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Beginner - Guitar advise please
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Anyway, I got a guitar today, purchased from a family owned and run music shop. I got an SX Acoustic Guitar. It turned out his wife gives music lessons too, at a time which would suit me down to the ground and in a place that I would be passing when bringing my son to school. Great to know that if I can't pick it up from the computer that this backup is available to me. Happy days.
Congrats OP, best of luck with it and hope you stick with it.... great that you can get the lessons from the same people too
Agreed - there's some awful snobbery ITT. And from my experience, it's the empty vessels that make the most noise - most 'gear' heads who read the guitar magazines & study up on the latest equipment, etc, are usually the worst players. They love to talk the talk.
OP - unlike some people ITT, I don't know the detailed ins & outs of every guitar, pick, string, etc, available - I just don't have time - I'm too busy actually playing music; but from my experience, you can't go wrong with a Yamaha acoustic for a beginner. Nice action & good sound. Try Adverts.ie
http://www.adverts.ie/514765
So because I read up about the gear that I use and pay a lot of money for i'm full of awful snobbery?? I gave my advice... someone disagreed... we debated our points, some comments look aggressive and argumentative but how do you know what tone they were meant to be read in?? And I personally think your "Empty Vessel" comment is hilarious.... that says to me that your attitude is that if someone knows the theory side of something then they'll be useless at the practical end of it. I could be wrong, but thats how it reads...I'm not getting "in his face" - I'm just saying that the OP asked a simple question, and received all sorts of in-forum arguing over brand names - it's pure snobbery.
It's not snobbery, its human nature to debate over what brands etc people think are better. The OP asked for advice from people, If I was starting a thread like this (which I have done many times) then I'd want to read various comments and suggestions from different people, and if one person disagreed with someone about why type of gear to be spending money on, I'd want to hear arguments from both parties... it's how you make educated decisions.
And before you accuse me of arguing with you... I'm simply debating your opinions with my own, not being a snob or an "Empty Vessel"0 -
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The finicky little details about the stringiest strings and the pickiest picks? That was by way of levity and veiled apology if you like. And also to acknowledge that things were going off on a wee bit of a tangent. But sure that's the way of conversation, isn't it. I had been a bit snippy with Antonus Prime earlier on in the thread (sorry 'bout that Antonus. There. I said it out loud...).
On the walkin' the walk point? I've been walking for years now. Got my first guitar for me birthday at 12, so actually 26 years walkin' as of yesterday. Through the strummy years, the metal years, the jazzy/bluesy years, the classical degree years, the current fingerpicky/flatpicky/traditional years... Happy to walk the walk when paid or among friends. I'll only talk the talk when asked to. For example, when a thread comes up here and people ask for advice on a first instrument, I'll base this on my teaching experience (talkin' the walk...?). That's what I've been doing pretty much solidly for the last 10-15 years. Teaching and playing. Or walking and talking if you like. That said, advice to beginners is always based on 28 odd years learning from my own experience and and that of the many others who have been a part of the process.
If I might offer a couple of test cases... One young fella (11) arrived in to me last September fresh from a year of group classes, armed with a fender acoustic he could barely reach around. Action you could drive a bus under, and zero scope for adjustment. Same fella is making progress, but it's slow and quite literally, painful progress. Because, and this is the important part, he's trying to learn on an instrument that's working against him. He's a talented young fella. Working his way through the stones back catalogue, learning his chords and licks (and I may get shot for this, but he's getting a bit of theoretical knowledge as well...). Now, the interesting part is that he can play everything he's learned pretty much damn near spot on. But only when we swop and he plays my guitar. I on the other hand, have a tough enough time getting anything worthwhile out of his. Now I know he'll persevere and get beyond this instrument, but it's an awful pity he's in a position where he has to. There are good beginner instruments out the in the same price range. He just didn't get one.
Another. I've a student, late 40's, who came to classical guitar from bass. A semi-pro player. Went from grade I to VI on a Valencia beginner model. Did the job. Playing surface -grand, action/setup – grand, response -zero. Based on this, his ability to explore the expressive possibilities of both the instrument and repertoire are also zero and he knows this. So, the hunt is on for a new classical. Which he'll be happy to pay for because, important part again, he needs one to progress.
I have any number of these stories to offer, but I suppose what I'm saying is that quality does matter. It doesn't have to be top quality, but it should at least be good quality. Especially at the beginner end of the market. I'm not really into getting in a pi**ing up the wall contest about who can play better, or who's got the fancier gear. Tend to ignore those conversations. When a chat comes up about making a good start though, I'm all too happy to offer my 5c worth. As well as being the world's most popular instrument, the guitar is also unfortunately the world's most 'given-up' instrument. Largely, I'd imagine, because crappy gear makes it that much harder to get over the initial hurdles. No, I haven't a research study to back up that claim, but I don't think, anecdotally, that any here would argue this point.
Some of the truisms and snippets of received wisdom that exist in the guitar world are frankly, laughable. Steve Van Diddley never took a lesson in his life, Blind Benny Bosworth learned on a piece of twine stapled to his nose....
Some extremely talented artists succeeded despite having to use crappy gear. An enormous number give up as a result of having to use crappy gear. They used what was available to them. Our choices are happily much broader. Unfortunately, the Steve Van Diddleys and Blind Benny Bosworths of this world are few and far between. We all love a legend. That's what makes them legends. I'm not one.
Deko43 (who we haven't heard from for a while – took the advice and ran!), I hope you do make progress and have many happy years of playing. Do persevere, and remember that if you're not getting on as well as you know you should be, the fault may be in the machinery.
As a postscript... On the subject of telling the difference between strings and things, although I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek: All gauges being equal, electric – almost never, acoustic – generally, classical – always – Savarez are a little scratchy but just sound sooooo good, Augustines bit too thick and 'rubbery' for my liking, D'addarios are somewhere in the middle....
Dunlop nylon 0.60's? I've just been using them too long to change.
Just out of interest. A quick question to Clonmahon, and this is a serious question. If the crappy player with the good guitar, and the great player with the crappy guitar were to swop, what might the result have been? And secondly I suppose, do you think the great player would have refused the swop?
Should this thread be renamed at this point........?0 -
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