Phil
New member
Hmmm, so far I've not been able to find a guitar at $200 that 'calls' out to me. I tried some R.Taylors today at Sinamex though, and they were not just calling out to me. They were screaming at me to buy them.
I digress.
Ressy,
Let's see if I can help with your queries.
1.) but at the same time I have to remind myself not to rush things in case I regret my purchase
Very true. Many beginners fall into this trap of buying something that they'll outgrow in an instance and regretting the purchase. Hence, I do advise you to be 100% certain before parting with your money. If there're doubts, don't buy.
2.) Takamine is a little over budget.. Not really nice for me to raise the budget as it is a birthday present from my lovely friends.
Sometimes, a little more can get you a much better guitar. And since you know that you've the interest, then I say do yourself a favour and get something better. As mentioned earlier, you wouldn't want to be so 'kiam siap' for that extra $20-$50 and then regret your purchase later on. Maybe you can fork out the extra bit yourself while your friends still sponsor the $200?
3.) Is there any good beginner starter pack I should look out for or should I just go for the guitar?
The thing about starter packs, is that most of them are associated with the brand's lowest-end model. If you like the guitar that the starter pack offers, then go for it. Because usually a starter-pack offers a better deal. Provided that you like the guitar that comes with it. If not, then please do not limit your choices just because only a certain model has a starter-pack deal. Makes no sense to get something you do not like just to save a few measly dollars.
Also, make sure that the items that the starter-pack comes with are useful to you. If you feel that you don't need those whatever stuff that comes with the starter-pack, then ditch the idea. Sometimes they come with cheap-ass straps and what-not.
4.) Other than particular brands or shops, what are the things I need to look out for when buying my first guitar? Other than the feel of course.
NOTE: You can click on the under-lined terms.
-General outlook, no dings, scratches, cracks. Sometimes a few dings is inevitable, but cracks are unacceptable. If the guitar sounds good, I usually don't mind a few scratches. No two guitar sounds exactly the same, so the tone of the guitar always takes priority.
-How it sounds. Well, you're buying an instrument, so it's tone is paramount. You must like how it sounds. If you think it sounds bad, then it probably is.
-How it feels. See if you like the neck's feel. You mentioned a smaller guitar, so see if the guitar feels just right or is too big to handle. See if the action is comfortable. The action is the height between the frets and the strings. A high action will generally make the guitar harder to play, especially for beginners. What you want is a nice low action without obvious fret-buzz.
-Check for fret-buzz. There is a myth that a well set-up guitar will have zero fret-buzz. When you think about it, with the ecliptical nature of a string's vibrations, it is impossible. We can conclude that fret-buzz is a part of a sound produce by the guitar. What we are trying to do is to minimize fret-buzz in favour of the pure note.
Ensure that you guitar is not buzzing all over the place. Slight, minimal buzz with a low action is acceptable. Of course, if the action is high as hell and the buzzing is very apparent, move away.
-Ensure that the tuning-pegs are all working well. Meaning they are smooth to turn and is able to hold the tuning stably. Just tune it up, play a few songs and see if the tuning runs. One thing to note, if the strings are new and after playing a few songs, the tuning goes flat, it is probably due to the strings and not the tuning pegs. New strings take some stretching before settling down.
-Check the intonation. This is very important for an acoustic guitar, simple because unlike an electric, you cannot easily adjust the intonation yourself. How to check? Borrow a tuner from the shop-keeper, make sure that the string is in tune. Starting with the high E string, play the E note at the 12th fret, then play the harmonic at the 12th fret also. They must be similar. Repeat and check for all 6strings. Proper intonation is important, because if the intonation is off, you'll find that even if the guitar is in tune, certain notes up the neck will sound off.
-Hang on to the tuner. Again, make sure that the guitar is in tune. Play the 3rd and 5th fret on the G string. Make sure it's in tune. These are some commonly known problem spots.
-Don't worry about whether the neck is dead-straight or not. Acoustic guitars usually have some relief for the neck. Just make sure that it plays well, feels comfortable. There is not rule that a neck must be dead straight. The only rule is that it should feel good.
Last word: For a lower-end guitar at $200, I don't expect everything to be perfect and for the intonation to be dead-on. If you find one that meets all the criteria, good find! If not, it is okay to a certain extent. If the intonation is not dead-on, at least it must just be a little bit off. That's still acceptable, so long as you can hear the difference.
I hope this helped, have fun discovering the joys of the guitar! And if you have anymore queries, you can PM me.
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