[JohnsSS]

Just started taking lessons with my son hes 10 any recommendations for a first timer,,which guitar to buy? for both of us that is...thnks

[ssdan]

Originally Posted by JohnsSS

Just started taking lessons with my son hes 10 any recommendations for a first timer,,which guitar to buy? for both of us that is...thnks

it's common for people to cheap out on buying their 1st guitar, that's the wrong thing to do, cheap guitars can be harder to play and discourage the new player. That don't mean you have to go for a $4,000 Martin, but not a $100 one either.

Read some reviews, go to a Guitar store and try a bunch, get one that fits your hands.

[rocks66ss]

You can get a nice Mexican Fender strat for about $250.00. I saw a Epiphone Les Paul used for $200.00 on ebay on a buy it now.


Rocky

[Robinls5]

I agree on the CHEEEEEP guitars. I bought my 58 Fender P.Bass in 1964. I have had a bunch of Bass guitars, BUT I always play my 58 P.Bass on the job. I suggest a Low priced Fender strat. THEN have a luther drop the strings for you.
Cheep guitars ( For the most part ) do not have necks adjusted correct, So the strings are very high and hard to play and the intonation will be out.
Bob

[cuisinartvette]

HIs very first guitar?

Get him a middle of the road nylon string non electric to learn his fingers on.
Once he masters that he can step up to a steel string...or hit the electrics

Good on a catgut guitar=ripping it up on an electric

Scales, scales, and more scales. Practice those religiously and he will be able to play anything.

[Andy69]

A guitar is a very personal decision. You need to take the time to find one that is comfortable to play, and also take the time and $$ to make sure it is properly set up. A properly set up $200 Chinese Fender acoustic will sound better and be much more fun to play than an improperly set up $2000 Martin. If you and he are serious, I would head over to the local guitar shop and spend some time looking and trying out different guitars. You want one that fits your hand and is comfortable to play. If it hurts too much he and you might get discouraged and quit.

Just as an example, I would not buy a Martin. Not that Martins are bad guitars. They are some of the best made out there. But, they aren't comfortable for me to play. I feel much more at home with a Breedlove or Taylor because of the neck shape. I had a Chinese Alvarez that I picked up in a pawn shop 4 years ago that I played until I felt the guitar was limiting me. Then I went to the music store and tried a few out - including Martin, Larravee, Taylor, Breedlove, and a few others. I played with a buddy of mine who has a Taylor and a Martin, and I preferred his Taylor over the Martin. Then I went to look at a Breedlove on CL and I couldn't put the thing down. I bought it on the spot. It was $325 used but when the time comes to look for that $2000 instrument I'll look no further than Breedlove.

The point I guess is take a little time to find something that enhances your playing rather than works against you.

[mr 4 speed]

If you guys are electric,you can't go wrong with an Epiphone

[webfoot]

Guessing this will be an acoustic to start? The washburn acoustics sound great, are easy to play and you can get a new one for around $200. They make "folk" or "3/4" size guitars which will probably be easier for him to play.

I learned on a cheapo and the action was so high it was hard to play very long cuz of how hard I had to smash the strings down into the fretboards. I ended up giving that one away to a friend for him to smash his fingers.

[Burnsamatic]

If you are going electric you may want to consider an Epiphone Nighthawk. It's a remake of the Gibson Nighthawk that was discontinued years ago. My brother had one and he said it was the best guitar he ever had. Easy to play, you could get it to sound like a Stratocaster, a Les Paul, and a Telecaster. Very versatile guitar and I believe they can be had for around $300-400 bucks brand new.

[Burnsamatic]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1990s-Epipho...item337453547e

Here ya go!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Epiphone-Nig...item19cef25d8e

[Tonys72SS]

Just a personal preference here, but I personally love Gibson Les Pauls, the real bluesy sound you can get out of them I can not get enough of. However, since its a first time thing you have to find what you are comfortable with. Go to a guitar shop and see what you like and dont like. Epiphone makes a good guitar for the money, and you may notice the different price levels on the Les Pauls especially. The lower priced ones are ok however the pickups are cheap and I never did like the sound. The middle ranged Les Pauls are really nice for the money good sound and they have a good feel to them, for me at least. And the upper priced Les Pauls are almost as good as the Gibsons, just not quite there, but they do sound really nice and are almost comparable to a Gibson.

Like I said its something you have to go and try and see what you are comfortable, but the most important thing is to have fun with it and make sure your son has fun with it.

[marcrose]

When you want to learn guitar it is essentially important to have a strong idea of your favorite music.It is very hard to learn if you dont like the music and your attention will fade.If you learn a favorite band or son g you will stay attentive.Now your have to decide your likes and dislikes.Personally i loved iron maiden,scorpions etc so i purchased an electric.That was 2 marshall stacks,a jackson ,an ibanez,a fender etc ago.you get my point.been playing for 28 yrs now all because of rock you like a hurricane.good luck.

[mfret1970]

Having played for 20 years, taught beginners for 6 of those, plus worked at the largest Guitar shop in Boston for several years, I have a couple suggestions.

What not to do-- DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, start with an acoustic or classical/folk style guitar. Steel string acoustics have higher action and require more pressure to push the strings down. CuisainartVette made a good comment about gut-string guitars, but it only applies to adults, and even then it's a challenge. With a nylon (gut) string guitar, although the strings are easier to push, the neck is SOOOO wide that your youngster won't be able to even get his hand around it, much less play something like a "G" chord.

What TO do-- Take him to the guitar shop and figure out what guitar he likes the looks of best. As a kid, he has a certain "vision" of who guitar players are and the instruments they play. You want to play into that vision. Once you've done that, then find one comparable in a reasonable price range. Don't buy the cheapest line from a mfgr, you get what you pay for. Probably need to spend at least $199 to get a decent instrument, $299 is more like it. Get a cool amp with some built-in effects to go along with it as well as an electric tuner, strap, and some picks. Also, the best advice I could give is to get a guitar stand, either floor-standing or wall-mount.

This sounds like alot of fluff, but the key here is to keep Junior interested, even once he finds out it's actually kinda hard to play guitar.

So, find an instrument he's excited about and can't take his eyes off of. Then take it home and put it somewhere that's easily accessible so he doesn't have to take it out of the case and do a bunch of stuff every time he wants to play. GET SOME LESSONS!! And make sure he has all the things to make this guitar "cooler" than every other toy in his closet. The built-in effects and other accessories will open up a whole new world of sounds for him to experiment and explore.

Feel free to PM if you have additional questions, and DEFINITELY report back to tell us what you ended up with!

[CRUSHBOX]

I would go for the '58 les paul sunburst for a first guitar-- then you can move up from there.

[Showalter]

My first guitar was a B C Rich Warlock Bronze Series, it looks great to me but it looked better for the girls at school, and that was all the "Rock Star Motivation" i needed to get better and better, mostly to play LONG Metallica songs to keep them there.