First Time Buyer Advice

[carlf79]

I'm looking to get into guitar and I have a few questions about what guitar to pick. I'd like to play delta blues eventually. I love stuff like Robert Johnson and Skip James. I also like older folk and country. Stuff like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. I'd like to play slide at some point but I understand the setup involved in that case is very different from the ideal setup for a beginner guitar. My budget is around $500. I really love the sound of resonators but haven't found many in that price range. What's the best guitar for a beginner keeping in mind what I'm shooting for in the longer term?

 

TIA

[55gibby]

I wouldn't dare even suggest one... Spend time in guitar stores and really listen to different guitars.. even ones of the same make and model. let your ears be your guide

 

 

 

that said:

 

I love my parkwood

[Freeman Keller]

First of all, Carlf79, a huge welcome to HCAG. And your question is one we have been seeing a lot lately - within a day or so you are going to get a lot of great answers, ideas and opinions. You've already told us some of the things that we frequently ask a newbie - what kind of music do you want to play, who are your influences, and what is your budget. It is pretty obvious that you have done some homework too.

 

My advice is a little different from those who will say "this is my fav for $xxx" - I'm going to ask how you plan to learn to play. Do you have any friends who play, particularly the kind of blues you seem interested in? Are you thinking of personal lessons from an instructor or self learning with books and videos? The reason I ask is that if you have a playing friend or instructor bribe her to go shopping with you. Have her play everything in the store - listen to it and to her comments. Some guitars will speak to you more that others, and especially for your instructor-to-be, she might say "this one will do what you want it to".

 

If you are going to teach yourself (and most of us have done it that way) you are going to have to weed thru all the opinions and hype and eventually make some sort of choice for a starter guitar. Don't worry, in your price range there are some really great guitars and you can play almost any kind of music on almost any kind of guitar. Johnson played a smaller Gibson, Cash played a big booming dread. I have each and I can play slide on either, flat pick either or play finger style blues on either. I also have a couple of resonators - at some point every wannabe bluesman needs a reso - but start with a nice quality midsized acoustic that is well set up and you can't go wrong.

 

Spend some time reviewing old threads in HC - here are some recent ones on a similar request

 

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1783128

 

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1778442

 

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1772670

 

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