Printable View
hey mags
sorry if not the place to ask this, but I've decided I wanna learn how to play guitar to be able to accompany my fiancée for campfire singalongs
where do i start?
what kind of basic guitar do i buy?
who has the best "learn guitar" content on YouTube?
Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk
Campfire singalong says to me that you want an acoustic guitar, which is harder to play (strings are harder to press) than an electric. Campfire use also says to me that you should get something cheap, because it's gonna get thrashed at a campsite. You'll want a case of some sort too - often you'll find a gig bag comes with.
Watch Slickdeals.net for guitar deals. IMHO you can get a reasonable acoustic for $200 or less - - something you won't hate and force you to quit. Yamaha makes nice inexpensive acoustics, but probably more than $200 (closer to $300+), and probably nicer than you'll want to bring camping.
There's actually a "Keith Urban" branded Yamaha for sale through Costco for pretty cheap - like $150 or so. Maybe worth looking at at your local store...
You'll want a tuner - digital clip on ones are cheap ($10-15) and work great. Snark makes several.
I think Justin Guitar online is really good - - Google it. Free.
There are many sizes of acoustic guitar. You'll probably want a steel string guitar, not nylon (classical), which are more common anyway. Dreadnought guitars are common - - the largest body size, which makes them louder, but if you're small they can be bulky. Smaller body ones are labeled things like parlor, concert, auditorium, orchestra... any are fine for camp use.
Don't worry about things like cutaway bodies or on board electronics (being able to plug the acoustic guitar into an amp).
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/guit...coustic-guitar
This Yamaha is a great acoustic. You’ll own it for life and it has an easy to play neck.
That Yamaha would be great.
Here's that Costco Yamaha deal-- it's likely not as nice, but again, campfire use...
https://www.costco.com/keith-urban-g...000256084.html
I really can't recomend rocksmith enough for learnign to play. You will need to take a couple lessons, or at least watch some youtube videos on the basics of technique so you can learn how to play without just speed running arthritis, but after that, especially if you're somewhat smart, rocksmith will let you learn the greatest number of songs, the fastest, with the least amount of mental anguish and headache.
I've been playing for 25 years, play like 4+ hours a day, and even to this day, I still hate learning songs from tabs. The thing is, anyone who actually posts the legit for real accurate tabs to a song, is actually guilty of copyright infringement, or at least, could be construed to be or something. So theres always errors, sometimes huge ones, in tabs, even official songbooks released by the artists themselves, often have errors that really do not sseem like typos, but rather just, the artists just released a simplified version of their song that keeps a little bit of their secret sauce secret.
Over the years if you pay attention you can learn a lot about an artists feeling on their fans learning to play their songs without them ever speaking a word about it. Some folks, you can see them basicaly showcasing what their fretting hand is doing, so everyone can see. other guys, its like da,m you had a 30 year career and somehow none of your music videos or official concert footage in those three decades has EVER shown what your fret hand is doing and that can't just be coincidence.
Now, theres tons of songs that are just chords, and you dont' really need tabs, but even those, can be wrong.
Learning complex songs by ear is hard and really not something everyone can even learn. its kind of a have it or you don't kind of talent more than a developable skill.
Ok, but all that said, there are still TONS of great songs, that are no mystery how to play, with tons of video of people playing them, and just simple chords, and for whatever reason, there AREN't inaccurate versions floating around to confused things. No one seems to be in disagreement about the chords to Nirvana's cover of Leadbelly's in the pines. So yea, I'd say either rocksmith, or find songs you can find the legit real chords for, and double check with your ear, and with video of people playing them.
Its frustrating to be a beginner, but honestly playing music pays dividends in the long run for mental health etc as well as possibly even helping you get laid.
In terms of buying a guitar, obviously don't spend a ton of money as a beginer when you're not sure you'll get into it, but at the same time, your instrument has to at least be good enough to make you want to play it. If you pick it up and strum it and you're like yep thats a guitar all right, you'll be even more frustrated learning, but if you've got an axe that you pick it up and just strum open strings or any single note and you're like yea thats a fucking guitar all right listen to that shit right there and you just want to keep hearing the stings make some sort of noise, well, you'll keep running further and further down that rabbit hole and actually just fall in love with playing. It has to be like that, even if you're a hack, you have to be drawn to the immediate experience of playing, not just be trying to learn to be able to play someday cus that sounds nice. Of course, this has to do with actually learning songs you like instead of just mindlesslesly practicing scales to a metronome, but it also has a lot to do with just how sweet your guitar sounds.
I'd play some. Again, you don't need to know what you're doing to just find one that makes you want to keep strumming the strings just to hear them make noise. The mexican made taylors and martins are great and have a huge amount of value for the money. Tons of great guitars out there that aren't tons and tons of money.
So, this was me a couple of months ago. Not interested in being a pro, just want to be able to play well enough to not embarrass myself in front of family and friends.Quote:
Originally Posted by tgapp
Picked up a barely used Yamaha FS800 with a nice hard case, stand and tuner for $150 off of FB marketplace. Futzed around with a few online/youtube guitar lessons and found Justin Guitar was the best fit for me. Super easy to understand and very comprehensive. While he does have some paid content, most of it is free. I did pony up for his beginner song book, which is a great companion to his online content. I can see wanting some in person instruction down the road as I get better and want to explore more advanced stuff.
Couple pieces of advice from a fellow newbie: Spend the money to get the guitar setup correctly for a beginner. Lower action and lighter strings make things WAY easier and less painful. Expect to be a little frustrated. This shit is HARD. On the plus side, once you learn a few strumming patterns, the basic major and minor chords and get reasonably proficient at switching between them you can play literally thousands of songs. After six weeks or so of daily practice there is some stuff that actually sounds like music coming out of that thing. It is super rewarding and so far I'm loving it.
Tells you all you need to know about playing the bass. OTOH bass players never want for work.Quote:
Originally Posted by rideit
Ray Price to Willie Nelson "Can you play bass?"Quote:
Originally Posted by old goat
Willie Nelson to Ray Price "Hell, can't everybody?"
Not saying it's true, but I am definitely saying Willie Nelson is a funny cat.
Alright mags, wanted to close the loop here. Got a Yamaha FG-700s with a great case and a few other accessories for $150 in new condition. Not a killer deal but not terrible either. Gonna check out Justin Guitar and maybe a few other things. Thanks all!
Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk
Excellent!!Quote:
Originally Posted by tgapp
Nice score. The Yamaha FG series are simply great guitars. There’s very little reason to spend more unless you’re a recording artist. Sound and feel are generally excellent.Quote:
Originally Posted by tgapp
Quote:
Originally Posted by EWG
"Oh you play guitar?"
"Doesn't everyone?"
Its true about a lot of songs, but at the same time, a good bassist can carry a whole band. You get a halfway decent guitarist, halfway decent drummer, and a pretty good bassist and even non musicians will feel like hey that whole band is killin it.Quote:
Originally Posted by EWG
You guys are going to fucking hate me. I kind of want to post an updated pic to show off and share the stoke, but man. Its almost embarrassing. I now own two dozen instruments. Even more if you count a couple that friends have insisted on loaning me because they don't play them. and a 100W steel string singer clone, as well as a 20W PRS HRDX, and my ol trusty 20w fender deluxe reverb, and I play through them all simultaneously. Fuzz and wah on the hdrx, distortion and reverb on the fender, and typically clean but the option for reverb delay or fuzz on the SSS, or wah on everything. Its fucking glorious. And I live in an apartment.
And I drive like a $1000 car.
But I'm actually excited to wake up in the morning. Which is something that often can't be bought.
fkn post the stoke why are you holding out on usQuote:
Originally Posted by leroy jenkins
and you're right on that last point. it takes many people their whole lives to realize that - constantly waking up in a rut and working towards the goal of finding happiness the next morning, or the next morning after that.
Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk
My wife recently got a MIM Strat w/ the flame maple top, maple fretboard, SSS pickups. It plays really nice and got her into learning music, and me learning more too. Actually has been an awesome few weeks since we got it. Maybe I’ll edit to add pics later.
Well first I need to wait for some things in the mail...Quote:
Originally Posted by tgapp
Also a bit of mixed feelings right now... stoke slightly dampened by tweaking my knee while trying to lift my new speaker cab up onto a table. I was looking for a cab for my 20w HDRX amp and saw that a 4X12 isn't really that much more than a 2 or 1X12, it seems like most of the money is in the labor to make the thing, and not the cost of the speakers, and a 4X12 really is hardly any larger than a 2X12, so I'm like why not? Chose an orange cab, figure it 'voice of the world' speakers are at least something different to try out from the china made celstions that are in everything, and is cheap enough it won't hurt to give a shot.
The one spec I forgot to check? Its listed at 85 lbs. I weighed it, its freaking 90, and way to wide and awkward to carry yourself.
So hows learning to play going?
One more tip for beginers or anyone really, but you don't have to buy rocksmith to use it really. You can just follow along to youtube videos of people playing rocksmith. Sure, you lose the ability to measure your accuracy, adjust the speed and riff repeat certain sections, but its still like, live real time tabs that scroll as you play which is a great resource and a lot easier than just learning from straight up tabs.
I’ve been hacking away on my Yamaha acoustic for a few months now. Playing a couple of hours a day, making progress and absolutely loving it. Thinking some of adding an electric into the mix. Recommendations for a decent entry/mid level electric guitar/amp? Yamaha Pacifica’s worthwhile?
I'd just get a spark mini. Battery powered and portable but plenty loud and good sound quality enough for a practice amp, or jamming with friends if theres no drummer.
The spark go is smaller and cheaper, but sound quality and volume are greatly diminished. its still cool for a pocket sized novelty amp but wouldn't recommend as an only amp.
Theres tons of modeling amps out there, if you don't need the battery powered, for the same money that are a bit bigger and louder, but thats just not needed unless you're playing with a drummer. Modeling amps tend to kind of all sound somewhat similar, with the actual effects modeled being whatdiferentiates them the most.
Watch slickdeals for guitar deals. They come up all the time. As to what choice, depends a lot on your personal tastes - like "suggest a pow ski for me" - - and like ksis, it won't be your last one.Quote:
Originally Posted by ripvw
As to amps, I'd suggest a used solid state one, not tube. FB marketplace or Craigslist, $100 will get you something just fine. I picked up a Boss Katana 50 MK2 for $100 off FB.
Yamaha Pacifica is just fine, but there are lots of solid body guitars in similar price range that are also fine.
That Spark mini looks cool as shit. Had no idea battery powered amps were a thing. Having something small and portable that I don’t have to plug into the wall is super appealing.
Yea thats what I figured. and might actually end up making you play more if you can take it more places.Quote:
Originally Posted by ripvw
You will pay a bit more for that though, like was mentioned above $100 will get you a decent solid state modelling amp without the portability. The spark mini is 250ish.
you didn't ask about electric guitars, and obviouisly a lot of that is preference, but I will tell you what I know of the industry dynamics at the moment.
Epiphone is currently undergoing a sort of rebirth becoming Epiphone "inspired by gibson" which just means gibson is turning them into a mid range brand. quality of thenew ones is supposed to be great but they're no longerbudget at all. if you find epiphones for cheap, chances aretheyre the old ones, which honestly, I think are the worst of all the major name brands budget guitars. have an epiphone les paul custom and it kind of sucks. Its justan extra I keep in wierd tunings to play songs on rocksmith, and it works ok for that, but it just is not a nice sounding guitar.
Fender's cheaper brand is squier, and rthere are foreign made axes of each name that aren't bad for the money. I really like the Fender FMT HH Telecasters, gorgeous finishes, some unusual mods for ergonomics (arch top, set neck with scuplted shoulder, belly cut), super lightweight, easy to play and sound great, depending on your music taste. Only gripe is really that they lack in sustain.
I'd probably suggest a PRS SE. They're probably the best of the name brands budget version, and all dealers are doing a 20% off sale because PRS announced that starting next year all SE guitars will have the same pickups as their nicer guitars but really the current SE pickups are great, and as far as CNC machined asian made guitars, I think they're the best quality manufacturing. Japenese made Fenders being up there as well, but probably a lot more money.
Just found out a new friend has a 1954 Gibson Super 400 that his dad bought direct from the guy from the four tops, who was his drinking buddy supposedly.
I'm going to get to play it tomorrow, through my steel string singer. I'll get pictures.
I've been looking mostly at the Squire Strat and Yamaha Pacifica 112, but I will definitely check out the PRS. Thanks for the recommend!
I have ... let's say ... "quite a few" guitars and amps. And have owned and passed on maybe 3 times what I currently have. Here's what I'd recommend:
Electric guitars that are good deals for their price point:
Mid 2000s Fender Squire Standard. $150-200. Solid guitar at a great price point. Do not buy a squire affinity or that other new one they have.
I've heard good things about yamaha pacificas but havne't played one. Maybe $150?
G&L Legacy or S500 Tribute. Really great guitars. 300-400 Leo Fender's company after he sold Fender to CBS
PRS Custom 22 or 24 or Standard 24. If you really look around you can find one 350-450. I just bought a Custom 22 for $315. This is my favorite inexpensive guitar
Fender MIM Strat or Tele (or mustang) 300-400. Sometimes people sell these cheap. Over the last few years I've bought a handful between 300-350. Great guitars
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Pro 400-450. Nothing bad to say about these. Good guitars if you like humbucker pickups.
Remember that different pickups sound very different. Humbuckers are fatter and nastier, strat pickups (single coil) are cleaner and twangier, then there's a million other kinds like the S500, tele picks, P90s etc.
Amps:
For your first amp I'd almost certainly recommend a modeling amp. Lots of tone choices without much hassle. Here are some good ones for home volumes:
Spark - I have a Go and two 40s. Go's and minis are battery powered which is cool, but since the mini is essentially the same price as the 40 I think the 40 has more flexibility. $150-200 Super user friendly and lots of play along options for beginners.
Yamaha THRII or THR. The II is newer. Look for a 10 or 15 and your good. Maybe 200-250 is a good price. Great tones here.
Katana 50 or 100. 100 has more control and flexibility. $150-200 Classic modeling amp, quite good.
Line 6 Catalyst 60 or 100. I have the 100 to use as a clean speaker for my helix modeler. But it has a lot of the helix software and options built in, which makes it a great modeling amp too, and sets you up to understand modeling boxes like helix and stomp if you use them someday.
For tube amps, they are a bit more money generally, but a great option is a Fender Super Champ X2 combo. 15 watts I think and has a clean tube channel for classic fender tones, then it also has maybe 12 other amp emulations. So not a full modeler but great optionality. Sometimes you can find the combo under $300
If you find a cheap Fender Pro Jr that's an awesome amp. Just got one (and replaced the Super Champ X2 I had with it) and it's very cool. No modeling however.
Feel free to ask any question you might have and I'll answer away. You might have to search around and wait a bit to find good clean options at the prices I've posted, but sometimes you can get screaming deals even cheaper.