Need advice on guitar (Alamo, Taylor: for sale, 2014, how much)

[tejano2828]

Good morning people

I want to learn how to play a guitar and I want to purchase one but there
are so many.

I want an acoustic plug in guitar. Can you guys recommend me some good ones
or if anyone is selling one? price range 100-300 thanks guys and gals

[TrapperL]

Go by Alamo Music and have a chat with them about what you want, how much you want to spend, etc. They can sell you just what you're looking for and the best part, no up sell pressure.Learning to play requires LOTS of practice. I can't over stress that enough, it takes LOTS of practice. If you don't have the time to invest in it, forget it. I would suggest for the beginner to look to Northside Adult Education to get started. There are probably still classes forming but you need to hurry or it'll be summer before they have more. That'll get you the basics and then you can practice by using what is called "tabs". A complete moron can play using tabs, just takes what? PRACTICE!!!
FWIW, here's a very simple tab of a folk song by Shawn Phillips. The O means you don't need to press any string, just strum it. The numbers means the number of the fret from the tuning end of the guitar that you press down. Once you learn the basics at NISD, this will all make perfect sense to you but this song is more about timing than ability.
L Ballade Tab by Shawn Phillips @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

Might want to listen to the song at Youtube and get an idea what it sounds like. Start easy and work yer way up into whatever kind of music you enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMgF_ZwcQN0

[Rapscallion]

If that were my price range, I'd just get a low-end Yamaha and take it to a luthier to be set up properly.

There's not much sense in amplifying yourself while learning, you'll have adequate projection without it. There are all sorts of options for adding that at a later date.

One word of advice if you are going to be self-taught; read up on proper posture, positioning your hand/wrist and work on timing first before developing any bad habits.

[txtea]

As you said, there are a lot of guitars that fall in that price range.
One thing to keep in mind is, if you start out with some 99 dollar entry level guitar to learn on, they are much harder to play and finger verses a mid-level guitar. The action, sound and overall feel is much better on a guitar that is on the higher end of your price range.
As Trapper mentioned, it takes a LOT of practice, and you WILL get frustrated with any guitar, no matter what the price range is. But....if you try and learn on some cheap kids toy, that frustration will be MUCH greater.
Go to the music stores...Sam Ash, Guitar Center, Alamo Music, etc. and handle the different ones on display. You will notice the difference between the 99 dollar entry level ones and the 300 dollar and up ones. They go up into the thousands of dollars, but you can get a good quality guitar for around 300 bucks to start you off. Play the 3-4k dollar Gibsons, Martins and Taylors...you will see what I mean.

The key is to find one that fits YOU and is the most comfortable for YOU to play. You can get recommendations all day long, but the best way to decide, is to handle and play the ones in your price range and see the difference.
I would also recommend buying a good set of strings, as the ones that come with the guitar are usually cheap..there IS a difference. Have fun with it, and good luck!

[VeeGer]

You're in luck because budget guitars are better made than before thanks to CNC machines. Don't pick up a starter set because they are pretty much low ends.

No two guitars are made alike so you need to get hands on experiences at the music shops and you will find one that speaks to you.

Good luck.

[TXStrat]

You can find a number of decent guitars in the $200 price range that are perfect for beginners. The key is not to go so cheap that you end up with a poorly made instrument that is unplayable. Yamaha, Fender, Alvaraez and Epiphone are a few that you can find decent acoustic/electric models in an affordable price range that are made well enough not to discourage you while you're learning.

Second the notion of not worrying about amplification until you learn a bit. The acoustic alone will be sufficient until you've learned the basics, and you won't have to spend the additional money on an amplifier.

[rattle axis]

Some absolutely sound advice you've been given by the posters above. Very cool to see some familiar names with a common interest/hobby/passion.

I'll add: You'll need a tuner of course. Get in the habit of checking the tuning each time before you play. You'll learn how the chords should actually sound and train your ear. Eventually, you'll be able to notice when you go out of tune and will be able to correct it by ear. Snark headstock clip on models are cheap and usually quite accurate.

What music are you going to learn? This might help us help you hone in on the sort of setup you would want to look at for a particular style or artist

If you're absolutely set on going with an amplified setup, an electric guitar will actually be much easier to learn on. The string gauge is lighter. Easier to fret, (press string down to fretboard) especially nearer the nut where you'll learn your most common chords, and easier on tender fingers. (until you build your callouses) There are semi-hollow electric guitar options, and you can buy a good quality solid body electric all day long in your price range.

It is worth spending the money for a good guitar and having a luthier set it up. This will go far in reducing frustrations the instrument itself might contribute. You'll also be able to recover more of your money should you lose interest. (You'll see Craigslist is flooded with low end guitars. It's hard to even sell one, many are pretty close to worthless) Let's be honest, it is a steep curve both in cost and learning, but if you're serious, invest in yourself.

Good luck, happy playing.

[Inventurous]

Also, check out Rocksmith:
Rocksmith® 2014 - Learn to Play Guitar & Bass | Ubisoft® (US)

I've already purchased two editions in hopes that someday I'll have time to dust off my old electric and learn to shred...

[VeeGer]

I've thought of putting up one of my two custom shop guitars for sale but seeing that it's a buyers market out there, sellers will take a loss. There's too many of 'em so it's a good time to buy one and do a lot of researches. You will find a gem.

I've played guitar since I was 10 years old (using my sis's piano books, that was in 1960) so I had over 50 years of playing. It's time to retire from it due to age and disabilities.

[OzzyRules]

Why do you want a plug in acoustic guitar? There are some good budget guitars but most of them don't have that. You can always get an attachable/clip-on pickup to add later if you want to amplify.