did pretty well. I've always been impressed with Yamaha instruments.
But when it came time to get a "maybe I'll like it" guitar for my wife, I got her one of the Fender acoustic starter packs. And I have to say, it's been a pretty solid piece so far. She's not used to having to practice music, but she's not having any trouble with the guitar itself. It came with a gig bag, strings, picks, a tuner, a doodad for changing springs - everything but a stand. I'm not sure if any of the local guitar stores even sell Yahama, actually. So I've been happy with that choice. If the instrument starts to become a limitation, I'll swap it out for something else.
She wanted someone to play with, so I decided to pick one up myself. And because I'm a boy, I wanted an electric. I picked up one of the Squier Strat packs. It's not as solid on the tuners as the acoustic is and I've been fiddling with it to try to nail the setup, but that's also a reflection of who I am I've had it apart a few times to screw with it because, well, I like to screw with things...
We did local music shop + the Fender acoustic starter for about a year. Then, used - got an Ovation which has a plastic curved rear, which helps a lot for a smaller player.
My son still has it & plays a lot.
Ha, yeah, you're never too old to take up an instrument.
Which reminds me: new bass should be arriving tomorrow....
I see you already pulled the trigger on a guitar...
The worst part about learning guitar is the relentless drudgery of practicing the same thing over and over and over when you don't have the physical skills to play anything cool yet. Especially for kids... but for me too. I freaking hate repetition. This "game" makes it possible to forget you are actually practicing the same thing over and over and over.
It's on Amazon for $30 with the special cable included. If she has an acoustic you will also need a $10 pickup for it. So... about the cost of 1.5 lessons. It improved my playing tremendously (I had about a year of lessons before I bought it) and my oldest son learned to play half-decent from scratch competing against me. It is possibly the best $30 I spent this year. No E36 M3.
In reply to Huckleberry:
Practice practice practice. Tommy Emmanuel practices up to six hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week when he's not on tour.
Huckleberry wrote: The worst part about learning is the relentless drudgery of practicing the same thing over and over and over when you don't have the physical skills to do anything cool yet.
Fixed it.
Huckleberry wrote: I see you already pulled the trigger on a guitar... The worst part about learning guitar is the relentless drudgery of practicing the same thing over and over and over when you don't have the physical skills to play anything cool yet. Especially for kids... but for me too. I freaking hate repetition. This "game" makes it possible to forget you are actually practicing the same thing over and over and over. Rocksmith 2014 It's on Amazon for $30 with the special cable included. If she has an acoustic you will also need a $10 pickup for it. So... about the cost of 1.5 lessons. It improved my playing tremendously (I had about a year of lessons before I bought it) and my oldest son learned to play half-decent from scratch competing against me. It is possibly the best $30 I spent this year. No E36 M3.
This is a good idea! I got my younger nephew this for Xmas last year and his bass playing skills have really improved.
You'll need to log in to post.
