acoustic or electric?

I am a beginner (i mean i have barly ever picked a guitar up)!!!! I want to learn how to play the guitar but should i get a acoustic or electric guitar?

get an acoustic, you won't put the electric to good use if you're a begginer. If you ignore me and buy an electric DONT buy a distortion pedal, you'll ruin learning the basics

I think you should buy an electric, as long as you can give a lot of money to buy a good one, electric is much easier to play, you can learn chords very easily and you bend, with acoustic will be very difficultto learn to how play,
but if you are willing to practise a lot and ignore the difficulties you should buy an acoustic, and you'll see after a few years playing an electric will be very easy,
what ever you do dont play with effects, play only with clean tone

Blues Shredder

Well, when starting out its important to maintain a high level of enthusiasm, and its harder than one thinks to get an electric guitar to sound good in the first few months, (with proper muting and everything.) And although a lot of people tend to rely on distortion (to hide their failing technical abilities,), you should be sure to get in touch with the notes where you can differentiate the sound of one chord from another. Buy an acoustic guitar, learn the basics, and once you feel comfortable enough, take up the electric guitar, but remember good technique is important, because just about anyone can sound loud, but not everyone can sound really good.

-Joseph

Beginning anything means spending some time developing the tools and techniques that you will build on as you progress. I can understand the temptation to grab a flashy-looking electric guitar first off. Don't do it! :eek:

Nobody sounds like their fave guitar hero first time out. :cool:

Electric guitar involves adding a whole bunch of equipment and technique on top of the basics that you can acquire on a decent acoustic. Too many distractions!

If you can possibly scrape enough coin together, get yourself the best used acoustic guitar you can find. Yeah, I said [u]used[/u]. You get more guitar for your hard-earned dollars by buying used. If you decide to sell or trade your first guitar later, you can recover most of your original investment. A wretched, cheap, 'beginner's guitar' is likely to frustrate and discourage you. If you try to sell it, you are likely to take a major loss on it, if you can find anyone who is willing to buy it. And another avoided distraction is the worry about denting or scratching a brand-spanking-new instrument.:o

Get a good one, though; the playability of a quality guitar is an important factor in encouraging a beginner to keep going. You should be able to find something that will have low action when fitted with light or medium guage bronze strings. Also, the feel and sound of an acoustic guitar is instinctively recognizable. You will know when you're doing things right, because it will sound right.:) And you won't be getting sidetracked by fussing around with amplifier settings.

Sign up for some lessons, too. I was self-taught for 30 years, which means I was getting my instruction from a guy who didn't know [u]jack[/u]! :p

I now spend a half-hour every week with a fella who is half my age, and has twice my technical skill. We get along great, and we have fun. A skilled, enthusiastic teacher can make all the difference.

Welcome to the world of guitar. Work hard when you need to, but always remember:

:D What we all do, is [u]play![/u] :D

is it true electric is easier to play, rather than aucoustics?

To a lazy man, a clay brick is easier to carry than one made of gold. It's also worth a lot less.

Most electric guitars have lighter strings, and lower action, than most acoustic guitars. Note that this statrment is a generalization, and is subject to all the limits and exceptions that generalizations fall prey to.

All of my guitars have similar guage string sets on them. All of my guitars have similarly low action. All of my guitars have similarly good intonation. I have an acoustic 6-string, an acoustic 12-string, and two electric 6-string guitars. All of my guitars are 'easy' to play.

All of the posts here have recommended starting on an acoustic guitar. Even BluesShredder. [u](Read his second paragraph again, slowly).[/u] These posts represent 'sound' advice from a collective total of about 60 years of guitar-playing experience! We wouldn't benefit from steering you wrong. Its good advice.

• Get the best acoustic 6-string you can lay your hands on. An investment in a good guitar will pay off by providing you with an instrument that is reasonably easy to play. One that will reward your technique, as it develops.
  



• Sign up for lessons with a knowlegeable instructor. This will help to prevent you from starting off with self-inflicted bad habits that will cause you grief later on. An enthusiastic teacher can share your joy, and reduce your frustration... another good investment.
  



• Don't worry too much about which kind of guitar is easiest to play. You're just getting started. They're all gonna be hard to play, [u]at first[/u]. I promise you, once you get going, you will find the results so satisfying, you're likely to attack the learning process like some kind of posessed fiend. Enjoy! :D :D
  

I think most elecric players have an acoustic as well. I find that playing and praticing on an acoustic sets you in good stead for the electric. Acoustics play a lovely sound without amps and pedals, so keeping the cost down and you can strum to your hearts content as well as pick.

The electric guitar gives you more/easier access to the higher frets and is a little easier to play but not as forgiving(the wrong notes, buzz, bangs etc show up more)

Try not to think however which is easier to play but rather how much fun you will have learning to play "THE GUITAR".

As far as buying any guitar, work out how much you have at hand and trot off to a guitar shop as opposed to say Argos, chat to the staff play several in your price range, ask their advice, if paying in readies then HAGGLE.

Choose one for comfort/feel, sound, cost and then beauty.

I like the Simon and Patrick range of acoustics, made by the godin/seagul company and excellent in price if of course you have a spare £300. ( all guitarist have their own veiws on makers etc.)

Playing the guitar above all is a whole new life and very very addictive. Riff and be merry..

Get a spanish guitar. I got one and within 4 months got an electric. Never had a problem.

If you started on a acoustic guitar how long did it take you untill you could start on an electric guitar?

It depends. When i started i got into electric first so it was hard to pick up on some of the technique. But also, if you're like me, it will be a pain in the ass not being able to play the load of music with distortion. But that's OK there is plenty other good *clean* type music out there.

And when can you/should you get an electric? I wouldn't know that really well from my own experience, but when yu do you will most likely find it a whole lot easier and even funner. I'd say after you have built up good form and technique then you can start to explore the different sounds and other extras of the electric.

A lot of people crave the excitement, and they feel that there isn't a better way to achieve this feeling than playing a loud guitar, (loud enough to wake up the neighbors, and give the cops a break from their donuts and coffee.) But most people don't realize how much of an enjoyable experience playing acoustic guitar can be, and its so simple and relaxing. Its such a amazing feeling when you know you're a good guitar player, good enough where you don't have to hide behind distortion.

-Joseph

Get what ever is in youre heart to play. It depends on the type of person you are.

*An Acoustic is an excellent starter. Most of them are affordable and in some cases, you can work on your chords better. in my opinion sound sweeter too. After all, Acoustic guitars have been the traditional starter guitar for ages.

*Electric guitars are fun to play and in most cases boost motivation to keep playing. I get a riot out of playing riffs out of mine

Its whatever is in your heart to start out with.

Take Care God Bless

Thanks! All your responces helped me make a decision ...hopefully for the better. I am getting a acoustic guitar.

When buying an acoustic guitar, you don't have to worry about all those extras. You just have to worry about finding something that feels and sounds good. Keep in mind that you can always buy another guitar later. Once you've been playing for a while, you'll know a lot more about what you wan't, and you'll be able to choose more wisely.

Just don't be afraid to pick up the most inexpensive (no name) model that the store has to offer, because it might be what you need. I have a no name acoustc guitar that A friend of mine ordered from QVC, and its very special to me. Its my recording guitar, it sounds very clear, and most importantly its very comfortable.

Good luck...

-Joseph