Need a Guitar for beginner

sent pm

 

She'll need a youth guitar; her fingers won't be able to handle the frets on a full size. Those are harder to find, but if you get her a full size she'll quit fairly quickly; her fingers just won't be able to push down onto the fret board hard enough, which makes it buzz and sound awful.

The best way to find one cheap is usually at a pawn shop; if it's not pretty (and youth guitars get hammered on) but still plays they can be real cheap. It's a good idea to take someone who knows about guitars tho, lots of things can go wrong with them. If it's cheap enough, the big things that you want to look for:

The neck must be straight; not warped in any way. The strings up near the nut (where the "head" of the guitar is) should be the same distance from the fretboard as where the strings are down by the soundhole. On a good guitar that can get adjusted, but on most youth guitars you can't. Look at the bridge (where the strings attach to the main body of the guitar); it should be solidly on the guitar, and not peeling up. Holes in the body of the guitar are usually OK for a starter, and make it much cheaper. Watch for cracks tho; they tend to spread. Don't worry about what manufacture made it; that's only important as tastes develop.

And there are going to be a few necessary things you need to budget for:

Picks. $5ish
Tuner (essential!). $15 for an electronic one that makes tuning easy (if you are looking at $150ish tuning pedals, don't worry; your just in the wrong spot)
Strings. Especially if its used, the strings will need to be changed. Old strings sound like poo. $5-90, but you're gonna want the $5 ones
Lesson book; the Mel bay ones are the standards, about $20
possibly a instructional dvd, $20ish
if it isn't a pawn shop special, a way to store it; a stand or wall hook, $10-100

Lessons in the Iowa city area run $20 a half hour or so. Lessons are a real good idea. (one a week usually) It's tough to learn how to tune a guitar from a book, and lessons will fix that.

I should note: most music stores will sell a starter package kit that has all of that stuff, and usually your first lesson free, for around $200. In that age range you could pick from Miley Cirus or Taylor Swift packages....but the non-celebrity branded packages tend to have a much better guitar in them for the same price.

Martin is the king of acoustic guitar makers; they make a variety of youth models and starter kits. They make the kind of stuff she would hand down to her daughter one day.

Fender has a ton of youth models that are much less expensive, but will last pretty much exactly one teenager.

I can't remember where Clive is right now, but I can give you the names of several youth guitar instructors around Iowa city; including one that makes house calls.

I'm also willing to trade guitar advice for frags /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif. I live way in the middle of nowhere tho: Wilton.

I officially have more guitars than I know cords; I'm sort of nuts for them. If you run into questions, feel free to ask. I would be delighted to start someone else out on a hobby that has brought me so much joy.

 

Happy to help. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif.

Once she has it, tuning is real important; if its out of tune it will sound bad no matter how well it is played. Then watch for if you have to make her practice or if she just does it on her own; it usually takes a month or so before you can be sure. If she starts practicing longer and longer, get ready...I'm about to overflow the "guitar room", and I'm not sure what you call "Guitar room 2" for short....

 

Ok so I will try it this way I have one I got my son he only used it a couple of times I can bring it by tonight or. Friday night if you want to look at it. its a gibson youth with a soft case and some picks I would like $135 just pm me

 

A smaller classical guitar would be a good choice as well. The nylon strings are a lot easier to play and wont wear out your hands as quickly.