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#289399 - 06/11/11 01:27 PM
Guitar advice for newbie
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CosmoSmallpiece
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 30/10/11
Posts: 6
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Hi Gents and Ladies, I'm a total guitar newb looking to buy an acoustic. Good quality used acoustics seem to be a bit thin on the ground from what I can see so I'll probably be buying new.
I wondered what is the general opinion on the lower priced Martins and Taylors? Also what body size should I go for? Is the Dreadnought size purely for extra volume, or do they have a different tone?
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#289400 - 06/11/11 01:53 PM
Re: Guitar advice for newbie
[Re: CosmoSmallpiece]
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Richard - Richards Guitars
Administrator & Forum Council Member
Old Timer
Registered: 30/07/01
Posts: 5500
Loc: 5 Tiddington Road, Stratford U...
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Hi there
Welcome to the forum.
You need to do some research on Stonebridge Guitars or contact me. I am on the live help facility right now if you need me as I am most hours.
You can find this at http://www.richardsguitars.co.uk as indeed you will find further details on Stonebridge.
Starting at £600 you will not consider a Taylor/Martin after trying one of these.
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#289403 - 06/11/11 03:02 PM
Re: Guitar advice for newbie
[Re: CosmoSmallpiece]
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The Tiggs
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 08/04/10
Posts: 412
Loc: Derby
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I tried out the cheaper Martins when I was looking for an acoustic but decided that they were taking the p***, they might a well have been made of plastic.
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#289410 - 06/11/11 04:49 PM
Re: Guitar advice for newbie
[Re: Jocko]
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CosmoSmallpiece
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 30/10/11
Posts: 6
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I don't play at the moment. I'm a beginner
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#289412 - 06/11/11 05:07 PM
Re: Guitar advice for newbie
[Re: CosmoSmallpiece]
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The Tiggs
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 08/04/10
Posts: 412
Loc: Derby
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Hi Cosmo,
To answer your question on Dreadnoughts - the tone and volume has been found most suitable for Country and Western. That's not to say they aren't OK for folk and pop. Obviously the bigger guitar the more volume - hence Jumbos where v.pop at one stage.
For playing to your-self then a smaller size might be more suited. I have one of these:
http://www.camdensounds.co.uk/6-string-e...tic-guitar.html
Which I recommend - I think Richard still sells them.
Anyway, whichever you go for have it professionally set up.
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#289426 - 06/11/11 08:31 PM
Re: Guitar advice for newbie
[Re: CosmoSmallpiece]
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S&P
One of the Regulars
Registered: 18/08/11
Posts: 85
Loc: Sheffield UK
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Take a look at Simon&Patrick. The woodland range is worthy of a try out. The solid cedar top, models are particularly good.
I used to play with a guitarist who had three high end Martins but he always wanted to play my S&P until I made him buy his own!
Also have a look at the top end of the Washburn range...lovely Guitars.
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#289428 - 06/11/11 09:47 PM
Re: Guitar advice for newbie
[Re: Jocko]
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CosmoSmallpiece
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 30/10/11
Posts: 6
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If I was you I would buy a reasonably priced second hand acoustic, get it professionally set up then see how you get on. I have bought a dose of Guitars, at give-away prices, that have been bought to learn on then discarded once the beginner found it was not as easy as it looks/takes too much time/hurts the fingers. Once you have decided you want to go on, then is the time to select the guitar you really want. Personally, I would start with a Squier Strat - without an amp - and go from there. An acoustic is not the easiest guitar for a beginner.
I'm not a total musical novice. I've been playing bass for 30 years so I know some theory and have tungsten calloused fingertips.
Unfortunately due to the nature of the bass guitar being an accompanying instrument it's difficult to get any enjoyment out of it without having to rely on other "musicians", and the amateur scene around here is pretty dire. I've finally had enough of drummers who think they can turn up to band practise and jam along without ever learning songs, guitarists who can't play their Marshall stacks on anything less than ear bleeding volume and singers with their inflated egos and weird ideas about band management.
I've been listening to a lot of guitar music lately that I find very inspiring, Steve Hackett for example, and I guess I'm someone who needs to play music in some form or other, so this seems to be the way forward.
I really have no interest in playing an electric, even as a stop gap, and I also know that if I buy a cheapy to learn on I'll become dissatisfied with it after a couple of months and start thinking that I should have got something better. I've also been looking for used guitars in the ususl places like Ebay, Gumtree and Adtrader but there seems to be very few Guitars of any quality and the prices being asked seem to be very unrealistic.
If you walk into a music shop and say you're a beginner the reaction seems to be to pull out the cheapest POS in the shop because "that's what you need to learn on", but I'd rather get a guitar right from the start that I won't grow out of.
So the message I'm getting loud and clear is stay away from the budget ranges from the big names like Martin. The Stonebridge range look very interesting. I'm going to try to get up to Richard's shop one weekend, wife and small child permitting.
I appreciate all the advice and it's given me much food for thought.
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