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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 5:52 am
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In my experience as a self-taught learner, as a teacher and as the grandfather of an 11-year-old who has now been practicing for a year on the first guitar that I gave him... acoustic guitars are boring! Unless you get a GOOD ONE, they're hard as hell on young fingers and discourage a lot more often than they ENcourage. If I hadn't given my grandson a decent electric and an amp to go with it, I know he wouldn't have been interested enough to stick with it.

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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 2:13 pm
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Acoustic guitars are not boring! To me you need both to appreciate their differences. When I play my electric I usually go back to the acoustic almost like tracing back to the holy grail of guitar. Acoustic represents stripped down to the bare bones marriage of wood, string, flesh, as in a finger and dare I say plastic, as in a pick! If you think acoustics are boring than you'll think electrics are boring after a while! Wait and see! 8)


Last edited by JimRussellMills30! on Thu Aug 29, 2013 3:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 3:08 pm
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CRGuitarMan wrote:
In my experience as a self-taught learner, as a teacher and as the grandfather of an 11-year-old who has now been practicing for a year on the first guitar that I gave him... acoustic guitars are boring! Unless you get a GOOD ONE, they're hard as hell on young fingers and discourage a lot more often than they ENcourage. If I hadn't given my grandson a decent electric and an amp to go with it, I know he wouldn't have been interested enough to stick with it.


I agree. I probably quit five or six times over 25 years trying to learn on a tough acoustic. Electric is much more fun. :D


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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 3:30 pm
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GTG wrote:
CRGuitarMan wrote:
In my experience as a self-taught learner, as a teacher and as the grandfather of an 11-year-old who has now been practicing for a year on the first guitar that I gave him... acoustic guitars are boring! Unless you get a GOOD ONE, they're hard as hell on young fingers and discourage a lot more often than they ENcourage. If I hadn't given my grandson a decent electric and an amp to go with it, I know he wouldn't have been interested enough to stick with it.


I agree. I probably quit five or six times over 25 years trying to learn on a tough acoustic. Electric is much more fun. :D


I disagree whole-heartledly, well if you quit on an acoustic you'll either quit sooner or quit later with an electric, in my eyes. :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 3:48 pm
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GTG wrote:
CRGuitarMan wrote:
In my experience as a self-taught learner, as a teacher and as the grandfather of an 11-year-old who has now been practicing for a year on the first guitar that I gave him... acoustic guitars are boring! Unless you get a GOOD ONE, they're hard as hell on young fingers and discourage a lot more often than they ENcourage. If I hadn't given my grandson a decent electric and an amp to go with it, I know he wouldn't have been interested enough to stick with it.


I agree. I probably quit five or six times over 25 years trying to learn on a tough acoustic. Electric is much more fun. :D


Furthermore, you's guys are just salty because Fender's acoustic line isn't much referable! :P


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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 8:58 pm
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I have a nice Fender acoustic now. Much easier to play and chord than that old Harmony. I don't see myself quitting until I have to. I firmly believe that learning on an electric is by far the best. I use electrics 95% of the time. Much more fun. :D


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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 10:22 pm
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Guitar starter packs, Fender that is, are fine if like another member suggested they go along with some lessons. The lessons part of the package is very important. If the instructor/teacher is good the youngster will be a player for life. I know this because at 5 y/o I could barely press the steel strings against the fretboard on my Silvertone acoustic but I liked my instructor and toughened up fairly quickly, lol. :D

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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 11:12 pm
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If there is a Mustang, or any other short scale guitar starter pack..I'd wait for a blowout sale from one of the guitar store chains, and buy that. Most kids that young wouldn't find an acoustic or classical guitar "cool". Get one of those pocket electronics tuners, too.

Go to youtube for lessons.


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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 1:35 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
+1 on acoustic first.
Have them look at Seagull guitars.
Great bang for buck ratio.


Ditto on Seagull--or Simon & Patrick or Art & Lutherie--these are all Godin brands and great bang for your buck.

As far as starter kits--the stuff I see in them looks better than it used to be, but I think you're better off putting together your own stuff so you can handpick the better stuff in your price range.

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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 3:31 am
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KC9SYJ wrote:
I have friends at church who have a young boy(I am guessing he's 8 or 9 years old)who is interested in learning to play guitar. I have suggested they look into those starter outfits.
Only problem is this,...I don't know if he is interested in acoustic or electric,...

Hi KC9SYJ: I believe I stumbled by accident upon the ideal solution to this common issue.

My neighbours' ten year old was expressing interest in guitars and they were faced with exactly the problem you're talking about. It so happened I had a smallish electro knocking around unused and gave them that, and it turns out to have found a very appreciative home. The lad can play it acoustically, which is a blessed relief for his parents, and he can also take it to school and plug in to amps there and get a taste of the electric experience.

In this case the guitar in question was a Fender Dick Dale Malibu electro. Neither the colour, the pickguard, the short-ish 24.75" scale length nor the six-on-a-side headstock appealed to me. But all of those things made it absolutely perfect for a kid aged ten. He thought Christmas had arrived early.

New off the shelf that's no doubt a bit expensive as a starter guitar. But Lightnin MN's suggestion of second-hand is a good one. And though I don't know the market I bet there's much more affordable electro-acoustics out there too. For example, I think there's a Squier Telecoustic? Wouldn't that be an ideal starter guitar for a kid?

Warning. My neighbours' kid is now 12 and into guitars big-time. And he has recently persuaded his parents to get him a kit guitar (a guitar-bass doubleneck no less - yikes! :shock: ) which none of them know how to assemble... and therefore I've been roped in to help them paint and build it.

So be aware: one act of helpfulness can lead to endless hours of further work! :lol:

Good luck - C

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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 6:22 am
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JimRussellMills30! wrote:
Acoustic guitars are not boring! To me you need both to appreciate their differences. When I play my electric I usually go back to the acoustic almost like tracing back to the holy grail of guitar. Acoustic represents stripped down to the bare bones marriage of wood, string, flesh, as in a finger and dare I say plastic, as in a pick! If you think acoustics are boring than you'll think electrics are boring after a while! Wait and see! 8)
Okay, Jim, take a deep breath and look at my opinion in context. I am saying that to an average young beginner, an acoustic guitar is boring. First of all, if he has friends who play, odds are that they will have electric guitars. My grandson wants to play guitar along with his school band and guess what, the teacher doesn't want to mess with an acoustic trying to be heard in the midst of all the other instruments.

And then there's the issue of putting together your own first band. Drums, electric bass and a couple of acoustic guitars just won't cut it. Yes, eventually everyone should own a good acoustic, if only to serenade your loved one beside a campfire. 8) And I prefer to do most of my songwriting with an acoustic, but that all comes later.

Right now I am playing out 6-8 times a month minimum and doing it solo with backing tracks. The only guitar I take along with me is my favorite Ovation acoustic-electric as I am primarily playing amplified rhythm and singing. When I play out with an actual band, I take along an Ovation and an electric and mix things up with them.

But I still maintain, when a young person is starting out, they'll be more interested and stay more interested with an electric - easier to play and the sounds you can get out of an amp with effects are much more interesting and entertaining. I won't even get into the volume issue.

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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:39 am
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brotherdave wrote:
When I was selling guitars here is where I would go on this.
For a child that young, I'd get a 3/4 sized nylon stringed classical to full scale small bodied classical.

No way electric.
No way steel string acoustic.
No way full sized anything.
No amp required.

A downsized or small bodied classical won't fight against him as much as a cheap acoustic as they easier to play due the nylon strings.

Nothing is as discouraging as discovering you have to "grow into" something or that the guitar you have is unplayable for the finger strength you have. Unless you are super-determined you get super-discouraged.

Get him a small lesson pack from an instructor. After 3 lessons evaluate where he is. Downsized classical guitars I'd look at are the 3/4 size Yamaha CGS103A and the Fender full scale but small bodied CN-140S. Both are quality instruments suitable for youngsters. If he loses interest you can't blame it on a hard to play heavy instrument.


+1 on this.

That's how I started, along with the promise (from the parents) that if I stuck with the lessons and could make any decent music, they might consider more in the future. This meant learning foundation open chords, basic theory and so forth, but that's all paid off in the many years since. If the boy is interested and dedicated, that will soon be obvious by the effort put in. At that point (my next step), a decent quality used electric and amp (prices have been falling from what I see) might be in order.


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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:11 am
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I'm pretty much in the acoustic camp to start because I believe it makes you a better player and also the lack of whistles and bells allows someone, especially a young person, to concentrate on the basics w/ a minimum of distractions.

But, ideally, both an acoustic and an electric is good.

If one bought used instruments, you could likely get both for the price of new.

cheers!

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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 3:46 pm
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CRGuitarMan wrote:
JimRussellMills30! wrote:
Acoustic guitars are not boring! To me you need both to appreciate their differences. When I play my electric I usually go back to the acoustic almost like tracing back to the holy grail of guitar. Acoustic represents stripped down to the bare bones marriage of wood, string, flesh, as in a finger and dare I say plastic, as in a pick! If you think acoustics are boring than you'll think electrics are boring after a while! Wait and see! 8)
Okay, Jim, take a deep breath and look at my opinion in context. I am saying that to an average young beginner, an acoustic guitar is boring. First of all, if he has friends who play, odds are that they will have electric guitars. My grandson wants to play guitar along with his school band and guess what, the teacher doesn't want to mess with an acoustic trying to be heard in the midst of all the other instruments.

And then there's the issue of putting together your own first band. Drums, electric bass and a couple of acoustic guitars just won't cut it. Yes, eventually everyone should own a good acoustic, if only to serenade your loved one beside a campfire. 8) And I prefer to do most of my songwriting with an acoustic, but that all comes later.

Right now I am playing out 6-8 times a month minimum and doing it solo with backing tracks. The only guitar I take along with me is my favorite Ovation acoustic-electric as I am primarily playing amplified rhythm and singing. When I play out with an actual band, I take along an Ovation and an electric and mix things up with them.

But I still maintain, when a young person is starting out, they'll be more interested and stay more interested with an electric - easier to play and the sounds you can get out of an amp with effects are much more interesting and entertaining. I won't even get into the volume issue.


Well we agree to disagree, I think? Effects will only get you so far imho, as you can't let the effect mask poor playing! I've learned, long ago, that when I used effects all I want to do was play off the effect instead of playing the song, scale or whatever! :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Your thoughts on guitar starter packs
Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:28 pm
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The problem I've found with cheap acoustics is the action can be ridiculously high (maybe the older ones, though.) I have this old Harmony acoustic that's probably from the early 70's, maybe even the 60's (I believe it's US made) that I can barely play anything but open chords. I think the thing has an inch gap on the fret board at the 12th fret. :P It needs serious work (new tuners, etc.) as well. I'm not sure if it's worth it though to pay to fix it, even though I got it for free. It doesn't sound bad. I can replace the tuners but I know absolutely nothing about adjusting the action on it. At least with an electric, that's an easy fix with some tools.

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