Retired 64 year year old

I just signed up

i have worked as a power plant engineer/ hvac in New York city

i just want to enjoy myself and learn to play, I love classic rock.

my problem is buying my first acoustic,c guitar. I am 64 and 6'2" and slightly long arms

i have no idea and would love some recommendations

thanks in advance

Hello and welcome

I don't usually reccomend types of guitars. Personally, I tend to buy what catches my eye. And to be fair, the only bad decision I made was my 1st acoustic. It's a bear to play but I have had her since I was a kid and she will last the course with me. Acoustics, btw, are more difficult to play than electrics. More string tension.

Best of luck with your studies and whatever guitar(s) you end up with.

Hi there,

The recommendation I got from one or two experienced guitar players when I bought my new guitar was to go to a reputable music shop and sit for as long as it takes trying out guitars (on the advice of hopefully very knowledgable staff) until I found the one that suited me! I ended up driving 4 hours to a great great music shop in Southern Germany and sat a full morning until I was happy! Maybe other people have other experiences but I'm glad I did this.

Best of luck with it!

theMolster

I think the hardest part of choosing that first guitar is that you really don't have a frame of reference to compare against as you try different guitars. Certainly you will compare them each to the other, but the hard fact is that probably none of them will "feel" good to you since by gosh, ya can't play any of 'em! Plus, it can feel awkward to sit down and start trying out guitars when you can't really play. Some guy next to you may be casually playing some really advanced stuff and you're awkwardly holding a guitar and testing how it feels to play one note at a time. Don't let it stop ya. That guy was a complete beginner once too, and he probably remembers what it was like and would encourage you.

Having said that, budget is obviously a factor. If you are looking to buy an acoustic you could get an entry level Martin or Taylor or something along those lines for about $500 - maybe a little less. I've read very positive reviews for Taylor's Academy series that is really designed for beginners but supposedly still has great sound. I would expect something like that to be really playable and have great tone.

You can certainly get a very decent guitar for a lot less money than that, of course. I think the key for most of the inexpensive guitars is you really do want to spend the money to get a setup done by a good guitar tech or luthier. You might spend less than $200 (maybe as little as $100) on an acoustic and then spend an additional $75 to get it set up nicely, but that $75 is worth it. For a lot of beginners, including me, the temptation is to get a really cheap guitar because you aren't sure you'll really stick with it. I know my own acoustic is really cheap and initially it was really hard to play, although I didn't know it at first. I thought it was just because I sucked and didn't know how to play yet! But I realized how much extra work and pain I was enduring as soon as I got a decent setup. Even for a more expensive guitar, you may very well want to get a setup done, although often the base setup will be better than that cheap guitar.

Just explain that you are an absolute beginner and you need the action set as low as possible and you want some really lightweight strings. This will really make it a lot easier on the fingers. William MG got really radical with his acoustic when he started last year -- strung it with electric guitar strings, 9s I believe. He says he gets a bit of flack from some people who say things like you can't do that, it's wrong for the guitar and it's wimpy, etc. But you know what? It helped him train his fingers and continue to have fun learning instead of suffering and getting frustrated and giving up. You and me and William are in the same age demographic and I think we're old enough to not really give a damn what folks say.

One thing is for sure. If you don't like the way a guitar looks, you won't want to play it. So I wouldn't even consider trying out something that doesn't appeal to you visually. You have to feel good about the way it looks. That's true for an electric or for an acoustic.

I don't have as much to say about electrics if that's the way you want to go. There are plenty of decent starter sets that include a guitar, amp, cord, gig bag, and an assortment of picks for under $250 -- some for a lot LESS than that. One thing that experienced players have mentioned to me is that on some of those the amplifier is just really bad - enough to make you think something is wrong. I would rather buy separately and maybe spend $150/$200 on the guitar and another $100/$150 on a pretty good practice amp.

Just know this -- if you stick with this, your first guitar won't be your last. You'll want another one sooner rather than later. It happens to all of us! G.A.S. Guitar Acquisition Syndrome.

Anyway, welcome to the gang, good luck, and enjoy the journey!

Dave...

Originally Posted by: DavesGuitarJourney

You and me and William are in the same age demographic and I think we're old enough to not really give a damn what folks say.

Had to laugh at this one Dave. Pretty much sums up the situation doesn't it 😉

Sorry for the delay in answering but although I retired from one job I started working in a hospital in nyc and with the virus it's pretty hectic

As you can tell I'm a complete beginner . A guy at work that rebuilds guitars recommended for my first acoustic a GlarryGT502 41 inch etc guitar

st this point a can't tell a real bad guitar from a just ok

all of the help has been great

I think I'll go to some guitar stores and just let them know I'm a complete beginner and start from there

thanks for all the advice and I'll let you know how it goes

Check out the Fender FA-100. It's a dreadnaught size, but extremely comfortable and playable. This is a guitar that you could keep forever if you wanted to. Great for beginners and intermediate players. I suggest you buy it where you can get it set up and have light strings put on.

Good luck on your journey!

Blakeney

francis, good luck to you and some good advice that you have received. But I have to ask, you "love classic rock" which I view as an electric guitar genre. Yet, you are asking for advice on buying your first acoustic guitar. Certainly, you can go through the Guitar Tricks learning path with either an acoustic or electric. The basics are the same. But i would think when you get to the song learning the overdriven electric sound of the 70's might be a little more.........inspiring.

Again, good luck to you. Keep us posted on what you end up purchasing and your progress.