So recently, I've taken an interest in playing the guitar. I've been playing playing my friend's electric guitar for a few days, and I was thinking about buying an acoustic guitar for myself later on. To anyone on the BBS who plays and has knowledge about guitars, is there any good brands that you guys would recommended? I'm looking to spend at max $300 and I would like a guitar that would suit for a beginner like me. Also, I got questions about switching fingerings from one chord to another. I've seen other people who play guitar switch from chords to chords, they make it souns so smooth. When I try to change chords if I lift off the fret to change chords, I'll distort the sound lol. Am I not fingering quick enough? Should I even be worried about this?
Smooth chord switching comes with practice, practice, practice. That's all. The key is efficiency - don't lift the fingers too far off the strings. Sometimes, the next chord requires the exact same string with the same finger, so you don't even need to lift the finger, you can keep it pressed. Things like that. You'll eventually figure things out once you start playing around.
Depending on the song you can mute with the pinky when chaning chords. But the real problem is you are not good at chords. The better you are the quicker and better they are. At that price I would get an electric guitar but if you really want a steel string acoustic I would get something like this. http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Yamaha-FG730S-Solid-Top-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=519049
Oh, as for guitars, this was my first one: http://www.americanmusical.com/Item...0HAMS0000&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=feed& It all depends what you need. That one has electronics so you can plug it into an amp. If you don't do that then you can probably forgo that option. But honestly, if you're not too particular (and you're probably not, since you're just beginning) any dreadnought will do... I've seen some for under $100. Look around online music stores, read some reviews. Those are usually very helpful. As you start playing more, you'll probably develop an ear for sound quality, and that's when strings, specific guitar material, etc. come in... I guess you'll care about that later.
You can probably find a Fender to start out with for your budget. The best advice I can give is just go to some stores and see what you like and basically what "feels" right. As for chords, don't worry too much about it. You'll get quicker as you play more. It sounds obvious, but practice songs you like.
For a $300 acoustic, I would go with an Epiphone or an Ibanez. They will fine for you as you learn. Go to Guitar Center...they have plenty of Epiphone and Ibanez acoustics in your price range. As far as your second question goes, practice....practice....and more practice! The more you practice, the easier it will get. You can trust an old man like me on that one....
Is Cagey Veteran still banned for ripping on Jesus? If he's not, you should PM him, he used to sell guitars for a long time.
Trust me, chord changing takes time and a LOT of practice. I play with my Paul Reid Smith semi hollow every night and am still far from being comfortable. BTW- This site is awesome for a beginner. $40 for a full year, and that's about what you'd pay for one lesson alone. Free 5 day trial too.
nice man , i might actually buy that. I think i'm going to buy a acoustic - electric guitar later maybe a epiphone or a alvarez .
Guitar Center sells a brand called Mitchell. They're really underrated acoustic guitars. I have an acoustic-electric one I got there for $220. The non-electric version is like $150 or so. Its just about the only guitar for under $300 thats gonna have Grover tuners. Another steal is the Martin backpack guitar they sell. Its really light and kind of hard to hold, but it has a distinct sound and you can easily bring it to parties or wherever. Its $160, and best of all its a Martin! Another good research tool is look at the reviews on the Guitar center website. You can always play them in the store and get an idea of how they sound, but you never know what the setup is like on them, or if the tuning is slightly off, etc.
I'd echo RMT and recommend an Epiphone (haven't played an Ibanez acoustic before though) - check out either Guitar Center or Fullers Vintage.
I have a backpacker. It's great for portability, and I like mine, but I wouldn't recommend it as a first guitar, nor do I vouch for the quality of the sound. The wood is light, and the body is tiny, so it just doesn't resonate the way a full sized guitar with better woods would. It's not a terrible sound, but it's very light. Also, as he said, it's a bit awkward to hold and play due to its size and shape. The price is right, but I'd say this is more a novelty or for someone who likes to camp/hike but doesn't want to bring their "real" guitar. That said, again, I do like mine quite a bit, and for camping or hiking or just having around, it's a good guitar for certain things, just not a first guitar, imo.
I found a really sweet deal you might be interested in: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/prod...duct_id=9871389&sourceid=11271886872422439220
