Beginner here!

jasdekdee

jasdekdee

New member
First of all Hi to everyone, I've been checking in to this forum for the past few days and today I've just registered myself as a member.

I'm a complete idiot in instrumenting(cept for the recorder) but I love singing and I thought it'll feel doubly great if I can sing along while playing the guitar. So early this year I made a resolution for myself that I'm gonna start learning the guitar cos I've been putting off that wish for many years(ever since sec sch). I'm 24 now and I'm still wondering if it's alittle too late? Hope not. Cos recently, I've signed up a class to learn how to play, I'm starting with classical as it's graded and I thought it'll be a good motivation to have it graded(like I'll try and train hard).

And the big question is, what kind of guitar should I get first? I've read some threads here about JnD and I see there's alot of good reviews about it.
And I don't know if it's suitable for my girly fingers, like some threads were saying about the "action". I'm prepared to have it cut and build up those callouses.

And this might be a stupid quesiton I'm gonna ask, can an acoustic guitar play like classical? Just asking so I'll roughly know what to get first, the acoustic one or the classical one.


I welcome all comments and advice as long as it's detailed and understandable for a guitar idiot like me ;)
 
what guitar to get

HI,

well if you are signing up for the classical guitar class then get a classical, its more of convention that you need to get one, and for other reasons like string sound etc etc.

another thing is, dont want to be a wet blanket but if you really want to sing and play guitar then classical might not be want you want to do cos its mostly playing classical music and no learning songs and singing. (strum and sing). unless you want to make that a separate issue.

there are graded exams for acoustic and electric guitar if grading is what you want to aim for.


well just some things for you to consider.
 
ups on wad cryingstatue said... but if u wants to sing and play the guitar it would be acoustic for you...if you want to take classical, IMO, you will not be singing along.. haha.. so i think that you should be taking acoustic guitar classes....

classical guitar playing is like more into playing the melody.. its like words without singing... haha.. i not sure what i am trying to say though... but it is something like that..

if you got the money is okay to buy both acoustic and classical.. I started off strumming on the classical to build up my finger tension before taking acoustic guitar to learn..[plz correct me on this if I am wrong =) ]

so if you got a tight budget just get an acoustic guitar... btw wads ur budget like?
 
Last edited:
crapsh1t said:
ups on wad cryingstatue said... but if u wants to sing and play the guitar it would be acoustic for you...if you want to take classical, IMO, you will not be singing along.. haha.. so i think that you should be taking acoustic guitar classes....

classical guitar playing is like more into playing the melody.. its like words without singing... haha.. i not sure what i am trying to say though... but it is something like that..

if you got the money is okay to buy both acoustic and classical.. I started off strumming on the classical to build up my finger tension before taking acoustic guitar to learn..[plz correct me on this if I am wrong =) ]

so if you got a tight budget just get an acoustic guitar... btw wads ur budget like?
Click to expand...


Thanks both of ya for the quick replies. :)

Yah, I was thinking that I should master how to hold, strum, pluck, learn the chords first so I chose classical, in a way its graded I can keep track of my progress. Then after that I will take acoustic lessons(should i? issit the same as classical?). My main purpose is to learn the basics from classical guitar, cos my friend did suggest to me too that I should start with classical so I wun feel so stressed on the acoustic ones cos acoustic strings are pretty difficult to control. :???:

My budget for guitars (any of which u suggest I should get as a beginner) :

probably $100~$200, it's ok if its alittle over the budget. I don't wan an expensive guitar and in the end I give up halfway, it'll be quite a waste right? :???:
 
cryingstatue said:
HI,

well if you are signing up for the classical guitar class then get a classical, its more of convention that you need to get one, and for other reasons like string sound etc etc.

another thing is, dont want to be a wet blanket but if you really want to sing and play guitar then classical might not be want you want to do cos its mostly playing classical music and no learning songs and singing. (strum and sing). unless you want to make that a separate issue.

there are graded exams for acoustic and electric guitar if grading is what you want to aim for.


well just some things for you to consider.
Click to expand...


Where would you recommend I take classes with acoustic being graded? Because I know of this pretty cheap lesson at Bukit Batok Central, the lessons for acoustics are like $60++ (10 lessons ) but not graded. Classical ones are $100++ (10 lessons) and they're graded.
 
uhm.. hi.. haha... I cant help you on what guitar to get, cause I myself really don't know anything about good acoustic tones.. so on this you got to wait for others to help you..( I am still a noob) =)

haha.. if you want to save money... maybe you learn classical guitar for a grade or 2 or when you start getting bored of it and then changing to acoustic.. then learn and play with your friends... =) you can get tabs online and learn the songs that you want to learn...
 
crapsh1t said:
uhm.. hi.. haha... I cant help you on what guitar to get, cause I myself really don't know anything about good acoustic tones.. so on this you got to wait for others to help you..( I am still a noob) =)

haha.. if you want to save money... maybe you learn classical guitar for a grade or 2 or when you start getting bored of it and then changing to acoustic.. then learn and play with your friends... =) you can get tabs online and learn the songs that you want to learn...
Click to expand...

Haha, okay. Thanks for your attention anyway. =D
 
acoustic versus classical

ok,

i think maybe you might want to start on classical if the strings are too tough on an acoustic. but i would like to say that starting off with either doesnt make a difference but for acoustic most of the time people buy those cheap ones with such a high action that its hard to press.

invest about a good 190-250 in a good acoustic, i recommend going to maestro at peninsula plaza they have really good beginner level guitars.

there are a few music schools that teach graded syllabus in acoustic or electric. the rates vary, so cant tell you how, or you can enter as a private candidate.

anyway i have pm you with details on acoustic guitar exams.
 
welcome to soft!

well if you're interested in learning guitar, why not start acoustic right away?
either way your fingers are still going to need to get used to the tension of strings, and honestly it's not THAT much of a difference since you're prepared to have callouses and all (don't peel!)

the difference between an acoustic and classical.. can be easily found with a google search, but it'll just help you out here.

* Acoustics have steel strings, classicals have steel/nylon
* Acoustics have thinner necks as compared to classicals
* Classicals tend to be slightly easier to play as compared to acoustics

well personally i would say go for acoustic lessons instead.
grading is not really a matter of importance - a good teacher can help to keep you in check.
even in acoustic lessons you're gonna learn theory and all.

However, if you decided to do classical>acoustic, you will have to make some changes to your playing as there are differences between finger placement and styles.

And if you really have the drive to learn, a little difficulty won't bring you down, it's better in the long run if you start with an acoustic.. 先苦后甜.. ( i assume you know chinese)

So.. i still think go for the acoustic lessons straightaway.

-paperprataa
 
OH, and about your guitar.. you could probably get a decent Maestro.. go down to their store and check some out! (:

hope i've helped!

-paperprataa
 
wah... say until lidat... cause i took classical for 2 freaking long years not knowing what to do and when to do for the next step and i changed course to electric recently only... so is somewhat a waste but yea... i learnt too much fundementals that i forgotten most of it.. haha...
 
Thanks everyone! I really appreciate your advices,

I have a few acoustic guitars in mind, I hope you guys can help me pick one?

1. JnD
2. Custom Acoustic
3. Maestro? (like two have suggested?)

By the way, I notice they have different codes/models for these guitars. Are they all the same but made differently? Or.. ?
 
Maestro will be a gd choice cos i got colleague using it and it sounds gd
but also depend on your budget i guess
 
Hi, I guess you have made up your mind on getting an acoustic guitar. These are some websites that you can read up on for information about acoustic guitars in general.

http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/buying_an_acoustic_gtr.htm
-Gives detailed information about acoustic guitars and classical guitar styles etc. Might be a bit too detailed, but worth a read.

http://www.cbguitars.com/body-sizes.htm
-Shows you the different types and sizes of acoustic guitars beginning from smallest.

http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/guitars/acoustic/buying-guide.php
-Information about different types of woods used for guitars. Quite useful, but you still should listen for yourself.

I myself have only started playing acoustic guitar for about 2 weeks and have attended 1 lesson so far, so I am not far from where you are right now. I am using the Maestro SD-2 which is dreadnought sized. I recommend the dreadnought size as it has a slightly more resonant sound, more suited for strumming with a pick, while smaller sized ones like auditorium size tend to sound better for finger-style. However, if you cannot take the size of a dreadnought, go for the auditorium, no problems with that. The sharper tone would probably match your voice better.:wink: I would recommend laminated tops for a starting guitar as it requires less hassle in maintenance and tend to be cheaper than solid tops (if you don't understand do Google and find out).

I can vouch for Maestro guitars as their service in both the Peninsular and Esplanade branches are top-notch and the guitars are value for money. I recommend either SA-1 for auditorium sized, and SD-1/2 for dreadnought. both cost slightly more than $200, but very worth it! Do make sure to ask for some small freebies:D.

Sorry for long post though, first time recommending things to others as a guitarist :).
 
WorldWithoutE said:
Hi, I guess you have made up your mind on getting an acoustic guitar. These are some websites that you can read up on for information about acoustic guitars in general.

http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/buying_an_acoustic_gtr.htm
-Gives detailed information about acoustic guitars and classical guitar styles etc. Might be a bit too detailed, but worth a read.

http://www.cbguitars.com/body-sizes.htm
-Shows you the different types and sizes of acoustic guitars beginning from smallest.

http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/guitars/acoustic/buying-guide.php
-Information about different types of woods used for guitars. Quite useful, but you still should listen for yourself.

I myself have only started playing acoustic guitar for about 2 weeks and have attended 1 lesson so far, so I am not far from where you are right now. I am using the Maestro SD-2 which is dreadnought sized. I recommend the dreadnought size as it has a slightly more resonant sound, more suited for strumming with a pick, while smaller sized ones like auditorium size tend to sound better for finger-style. However, if you cannot take the size of a dreadnought, go for the auditorium, no problems with that. The sharper tone would probably match your voice better.:wink: I would recommend laminated tops for a starting guitar as it requires less hassle in maintenance and tend to be cheaper than solid tops (if you don't understand do Google and find out).

I can vouch for Maestro guitars as their service in both the Peninsular and Esplanade branches are top-notch and the guitars are value for money. I recommend either SA-1 for auditorium sized, and SD-1/2 for dreadnought. both cost slightly more than $200, but very worth it! Do make sure to ask for some small freebies:D.

Sorry for long post though, first time recommending things to others as a guitarist :).
Click to expand...


Ey, thanks alot for your post, and I appreciate you actually gave me the model names as well. :p
 
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