Members Slave_New_Wurld Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Most beginners buy those guitar sets with a 10watt amp and a guitar stuck together with sellotape. Shouldn't it be the other way round? Really really cheap guitars are much harder to play - more tension in the strings due to bad bridge and neck design, bad tone almost reinforcing how crap you are when you start playing.. I mean, aren't beginner guitars just making learning that little bit harder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bcjames Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 I was damn lucky and my dad got me a US BCRich for my first, which I stupidly sold on a couple of years back. With regard to your question, expensive gear is quite an investment. I guess people dont want to drop over a grand on some stuff they don't know yet if they will use/enjoy/take to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Burgess Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Most beginners will get bored in a few weeks and put the guitar in a closet where it will stay for the next 20 years or until it's given away. Only makes sense that they spend as little as they can get away with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LeftyTom Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Originally posted by bcjames expensive gear is quite an investment. I guess people dont want to drop over a grand on some stuff they don't know yet if they will use/enjoy/take to. Exactly, and if you are a lefty just starting, your choices are narrower. It is like those folks who buy a Harley, just when they start riding. All the money wrapped up in one's hobby, and you know you're gonna drop it sooner or later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hare.29 Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 There's also the issue of what kind of guitar to drop several hundred on if you're just starting. This is a problem with most musical instruments. When I started on clarinet I started on a plastic one that consistently played a quarter step flat. After I stuck with it for a few years I got a more expensive wood clarinet that doesn't suck. At least for guitars there are decent inexpensive instruments out there- SX, some of the squiers, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerry_picker Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Face it.Many beginners who start on electric are basically air guitar players who expect their "skills" to translate directly to the fretboard. When they find out that hard work and practice is actually involved they lose interest. In other words, these beginners have crappy guitars because they (or indulgent parents) buy cheap toys to indulge a fleeting wannabe whim that evaporates at the first whiff of reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stratopedia Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Originally posted by bcjames I was damn lucky and my dad got me a US BCRich for my first, which I stupidly sold on a couple of years back.With regard to your question, expensive gear is quite an investment. I guess people dont want to drop over a grand on some stuff they don't know yet if they will use/enjoy/take to. Simple as that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members frankenbich Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Originally posted by Slave_New_Wurld I mean, aren't beginner guitars just making learning that little bit harder? Yes. But quality tends to cost more. I say buy one beginner guitar. And while you're learning on that one start saving for a better one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MonsterKB Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Originally posted by Slave_New_Wurld Most beginners buy those guitar sets with a 10watt amp and a guitar stuck together with sellotape.Shouldn't it be the other way round?Really really cheap guitars are much harder to play - more tension in the strings due to bad bridge and neck design, bad tone almost reinforcing how crap you are when you start playing..I mean, aren't beginner guitars just making learning that little bit harder? They have to start somewhere. these days its easier for a parent who don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Godot Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Originally posted by Slave_New_Wurld Really really cheap guitars are much harder to play - more tension in the strings due to bad bridge and neck design, bad tone almost reinforcing how crap you are when you start playing..I mean, aren't beginner guitars just making learning that little bit harder? It depends on the cheap guitar. There are some that are 100% junk. Others (not naming any names here) are good enough that critics are reduced to complaining about "lack of mojo" or "sterile tone". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Darkstorm Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Absolutely. Theres plenty of very good guitars right out of the box gettable for $300-$360. Those used can be had for $250 or less. No reason for a begginer to get poor qaulity guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Darylb23 Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Originally posted by jerry_picker Face it.Many beginners who start on electric are basically air guitar players who expect their "skills" to translate directly to the fretboard. When they find out that hard work and practice is actually involved they lose interest.In other words, these beginners have crappy guitars because they (or indulgent parents) buy cheap toys to indulge a fleeting wannabe whim that evaporates at the first whiff of reality. Just a note. Not all beginners fit this description. I bought myself a cheap guitar for Christmas and have played it almost every day since. The skills are certainly coming slower than I want but I dont at all dislike the learning process. In fact, one of the more enjoyable things I have done in a while. I had no unrealistic illusions about becoming an immediate rock star. In my case, I couldnt justify allocating a larger portion of our family finances to a guitar. Especially when "cheap" guitars have become far more playable than in the past. I dont compare my guitar to the best out there but it plays pretty well. I bought a cheap guitar years ago and couldnt get a musical sound out of it. I guess it was cheap by both meanings. My current inexpensive guitar on the other hand sounds great. Maybe I just have more patience or maybe little money goes farther these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerry_picker Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Originally posted by Darkstorm Absolutely. Theres plenty of very good guitars right out of the box gettable for $300-$360. Those used can be had for $250 or less. No reason for a begginer to get poor qaulity guitar. Many beginners (or parents buying for beginners) don't know the difference , or worse, get their only advice from the stockboy at WalMart or BestBuy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fanuvbrak Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 I bought my kids the Epiphone players pack. After a rough set up, the guitar doesn't play too bad, but the electronics are absolute crap. I would change these if they weren't playing through an even bigger piece of crap epiphone 10 watt amp. It soon became clear that tghis would be their practice guitar because it played well, it just doesn't sound that great. When they go to lessons, they usually take one of my guitars. But I would encourage every parent to spend as much on a guitar for junior that they can reasonably afford. That makes it nice for me when I stop by their yard sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alexei Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 I have been soooooooooooo lucky and blessed to have been recommended one exactly like this one 16 months ago... With this beautiful thing one can only keep on learning the guitar.... 260 euros are in everybody's pocket to get such a treat... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gotboostvr Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 I honestly thought that there could be almost no discernable difference between my squire strat, and the american handmade one, just inches away from it inside the catalouge. only that one was obvioiusly made in some 3rd world country and the other, made in america. and honestly, I would have sounded {censored}ty on either one.I just did'nt realise all the nuances that makes some guitars cost more. but, with graduation coming and all, a updated MIM standard strat, may be in the makings for me, or possibly a musicyo kramer striker, and a new set of Pups, seeing how i just finished hot rodding my squire, and would like a MIM strat, but would also like something different. but I'm babling now, so I'll stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cfgsteak Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Originally posted by ripvan Just a note. Not all beginners fit this description. I bought myself a cheap guitar for Christmas and have played it almost every day since. The skills are certainly coming slower than I want but I dont at all dislike the learning process. In fact, one of the more enjoyable things I have done in a while. I had no unrealistic illusions about becoming an immediate rock star. In my case, I couldnt justify allocating a larger portion of our family finances to a guitar. Especially when "cheap" guitars have become far more playable than in the past. I dont compare my guitar to the best out there but it plays pretty well. I bought a cheap guitar years ago and couldnt get a musical sound out of it. I guess it was cheap by both meanings. My current inexpensive guitar on the other hand sounds great. Maybe I just have more patience or maybe little money goes farther these days. My experience mirrors ripvans. My first guitar was a cheap fender acoustic "package". I played the living crap out of it for 3 months before I could really tell it sucked (I have friends who play, and I played their "good" guitars and the difference was apparent). I got a better acoustic that I really like, and it is much easier to play. It was different with electrics, though. My first was a Squier Strat copy. It is set up well. It plays nicely. The pickups are a little weak. But it was and still is fun to play! It is very playable for a $150. I think you can get a lot of electric guitar for a little cash these days. And like some people above stated, why spend $1K on a hobby you may get frustrated with in a month? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dinrodef Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 The worst thing about beginners... to me... is not their cheap guitars or cheap amps...everybody has to start somewhere It's bad setups ... so painful to listen to a beginner play constantly out of tune cuz he doesn't have proper intonation. Cuz no matter how hard they practice... they're always gonna sound like {censored} Teachers... you should slam this knowledge into the kids brains Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dinrodef Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 If you ever want to help a newbie Show him/or her 2 things Setup their guitar in proper intonation...show them what a guitar is supposed to sound like when it is in proper tune.. .take them through the whole process... make them sit with you.... adjust the neck.... lower or raise the action.... adjust the bridge... check the tuning all up and down the neck That way they feel in control of their instrument... they'll understand it better. Then show the beginner vibrato...show them that they've gotta shake those notes and let 'em ring out a bit... instead of hanging on out of pitch semi-tones or whatever I have a buddy that's a newbie... showed him how to intonate and have him a few lessons on vibrato and bending to proper pitch... the dude has improved immensely... he's becoming really good cuz now he's practicing correctly and he's noticing the subtler things more.... it helps him to admire older (more skilled) players even if they play music he doesn't really like Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Burgess Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 ^ Those lessons would be lost on most newbs I've encountered... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerry_picker Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Originally posted by Burgess ^ Those lessons would be lost on most newbs I've encountered... Yeah, it's a conundrum. Players don't understand the concept of set-up and its implications on playing until they gain some expertise. However, they might have gained that expertise faster and with less pain on a guitar that was well set-up. The other factor is that under $250 guitars make paying $40-50 for a full set-up look prohibitively expensive., and a beginner who has no idea WTF her/she is doing shouldn't be mucking around with allen wrenches, screwdrivers, and soldering irons on any guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Welladjusted Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 budget guitars are a hell of a lot better now than they were even 5 years ago when i started. budget amps, on the other hand... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cincy_cosmo Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Originally posted by jerry_picker Face it.Many beginners who start on electric are basically air guitar players who expect their "skills" to translate directly to the fretboard. When they find out that hard work and practice is actually involved they lose interest.In other words, these beginners have crappy guitars because they (or indulgent parents) buy cheap toys to indulge a fleeting wannabe whim that evaporates at the first whiff of reality. I wish I had a nickle for everytime I've seen this....but I've also seen the same thing happen with expensive guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bgmacaw Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Originally posted by jerry_picker The other factor is that under $250 guitars make paying $40-50 for a full set-up look prohibitively expensive., and a beginner who has no idea WTF her/she is doing shouldn't be mucking around with allen wrenches, screwdrivers, and soldering irons on any guitar. It usually goes like this, "Hey Jerry, you know something 'bout guitars, right? Can you look at my kid's guitar?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LouRed Posted March 6, 2006 Members Share Posted March 6, 2006 Well... Because it pisses off most of the people that CAN actually play to have a "Friend" who has a Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster V-Neck, a PRS custom 22 and a Fender Blues Deluxe and only can play 3 chords... {censored}ING BERNARD!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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