Originally posted by BelgianBono:Guys, I'm totally new to this topic, but would like to ask something here as I trust (most of) you
My parents decided to buy me a guitar for my birthday, which is really cool and all, but as you probably assumed, I now little or nothing about guitars.
Therefore, is there any specific acoustic beginners guitar you'd recommand me ?
And, what's the difference between a regular acoustic one and an electro-acoustic one ? Or better : which one is better according to you ?
Thanks in advance, i'll probably be visiting this topic more in the future
A regular acoustic is a basic acoustic guitar. Sound is produced from the strings vibrating over the hollow wooden body. An electro acoustic is the same, except is has a pickup inside it and you can plug it into a guitar amplifier if you want to be louder or add some effects or something.
I'd start off with a regular acoustic, no need for a pickup and an amp when you're just learning. As far as acoustics go, I'd suggest just going in and trying a bunch in your budget. You don't even have to be able to play anything, just go in, feel the necks, see which one feels the most comfortable. You'll come across thinner necks, and chunkier necks. I have really big hands so I prefer chunky necks on guitars, they suit me better. Also just strum the strings to see which one sounds the best to your ears. Again, you don't even have to be able to play, just listen to see how the strings sound on each instrument. They're all very different.
Another thing I'd suggest is asking a person at a store to help you out. Just tell them that you're just starting out and you're looking for a good acoustic guitar to start out, in your budget. They'll point you to the better ones in your price range, and might try to persuade you to go a little more expensive, but in the end they're there to help you.
If you were asking for a beginner electric I could totally give you specific ones, but because you're looking for an acoustic, they're really all very different (from my experiences). A strat can be the same from one to the next, but acoustics vary quite a lot.
So basically just go in and see which one feels the best to you and sounds the best, ask around to see if they can narrow it down for you to find the better ones of the bunch. Even though you're looking for a beginner, you still don't want a piece of crap to learn on. You need a decent instrument to get going on, or else your learning will be hindered.
Hope that helped,
Alex
