Barrage Of Questions From A Newbie ~

[RuiQi]

Hi Forum ,

Im thinking of buying a decent guitar and im very sure ill be able to NOT die out from this musical hobby

Over the past few weeks Ive done some decent “research” on these :
-Solid tops / laminate tops
-How to maintain solid top guitars ( Coz I am considering one now )

What I am not sure of is :
-Is there is a significant difference between guitars with MATT/GLOSS finish ?
-What’s a good padded bag that I can use to carry my guitar around which will REALLY protect it ?
( I dun want to use hardcase when carrying it around as it is heavy =x , Ill use the hardcase for keeping the guitar when not in use )
-What’s the approximate duration before I actually have to re – string ( depending on how much I play?) And what are some of the good strings ? ( Ive heard of elixers and such.. )

Regarding on playing :
-I do have some problems when reading certain tabs as I cant seem to understand what they are writing.
-Anyone knows where I can install / buy and install simple pickguards on a guitar ?
-Does anyone know where I can buy TABS/SHEET MUSIC for e.g. James Blunt , Secondhand Serenade if they DO exist or are websites ( ultimate-guitar.com , etc ) the only place I can source for such stuffs ?

When buying :
-What are the things I need to check out for when purchasing one to make sure that it is in tip-top condition?
-And can i ask the salesperson to actually play for me to hear for some problems? ( Such as buzzing sounds and stuff ) as i don't know whats supposed to be tested.

Finally the guitar im deciding on is the Maestro ED-2 , I’ve actually heard it being played before and I really like it a lot , it gives a really nice tone. =)

I know im supposed to walk around SG to try out other guitars but im very sure this is the one I like as I HAVE tried A FEW other guitars before ( dun really remb their names except for some crafters )

But considering the fact that I AM a beginner , isit “too much” for me to get such a guitar ?
Its not about the price but the “Weird feel” of being a beginner and holding / playing something (advanced?).  I noe its lame but I do feel this way...

Anyway , hope ive been specific enough and that the forum can answer my questions =)
I apologise for the barrage of questions.
Thanks and Peace Out

 

[theunknown]

What I am not sure of is :
-Is there is a significant difference between guitars with MATT/GLOSS finish ?

Personally, I prefer matt due to the smoothness and its less friction with sweaty palms. But I heard of the protection gloss finish gives guitars.
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-What’s a good padded bag that I can use to carry my guitar around which will REALLY protect it ?

I heard great reviews here of Gator at Yamaha and Mono at City Music. You may want to check out those. Otherwise you may consider semi-hardcase.
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-What’s the approximate duration before I actually have to re – string.

Depends on your playing and players' preference. Some wait till they rust, some wait till the "tone" runs out, some wait till the "feel" runs out. Can be as often as weekly to as seldom as 3 months.

Good = preference too. Though generally factors are feel, tone, and how long they last. Major brands are ernie ball, d'addario, ghs, sit, dean markley etc. Elixirs are coated strings, which promotes long live due to protection from rust. There are other brands too, and they are all generally more pricey.
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Regarding on playing :
-I do have some problems when reading certain tabs as I cant seem to understand what they are writing.

Which part don't you understand? The symbols? You can always check what those symbols means by googling. If not, then?
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-Anyone knows where I can install / buy and install simple pickguards on a guitar ?

Installing is quite simple procedure, but finding a pickguard that is compatible is quite a chore. Wait, you referring to acoustic or electric?
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-Does anyone know where I can buy TABS/SHEET MUSIC for e.g. James Blunt , Secondhand Serenade if they DO exist or are websites ( ultimate-guitar.com , etc ) the only place I can source for such stuffs ?

I google my way out to find tabs and they always work for me, especially popular artists like you mentioned.
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When buying :
-What are the things I need to check out for when purchasing one to make sure that it is in tip-top condition?

This issue has collected a long list in a thread quite some time ago. Quite alot to mention.
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-And can i ask the salesperson to actually play for me to hear for some problems? ( Such as buzzing sounds and stuff ) as i don't know whats supposed to be tested.

Better to bring an experienced friend to go along with you as salesperson may have some biasness. Unless the shop has some reputation of excellent service of some sort.
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Finally the guitar im deciding on is the Maestro ED-2 , I’ve actually heard it being played before and I really like it a lot , it gives a really nice tone. =)

But considering the fact that I AM a beginner , isit “too much” for me to get such a guitar ?
Its not about the price but the “Weird feel” of being a beginner and holding / playing something (advanced?).  I noe its lame but I do feel this way...

Nope, not a problem at all. Heard of some kids who got gibsons for their first guitar to play powerchords all day long.

 

[RuiQi]

Hey Unknown thanks for the help and info
Ive went to the website to find out more on gator bags , and the strings. ( Pricing , etc ).
About the TABS , ill definetly post a qn on the forums when ive found a new problem.
Right now everythings okay / solved
Im talking about pickguards for acoustic guitar and i dun really have an experienced friend to actually test out the guitar for me..
Are maestro stores very reputable ? Coz i think getting help from the salesperson might be my "only" way to test the guitar..

 

[lemonade93]

how about getting a friend who knows about guitars or plays a guitar to come with you? that usually helps alot

 

[JweiH]

Well, I went to maestro when I needed a guitar to embark on my music journey. I went in, ask for a SD-1, put in the gig bag, and went off. Up till now I'm still using it. Recce-ing for a new guitar now though. lol.

Getting a friend who knows guitar will be a very good help to you, like he/she will know what to look out for with his/her experiences from playing the instrument.(the action, tone, dead frets and stuffs like this)

 

[fenderrules]

Q: What I am not sure of is :
-Is there is a significant difference between guitars with MATT/GLOSS finish ?

A: Adding to what theunknown has mentioned, Gloss finishes will usually produce a very mellow sound and usually the lower registers of the woods will be brought out, sounding very compressed but very sweet. For a Matt finish however, the sounds will no longer be compressed, and instead it will result in a loud and projective guitar. Every note you play, dynamics, the works, is much more audible. I personally love matt finishes for the projection it offers, and usually my guitar is a Solid Sitka Spruce top with solid rosewood side and back dreadnought. With the clarity of rosewood combined with the natural bassy sounds of a dreadnought, damn, I love it!

Q: -What’s a good padded bag that I can use to carry my guitar around which will REALLY protect it ?

A: Mono gig bags rock. Check 'em out at Citymusic.

Q: -What’s the approximate duration before I actually have to re – string ( depending on how much I play?) And what are some of the good strings ? ( Ive heard of elixers and such.. )

A: Acoustic strings blacken after a period of time and will also oxidize. This time will be determined of not only the strings you use but how often you will be wiping them down after playing them. But if you ask me I've seen strings blacken in like a few weeks and rust in months. So do have the habit of using a cloth to give them a good wipe before and after you play.

String wise, elixirs are good. Go get 'em.

Q: -I do have some problems when reading certain tabs as I cant seem to understand what they are writing.
-Anyone knows where I can install / buy and install simple pickguards on a guitar ?
-Does anyone know where I can buy TABS/SHEET MUSIC for e.g. James Blunt , Secondhand Serenade if they DO exist or are websites ( ultimate-guitar.com , etc ) the only place I can source for such stuffs ?

A: - Well, tabs are actually material that other people have transcribed by ear themselves. Tabs help you in a way when there are certain parts of a song you can't really hear by ear and you need to rely on some visual aid to guide you along. Tabs are to be used in conjunction with hearing the song. An application you can check out is Guitar Pro, where it includes a MIDI player to play back the tab format like Power Tab. This should help ya out. You can try downloading it via BitTorrent or somethin'.

- Try Davis Guitar and Ranking Sports&Music.

- Gooooogle is your best friend


Q: When buying :
-What are the things I need to check out for when purchasing one to make sure that it is in tip-top condition?
-And can i ask the salesperson to actually play for me to hear for some problems? ( Such as buzzing sounds and stuff ) as i don't know whats supposed to be tested.

A: I'm sure the guitar will feel right for you when in your hands. Then there will the basic scratches test. Make sure there are no dings and all that kinda crap.

Intonation. This is where the notes on the 12 fret must be in tune. Initially they will sound either flat or sharp, so ask the guy serving you to intonate it until they are in tune.

Importantly, be sure to check the action as well in order to play comfortably. You do not want the action to be too high or too low. A higher action will result in harder fretting of the strings, while a lower action cause the buzzing as they are already so close to the fretboard.

And I will have to agree with the rest, try to get an experienced friend to come along with you when buying your guitar. You wouldn't wanna be "smoked" at the end of the day.


Hope I've helped. Cheers

 

[RuiQi]

Hey yeah thanks for the advices
Fenderrules : Yeah getting the feel of the guitar and the basic tests are easy . About the 12th fret , do u mean it to sound the same way as the open string ?
Anyway the problem is ... i dun have an experienced friend , they're kinda like novices like me
Question though , Ive read forums posts telling the TS to get the staff to a setup on the guitar after purchasing it. What does it mean ?

So yeah , the main problem is finding an experienced friend along with me.

 

[JweiH]

Setting up is to 'zheng' the guitar into a good condition for playing, like making the action lower so that you can have an easier time pressing the strings, no dead frets, no buzzing sounds, and things like this.

Actually Custom Acoustic guitar might be good for you. You should try it out at City Music at Peace Center.

 

[fenderrules]

Hey yeah thanks for the advices
Fenderrules : Yeah getting the feel of the guitar and the basic tests are easy . About the 12th fret , do u mean it to sound the same way as the open string ?

Yeah man.

You know, I'm actually quite impressed that you've done your homework on all this and that you've asked a lot of in depth questions which you need help in.

Keep it up and all the best in your guitar learning experience. Loads of fun I promise ya.

Cheers