Home › Forums › Guitar Discussion › Guitar › New to this, need advise
- This topic has 14 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 17 years, 11 months ago by Tim.
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April 13, 2006 at 12:33 am #23112drileyschultzParticipant
My 13 year old is interested in learning to play the electric guitar (acoustic, not bass). I initially thought it a good idea for him to start out on a folk guitar, maybe take lessons, and then move on to an electric one. He fiddled around with the folk one, but would rather go right to the electric one, instead. So, that brings me to my first question: Does it matter whether he starts out on a folk guitar or an electrict one?
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April 22, 2006 at 5:09 am #69795TimParticipant
I agree totally, I still stand by my post of 5 weeks ago, I think this thread should have ended there and I should have recieved some kind of accolade: a trophy or a small puppy to raise as my own.
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April 21, 2006 at 6:29 am #69763MichaelParticipant
I agree with GLW, someone his age needs to learn on something that he loves, otherwise he will just become tired of it.
😆 at 4notes story.
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April 20, 2006 at 10:26 pm #69760glwParticipant
Yes, but if the kid yearns to play electric, then no matter how nice an acoustic you present him with, he’s going to be disappointed. You may as well give him a clarinet or a violin, because it’s not the same instrument he’s interested in.
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April 20, 2006 at 9:28 pm #69771USGoldParticipant
IMO–thats all this is–a guitarist should learn both accoustic and electric styles–thrashing and ripping only seems pointless–a nice mix of styles is what I aim for–besides accoustic makes you learn better finger position than electric-back to the point of the question though either electric or accoustic works for a beginner-whatever it takes to interest him in learning to play.
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April 20, 2006 at 1:15 am #69779lee_UKParticipant
I started playing guitar when i was 12, i got out of Double French (1 hour lesson) by going to guitar lessons, me and my 2 best mates went at the same time, started to be a contest over who could do the best and progress the furthest, then people start to recognise the tunes you play,
then you start a band and write your own songs, thats when you are hooked, but i started on nylon strung spanish guitar.But if you have the money get him an electric, you dont want your kid
to end up getting a large pebble in the old family jewells. 😯
Life is difficult enough as it is, you don’t need that kind of hassle. 😆 -
April 19, 2006 at 9:01 am #69783SabbParticipant
I started out playing the Acustic, my first guitar was a cheap old Hohner, probably wasn’t even 80 bucks lol. It’s a great way to stat though. Makes it way easier to make some great songs with a mix of electric and acustic parts. I believe it would be a little harder to learn on an electric first. Find the song “The Drapery Falls” by Opeth. It’s a perfect example of blending the acustic with electric. You may not like the vocals but just listen to the guitars, you’ll get the picture.
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April 19, 2006 at 8:44 am #697524 NotesParticipant
I wanted to learn the electric guitar when I was 13. So my parents bought me an acoustic Horner and made me go to this old crotchety guys house every wednesday to learn FOLK. I never practiced the lesson, and the old man was always pissed. One day, after 5 minutes of my lesson, he said he didn’t want to teach me anymore because I never practiced his polka tabliture. I sat outside for the remaining 55 minutes waiting for my mom to come pick me up.
Some kid started teasing me from accross the street so I picked up a rock and threw it into the air and hard as I could. He was dancing and heckling away at how gay I was for playing the acoustic guitar. He was right, I was turning gay. Just then that rock dropped from the sky and hit him right in the balls. I couldn’t believe I nailed him in the sweet spot. He buckled over and started crying like a little baby in the fetus position.
16 years later, at the rip old age of 29, I bought my first electric guitar.
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April 18, 2006 at 4:10 pm #69751noodle69Participant
i have a fender ma-1 3/4 size acoustic !
it is easy to play and sounds good enough for someone to begin on.
i’ve used it in recordings !
it cost about £90gbp
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April 14, 2006 at 3:56 am #69777TimParticipant
I didn’t start playing for a long, long time because the only guitar I’d been exposed to was a nylon string classical, it put me off completely. They don’t sound great playing any other style and the wider neck can actually be more awkward when you’ve got smaller hands.
At 13 he’s probably got ops of his own, I’d fix a budget and let him choose, it’ll either be a starter electric and practice amp (which generally have headphone sockets, you could insist on this if you’re bothered), or a slightly better acoustic, leave it to him and he’s more likely to stick at it, IMO.
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April 13, 2006 at 11:32 pm #69789glwParticipant
OR…
Get him one of these – http://www.behringer.com/IAXE393/index.cfm?lang=ENG – and he can plug straight into the computer via USB.
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April 13, 2006 at 11:28 pm #69638glwParticipant
Electric guitars can be quieter than acoustics, because at least you can practice with headphones. With an acoustic there’s no way of keeping the volume down apart from playing very very lightly, which defeats the object really.
Just get a small practice or headphone amp for now. It needn’t cost very much.
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April 13, 2006 at 10:36 pm #69671drileyschultzParticipant
Well, that was going to be my next question – do I HAVE to buy an amp, or can he start with just the electric guitar for now? I’m willing to buy the other equipment eventually ONLY if he sticks with it, but would rather not invest too much money right away.
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April 13, 2006 at 7:58 pm #69620lee_UKParticipant
It really doesnt matter, Classical guitars or nylon strung, have wider necks, easier to get your fingers around, the strings are fatter and easier on the fingers.
Folk guitars for learning are as easy as an electric, similar kind of strings, height of strings will be similar.
Noise level on an electrics can be horrifying!! unless of course you are not using an amp, or have headphones plugged in.
Let him go with what he feels happiest with. -
April 13, 2006 at 4:13 pm #69693glwParticipant
Nylon strung guitars – especially cheap ones – can be a bugger to tune. The action and string spacing can also be nasty. It could well be such a pain that he won’t bother playing it. Get him an electric.
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